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Second Age of Retha #1
The Luckless
Welcome to Retha, the full submersion video game where you can be the hero of your own adventure. Unfortunately for Kit, it only takes one moment to turn the game into a nightmare.
When Chronicles of Retha experiences a software malfunction, Kit—a disenchanted veteran player—is stuck in the game without a way to log off. Even worse, she’s trapped playing as the most defective character possible, an elf dancer that was meant to be a prank.
Thankfully, she receives word that there is a way out. But the only escape route is to defeat the game’s ultimate villain. Kit, in her joke character, must fight her way through some of the worst Retha has to offer. Her only help is a party of low-leveled players just as powerless as she is, and the occasional act of mercy from one of the best players in the game, the taciturn (and aloof) Solus Miles.
Can Kit and her new friends finish the quest, or will Retha be their end?
When Chronicles of Retha experiences a software malfunction, Kit—a disenchanted veteran player—is stuck in the game without a way to log off. Even worse, she’s trapped playing as the most defective character possible, an elf dancer that was meant to be a prank.
Thankfully, she receives word that there is a way out. But the only escape route is to defeat the game’s ultimate villain. Kit, in her joke character, must fight her way through some of the worst Retha has to offer. Her only help is a party of low-leveled players just as powerless as she is, and the occasional act of mercy from one of the best players in the game, the taciturn (and aloof) Solus Miles.
Can Kit and her new friends finish the quest, or will Retha be their end?
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2017
571 people are currently reading
1346 people want to read
About the author
A.M. Sohma
5 books346 followersAuthor by day, but a hunter (or very frazzled cleric) by night, A. M. Sohma is a lover of books, video games, and sweet armor sets. She aims to write entertaining stories with relatable characters, and spends her days lurking in libraries or wasting time on the internet.
If you want to waste time with her, find her at amsohma.com!
If you want to waste time with her, find her at amsohma.com!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
August 31, 2017
3.5/5 Stars
Thank you to the author, A.M. Sohma, for providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review, I really appreciate this opportunity.
I have no idea how many gamers/readers like me will read this review but if you are one, The Luckless is one fun book for you to read when you’re in need of something lighter.
The Luckless is the first book in the Second Age of Retha series by A.M. Sohma, a pseudonym for K.M. Shea, who is most well known for writing a fairy tale and romance stories. From her writing background, it actually came as a bit of a surprise that I quite enjoyed reading this LitRPG.
For those of you who don’t know, LitRPG stands for Literature Role Playing Games, a loosely famous example of this is Ready Player One. I’ll be honest, although I’m a gamer, LitRPG is not the kind of genre I usually read, because well, I prefer playing the games rather than read the book. I do however love some anime which made this genre more famous like .hack franchise and Sword Art Online.
Knowing that these anime are also the inspirations for this book, I know it’s something I will enjoy and I certainly did, with a few improvements it would even be something that I love even more. Like the anime I mentioned earlier, the plot of this book started off mostly the same, Kit, our main character, was prank by her cousin into playing the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), The Chronicles of Retha, only to find out that after logging in, she can’t log out of the game because of a software malfunction. The only probability of escaping from the game is to defeat the ultimate legendary boss that no one has ever beaten. Yes, very similar to SAO, the differences is that, where SAO features a super strong main character, in this case, Kit has to use the worst possible kind of job class, a dancer Elf because her cousin hacked her account.
If you’re looking for something grand and epic, this is not a book for you. There is nothing amazing here, nothing new, and nothing epic. The Luckless isn’t that kind of book, it’s written to be a fun story and in my opinion, it successfully delivered its purpose on this aspect. The prose and the world-building are also a pleasant surprise for me. Well written, simple and easy to read, there are no typos, and the world was portrayed vividly, with short and concise details on the rules and terminologies used in MMORPG.
I do have two cons with the book, one that I think the future book in the series could improve. First, as I said before, Kit was pranked by her cousin into playing the game, but the prank itself is very insane. Her cousin is an employee of the company that made the game, but he hacked her account, only for the sake of a prank? That’s just downright insane, what kind of cousin used his authority as an employee and leave their company vulnerable to hack their own cousin? If I have a cousin like that I’ll beat and sue the hell out of him. I just think the way Kit got stuck into the game is a bit illogical because her cousin sounds like a total criminal at this rate.
For the other one, this is totally just my preferences and I admit, this is why I prefer playing video games than watch or read LitRPG. There’s always this one problem in the genre, and that is the lack of tension in the story. I know that this is designed to be a fun story, but I always prefer the stuff I read to have tension and a sense of danger in it. Sword Art Online faced this problem too, for those of who didn’t watch it, in this anime, the repercussion of dying in the game is that the player will instantly fall into a coma or die in real life. Yeah, it’s pretty bad and dangerous, we all know how easy we could die in video games, but after the first 14 episodes, that plot device has been used and finished, which make all episodes after that just gamers playing with no repercussion. I found myself feeling bored because of the lack of tension. This book is the same, the characters can die limitlessly only to respawn again, which makes the concept of death almost pointless and killed the tension. A character dies? Oh don’t worry, he/she will respawn again, repeat. As far as I know, .hack series is the only series to use this kind of plot device right, with the characters having the chance to fall into an endless coma, and it was incredibly hard to find the solution. Again, these are my preferences only, doesn’t change my opinion that this is still a fun book to read.
It’s nice to read this kind of book once in a while after your hectic day. It made me missed my MMORPG days which I quitted because of how toxic the communities has become now, and this book somehow brings back that nostalgic feeling of how peaceful most gaming communities back then. Coming back home after school, can’t wait to go back online to play again with your IRL friends or make new friends. If you love Ready Player One, call yourself a gamer and a reader, this could be a book for you to read anytime you feel like taking a break from your serious story read. I’ll remind you once again, LitRPG is not a genre I usually read, the high chance is that you’ll enjoy it even more than me.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
Thank you to the author, A.M. Sohma, for providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review, I really appreciate this opportunity.
I have no idea how many gamers/readers like me will read this review but if you are one, The Luckless is one fun book for you to read when you’re in need of something lighter.
The Luckless is the first book in the Second Age of Retha series by A.M. Sohma, a pseudonym for K.M. Shea, who is most well known for writing a fairy tale and romance stories. From her writing background, it actually came as a bit of a surprise that I quite enjoyed reading this LitRPG.
For those of you who don’t know, LitRPG stands for Literature Role Playing Games, a loosely famous example of this is Ready Player One. I’ll be honest, although I’m a gamer, LitRPG is not the kind of genre I usually read, because well, I prefer playing the games rather than read the book. I do however love some anime which made this genre more famous like .hack franchise and Sword Art Online.
Knowing that these anime are also the inspirations for this book, I know it’s something I will enjoy and I certainly did, with a few improvements it would even be something that I love even more. Like the anime I mentioned earlier, the plot of this book started off mostly the same, Kit, our main character, was prank by her cousin into playing the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), The Chronicles of Retha, only to find out that after logging in, she can’t log out of the game because of a software malfunction. The only probability of escaping from the game is to defeat the ultimate legendary boss that no one has ever beaten. Yes, very similar to SAO, the differences is that, where SAO features a super strong main character, in this case, Kit has to use the worst possible kind of job class, a dancer Elf because her cousin hacked her account.
If you’re looking for something grand and epic, this is not a book for you. There is nothing amazing here, nothing new, and nothing epic. The Luckless isn’t that kind of book, it’s written to be a fun story and in my opinion, it successfully delivered its purpose on this aspect. The prose and the world-building are also a pleasant surprise for me. Well written, simple and easy to read, there are no typos, and the world was portrayed vividly, with short and concise details on the rules and terminologies used in MMORPG.
I do have two cons with the book, one that I think the future book in the series could improve. First, as I said before, Kit was pranked by her cousin into playing the game, but the prank itself is very insane. Her cousin is an employee of the company that made the game, but he hacked her account, only for the sake of a prank? That’s just downright insane, what kind of cousin used his authority as an employee and leave their company vulnerable to hack their own cousin? If I have a cousin like that I’ll beat and sue the hell out of him. I just think the way Kit got stuck into the game is a bit illogical because her cousin sounds like a total criminal at this rate.
For the other one, this is totally just my preferences and I admit, this is why I prefer playing video games than watch or read LitRPG. There’s always this one problem in the genre, and that is the lack of tension in the story. I know that this is designed to be a fun story, but I always prefer the stuff I read to have tension and a sense of danger in it. Sword Art Online faced this problem too, for those of who didn’t watch it, in this anime, the repercussion of dying in the game is that the player will instantly fall into a coma or die in real life. Yeah, it’s pretty bad and dangerous, we all know how easy we could die in video games, but after the first 14 episodes, that plot device has been used and finished, which make all episodes after that just gamers playing with no repercussion. I found myself feeling bored because of the lack of tension. This book is the same, the characters can die limitlessly only to respawn again, which makes the concept of death almost pointless and killed the tension. A character dies? Oh don’t worry, he/she will respawn again, repeat. As far as I know, .hack series is the only series to use this kind of plot device right, with the characters having the chance to fall into an endless coma, and it was incredibly hard to find the solution. Again, these are my preferences only, doesn’t change my opinion that this is still a fun book to read.
It’s nice to read this kind of book once in a while after your hectic day. It made me missed my MMORPG days which I quitted because of how toxic the communities has become now, and this book somehow brings back that nostalgic feeling of how peaceful most gaming communities back then. Coming back home after school, can’t wait to go back online to play again with your IRL friends or make new friends. If you love Ready Player One, call yourself a gamer and a reader, this could be a book for you to read anytime you feel like taking a break from your serious story read. I’ll remind you once again, LitRPG is not a genre I usually read, the high chance is that you’ll enjoy it even more than me.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
July 8, 2019
At first, I was hesitant to read this book. While it is the new pen name of a favorite indie author (KM Shea), I'm not really into role playing or gaming. I don't play video games. My only previous forays into this genre were the Spy Kids movie where they get stuck in a video game and a book where an internet video game turned kids into killers. I really didn't know what to expect or if I'd like this book at all.
Then I decided to try it because, after all, it is the same author.
I'm SOOOO glad I did! Yes, this is set in a gaming world. Yes, there is a lot of virtual reality gaming lingo, but all of the lingo is explained and used so smoothly it was no worse than jumping into a fantasy country with a lot of made up names and world rules and stuff, and actually a lot easier to follow because the author took extra time to explain.
Also, don't be put off by the cover. Yes, the main girl shows her belly button. It isn't really her fault and she tries the whole book to find a more appropriate shirt so it is played off with usual KM Shea humor and style. The main character ends up getting stuck in a video game in the most ridiculous character possible. You know those female characters in video games in the supporting roles that are always dressed inappropriately and are pretty much useless? This book mocks that stereotype the entire time.
Due to being the video game genre, this book can do a lot of things a usual fantasy can't. Such as have the main character die at least 14 or 15 times throughout the book. The characters continually get new skills in the exaggerated video game way. The author does a great job of using the video game setting to add clever twists of humor that wouldn't be possible in a regular fantasy.
Even though the characters are in a video game and dying in the video game isn't a big deal, the author still has enough stakes with the whole being stuck in the game and can't log off and could have brain damage if they don't escape to add plenty of tension.
I'm hooked. I don't think I'll become a major fan of the genre over all, but I am definitely going to keep following this author under both her pen names, and I am now waiting at the edge of my seat for the next book in this series!
Re-read review: Just as good the second time through as the first. I re-read this shortly after the release of the third book, and it is amazing going back and seeing all the places where the author began to set things up for the later books in the series even in this first book. You meet a few of the characters that will become important later already in this book, even if you don't realize they will be important the first time you read it.
Then I decided to try it because, after all, it is the same author.
I'm SOOOO glad I did! Yes, this is set in a gaming world. Yes, there is a lot of virtual reality gaming lingo, but all of the lingo is explained and used so smoothly it was no worse than jumping into a fantasy country with a lot of made up names and world rules and stuff, and actually a lot easier to follow because the author took extra time to explain.
Also, don't be put off by the cover. Yes, the main girl shows her belly button. It isn't really her fault and she tries the whole book to find a more appropriate shirt so it is played off with usual KM Shea humor and style. The main character ends up getting stuck in a video game in the most ridiculous character possible. You know those female characters in video games in the supporting roles that are always dressed inappropriately and are pretty much useless? This book mocks that stereotype the entire time.
Due to being the video game genre, this book can do a lot of things a usual fantasy can't. Such as have the main character die at least 14 or 15 times throughout the book. The characters continually get new skills in the exaggerated video game way. The author does a great job of using the video game setting to add clever twists of humor that wouldn't be possible in a regular fantasy.
Even though the characters are in a video game and dying in the video game isn't a big deal, the author still has enough stakes with the whole being stuck in the game and can't log off and could have brain damage if they don't escape to add plenty of tension.
I'm hooked. I don't think I'll become a major fan of the genre over all, but I am definitely going to keep following this author under both her pen names, and I am now waiting at the edge of my seat for the next book in this series!
Re-read review: Just as good the second time through as the first. I re-read this shortly after the release of the third book, and it is amazing going back and seeing all the places where the author began to set things up for the later books in the series even in this first book. You meet a few of the characters that will become important later already in this book, even if you don't realize they will be important the first time you read it.
September 24, 2025
SEPTEMBER 2025 (5th) REREAD: Rereading until book 4 releases...
AUGUST 2024 (5th) REREAD:
At this point some parts of this story have become so familiar I could probably recite half of Kit's best lines. And I'm perfectly okay with that.
AUGUST 2022 (4th!) REREAD:
Yep. Still as fabulous as it ever was. Probably better, actually--I think the more I reread this series, the more I love it. Which is a testament to how much you, gentle reader, should read it as well :)
AUGUST 2024 (5th) REREAD:
At this point some parts of this story have become so familiar I could probably recite half of Kit's best lines. And I'm perfectly okay with that.
AUGUST 2022 (4th!) REREAD:
Yep. Still as fabulous as it ever was. Probably better, actually--I think the more I reread this series, the more I love it. Which is a testament to how much you, gentle reader, should read it as well :)
December 28, 2022
I got tired of the stupid. First, the setup just doesn't make sense. Trapped in the game! For reasons that can't survive even cursory scrutiny! Oh noes!!!
Second, Kit is screwed over by her cousin. Hard. He gave her all the disadvantages and hijacked her into a game she hates. That guy is a snotbag and I'm much more invested in Kit getting back at him than the actual story.
Third, Kit isn't doing anything interesting. Frankly, I can practically see the World of Warcraft on this game. It was practically WoW with renamed cities and classes. I was hoping for "Kit figures out how to turn lemons into lemonade" but what I got was "Kit fumbles around, makes bad choices, and relies on others to solve her problems."
Three strikes and I'm bored.
Second, Kit is screwed over by her cousin. Hard. He gave her all the disadvantages and hijacked her into a game she hates. That guy is a snotbag and I'm much more invested in Kit getting back at him than the actual story.
Third, Kit isn't doing anything interesting. Frankly, I can practically see the World of Warcraft on this game. It was practically WoW with renamed cities and classes. I was hoping for "Kit figures out how to turn lemons into lemonade" but what I got was "Kit fumbles around, makes bad choices, and relies on others to solve her problems."
Three strikes and I'm bored.
July 30, 2025
I really liked the premise of this adventure LitRPG story and while the story never quite managed to fully live up to the fun premise it was still a solid and enjoyable enough adventure LitRPG story.
Kit’s day goes from bad to worse as she gets stuck in the fully immersive VR game Chronicles of Retha after a massive system failure traps players in the game until a way is found to safely extract them or they complete the game. As if being stuck in a fantasy VR game was not bad enough she was trapped in the game as a low level Elf Dancer character with pretty much no offensive skills thanks to a joke gone awry being played on her by game developer cousin!
It was a fun premise. What we got was a fairly solid adventure LitRPG but I felt like the humorous aspect of the tale was not fully exploited. Which was a pity. On the plus side this did lack the usual misogyny found in books of the LitRPG genre so that was nice especially given the nature of the character Kit got stuck playing!
All in all this was an OK LitRPG.
Reread Update: I feel exactly the same about this tale the second time around. I feel like it hooks me early and then loses me a bit towards the end. I never did make it to the second book my first go around with this series and I’m not sure that is going to change this time around! I like a lot of what we get in this series but I’m not fully engaged for some weird reason.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: I waited years for an audio version of this one to get produced but since it never materialised I decided to finally give the old text-to-speech Alexa application a go. It was my first time using it and it was…passable. Obviously nowhere near the quality of a proper audiobook with a professional narrator performing the story but I have to admit text-to-speech has come a long way since I last tried it a decade or so ago! The Alexa voice was pretty natural sounding most of the time and not at all like the robotic text-to-speech voices of days gone by. The real loss from professional narration was the lack of emotional emphasis and the lack of voice acting on the dialogue. I may try it again in the future for books with no audio versions but I’m guessing I’ll mostly stick to professionally narrated books!
Audio Note 2: There is still no official audiobook so I decided to test a different text-to-speech service this time. Went with Voice Aloud Reader. It was solid but the app was a little buggy. Used the Sonia voice.
Kit’s day goes from bad to worse as she gets stuck in the fully immersive VR game Chronicles of Retha after a massive system failure traps players in the game until a way is found to safely extract them or they complete the game. As if being stuck in a fantasy VR game was not bad enough she was trapped in the game as a low level Elf Dancer character with pretty much no offensive skills thanks to a joke gone awry being played on her by game developer cousin!
It was a fun premise. What we got was a fairly solid adventure LitRPG but I felt like the humorous aspect of the tale was not fully exploited. Which was a pity. On the plus side this did lack the usual misogyny found in books of the LitRPG genre so that was nice especially given the nature of the character Kit got stuck playing!
All in all this was an OK LitRPG.
Reread Update: I feel exactly the same about this tale the second time around. I feel like it hooks me early and then loses me a bit towards the end. I never did make it to the second book my first go around with this series and I’m not sure that is going to change this time around! I like a lot of what we get in this series but I’m not fully engaged for some weird reason.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: I waited years for an audio version of this one to get produced but since it never materialised I decided to finally give the old text-to-speech Alexa application a go. It was my first time using it and it was…passable. Obviously nowhere near the quality of a proper audiobook with a professional narrator performing the story but I have to admit text-to-speech has come a long way since I last tried it a decade or so ago! The Alexa voice was pretty natural sounding most of the time and not at all like the robotic text-to-speech voices of days gone by. The real loss from professional narration was the lack of emotional emphasis and the lack of voice acting on the dialogue. I may try it again in the future for books with no audio versions but I’m guessing I’ll mostly stick to professionally narrated books!
Audio Note 2: There is still no official audiobook so I decided to test a different text-to-speech service this time. Went with Voice Aloud Reader. It was solid but the app was a little buggy. Used the Sonia voice.
May 21, 2022
More Retha Please!
I can't say that I have read many books in this genre. I had never heard of LitRPG before. I found Luckless because it is written under a pen name by K.M. Shea, and I have loved her other books. That being said, I fell in love with Luckless.
Kit is a serious gamer, when she goes to a full immersion arcade she plans to play a solo player shooting game. She wakes up in Chronicles of Retha, a fantasy game she hasn't played in five years. Instead of her usual kick butt character, she finds that she has been programmed as a useless elf dancer. What was supposed to be a funny joke, played on her by her cousin, turns serious when the game's server is corrupted. Kit (and everyone else) is stuck in the game unless they can beat the most unbeatable quest.
The world building in Retha was phenomenal. I don't know much about video games, but the descriptions really brought the world to life. I also felt like the rules of the game were clearly described without losing me to complication or boredom.
The wit that I have come to appreciate from K.M. Shea was present in full force. I laughed at Kit's creative use of language and her awards for profanity proficiency (because you have to get creative with your cursing in an all age game).
Kit was a strong character. I loved watching what she would do with every new revelation about how awful her joke of a character is.
This book was an epic fantasy journey of quests, teamwork, magic, and rewards.
Luckless is part of a series, that did not wrap up with the first book. The second book is estimated to come out at the end of August. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
I can't say that I have read many books in this genre. I had never heard of LitRPG before. I found Luckless because it is written under a pen name by K.M. Shea, and I have loved her other books. That being said, I fell in love with Luckless.
Kit is a serious gamer, when she goes to a full immersion arcade she plans to play a solo player shooting game. She wakes up in Chronicles of Retha, a fantasy game she hasn't played in five years. Instead of her usual kick butt character, she finds that she has been programmed as a useless elf dancer. What was supposed to be a funny joke, played on her by her cousin, turns serious when the game's server is corrupted. Kit (and everyone else) is stuck in the game unless they can beat the most unbeatable quest.
The world building in Retha was phenomenal. I don't know much about video games, but the descriptions really brought the world to life. I also felt like the rules of the game were clearly described without losing me to complication or boredom.
The wit that I have come to appreciate from K.M. Shea was present in full force. I laughed at Kit's creative use of language and her awards for profanity proficiency (because you have to get creative with your cursing in an all age game).
Kit was a strong character. I loved watching what she would do with every new revelation about how awful her joke of a character is.
This book was an epic fantasy journey of quests, teamwork, magic, and rewards.
Luckless is part of a series, that did not wrap up with the first book. The second book is estimated to come out at the end of August. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
September 14, 2020
As a girl who almost never plays video games, I have to say I was skeptical to say the least about A.M. Sohma’s book The Luckless. I picked it up though because I had just finished binge reading all the K.M. Shea books I own, and I really wanted another one. A.M. Sohma is the pen name of K.M. Shea. And let me just say, I am so glad I read it!
The Luckless is about a girl named Kit who is stuck in a full submersion game called Chronicles of Retha. Kit hasn’t played the game in years, and as a joke her cousin made her into a dancing elf character who is basically useless. Kit figures out that she can get out of the game if she defeats the game’s ultimate villains. Fortunately, there are some other players that could help, but no one believes that they are truly in danger. This means that Kit has to put together a ragtag team of low level people to fight the villain with the occasional help from one of the best players in the game, Solus Miles.
I loved Kit’s personality. She is so hilarious, and she has plenty to say about how much her character sucks. I think that I also really felt for her insecurity. It was hard for her to figure out that she is the leader, and that she has to just accept that. I liked seeing her journey in how she became more and more confident in her abilities. I also loved her commentary on everything. I have read a lot of books where the characters are so calm in their heads. I’ve never really understood that, and I love characters that show some sarcasm and a realistic frustration with what’s going on in their lives.
Plus, the minor characters were also hilarious. I think that K.M. Shea did such a great job of making me invested in every character. I loved all the little quirks that made them human like one character being slightly greedy and another incredibly polite. And then watching them all interact was hilarious. I was laughing my head off at their banter which only got funnier as the challenges got harder.
The challenges in the game were very interesting to a non gamer like me. I have played a couple of video games, but the one that A.M. Sohma had imagined was so much more intricate and elaborate. The world of Retha was amazing, and what was really impressive is that I could understand it. I can barely comprehend what my brother is talking about when he explains his video games, so I was really happy that I could follow the story and even learn a couple of things. I would definitely recommend this book to games and non games alike. It was also really clean which is always nice. I would definitely recommend this funny and fascinating book.
The Luckless is about a girl named Kit who is stuck in a full submersion game called Chronicles of Retha. Kit hasn’t played the game in years, and as a joke her cousin made her into a dancing elf character who is basically useless. Kit figures out that she can get out of the game if she defeats the game’s ultimate villains. Fortunately, there are some other players that could help, but no one believes that they are truly in danger. This means that Kit has to put together a ragtag team of low level people to fight the villain with the occasional help from one of the best players in the game, Solus Miles.
I loved Kit’s personality. She is so hilarious, and she has plenty to say about how much her character sucks. I think that I also really felt for her insecurity. It was hard for her to figure out that she is the leader, and that she has to just accept that. I liked seeing her journey in how she became more and more confident in her abilities. I also loved her commentary on everything. I have read a lot of books where the characters are so calm in their heads. I’ve never really understood that, and I love characters that show some sarcasm and a realistic frustration with what’s going on in their lives.
Plus, the minor characters were also hilarious. I think that K.M. Shea did such a great job of making me invested in every character. I loved all the little quirks that made them human like one character being slightly greedy and another incredibly polite. And then watching them all interact was hilarious. I was laughing my head off at their banter which only got funnier as the challenges got harder.
The challenges in the game were very interesting to a non gamer like me. I have played a couple of video games, but the one that A.M. Sohma had imagined was so much more intricate and elaborate. The world of Retha was amazing, and what was really impressive is that I could understand it. I can barely comprehend what my brother is talking about when he explains his video games, so I was really happy that I could follow the story and even learn a couple of things. I would definitely recommend this book to games and non games alike. It was also really clean which is always nice. I would definitely recommend this funny and fascinating book.
September 5, 2023
I've seen a couple people complain that the gaming terms and stuff were over-explained and that the reason for getting stuck in the game didn't make sense, but as a non-gamer, I found some of the explanations helpful and I can accept the reasoning for the characters getting stuck because I'm not a computer person and I don't know how that stuff works lol. I thought this was an entertaining story, I liked it.
The A-word was used a few times, but mostly swear word substitutes because actual swearing is prohibited in the Retha game.
The A-word was used a few times, but mostly swear word substitutes because actual swearing is prohibited in the Retha game.
January 1, 2018
this was immense fun. It made me think of series like Log Horizon and .hack and I loved the characters to boot.
Poor Kit though...I'd murder any family member who pulled that stunt on me. Elf Dancer, I mean COME ON.
I do wish there had been more Solus Miles...and I look forward to when he figures out the players he's looking for it right under his nose... I just wish there had been more of him.
Poor Kit though...I'd murder any family member who pulled that stunt on me. Elf Dancer, I mean COME ON.
I do wish there had been more Solus Miles...and I look forward to when he figures out the players he's looking for it right under his nose... I just wish there had been more of him.
May 28, 2023
4/5 stars
First, I feel like it's worth mentioning that I am a gamer, though not a hardcore one. I've been playing video games since I was a child and still casually play them now. I am also a fan of the LitRPG genre, so this book was right up my alley.
However, I think this book would be an excellent read for non-gamers as well! The author did a great job explaining the game mechanics and terminology without overwhelming the reader.
The world-building was compelling and well-written. As the characters work to complete their quest, they explore new areas and fight new monsters. I really enjoyed getting to know the world of Retha and am looking forward to seeing more of it in the other books! The author also established early on that she has an excellent understanding of video games and demonstrated that time and again throughout the book. The book often reminded me of Skyrim (and that is one of my favorite games of all-time!)
Kit was such a hilarious character! I did feel sorry for her given her horrible luck, but it certainly made reading her POV very entertaining. As a joke, she's stuck playing as an elf dancer, a class that's looked down upon by most players (and several NPCs, unfortunately.) The ragtag party she allies to her cause isn't much luckier, but they're at least better off than she is. I suspect Kit's character might come in handy later, as support characters can be rather useful when used correctly. (Her elf dancer vaguely reminds me of Tingyun in the game Honkai: Star Rail!)
There were a few small things that kept me from giving this book 5 stars. One being that Kit felt a little inconsistent at times. She's a veteran player from a powerful guild, but she often seems a little clueless about certain aspects of the game. I get that she hasn't played in 5 years, but there were a few times where I felt like she should've had a little more knowledge of things. I also thought this book could have been edited a little more, though overall the story is very well-written and enjoyable!
I would definitely recommend this, to both video game/LitRPG fans and to non-gamers! It's also clean (don't be fooled by the outfit on the cover; it's pretty much a running gag in the book.) If you're looking for a fantasy book that's short, fun, and entertaining, try The Luckless!
On that note, if you enjoyed this book/trope, I highly suggest the anime Log Horizon. It's been a favorite of mine for years now, and it also revolves around people stuck in a game. The situation in that series is more serious and less amusing, but I would still definitely recommend it!
First, I feel like it's worth mentioning that I am a gamer, though not a hardcore one. I've been playing video games since I was a child and still casually play them now. I am also a fan of the LitRPG genre, so this book was right up my alley.
However, I think this book would be an excellent read for non-gamers as well! The author did a great job explaining the game mechanics and terminology without overwhelming the reader.
The world-building was compelling and well-written. As the characters work to complete their quest, they explore new areas and fight new monsters. I really enjoyed getting to know the world of Retha and am looking forward to seeing more of it in the other books! The author also established early on that she has an excellent understanding of video games and demonstrated that time and again throughout the book. The book often reminded me of Skyrim (and that is one of my favorite games of all-time!)
Kit was such a hilarious character! I did feel sorry for her given her horrible luck, but it certainly made reading her POV very entertaining. As a joke, she's stuck playing as an elf dancer, a class that's looked down upon by most players (and several NPCs, unfortunately.) The ragtag party she allies to her cause isn't much luckier, but they're at least better off than she is. I suspect Kit's character might come in handy later, as support characters can be rather useful when used correctly. (Her elf dancer vaguely reminds me of Tingyun in the game Honkai: Star Rail!)
There were a few small things that kept me from giving this book 5 stars. One being that Kit felt a little inconsistent at times. She's a veteran player from a powerful guild, but she often seems a little clueless about certain aspects of the game. I get that she hasn't played in 5 years, but there were a few times where I felt like she should've had a little more knowledge of things. I also thought this book could have been edited a little more, though overall the story is very well-written and enjoyable!
I would definitely recommend this, to both video game/LitRPG fans and to non-gamers! It's also clean (don't be fooled by the outfit on the cover; it's pretty much a running gag in the book.) If you're looking for a fantasy book that's short, fun, and entertaining, try The Luckless!
On that note, if you enjoyed this book/trope, I highly suggest the anime Log Horizon. It's been a favorite of mine for years now, and it also revolves around people stuck in a game. The situation in that series is more serious and less amusing, but I would still definitely recommend it!
May 7, 2023
I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I do! I had seen it before and thought it sounded interesting even though I’m not a gamer in the slightest, and after Merie Shen left a glowing review AND my library actually had the whole trilogy I decided to dive in and try it. And as you can see I loved it!
All the characters are different and so, so funny and as a group they are such a riot! I snickered and snorted more than once at something someone said or the ridiculous situations they got themselves into. Kit especially was wonderful in her sarcastic humor and just overall doubt she could actually lead the group which I found so relatable.
The situation they’re trapped in is one of my low key nightmares and sets the stakes immediately while the whole game is both fun and terrifying (mostly when those Shadow Reapers show up!). The climax was SO tense and I would seriously watch to what I agree to when talking to random hermits… 👀💍
I loved every second of this book and have definitely put the other two on hold at my library! Highly, highly recommend!
‼️Content‼️
Language: gee golly; heck; what the; dang it; what the heck; screwed; badass; kickass; gee; geez; git; holy crap; freaking; crap
Violence: fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); monsters and creepy Shadow Reapers attack and “kill” characters; injuries and blood (not detailed)
Sexual: Kit’s dancer outfit bares her stomach (which she is less then thrilled about!); a guy flirts with a girl a couple times
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink potions to restore health/energy; a drunk guy
Other: magic; magical races, creatures, objects, and abilities; characters in a video game are “killed” and “die” to immediately come back to life; characters are trapped inside a video game; a character is cursed; the bad guy is a necromancer
All the characters are different and so, so funny and as a group they are such a riot! I snickered and snorted more than once at something someone said or the ridiculous situations they got themselves into. Kit especially was wonderful in her sarcastic humor and just overall doubt she could actually lead the group which I found so relatable.
The situation they’re trapped in is one of my low key nightmares and sets the stakes immediately while the whole game is both fun and terrifying (mostly when those Shadow Reapers show up!). The climax was SO tense and I would seriously watch to what I agree to when talking to random hermits… 👀💍
I loved every second of this book and have definitely put the other two on hold at my library! Highly, highly recommend!
‼️Content‼️
Language: gee golly; heck; what the; dang it; what the heck; screwed; badass; kickass; gee; geez; git; holy crap; freaking; crap
Violence: fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); monsters and creepy Shadow Reapers attack and “kill” characters; injuries and blood (not detailed)
Sexual: Kit’s dancer outfit bares her stomach (which she is less then thrilled about!); a guy flirts with a girl a couple times
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink potions to restore health/energy; a drunk guy
Other: magic; magical races, creatures, objects, and abilities; characters in a video game are “killed” and “die” to immediately come back to life; characters are trapped inside a video game; a character is cursed; the bad guy is a necromancer
Read
March 30, 2024A fun romp for fans of The Legend of Zelda and Genshin Impact. Looking forward to the further adventures of Kit and her crew! :-D
August 2, 2017
I'd never read a book like this before, but since it was by one of my favorite authors, I opted to give it a try. I loved it! The main character, Kit, ends up in an immersed reality game she didn't want to play, with a pathetic character, as a prank played by one of her loving relatives. Unfortunately, after she arrives, tragedy strikes, and she is stuck in the game until she can complete a quest. To that end, she gathers a band of characters and they strike out together to complete the quest. On their way, Kit is often (and hilariously) importuned, as she discovers the full depth of the prank her relative played on her. She's stuck with a variety of disadvantages that lead to a lively story and a well-developed character. Kit is hilarious, and her band of fellow questers are engaging and entertaining. Overall, a well wrought book, with excellent world-building and well-developed characters. I very much look forward to reading the next one. (which should come out in August of 2017, fingers crossed!)
April 3, 2024
Having grown up on RPG games and then spending years as an obsessed World of Warcraft player, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. AM Sohma is a pen name of KM Shea, now one of my favorite authors. You can tell it’s an earlier writing of hers, but it’s a fun read and full of her humor and wit.
Kit is trapped within a MMORPG in a ridiculous character created for her as a prank. Unfortunately, corrupted code turns the game into a matter of life and death, and she must band together with her rag tag group of newbs to conquer a mega boss and escape the game.
Content:
There’s no foul language or sexual content. There is minor violence and the MC has many (in game) deaths.
Kit is trapped within a MMORPG in a ridiculous character created for her as a prank. Unfortunately, corrupted code turns the game into a matter of life and death, and she must band together with her rag tag group of newbs to conquer a mega boss and escape the game.
Content:
There’s no foul language or sexual content. There is minor violence and the MC has many (in game) deaths.
June 9, 2019
A good fun and somewhat amusing litrpg, occasionally infuriating because of what has happened to the main character. Moves along at a good pace, making it quick and easy to read. I am actually interested in what happens next so will probably continue the series.
September 17, 2017
Sigh. If I hadn't read so many books in the genre I might have enjoyed this more. Read about half and quit. Nothing new here.
February 4, 2023
A solid 3.5 stars! This is my first time reading a LitRPG book. As a huge K. M. Shea fan I knew I was going to read this series eventually (A. M. Sohma is another one of her pen names). To be honest, I enjoyed this a lot more then I was expecting. I’m not a gamer, and there were a few times where I got confused with the gamer terms (I’m not even sure if I’m saying that right). I honestly think this would make a really fun movie (it’s SO visual!).
I definitely skimmed through the fight scenes. But I think anyone (any age) who enjoys fantasy would enjoy this. The cover definitely put me off reading this for a while (the MCs skimpy outfit did not recommend this book to me), but I appreciate that Kit (the MC) is just as disgusted with her outfit as I was.
All the characters are fun and funny. Despite what the cover implies this book is not a romantic fantasy (Miles (main guy is hardly in this book). Considering that this is a K. M. Shea series, I’m assuming there will be a slow burn romance eventually. :)
I really like Kit as a character! She is stuck in a game as the lowest ranking support character but she rolls with the punches and learns how to work with her weaknesses.
This is scheduled to be a 5 book series. Book 4 is supposed to be released by the end of 2023 and there is no scheduled release date for book 5 as of yet.
I definitely skimmed through the fight scenes. But I think anyone (any age) who enjoys fantasy would enjoy this. The cover definitely put me off reading this for a while (the MCs skimpy outfit did not recommend this book to me), but I appreciate that Kit (the MC) is just as disgusted with her outfit as I was.
All the characters are fun and funny. Despite what the cover implies this book is not a romantic fantasy (Miles (main guy is hardly in this book). Considering that this is a K. M. Shea series, I’m assuming there will be a slow burn romance eventually. :)
I really like Kit as a character! She is stuck in a game as the lowest ranking support character but she rolls with the punches and learns how to work with her weaknesses.
This is scheduled to be a 5 book series. Book 4 is supposed to be released by the end of 2023 and there is no scheduled release date for book 5 as of yet.
January 27, 2023
I think this book was just setting up for the next on the series. So I’ll reserve judgement for the next two.
January 23, 2019
This is a fantastic blend of some of my favourite genres and tropes. Litrpg in a fantasy setting where the characters are trapped in game plus a slow burn romance with a stoic non alpha male lead, yes yes YES please. I loved all the characters and there is a found family element where a team goes from mistrust to I-would'die-for-you-trust.
If you're new to litrpg but enjoy fantasy with slow-burn romance I think this would be a great first read. It's not very heavy on stats and in-game elements but has just enough to satisfy me. My only complaint about it is that it's a little to short and I need more Solus Miles, thankfully there are two more books just waiting for me to read!
If you're new to litrpg but enjoy fantasy with slow-burn romance I think this would be a great first read. It's not very heavy on stats and in-game elements but has just enough to satisfy me. My only complaint about it is that it's a little to short and I need more Solus Miles, thankfully there are two more books just waiting for me to read!
April 13, 2023
On the one hand it is a typical litRPG with a character stuck that cannot log out. but the character is a joke - her cousin plays a joke on the MC heroine Kit and she is an elven dancer with no skills and hated by all fractions.
I liked most of the story BUT - that dancer character class is so super nerfed that it makes no sense to have it at all. No usefull skills - really none but a few group buffs - not even a single attack skill? How should such a class even get to level 6 where it gets its first group buff??
I really dislike stories that dance around something so much unbelievable.
So I give it 3 stars because i like the group dynamics.
I liked most of the story BUT - that dancer character class is so super nerfed that it makes no sense to have it at all. No usefull skills - really none but a few group buffs - not even a single attack skill? How should such a class even get to level 6 where it gets its first group buff??
I really dislike stories that dance around something so much unbelievable.
So I give it 3 stars because i like the group dynamics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2019
I enjoyed this a lot. It took me a while to warm up to the main character's concept, not because I don't adore Kit, but because I just kept thinking: "How much more do you need to break this character?!" I shuddered in empathy a few times.
But, what this concept did do was create lots of openings and experiences for the author to take the adventure to new heights and different turns. I really enjoyed it. A fun romp which kept me occupied and gave my mind a much needed space to breathe at the moment.
But, what this concept did do was create lots of openings and experiences for the author to take the adventure to new heights and different turns. I really enjoyed it. A fun romp which kept me occupied and gave my mind a much needed space to breathe at the moment.
September 8, 2018
I'm not a gamer, but this was good
This book takes place inside a video game in an era where players actually enter the games. Something happens to the servers, though and everyone is stuck inside. Our main character, Kit, has to gather a team and go on an impossible quest to try to find a back way of of the game. It's entertaining and fun to read. But, please note, they do not finish their quest in this book. I haven't read book two so I don't know how long it goes on. I want to know how it ends,so be prepared to get the second book.
This book takes place inside a video game in an era where players actually enter the games. Something happens to the servers, though and everyone is stuck inside. Our main character, Kit, has to gather a team and go on an impossible quest to try to find a back way of of the game. It's entertaining and fun to read. But, please note, they do not finish their quest in this book. I haven't read book two so I don't know how long it goes on. I want to know how it ends,so be prepared to get the second book.
August 17, 2018
I've never cared much for video games, especially MMORPGs, but I gave this book a shot since I like books written by the author's other pen name and since it was FREE. In the end, I was really pleasantly surprised. The story was fun and light with an interesting twist on the whole trapped in a game storyline given the heroine's embarrassing and generally pathetic game character. I really enjoyed the "unique" way the heroine has been overcoming her in-game character's weaknesses.
October 13, 2020
First time reading LitRPG. And I'm so happy I popped my litgaming cherry with this one.
A very action packed book that reminds me so much of SAO and Log Horizon, every chapter had me at the edge of my seat. Reading the heroine blunder through everything was both amusing and irritating but in a good way. And the ship! Ugh, I'm all over it. I need more.
The series is rumored to be 5 books long and book 4 hasn't been released yet. Waiting, yet again.
A very action packed book that reminds me so much of SAO and Log Horizon, every chapter had me at the edge of my seat. Reading the heroine blunder through everything was both amusing and irritating but in a good way. And the ship! Ugh, I'm all over it. I need more.
The series is rumored to be 5 books long and book 4 hasn't been released yet. Waiting, yet again.
August 3, 2017
A lighthearted, fun read with a quirky cast of characters. Really enjoyed it. Can't wait for the adventure to continue.
August 17, 2023
Čudni su putevi gudridski.
Počeh da čitam jednu, i završih sa skroz drugom knjigom (pride, čak ni sličnom). I, da nemam trenutnu frku u rl, zabavila bih se čak i više. Ovako, bar sam odvratila misli od nečega što je iz-ovih-stopa-nerešivo.
Elem, do pre par godina bila sam redovan igrač, mada nikad nikakav "gamer". Naročito se nisam nikad zanimala mmorpg obzirom da mi je mehanika totalno odbojna. Zato bih "Thief" serijal, a pogotovo "Deadly Shadows"(znam, znam da je najmanje omiljen u franšizi ali zabole me, meni je odličan) ili "Beyond Good and Evil" ili, neznam, "Psihonaute" itd - naprimer - mogla i danas preći valjda i vezanih očiju. Moje su preferencije stealth igrice i avanture. Ništa od svega toga, naravno, ne znači da sam apsolutni ignorant u vezi mmorpg, ili da mi je išta u ovoj priči bilo zaista nepoznato - ali isto tako ne znači da bi mi ikad palo na um da čitam knjige koje se tiču istog. Šta onda bi?
Još uvek ne znam kako je do toga uopšte došlo, ali u nekom sam trenu juče uzela da pročitam free sample ove knjige na Amazonu, i prvo mi se poglavlje dopalo. Dopao mi se šašav (mada krajnje budalast, a o čemu kasnije) koncept; situacija u kojoj se junakinja našla, i rekoh sebi ajde da vidimo valja li ovo šta.
Pa, ispostavilo se da valja. Zaista.
Stalno natrčavam na ime ove autorke (ne ovo, ovo joj je pseudonim) po GR, međutim, nešto me njene knjige nikad nisu mamile. Kad god bih pročitala blurb, bio bi blah. Uzevši to u obzir, nisam imala ama baš nikakva očekivanja (štaviše), i stoga moram naglasiti da sam veoma prijatno iznenađena.
U opisu vam knjige stoji sve najbitnije što o istoj trebate znati, pa neću da raspredam radnju kao takvu. Naravno, razlog zašto se junakinja našla tu gde jeste je ortodoksna budalaština. Mislim da bi autorka uradila bolji posao da je posegla za antičkim "osvetnički haker" trope. Niko pod nebom ne bi uradio ovakvu vrstu "zezanja" koja nema šansi da ne dovede do momentalnog otkaza s posla i verovatno sudske tužbe (od strane poslodavca u najmanju ruku). To nije vredno nikakvog pranka na svetu. Gluposti.
Ali u principu baš me briga. Cela je knjiga, zapravo, bizarna i podrazumeva da isključite svaku vrstu logičkog razmišljanja, po sistemu "sve prolazi", stoga šta kog đavla ima veze. Jeste, radilo se o totalnoj budalaštini - ali čitala sam i gore (nažalost) i kako rekoh, to nije uticalo na knjigu kao takvu.
Iako sam ekstremni protivnik ovakve vizije "budućnosti" - čak štaviše, skroz mi je creepy - i nikada je ne bih podržala u rl; tokom čitanja nisam marila obzirom da me je junakinja bukvalno od prve stranice odvukla na stranputicu na kojoj sam, i nepitana za izbor, momentalno postala deo party. A kako sam mogla drukče? Cura je urnebesna, i autorka ju je sjajno odradila. Njene su emocije i ponašanje bili savršeno prirodni, do te mere ljudski da se ne sećam da sam ijednom prevrnula očima tokom knjige - a što je zaista neverovatan podvig kad se tiče mene. Ostali likovi padaju donekle u njenu senku, i bilo je situacija kad su mi išli na živce i ponašali se (i govorili) ko u "Boj na Kosovu", totalno neprirodno; međutim, vrlo malo i u principu nebitno. (Takođe, caku s (budućim) ljubavnim interesom sam provalila i moram reći da je krajnje nategnuta i glupava. Videću kasnije tokom serije da li će je autor uspeti da prikaže iole uverljivo.) Kakogod, ostaje da je junakinja pokretačka snaga knjige, i fakt da bi ista možda čak bila i sranje da ju je autor napravio iole drukčijom.
Pomenuti autor se kroz celu priču zajebava (ni najmanje suptilno) s kompletnim žanrom fantastike, i njene reference ka trope će biti jasne svakom kog fantastika zanima u bilo kojoj, makar i maloj meri. Čak i ne mora da vas zanima - stvari koje se u knjizi pominju odavno su sastavni deo opšte kulture. Obzirom da sam ja pasionirani ljubitelj žanra, priznajem da mi ne bi išla pod kapu baš svaka sprdnja i podsmeh - ali autor je i sam pisac fantastike - fantasy romance, konkretnije - tako da je ovo bila sprdnja spram sebe samog, takođe - a što je manir koji uvek poštujem kod ljudi. Ne zezam se. Smejati se sebi je jedna od najjačih karakternih osobina koju čovek uopšte može da poseduje.
Volim da vidim kad ljudi nisu pretenciozni, kada su svesni svojih eventualnih slabosti isto koliko i vrlina - kako kog đavla uopšte možete to da ne cenite? Svašta.
Kakogod. Priča je neverovatno zarazna, do te mere da sam već počela da čitam i drugi deo (ja, koja mrzim serijale) i poseduje još neverovatniju moć da vas bukvalno uvuče u sebe. To je (neverovatno, zaista!) još veća snaga nego ju je imala The Perilous Gard - tu sam želela da mogu ući u svet, ali ovde me niko nije ni pitao želim li - knjiga me je zgrabila za kosu i glavačke ubacila unutra, sama. Da li sam već stavila onaj Mortišin gif?
Proza je pitka i jasna, čak i uz obilje info dump-a (za koje u stvari ne vidim kako bi se uopšte moglo izbeći, osim da se knjiga pisala jedino za gamere a što bi bila vrlo uska publika pa je stoga ideja besmislena), brza, urnebesna, puna dešavanja i šašavih obrta. Plot holes i ex machine progutate skupa s bizarnošću kompletne premise knjige, tako da to nije neka muka. Mislim reći, primetite ih, vidite ih; ali za njih ne marite. Svet je vrlo dobar, dijalozi zanimljivi (ponekad, mada retko, čak i smešni - ali sav, zapravo, humor u knjizi dolazi isključivo od strane junakinje). Radnja vas drži u klinču do samog kraja, i uzimanje sledećeg nastavka odmah po završetku se čini najlogičnijom stvari na svetu, kao da prosto okrećete sledeću stranicu.
Tokom sam celog čitanja imala prijatan, blago nostalgičan osećaj u srcu, nešto slično kao kad sam - sad već pre hiljadu godina - prvi put uzela u ruke jednu od onih drevnih fantasy quest knjiga.
Imala sam bukvalno taj hihotavi, nestrpljiv, golicav osećaj. Prožet, kako rekoh, nostalgijom i setom. Više se ne pišu takve knjige, oh ne.
Zvuči krajnje neverovatno - uostalom, kao i moja ideja da uopšte čitam ovu knjigu - ali ovo je jako dobra stvar.
Sad moram da idem. Treba dokrajčiti Malignusa.
Ne mari ako ste zaboravili maramicu!
November 2, 2025
I picked The Luckless because the description really reminded me of jumanji, which in my opinion is a really great movie. Luckless has a fantasy/ sci-fi genre, which was really well written by the author.
I recommend this movie if you also picked this book just because of the description:
( mild spoiler alert ) It follows a girl named Kit who wanted to play a virtual game ( similar to VR but more advanced ), her cousin suggested for her to play Retha, which was an old game that she used to play, but she decided to play a new single player game. She went to the EC company which hosts these virtual games, ( her cousin, Bryce works there) so she can play the new game. There was a mistake, she logged into Retha. Kit knew that it was her cousin pranking her, he literally gave her the worst rank ( elf dancer ), which was a support character meaning that she needs to find a team, again she wanted to play in a single player game so this wasn’t ideal. After getting used to her character, she went on an adventure so she can actually get out of her situation. She had multiple difficulties because of her rank + she was really disliked by everyone. After a while she got notified by her cousin that the main server is glitched, and there’s a big chance that they might get brain damage if they send the main server into the backup server, which of course she didn’t want, so the only way to log out was by defeating one of the “impossible” to beat bosses. So Kit tried to subtly tell players about this, many didn’t understand, and she built a team, Cookie, Vik, Gil ,and Axel. They went on to a place called Luminous to find a reason for this error ( Kit knew but she didn’t tell them yet). They went inside the place , and Kit told everyone about this problem. Many did not believe her, and they went on to find weapons in her old house, so they could actually stand a chance against the boss fight.
Don’t get trapped ;D :
Overall, this book is really interesting, but it also lacks a bit of characterization. The narrative distance is far since it’s written in third person, and you don’t get to know the personalities of the characters, except for Kit. I would like to think that many people would rather explore different types of personalities and characters. The storyline is a bit generic, I have seen it in several different stories, and plots, it made me not want to read the book. If this was your first time consuming this type of genre then I would recommend this book for you. The dialogue is enjoyable, you can understand everything that is being said and it has a playful humor. I also love when Kits complain about her cousin and her character. The speed of the storyline is really good, it’s not too fast, and it's not so slow, when reading it you won’t think “when does this chapter ends” because it progresses at a decent speed. What I like the most is that video game mechanics are clearly explained, like an example is when the author explains what NPC was. This means that both non- gamers and gamers could enjoy and understand this book. In general, The Luckless is a really decent book but it’s definitely not for everyone.
I recommend this movie if you also picked this book just because of the description:
( mild spoiler alert ) It follows a girl named Kit who wanted to play a virtual game ( similar to VR but more advanced ), her cousin suggested for her to play Retha, which was an old game that she used to play, but she decided to play a new single player game. She went to the EC company which hosts these virtual games, ( her cousin, Bryce works there) so she can play the new game. There was a mistake, she logged into Retha. Kit knew that it was her cousin pranking her, he literally gave her the worst rank ( elf dancer ), which was a support character meaning that she needs to find a team, again she wanted to play in a single player game so this wasn’t ideal. After getting used to her character, she went on an adventure so she can actually get out of her situation. She had multiple difficulties because of her rank + she was really disliked by everyone. After a while she got notified by her cousin that the main server is glitched, and there’s a big chance that they might get brain damage if they send the main server into the backup server, which of course she didn’t want, so the only way to log out was by defeating one of the “impossible” to beat bosses. So Kit tried to subtly tell players about this, many didn’t understand, and she built a team, Cookie, Vik, Gil ,and Axel. They went on to a place called Luminous to find a reason for this error ( Kit knew but she didn’t tell them yet). They went inside the place , and Kit told everyone about this problem. Many did not believe her, and they went on to find weapons in her old house, so they could actually stand a chance against the boss fight.
Don’t get trapped ;D :
Overall, this book is really interesting, but it also lacks a bit of characterization. The narrative distance is far since it’s written in third person, and you don’t get to know the personalities of the characters, except for Kit. I would like to think that many people would rather explore different types of personalities and characters. The storyline is a bit generic, I have seen it in several different stories, and plots, it made me not want to read the book. If this was your first time consuming this type of genre then I would recommend this book for you. The dialogue is enjoyable, you can understand everything that is being said and it has a playful humor. I also love when Kits complain about her cousin and her character. The speed of the storyline is really good, it’s not too fast, and it's not so slow, when reading it you won’t think “when does this chapter ends” because it progresses at a decent speed. What I like the most is that video game mechanics are clearly explained, like an example is when the author explains what NPC was. This means that both non- gamers and gamers could enjoy and understand this book. In general, The Luckless is a really decent book but it’s definitely not for everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2023
I was really expecting a lot from this as I was basing my expectation from its ratings. I've seen better LitRPG books that have lesser ratings than this.
This is disappointing. Kit, the MC, was pranked with her cousin unjustly to play an unfavorable character. I can't see the motivation for why he had to ruin her gaming experience by even crafting a scheme just to get her in that situation. But that's not the point. I was interested in the part where she got an unfavorable character with disappointing skills because I was expecting her to thrive an excell despite the unfavorable circumstances. But NO. This plot was just actually an avenue for it to be comedic, which failed IMO to be funny and more likely to annoy and frustrate me.
You see, Kit, happens to be average in playing this game. Meaning giving her an unfavorable character only made her stumble, bumble and crawl many times playing the game making it so unsightly seeing her get pitted again and again with so many unlucky circumstances. It was funny the first and second time but as she only made her circumstances worse by her decisions, like choosing an unresearched craft or going headlong to a quest that her team was under leveled instead of leveling up, makes her more unpalatable character in my books.
She's not stupid, but she's not that smart. She was always unlucky to the point where it was obvious the author was just force plotting it so that she can be in the worst situation going into her journey. This could be funny if only used once or twice but if she's going everything like this, it becomes annoying.
Rpg wise she's basically useless. Her skills were unflattering to the point where it was rpg impossible. Who made a character that has no useful skill to damage the enemy? She only has 2 class skills where it's only effect was to increase attacks and lucks of the party. No heals, no shield, no CC, no low damage skills, armor reducing skills, that supports usually have as early skills. This was what we call unfair stats that have no balance. This was what the creators usually wanted to be buffed and enhanced to balance the game because usually they trashed this character because it's useless and only annoys players that waste time playing this. Considering the game had existed for more than 8 years. Devs should have already perfected the character skill set for every character. Which made the story unbelievable and unrealistic as well as obviously force plotted.
I think the author wants this to be comical and funny but it's not. It spends more time on RPG sides and quests that the comedy was ill placed and poorly made.
I was hoping for the romance as the author was originally a romance writer but the ML hardly in the book, he only appears in the last part of the book which I was already exhausted by the story. So DNF it is.
This is disappointing. Kit, the MC, was pranked with her cousin unjustly to play an unfavorable character. I can't see the motivation for why he had to ruin her gaming experience by even crafting a scheme just to get her in that situation. But that's not the point. I was interested in the part where she got an unfavorable character with disappointing skills because I was expecting her to thrive an excell despite the unfavorable circumstances. But NO. This plot was just actually an avenue for it to be comedic, which failed IMO to be funny and more likely to annoy and frustrate me.
You see, Kit, happens to be average in playing this game. Meaning giving her an unfavorable character only made her stumble, bumble and crawl many times playing the game making it so unsightly seeing her get pitted again and again with so many unlucky circumstances. It was funny the first and second time but as she only made her circumstances worse by her decisions, like choosing an unresearched craft or going headlong to a quest that her team was under leveled instead of leveling up, makes her more unpalatable character in my books.
She's not stupid, but she's not that smart. She was always unlucky to the point where it was obvious the author was just force plotting it so that she can be in the worst situation going into her journey. This could be funny if only used once or twice but if she's going everything like this, it becomes annoying.
Rpg wise she's basically useless. Her skills were unflattering to the point where it was rpg impossible. Who made a character that has no useful skill to damage the enemy? She only has 2 class skills where it's only effect was to increase attacks and lucks of the party. No heals, no shield, no CC, no low damage skills, armor reducing skills, that supports usually have as early skills. This was what we call unfair stats that have no balance. This was what the creators usually wanted to be buffed and enhanced to balance the game because usually they trashed this character because it's useless and only annoys players that waste time playing this. Considering the game had existed for more than 8 years. Devs should have already perfected the character skill set for every character. Which made the story unbelievable and unrealistic as well as obviously force plotted.
I think the author wants this to be comical and funny but it's not. It spends more time on RPG sides and quests that the comedy was ill placed and poorly made.
I was hoping for the romance as the author was originally a romance writer but the ML hardly in the book, he only appears in the last part of the book which I was already exhausted by the story. So DNF it is.
April 4, 2019
I never imagined the concept of "adventures set in a video game" would be popular enough to warrant an entire genre... but the LitRPG genre's recent explosion has proven me wrong. Whether it's an attempt to rope in readers among the gaming community or an effort to ride the coattails of "Ready Player One," it's a remarkable experience to watch a genre come to life. And "The Luckless" is an entertaining addition to the genre, albeit not without its problems.
Kit is a longtime player of "Chronicles of Retha," an online game where you can fully immerse yourself in the game as your player character! Unfortunately, thanks to a prank by her cousin, Kit is trapped in the game as a joke character, an elven dancer... and worse, a game-wide glitch has trapped both her and other players in the game permanently! Enraged at her cousin but determined to escape, she enlists the aid of a group of novice players to defeat the evil wizard menacing Retha and, hopefully, escape the game by winning it. Can Kit manage to master the unluckiest and most unfortunate character in the game... and why is Solus Miles, the most legendary player in the game, stalking her?
This book isn't without is problems. The writing is serviceable but nothing terribly special, and the action scenes are surprisingly boring -- the characters being video game characters who can respawn after death, there's no real suspense to any fights or battles, and the characters' casual conversation during such battles doesn't help. Characterization is also rather thin, and oddly, a couple of the side characters seem more developed than Kit herself. And finally, so much bad luck is piled onto Kit over the course of the game that it becomes laughable at times.
That's not to say this book is terrible. It's still a lot of fun, especially with the characters being familiar with stock fantasy and video game tropes and mocking them along the way. And while the fight scenes aren't too thrilling, the gamers' adventures have real life-or-death stakes attached, which helps add some tension to the story.
While not great, "The Luckless" is still an entertaining read, and fans of games like "Runescape" and "World of Warcraft" will probably get a kick out of it. It doesn't knock "Ready Player One" out of the park, but it's still a decent LitRPG read.
Kit is a longtime player of "Chronicles of Retha," an online game where you can fully immerse yourself in the game as your player character! Unfortunately, thanks to a prank by her cousin, Kit is trapped in the game as a joke character, an elven dancer... and worse, a game-wide glitch has trapped both her and other players in the game permanently! Enraged at her cousin but determined to escape, she enlists the aid of a group of novice players to defeat the evil wizard menacing Retha and, hopefully, escape the game by winning it. Can Kit manage to master the unluckiest and most unfortunate character in the game... and why is Solus Miles, the most legendary player in the game, stalking her?
This book isn't without is problems. The writing is serviceable but nothing terribly special, and the action scenes are surprisingly boring -- the characters being video game characters who can respawn after death, there's no real suspense to any fights or battles, and the characters' casual conversation during such battles doesn't help. Characterization is also rather thin, and oddly, a couple of the side characters seem more developed than Kit herself. And finally, so much bad luck is piled onto Kit over the course of the game that it becomes laughable at times.
That's not to say this book is terrible. It's still a lot of fun, especially with the characters being familiar with stock fantasy and video game tropes and mocking them along the way. And while the fight scenes aren't too thrilling, the gamers' adventures have real life-or-death stakes attached, which helps add some tension to the story.
While not great, "The Luckless" is still an entertaining read, and fans of games like "Runescape" and "World of Warcraft" will probably get a kick out of it. It doesn't knock "Ready Player One" out of the park, but it's still a decent LitRPG read.
September 2, 2017
This book was ... Meh at best
I got a couple laughs out of this book. The plot is interesting, most of the characters have some depth to them and the setting holds together more or less. The great big flaw of the book is the lackluster protagonist. You know that focus of the entire story.
The protagonist is called kit and is stuck in an entirely useless character at the beginning of the novel. Halfway through the novel she has had zero character growth and her character is still useless. At the VERY end of the novel she almost zero character growth and her class is still almost entirely useless. The only progress she has made is figuring out how to debugging the enemy in addition to buffing her allies.
Most litrpg mmorpgs have a character find a rare class or use a clever exploit or may e find a way to turn a generally useless class into something great by a unique and skillful play style. This is what makes the protagonist and the story interesting to read.
This novel in comparison appears to have a broken class the game developers should have either removed or buffed into usefulness
(why they haven't is never explained. I make the assumption that the company is run by morons who fired the entire complaint department and threw the very notion of game balance out the window, because nobody would want to roleplay a gorgeous elven dancer. Wish fulfillment of being more attractive and popular in a fantasy game then you could possibly be in real life. Don't be ridiculous.)
It's almost as if the author has decided to challenge themselves by having a boring protagonist who's only contribution to the plot is tactics and information 5 years out of date. Now if that character was written exceptionally well it could give a new twist to the OP litrpg hero cliche.
Unfortunately this book was well written with good grammar, dialogue and pacing. Which isn't enough to remedy the lackluster protagonist.
I wouldn't recommend this book to people who hadn't read litprg before,
I wouldn't recommend it to people who had read a couple of litrpg books,
I would recommend it to fans of litrpg who have read all the best books and we're looking for something to read while waiting for the next books to come out.
I got a couple laughs out of this book. The plot is interesting, most of the characters have some depth to them and the setting holds together more or less. The great big flaw of the book is the lackluster protagonist. You know that focus of the entire story.
The protagonist is called kit and is stuck in an entirely useless character at the beginning of the novel. Halfway through the novel she has had zero character growth and her character is still useless. At the VERY end of the novel she almost zero character growth and her class is still almost entirely useless. The only progress she has made is figuring out how to debugging the enemy in addition to buffing her allies.
Most litrpg mmorpgs have a character find a rare class or use a clever exploit or may e find a way to turn a generally useless class into something great by a unique and skillful play style. This is what makes the protagonist and the story interesting to read.
This novel in comparison appears to have a broken class the game developers should have either removed or buffed into usefulness
(why they haven't is never explained. I make the assumption that the company is run by morons who fired the entire complaint department and threw the very notion of game balance out the window, because nobody would want to roleplay a gorgeous elven dancer. Wish fulfillment of being more attractive and popular in a fantasy game then you could possibly be in real life. Don't be ridiculous.)
It's almost as if the author has decided to challenge themselves by having a boring protagonist who's only contribution to the plot is tactics and information 5 years out of date. Now if that character was written exceptionally well it could give a new twist to the OP litrpg hero cliche.
Unfortunately this book was well written with good grammar, dialogue and pacing. Which isn't enough to remedy the lackluster protagonist.
I wouldn't recommend this book to people who hadn't read litprg before,
I wouldn't recommend it to people who had read a couple of litrpg books,
I would recommend it to fans of litrpg who have read all the best books and we're looking for something to read while waiting for the next books to come out.
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