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Afterlife Online #1
Reboot
Tad Lonnerman is having a crappy day stuck in crappy traffic late to a crappy meeting. On the bright side, his game development career is the only non-crappy thing he has going for him, so life isn't all bad.
At least until he dies.
Now Tad finds himself uploaded to a beta test of Haven, an unannounced hyper-immersive MMO where the dead have a second chance at life. It's not virtual reality, it's digital reality. A true afterlife online.
Except Haven isn't exactly blissful paradise. Tad bumbles into a pagan blood feud, crosses paths with fallen angels, and gets lied to by saints. His only allies? A frat boy with a penchant for dying and a pixie who won't give him the time of day.
Second chances be damned. All Tad wants is to return to his old life, and he'll do anything for the opportunity. Even make a deal with the devil.
At least until he dies.
Now Tad finds himself uploaded to a beta test of Haven, an unannounced hyper-immersive MMO where the dead have a second chance at life. It's not virtual reality, it's digital reality. A true afterlife online.
Except Haven isn't exactly blissful paradise. Tad bumbles into a pagan blood feud, crosses paths with fallen angels, and gets lied to by saints. His only allies? A frat boy with a penchant for dying and a pixie who won't give him the time of day.
Second chances be damned. All Tad wants is to return to his old life, and he'll do anything for the opportunity. Even make a deal with the devil.
468 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2017
781 people are currently reading
620 people want to read
About the author
Domino Finn
32 books212 followersDomino Finn is an entertainment industry veteran, a contributor to award-winning video games, and the grizzled Urban Fantasy author of the best-selling Black Magic Outlaw series. His stories are equal parts spit, beer, and blood, and are notable for treating weighty issues with a supernatural veneer. If Domino has one rallying cry for the world, it's that fantasy is serious business.
Take up arms at DominoFinn.com
Take up arms at DominoFinn.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 26, 2017
I'll admit, I'm not really into LitRPG BUT I checked out the sample of Reboot and immediately loved the voice of the main character. Tad (later Talon) dies when a semi plows into his car on his way to work, but rather than go to Heaven, he wakes in Haven - a new after-death digital reality where folks get to live inside an MMO game.
Now, you do have to be a gamer to appreciate Reboot, otherwise the stats and text windows will probably annoy the heck out of you, but as I am a gamer (although my raiding days are long gone), these added extras really tickled me. There's a very familiar WoW feel to the world Tad wakes in but for me that made the book even more enjoyable. I felt Tad's early noob freak-outs and recognized the familiar grind and steep learning curve he is forced to go through. Of course, it's not all about the game, and soon
It's a whole bundle of gaming fun. If you're a gamer, definitely give this one a whirl. *Check out the chats and terms in the back matter for a laugh
November 12, 2018
Il libro è scritto bene. L'idea è buona e lo svolgimento non ha nulla di eccezionale ma nemmeno delle pecche chissà che. Essendo un gamer, oltre che un lettore, ho iniziato a leggere con il sorriso sul volto. Storia carina, mondo ben gestito. Ma andando avanti ho notato che non c'era la magia che cerco nei romanzi. Quando gioco (che sia pc o console) so cosa cerco e cosa trovo, e mi diverte. Quando leggo però cerco altro. Questa fusione tra gioco e romanzo, che all'idea mi sembrava davvero carina (ed è gestita bene), non ha funzionato con me. Tutta la magia, il pathos e le emozioni che un romanzo mi trasmette, in Reboot non le ho avute perché è una storia in un videogioco. Ho letto tutto, fino alla fine, ma resto con l'amaro in bocca perché volevo viaggiare in un altro mondo, vedere luoghi fantastici e vivere la magia. Mi sono ritrovato nel racconto di un videogamer che, purtroppo, a me non ha trasmesso nulla. Tutto qui.
Lo consiglio a chi vuole ritrovare le stesse atmosfere degli MMO in una lettura, ma non a chi vuole immergersi in un mondo fantastico distaccandosi dalla realtà.
Lo consiglio a chi vuole ritrovare le stesse atmosfere degli MMO in una lettura, ma non a chi vuole immergersi in un mondo fantastico distaccandosi dalla realtà.
April 18, 2019
A programmer dies in a random car crash but is offered a spot in a digital afterlife as an adventurer.
This litrpg surprised me with its evolving story and mechanics, and a main character that questions his purpose in a game world that maybe to him is more than just a simulation.
The writing is exceptionally well done. This book would be a good first start for any readers unfamiliar with litrpgs, but like a blend of fantasy and science fiction.
This litrpg surprised me with its evolving story and mechanics, and a main character that questions his purpose in a game world that maybe to him is more than just a simulation.
The writing is exceptionally well done. This book would be a good first start for any readers unfamiliar with litrpgs, but like a blend of fantasy and science fiction.
September 22, 2017
Good. Enough twists to keep it interesting, though I must admit, I'm having a hard time imagining how the plot will continue in a second book. That's why I'm going to read it, of course :) Also....the main hero seemed just a bit too lucky/strong. I would have liked it more, if he was a little weaker level-wise, but if he loses his cabailities in the next book in order to make him struggle with a challenge, it will feel rather artificial.
September 12, 2018
1.5*
https://lalettricesullenuvole.blogspo...
Ho conosciuto Domino Finn con la serie Il fuorilegge della magia nera, che ho semplicemente adorato! Urban fantasy con i controfiocchi, ma soprattutto una penna straordinaria. Infatti la cosa che ho maggiormente amato di lui è stato lo stile, così quando ho visto il suo nuovo lavoro non ho avuto tentennamenti, mi ci sono buttata a capofitto. Ma non ha funzionato e sapete per cosa? Lo stile, proprio quello.
Io davvero ancora non mi capacito. Dov'è finita l'ironia che contraddistingueva Cisco? Dove la scorrevolezza? Dove la capacità di far sorridere ma anche quella di stritolare lo stomaco? Basita, sono rimasta senza parole.
Tad è un programmatore, vive con il fratello minore e provvede a lui dopo che sono rimasti orfani. Ha una vita soddisfacente e normale finché non muore, in un incidente d'auto. Si trova però catapultato in un beta test di Haven, un MMO iper coinvolgente e non annunciato, in cui i morti hanno una seconda possibilità di vivere. Non è una realtà virtuale, è una realtà digitale. Un vero e proprio aldilà online. Dopo lo smarrimento iniziale capisce di avere una seconda opportunità e inizia pure a divertirsi, a socializzare, però non è tutto come sembra e a volte ha come l'impressione di essere proprio una pedina, di un gioco le cui fila sono tenute da un'entità superiore, e proprio non ci sta.
Adesso ditemi voi se questa non è una trama pazzesca, qualcosa di assolutamente geniale. L'ho trovata un'idea brillante, che mi ha incuriosita da subito, facendomi sbattere ancora più forte contro il muro della delusione.
Io ho trovato questo libro noioso, proprio N O I O S O! Ma in una maniera che non ve ne fate un'idea. Proprio per com'è scritto. Sembra un elenco, come quando leggi la lista della spesa (cit.). É il resoconto passo passo di una giocata a un gioco di ruolo, con tanto di finestre di riassunto punteggi e termini tecnici.
Qui ammetto pubblicamente e con tanto di cenere sul capo che non sono una giocatrice. Secondo me questo ha influito molto sul mio gradimento (o meglio mancanza di tale), perché molte cose proprio non le sapevo e anche se il glossario c'è e tutto ed è tutto spiegato, ho arrancato.
... continua sul blog
https://lalettricesullenuvole.blogspo...
Ho conosciuto Domino Finn con la serie Il fuorilegge della magia nera, che ho semplicemente adorato! Urban fantasy con i controfiocchi, ma soprattutto una penna straordinaria. Infatti la cosa che ho maggiormente amato di lui è stato lo stile, così quando ho visto il suo nuovo lavoro non ho avuto tentennamenti, mi ci sono buttata a capofitto. Ma non ha funzionato e sapete per cosa? Lo stile, proprio quello.
Io davvero ancora non mi capacito. Dov'è finita l'ironia che contraddistingueva Cisco? Dove la scorrevolezza? Dove la capacità di far sorridere ma anche quella di stritolare lo stomaco? Basita, sono rimasta senza parole.
Tad è un programmatore, vive con il fratello minore e provvede a lui dopo che sono rimasti orfani. Ha una vita soddisfacente e normale finché non muore, in un incidente d'auto. Si trova però catapultato in un beta test di Haven, un MMO iper coinvolgente e non annunciato, in cui i morti hanno una seconda possibilità di vivere. Non è una realtà virtuale, è una realtà digitale. Un vero e proprio aldilà online. Dopo lo smarrimento iniziale capisce di avere una seconda opportunità e inizia pure a divertirsi, a socializzare, però non è tutto come sembra e a volte ha come l'impressione di essere proprio una pedina, di un gioco le cui fila sono tenute da un'entità superiore, e proprio non ci sta.
Adesso ditemi voi se questa non è una trama pazzesca, qualcosa di assolutamente geniale. L'ho trovata un'idea brillante, che mi ha incuriosita da subito, facendomi sbattere ancora più forte contro il muro della delusione.
Io ho trovato questo libro noioso, proprio N O I O S O! Ma in una maniera che non ve ne fate un'idea. Proprio per com'è scritto. Sembra un elenco, come quando leggi la lista della spesa (cit.). É il resoconto passo passo di una giocata a un gioco di ruolo, con tanto di finestre di riassunto punteggi e termini tecnici.
Qui ammetto pubblicamente e con tanto di cenere sul capo che non sono una giocatrice. Secondo me questo ha influito molto sul mio gradimento (o meglio mancanza di tale), perché molte cose proprio non le sapevo e anche se il glossario c'è e tutto ed è tutto spiegato, ho arrancato.
... continua sul blog
September 1, 2019
Sono stata giocatrice di World of Warcraft per troppi anni, era impossible non amarlo nonostante i suoi difetti, perché sì, la storia è deboluccia, molto lineare e prevedibile, e all'inizio viene dato molto spazio alle meccaniche di gioco e al grinding.
Peccato che il traduttore non fosse esperto di terminologia nerd :P
Peccato che il traduttore non fosse esperto di terminologia nerd :P
December 6, 2019
Entertaining read
As people.have mentioned, the premise for this book is not super original, although the execution certainly sets it apart.
Really well written, with a main character that doesn't become OP even after the events that will set him apart from the rest of the population, will really make the reader connect to him.
Looking forward to future releases.
As people.have mentioned, the premise for this book is not super original, although the execution certainly sets it apart.
Really well written, with a main character that doesn't become OP even after the events that will set him apart from the rest of the population, will really make the reader connect to him.
Looking forward to future releases.
January 10, 2019
I wanted to like it. I was excited to find a new series my peers were giving their thumbs up too! But yeah, no, not for me. I feel it is important to share with my peers, upon whose reviews I depend on so much the disappointment this book held for me! It is telling that I could only get 85% through it. That close to the end and yet I have no desire to read the end to see how it turned out and since the writing left me so flat I will not pick up the rest of the series.
Why did I find this book disappointing? ...In it, when you die you are transferred into a digital reality instead of an afterlife which hey could be interesting except In this reality after you leveled up to whatever level you get to for any technical difficulty the system will wipe out everything that you work for and everything that you've acquired and start you back in zero. Not only you but it does this to all the people blessed to exist in it's reality. I'm sorry but: No Way! That doesn't work for me. Yet the main characters that have experienced this have absolutely no issue with having just lost not only every cool item they had accrued but also all the experience plus any levels in traits or skills learned to including any secret quest items and loot!! That goes against human nature and once it was revealed to me in chapter one I found it difficult to take this world seriously. Especially since in the book it is not a game but the inhabitants new reality. For them to be so okay with that sucked all the reality from the game it's as if they were aliens (boring aliens ) instead of humans. AND they are okay (have I mentioned they are okay with it? Yeah well, they are okay with it) with all they have worked for being randomly wiped from the system. Where is the motivation? It is no wonder later in the book we find players that choose to be homeless beggars instead of adventuring. What is the point?
Oh good, I'll end with that jewel; what is the point?
Why did I find this book disappointing? ...In it, when you die you are transferred into a digital reality instead of an afterlife which hey could be interesting except In this reality after you leveled up to whatever level you get to for any technical difficulty the system will wipe out everything that you work for and everything that you've acquired and start you back in zero. Not only you but it does this to all the people blessed to exist in it's reality. I'm sorry but: No Way! That doesn't work for me. Yet the main characters that have experienced this have absolutely no issue with having just lost not only every cool item they had accrued but also all the experience plus any levels in traits or skills learned to including any secret quest items and loot!! That goes against human nature and once it was revealed to me in chapter one I found it difficult to take this world seriously. Especially since in the book it is not a game but the inhabitants new reality. For them to be so okay with that sucked all the reality from the game it's as if they were aliens (boring aliens ) instead of humans. AND they are okay (have I mentioned they are okay with it? Yeah well, they are okay with it) with all they have worked for being randomly wiped from the system. Where is the motivation? It is no wonder later in the book we find players that choose to be homeless beggars instead of adventuring. What is the point?
Oh good, I'll end with that jewel; what is the point?
September 13, 2018
Quando ho saputo dell’uscita di un nuovo romanzo di Domino Finn ne sono stata entusiasta. Avevo letto e apprezzato la precedente saga del Fuorilegge della Magia Nera, esaltandomi nel leggere le sue trovate paranormali e soprattutto le sue scene d’azione.
Perciò mi aspettavo molto da questa nuova uscita, anche considerando che la storia si sarebbe basata di nuovo sul fantastico e sull’action, entrambi aspetti in cui Domino Finn ha dimostrato di poter eccellere. Inoltre si sarebbe parlato di giochi di ruolo e, da buona giocatrice, io ne subisco il fascino in (quasi) ogni salsa.
Purtroppo però la lettura si è rivelata più una delusione che una conferma.
Gran parte del demerito credo sia proprio da ricercare nella tipologia di storia che si è voluto narrare, nella quale si assiste per lunghi tratti alla costruzione di un personaggio, con tanto di punti esperienza guadagnati, elenco di abilità acquisite e avanzamenti di livello. Si tratta quindi non di un romanzo ispirato a un gioco di ruolo, come possono essere ad esempio i vari Dragonlance o Forgotten Realms, e nemmeno di una storia in cui un giocatore di ruolo si ritrova nel gioco, come ad esempio la saga Hyperversum, meno che mai un libro come La stanza profonda in cui si parte dal gioco di ruolo per scoprire la vita del protagonista, qui si tratta invece di leggere di qualcuno che sta giocando. Si tratta di leggere di quale equipaggiamento viene scelto, si tratta di vedere quale abilità viene sbloccata, si tratta di sapere i punti ferita dei mostri che si incontrano e quanti ne vengono persi in ogni combattimento a ogni colpo. In due parole: è noioso. Lo è per me, che pure amo i giochi di ruolo, e immagino quanto possa esserlo per chi non li conosce o non è particolarmente attratto.
Accanto ai limiti del genere ce ne sono altri di natura stilistica, e forse è stata questa la delusione maggiore: provate a leggere le prime pagine e fate attenzione alle singole frasi. Notato niente? La subordinazione è completamente assente o ridotta al minimo e il risultato è l’appiattimento del ritmo e la monotonia narrativa. Per fortuna, continuando la lettura, diminuisce la frequenza con cui si ricorre all’uso di un costrutto di questo tipo e pian piano si ritrova una narrazione più articolata e, almeno stilisticamente, il Domino Finn conosciuto con Il Fuorilegge della Magia Nera.
Altra nota dolente, a mio giudizio, è l’ambientazione. Il gioco ha un’ambientazione romana: i soldati sono legionari, c’è un’arena per i combattimenti che ricorda il Colosseo, i nomi di alcuni luoghi hanno chiara derivazione romana, come ad esempio il Pantheon. Peccato che per la maggior parte del tempo ci si dimentica completamente di tutto questo e le immagini che arrivano al lettore sono di una classica ambientazione fantasy medievale. Se siamo nell’antica Roma perché un’armatura a piastre con tanto di elmo con celata invece di una lorica? Perché le balestre? Perché tanto spazio a creature legate all’immaginario medievale come i draghi anziché trovarne altre più vicine a quello classico (arpie, gorgoni, chimere, minotauri... i miti traboccano di creature del genere)? E perché la scelta di usare angeli, santi (San Pietro? davvero?) e il diavolo invece, ad esempio, delle divinità greco-romane? Intendiamoci, l’ambientazione medievale va benissimo, è un classico del fantasy e personalmente è la mia preferita, ma nel momento in cui si fa una scelta diversa poi bisogna essere coerenti con quella scelta, valorizzarla e mostrarla in modo adeguato per renderne partecipe il lettore. Altrimenti il risultato è che chi legge immagina il protagonista per tutto il tempo in un contesto medievale, salvo imbattersi di tanto in tanto in un sandalo o in un centurione. Tra l’altro riguardo questi ultimi mi sorge il dubbio che l’autore non conosca la differenza tra centurione e legionario, visto che usa i due termini praticamente come sinonimi.
Cosa resta di buono? Quello che Domino Finn sa fare meglio: scrivere scene d’azione. I combattimenti sono il suo pane e si vede: riesce a renderli alla grande, con buona precisione descrittiva e allo stesso tempo mantenendo fluida la narrazione, riesce a far uscire il meglio da ogni personaggio valorizzandone le qualità e caratterizzandolo in base alle azioni che compie o alle scelte che fa, riesce a muovere con perizia tutti i partecipanti dando una visione di insieme che rende la scena quasi cinematografica. Riesce. E lo fa sempre, immancabilmente.
Saper scrivere scene d’azione non è facile e Domino Finn ha un invidiabile talento per questo. Come per l’ambientazione, va però saputo sfruttare, magari con una storia tutta action.
Perciò mi aspettavo molto da questa nuova uscita, anche considerando che la storia si sarebbe basata di nuovo sul fantastico e sull’action, entrambi aspetti in cui Domino Finn ha dimostrato di poter eccellere. Inoltre si sarebbe parlato di giochi di ruolo e, da buona giocatrice, io ne subisco il fascino in (quasi) ogni salsa.
Purtroppo però la lettura si è rivelata più una delusione che una conferma.
Gran parte del demerito credo sia proprio da ricercare nella tipologia di storia che si è voluto narrare, nella quale si assiste per lunghi tratti alla costruzione di un personaggio, con tanto di punti esperienza guadagnati, elenco di abilità acquisite e avanzamenti di livello. Si tratta quindi non di un romanzo ispirato a un gioco di ruolo, come possono essere ad esempio i vari Dragonlance o Forgotten Realms, e nemmeno di una storia in cui un giocatore di ruolo si ritrova nel gioco, come ad esempio la saga Hyperversum, meno che mai un libro come La stanza profonda in cui si parte dal gioco di ruolo per scoprire la vita del protagonista, qui si tratta invece di leggere di qualcuno che sta giocando. Si tratta di leggere di quale equipaggiamento viene scelto, si tratta di vedere quale abilità viene sbloccata, si tratta di sapere i punti ferita dei mostri che si incontrano e quanti ne vengono persi in ogni combattimento a ogni colpo. In due parole: è noioso. Lo è per me, che pure amo i giochi di ruolo, e immagino quanto possa esserlo per chi non li conosce o non è particolarmente attratto.
Accanto ai limiti del genere ce ne sono altri di natura stilistica, e forse è stata questa la delusione maggiore: provate a leggere le prime pagine e fate attenzione alle singole frasi. Notato niente? La subordinazione è completamente assente o ridotta al minimo e il risultato è l’appiattimento del ritmo e la monotonia narrativa. Per fortuna, continuando la lettura, diminuisce la frequenza con cui si ricorre all’uso di un costrutto di questo tipo e pian piano si ritrova una narrazione più articolata e, almeno stilisticamente, il Domino Finn conosciuto con Il Fuorilegge della Magia Nera.
Altra nota dolente, a mio giudizio, è l’ambientazione. Il gioco ha un’ambientazione romana: i soldati sono legionari, c’è un’arena per i combattimenti che ricorda il Colosseo, i nomi di alcuni luoghi hanno chiara derivazione romana, come ad esempio il Pantheon. Peccato che per la maggior parte del tempo ci si dimentica completamente di tutto questo e le immagini che arrivano al lettore sono di una classica ambientazione fantasy medievale. Se siamo nell’antica Roma perché un’armatura a piastre con tanto di elmo con celata invece di una lorica? Perché le balestre? Perché tanto spazio a creature legate all’immaginario medievale come i draghi anziché trovarne altre più vicine a quello classico (arpie, gorgoni, chimere, minotauri... i miti traboccano di creature del genere)? E perché la scelta di usare angeli, santi (San Pietro? davvero?) e il diavolo invece, ad esempio, delle divinità greco-romane? Intendiamoci, l’ambientazione medievale va benissimo, è un classico del fantasy e personalmente è la mia preferita, ma nel momento in cui si fa una scelta diversa poi bisogna essere coerenti con quella scelta, valorizzarla e mostrarla in modo adeguato per renderne partecipe il lettore. Altrimenti il risultato è che chi legge immagina il protagonista per tutto il tempo in un contesto medievale, salvo imbattersi di tanto in tanto in un sandalo o in un centurione. Tra l’altro riguardo questi ultimi mi sorge il dubbio che l’autore non conosca la differenza tra centurione e legionario, visto che usa i due termini praticamente come sinonimi.
Cosa resta di buono? Quello che Domino Finn sa fare meglio: scrivere scene d’azione. I combattimenti sono il suo pane e si vede: riesce a renderli alla grande, con buona precisione descrittiva e allo stesso tempo mantenendo fluida la narrazione, riesce a far uscire il meglio da ogni personaggio valorizzandone le qualità e caratterizzandolo in base alle azioni che compie o alle scelte che fa, riesce a muovere con perizia tutti i partecipanti dando una visione di insieme che rende la scena quasi cinematografica. Riesce. E lo fa sempre, immancabilmente.
Saper scrivere scene d’azione non è facile e Domino Finn ha un invidiabile talento per questo. Come per l’ambientazione, va però saputo sfruttare, magari con una storia tutta action.
Read
September 30, 2017I didn't rate it because I didn't finish it. If I can rate it, I'll give it an 1, or less.
The title is a disgrace to the word "Reboot". Well, the revival of Reboot is also a disgrace and disappointment of Reboot. But let's ignore that.
I hate this book for so many reasons while just listening to so little.
I tried not to judge the book by it's name, cover or synopsis because I know LitRPG titles and synopses are usually bad. I like the idea of LitRPG but I don't like most of the actual products.
1. Afterlife Online -> So, MC dies and goes into an afterlife where it's a MMORPG. FML
2. Not only is Afterlife Online not explicit enough to represent that idea, the title of book 1 is Reboot aka a second chance or life. FML twice.
3. Tad Lonnerman -> This is one of those, "I want the end result to be K, so I need to force a path from J to A." Author wanted to use the name "Talon" for the MC, so he needed TAd LONnerman.
4. Tad -> Needed a lame reoccurring joke on his name. Tad -> Tod. And probably Lonnerman -> loner man.
5. Haven -> We must have the idea of afterlife, second life and a perfect life stuck in our mind. Do it a third time, FML.
6. Crappy is part of the synopsis (to emphasize that it's a crappy synopsis).
7. He's 25 with a brother that's 19 and he supports both of them for I forgot how long. He's a game development programmer of some sort. He deals with bugs and games. This implies he is good at it and has a strong background, no? But he's a f***ing noob in this so called "Afterlife Online". Like, f***ing smashes urns in Zelda to find rupees or something. It's literally where the author forces lame references.
Side Note: I f***ing hate authors who uses a protagonist with a strong gaming related background. Why? Because they like to have their characters start off stupid, newbish and weak. That is the complete opposite of what someone with such a strong background should behave. It doesn't make any sense!! Seed World or World Seed or something like that has a "pro-gamer" (wannabe that played VR games for 3 years) but ends up being broke and sh*ts his pants against a giant rat while failing to shoot a f***ing arrow properly.
8. It's not a virtual reality; it's a digital world (trademark). It's not a virtual reality; it's a digital reality. Do I need to say more? It's reinventing the wheel in two different ways.
9. The first secondary character you get is a drunk prat brat.
10. The second secondary character you get is a big tough bully.
11. The nth stupid thing the MC does is to stand up for the drunk prat brat because being a bully is wrong. It's mean!
12. Stupidity driven plot, or stupidity induced plot. In other worlds, the plot won't go anywhere if the MC has any intelligence. So, the MC is retarded and does stupid things so there would be a plot.
13. If your brother is 19 and you're the "only" family member (only close family member) and you died, you reach "afterlife" and an angel tells you that there might be a way to talk to your brother in the future. What would you do next? Call upon God and scream in his face demanding you be brought back to see your brother? Demand he sends a mail in your place? I don't know about you, but if I do see God, I really don't want to make him mad. (I'm not religious, btw.) But, maybe you're like the MC and likes to do that.
I got home so I turned it off. I couldn't change it because one should not drive and play with their phone, so I stuck with it for the traffic jam. Maybe it gets better but there are a zillion other bad LitRPG for me to test (the poison that is).
P.S. I hate Justin James. I understand the classic "ding" has a sharp high pitch sound. But most people can make a pretty decent one. His sounds like something out of an eunuch's mouth. Everything else is fine. It's just that "ding".
The title is a disgrace to the word "Reboot". Well, the revival of Reboot is also a disgrace and disappointment of Reboot. But let's ignore that.
I hate this book for so many reasons while just listening to so little.
I tried not to judge the book by it's name, cover or synopsis because I know LitRPG titles and synopses are usually bad. I like the idea of LitRPG but I don't like most of the actual products.
1. Afterlife Online -> So, MC dies and goes into an afterlife where it's a MMORPG. FML
2. Not only is Afterlife Online not explicit enough to represent that idea, the title of book 1 is Reboot aka a second chance or life. FML twice.
3. Tad Lonnerman -> This is one of those, "I want the end result to be K, so I need to force a path from J to A." Author wanted to use the name "Talon" for the MC, so he needed TAd LONnerman.
4. Tad -> Needed a lame reoccurring joke on his name. Tad -> Tod. And probably Lonnerman -> loner man.
5. Haven -> We must have the idea of afterlife, second life and a perfect life stuck in our mind. Do it a third time, FML.
6. Crappy is part of the synopsis (to emphasize that it's a crappy synopsis).
7. He's 25 with a brother that's 19 and he supports both of them for I forgot how long. He's a game development programmer of some sort. He deals with bugs and games. This implies he is good at it and has a strong background, no? But he's a f***ing noob in this so called "Afterlife Online". Like, f***ing smashes urns in Zelda to find rupees or something. It's literally where the author forces lame references.
Side Note: I f***ing hate authors who uses a protagonist with a strong gaming related background. Why? Because they like to have their characters start off stupid, newbish and weak. That is the complete opposite of what someone with such a strong background should behave. It doesn't make any sense!! Seed World or World Seed or something like that has a "pro-gamer" (wannabe that played VR games for 3 years) but ends up being broke and sh*ts his pants against a giant rat while failing to shoot a f***ing arrow properly.
8. It's not a virtual reality; it's a digital world (trademark). It's not a virtual reality; it's a digital reality. Do I need to say more? It's reinventing the wheel in two different ways.
9. The first secondary character you get is a drunk prat brat.
10. The second secondary character you get is a big tough bully.
11. The nth stupid thing the MC does is to stand up for the drunk prat brat because being a bully is wrong. It's mean!
12. Stupidity driven plot, or stupidity induced plot. In other worlds, the plot won't go anywhere if the MC has any intelligence. So, the MC is retarded and does stupid things so there would be a plot.
13. If your brother is 19 and you're the "only" family member (only close family member) and you died, you reach "afterlife" and an angel tells you that there might be a way to talk to your brother in the future. What would you do next? Call upon God and scream in his face demanding you be brought back to see your brother? Demand he sends a mail in your place? I don't know about you, but if I do see God, I really don't want to make him mad. (I'm not religious, btw.) But, maybe you're like the MC and likes to do that.
I got home so I turned it off. I couldn't change it because one should not drive and play with their phone, so I stuck with it for the traffic jam. Maybe it gets better but there are a zillion other bad LitRPG for me to test (the poison that is).
P.S. I hate Justin James. I understand the classic "ding" has a sharp high pitch sound. But most people can make a pretty decent one. His sounds like something out of an eunuch's mouth. Everything else is fine. It's just that "ding".
June 1, 2022
There are two contradictions that tarnish this fantasy-VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) or Digital reality that the author coins for this alternate reality world. The first is that main character Talon, (Tad Lonnerman), is both the destructor (with the help of Lucifer) and the savior of the Stronghold starting village town. There is a religious saying in Spanish: "No se puede estar bien con Dios y con el Diablo", which translated to English means, "You can't be good with God and with the Devil at the same time".
As Talon is a system engineer employee at the game company that "created and designed" Haven (Heaven) Game, he had a responsibility towards it's protection and development, but that ended the moment they abducted his "soul-mind-etc" and implanted it in the game without his consent.
So there really isn't any reason to become the "protector" of Haven and the Stronghold. As "players" they should just have moved East and found another base town.
As Talon "hacks" the "reset" and makes everybody save their profile data, abilities and levels, he basically places all of the "souls-minds" in the same "do or die" "succeed or be deleted" conditions that Talen made for himself.
The second contradiction is that the moment Talon realizes that he is still "alive" in the "real world", then all of this story becomes meaningless for Talon, and because the rest of the "players" cannot leave (because they have really died in "real life") Talon has just "screwed everybody over-completely (when he decided to not reset everybody's information, profiles, abilities and levels).
So why the double contradictions? What aren't they obvious to the author and to the editor/publisher of this new series of books?
Something positive is that the designer/illustrator copied the old style of the game covers that PlayStation (Sony) used to have for it's core games. So the cover of the books are copies of what a Sony Playstation game would have looked like, so for a LitRPG (fantasy novel that deals with gaming and Role Playing Games), I thought this was a good detail (although it is a rip-off).
Other than that, the fact that all of the action is done in about a day and a little more, is way too short for the first complete volume of a new fantasy game series. Chapters try to follow a binary system but author does not know it well 0000 (0); 0001 (1), 0010 (2); 0011(3); 1010 (10); 10100(20) and so forth. Author starts with 0000 (when he should have started with 0001, and then goes to 0010 (2) but then makes the mistake of making the third chapter 0020 when it's 0011, fourth 0030 when it's 0100 and so forth...
This fantasy litRPG series has 4 books so far, volume 4th. published on December 0f 2019, so probably no more volumes will be written on this series in the future.
As Talon is a system engineer employee at the game company that "created and designed" Haven (Heaven) Game, he had a responsibility towards it's protection and development, but that ended the moment they abducted his "soul-mind-etc" and implanted it in the game without his consent.
So there really isn't any reason to become the "protector" of Haven and the Stronghold. As "players" they should just have moved East and found another base town.
As Talon "hacks" the "reset" and makes everybody save their profile data, abilities and levels, he basically places all of the "souls-minds" in the same "do or die" "succeed or be deleted" conditions that Talen made for himself.
The second contradiction is that the moment Talon realizes that he is still "alive" in the "real world", then all of this story becomes meaningless for Talon, and because the rest of the "players" cannot leave (because they have really died in "real life") Talon has just "screwed everybody over-completely (when he decided to not reset everybody's information, profiles, abilities and levels).
So why the double contradictions? What aren't they obvious to the author and to the editor/publisher of this new series of books?
Something positive is that the designer/illustrator copied the old style of the game covers that PlayStation (Sony) used to have for it's core games. So the cover of the books are copies of what a Sony Playstation game would have looked like, so for a LitRPG (fantasy novel that deals with gaming and Role Playing Games), I thought this was a good detail (although it is a rip-off).
Other than that, the fact that all of the action is done in about a day and a little more, is way too short for the first complete volume of a new fantasy game series. Chapters try to follow a binary system but author does not know it well 0000 (0); 0001 (1), 0010 (2); 0011(3); 1010 (10); 10100(20) and so forth. Author starts with 0000 (when he should have started with 0001, and then goes to 0010 (2) but then makes the mistake of making the third chapter 0020 when it's 0011, fourth 0030 when it's 0100 and so forth...
This fantasy litRPG series has 4 books so far, volume 4th. published on December 0f 2019, so probably no more volumes will be written on this series in the future.
December 8, 2017
Meh. Maybe I've just read too many LitRPG's but Reboot just failed to distinguish it's self in the genre at all. The premise has potential, dying people having their contentiousness uploaded is a good one, but Finn completely fails to anything of interest with it. A lot of the plot revolves around the main character trying to make a phone call, and some conspiracy stuff.
It doesn't help that the world and game aren't terribly interesting. It's all just kind of bland.
It doesn't help that the world and game aren't terribly interesting. It's all just kind of bland.
August 29, 2018
Mi è piaciuto molto.
Inizialmente mi ricordava molto Sword Art Online, ma a differenza di quest'ultimo i personaggi non si banalizzano. Penso che sia adatto per appassionati di MMORPG, i quali possono immedesimarsi e gustarlo appieno, le dinamiche del gioco che tanto ci sono care sono descritte alla perfezione ed è davvero divertente per i giocatori leggerli in un romanzo. Ma il romanzo non è assolutamente la descrizione del gioco, c'è alla base un idea "fantascientifica" che rende il gioco reale. Apprezzato molto anche la competenza informatica che si percepiva tra le righe, non che il cenno ad alcuni comportamenti capitalisti non banali.
L'idea alla base resta una tecnologia di fantascienza, ma che da questa tecnologia si arrivi alle conseguenze descritti in reboot è abbastanza plausibile.
Alla fine non ho messo cinque stelle per una sola cosa che non mi è piaciuta...
La crescita del personaggio, dei suoi poteri, dei suoi nemici sono frenetici, troppo veloci.
Inizialmente mi ricordava molto Sword Art Online, ma a differenza di quest'ultimo i personaggi non si banalizzano. Penso che sia adatto per appassionati di MMORPG, i quali possono immedesimarsi e gustarlo appieno, le dinamiche del gioco che tanto ci sono care sono descritte alla perfezione ed è davvero divertente per i giocatori leggerli in un romanzo. Ma il romanzo non è assolutamente la descrizione del gioco, c'è alla base un idea "fantascientifica" che rende il gioco reale. Apprezzato molto anche la competenza informatica che si percepiva tra le righe, non che il cenno ad alcuni comportamenti capitalisti non banali.
L'idea alla base resta una tecnologia di fantascienza, ma che da questa tecnologia si arrivi alle conseguenze descritti in reboot è abbastanza plausibile.
Alla fine non ho messo cinque stelle per una sola cosa che non mi è piaciuta...
La crescita del personaggio, dei suoi poteri, dei suoi nemici sono frenetici, troppo veloci.
June 8, 2017
Kindle Unlimited
Personal Data:
Name: Tad Lonnerman
AgeL 25
Occupation: Game Developer
Mortality: Deceased
Reboot Status: Beta Tester, Haven/hyper-immersive MMO Digital Reality
Possible Adversaries: pagan blood feuds, fallen angels, lying saints, the Devil
Possible Allies: frat boy with a penchant for dying, pixie who won't give him the time of day
Log Off Options: Free Will, True Total Death
TOS: Acceptance conveys permanentcy in simulation, guaranteed non-deletion, profile encrypted and multiple redudant backup servers
Character Creation: Adjustments or Changes to Race, Gender Same, Customization Pysical Traits Caveat No New Face
Class Cruciform: 4 Base:: Soldier - Explorer - Artisan - Mystic PICK ONE
Haven Terms of Service 0.9.21 -- at back of book a MUST READ lol
But wait, there's more...after that part at the back there is some more intesting 'stuff', and thouroughly enjoyed this book, and have never played RPG, MMORPG, MMO, etcetera etcetera.
Personal Data:
Name: Tad Lonnerman
AgeL 25
Occupation: Game Developer
Mortality: Deceased
Reboot Status: Beta Tester, Haven/hyper-immersive MMO Digital Reality
Possible Adversaries: pagan blood feuds, fallen angels, lying saints, the Devil
Possible Allies: frat boy with a penchant for dying, pixie who won't give him the time of day
Log Off Options: Free Will, True Total Death
TOS: Acceptance conveys permanentcy in simulation, guaranteed non-deletion, profile encrypted and multiple redudant backup servers
Character Creation: Adjustments or Changes to Race, Gender Same, Customization Pysical Traits Caveat No New Face
Class Cruciform: 4 Base:: Soldier - Explorer - Artisan - Mystic PICK ONE
Haven Terms of Service 0.9.21 -- at back of book a MUST READ lol
But wait, there's more...after that part at the back there is some more intesting 'stuff', and thouroughly enjoyed this book, and have never played RPG, MMORPG, MMO, etcetera etcetera.
June 23, 2017
Very enjoyable first jaunt for Domino Finn into LitRPG territory.
I liked the stats layout, unusual and made the reader feel that they were a wee bit actively involved in the adventure. Good characters, but I needed to know much more about them in the real world - I'm nosy that way. I'm an angels and demons kind of woman, so this kept my attention, but I wanted more monsters!
I always enjoy Finn's humour in his books, and for me the outsourced tech support was just too true. I laughed out loud and almost woke the sleeping husband next to me up. Great story and not too much numberwanging going on, so non-gamers can enjoy it too.
I liked the stats layout, unusual and made the reader feel that they were a wee bit actively involved in the adventure. Good characters, but I needed to know much more about them in the real world - I'm nosy that way. I'm an angels and demons kind of woman, so this kept my attention, but I wanted more monsters!
I always enjoy Finn's humour in his books, and for me the outsourced tech support was just too true. I laughed out loud and almost woke the sleeping husband next to me up. Great story and not too much numberwanging going on, so non-gamers can enjoy it too.
October 18, 2018
“Recruit heroes. Build an empire. Defend it with your life.”
This is the first book in this series, it is also the first book I have read in this genre. It's a good book, but it's ending left me unsatisfied, which led me to get the second book, and then the third to try to satisfy that feeling that things were left unfinished. I am currently awaiting the fourth book, book three ended in a logical place, but there is still a lot of things left unanswered.
I enjoyed this book, it took me back to my old RPG days, when the rendering engine lived between your ears, but it should appeal to the more modern gamers too.
This is the first book in this series, it is also the first book I have read in this genre. It's a good book, but it's ending left me unsatisfied, which led me to get the second book, and then the third to try to satisfy that feeling that things were left unfinished. I am currently awaiting the fourth book, book three ended in a logical place, but there is still a lot of things left unanswered.
I enjoyed this book, it took me back to my old RPG days, when the rendering engine lived between your ears, but it should appeal to the more modern gamers too.
November 5, 2017
Not the most original LitRPG story I've read, but it is handled well, and it shows a lot of promise. I'm off to read the second one. I always like when the story has conflict between the developers and their creations. :) I recommend this one to most folks who like the LitRPG genre. There's not quite as much stats and leveling in this one as there is in some others I've read, but it's still a pretty good story, and I think it's worth reading anyway.
June 13, 2017
Ok but didn't grab me enough to keep reading
Ok but didn't grab me enough to keep reading. I stopped about 1/4 of the way through. I've read most lit rpg books 3.5 stars and higher so was unpleasantly surprised when the positive reviews didn't hold up. Maybe it's just a really slow start....
Ok but didn't grab me enough to keep reading. I stopped about 1/4 of the way through. I've read most lit rpg books 3.5 stars and higher so was unpleasantly surprised when the positive reviews didn't hold up. Maybe it's just a really slow start....
June 13, 2017
Qualifies as lit, not merely RPG
An entertaining page turner. The author is clearly a professional, with few typos or defects in the writing. While well within the confines of the LitRPG genre, with little innovation to its tropes, those who enjoy such works will find this a smooth read.
An entertaining page turner. The author is clearly a professional, with few typos or defects in the writing. While well within the confines of the LitRPG genre, with little innovation to its tropes, those who enjoy such works will find this a smooth read.
June 17, 2017
A fresh attempt
While the Romanesque world was a fresh departure from the familiar Arthurian fantasy staple, the rest of the world and lore wasn't as well-fleshed out, making the story less epic and more grindy. If it wasn't for the primary characters' progressions, the story wouldn't work out.
While the Romanesque world was a fresh departure from the familiar Arthurian fantasy staple, the rest of the world and lore wasn't as well-fleshed out, making the story less epic and more grindy. If it wasn't for the primary characters' progressions, the story wouldn't work out.
July 18, 2017
Have you ever thought about where you go when you die?
Are you going to heaven? Maybe hell. What about a RPG? This is a journey into a LitRPG. I read the book in one sitting because it's fast moving with more action and characters than most movies I've seen recently. I can't wait for the next book.
Are you going to heaven? Maybe hell. What about a RPG? This is a journey into a LitRPG. I read the book in one sitting because it's fast moving with more action and characters than most movies I've seen recently. I can't wait for the next book.
November 5, 2017
All your gamers are belong to us
A very cool mad dash of an adventure. Deep in places, skimming over tedious bits. I found this surprisingly good. Try it and see. I often take notes while reading litRPG. This book was different. My notes were about things I liked instead of errors (I thought the beginning chapter was well done).
A very cool mad dash of an adventure. Deep in places, skimming over tedious bits. I found this surprisingly good. Try it and see. I often take notes while reading litRPG. This book was different. My notes were about things I liked instead of errors (I thought the beginning chapter was well done).
February 5, 2018
A pleasant surprise
Although this book seems to be unnecessarily in a rush, (the protagonist only exists in the world for a few days), and interesting world was created and filled out with some interesting characters.
I definitely look forward to additional adventures of Talon and Kyle.
Although this book seems to be unnecessarily in a rush, (the protagonist only exists in the world for a few days), and interesting world was created and filled out with some interesting characters.
I definitely look forward to additional adventures of Talon and Kyle.
June 11, 2018
I enjoyed the book overall. I had a few issues with it, but I was entertained and generally felt that the story progressed smoothly.
I'm currently on the fence in regards to reading the second book. This was a solid book, but book 2 would need some additional power behind it because the general setting and the characters are established.
I'm currently on the fence in regards to reading the second book. This was a solid book, but book 2 would need some additional power behind it because the general setting and the characters are established.
April 28, 2020
Not bad, not bad at all.
A quick enjoyable read. Being one of the first LitRPG books I have read I can honestly say I will be delving into this genre a bit more... well, after I read “Black Hat”. So if you are on the fence about picking this one up, give it a try, can’t hurt ( unless Lucifer turns your pain receptors back on)
A quick enjoyable read. Being one of the first LitRPG books I have read I can honestly say I will be delving into this genre a bit more... well, after I read “Black Hat”. So if you are on the fence about picking this one up, give it a try, can’t hurt ( unless Lucifer turns your pain receptors back on)
June 10, 2020
This book is definitely a must-read the plot is amazingly well thought-out it some unseen plot twists and I enjoyed the fact there's not really any slow parts it was absolutely entertaining and love the character development you.
The narration on the audio version was spot-on each character truly did have their own feel without being over the top.
The narration on the audio version was spot-on each character truly did have their own feel without being over the top.
June 4, 2017
A decent LitRPG novel. Suffers from the same problem as a lot of LitRPG protagonists in that he's not particularly interesting even though the author did give him a good twist. Interesting enough that I'll probably keep reading.
June 10, 2017
A good book. Good pace of action. not ground breaking in the genre but good enough that I'll look for the next in the series. kind of wondering how that might take place since the story ended dramatically solving the main conflict.
June 21, 2017
Exelent pacing
Without giving anything away I can say this book has no slow parts. One or more storylines are always progressing. Combined with creativity within the tropes of the genre make this a very interesting read.
Without giving anything away I can say this book has no slow parts. One or more storylines are always progressing. Combined with creativity within the tropes of the genre make this a very interesting read.
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