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Accidental Traveler #1
Accidental Thief
A Nowhere Job, A Bootleg Game, and Luck Turned Upside Down
Hal Dix was stuck in an unlucky life. His wife's a successful engineering executive while his IT help desk job led nowhere. Even his daughter's daycare teacher thought he was a loser. He couldn't catch a break.
Then a strange woman at a flea market sells Hal a bootleg early release of the highly anticipated Fantasma game. It is just what he wished for and he can't wait to play it during his long weekend home alone. His luck has finally turned around, right?
Hal should be careful what he wishes for.
Whisked away into the game he only wanted to play for a weekend, Hal enters a world desperate for a hero.
Is Hal Dix that hero?
Join the adventure in this first book of an epic LitRPG fantasy trilogy. Play along with Hal and his new friends in Fantasma, as he becomes an Accidental Thief, and perhaps, a mythical hero of prophecy.
Hal Dix was stuck in an unlucky life. His wife's a successful engineering executive while his IT help desk job led nowhere. Even his daughter's daycare teacher thought he was a loser. He couldn't catch a break.
Then a strange woman at a flea market sells Hal a bootleg early release of the highly anticipated Fantasma game. It is just what he wished for and he can't wait to play it during his long weekend home alone. His luck has finally turned around, right?
Hal should be careful what he wishes for.
Whisked away into the game he only wanted to play for a weekend, Hal enters a world desperate for a hero.
Is Hal Dix that hero?
Join the adventure in this first book of an epic LitRPG fantasy trilogy. Play along with Hal and his new friends in Fantasma, as he becomes an Accidental Thief, and perhaps, a mythical hero of prophecy.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 21, 2017
702 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Davis
18 books69 followersCJ Davis is an American writer who lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and two little girls. By day he is a marketing executive for a software company, and by night he writes novels. His artistic influences include: J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, George Romero, George Lucas, Billy Corgan, Max Brooks, and of course Tolkien, Koontz and King.
CJ has a BBA from The University of Georgia with a specialization in marketing, and has published many articles in several major industry publications.
CJ is an avid runner, and just ran his fifth marathon this November in Philadelphia.
CJ has a BBA from The University of Georgia with a specialization in marketing, and has published many articles in several major industry publications.
CJ is an avid runner, and just ran his fifth marathon this November in Philadelphia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
July 24, 2025
This was my first litRPG book ever and i thank my lucky stars for it , it opened my eyes to this genre and it's wondrous world, as a MMORPGs and fantasy fan this was the SHIT , at the time my excitement over this discovery clouded my judgement I've almost ended up giving it 5 stars! After experiencing many similar books, i came to the conclusion that this is a three stars book at best, it is simple , straightforward and to the point, any non-gamer could understand and appreciate it with no trouble whatsoever, but as a gamer i need some complexity , more details and originality ...
Anyway I'm still very grateful and as you all know you never forget your First !
Anyway I'm still very grateful and as you all know you never forget your First !
January 10, 2019
This book definitely gave me some ready player one and warcross kind of vibes. I mean, it is about a video game but it also kind of reminded me of Jumanji? lol. Well cause he has to go in and do all these quests.. and then at the end he gets to decide if he wants to stay and continue.. or go back to the real world. dun dun dun!
Accidental Thief was honestly a super random ass audio that I picked up from my hoopla. Shout out to my second library app guys. In it, you will meet Hal and he's kind of a bummer. His job sucks and it's kind of like he doesn't really have one. Then there's his wife, who's way more successful than him.. and it's a downer on his life. Ugh, men.
Besides all of that, I enjoyed the audiobook but I feel like getting the points, coins, and level ups - was okay and a bit repetitive. I kind of wish I was getting something else but I still ended up enjoying this book. It went by pretty quickly so that was a plus in my eyes.
Overall, I liked the book and the characters. I didn't necessarily have a favorite out of it though and I have no idea if that's a good or bad thing.
Accidental Thief was honestly a super random ass audio that I picked up from my hoopla. Shout out to my second library app guys. In it, you will meet Hal and he's kind of a bummer. His job sucks and it's kind of like he doesn't really have one. Then there's his wife, who's way more successful than him.. and it's a downer on his life. Ugh, men.
Besides all of that, I enjoyed the audiobook but I feel like getting the points, coins, and level ups - was okay and a bit repetitive. I kind of wish I was getting something else but I still ended up enjoying this book. It went by pretty quickly so that was a plus in my eyes.
Overall, I liked the book and the characters. I didn't necessarily have a favorite out of it though and I have no idea if that's a good or bad thing.
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February 26, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (2/26/2018)! 💝
August 30, 2017
A good exciting adventure.
The book is a very exciting book. It keeps you going and leaves you wanting more.
It has almost no swearing and no sex. Those are both plusses to me.
I really enjoyed ready a book with a character that is morale and very faithful to his wife.
The reader should know that some of the fighting gets a little graphic. Also the book has the hero deal with some evil people that doing some disturbing things.
I enjoyed the book and I'm looking for to reading the next book.
The book is a very exciting book. It keeps you going and leaves you wanting more.
It has almost no swearing and no sex. Those are both plusses to me.
I really enjoyed ready a book with a character that is morale and very faithful to his wife.
The reader should know that some of the fighting gets a little graphic. Also the book has the hero deal with some evil people that doing some disturbing things.
I enjoyed the book and I'm looking for to reading the next book.
August 19, 2019
Hal used the time walking back through the deserted nighttime streets to add his new attribute points to his luck. He used his skill point to purchase the find/remove traps skill. He looked over the stats menu and was pretty happy with how things were shaping up. He had more than held his own in that last fight, and if he kept leveling up this quickly, he would keep getting stronger and more formidable with each passing encounter.
Accidental Thief is litRPG, i.e., video game lit: A tyrant is oppressing the realm of Fantasma, and a Great Mage has summoned an experienced gamer from our world to level up, take on quests, and eventually defeat the tyrant.
It was a fast-paced easy read but didn’t have any other redeeming features. The main character Hal was bland at best and a buffoon at worst, and all the side characters were boring and wooden. (I’ve played any number of RPGs with better characterization.) The world was as generic as possible; the writing was clunky and awkward.
➔ drakeryn overthinks the fluff intro
The book opens with a brief glimpse into Hal’s life before he enters the game world. It’s basically a throwaway segment meant to get us into the game asap, but I love overthinking things, so here we go:
- Hal works a crappy IT help desk job which he hates (fair, I would too). His wife is a hotshot engineer with the perfect job and rising through the ranks. So, do they really need Hal’s income? Can’t he just quit?
- In fact, because Hal works, they have to send their kid to fulltime daycare, which probably costs about as much as Hal makes. Just stay home, dude.
- Why is Hal paying for everything with cash? Has this guy heard of credit cards?
- Hal’s relationship with his wife is terrible—he constantly lies to her, she constantly berates and orders him around. (I think we’re supposed to be sympathetic to Hal, but they both seem awful to me.) The plot starts with Hal lying to her to get a weekend away from her and the baby so he can play video games. So it feels disingenuous that once he gets in the game, he keeps bemoaning how much he misses his dear wife.
➔ but yeah, don’t read this book
It’s not exactly terrible, just very consistently mediocre. There’s no aspect about which I’d say, “If you like ___, you might like this book despite its flaws.”
November 12, 2020
An entertaining story. I had a bit of issue with some of the character transition at one point, but it flowed back the other way eventually which was understood with the turmoil and changes which were occurring. While predictable, it's much like listening/reading a video game plot being played though, which is clearly the intension. It seems the trope of someone from "our world" being pulled to some fantastical land has just become this video game overlay instead. I'm fine with it - it tells fantastical stories and brings interesting characters up. I'm curious about reading more into this story, but I won't be running over other things to do it.
November 5, 2018
A fun read but with a major problem that kept me from enjoying it fully. How does the LUCK attribute work? Does it ever fail and if not, what's the point of levels. The author implies that spotting opportunity seems to impact the luck, but doesn't expand on that theory, even a little. Luck is so central to the character that this unknown force becomes a weight on our suspension of disbelief. Every time Hal's luck is invoked, that weight grows until it groans under the load.
I'm not in favour of making a hero's luck be his defining attribute. Just as in real-life, most people resent those who succeed without obvious effort or risk, I find it almost as frustrating in fiction. From a writing perspective, this device is no more sophisticated than any other macguffin used to miraculously extract the protagonist from a difficult spot.
It was also jarring to see a character transform from a spinless dweeb , to a fearless thief , in the space of a day. It could have been explained away as a result of Hal's firm disbelief in the reality of the situation, as was done superbly by Donaldson in "Lord Foul's Bane." Instead the protagonist seems to be a puppet, not driven by internally consistent preferences and desires, but instead forced to act however the story needs, to further the plot.
I don't want to give the impression that the novel is irredeemable however. Its style is polished, the world building is top notch and the characters are mostly interesting, so I had no trouble finishing the book. In fact I'll probably read the sequel... after I let my frustration wane just a little.
I'm not in favour of making a hero's luck be his defining attribute. Just as in real-life, most people resent those who succeed without obvious effort or risk, I find it almost as frustrating in fiction. From a writing perspective, this device is no more sophisticated than any other macguffin used to miraculously extract the protagonist from a difficult spot.
It was also jarring to see a character transform from a spinless dweeb , to a fearless thief , in the space of a day. It could have been explained away as a result of Hal's firm disbelief in the reality of the situation, as was done superbly by Donaldson in "Lord Foul's Bane." Instead the protagonist seems to be a puppet, not driven by internally consistent preferences and desires, but instead forced to act however the story needs, to further the plot.
I don't want to give the impression that the novel is irredeemable however. Its style is polished, the world building is top notch and the characters are mostly interesting, so I had no trouble finishing the book. In fact I'll probably read the sequel... after I let my frustration wane just a little.
February 24, 2019
Best representation of LitRpg I've read to date!
I downloaded this book months ago. It looked intriguing but was constantly pushed back on my 'to read' list. Well finally after several months and a dozen books later, I finally began to read it. It sat in my digital library unread for about six months, but once I began reading it felt like I finished it in six hours. Extremely well done. I picked this book and a series of others as an exploration into the LitRPG genre. All of the others were okay to disappointing. Accidental Thief blew me away. It's not only my favorite Litrpg book, but as of now is one of my favorite books overall. I can't wait to read Accidental Warrior!
I downloaded this book months ago. It looked intriguing but was constantly pushed back on my 'to read' list. Well finally after several months and a dozen books later, I finally began to read it. It sat in my digital library unread for about six months, but once I began reading it felt like I finished it in six hours. Extremely well done. I picked this book and a series of others as an exploration into the LitRPG genre. All of the others were okay to disappointing. Accidental Thief blew me away. It's not only my favorite Litrpg book, but as of now is one of my favorite books overall. I can't wait to read Accidental Warrior!
August 24, 2017
Not a bad book but not a great one either. Too many cliches from other books of the genre. An OP MC, starts in the game as a prisoner. One kill, one level.
The book is well edited.
The book is well edited.
April 21, 2020
I decided to tackle my stack of unread books by authors I met at Cecil Con and Baltimore Book Festival. I picked this book up from the authors' booth at the last Cecil Con, a convention held at Cecil College in North East, MD. This was my first LITRPG book. It was a lot of fun!
In a Jumanji like twist, Hal Dix is sucked into the medieval world of a bootleg computer game. In the role of rogue/thief, he must complete various quests (assassinations, rescues, raids, etc.). He embraces his new role wholeheartedly, while still longing to return home to his wife and child.
I'll be reading more books by these authors. :)
In a Jumanji like twist, Hal Dix is sucked into the medieval world of a bootleg computer game. In the role of rogue/thief, he must complete various quests (assassinations, rescues, raids, etc.). He embraces his new role wholeheartedly, while still longing to return home to his wife and child.
I'll be reading more books by these authors. :)
August 30, 2019
3.5 stars. This was my first experience with LitRPG, and won’t be my last. The book was pretty much constant adventure, which was nice: never a dull moment. There were many things that stretched believability, not the least of which was the choice of the average loser protagonist. The prose was lackluster and simplistic. Also, there were many awkward phrases and more than a few outright errors.
May 12, 2019
Really enjoyed the beginning of this book but towards the end it started to really lose me sadly.
April 12, 2021
I found this read just AWESOME really loved it ❤️
October 31, 2018
3:50
خفايف
الفكرة حلوة و المغامرة حلوة
خفايف
الفكرة حلوة و المغامرة حلوة
January 16, 2019
I am happy I discovered this genre, I really like it!
January 8, 2023
I picked up the audiobook of this through Hoopla, because I wanted something to listen to while working on tedious 3d models in Fusion. Anything passably good would've been acceptable; I found myself distracted by how generic this was. It's a step up from most LitRPG books. Usually I would put down a LitRPG book early on, because typically they're all just that bad. This wasn't as bad as that, but I found myself switching to YouTube to look for music to listen to, and having to force myself to hit play on the audiobook time and time again. My brain was actively checking out of this story.
Basically, a guy at a dead-end job buys a "game" given to him by a sorceress from another world as a way to trick him into traveling to her world from an evil empire, at which point he'll have no choice but to help save that world in order to survive and find a way home. All the sorceress has to do is get the MC to the other world, intentionally check herself out of the narrative until the last second, and the MC is prophesied to do what she wants. He goes on a very generic quest, saves the day, and goes home. There's literally nothing to get attached to.
Next issue: this is not actually a LitRPG novel at all. It's a really boring portal fantasy novel that occasionally has an old man voice list off some stats for the MC that don't mean anything for the plot. The main character also hears slot machine noises in his head right before every pivotal moment, then has the answers handed to him. That's the extent of the "game" mechanics.
As for the audiobook specifically, the narrator is passable, but sounds like a news anchor the whole time. Pair that with a bland story and it's really hard to get invested in anything that's happening.
Literally the only saving grace for this bargain-bin book is that I *actually* found it in the digital equivalent of a bargain bin, and started reading it voluntarily. When you get something for free, you can't complain about quality as much. But not everyone has the luxury of checking this book out through their libraries.
If you are such a person, I recommend the Completionist Chronicles books by Dakota Krout instead. The author of that series has an Elon Musk idolization problem that he wrote into his works, but those moments of cringe are infrequent and short-lived, and everything else in those books are a master class in what a LitRPG series can be. If you haven't read them already: read those, not this.
Basically, a guy at a dead-end job buys a "game" given to him by a sorceress from another world as a way to trick him into traveling to her world from an evil empire, at which point he'll have no choice but to help save that world in order to survive and find a way home. All the sorceress has to do is get the MC to the other world, intentionally check herself out of the narrative until the last second, and the MC is prophesied to do what she wants. He goes on a very generic quest, saves the day, and goes home. There's literally nothing to get attached to.
Next issue: this is not actually a LitRPG novel at all. It's a really boring portal fantasy novel that occasionally has an old man voice list off some stats for the MC that don't mean anything for the plot. The main character also hears slot machine noises in his head right before every pivotal moment, then has the answers handed to him. That's the extent of the "game" mechanics.
As for the audiobook specifically, the narrator is passable, but sounds like a news anchor the whole time. Pair that with a bland story and it's really hard to get invested in anything that's happening.
Literally the only saving grace for this bargain-bin book is that I *actually* found it in the digital equivalent of a bargain bin, and started reading it voluntarily. When you get something for free, you can't complain about quality as much. But not everyone has the luxury of checking this book out through their libraries.
If you are such a person, I recommend the Completionist Chronicles books by Dakota Krout instead. The author of that series has an Elon Musk idolization problem that he wrote into his works, but those moments of cringe are infrequent and short-lived, and everything else in those books are a master class in what a LitRPG series can be. If you haven't read them already: read those, not this.
March 9, 2021
I really enjoy progression fantasy or RPGLit whichever you refer to it by and was looking forward to this one. While the world was interesting if a bit basic it really comes down to the main character. I just couldn't enjoy reading about him at all. It fell very much like self insert from the author. The main character is a man who doesn't like that his wife is more successful than him, doesn't help out with the chores and is upset when he his wife wont drop everything to pick up their kid from daycare even though it was his job. And this is the man destined to save Fantasia (yes that is the name of the fantasy land).
Even once he is pulled into the game there isn't anything special about him there is no reason given for why this man is the one to save all. I could have forgiven that if he hadn't continued to be just as bad in game. He doesn't notice possibly the most obvious girl disguising herself as a boy character I have ever seen. His plans are pretty basic and he never shares any information with his companions. It is always just "trust me". She even threatens to stab him if he says just trust me again. He calls himself Robbin the Hood and when it is pointed out that he had a lot of help he agrees that they should both be Robbin the Hood and then promptly goes back to claiming all credit and diminishing anyone else's contributions.
I can forgive an unoriginal world or unoriginal characters in a story but not both.
Even once he is pulled into the game there isn't anything special about him there is no reason given for why this man is the one to save all. I could have forgiven that if he hadn't continued to be just as bad in game. He doesn't notice possibly the most obvious girl disguising herself as a boy character I have ever seen. His plans are pretty basic and he never shares any information with his companions. It is always just "trust me". She even threatens to stab him if he says just trust me again. He calls himself Robbin the Hood and when it is pointed out that he had a lot of help he agrees that they should both be Robbin the Hood and then promptly goes back to claiming all credit and diminishing anyone else's contributions.
I can forgive an unoriginal world or unoriginal characters in a story but not both.
March 11, 2019
WAY WAY YO MUCH TIME SPENT ON STATS
As in the heading the author spent way too much time reading over the stats over and over again with very little change in the first 8 chapters the stats were read out 13 time with nothing changing except a point here and there.
This was done so much so the book was hard to get through not only did the author spend so much time on the stats but then they also continue to read out what was in the main characters inventory which makes utterly no sense and took away from the book.
When you look past those things the book was not bad however it felt extremely short when you take out all the stat and inventory fluff.
Overall the book was so so the ending was well without spoiling anything weird and fell flat in my opinion especially if there's going to be a second book.
As in the heading the author spent way too much time reading over the stats over and over again with very little change in the first 8 chapters the stats were read out 13 time with nothing changing except a point here and there.
This was done so much so the book was hard to get through not only did the author spend so much time on the stats but then they also continue to read out what was in the main characters inventory which makes utterly no sense and took away from the book.
When you look past those things the book was not bad however it felt extremely short when you take out all the stat and inventory fluff.
Overall the book was so so the ending was well without spoiling anything weird and fell flat in my opinion especially if there's going to be a second book.
April 10, 2018
I tend to like these types of litRPG's more. The one's where the user is transported to a world vs being trapped in VR. Anyway, I liked this one a lot and can already see myself getting the other two books. And it looks as if there is a continuation of the books with the youngest daughter. I'm looking forward to that. The MC isn't a complete doof and understands where he is by about midway through the first quarter of the book. The book is a bit fast, but not so fast that that it breaks the story. There's not much world building, but due to the fact that most of this takes place in a city, there's not much need for it. This book has the typical RPG setting all the way down to the menu's. This is a nice quick fun read.
September 22, 2017
Accidental Plot: an accidental story with little intrigue depth or conflict
The title says most of what I thought reading the book. It is an idea, being travelled to another world that many litrpg authors have undertaken and deliverd successfully yet in this story it feels flat, and 2 dimensional:
Go from point A to B, kill bad guys, Yay you did it, move on.
There are very little answers or even questions like, tell us more about the lore of the world, whats with the slot machine, tell us more about the skills progression and choices.
In a blend of genres that is LItRPG, this story falls flat on both the Lit side and the RPG elements.
The title says most of what I thought reading the book. It is an idea, being travelled to another world that many litrpg authors have undertaken and deliverd successfully yet in this story it feels flat, and 2 dimensional:
Go from point A to B, kill bad guys, Yay you did it, move on.
There are very little answers or even questions like, tell us more about the lore of the world, whats with the slot machine, tell us more about the skills progression and choices.
In a blend of genres that is LItRPG, this story falls flat on both the Lit side and the RPG elements.
October 10, 2022
SOOOO GOOD!!!!!!
Jamie Davis (and C.J.) does it again!!!!!
This book was crazy and I can't wait to listen to book 2!
Jamie Davis (and C.J.) does it again!!!!!
This book was crazy and I can't wait to listen to book 2!
November 25, 2022
For the past year or so I have been reading a lot of LIT RPG. For those who do not know, this is basically a mashup of fiction (typically sci fi or fantasy) and video gaming. There are some really good examples of this available and I have enjoyed some of these stories tremendously. Ready Player One is pretty much the gold standard in this genre and one of the books that started me on this path. This one was only so-so for me.
These books usually involve some element of the character or characters being trapped inside of a video game and needing to beat the game in order to return to the real world.
Without giving spoilers, the main character in this is portrayed as a luckless, loafing mid-level employee at a nondescript corporation. He is (apparently) happily married and has a young daughter. But he allows co-workers to step on him and his wife seems to be long-suffering.
One of the problems I have with this is that the main character (MC) really does not evolve throughout this journey. In terms of the game, he clearly DOES level up. But he goes in as a loser, except in the gaming world, where presumably, he is the best hope to defeat the in game baddies. There is seemingly no reason why THIS guy would ever be chosen to be a hero in this game or anywhere else. And yet, when he is in the game, he acts like anyone and everyone should "trust him" because he is so awesome. If he was so awesome IRL, then he would not have been where he was.
That is only one problem. Overall, the story here was fine. It moved things along okay. There were predictable plot points, (you cannot really call them "twists" when they are telegraphed so far in advance). There is never really a point where we expect or believe that the MC is in danger or threatened because he seems to easily be able to jump through each hurdle. So we are never really all that invested in the events.
Similarly, the baddies are all pretty vanilla, because you never really get to know them as other than a (supposed) game boss. They are all easily foiled by the MC.
This reminds me a bit of some games I played when I was a kid where they had a "God mode," you could play. It was fun for a while to go through and stomp all of the monsters, knowing that there was nothing they could do to you and you could not die. But after a while, there was no real fun to it because there was no challenge. Part of the fun in video games is being smacked down again and again and forcing you to either grind to upgrade or figure out a clever way to solve the unsolvable challenge. There really was not much of that, here. All challenges could be worked out in a page or two and then on to the next one.
This book is part of a series and I might read more...or not.
I almost forgot...this book is not your typical LIT RPG in that it is implied that the "game" world is real and another realm that actually exists, somewhere. It is never explained how the two worlds connect or how "players" are able to move between them, the physics of doing so, what happens if you ever "die," in either place, etc. While books of this kind necessarily require a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, there is even more required in this case.
These books usually involve some element of the character or characters being trapped inside of a video game and needing to beat the game in order to return to the real world.
Without giving spoilers, the main character in this is portrayed as a luckless, loafing mid-level employee at a nondescript corporation. He is (apparently) happily married and has a young daughter. But he allows co-workers to step on him and his wife seems to be long-suffering.
One of the problems I have with this is that the main character (MC) really does not evolve throughout this journey. In terms of the game, he clearly DOES level up. But he goes in as a loser, except in the gaming world, where presumably, he is the best hope to defeat the in game baddies. There is seemingly no reason why THIS guy would ever be chosen to be a hero in this game or anywhere else. And yet, when he is in the game, he acts like anyone and everyone should "trust him" because he is so awesome. If he was so awesome IRL, then he would not have been where he was.
That is only one problem. Overall, the story here was fine. It moved things along okay. There were predictable plot points, (you cannot really call them "twists" when they are telegraphed so far in advance). There is never really a point where we expect or believe that the MC is in danger or threatened because he seems to easily be able to jump through each hurdle. So we are never really all that invested in the events.
Similarly, the baddies are all pretty vanilla, because you never really get to know them as other than a (supposed) game boss. They are all easily foiled by the MC.
This reminds me a bit of some games I played when I was a kid where they had a "God mode," you could play. It was fun for a while to go through and stomp all of the monsters, knowing that there was nothing they could do to you and you could not die. But after a while, there was no real fun to it because there was no challenge. Part of the fun in video games is being smacked down again and again and forcing you to either grind to upgrade or figure out a clever way to solve the unsolvable challenge. There really was not much of that, here. All challenges could be worked out in a page or two and then on to the next one.
This book is part of a series and I might read more...or not.
I almost forgot...this book is not your typical LIT RPG in that it is implied that the "game" world is real and another realm that actually exists, somewhere. It is never explained how the two worlds connect or how "players" are able to move between them, the physics of doing so, what happens if you ever "die," in either place, etc. While books of this kind necessarily require a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, there is even more required in this case.
July 19, 2023
I want to like this book because I see that the authors want to get somewhere with it. However, it isn't very well written. There are several points I feel are extra annoying.
1. The MC is very unlikable throughout the book. I feel like the authors got caught up in the Hapless Hal trope, which is also why they over-used the MC's name. Seriously, every other character uses Hal's name as if they were all car salespeople.
2. Information is peppered in to normal conversations. The sidekick basically tells their life story within the first 90 seconds of meeting MC. At one point, one character tells the other about "that woman and the two children you fathered out of wedlock" (paraphrasing from memory) just to really drive home the point that the husband wasn't the father, this other guy is. Like... is there no way to give important plot information other than having someone say it? "Hello, my name is X and my life goal is to Y, but 1,2 and 3 is stopping me. What's your name?"
3. The luck thing. I get that they wanted to go somewhere with this, but the build up is so... unmotivated. Nothing that happens to the character in the beginning is actually bad luck (on purpose? maybe a comment about how some view luck?), but rather his own doing or just life. His life seems wonderful, except his unlikable personality. This would be fine if it was only the build up, but when the good luck come in to play it also doesn't really seam to be luck most of the time. Yes some times he gets a lucky stab, but most of the time it seems like luck is used to convince people of things? I.e. make all the 'npcs' idiots?
4. The class/progression thing. This may just be because this litrpg is more based on board games than video games, but I'm having real trouble understanding how a level 1 guy can run around killing armed and armored guards left and right. And it only gets worse. And as it gets worse the character becomes even worse because now he is just overly confident and just running through it all without even pretending to plan anything and just count on things sorting themselves out, which they ofc do. But furthermore, he is so overpowered as a 'rouge' that the first day there he just decides to pull of a heist, without any actual rogue skills or any knowledge about thieving. And he is apparently a fighting-GOD that can go up against any class and win?
In all, the entire story just becomes uninteresting as the MC sucks and we all know that he will fumble his way through everything with his "luck" (read: plot-armor).
1. The MC is very unlikable throughout the book. I feel like the authors got caught up in the Hapless Hal trope, which is also why they over-used the MC's name. Seriously, every other character uses Hal's name as if they were all car salespeople.
2. Information is peppered in to normal conversations. The sidekick basically tells their life story within the first 90 seconds of meeting MC. At one point, one character tells the other about "that woman and the two children you fathered out of wedlock" (paraphrasing from memory) just to really drive home the point that the husband wasn't the father, this other guy is. Like... is there no way to give important plot information other than having someone say it? "Hello, my name is X and my life goal is to Y, but 1,2 and 3 is stopping me. What's your name?"
3. The luck thing. I get that they wanted to go somewhere with this, but the build up is so... unmotivated. Nothing that happens to the character in the beginning is actually bad luck (on purpose? maybe a comment about how some view luck?), but rather his own doing or just life. His life seems wonderful, except his unlikable personality. This would be fine if it was only the build up, but when the good luck come in to play it also doesn't really seam to be luck most of the time. Yes some times he gets a lucky stab, but most of the time it seems like luck is used to convince people of things? I.e. make all the 'npcs' idiots?
4. The class/progression thing. This may just be because this litrpg is more based on board games than video games, but I'm having real trouble understanding how a level 1 guy can run around killing armed and armored guards left and right. And it only gets worse. And as it gets worse the character becomes even worse because now he is just overly confident and just running through it all without even pretending to plan anything and just count on things sorting themselves out, which they ofc do. But furthermore, he is so overpowered as a 'rouge' that the first day there he just decides to pull of a heist, without any actual rogue skills or any knowledge about thieving. And he is apparently a fighting-GOD that can go up against any class and win?
In all, the entire story just becomes uninteresting as the MC sucks and we all know that he will fumble his way through everything with his "luck" (read: plot-armor).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2018
I'm a sucker for anything that has the main character getting trapped into a game world and he/she interacts with the world. Log Horizon was one of my favorite Animes and SAO was also not that bad (at least the first half of season one).
So when I found out about his book, I was pretty pumped to read it. And boy was that a ride. I finished this bad boy in less than a day. When I find a book that interests me as much as this, I get tunnel vision. I was so engrossed in this book, that I started to read it even during work time (I have a problem, I know, the first step is acceptance).
Hal Dix is trapped in the "game" world of Fantasma. He is actually in a real alternate world. He is a rogue, which is essentially a character that relies on being sneaky rather than going in guns blazing. Hal and his pal Kay make up plans and go about killing Wardens that are controlling the city.
The concept is great and the execution is good too. The only problem I had was luck.
This was a fun, quick read, most likely going to read the rest of the series. I kind of like the idea that the main character thinks he is in a game, would him knowing that the other world is real make it weird for him in terms of his actions and consequences. I don’t know will have to see when I read the next book.
And if you're looking for something like this I'd recommend Nigmus Online.
So when I found out about his book, I was pretty pumped to read it. And boy was that a ride. I finished this bad boy in less than a day. When I find a book that interests me as much as this, I get tunnel vision. I was so engrossed in this book, that I started to read it even during work time (I have a problem, I know, the first step is acceptance).
Hal Dix is trapped in the "game" world of Fantasma. He is actually in a real alternate world. He is a rogue, which is essentially a character that relies on being sneaky rather than going in guns blazing. Hal and his pal Kay make up plans and go about killing Wardens that are controlling the city.
The concept is great and the execution is good too. The only problem I had was luck.
This was a fun, quick read, most likely going to read the rest of the series. I kind of like the idea that the main character thinks he is in a game, would him knowing that the other world is real make it weird for him in terms of his actions and consequences. I don’t know will have to see when I read the next book.
And if you're looking for something like this I'd recommend Nigmus Online.
February 23, 2018
Hal Dix had plotted and lied to secure himself a long weekend of gaming. His wife would take his daughter away for a few days to visit her parents, while he 'worked'. Of course, by worked he actually meant worked on his gaming skills. Even he didn’t realise exactly how much effort would actually be involved. His regular store had come across something unusual, a bootleg release copy of a game yet to be released. It didn’t matter it wasn’t Dave manning the store, he’d wanted to try Fantasma since he had first heard about it. He just wasn’t prepared for the fully immersive nature of this world. Fantasma is in peril, and those who remained and still possessed magic had employed the only method at their disposal in the hope to save themselves from a tyrant who hunt them down without mercy as he conquered their world. They chose to put their last hope in an ancient prophecy, one that states a person from another world would be their saviour, and that person, was Hal Dix. The game was but the portal, but with no idea of what awaits him, or what is expected from him, can Hal rely on his experience as a gamer to save a world that he’s not even certain really exists?
The Accidental Thief by C.J. Davis and Jamie Davis was a fun read. As a gamer I appreciated the mechanics of the gameplay included, and as a reader enjoyed how it was portrayed to create an entertaining story about one man against unlikely odds. When I say one man, I of course mean one man and his team. Kay makes a brilliant partner to the duo and legend that would be born by their quest. I enjoyed the world that was created, and the levelling and rising above the ranks for the everyday man pulled into a world he could have only dreamed about existing, let alone have to try to save through his own sense of justice.
The Accidental Thief by C.J. Davis and Jamie Davis was a fun read. As a gamer I appreciated the mechanics of the gameplay included, and as a reader enjoyed how it was portrayed to create an entertaining story about one man against unlikely odds. When I say one man, I of course mean one man and his team. Kay makes a brilliant partner to the duo and legend that would be born by their quest. I enjoyed the world that was created, and the levelling and rising above the ranks for the everyday man pulled into a world he could have only dreamed about existing, let alone have to try to save through his own sense of justice.
March 26, 2019
This was my first introduction to the litrpg book genre and I was entertained by the story of Hal Dix a lowly IT guy married to a successful executive who is transported to another world and becomes a legendary thief.
Hal views himself as a loser and those around him tend to agree. Hal lacks follow through and is often pushed around by others. Hal’s only escape from his sucky life is video games and his wife is frustrated with how much time he spends playing the games.
One day during a work break, Hal visits the flea market across the street and is excited to see that a bootleg release of highly anticipated video game he plays is there for sale. Hal immediately buys the game and is excited to play it at home since his wife and daughter will be out of town for the weekend.
As Hal starts to play the game, he begins to feel strange and eventually passes out. When Hal awakens, he is no longer in his home but has instead transported to the land of Fantasma with no idea how he arrive or how he can return home. Throughout the book, Hal is assigned various tasks and upon completing a task, he increases his point level and status in the game. The main purpose of the game is to rid Fatasma of five brutal wardens who are ruling the land. Along the way, Hal meets Kay who eventually becomes his partner in crime along.
The book was entertaining and amusing especially if you’re into video games since the challenges Hal is given is incredible yet doable in a alternative reality setting. While to me, the action in the book moved slowly and didn’t really draw me in, by the end of the book, I found myself racing through the pages in order to see whether Hal was going to complete his final mission and return to his wife and daughter.
Hal views himself as a loser and those around him tend to agree. Hal lacks follow through and is often pushed around by others. Hal’s only escape from his sucky life is video games and his wife is frustrated with how much time he spends playing the games.
One day during a work break, Hal visits the flea market across the street and is excited to see that a bootleg release of highly anticipated video game he plays is there for sale. Hal immediately buys the game and is excited to play it at home since his wife and daughter will be out of town for the weekend.
As Hal starts to play the game, he begins to feel strange and eventually passes out. When Hal awakens, he is no longer in his home but has instead transported to the land of Fantasma with no idea how he arrive or how he can return home. Throughout the book, Hal is assigned various tasks and upon completing a task, he increases his point level and status in the game. The main purpose of the game is to rid Fatasma of five brutal wardens who are ruling the land. Along the way, Hal meets Kay who eventually becomes his partner in crime along.
The book was entertaining and amusing especially if you’re into video games since the challenges Hal is given is incredible yet doable in a alternative reality setting. While to me, the action in the book moved slowly and didn’t really draw me in, by the end of the book, I found myself racing through the pages in order to see whether Hal was going to complete his final mission and return to his wife and daughter.
February 14, 2018
Hal Dix is the unluckiest guy in the world. He's stuck in a boring IT job with a bully for a boss and a successful wife who makes parenting look easy. Hal plays role playing games for fun, and he's just been duped into spending all his spare cash for a bootleg version of a game that doesn't exist yet. Except when Hal tries the bootleg disc, it works. And it transports him bodily into the world of Fantasma.
Hal awakens in the game and immediately runs into trouble. Framed for the murder of a powerful city warden, he's arrested and sentenced to death. He needs to use all his wits and the points he's allocated to his luck stat to survive.
This is a solid LitRPG, and enjoyable listen. Hal is a good MC to follow, a bit awkward at times but not a sad sack. He's just reacting to events in the beginning, but soon takes control and becomes someone to cheer for. The action was fast paced. The game mechanics were incidental to the story, they didn't play a major role and it would be a fun fantasy listen even if you're not into LitRPG. The stat sheets are very short and aren't repeated too often, and Hal doesn't spend any time agonizing over point allocation. Although this is book one, it ties everything up neatly and can be read as a standalone.
The narration is really well done! The narrator performs subtle voices for the various characters and kept me listening and immersed in the story. If you're looking for a LitRPG for a teen or young reader, this book doesn't have any sex or swearing, but there are fight scenes and some references to adult themes. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
Hal awakens in the game and immediately runs into trouble. Framed for the murder of a powerful city warden, he's arrested and sentenced to death. He needs to use all his wits and the points he's allocated to his luck stat to survive.
This is a solid LitRPG, and enjoyable listen. Hal is a good MC to follow, a bit awkward at times but not a sad sack. He's just reacting to events in the beginning, but soon takes control and becomes someone to cheer for. The action was fast paced. The game mechanics were incidental to the story, they didn't play a major role and it would be a fun fantasy listen even if you're not into LitRPG. The stat sheets are very short and aren't repeated too often, and Hal doesn't spend any time agonizing over point allocation. Although this is book one, it ties everything up neatly and can be read as a standalone.
The narration is really well done! The narrator performs subtle voices for the various characters and kept me listening and immersed in the story. If you're looking for a LitRPG for a teen or young reader, this book doesn't have any sex or swearing, but there are fight scenes and some references to adult themes. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
May 28, 2018
Accidental Thief is an LitRPG story about Hal Dix. Hal is a present day man brought into the fantasy world of Fantasma by magic. He is a rogue character working with another character to complete quests, missions, and tasks.
I am a newcomer to this type of genre. I’m also new to the term LitRPG. I’m not a gamer, so I had to look up the meaning of this term. It’s short for Literary Role Playing Game, a literary genre combining the conventions of MMORPGs with science-fiction fantasy novels. LitRPG is a literary genre where games or game-like challenges form an essential part of the story. A LitRPG work simultaneously narrates the story of characters inside and outside of the game-world.
Roberto Scarlato is the narrator of all characters. I found his commentary, tone, and acting skills to be quite entertaining. Jamie Davis the author has a talent for writing gaming dialogue and adventure. This was written well. The performance is very good. Roberto’s voice has a pleasing tone. His variation of voices for multiple characters was very good. Roberto brought this story to life with his acting skills.
I never expected I would enjoy this type of story, but I have Roberto to thank for that. I enjoyed his reenactment. The pace was steady with plenty of action and adventure. My only concern was Hal’s ability to advance easily leveling up with mild hits against his health. I suppose this type of game isn’t one where you die and start over again.
I found this to be a good young adult story with minimal violence, no profanity, no sex scenes, and a few mild references in regards to nudity and some sexual innuendos.
I am a newcomer to this type of genre. I’m also new to the term LitRPG. I’m not a gamer, so I had to look up the meaning of this term. It’s short for Literary Role Playing Game, a literary genre combining the conventions of MMORPGs with science-fiction fantasy novels. LitRPG is a literary genre where games or game-like challenges form an essential part of the story. A LitRPG work simultaneously narrates the story of characters inside and outside of the game-world.
Roberto Scarlato is the narrator of all characters. I found his commentary, tone, and acting skills to be quite entertaining. Jamie Davis the author has a talent for writing gaming dialogue and adventure. This was written well. The performance is very good. Roberto’s voice has a pleasing tone. His variation of voices for multiple characters was very good. Roberto brought this story to life with his acting skills.
I never expected I would enjoy this type of story, but I have Roberto to thank for that. I enjoyed his reenactment. The pace was steady with plenty of action and adventure. My only concern was Hal’s ability to advance easily leveling up with mild hits against his health. I suppose this type of game isn’t one where you die and start over again.
I found this to be a good young adult story with minimal violence, no profanity, no sex scenes, and a few mild references in regards to nudity and some sexual innuendos.
March 30, 2023
This was really good. I was pleasantly surprised to find a charming little fantasy novel.
Now, I was expecting something a little different. This was my first taste of LitRPG, and I was hoping for more of a videogame or gaming atmosphere. Honestly, a lot of that stuff was just annoying and got in the way. It seemed like (especially in the beginning) we went through our character's stats a lot. It got in the way, and really stood out like a sore thumb. I listened to the audiobook, so it really wasn't something I could skip, and it just seemed to be numbers and words chanted out that have no bearing on reality.
I was also hoping he'd play with the genre a little more. If you're going to write a book about a gamer, or in a videogame world, then play with some of the tropes and gaming quirks that pop up with these games. I mean, honestly, the enchantress was lucky Harry Dix (which was where the gaming jokes ended), didn't play this game like he was playing Grand Theft Auto. I've yet to see a gamer not stop, save their game, and then wantonly murder as many people as they can. There are a ton of foibles and eccentricities that come with playing games, and we really ignored them. This didn't really need to be framed as a videogame or a gaming world. It was simply a fantasy world our character got sucked into.
Beyond that, this was a lot of fun. I really enjoy Hal and Kat. Their quest to save the town from the Wardens, rescue their friends, and start to topple the emperor was well worth my time spent in their world. It wasn't overly complicated, it did what it set out to do, and it was a fun ride for it.
I'd be excited to read the next in the series.
Now, I was expecting something a little different. This was my first taste of LitRPG, and I was hoping for more of a videogame or gaming atmosphere. Honestly, a lot of that stuff was just annoying and got in the way. It seemed like (especially in the beginning) we went through our character's stats a lot. It got in the way, and really stood out like a sore thumb. I listened to the audiobook, so it really wasn't something I could skip, and it just seemed to be numbers and words chanted out that have no bearing on reality.
I was also hoping he'd play with the genre a little more. If you're going to write a book about a gamer, or in a videogame world, then play with some of the tropes and gaming quirks that pop up with these games. I mean, honestly, the enchantress was lucky Harry Dix (which was where the gaming jokes ended), didn't play this game like he was playing Grand Theft Auto. I've yet to see a gamer not stop, save their game, and then wantonly murder as many people as they can. There are a ton of foibles and eccentricities that come with playing games, and we really ignored them. This didn't really need to be framed as a videogame or a gaming world. It was simply a fantasy world our character got sucked into.
Beyond that, this was a lot of fun. I really enjoy Hal and Kat. Their quest to save the town from the Wardens, rescue their friends, and start to topple the emperor was well worth my time spent in their world. It wasn't overly complicated, it did what it set out to do, and it was a fun ride for it.
I'd be excited to read the next in the series.
April 8, 2021
Not a fan. It was heavy-handed and an effort to read. I enjoyed the start in the real world. My kind of gamer, someone who enjoys games, and a bit of a klutz, being bullied by a colleague. Unfortunately, his lies to his wife alienate me, meaning I'm not in tune with the protagonist from the start.
Now, transported into a game world starts well. The descriptions of the sights, sounds, scents of the harbour are beautifully evocative. I'm not keen on "checking your stats" frequently, though I understand the in-story shock he was living through. Here is where the stats remind the reader that our hero has lots of luck, which you won't be allowed to forget. But for me, the conversation between him and Kay made me squirm so much with disbelief that I closed the book.
_____
Kay said, "I was one of those noble children sold into slavery after my parents were killed right in front of me. I have a lot of payback to get if I can escape this place first.”
“How do you plan to escape?” Hal pointed to the cell door. “I just proved those bars aren’t going anywhere.”
“There’s got to be a way,” Kay said. “I swore to kill the Emperor with my bare hands, and I refuse to let my word be given in vain. All I need is a little bit of luck.”
_____
It felt a heavy dialogue. The poor orphan doesn't sound very traumatised, and conversely sounds melodramatic - with a touch of a reminder that our hero's Luck is needed.
I haven't finished the book. I was at 15% when I decided to read something else.
Now, transported into a game world starts well. The descriptions of the sights, sounds, scents of the harbour are beautifully evocative. I'm not keen on "checking your stats" frequently, though I understand the in-story shock he was living through. Here is where the stats remind the reader that our hero has lots of luck, which you won't be allowed to forget. But for me, the conversation between him and Kay made me squirm so much with disbelief that I closed the book.
_____
Kay said, "I was one of those noble children sold into slavery after my parents were killed right in front of me. I have a lot of payback to get if I can escape this place first.”
“How do you plan to escape?” Hal pointed to the cell door. “I just proved those bars aren’t going anywhere.”
“There’s got to be a way,” Kay said. “I swore to kill the Emperor with my bare hands, and I refuse to let my word be given in vain. All I need is a little bit of luck.”
_____
It felt a heavy dialogue. The poor orphan doesn't sound very traumatised, and conversely sounds melodramatic - with a touch of a reminder that our hero's Luck is needed.
I haven't finished the book. I was at 15% when I decided to read something else.
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