Ultimate Level 1: Ultimate Boundaries

Ultimate Level 1 #8

by Shawn Wilson

Max and the team make a decision to return to Igarra's world and try to figure out what has happened since he has been gone. Upon their arrival they learn Max's place as the world champion has been taken by another. He must defeat the new champion or suffer death.

They had come in hopes of growing stronger in the tower on a different world. Now once again it seems that there is a game in play and Max and the rest are merely pieces on the board. Can they survive this new threat and return home to their world?

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

532 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 5, 2025

Reviews

[Tony Hinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm finding the endless progression fights to be a little dull. No political upheavals or dungeon breaks. The moment of self doubt, felt by the team in the middle of the book, was massively contrived... not a fan.

However, the book ended on a note of radical change, thus I intend to continue with the series.

[Andrew G · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series had some potential, but it’s solidly mid for me at this point. 2.5 stars for the series. I have essentially the same issues with this book as every other with a few extra so it’s a 1.5 stars for me, rounding to 2.

First, there’s the constant context errors, making jokes based on the English language and contemporary uses of those words. Example: making a joke about a bone helmet and boners… Yeah… Then there’s the fourth wall breaks. I DESPISE these with a passion. These are meant by authors that abuse them (like Noobtown for instance) to be funny. But all they do is sacrifice immersion for some one-liner. Like a Titanic movie reference really? Is that joke worth it? NO. It isn’t.

My next issue is with the constant gassing up of Max (MC) about what a great and amazing guy he is and how special that makes him. Literally EVERYONE gasses himself up like this! It is so annoying and unrealistic. Let the readers glean his personality and character through his actions, not side characters laying it out over and over and over and over again in unrealistic conversations. It’s exhausting! We get it, he’s a good guy and that’s important for the plot. I wonder what percentage of this entire series is dedicated to this favorite pastime of the author? It’s probably a surprisingly large amount.

The side characters are really underutilized, even his elf fiancé. They hardly ever play a role in their victories. If they are mentioned at all, it’s more like the author trying to throw them a bone. It makes the whole teamwork thing seem pointless. And I don’t know why these characters would continue to risk their lives, even if the rewards are great, if they have gone from contributing to being liabilities. The author did attempt to rectify this with some training side quest, but it doesn’t work if he then doesn’t utilize them in the fights.

Plus the fights need it. Despite the variety of environments and opponents, they still follow the same path in almost every instance.

I don’t understand the whole other planet thing. I don’t know why he cares what happens over there. He makes this big speech about no one should dare to defy him after taking out a challenger (the cover character) and then just forfeits to the next dude to challenge him. And these logical inconsistencies continue. Often these play out as conversations with other characters where Max is convinced by “knowing they’re right”. That’s often used phrase in these convos the author uses to explain some decision. But the annoying part isn’t the repetitive use of this method, it’s that the explanations sometimes don’t make any sense, but the MC “knows they’re right.” And it is right, because the author wrote it that way. I hate writing like that.

Oh and let’s not forget ANOTHER cliffhanger. Dude, we don’t do cliffhangers in progression fantasy. We do mini-cliffs, some small issue can be teased. But big issues left hanging? That robs of payoffs? Payoffs are why we read progression fantasy. It’s escapism! We don’t want to feel bad or miffed or annoyed when we finish a book, we want to feel elated and triumphant. It’s about that feeling, that’s why we read this genre! We have that feeling carry us over to buy an author’s next installment, not a need to know how the cliffhanger plays out. That’s soap opera garbage. I can forgive the author for doing this once, but not twice.

My biggest complaint though is how the larger plot is shaping up. We’ve got ourselves a “one” who must struggle to prevail in a reality where his actions will determine the fate of them all… yawn. Such a trope. So much of that in this genre, but this is like the highest degree of that so super lame.

All in all, a tropish plot with flat characters with little to no growth, repetitive fights, context errors and fourth wall breaks, cliffhangers, and logical inconsistencies, making this series a solid mid for me. 2.5 stars.

[Aubria L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Fast pacing, great action, magic and skill system is awesome! and now I have to wait for next audible installment of this series to know the outcome of Bob! I don’t care for cliff hangers even tiny ones!🤣🤣

[Shad Pease · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please proofread

This is one of my favorite series. I look forward to each installment and count the days until the next release... So it is frustrating when there are so many simple errors that I have to puzzle out what was being said and STILL question if it's accurate.

Also... How ridiculous. There was no explanation as to why the MC needed to take the dragon's core in the first place. He WANTED to experiment with that which makes his juvenile dragon powerful?? Without giving us a good reason? Grrr!! NOT good storytelling.

I stopped reading around page 250 because I needed to reset. Especially since the previous book was a letdown... Yeah, I get that there needed to be some closure for various life events... But it still lacked the quality of the first five... And this one was ...meh...

So... After reading 2 books by Seth Ring (which were properly proofread) I finished this book. The story and writing got better when they entered the tower again and also fought the dwarf king.

Stop publishing without proofreading. You've given us notice when the next book will be available. That means you have time to makes it a quality read. Or find a better editor.

And YES, I'll be eagerly waiting for the next book.

Thanks.

Shad

[Marina Oliveras · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crec que he arribat fins aquí. No tinc ganes de continuar. Hi ha coses que ja se'm fan una mica massa:

- Trobo que s'abusa (pel meu gust) del "poder de l'amor". Vull dir, els personatges ho resisteixen pràcticament tot gràcies a l'amor i a la gent que estimen.
- Quan en Max pensa en la Tanila, quasi sempre fa servir la coletilla "the woman he loves". S'acaba fent molt pesat. Passa el mateix amb les expressions "elf tits", "ogre nuts", "hairy dwarf balls". Es fa repetitiu.
- Parlem d'una realitat ple de mons diferents, però tot i això, quan es troben criatures d'altres móns, només es parla de 2 gèneres (dona i home). A més, fins on he vist, només hi ha parelles heterosexuals. Ho veig poc creatiu/realista (sense oblidar que parlem d'un món de fantasia, I know).
- En els primers 6 llibres, el protagonista, tot i ser un xaval de 18 anys, té un rizz tremendo, i s'insinua que enamora a la major part de dones (de qualsevol raça) joves que es troba. Cada dos per tres es troba amb damiseles amb necessitat d'ajuda.

Amb tot, crec que la saga és interessant i entretinguda, vull dir: he escoltat els 8 primers llibres. Però quan comences a pensar, vas notant cosetes que no acaben d'agradar. Al final acabes veient que la trama simplement és una fantasia masculina: home jove amb poders immesurables, amb una dona guapíssima, que enamora a tothom, i és respectat i estimat per tothom ja que està salvant a tot el món.

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

For The Love Of A Good Book

There are books out there that you read and enjoy. Then there are books that you love and read more than once. But rarely, there are books that create a world that you can see when you read them. The characters feel like friends and you cry and laugh with them. Max and his party, his family, are more the words on paper (or a screen) for me. I’ve waited for each book to be released so that I can feel that connection with them again. I know one day the story will end, and I will be sad. But until that day I will enjoy the time with them, watch them grow and overcome the challenges before them. I can think of nothing greater that can be said of a writers work than to create that for his readers. I will wait to see my friends again, and hope that more will find the joy I have found with this series.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shawn gets back on track with this book, providing fresh ideas and engaging plot lines. There are at least five boss/major encounters. Each is unique in how it was presented and how it was overcome. The other nice aspect of this book is that there were not endless slogs through dungeons with repetitive action and plot lines. We are finally at the point where we can enter a dungeon, hit the highlights, and then do a quick recount over a cup of brew on the other side. A well needed change of course at this venture in the series.

There are two cliff hanger endings. The one with Bob is non-suspenseful, because he is such an integral part of this series you 'know' he will return somehow. The other cliff hanger [no spoiler] probably will turn out OK with Wilson at the helm. But Lord help the poor girl if it had been George R.R. Martin holding her fate in his pen.

[Alex Stane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really happy with the direction on this one.

Max being able to bring his party to the his land was really great to see, as well as the interactions between his party and all the characters he met over there.

I didn't expect Bob to get punished the way he did, but it's an interesting prospect for the future now that you-know-who is pulling strings with Max's skills.

The return of the tower is great, I was happy to read the new settings and puzzles that came with it. The new mystery of the tower bosses was a great choice by the author, I'm not exactly sure what he plans to do with it but I'm excited to find out.

The ending also wasn't what I expected, but it seems like we might be breaking the trend of 1 setup book then 1 action book. Doesn't seem to be slowing down since all the tower stuff, or I'm at least hoping that we get to see the contents of the letter come to fruition.

[RandomLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the series, the characters, the world building, and the progression. Sometimes I struggle with these constantly positive main characters because they don’t follow a logical system of progression with their decision-making. Sometimes one chapter it’s I need to do everything I can to get more powerful the next chapter. It’s giving up things that make them more powerful to give them to people that are insignificant to the plot, not insignificant to the main character.. so it’s hard when they’re like hurry up I need to get more powerful and then they do stupid things like give away items or stats or skills…. makes zero sense.

[Rob Enderle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun series. I'd been away from it for a while, and coming back, I was able to pick right back up again. The Black and Red skill stuff is entertaining, and while the hero is overpowered, which isn't unusual for this type of book, he is constantly challenged, making it a hard-to-put-down book because you want to see how the fights turn out, and they are fun. In some LitRPG books, the skill reminders get really old after a few books because there are so many kills. There are skill reminders in this book, but they are rare and easy to skip over. Overall, this was a fun read and a great series!

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters have become the best part of this series. And if you had to pick an element, that's probably the best element to get right. The action is well written and pacing is good. But the world hasn't gotten bigger. In fact, in ways I can't describe without spoilers, the author actually reduces the scope of the story.

I've read a lot of stories in this category and it seems like some authors have a grand plan in mind before starting and others run out of ideas partway through the series. This seems like the second case, so we're having fun adventures and wrapping up personal plot arcs, but not expanding the grand world or story.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimate Boundaries was a decent book, though I had a hard time with parts of the book. Sometimes, the story just dragged along, and sometimes it didn't make a whole lot of sense, but for the most part, it worked, and now we're apparently going to see just what Max is capable of, since the next book looks like it's going to start with a bang. Plan to read that one soon.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

good story progress and progression.

This series is developing nicely. Nice progression, max actually has to back down from a fight and the team is back together again. Saying all that and the 5 star rating I have to say that we can probably slow down the progression or add more on the various tower floors and encounters are happening. More detail and more scope of the challenges. Otherwise a fine addition to the series as a whole.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

How many book can be published that really go nowhere?

This is a legitimate question. I really like the novels in the beginning. They were quaint and fun to read, but as time has gone forward, I felt that the pace of the story as slowed down. I am glad that not every battle needs to be gleaned out for the readers(this is a rather annoying trait with new authors). This review is like the series, meandering along at a slow pace and not really saying anyrhing.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, bad blurb

So, I really enjoyed the book. Excellent character development, good battles, good progression. However, I’m actually really annoyed at the book blurb … one part of what was in the blurb didn’t happen until about 90% of the way through the book. That’s not a tease, that’s a spoiler.

[Rodney M Bean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book in the series

At this time, who doesn’t love dragons? LOL. It’s a good book made even better by the presents of fighting dragons. However, the main character MAX can still be an idiot at times. And it’s frustrating when he’s being stupid. Everybody else seems to be on their normal game. You just got to love the Death Games…. And with a King too. LMAO.

[frank stechman · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Fun

It has been decades since I have enjoyed a pulp as much as this! ( That would be Alan Burt Akers ie Kenneth Bulmer. I ran through the 8 books available in 10 days. Those of you that like DnD and litrpg this is a home run. Caution, RL will take a hit cause you'll be busy reading. Kudos to Shawn, well-done and thank you for sharing such a fun story.

[Stefan E Sramek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boo hiss

This is a very lame and disappointing ending. How you expect me to "be excited to find out what happens in the next book" instead makes me disinterested for being messed with. I find myself asking why I want to read more of a series that keeps trying cheap writing tricks like this? This ending left me dissatisfied, so future ones probably will too.

[Smoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed this series, but with having to wait for book 8 to come out, and then reading it. This has become one of my favorite Lit RPG series.
The characters are great, the author can be trusted to tell a great story, and the plot constantly expands at a very enjoyable pace.
Overall this is just a wonderful series and it gets better with each book.

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read with fun characters!

This is a fun read that spans multiple worlds. I love the characters and the friendships they develop. The only downside is waiting for the next book keep them coming!

[Leslie Baptiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent story but cliffhanger.

As usual, excellent story excellent cast of characters fast paced and exciting. Unfortunately, I’m only gonna give this book 4 stars instead of five and that’s because it ended in a cliffhanger.

[Thomas Goldsworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Freaking Dragon Balls!

Wilson lines up to the plate, waits for the pitch, and Cracks!!! The ball goes soaring over left field! Another homerun! I just love how fresh he keeps each book, and now, sadly, I only have one left. On to the last book!

[Colette Clemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addicting

You can just fall into this world and adventure. My only suggestion is that it needs a glossary or index of characters. I mean this series really needs one, for the love of the fans. Please and thank you.

[luther stenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated getting back to the tower and building strength through overcoming floors. I am baffled that Max is considered underpowered against upcoming threats and yet he kept giving away the items he could use to build his strength. Still looking forward to the next installment though :).

[Zack Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fanfreakingtastic!

What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!

[Mike Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Stuff

This story of a guy who consumes stats and skills instead of leveling was a very interesting entertaining great read.

[Al Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a good read

I have enjoyed reading and immersing myself in this series since book one. I hope Shawn continues to write this series.

[Zerdath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next one!

Great continuation of the story, things are happening and our hero is growing in emotional maturity as well as power.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book series

I love the characters in this book series and the way they work together to stick up for what is right.

[David Phipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my review for book 1.