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Alpha World #3

Alpha Company

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(This book still contains adult themes, like the first two did. if you didn't care for them, you probably won't care for this one either.)

Rejoin Alburet Two-souled as his journey in Alpha World continues. He has two quests that still need to be resolved; one that deals with Nobility, while the other is from the Dark Lord. Before he can deal with either of them, Mindblown brings down the server. As they are about to launch a mass scale immersion testing phase.

Gerald, Marysue, Karen and Fluffball are four of the lucky ones selected for the testing phase. Gerald plans to drum up recruitment for the guild, Alpha Company, during the meet and greet before the immersion testing starts.
The quartet of newly minted friends will meet for the first time in the real world. Will they get along or will something force them apart before the game goes back on-line with them immersed.

Welcome to Book 3 of Alpha World: Alpha Company. It is based on the newly minted guild getting its feet under it and seeing what they can do as hundreds of new long-term testers get used to the idea of long term immersion.

(This book still contains adult themes, like the first two did. if you didn't care for them, you probably won't care for this one either. You've been warned twice now, don't say I didn't warn you. The detail of the adult content didn't increase, but it is still present.)

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2017

696 people are currently reading
166 people want to read

About the author

Daniel Schinhofen

69 books1,304 followers
Daniel James Schinhofen is a self-published author in the burgeoning genre of LitRPG/Gamelit. He published his first book, Last Horizon: Beta, in October of 2016, and has recently published his fifteenth book. A best-selling author on Amazon multiple times, his four series have achieved name recognition in the genre. When not slavishly typing away at the next book, Daniel tries to unwind with video games, playing with his dog Sugar, or going for walks around his neighborhood. His books can be found easily via his website http://schinhofenbooks.com/. Daniel can be found via Twitter using the handle @DJSchinhofen.

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5 stars
1,511 (49%)
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986 (32%)
3 stars
410 (13%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
Profile Image for Kyte.
41 reviews5 followers
October 6, 2017
I was a bit disappointed by the Book. While its well written and offers a good flow, i missed actual content in it.
Nothing really happens and i can't shake the feeling that you could skip this book and continue directly with book 4 (when it gets released) without missing out much of the story.

The Book title "Alpha Company" suggest that the focus would be on the founding and management of said clan, however actual interaction of our hero with his clan is sparse. Instead the emphasis stays with the interaction of our heroes group which only gets some development towards the end.
I was also missing some grand plan the hero would follow and work on trough the story.

Profile Image for Steve Naylor.
2,484 reviews127 followers
April 12, 2020
Rating 3.0 stars

The first book is still the best. One good thing is that I read this book instead of listening to the audio book. I was getting really tired of how pompous Albert sounded and the way he said "kitten" all the time. I found that it wasn't as annoying while reading as it was while listening. The rest of the group heads for long term immersion and meets up with Albert as they start the guild. Not a whole lot happened. It appears that there is more to this game than we are aware of though. Most of the people around Albert are broken and the succubi in the game are helping Fluffball and Albert deal with their issues. For Alburt it turns out that he has forgotten some of his past in order to protect himself. The backstories are some of the most interesting things about the book. The characters otherwise are pretty one dimensional.Some of the other issues are that the action isn't very good, the world building isn't great and the level up aspect isn't very in depth. It was also annoying to read about Albert fighting tooth and nail against having a harem. Like that's a real problem, having too many women want to sleep with him. While most of the book is mediocre at best, I am still interested to find out more about everyone's past and what this game is really all about. I have to assume it is more than we have been told.
Profile Image for Jay Collins.
1,630 reviews15 followers
July 19, 2018
2.5 stars to 3, not as good as the first book but still okay and I will continue with the series.
Profile Image for Sydney.
1,339 reviews67 followers
February 15, 2022
3 If We Fail, We Only Die Horribly Stars

Alpha Company is the third book in the Alpha World series by Daniel Schinhofen.

I find it upsetting how understanding and comforting everyone is towards Fluff and her need to hold back from anything more than friendship, when you take into account how they pressure Alburet. Sure, it's nearly entirely different... But it still comes off in a disappointing manner. That these women who claim to love him can't be more patient with his qualms, and instead keep trying to force him into the situation. While you can tell he is still interested in further exploring a deeper connection to more women, it's almost insulting that they aren't willing to understand and work at his pace. While it appears the author is trying to lay the blame solely on his head with his self inflicted wounds and memory repression. I think it all truly adds more credence to view their actions in a hypocritical fashion, when comparing the way they treat two people they claim to care for whom share similar insecurities. It comes off really forced to skew towards a harem.

I was really hoping this book would pick up and force the story into more development for Alpha World. However, their questing was all over the place compared to how they previously acted and seemed moreso to shake up the foundation of their previous growth, than to add to it. Taking into account, also, that they merely spent a slim fraction of the book exploring one small section of the Elven Lands. All adding up into a combobulation of randomness.

I'm going to at least check out the next book because the Dead Lands as a concept are an intriguing mystery hinted at since the very first book in this series. But if we don't at least tackle some of Seamus' deep seeded internalized issues, or have some compounding world building, I won't be reading further.
34 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2018
Authors wannabe sex fantasy in the guise of litrpg

I enjoyed the first two books quite a bit, they had their flaws, but I found the story and the game world to be interesting so I continued. Unfortunately as the series progresses the plot weakens and development of the story quits being about the game and focuses almost entirely on how the author can make Alburet have a harem without making it look like the author is trying to gratify his own fantasy. I have zero problems with sex in books, but the author literally weakened the whole plot by making long term testing to everyone (why have Alburet test if everyone else is doing it?). Now there's almost zero reason for him to be in Alpha World. Instead the plot and premise has shifted to let's grind a little bit, listen to Bob who only talks about sex now when he used to be funny, and then it's all about how all but one female wants to convince Alburet to sleep with him and be his wife. Hopefully the author fixes this in the next installment or I'm done with this series.
Profile Image for DJay.
435 reviews76 followers
March 1, 2018
I rather liked the development in this series. The MC is starting to find out more about himself that I thought was a nice and pleasant surprise. Well, not pleasant surprise, but it was a nice change of pace for a litRPG. The story sets a nice pace and the multiple plots running throughout the book are not over encumbering to the story and help to set up things to come. I love the character development in this series as we get to know more about all of the characters a bit. I'm awaiting with baited breather the next installment in this series.
Profile Image for Lurino.
123 reviews8 followers
December 26, 2017
Nakama LitRPG

Teamwork is the primary flavour of the story, straight from the first book up to the third. While the primary character started off as a lone fighter, he grew to be someone who prioritise his teammates more than himself. All the grinding, special powers, unique loots, and conveniences aside, if you’re looking for a story about friendship and awkward attempts to show others that you care about them, this series would be something to fill that niche
Profile Image for Cloak88.
1,047 reviews19 followers
May 29, 2018
Alpha World 3 worth about 3.5 stars.

Alburet is back for novel number #3, this time with the addition of other long-term testers for the game. We get more background on Alburet and his companion and some extra world-lore. In all this was a decent, if not an all that memorable one. The addition of background for the side-characters was nice, but did not advance the plot overmuch.

Anyhow, this was a fun read and I had a good time.
Profile Image for Wolfgarr.
342 reviews20 followers
May 20, 2019
What can i say about this 3rd book in an amazing series? ........Well there are still no monkey's throwing banana's... I think i am going to cry. Anyways. This book lets off where the last book stopped. No spoilers.. If you want to read a great story buy the book!!!

Recommended reading for all litrpg/fantasy fans
Profile Image for Art Lueder.
389 reviews4 followers
July 10, 2018
Ah the joys of running a big guild. Been there done that. Albuert and crew pull their guild together, face some griefing members, etc. Stacey uses her succubus powers to begin healing Fluffball's and Albuert's mental issues. Plus Albuert get's a race change and the whole guild decides to foray into the Deadlands to capture a keep.
Profile Image for James .
1,346 reviews20 followers
May 20, 2019
A very good book.

The story continues to get better as the author has done a wonderful job in telling the story in a way that makes me want more.
922 reviews18 followers
February 7, 2019
I went through all the Alpha World books one right after another. I considered going back and giving specifics for each book but the simple truth is that each book has the same positives and negatives. The negative is that the author doesn't actually care about telling a story. None of his books involve any kind of a resolution. Normally this is an automatic 1 star since this is essentially novel writing 101. Here, however, the author writes in what I think of as a pseudo-travel style. By this I mean that the author emphasis the journey which takes some of the sting out of failing to reach a destination.

The positive is that the author is a fairly good writer other than his complete blind spot for resolution. The characters and scenes he writes are interesting, which is why I was able to complete the series (at least as much of it currently available). The author does repeatedly hint at some big reveal to come about the MC in the future and the jury is still out on this. The repeated hints are annoying since it is basically the author repeatedly saying to the reader "there's something I'm not telling you" and could be handled better. Still, part of the reason the hints keep coming up is the care with which the author is developing his MC. Therefore it will depend on what is actually revealed to know whether this is a good or bad part of the story.

Bottom line: Not terrible but not great either and lacks resolution.
Profile Image for Shea.
53 reviews1 follower
November 1, 2019
Review for complete series Books 1 - 8
Mr. Schinhofen's Alpha world series is an epic tale of pain, suffering, discrimination, and the healing through love and support. . A word of warning though the earlier books contain a moderate to extreme, depending on your view points, amount of erotica in them. This tapers off near the end of the story and I recommend readers not to judge harshly. I found the scenes to fit within the flow of the story and within scope of the personality of the characters involved.

It is my recommendation that these scenes be simply skimmed over by readers who might be put off by them. The series contains so much more than erotica that readers would miss out on. Mr. Schinhofen's series delves into the darker side of human nature and the traumatic wounds of the mind that we not only inflict upon others, but ourselves as well. I applaud Mr. Schinhofen for showing such trauma and how with help such conditions can be mitigated.

Mr. Schinhofen borrows heavily from World of Warcraft for his class system and for some points of his story. I believe he is a great author regardless and look forward to additional works he might create.

Very Respectfully,
Shea
Profile Image for Kiba Snowpaw.
Author 2 books24 followers
January 7, 2025

📖 Title: Alpha Company (Alpha World #3)

Author: Daniel Schinhofen

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5 Paws from your favorite Ice Wolf 🐺❄️)

Genres: LitRPG, Harem, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance, Adult Themes


Introduction:
Awoooo! 🐺 Greetings from the frozen tundra of HowlStrom! I’m Kiba Snowpaw, your trusty alpha wolf with over 38 winters of wisdom (and ice magic) under my fur. Today, I bring you a frosty-yet-fiery review of "Alpha Company", the third book in Daniel Schinhofen's Alpha World series. Buckle up, furries and adventurers, because we're diving deep into the virtual world of quests, guilds, and unexpected feels!

❄️ Basic Plot Summary:
After the epic events of Forming the Company, Alburet and his growing party of friends continue to explore the depths of Alpha World. But things get spicy (and not just in the harem way 😏) when Mindblown Entertainment pulls the plug on the servers to start mass immersion testing IRL! Enter Gerald, Marysue, Karen, and Fluffball as they meet for the first time in the real world — a twist that gives the story a refreshing layer of depth.

The focus? Building the titular guild Alpha Company and tackling the looming quests from both the Dark Lord and Nobility. It's a slow-burn adventure with layers of personal growth, world-building, and relationships (with some sexy times thrown in).

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🐾 The Writer: Daniel Schinhofen
Daniel Schinhofen is a name that resonates in the LitRPG genre. His works often tackle themes of identity, trauma, and morality in virtual spaces. Schinhofen’s writing isn’t just about leveling up in a game — it’s about leveling up in life. His blend of humor, action, and emotional storytelling makes him a staple in my audiobook playlist.

If you’ve read Last Horizon: Beta , you’ll know that Schinhofen loves to push his characters to the edge, testing their morals and sanity. "Alpha Company" is no exception.

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🎮 Game Mechanics & World-Building:
This book nails the MMORPG feel with its immersive mechanics. The leveling system, guild management, and dungeon-crawling vibes give me serious nostalgia for my WoW and FFXIV days. The difference here? The stakes are real — long-term immersion means players are stuck in Alpha World for years. It’s the ultimate “no-log-out” challenge!

Schinhofen's descriptions of the game's economy, NPC behaviors, and unique classes (shoutout to Summoners!) make the world feel alive. There’s also a layer of mystery surrounding the game's true purpose, keeping readers intrigued.

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🧊 Character Development (aka: Why We Love Alburet & Co.)

Alburet: The MC, a former inmate turned Summoner, continues to struggle with his past while navigating his growing harem (yes, it’s a thing). His journey is more about healing and trust than mindless grinding, making him one of the most relatable LitRPG protagonists out there.

Fluffball (Julia): Her backstory is deeply emotional, and I loved seeing her grow throughout this book. She represents themes of trauma, recovery, and trust.

Bob the Imp: The sarcastic demon companion continues to steal the show. His humor lightens up the heavy moments, and his relationship with Alburet adds depth to the story.

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❄️ Highlights & Drawbacks:

Highlights:

Emotional depth — This isn’t your typical grind-fest. It’s a journey of healing, trust, and friendship.
World-building — Alpha World feels lived-in and immersive.
Guild dynamics — The founding of Alpha Company adds a new layer to the story.


Drawbacks:

The pacing can feel slow at times, especially during IRL segments.
Some readers may find the harem elements repetitive or forced.


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🎧 Audiobook Experience:
Narrated by Peter Berkrot, the audiobook brings the characters to life. Berkrot’s performance as Bob is a highlight, capturing the imp’s mischievous nature perfectly. The only downside? Some listeners might find his Alburet voice a tad too pompous.

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🛡️ Impact & Themes:
Schinhofen explores heavy themes like trauma, redemption, and identity in a way that feels authentic. Alburet’s journey isn’t just about beating a game — it’s about conquering his inner demons. The relationships he forms (romantic and platonic) are integral to his healing process.

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🐾 Personal Evaluation:
"Alpha Company" hit me right in the feels, especially as someone who values found family and personal growth. While the harem trope isn’t for everyone, Schinhofen handles it with emotional depth, making the relationships feel meaningful.

I’ll admit, the pacing was slow in parts, but the character arcs kept me hooked. I loved seeing Alburet and his friends grow, both in-game and IRL.

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📚 Comparison to Similar Books:
Dungeon Crawler Carl and The Land come to mind when comparing Schinhofen’s work. However, "Alpha World" stands out for its focus on emotional storytelling and psychological depth.

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Final Verdict:
"Alpha Company" isn’t just about gaming — it’s a story of growth, friendship, and redemption. For fans of LitRPGs with heart (and a touch of spice 🌶️), this book is a must-read.

Final Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5 Paws 🐾)

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May the frosty winds of HowlStrom guide you to your next adventure, my friends. Happy reading! 🐺❄️
Profile Image for RJ.
2,044 reviews13 followers
August 3, 2021
Alburet got his guild; Alpha Company. He also managed to get some boons granted from the king that was helpful to summoners and necromancers alike. When Alburet and Stacia married, her parents gave them a house with an attached building for a wedding present. The attached building is perfect for their guildhall for now. Another immersion break took place, so Alburet had to leave Alpha World once again. Happily, he was back on time. The immersion break, which was a promotional event, garnered a large number of players interested in joining the guild. The next few days would be spent reviewing and helping the recruits. Alpha Company is growing! The items that Alburet found in the Forgotten Prison drew much interest from the nobles of Alpha World. They all wanted to know where it was for lost history and/or relics. The game mechanics are spot-on, the author is certainly a gamer. The story is enthralling, the dungeon diving exciting, the relationship between Alburet and Stacia heart-warming, and the remaining cast of characters cementing all together. I look forward to continuing the series.
88 reviews2 followers
October 19, 2017
Not great but not bad

The author kept with his pattern from the last two books. Focusing more and more on the main character and his sex life then questing or world building. There is a decent amount of the book focused on some character backstory but it really wasn't that interesting. Conflicts that occur in the world while questing or within the new guild feel like they are only in the story to check a block. Each being resolved in the simplest and quickest way you could think of, nothing at all has really been a challenge to Alburet and that is kind of disappointing. The books was enjoyable I guess but didn't really stand out to me compared to the first in the series or other books in genre. If you like the rest in the series it will pass a day or two of reading for you, I'm probably gonna pass on the next book though.
5 reviews
December 16, 2017
The third book in the Alpha World series outshines the previous two books.

I was a little hesitant to continue after the first book due to all the sex scenes. But i’m glad I stayed with the series since the third book really stands on it’s own. Alpha Company explores more of the main characters stories (Fluffball, Karen, Alburet, Stacia and her family.) I think that’s where the true story lies anyway. Most LitRPG authors tend to worry to much about levels and powers and not enough about the actual characters. I’m glad that that isn’t the case here. Sometimes secondary characters will overact, they’ll be too mean or say something that doesn’t really fit what a normal person in that position would say. However those scenarios are few and far between. Overall I’m crazy excited how the story and characters are taking shape. Highly recommend this to any LitRPG lover.
Profile Image for Dave.
747 reviews7 followers
March 9, 2018
Unique premise makes for a very interesting story. The places they are create situations and challenges, but ultimately a story is about the characters and their interaction and growth. I was so excited just from reading the blurb that I immediately bought book 2, and when I finished this first book and came up for air, I immediately bought book 3. I laughed and smiled a lot and occasionally got anxious for the "hero", but I read all three books in 4 days. Imagine my delight as I write this review to discover the 4th book is available.
31 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2020
I love this series I'm going to be sad when I finish them all.

This is a wonderful progression of the plot and characters, I could read all these books over and over again and often have gone back to refresh myself on any detail I might have forgotten or even overlooked while waiting for the next release and I have NEVER gotten tired of any of them. In case you're incapable of reading the warning in the description please be aware that this book and storyline contains graphic intimate and explicit content! Happy reading to you all!
Profile Image for Locuus.
81 reviews2 followers
October 19, 2017
The book is very similar to the previous ones but at this point it is no longer breaking any new ground and has become repetitive. We keep reading the same daily grind formula which makes it feel more like watching a reality show than living an adventure.
A couple of new things happen but together they probably take 10-15% of the book.
Hopefully the next volume will quicken the pace and give the main character something to work towards different than mob grinding.
286 reviews4 followers
December 24, 2017
Looking forward to the next entries

I like this author. I like the way this story focuses on relationships and character interactions, even when I started to get series fatigue from stationing all three books it never felt pointless to read them, I never felt like I was wasting my time. Like the author said if you don't like books or his writing then you probably should have stopped by now, but if you do like what he's offering you're in for something nice.
199 reviews
April 17, 2018
An expanding world

I like how the story begins with all of the main characters friends entering the game for long term immersion. There is a lot of character building for all members of the main party as well as more world building a fun nods to other MMOs and online gaming culture. I’m looking forward to the next book as this one ends with everyone set to embark on a grand adventure.
Profile Image for Dave Stone.
1,347 reviews96 followers
February 1, 2019
Feels like one continuous story at this point
I had Alpha Company in hand when I finished Forming the Company. I switched from one book to the next with out getting up and I can tell you that the transition was smooth and seamless.
The Sex scenes have been dialed down and there is more back story about the other company members. if you've enjoyed book 1 & 2 have no fear, the fun continues with no change in style or tone.
Profile Image for Jake.
248 reviews7 followers
February 12, 2021
A real page turner

While the last book was a bit slow, this book absolutely makes up for it. Action, adventure, plot, as well as some world lore and out of game intrigue.

Some of the topics discussed tug at the heartstrings a bit, but that also shows a lot of background to the characters. More than merely one dimensional puppets, they're imperfect people with lives before the story begins. I find it rather interesting.

Going straight to the next book!
245 reviews1 follower
November 4, 2021
Still going strong!

Normally, I start getting tired of series after a few books. With most, the world building and lore tends to be the most exciting part, and after a book or two the writing falters because the character writing is bad. With these books, the characters are full and the writing is very good. I’m still very interested to see, not what happens, but what they will do next. Great book!
Profile Image for Luek.
73 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2017
Another good installment

The AW third installment. This series maintains a level excellence and consistency that is hard to find in litrpg. Yes it has sex. No the sex isn't terribly graphic, and is pretty tastefully done. The characters are well put together, and the mic and overall power levels aren't ridiculously op.
Profile Image for Heath.
521 reviews4 followers
October 4, 2017
Good Read.

A LitRPG story. Does have adult content. The story does pick up from the previous book with the creation of a guild. Some history is revealed of the main character and his group. The book ends with more to be told (with the next book). I enjoyed the story that I read it as soon as I found it available.
Profile Image for Mike Goodman.
1,583 reviews12 followers
October 6, 2017
Dang You

Yes he ended the book with unfinished things. The story is very interesting and entertaining. He has added a lot of emotional issues. At least he made the choice of what to read next easier. I will be reading L. D., because I can't handle P.S. after this rolled coaster.
17 reviews3 followers
October 6, 2017
Not enough game and too much feelings....

I could put up with the adult content in book one since it was minimal and took a back seat to game mechanics and leveling. This latest book seems to be all high school mushy drama. I felt like it was another super hero show ruined by the CW. Cut the relationship garbage and return to the game mechanics and leveling.
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