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Lion's Quest #1
Undefeated
Leo "The Lion" Lennox is the 10 year world champion of Astafar Unlimited, the best virtual reality game of all time. However, Leo has become bored with his success, and wonders where his next challenge will lie.
Then he meets the mysterious Zarra, and she tempts the champ to try her cutting edge game. Leo soon discovers a virtual world that is beyond fantastic. Can he resist the lure of this amazing game and the beautiful woman that has asked him to quest on her behalf?
Then he meets the mysterious Zarra, and she tempts the champ to try her cutting edge game. Leo soon discovers a virtual world that is beyond fantastic. Can he resist the lure of this amazing game and the beautiful woman that has asked him to quest on her behalf?
698 pages, ebook
Published January 16, 2017
403 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
About the author
Michael-Scott Earle
76 books1,588 followersNYT and USA Today bestseller of fiction. Top 100 Amazon best selling author.
You can buy my novels on my website. www.michaelscottearle.com
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You can buy my novels on my website. www.michaelscottearle.com
I DON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON GOODREADS ANYMORE. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP OR MAILING LIST.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/15622...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 5, 2017
Awesome yet frustrating
I almost gave this book 4 stars but couldn't for 2 reasons. First, I was literally 51% of the way through the book before the MC started logging into the game. Everything before that was just buildup. Don't get me wrong, the story was good, but I bought this book because I wanted to read LitRPG not other stuff.
Second, while this book is definitely is a VRMMO I wouldn't classify it as LitRPG. While the action is great there was only a token referral to aspects that I was expecting. The character levels up once at the very end where he coincidentally completes his first quests. It was even worse because his completion of the quests was the 1st time any quests were even mentioned. It was like at the very end the author was like " Oh yeah I forgot this was supposed to be LitRPG. There were no quest pop ups, no talk of stat distribution, and barely a nod at the magic system.
It really frustrated me because the book was actually really good just not LitRPG like it said it would be.
I almost gave this book 4 stars but couldn't for 2 reasons. First, I was literally 51% of the way through the book before the MC started logging into the game. Everything before that was just buildup. Don't get me wrong, the story was good, but I bought this book because I wanted to read LitRPG not other stuff.
Second, while this book is definitely is a VRMMO I wouldn't classify it as LitRPG. While the action is great there was only a token referral to aspects that I was expecting. The character levels up once at the very end where he coincidentally completes his first quests. It was even worse because his completion of the quests was the 1st time any quests were even mentioned. It was like at the very end the author was like " Oh yeah I forgot this was supposed to be LitRPG. There were no quest pop ups, no talk of stat distribution, and barely a nod at the magic system.
It really frustrated me because the book was actually really good just not LitRPG like it said it would be.
May 29, 2017
It's a great litrpg novel. It had everything you would expect from a great series beginning. The protagonist was cool, detailed backstory to the protagonist, mysterious warnings etc... I liked reading it especially due to its sheer volume. It is a relatively large book. But you don't have to worry about it ending anytime soon. And No, it won't bore you.
May 25, 2024
PROS: A surprisingly entertaining story.
CONS: Contains frequent profanity and sexual talk.
OVERALL: I received a free audiobook from an author that I am unfamiliar with, and found myself being honestly pleased with the story—while repulsed by frequent profanity and juvenile chatter about mating. Within the storyline, each situation leads to curiosity about what happens next—exactly as it should be. Beginning with a fighter’s tenth championship battle, the story explores what he is going to do with the rest of his young life. The story quickly turns to a soft mix of his real life and heavy in-game action. Perhaps there should’ve been more wrestling with other potential life decisions for the main character, but it is an action adventure after all, not true to life. This reader felt that the repetitive narrations of fighter character statistics, combat skill selection, abilities, and labels with values within the virtual reality world were irrelevant to the story—like my BR rating is 16 (what is it, and is that good?)—the story would’ve been better to have these details left out. While in-game, the main character, Leo, sometimes remarks that he will ask the game designers about certain things, and not that I’ve kept a running list, but I’m nearly certain he has let several such details slip by without discussing or clarifying them.
Plot holes:
(1) After Leo befriends a cat-man character in a VR game, he is told that patients play the game for just one hour daily. Within a day or two of Leo’s departure, he is told that a patient made the 8–9-hour journey to that region within the game to discover and share the character’s fate. Furthermore, in Leo’s own gameplay, nine hours of real time elapsed in what felt like a few hours inside the game world. Given what we have been told, it is not possible for anyone to have reached the beloved character in so short a time (making an 8-9 hour in-game journey while playing just 1-3 hours). Knowing these details, Leo didn’t question this information.
(2) When Leo and his two companions exit the bath house to hide in a maintenance room, they bring one magically illuminated torch with them. However, when they leave the room, Leo instructs his companion to bring all three torches. Where did the other two torches come from?
SUMMARY: Lion’s Quest: Undefeated is an intriguing tale of a virtual reality game champion exploring a new VR world with humor, adventure, and mystery—one that is exceptionally well-narrated in audiobook form. Unfortunately, the text is sometimes entangled in irrelevant statistics while needlessly punctuated with sexual innuendo and every-chapter-profanity. In this reader’s opinion, the story itself could be 5 stars, but the unnecessary filth drags it down to 4 stars.
CONS: Contains frequent profanity and sexual talk.
OVERALL: I received a free audiobook from an author that I am unfamiliar with, and found myself being honestly pleased with the story—while repulsed by frequent profanity and juvenile chatter about mating. Within the storyline, each situation leads to curiosity about what happens next—exactly as it should be. Beginning with a fighter’s tenth championship battle, the story explores what he is going to do with the rest of his young life. The story quickly turns to a soft mix of his real life and heavy in-game action. Perhaps there should’ve been more wrestling with other potential life decisions for the main character, but it is an action adventure after all, not true to life. This reader felt that the repetitive narrations of fighter character statistics, combat skill selection, abilities, and labels with values within the virtual reality world were irrelevant to the story—like my BR rating is 16 (what is it, and is that good?)—the story would’ve been better to have these details left out. While in-game, the main character, Leo, sometimes remarks that he will ask the game designers about certain things, and not that I’ve kept a running list, but I’m nearly certain he has let several such details slip by without discussing or clarifying them.
Plot holes:
(1) After Leo befriends a cat-man character in a VR game, he is told that patients play the game for just one hour daily. Within a day or two of Leo’s departure, he is told that a patient made the 8–9-hour journey to that region within the game to discover and share the character’s fate. Furthermore, in Leo’s own gameplay, nine hours of real time elapsed in what felt like a few hours inside the game world. Given what we have been told, it is not possible for anyone to have reached the beloved character in so short a time (making an 8-9 hour in-game journey while playing just 1-3 hours). Knowing these details, Leo didn’t question this information.
(2) When Leo and his two companions exit the bath house to hide in a maintenance room, they bring one magically illuminated torch with them. However, when they leave the room, Leo instructs his companion to bring all three torches. Where did the other two torches come from?
SUMMARY: Lion’s Quest: Undefeated is an intriguing tale of a virtual reality game champion exploring a new VR world with humor, adventure, and mystery—one that is exceptionally well-narrated in audiobook form. Unfortunately, the text is sometimes entangled in irrelevant statistics while needlessly punctuated with sexual innuendo and every-chapter-profanity. In this reader’s opinion, the story itself could be 5 stars, but the unnecessary filth drags it down to 4 stars.
January 23, 2017
Amazingly well written
I have to admit, I was interested in the premise of the book but I was really just expecting another in a line of LitRPG that while entertaining was still lacking in many areas. So imagine my surprise at how polished the dialogue was, how believable the character interactions were. This was one of the most well written books I've read in a while, up there with many of the bestselling mainstream authors. Even the rather lascivious, almost lewd behavior of the elves is well explained although I'm sure some will find fault with it. The descriptions of the games, the mechanics, even the VR interfaces were well thought and didn't come across as repetitive or boring. I am very much looking forward to the next book and would also like to thank the author for such an interesting read and such engaging characters.
I have to admit, I was interested in the premise of the book but I was really just expecting another in a line of LitRPG that while entertaining was still lacking in many areas. So imagine my surprise at how polished the dialogue was, how believable the character interactions were. This was one of the most well written books I've read in a while, up there with many of the bestselling mainstream authors. Even the rather lascivious, almost lewd behavior of the elves is well explained although I'm sure some will find fault with it. The descriptions of the games, the mechanics, even the VR interfaces were well thought and didn't come across as repetitive or boring. I am very much looking forward to the next book and would also like to thank the author for such an interesting read and such engaging characters.
January 17, 2017
A fast read
I'd give this one 4.5 if I could. Fast paced. Not much fluff here. I liked the mystery in the real world part of the story. I also liked that the real world section wasn't a bolted on stub. I do hope that on future books the MC doesn't steamroller through everything with his awesomeness. I'm glad he found some pants. A lot of good humor in here. I do appreciate that the MC thought about maybe feeling bad about his body count.
I'd give this one 4.5 if I could. Fast paced. Not much fluff here. I liked the mystery in the real world part of the story. I also liked that the real world section wasn't a bolted on stub. I do hope that on future books the MC doesn't steamroller through everything with his awesomeness. I'm glad he found some pants. A lot of good humor in here. I do appreciate that the MC thought about maybe feeling bad about his body count.
January 20, 2017
I could not put this book down
A friend recommended this book to me and honestly he had not lead me astray! This book was extremely entertaining and took turns I honestly didn't see coming! It stole at least 5 hours of sleep and 8 from my job! I kept turning each page trying to retain the information as fast as I could, so I'll wait patiently for book 2! Thank you for the book!
A friend recommended this book to me and honestly he had not lead me astray! This book was extremely entertaining and took turns I honestly didn't see coming! It stole at least 5 hours of sleep and 8 from my job! I kept turning each page trying to retain the information as fast as I could, so I'll wait patiently for book 2! Thank you for the book!
February 7, 2022
Review for the full series. 6 books. -basically awesome!
(review for book 1 below, this is a review of the full 6 book series)
Starts as a LitRPG boys adventure story with cleavage, slowly (slow burn) morphs into a harem series with sex scenes (but not for the first 3 books). These are simple books. But simple with heart. If Ernest Hemingway grew up on video games and wrote low brow gamer smut, with swear words -this would be the result. If that idea repels you. Absolutely skip this book.
(book 1)
I'm rereading the series now that MSE has finished them. I'm glad I did because I've forgotten most of the characters and events here. You know what else I'd forgotten?
The MC is just about the biggest Mary Sue you'll ever meet. (Gary Stu?) ...more on that later.
This book spends the whole first half just telling you how awesome the MC is. The story doesn't start until just before the end of the book. The in-game action is pretty good even considering this was one of the early LitRPG books -Jan 2017.
There are some annoying characters here (not counting the MC) but most of this book is interesting if you can get past the slow start and the MC flexing at himself in the mirror
I could go on and write you a long list of why I think the MC is a Mary Sue, but that would make it seem like I didn't like the book. And honestly this guy's narcissism is fairly harmless and more amusing than damning.
Anyway, the series gets better.
(review for book 1 below, this is a review of the full 6 book series)
Starts as a LitRPG boys adventure story with cleavage, slowly (slow burn) morphs into a harem series with sex scenes (but not for the first 3 books). These are simple books. But simple with heart. If Ernest Hemingway grew up on video games and wrote low brow gamer smut, with swear words -this would be the result. If that idea repels you. Absolutely skip this book.
(book 1)
I'm rereading the series now that MSE has finished them. I'm glad I did because I've forgotten most of the characters and events here. You know what else I'd forgotten?
The MC is just about the biggest Mary Sue you'll ever meet. (Gary Stu?) ...more on that later.
This book spends the whole first half just telling you how awesome the MC is. The story doesn't start until just before the end of the book. The in-game action is pretty good even considering this was one of the early LitRPG books -Jan 2017.
There are some annoying characters here (not counting the MC) but most of this book is interesting if you can get past the slow start and the MC flexing at himself in the mirror
I could go on and write you a long list of why I think the MC is a Mary Sue, but that would make it seem like I didn't like the book. And honestly this guy's narcissism is fairly harmless and more amusing than damning.
Anyway, the series gets better.
January 28, 2018
I seem to be going on a a LITRPG rampage latey.
I'm not a gamer, but I have a reasonably decent knowledge of games in general.
RPGs have always been my favourite, though I've never played an MMO game before.
What I tend to like about these kind of books is how each author tackles THE question:
"It's not real, but..."
This book is doing something I find interesting. But it's doing it very badly, in my opinion.
The writing in itself is average. The MC is a typical example of OP. Nothing at stake.
The author tries to create risky moments throughout the book, but we never buy it because we are immediately swamped with lengthy explanations of WHY MC is still going to kick everyone's ass.
In itself, it's a problem, but there is much more annoying.
I couldn't believe the RL world events. I tried, I really did. But it never made sense.
There are so many buildups that are just left hanging. It's like the author hadn't made up his mind on what the story would be about.
The VR part was interesting. To be honest, that's the only interesting part of the book.
And the way it's played against the other games, the feelings the MC gets from the comparisons, that was quite nice.
The MC's entitled attitude was annoying. He never cares to ask what the creators had in mind, but only wants to superimpose his own expectations onto a canvas he doesn't even understand.
I didn't buy the beta-testing, it was ridiculous. I didn't buy the whole harem/neverending description of X's beauty, it got MASSIVELY tedious.
I got tired of the whole bodybuilding lingo. I didn't buy the whole murder intrigue, it was never used.
And I got tired really quick of the whole "it feels sooo real!!!" thing...
The MC gives off such a teenage vibe. It was very off-putting for me.
All in all, the only thing that held this book together was my interest in seeing how the VR world worked and waiting for the VR story to pick up. It somehow did. We'll see where it goes.
Final score 3
I'm not a gamer, but I have a reasonably decent knowledge of games in general.
RPGs have always been my favourite, though I've never played an MMO game before.
What I tend to like about these kind of books is how each author tackles THE question:
"It's not real, but..."
This book is doing something I find interesting. But it's doing it very badly, in my opinion.
The writing in itself is average. The MC is a typical example of OP. Nothing at stake.
The author tries to create risky moments throughout the book, but we never buy it because we are immediately swamped with lengthy explanations of WHY MC is still going to kick everyone's ass.
In itself, it's a problem, but there is much more annoying.
I couldn't believe the RL world events. I tried, I really did. But it never made sense.
There are so many buildups that are just left hanging. It's like the author hadn't made up his mind on what the story would be about.
The VR part was interesting. To be honest, that's the only interesting part of the book.
And the way it's played against the other games, the feelings the MC gets from the comparisons, that was quite nice.
The MC's entitled attitude was annoying. He never cares to ask what the creators had in mind, but only wants to superimpose his own expectations onto a canvas he doesn't even understand.
I didn't buy the beta-testing, it was ridiculous. I didn't buy the whole harem/neverending description of X's beauty, it got MASSIVELY tedious.
I got tired of the whole bodybuilding lingo. I didn't buy the whole murder intrigue, it was never used.
And I got tired really quick of the whole "it feels sooo real!!!" thing...
The MC gives off such a teenage vibe. It was very off-putting for me.
All in all, the only thing that held this book together was my interest in seeing how the VR world worked and waiting for the VR story to pick up. It somehow did. We'll see where it goes.
Final score 3
January 16, 2017
No spoilers...
One of the reasons I love this young author, is that his ideas are so fresh.
I love gaming. It's the one thing that gets in the way of my reading and writing. So to find a book that is game centred was a boon all unlooked for. To say that Michael-Scott has his gaming chops is very obvious once you delve into the book; for right from the start you are sucked into the gaming world and the words just roll through your head like you're there. You're in the scene, part of the conversation and the feelings flow through you as the book follows its course.
Another reason why I loved this book so much, is that I still don't know...one minute I think I've figured it all out, then WHAM, I'm right back to not having a clue. Which just adds to it.
Am I hooked on this latest release from M-S? You betcha!
One of the reasons I love this young author, is that his ideas are so fresh.
I love gaming. It's the one thing that gets in the way of my reading and writing. So to find a book that is game centred was a boon all unlooked for. To say that Michael-Scott has his gaming chops is very obvious once you delve into the book; for right from the start you are sucked into the gaming world and the words just roll through your head like you're there. You're in the scene, part of the conversation and the feelings flow through you as the book follows its course.
Another reason why I loved this book so much, is that I still don't know...one minute I think I've figured it all out, then WHAM, I'm right back to not having a clue. Which just adds to it.
Am I hooked on this latest release from M-S? You betcha!
July 2, 2017
Now, i have read some reviews and some may thinking this is not a litrpg. I think they are wrong, because yes there is only a fraction of leveling/progression but he is an alpha tester, who is going to truly try out the quest system of this new game.
I know it could bother some, that the actual game play start s after line half of the book, but i didn`t mind it az all. The setup was well done, and enjoy to read the world this book has.
In the game, there is a lot that could happen, and i truly hope that the author will do something with the little things he hints at.
I couldn`t give a five star, because i did not fall in love with any of the character, especially not the mc, but is still a good book. Higly recommended
I know it could bother some, that the actual game play start s after line half of the book, but i didn`t mind it az all. The setup was well done, and enjoy to read the world this book has.
In the game, there is a lot that could happen, and i truly hope that the author will do something with the little things he hints at.
I couldn`t give a five star, because i did not fall in love with any of the character, especially not the mc, but is still a good book. Higly recommended
August 3, 2017
This book is actually really good and does an excellent job of crafting not only an interesting game world with functional mechanics, but a functional real world, which most LitRPG's tend to fail at. More over, it has multiple interesting characters both in and out of the game with real stakes.
On top of being a well crafted real and game world, the author has done an amazing job of filling the story to the brim with an unnerving mystery plot. A good mystery plot too that has me theorizing all the time as to what's going on. I only hope he can keep it up in future and can make the payoff good. I defiantly recommend this one.
On top of being a well crafted real and game world, the author has done an amazing job of filling the story to the brim with an unnerving mystery plot. A good mystery plot too that has me theorizing all the time as to what's going on. I only hope he can keep it up in future and can make the payoff good. I defiantly recommend this one.
January 9, 2018
I had to change my review. Amazing read, highly recommended
At first, I gave this, the first book, a lower rating because it felt like a ripoff of Ready Player One. I was wrong to do so.
Yes, they are, thematically, similar. But that's where the comparison ends.
I find both aspects of Lion's Quest, the game and the real life, to be outstanding. It could be that I've been a gamer for 35 years, but i doubt it. The characters have depth and goals and wins and losses.
Leo is definitely not a Mary Sue even tho it would've been convenient to make him one.
It does read, in this first book, that he is a Mary Sue, but it's just stage dressing and preparation for what's coming.
Overall, a very fun read. I cannot wait for book 4.
At first, I gave this, the first book, a lower rating because it felt like a ripoff of Ready Player One. I was wrong to do so.
Yes, they are, thematically, similar. But that's where the comparison ends.
I find both aspects of Lion's Quest, the game and the real life, to be outstanding. It could be that I've been a gamer for 35 years, but i doubt it. The characters have depth and goals and wins and losses.
Leo is definitely not a Mary Sue even tho it would've been convenient to make him one.
It does read, in this first book, that he is a Mary Sue, but it's just stage dressing and preparation for what's coming.
Overall, a very fun read. I cannot wait for book 4.
November 19, 2017
I really like the story, When he is in the game is when it really shines. All the NPCs are memorable, even the ones who seem at first to be stereotypes. Did anyone else get the Khajiit vibe from the merchant? However, the protagonist is a generic super successful pretty boy type which is only made redeemable by his unexplained eurotophobia. It's nice to see faults, it makes people more relatable.
January 25, 2017
One of the best additions to the litRPG genre. Michael's work with dialogue is absolutely fantastic. I laughed when I was supposed to laugh and groaned when I was supposed to groan. Will read the sequels.
January 18, 2017
Great edition to the genre
I'm always looking for good litrpg and usually it is a bit of a let down. Was not disappointed this time.
I'm always looking for good litrpg and usually it is a bit of a let down. Was not disappointed this time.
January 28, 2017
Very nice job
The beginning was a little slow for me but once it got going I didn't want it to end and I can't wait for the next book in the series.
The beginning was a little slow for me but once it got going I didn't want it to end and I can't wait for the next book in the series.
August 1, 2017
Absolutely great.
It is well put together and a very good read. There are mysteries that draw you in and keep you reading in suspense.
It is well put together and a very good read. There are mysteries that draw you in and keep you reading in suspense.
January 19, 2017
This book is another winner from the author Michael-Scott Earle! I was a beta editor of this book and I loved it! It brought back so many great memories of my Dungeons and Dragons playing days. While this is set a little into the future, it's not so outlandish that a player won't understand it.
Leo is the number ranked player in the world of litRPG and he's been number one for years. He has wealth, fame and a great future. What more could he want? He wants his parents cured of Alzheimer's Disease. His parents have deteriorated so much that they no longer recognize him and it's causing Leo to lose heart. A mysterious woman offers him a job with a competing company to promote a new litRPG game that is still in development. One of the benefits to this new company is that it claims to cure Alzheimer's Disease. It's an offer that Leo can't refuse. There are several catches, however. While he thinks about these catches, Zarra offers to let Leo "test drive" the new game. He's warned that it isn't complete and that it's in Alpha development. They want him to make recommendations on how to improve the game when he comes back out. Leo is then led to an immersion tank. He's told to take his clothes off, they put a helmet on him (his VR gear) and a mouthpiece (so he can breathe) and climbs into a black liquid tank. Once he's fully immersed, the game begins.
Leo is transported to another world where things are so real to him that he comes to care about the causes and the people residing in this world. When Leo exits the game he discovers that hours have passed for him. And while he's out of the game, the game continues on. And, of course, when he exited a friend he had made in the game was in great danger. Leo wants to go back in. Zarra won't let him until he signs the contract. So Leo signs and back in he goes!
I won't tell you what the world is like or what Leo does, but the description of it is incredible. It would be a dream come true for many RPGer's today to be so immersed, to feel that you are exploring another world, to hear sounds, to smell different smells, to interact with the characters on this world so completely that it doesn't feel artificial or fake.
The book builds slowly at the beginning, so that we come to understand Leo. Every time that Leo enters into this alternate reality things really move along.
For those that like mysteries, there are several of those, too! For one, why did Leo's eyes appear purple in the mirror after the second time visiting this new world? What is Zarra really hiding? What did the old man mean when Leo was interviewing him about being cured of Alzheimer's? What happened in the past in this new world? Oh....so many questions and I can't wait for the next book. I hope I get to edit this one, too!
Leo is the number ranked player in the world of litRPG and he's been number one for years. He has wealth, fame and a great future. What more could he want? He wants his parents cured of Alzheimer's Disease. His parents have deteriorated so much that they no longer recognize him and it's causing Leo to lose heart. A mysterious woman offers him a job with a competing company to promote a new litRPG game that is still in development. One of the benefits to this new company is that it claims to cure Alzheimer's Disease. It's an offer that Leo can't refuse. There are several catches, however. While he thinks about these catches, Zarra offers to let Leo "test drive" the new game. He's warned that it isn't complete and that it's in Alpha development. They want him to make recommendations on how to improve the game when he comes back out. Leo is then led to an immersion tank. He's told to take his clothes off, they put a helmet on him (his VR gear) and a mouthpiece (so he can breathe) and climbs into a black liquid tank. Once he's fully immersed, the game begins.
Leo is transported to another world where things are so real to him that he comes to care about the causes and the people residing in this world. When Leo exits the game he discovers that hours have passed for him. And while he's out of the game, the game continues on. And, of course, when he exited a friend he had made in the game was in great danger. Leo wants to go back in. Zarra won't let him until he signs the contract. So Leo signs and back in he goes!
I won't tell you what the world is like or what Leo does, but the description of it is incredible. It would be a dream come true for many RPGer's today to be so immersed, to feel that you are exploring another world, to hear sounds, to smell different smells, to interact with the characters on this world so completely that it doesn't feel artificial or fake.
The book builds slowly at the beginning, so that we come to understand Leo. Every time that Leo enters into this alternate reality things really move along.
For those that like mysteries, there are several of those, too! For one, why did Leo's eyes appear purple in the mirror after the second time visiting this new world? What is Zarra really hiding? What did the old man mean when Leo was interviewing him about being cured of Alzheimer's? What happened in the past in this new world? Oh....so many questions and I can't wait for the next book. I hope I get to edit this one, too!
May 13, 2018
The book suffers from an uninteresting setup like most game based litrpgs. Rather than starting in an interesting world, it spends the first 17% talking about why he should play the game. The novel rarely even uses stats so it could easily be made into a pure fantasy novel and have the unnecessary fat removed. But he finally gets into the world and it is great. The game world is vivid, imaginative, and wonderful... for the brief amount of time he spends there. It transitions back the slog of the real world and It isn't until 52% of the way through the book that he returns to the game world. But for the author's credit, he does remain there for the majority of the book. This should be great, right? Not really. A Nymphomaniac elf is introduced who ruins the book by constantly asking about sex for the rest of the entire novel. If that isn't bad enough, she is a giant Deus ex machina. Is the book moving too slowly? Let’s have her walk up and intentionally alert the guards they were supposed to be avoiding so we can get a big chase scene. How do we get the characters safe from the chasing guards? Let’s have her magically spot a door that no one else can see. Rather than have the author think out logically what should happen to the characters, she serves as a gigantic crutch that the story limps on. In addition, a new character is introduced. A dwarven girl. Apart from having no personality besides that of the stereotypical dwarf, she serves as another Deus ex machina. How can a girl who doesn't even know where she is magically know the correct path through a complex series of caverns that she has never been to before? And by magically, I mean she could have cast a spell or have some magical artifact or whatever to explain how she could do it but we don't even get some hand waving to explain this inconsistency. Finally, when the book ends, it ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.
For the sake of brevity, I have left out several other problems that this book has. But despite all the flaws, the author has shown at certain points that he can be a good author. However, the book needs a hard rewrite and a good heavy-handed editor.
For the sake of brevity, I have left out several other problems that this book has. But despite all the flaws, the author has shown at certain points that he can be a good author. However, the book needs a hard rewrite and a good heavy-handed editor.
April 16, 2018
This story is a great addition to the Litrpg genre. I would say that this is more of a soft rather than a hard litrpg since the majority of this book's storyline takes place out of the game and there is also minimal skill tabling and game message popups. That might turn some hardcore fans off, but personally I feel like a lot of the genre's harder offerings tend to bloat things with too many tables lately. You know which ones I'm talking about.
I really enjoyed this story as well because the character was actually well-developed rather than the barest shell of a person possible to give the reader a pretext explanation as to why people are in the game. I tend to enjoy it when a character has some personality other than the default setting of snarky and also has some motivations as a human being rather than just level up and loot. I also love the fact that the main character here is a competent human being with confidence and an ability to interact properly with people. Heaven forbid I get a bit tired of bullied people gaining confidence by way of playing the game, or a ridiculously anxiety-ridden social reject, or just a straight up asshole loser that seems to be sexist and looks down on everyone as if he's better while spouting tons of excuses as to why he never added up to anything in life.
Yeah, I am starting to get a bit annoyed at a few tropes in this genre. But luckily, there are stories like this one that feel so refreshing and that reaffirm my love of this genre. Highly recommended to all readers, but especially those that are getting a little tired of the more generic offerings.
I really enjoyed this story as well because the character was actually well-developed rather than the barest shell of a person possible to give the reader a pretext explanation as to why people are in the game. I tend to enjoy it when a character has some personality other than the default setting of snarky and also has some motivations as a human being rather than just level up and loot. I also love the fact that the main character here is a competent human being with confidence and an ability to interact properly with people. Heaven forbid I get a bit tired of bullied people gaining confidence by way of playing the game, or a ridiculously anxiety-ridden social reject, or just a straight up asshole loser that seems to be sexist and looks down on everyone as if he's better while spouting tons of excuses as to why he never added up to anything in life.
Yeah, I am starting to get a bit annoyed at a few tropes in this genre. But luckily, there are stories like this one that feel so refreshing and that reaffirm my love of this genre. Highly recommended to all readers, but especially those that are getting a little tired of the more generic offerings.
November 6, 2017
This one was very professionally done. The only one that came close to this quality was the afterlife series. I'm not talking about the storyline, although that was great too, lots of foreshadowing, plenty of action, and a whole lot of laying the groundwork for the rest of the series, but I mean the quality of this book was more on par with regularly published books, head and shoulders above anything else I've read in teh LitRpg genre, which mostly seem to be self published, and have so many errors in them, it's like reading grade school writing. I was really impressed with this book, and you can bet I'll be continuing this series. Fantastic, work here, and I urge anyone who wants to see what an excellent sample of the LitRPG genre is about to pick up this one and give it a read. It won't appeal to everyone, as it's a bit lacking on the high adventure scenes, but it's rich with world building, and it covers all angles on the character development. We get a really good view of our main character, and what drives him, though there's definitely strong hints that some of the others aren't what they seem, and I'm looking forward to uncovering more about those threads in future books I just know our hero is in for a major dose of being smacked in the face by reality, and I'm cheering him all the way just knowing he'll handle it with style (well, after he picks his jaw up off the floor from all that drooling). :-)
January 12, 2018
Virtual reality or more?
I must confess that it took two tries for me to get into this book! I'm not a gamer and thought that the book would be written for that audience. Not so. Once you get past the beginning the real story starts to develop.
That isn't to say that there are no gamer tools used. There are but they are explained for ignoramuses like myself.
The central story is about Leo Lennox who is the ten year champion of virtual reality gaming. A side issue is that his parents are both Alzheimers sufferers. Leo is bored so when a beautiful woman approaches him with a chance to get involved in the development of a new game and also offering a chance for his parents to be cured he says that he will test the game and possibly join them. He is completely bowled over by it and decides to jump ship and join them, especially after an attempt on his life!
The corporation that he joins are basically imprisoning him for two years and isolating him from his friends and protectors.
There are also many questions about the 'game' that Leo is blind to.
It will be interesting to see what happens next!
I must confess that it took two tries for me to get into this book! I'm not a gamer and thought that the book would be written for that audience. Not so. Once you get past the beginning the real story starts to develop.
That isn't to say that there are no gamer tools used. There are but they are explained for ignoramuses like myself.
The central story is about Leo Lennox who is the ten year champion of virtual reality gaming. A side issue is that his parents are both Alzheimers sufferers. Leo is bored so when a beautiful woman approaches him with a chance to get involved in the development of a new game and also offering a chance for his parents to be cured he says that he will test the game and possibly join them. He is completely bowled over by it and decides to jump ship and join them, especially after an attempt on his life!
The corporation that he joins are basically imprisoning him for two years and isolating him from his friends and protectors.
There are also many questions about the 'game' that Leo is blind to.
It will be interesting to see what happens next!
June 20, 2017
Lion's Quest: Undefeated, by Michael-Scott Earle, and its sequels, are LitRPG novels of the champion of MMORPG gaming taking on a new job game testing Ohlavar Quest with a beautiful game designer and owner of the company. But, all is not as it should be as there are repeated professional attempts to assassinate the Champ and destroy the game. Also, as the Champ plays the game it is changing him in ways he does not understand. This is a well written and edited book. Interesting and fun characters and a complex magic system and politics in the game. If I have a knock on the series at all, it is slowness in which the reveal on what is going on with the game is taking (3 books in and still being teased). The story is an action packed romp through the game world and I recommend it for a fun read.
March 3, 2018
This is a review of the first 2 books.
They are good, but a tad slow.
There are a lot of real-life things going on in this LitRPG (especially in the first book), and it isn't boring, so that isn't the problem, but when you have 2 seperate story lines they do take twice as long. Minor spoiler:
Other than that, the characters are very good, the worldbuilding is acceptable and the writing is good. There is, as there often is in this genre, the problem of every woman being attractive, and attracted to the main character, I find that more than a little annoying after so many LitRPGs that are all that way. And since there is no sex in these books, it comes of as completely pointless, and very much fan-service'y.
All in all: If you like the LitRPG genre you will like this.
They are good, but a tad slow.
There are a lot of real-life things going on in this LitRPG (especially in the first book), and it isn't boring, so that isn't the problem, but when you have 2 seperate story lines they do take twice as long. Minor spoiler:
Other than that, the characters are very good, the worldbuilding is acceptable and the writing is good. There is, as there often is in this genre, the problem of every woman being attractive, and attracted to the main character, I find that more than a little annoying after so many LitRPGs that are all that way. And since there is no sex in these books, it comes of as completely pointless, and very much fan-service'y.
All in all: If you like the LitRPG genre you will like this.
January 28, 2018
Summary for my own memory:
Leo is a wold champion 10 years in a row, at a VR game called Astafar unlimited.
He gets offered to try another VR game, this one more "integrated" and, ofc, gets completely hooked.
He leaves Astafar unlimited within days, and signs a contract with (don't remember the other companys name) to play their game for 2 years.
In the new game Leo gets a mission to find 15 artefacts within the 2 year timelimit.
In this book, he finds 3 NPC companions (no real players, since he is the only one in the game at this time) a very horny elf, a cat humanoid trader and a dwarf princess.
But there is something fishy in the air.
The company owner, a beauty without comparison is hiding something within her purple eyes.
Leo is a wold champion 10 years in a row, at a VR game called Astafar unlimited.
He gets offered to try another VR game, this one more "integrated" and, ofc, gets completely hooked.
He leaves Astafar unlimited within days, and signs a contract with (don't remember the other companys name) to play their game for 2 years.
In the new game Leo gets a mission to find 15 artefacts within the 2 year timelimit.
In this book, he finds 3 NPC companions (no real players, since he is the only one in the game at this time) a very horny elf, a cat humanoid trader and a dwarf princess.
But there is something fishy in the air.
The company owner, a beauty without comparison is hiding something within her purple eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2019
I've read the first three books in this series. It's pretty good - one of the better LitRPG series out there.
Normally I don't like LitRPG books that bounce back and forth between an RPG game and reality, but in this case it works. I think most people that don't like the back and forth will feel these books make it work.
The fight sequences are well written.
The LitRPG numbers/skills/stats part of things are simple enough to follow without being too simplistic.
I have one minor peeve with the series. The author uses the word "tactical" when he should be writing "tactile". This error occurs in both the first and second books, but "tactical" is used properly in the third book, so presumably the author figured out the mistake.
Normally I don't like LitRPG books that bounce back and forth between an RPG game and reality, but in this case it works. I think most people that don't like the back and forth will feel these books make it work.
The fight sequences are well written.
The LitRPG numbers/skills/stats part of things are simple enough to follow without being too simplistic.
I have one minor peeve with the series. The author uses the word "tactical" when he should be writing "tactile". This error occurs in both the first and second books, but "tactical" is used properly in the third book, so presumably the author figured out the mistake.
December 6, 2021
As an avid gamer in real life, I've naturally taken an interest in LitRPG novels.
But among the several novels of the genre, I haven't come across anything quite like Lion's Quest!
It's an amazing novel with a deep and engaging world full of vibrant and amazing characters, both in Leo's world and the Virtual world of the game he begins to play.
And the virtual world and the concepts behind it are absolutely amazing and stunning. I would have loved to play a game like that if it were real!
The story is impressive and I found once I got into it I didn't want to stop reading, which is why I've already gone and bought the second book!
For those sitting on the fence, the first book offered free is worth the risk to try this amazing novel and avid gamers and LitRPG fans will love it!
But among the several novels of the genre, I haven't come across anything quite like Lion's Quest!
It's an amazing novel with a deep and engaging world full of vibrant and amazing characters, both in Leo's world and the Virtual world of the game he begins to play.
And the virtual world and the concepts behind it are absolutely amazing and stunning. I would have loved to play a game like that if it were real!
The story is impressive and I found once I got into it I didn't want to stop reading, which is why I've already gone and bought the second book!
For those sitting on the fence, the first book offered free is worth the risk to try this amazing novel and avid gamers and LitRPG fans will love it!
August 11, 2017
The book's whole setup was impossible to believe.
Set on Earth in the very near future, sports no longer existed, people didn't care about them anymore. The only thing people were into were video games. Not playing them, but watching others play them. Old sports stadiums were expanded to seat all the people who came out to watch people play video games...
The main character was so good at a game that he was not just the best in the world, he was so much better than everyone else that he was bored. No one else in the entire world could even give him a mild challenge.
The plot was unbelievable, the main character was completely unrealistic. Gave up on the book at the 6% point.
Set on Earth in the very near future, sports no longer existed, people didn't care about them anymore. The only thing people were into were video games. Not playing them, but watching others play them. Old sports stadiums were expanded to seat all the people who came out to watch people play video games...
The main character was so good at a game that he was not just the best in the world, he was so much better than everyone else that he was bored. No one else in the entire world could even give him a mild challenge.
The plot was unbelievable, the main character was completely unrealistic. Gave up on the book at the 6% point.
December 21, 2017
Great LitRPG
I want to do definitely top books in the genre. The protagonist Leo is the champion of the world and in the memo that draws strongly on UFC ideas. And in real life he is physically as prominent as his characters might be. He’s introduced to the possibility of a new game, that is different from an MMO as real life would be.
Characterization is a strong strong part of this book, something sadly missing from many others in the genre. At times it it’s much portal fantasy as anything else. Fans of Matthew Stover’s Caine books Will find a similar, although much less Grimdark feel.
I want to do definitely top books in the genre. The protagonist Leo is the champion of the world and in the memo that draws strongly on UFC ideas. And in real life he is physically as prominent as his characters might be. He’s introduced to the possibility of a new game, that is different from an MMO as real life would be.
Characterization is a strong strong part of this book, something sadly missing from many others in the genre. At times it it’s much portal fantasy as anything else. Fans of Matthew Stover’s Caine books Will find a similar, although much less Grimdark feel.
May 5, 2017
Interesting Premise and Author
An interesting idea on that it takes one RPG environment and swaps it for another. Add in a good dose of mystery coupled with a good author and you have the makings of a great series. Earle has other (good) books out, showing his writing and editing (!) skills. This story has all that plus a great way of changing up old tropes for new behaviors and topics of interest. It also supports the "real" world as much as the RPG world, which is a winning combination. Recommended.
An interesting idea on that it takes one RPG environment and swaps it for another. Add in a good dose of mystery coupled with a good author and you have the makings of a great series. Earle has other (good) books out, showing his writing and editing (!) skills. This story has all that plus a great way of changing up old tropes for new behaviors and topics of interest. It also supports the "real" world as much as the RPG world, which is a winning combination. Recommended.
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