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1% Lifesteal #2
1% Lifesteal (Volume 2): A LitRPG Adventure
Free, powerful, and in possession of a dead Lord’s storage ring, all he needs is a new identity, and he can start his career as an archhuman delver.
With his time in Faralethal’s mines coming to an end, Freddy is finally free to tackle the world. With the spoils of his unlikely victory, he expects to take the world of delving by storm.
Unfortunately for him, things are never that easy.
Big city life is harsh for those without backing. There are many who have been born into power, and many who are willing to do anything to get ahead.
In the grand scheme of things, an independent two-star is still prey.
But with the freedom, funds, and most importantly, time, it won’t be long until he shows the world why, despite all that had tried to kill him, he is still alive and thriving.
Book 2 of this action-packed LitRPG Adventure from Robert Blaise set two hundred years after a reality-altering apocalypse.
Featuring a weak-to-strong Brawler MC who never backs down, a unique power system, apocalyptic elements and more!
With his time in Faralethal’s mines coming to an end, Freddy is finally free to tackle the world. With the spoils of his unlikely victory, he expects to take the world of delving by storm.
Unfortunately for him, things are never that easy.
Big city life is harsh for those without backing. There are many who have been born into power, and many who are willing to do anything to get ahead.
In the grand scheme of things, an independent two-star is still prey.
But with the freedom, funds, and most importantly, time, it won’t be long until he shows the world why, despite all that had tried to kill him, he is still alive and thriving.
Book 2 of this action-packed LitRPG Adventure from Robert Blaise set two hundred years after a reality-altering apocalypse.
Featuring a weak-to-strong Brawler MC who never backs down, a unique power system, apocalyptic elements and more!
722 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2025
1436 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
July 7, 2025
All of the distasteful traits of the first book but turned up even higher. The main character is an asshole who seems to truly believe life is about being the biggest baddest alpha male, owning expensive clothes and having as much muscle as possible and dancing in clubs with women he treats like garbage. The way this author writes women and writes men talking about women is disgusting. You feel gross reading this book, reading about people callously torturing and stepping on people's heads and women being yanked around by big beefy guys who buy the most expensive clothes and get mad and punch each other but can't do their own laundry or figure out how to cook. The author includes really weird lines every once in a while like "they were buttered up so much you could bake a cake between their ass cheeks" which is supposed to be clever because it's foul? Also, the author clearly has a thing for muscles because every character is literally described as either "massive and heavy with huge rippling muscles and veins as this as roots and numerous as cobwebs", "a huge fucking nerd" because they wear glasses and are relatively polite, or they're a small fragile woman character. I said it in my review about the first book but considering how much worse the problem is than in the second one: this book feels like it was written by finding the worst 14 year old boy in a middle school and telling him to write a book while watching Andrew Tate content.
August 9, 2025
This was a great follow-up to the first book in the series. If you enjoyed the first volume, then you should have a similar experience here. If you didn't, well, don't expect things to change.
I've often wondered why I don't enjoy cultivation stories more compared to the gamelit stories with classes and levels. I'm still unsure. This story has most of the same hallmarks of a cultivation setting with a society stratified by power and full of nepotism. But for some reason I don't mind it as much in this series.
I think the key to it is our MC, Freddy. He's not some Gary Stu with a heart of gold. He's selfish and has a chip on his shoulder. He sees the power and luxury the elites are born into and can't help but want a piece for himself. Even after becoming an Arch Human, there are still levels to this game and Freddy is constantly confronted with the idea that he's trash. Always has been and always will be. When he tries to gain something, he's swatted down and stepped on. When he tries to mind his own business, he's pulled into trouble because of other people's callous disregard and unsustainable egos.
There is no happy end here, and it's a collision course for Freddy and the status quo. The only possible mediation would come from society circling the figurative wagons against an enemy at the interspace gates, but I don't know if the humans in this series have it in them. It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. I'm curious what the endgame is for this story.
I've often wondered why I don't enjoy cultivation stories more compared to the gamelit stories with classes and levels. I'm still unsure. This story has most of the same hallmarks of a cultivation setting with a society stratified by power and full of nepotism. But for some reason I don't mind it as much in this series.
I think the key to it is our MC, Freddy. He's not some Gary Stu with a heart of gold. He's selfish and has a chip on his shoulder. He sees the power and luxury the elites are born into and can't help but want a piece for himself. Even after becoming an Arch Human, there are still levels to this game and Freddy is constantly confronted with the idea that he's trash. Always has been and always will be. When he tries to gain something, he's swatted down and stepped on. When he tries to mind his own business, he's pulled into trouble because of other people's callous disregard and unsustainable egos.
There is no happy end here, and it's a collision course for Freddy and the status quo. The only possible mediation would come from society circling the figurative wagons against an enemy at the interspace gates, but I don't know if the humans in this series have it in them. It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. I'm curious what the endgame is for this story.
June 27, 2025
Candy books. Easy to read but nothing revolutionary in them for me personally. It was a nice break from the heavy duty painful books I had been reading.
June 30, 2025
What was the point?
I don't recommend the series to anybody. I can explain but it's going to take a little bit of time. I have been looking for a new story to enjoy. I have found quite a lot of good stories from this publisher. My understanding is that the author of this book is writing under a pen name and that I am familiar with his other work. That's why I gave this book a shot. I try to separate my personal taste from the quality of the work and then also take it easy on the first book of a new series as in my experience they can be shaky Endeavors even from trident authors. When it comes to a sequel I'm looking for what made the first book worth reading and then a little bit more. I almost never give less than four stars. Things truly have to be Beyond The Pale. I did not recommend the first book and had no intention of picking up the sequel, but enough time and a whole mountain of books in between then and now left me not remembering that that had been my intention. Amazon hounded me with this sequel as a recommendation for something I might like. Clearly the algorithm does not take into account if you have given a past work a poor rating. So if anybody disagrees with this review I'll take part of the blame and Amazon can share the rest. If I remember correctly my main issues with the first book were that the main character had no redeeming factors anywhere. There appeared to be no growth over the course of the book and the supporting characters didn't Fair much better. There were either bad people pretending to be good people or bad people who did not matter in the greater context. The feeling that I got was substantially similar to the one that I had once I had reached the end of Michael Scott Earls Destroyer series. Now, I picked up this book and as I read it was reminded that the character who at times as the reader you could sympathize with then ruined it by being a selfish self-centered a hole. About halfway through the book the author introduces a chaotic female character who joins up with our main character. Through this interaction we learn that one of the major reasons the main character acts the way he does is because he's afraid. It would have been awesome if the author had then done something with that, but the back end of the book doesn't really allow for him to capitalize on that revelation and the Very ending of the book does not make me believe that he has any intention of doing so moving forward with the series. They say that money doesn't make people an a-hole it simply amplifies what's already there. Our main character in this world has essentially one the lottery, not once but multiple times. His life in the first book is very clearly one marked by poverty and hopelessness. His situation doesn't get better from there to include a partial castration because apparently a full castration would have been going too far. In this book the character is essentially on the other side where he can enjoy being the wealthy person that he's always dreamed of, but his interactions are marked by a cringey socially awkward set of actions in which he is unwilling to take responsibility when he's wrong and responds in anger should anybody oppose him, upset him, or point out his mistakes. In other words we're back too not no development but very slow development of the character. To be fair I have read stories in the past in which they are labeled as a Slow Burn. I have heard people describe for example The Wheel of Time only becoming good after several books in the series have been read. To each their own and I can see that there are plenty other reviews for which this story is exactly what they were looking for or they enjoyed it greatly. For me, I wish there was a mechanism on Amazon like the wish list where I could put items that I am absolutely positively not interested in and they would not recommend it to me. To be clear I will not leave a review as a general rule unless I have finished the entirety of the work which is the case here with this book. I do like the Grim Dark Universe of 40K and yet the Ultra violence that takes place of this book I find this tasteful including the chapter labeled Slaughter. My final thoughts are that this story has more negative views then I usually see. Perhaps you like myself and try and avoid the reviews. People do seem to like the author and are trying to be appropriate with their criticisms over this work. I'm not leaving this review to bash the author, but I am sharing what I would have liked to have known before starting the story.
I don't recommend the series to anybody. I can explain but it's going to take a little bit of time. I have been looking for a new story to enjoy. I have found quite a lot of good stories from this publisher. My understanding is that the author of this book is writing under a pen name and that I am familiar with his other work. That's why I gave this book a shot. I try to separate my personal taste from the quality of the work and then also take it easy on the first book of a new series as in my experience they can be shaky Endeavors even from trident authors. When it comes to a sequel I'm looking for what made the first book worth reading and then a little bit more. I almost never give less than four stars. Things truly have to be Beyond The Pale. I did not recommend the first book and had no intention of picking up the sequel, but enough time and a whole mountain of books in between then and now left me not remembering that that had been my intention. Amazon hounded me with this sequel as a recommendation for something I might like. Clearly the algorithm does not take into account if you have given a past work a poor rating. So if anybody disagrees with this review I'll take part of the blame and Amazon can share the rest. If I remember correctly my main issues with the first book were that the main character had no redeeming factors anywhere. There appeared to be no growth over the course of the book and the supporting characters didn't Fair much better. There were either bad people pretending to be good people or bad people who did not matter in the greater context. The feeling that I got was substantially similar to the one that I had once I had reached the end of Michael Scott Earls Destroyer series. Now, I picked up this book and as I read it was reminded that the character who at times as the reader you could sympathize with then ruined it by being a selfish self-centered a hole. About halfway through the book the author introduces a chaotic female character who joins up with our main character. Through this interaction we learn that one of the major reasons the main character acts the way he does is because he's afraid. It would have been awesome if the author had then done something with that, but the back end of the book doesn't really allow for him to capitalize on that revelation and the Very ending of the book does not make me believe that he has any intention of doing so moving forward with the series. They say that money doesn't make people an a-hole it simply amplifies what's already there. Our main character in this world has essentially one the lottery, not once but multiple times. His life in the first book is very clearly one marked by poverty and hopelessness. His situation doesn't get better from there to include a partial castration because apparently a full castration would have been going too far. In this book the character is essentially on the other side where he can enjoy being the wealthy person that he's always dreamed of, but his interactions are marked by a cringey socially awkward set of actions in which he is unwilling to take responsibility when he's wrong and responds in anger should anybody oppose him, upset him, or point out his mistakes. In other words we're back too not no development but very slow development of the character. To be fair I have read stories in the past in which they are labeled as a Slow Burn. I have heard people describe for example The Wheel of Time only becoming good after several books in the series have been read. To each their own and I can see that there are plenty other reviews for which this story is exactly what they were looking for or they enjoyed it greatly. For me, I wish there was a mechanism on Amazon like the wish list where I could put items that I am absolutely positively not interested in and they would not recommend it to me. To be clear I will not leave a review as a general rule unless I have finished the entirety of the work which is the case here with this book. I do like the Grim Dark Universe of 40K and yet the Ultra violence that takes place of this book I find this tasteful including the chapter labeled Slaughter. My final thoughts are that this story has more negative views then I usually see. Perhaps you like myself and try and avoid the reviews. People do seem to like the author and are trying to be appropriate with their criticisms over this work. I'm not leaving this review to bash the author, but I am sharing what I would have liked to have known before starting the story.
July 13, 2025
Good book
Good second book... Solid.. Depth to the MC
Recommend
JD Glasscock
Author of the Series Blood Brothers, Nocturne and Warborn
Good second book... Solid.. Depth to the MC
Recommend
JD Glasscock
Author of the Series Blood Brothers, Nocturne and Warborn
December 18, 2025
Coming off the first book, I was hoping 1% Lifesteal would refine its rough edges. Unfortunately, while the plot technically moves forward, the character flaws I noticed in Book 1 are amplified here to a degree that makes for an uncomfortable read.
The Narrative & Plot: The story picks up with Freddy escaping the prison of Camp Violet and attempting to rebuild his life with a new ID as a two-star Mage. The introduction of new allies, specifically Sophia, and the deeper look at the antagonists (cultists) adds necessary stakes to the world. We also see the fallout with Mark, who is dealing with the grief of his past mistakes. When the book focuses on these geopolitical events and the external threats, it works.
The Protagonist: From "Underdog" to "Toxic Alpha" My main critique of Book 1 was that Freddy felt like a caricature of a "poor person." In Book 2, he transforms into a caricature of a toxic "Alpha Male." The character's internal monologue and motivations seem entirely driven by vanity, obsessing over expensive clothes, muscle mass, and treating others (especially women) with disdain.
The narrative seems to equate "strength" with being a bully. Characters are often categorized by superficial physical traits: you are either a "massive, rippling, vein-popping" tough guy, or you are dismissed as a "huge nerd" simply for wearing glasses. This creates a protagonist who isn't just an anti-hero, but genuinely unlikable.
Writing Style & Pacing: The writing style in this installment takes a dip. There is a tendency toward "gross-out" metaphors that attempt to be clever but land as merely foul. Furthermore, the pacing suffers significantly from "info-dump fatigue." The author frequently pauses the action for long-winded explanations of mechanics or lore that often end up being moot by the end of the chapter. It lacks nuance and treats the reader as if they cannot follow the story without constant hand-holding.
The Verdict: Book 2 is a test of patience. It suffers from distasteful gender dynamics, a shallow protagonist, and pacing issues. However, I have read ahead to Book 3, and I can confirm the series does course-correct and improve significantly. If you can stomach the "edgelord" vibes and the pacing slumps of this volume, there is a better story waiting on the other side. Treat this book as a necessary, albeit frustrating, bridge to get there.
The Narrative & Plot: The story picks up with Freddy escaping the prison of Camp Violet and attempting to rebuild his life with a new ID as a two-star Mage. The introduction of new allies, specifically Sophia, and the deeper look at the antagonists (cultists) adds necessary stakes to the world. We also see the fallout with Mark, who is dealing with the grief of his past mistakes. When the book focuses on these geopolitical events and the external threats, it works.
The Protagonist: From "Underdog" to "Toxic Alpha" My main critique of Book 1 was that Freddy felt like a caricature of a "poor person." In Book 2, he transforms into a caricature of a toxic "Alpha Male." The character's internal monologue and motivations seem entirely driven by vanity, obsessing over expensive clothes, muscle mass, and treating others (especially women) with disdain.
The narrative seems to equate "strength" with being a bully. Characters are often categorized by superficial physical traits: you are either a "massive, rippling, vein-popping" tough guy, or you are dismissed as a "huge nerd" simply for wearing glasses. This creates a protagonist who isn't just an anti-hero, but genuinely unlikable.
Writing Style & Pacing: The writing style in this installment takes a dip. There is a tendency toward "gross-out" metaphors that attempt to be clever but land as merely foul. Furthermore, the pacing suffers significantly from "info-dump fatigue." The author frequently pauses the action for long-winded explanations of mechanics or lore that often end up being moot by the end of the chapter. It lacks nuance and treats the reader as if they cannot follow the story without constant hand-holding.
The Verdict: Book 2 is a test of patience. It suffers from distasteful gender dynamics, a shallow protagonist, and pacing issues. However, I have read ahead to Book 3, and I can confirm the series does course-correct and improve significantly. If you can stomach the "edgelord" vibes and the pacing slumps of this volume, there is a better story waiting on the other side. Treat this book as a necessary, albeit frustrating, bridge to get there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2025
Fantastic!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
June 20, 2025
Do you like every single character being an awful ass? This book is for you!
The writing and world building are good, sometimes great!. The setting is fun and the system of magic interesting. The characters are all assholes. There are no good guys here, only bad guys. The best, most upstanding character only realized they were being awful after days of doing it. That was the character growth.
The MC is a huge ass to everyone he meets and interacts with. Even people who work with him and are hugely valuable. Kind words have no place in 1% lifesteal.
The actual terrorists have the best outward philosophy...
This is not a feel good fun book. Interesting story though. If all the above doesn't bother you, an excellent read awaits!
The writing and world building are good, sometimes great!. The setting is fun and the system of magic interesting. The characters are all assholes. There are no good guys here, only bad guys. The best, most upstanding character only realized they were being awful after days of doing it. That was the character growth.
The MC is a huge ass to everyone he meets and interacts with. Even people who work with him and are hugely valuable. Kind words have no place in 1% lifesteal.
The actual terrorists have the best outward philosophy...
This is not a feel good fun book. Interesting story though. If all the above doesn't bother you, an excellent read awaits!
June 21, 2025
Good story. Fun but long winded.
Book two didn't disappoint, finding the main character again trying to increase his fortunes and stay out of trouble. However, geopolitical events transpire to keep him dodging and guessing while trying to power up. The worst thing about the story, it's the bad pacing. The author gets really long-winded and explaining things that become moot at the end of the explanation. Stop that the explanations don't hold value they're just too long with no nuance for the reader to be able to understand what the author's trying to convey. Becomes too much of an info dump. Overall, good story and look forward to book three.
Book two didn't disappoint, finding the main character again trying to increase his fortunes and stay out of trouble. However, geopolitical events transpire to keep him dodging and guessing while trying to power up. The worst thing about the story, it's the bad pacing. The author gets really long-winded and explaining things that become moot at the end of the explanation. Stop that the explanations don't hold value they're just too long with no nuance for the reader to be able to understand what the author's trying to convey. Becomes too much of an info dump. Overall, good story and look forward to book three.
June 26, 2025
It's good
If you like the first book you're going to like this one. There's more character growth. There's a few more viewpoints than I would like to see in a book like this, but it also really helps set up things around the main character so I guess I can't complain too much. The world gets filled out more more understanding about how the universe and the world's work is brought in. His magic skills. Develop a little bit. He devops as a character. Apologize for any spelling errors. I'm writing this review with voice to text mainly to help the author get the attention he deserves
If you like the first book you're going to like this one. There's more character growth. There's a few more viewpoints than I would like to see in a book like this, but it also really helps set up things around the main character so I guess I can't complain too much. The world gets filled out more more understanding about how the universe and the world's work is brought in. His magic skills. Develop a little bit. He devops as a character. Apologize for any spelling errors. I'm writing this review with voice to text mainly to help the author get the attention he deserves
January 24, 2026
Under my friend’s reassurance, I was told that book two is where everything truly picks up. Book one apparently, was just a massive prelude, laying the groundwork before the real story began. But holy motherfucking shit, it somehow got worse.
Let’s quickly recap the major beats of book one.
Finding a vestige by accident, selling it, getting a different one and a remnant free of charge. Madam’s House with its mini training/gym arc. Torture. Prison. Then a large, climactic fight.
Book two opens and immediately manages to be more directionless.
Escaping. Killing someone completely innocent. Getting a new identity. Running to New York. Becoming so paranoid that Freddie does absolutely nothing for a while. Getting rejected by a girl and somehow this hits him harder than torture and prison combined. I am not joking. Then he starts delving with a proper team and proceeds to fuck one of his teammate’s wife the day after they agree to a divorce. It was an accident, sure, but still.
And this is only the first six hours.
This book does not pick up. It backflips, does jumping jacks, slides left, slides right, and does anything except move forward.
Which brings me to Freddie.
Remember how Freddie shifted from naïve to douchebag jackass in book one? That trend is now in full display. I don’t want to get too political, but Freddie goes from a soy boy loser to a wannabe alpha red pill guy, complete with all the emotional instability that comes with it. He has no emotional depth. He is offended by everything. When things do not go his way, he mopes around like a beaten animal. This is not exaggeration.
The worst part is that his emotional responses are wildly inconsistent. Getting rejected by a girl hits him harder than literal torture and imprisonment. That is not character depth. That is broken emotional baggage.
Then we get to Sophia, and I was genuinely hoping this would be where Freddie finally gains something. Anything. Physical growth. Emotional maturity. Self awareness. Instead, the same red pill energy is on full display with no sign of leaving.
Freddie is unbearably needy. I understand trauma and loneliness, but the way he lets his insecurities spill over and then takes them out on her is just awful to read. The only saving grace is that he finally realizes he is being a jackass and then somewhat makes an effort to correct it, which is honestly more than most red pill subscribers manage. That is not high praise.
The ending fight is another massive letdown. In book one, the author gave us a grand spectacle, but in this one, the resolution to the terrorist attack is painfully anticlimactic. There is no real fight between Freddie and that woman whose name I genuinely forgot. Then there is the showdown between the Empress and Nathaniel or whatever his name was. Nothing actually happens. I was expecting dramatic confrontation. Instead we get exposition and the vague reveal that there is something greater than an Eidolon. Sure, I guess.
Then there is the fight with Jacob. And honestly? Snore fest.
Some people might argue that this was Freddie’s wake up call, but if the last two books are anything to go by, it will just be the same old cycle.
"Small" tangent
I genuinely do not understand why people enjoy this story. My friend says Freddie’s willpower is admirable. That his refusal to stay down and desire to survive and grow stronger is what makes him compelling. But willpower alone is not enough. Just because a character refuses to give up does not make them likable or worth rooting for. Joffrey from Game of Thrones also refuses to accept loss. No one is rooting for him. Why should I want Freddie to succeed when I cannot even gaslight myself into liking him?
Now, about Jacob.
Jacob is unlikable for the same reason Freddie is. Freddie is emotionally immature and self absorbed. Jacob is actively cruel. Take everything I said about Freddie being a dick and multiply it by eleven. His girlfriend dies and all he can think about is that he never got to kick her out. That is not grief. That is sociopathy.
People grieve differently, sure, but when every character in the story is an asshole, writing a sympathetic grief scene makes no sense. Why should I care about the pain of someone who has shown no redeeming qualities?
Theodore is unlikable for yet another reason. He is not explosively cruel like Jacob. He is casually awful. He is a dick to his wife before the terrorist attack and a massive, unforgivable asshole to his traumatized wife after it. And the story treats this as acceptable background behavior. What the actual fuck.
Why are we only surrounded by terrible people?
Grimdark stories need balance. It needs the contrast of occasional moments of goodness to level it out. Something to make the suffering matter.
Game of Thrones works not because bad things happen, but because the characters are layered. They are not purely black. Even deeply flawed characters have something human to latch onto. Except Joffrey. And notice how he is universally hated.
In this story, everyone is Joffrey.
Freddie is an asshole. Madam is self centered. Theodore is a cunt. Jacob is irredeemable. These are the primary people we follow, and by the end two of them are dead. So none of it even matters.
And honestly, who cares about Mark’s storyline?
Let’s quickly recap the major beats of book one.
Finding a vestige by accident, selling it, getting a different one and a remnant free of charge. Madam’s House with its mini training/gym arc. Torture. Prison. Then a large, climactic fight.
Book two opens and immediately manages to be more directionless.
Escaping. Killing someone completely innocent. Getting a new identity. Running to New York. Becoming so paranoid that Freddie does absolutely nothing for a while. Getting rejected by a girl and somehow this hits him harder than torture and prison combined. I am not joking. Then he starts delving with a proper team and proceeds to fuck one of his teammate’s wife the day after they agree to a divorce. It was an accident, sure, but still.
And this is only the first six hours.
This book does not pick up. It backflips, does jumping jacks, slides left, slides right, and does anything except move forward.
Which brings me to Freddie.
Remember how Freddie shifted from naïve to douchebag jackass in book one? That trend is now in full display. I don’t want to get too political, but Freddie goes from a soy boy loser to a wannabe alpha red pill guy, complete with all the emotional instability that comes with it. He has no emotional depth. He is offended by everything. When things do not go his way, he mopes around like a beaten animal. This is not exaggeration.
The worst part is that his emotional responses are wildly inconsistent. Getting rejected by a girl hits him harder than literal torture and imprisonment. That is not character depth. That is broken emotional baggage.
Then we get to Sophia, and I was genuinely hoping this would be where Freddie finally gains something. Anything. Physical growth. Emotional maturity. Self awareness. Instead, the same red pill energy is on full display with no sign of leaving.
Freddie is unbearably needy. I understand trauma and loneliness, but the way he lets his insecurities spill over and then takes them out on her is just awful to read. The only saving grace is that he finally realizes he is being a jackass and then somewhat makes an effort to correct it, which is honestly more than most red pill subscribers manage. That is not high praise.
The ending fight is another massive letdown. In book one, the author gave us a grand spectacle, but in this one, the resolution to the terrorist attack is painfully anticlimactic. There is no real fight between Freddie and that woman whose name I genuinely forgot. Then there is the showdown between the Empress and Nathaniel or whatever his name was. Nothing actually happens. I was expecting dramatic confrontation. Instead we get exposition and the vague reveal that there is something greater than an Eidolon. Sure, I guess.
Then there is the fight with Jacob. And honestly? Snore fest.
Some people might argue that this was Freddie’s wake up call, but if the last two books are anything to go by, it will just be the same old cycle.
"Small" tangent
I genuinely do not understand why people enjoy this story. My friend says Freddie’s willpower is admirable. That his refusal to stay down and desire to survive and grow stronger is what makes him compelling. But willpower alone is not enough. Just because a character refuses to give up does not make them likable or worth rooting for. Joffrey from Game of Thrones also refuses to accept loss. No one is rooting for him. Why should I want Freddie to succeed when I cannot even gaslight myself into liking him?
Now, about Jacob.
Jacob is unlikable for the same reason Freddie is. Freddie is emotionally immature and self absorbed. Jacob is actively cruel. Take everything I said about Freddie being a dick and multiply it by eleven. His girlfriend dies and all he can think about is that he never got to kick her out. That is not grief. That is sociopathy.
People grieve differently, sure, but when every character in the story is an asshole, writing a sympathetic grief scene makes no sense. Why should I care about the pain of someone who has shown no redeeming qualities?
Theodore is unlikable for yet another reason. He is not explosively cruel like Jacob. He is casually awful. He is a dick to his wife before the terrorist attack and a massive, unforgivable asshole to his traumatized wife after it. And the story treats this as acceptable background behavior. What the actual fuck.
Why are we only surrounded by terrible people?
Grimdark stories need balance. It needs the contrast of occasional moments of goodness to level it out. Something to make the suffering matter.
Game of Thrones works not because bad things happen, but because the characters are layered. They are not purely black. Even deeply flawed characters have something human to latch onto. Except Joffrey. And notice how he is universally hated.
In this story, everyone is Joffrey.
Freddie is an asshole. Madam is self centered. Theodore is a cunt. Jacob is irredeemable. These are the primary people we follow, and by the end two of them are dead. So none of it even matters.
And honestly, who cares about Mark’s storyline?
January 26, 2026
2.5
The parts I didn’t like about the first book - magic system explanation, powering up in detail, mindless fighting, casual violence, unlikable characters, poor decisions, the “men writing women” issues - are still here and cranked up more than the first.
The stuff I liked - contrast of privileged life vs a poor one, lack of stats, and character personality growth, overall straightforward story - pretty much disappeared.
I get that it’s a LitRPG, and I do have low standards for this genre. But I think I might have been fooled by the beginning of the first one. I liked what most reviews don’t seem to, the downtrodden Everyman being thrust into to the powerful class.
But the MC no longer sees the class separation as something to stop. Instead of trying to help the poor like he claimed in the first, he now just wants to join the rich just for the superficial rewards.
The parts I didn’t like about the first book - magic system explanation, powering up in detail, mindless fighting, casual violence, unlikable characters, poor decisions, the “men writing women” issues - are still here and cranked up more than the first.
The stuff I liked - contrast of privileged life vs a poor one, lack of stats, and character personality growth, overall straightforward story - pretty much disappeared.
I get that it’s a LitRPG, and I do have low standards for this genre. But I think I might have been fooled by the beginning of the first one. I liked what most reviews don’t seem to, the downtrodden Everyman being thrust into to the powerful class.
But the MC no longer sees the class separation as something to stop. Instead of trying to help the poor like he claimed in the first, he now just wants to join the rich just for the superficial rewards.
June 29, 2025
Ohhhh myyy! Soooooooo friggintastic! Freddy is finally able and ready to get his life back on track after escaping outta that horrible prison, Camp Violet, by using one of the most unorthodox methods evarrr... and the first thing he needs is a new ID. After that he starts delving as an indie again, but now as a two star Mage! Eventually he finds an ally that he can depend on. So Freddy and Sophia have their work cut-out for them fighting not only monsters but cultist as well... You wouldn't think anything else could go wrong but Freddy seemingly attracts enemies, as if he was magnet, simply by minding his own business!
And wow Mark is really messed up, grieving his mistake, wishing he could apologize to Freddy, and ask for forgiveness... simply messed up! Oh and speaking of messed up, Mark isn't the only one Sophia is ummm... how to say it, she's ummm indisposed at the moment, yeah that sounds about right, Indisposed...
So why haven't you grabbed it yet, huh... you absodamnlutely need to read it...
Here's a quote for yah:
"She watched in abject horror as he proceeded to fill a bowl with numerous pills, fill it with water, and then eat it with a spoon as if he were eating cereal."
And wow Mark is really messed up, grieving his mistake, wishing he could apologize to Freddy, and ask for forgiveness... simply messed up! Oh and speaking of messed up, Mark isn't the only one Sophia is ummm... how to say it, she's ummm indisposed at the moment, yeah that sounds about right, Indisposed...
So why haven't you grabbed it yet, huh... you absodamnlutely need to read it...
Here's a quote for yah:
"She watched in abject horror as he proceeded to fill a bowl with numerous pills, fill it with water, and then eat it with a spoon as if he were eating cereal."
August 24, 2025
Most unlikeable main character ever
This character refuses to experience joy. A one-dimensional character with no redeeming qualities. Sarcastic, fearful, childish, provincial. The main character has been given a gift, a boon, basically everything he could possibly want, and he does nothing but worry and complain.
I couldn't take it anymore. At about 70% of the book, I just stopped. I have wasted 1.7 books worth of time on this loser. He would get no more of my attention.
I recommend the author go read the Cradle series so he can see how a main character should comport himself.
This character refuses to experience joy. A one-dimensional character with no redeeming qualities. Sarcastic, fearful, childish, provincial. The main character has been given a gift, a boon, basically everything he could possibly want, and he does nothing but worry and complain.
I couldn't take it anymore. At about 70% of the book, I just stopped. I have wasted 1.7 books worth of time on this loser. He would get no more of my attention.
I recommend the author go read the Cradle series so he can see how a main character should comport himself.
November 3, 2025
Left a bad taste in my mouth
I enjoyed the first book enough to come and check out the second book and see where everything was going. While the secrets unraveling in the world are rather interesting, I'm not a fan of how most of the side characters are written.
I thought it was cool that Freddy had a friend, even if that friend betrayed him in the last book. Sucks that the friend turned out to be a total b****. Before the guilt-ridden, "what have I done?" mindset, he seemed like a cool, stalwart, dependable guy that knew how to drive. Now he's turned into a total limp wrist, whiny, fretful, incompetent pansy.
Jacob started off as an entitled prick, as to be expected; stereotypes and tropes. And then after watching everybody get slaughtered he was broken. I get that. I just missed the part where he became so easily controlled and manipulated. Which brings me to the next character.
Theodore and his crew seemed like cool people. I liked that Freddy bumped into them, but didn't completely join them, and had interactions with them. Good times. While it sucks what happened to 3/5 of them, I was disgusted by what Theodore turned into. The way he treated Beatrice at the end made my skin crawl. Not sure where that came from either.
I am moderately intrigued as to where the story's going, what's going to happen with Madame, and how he's going to get Sophia back, but I'm going to need a break before I check out the next book.
I enjoyed the first book enough to come and check out the second book and see where everything was going. While the secrets unraveling in the world are rather interesting, I'm not a fan of how most of the side characters are written.
I thought it was cool that Freddy had a friend, even if that friend betrayed him in the last book. Sucks that the friend turned out to be a total b****. Before the guilt-ridden, "what have I done?" mindset, he seemed like a cool, stalwart, dependable guy that knew how to drive. Now he's turned into a total limp wrist, whiny, fretful, incompetent pansy.
Jacob started off as an entitled prick, as to be expected; stereotypes and tropes. And then after watching everybody get slaughtered he was broken. I get that. I just missed the part where he became so easily controlled and manipulated. Which brings me to the next character.
Theodore and his crew seemed like cool people. I liked that Freddy bumped into them, but didn't completely join them, and had interactions with them. Good times. While it sucks what happened to 3/5 of them, I was disgusted by what Theodore turned into. The way he treated Beatrice at the end made my skin crawl. Not sure where that came from either.
I am moderately intrigued as to where the story's going, what's going to happen with Madame, and how he's going to get Sophia back, but I'm going to need a break before I check out the next book.
January 23, 2026
Another great sexy hit. Again there was a lot of cool ways to include the progression of the MC without it being gratuitous. Comedy still funny, action even COOLER, and actually got me wanting to look up so much lore (but avoiding spoilers). REALLY liked that he started tracking his progress through the notebook and how that was a good way to show the reader where he was at.
I loved that I never knew what was going to happen but when it would happen it made sense. The choices he made before had consequences instead of just making him automatically OP, and he had to think strategically moving forward, which I loved. Also LOVE SOPHIA and I’m glad she’s still around, in her unique form lol.
Mark’s side story is crazy and can’t wait to see that clash. Glad it is saved for future conflict in the book, along with meeting MM and seeing what’s up with that passage in The Wastes.
One weird thing: Can’t get a read on Freddy’s personality. He’s funny and jovial, then realistic and gritty, then just angry and short-fused, all in the same interaction. Hard to pin him down.
Anyways, loved it. Can’t wait for #3 teehee.
I loved that I never knew what was going to happen but when it would happen it made sense. The choices he made before had consequences instead of just making him automatically OP, and he had to think strategically moving forward, which I loved. Also LOVE SOPHIA and I’m glad she’s still around, in her unique form lol.
Mark’s side story is crazy and can’t wait to see that clash. Glad it is saved for future conflict in the book, along with meeting MM and seeing what’s up with that passage in The Wastes.
One weird thing: Can’t get a read on Freddy’s personality. He’s funny and jovial, then realistic and gritty, then just angry and short-fused, all in the same interaction. Hard to pin him down.
Anyways, loved it. Can’t wait for #3 teehee.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2025
must change to avoid destruction
The mc’s anxiety bled into my reading and I couldn’t enjoy the book. The start of the book was really slow with little action to take the edge off. Most of the book was concerned with the mc making choices and with his severe anxiety overwhelming the rational, it made reading difficult. The bipolar paranoia was too much. Paranoid of someone sleeping in another room yet 4 masked quasi familiar armed delvers trigger no paranoia at all. With a book of self discovery, I’m not sure anyone liked what they found. We all would be most displeased if the mc ever goes to a club and gets drunk again.
The mc’s anxiety bled into my reading and I couldn’t enjoy the book. The start of the book was really slow with little action to take the edge off. Most of the book was concerned with the mc making choices and with his severe anxiety overwhelming the rational, it made reading difficult. The bipolar paranoia was too much. Paranoid of someone sleeping in another room yet 4 masked quasi familiar armed delvers trigger no paranoia at all. With a book of self discovery, I’m not sure anyone liked what they found. We all would be most displeased if the mc ever goes to a club and gets drunk again.
June 30, 2025
I wanted so badly to like these books. After slogging through the first one, ignoring the clunky and poorly explained magic system, the utter lack of editing, and whiny, generally unlikeable protagonist, I was committed to giving this one a read because I know that many authors really hit their stride on the second book.
That is not the case here.
The main character doesn't show any growth, change, or ambition. He just kind of floats along with no discernible motives, being a dick to everyone he meets for no apparent reason and whining about how hard his life is. I got a little more than halfway through before deciding that I didn't need to endure any more.
That is not the case here.
The main character doesn't show any growth, change, or ambition. He just kind of floats along with no discernible motives, being a dick to everyone he meets for no apparent reason and whining about how hard his life is. I got a little more than halfway through before deciding that I didn't need to endure any more.
December 28, 2025
Read this book on my Kindle.
Pros: Picks up right where the last book left off. Takes the story in unexpected directions, not afraid to change settings and characters. Main character makes solid progress, more of the magic system is unveiled.
Cons: Writing isn't the best. Could use an editing pass, but still tolerable. Feels like it loses the thematic elements of fighting for the little guy that were pushed in the first book, replaces it with other elements.
All in all, a solid follow up on the first book.
Would recommend to anyone who likes gnarly prog fantasy and main characters who absolutely do what needs to be done.
Would read again.
Pros: Picks up right where the last book left off. Takes the story in unexpected directions, not afraid to change settings and characters. Main character makes solid progress, more of the magic system is unveiled.
Cons: Writing isn't the best. Could use an editing pass, but still tolerable. Feels like it loses the thematic elements of fighting for the little guy that were pushed in the first book, replaces it with other elements.
All in all, a solid follow up on the first book.
Would recommend to anyone who likes gnarly prog fantasy and main characters who absolutely do what needs to be done.
Would read again.
January 17, 2026
It's strange how betrayal, greed, and the indifference to help someone weaker than you caused all of this.
Things really came to a head this book, and I don't see the protag turning into some self sacrificial hero. They created a monster that will cause bloodshed.
Will pick up the sequel.
3/5 Stars
Things really came to a head this book, and I don't see the protag turning into some self sacrificial hero. They created a monster that will cause bloodshed.
Will pick up the sequel.
3/5 Stars
January 30, 2026
It's not bad and I plan to continue, but I'm not 100% behind some of the decisions the author makes on character decisions and things that happen to them. it's not necessarily that I want a MC and side characters with a hero complex who are reckless because they have plot armor, but I read to escape and generally think I'm optimistic, meanwhile the author seems borderline sadistic and paints a pessimistic world where horrible things continuously happen. I guess that justifies some of the MC decisions but still....
June 24, 2025
Crazy
I don't enjoy reading these books. They are great. Good storyline, great imagery.
Watching these poor characters get dragged through the lava and that's the best part of the day. It's exhausting on a metaphysical level. NO ONE is EVER happy in these books. It's one grueling horror after another until someone dies. Nothing good ever happens to ANY character.
It kinda sucks, if I'm being honest.
I don't enjoy reading these books. They are great. Good storyline, great imagery.
Watching these poor characters get dragged through the lava and that's the best part of the day. It's exhausting on a metaphysical level. NO ONE is EVER happy in these books. It's one grueling horror after another until someone dies. Nothing good ever happens to ANY character.
It kinda sucks, if I'm being honest.
August 13, 2025
A twisted turn to keep readers wanting more.
Went into this story expecting the typical litrpg formula, boy was I nistaken and am I happy I was. Nothing is simple in this story, and the nuances of how the two most prominent actors for the script flow parallel to each other is definitely a bonus I never knew I needed in this kind of story. Here's hoping the 3rd star includes a unique talent to get him even meaner by the end(and hopefully we get his LI back)
Went into this story expecting the typical litrpg formula, boy was I nistaken and am I happy I was. Nothing is simple in this story, and the nuances of how the two most prominent actors for the script flow parallel to each other is definitely a bonus I never knew I needed in this kind of story. Here's hoping the 3rd star includes a unique talent to get him even meaner by the end(and hopefully we get his LI back)
December 30, 2025
NO SPOILERS.
Our MC Freddy has it all figured out, or so he thought. Life in the Big City wasn't as easy as he imagined. Which lead to more complications. Deadly complications. Volume 2 expanded on the world while giving glimpses of what's happening around poor Freddy.
Character development continues improving. Freddy is a two-star, but he's still prey. The action was good. The bad guys even better. Really interesting world.
Our MC Freddy has it all figured out, or so he thought. Life in the Big City wasn't as easy as he imagined. Which lead to more complications. Deadly complications. Volume 2 expanded on the world while giving glimpses of what's happening around poor Freddy.
Character development continues improving. Freddy is a two-star, but he's still prey. The action was good. The bad guys even better. Really interesting world.
June 25, 2025
When I first started this series I wasn't sure if I would keep reading it.
It's managed to get into my reading list over on Royalroad. I let a few chapters build up and then go on a little reading binge. I'm still not the MC's biggest fan and I still think everyone cries to much, but I think the story is only getting more interesting.
It's managed to get into my reading list over on Royalroad. I let a few chapters build up and then go on a little reading binge. I'm still not the MC's biggest fan and I still think everyone cries to much, but I think the story is only getting more interesting.
July 2, 2025
4.3⭐️
0🌶️
Listened to the audiobook on Audible
This book is a great dark LitRPG. Frankie goes to the next level but realizes how out of his depths he is. He meets a delver group and a total crazy cultist. The point of views frequently shifted and was hard to follow. The world and the power building was very intriguing and that ending. I am excited for book 3.
0🌶️
Listened to the audiobook on Audible
This book is a great dark LitRPG. Frankie goes to the next level but realizes how out of his depths he is. He meets a delver group and a total crazy cultist. The point of views frequently shifted and was hard to follow. The world and the power building was very intriguing and that ending. I am excited for book 3.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2025
It's a hard knock life...
Freddy doesn't have the best of luck, but he fights on. While not what I would call an encouraging story, it definitely kept me paying attention. The worldbuilding is pretty fascinating and the plot arc is really intriguing. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out the next book in the series.
Freddy doesn't have the best of luck, but he fights on. While not what I would call an encouraging story, it definitely kept me paying attention. The worldbuilding is pretty fascinating and the plot arc is really intriguing. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out the next book in the series.
August 18, 2025
The first book was cool and had great progression. The second installment felt super disjointed and progression wasn't super tangible. MC spent most of the book navigating impossible situations and barely escaping with his life. the whole thing was just a bit too depressing. The concept is great and im hoping for a more fun OP MC in book 3 and not so many antagonists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2025
This book was okay. It seems to start off well, but just discussed the talents, skills, or whatever he calls that magic and sub-magic or whatever skills Freddy and others have. I got bored and just finished the book because I started it.
I wish there was more story and less discussion on all the reason's why 'magic' works.
I wish there was more story and less discussion on all the reason's why 'magic' works.
December 4, 2025
Enjoyable but not as good as the first book. Some of the “scenes” between the main character and other characters didn’t flow as well as the first book. Almost no one is likeable but luckily I don’t need to like the characters to enjoy the overall story 😂
Looking forward to seeing what the third book is like.
Looking forward to seeing what the third book is like.
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