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Monsters, Maces and Magic #1
Outpost
Glenn, a college sophomore, has a Sociology 102 paper that requires spending time with an unfamiliar group or culture. Luckily, two hot girls from his class have the same Attend the university’s game club to get reaction material for their papers. A creepy game moderator shows up, ready to start a game of Monsters, Maces and Magic. Glenn doesn’t fret over the GM’s disturbing vibe, figuring it’ll lead to potential fodder for his paper. Moments after rolling up his character and beginning the adventure, Glenn, his two classmates, and three other players are drawn into the game, literally. How and why they got trapped in the game, transformed into their RPG characters are important questions, sure. But simply surviving a world filled with horrific creatures, unknown magic, and perilous roads is first on the list. Praise for Outpost! “Exciting and hilarious! It feels like a true game with friends.” Dueling Ogres Podcast
- GenresFantasy
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2018
242 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 28, 2018
The Outpost was a pretty interesting read for an old school (A)D&D fan. As soon as I heard "1d6" and "spell slots" I just knew this will not be yet another World of Warcraft-ripoff fantasy.
Still, it didn't make it good on its own. It couldn't. The story fell flat. Well, kind of.
It was good, has all the signs of a good story, but was also missing a lot of pieces. And when the plot started developing you could just feel those holes. The narrator was very good, but there's only so much you can do with the given script.
Anyway, the characters were fine. Not as deep as one would like, and that potentially leaves something for the sequel. Before you ask, I would definitely read it. I just wouldn't expect much.
I mean - it was fun. I liked where the story was going and how the entire party reacted to events. Even the "We're in the same boat but that doesn't mean I have to like you all" mentality exhibited by some of the members. Added to realism while providing further story arc possibilities.
Unfortunately, not many of those were explored. There was one goal which dictated the general course. Other events were just targeted quests out of necessity or not-so-random encounters. I really wanted more.
While they were thinking they are going to play a classic table-top RPG, party members chose their races, classes, and skills. When you don't expect your life to depend on it later as you'll be abducted into the game you probably think a 4-foot-high gnome healer is a good choice. Oh dammit - spoiler alert!! There, all fixed 🤣
Also, 4 feet should be around 120 cm. It's a pretty short gnome. Unlike a girl who rolled an elf character, 7 feet tall. My mind cannot work with arbitrary measures like feet, eyes, stones, and rocks so I subconsciously convert it 1:30. So 7 feet is 210 cm. !!! That's one crazy-high elf! And she wears high-boots. And gets dared into going with huge boobs on her character. She then adds some more to her, already impressive, size and we quickly learn which of the characters is to be overly sexualized.
What did her huge boobs have to do with the whole story, you ask? Absolutely nothing! Well, someone did get boob-slapped at one point, but I think it was a playful slap. Not sure. Still - disappointed!
No, I did not expect a Fantasy Swap Online-type of an all-out orgy, but come on! If you give your characters physical attributes of some kind, at least use them to some extent! Otherwise, why are you even mentioning it?
There's a guy who rolled a half-goblin rogue and it definitely boosted up his thieving skills while at the same time giving him an obvious hit to charisma and general trustworthiness. Big human warrior dude had all the obvious human race advantages and disadvantages that come with it. A warrior class makes him a punching bag to always take hits for the team. Finally, people are different enough so that anyone brings something unique to the party. There's a warrior-druid class combo which I've never seen working properly in practice, but hey! AD&D! I was looking forward to seeing how it will all work together and be awesome!
Except that it didn't all work together and was not awesome. Argh! Again - it was fiiiiiiine. It worked fine. Just not nearly close to what it could have been! Now I'm getting angry.
Getting everyone so differentiated and not using this to any kind of advantage is like seeing any Hollywood movie today. There's an Asian computer wizard kid, a badass white woman who is obviously empowered, or whatever the fancy word is today. Can't stand that white man who's also milling about. He's also useless and an asshole. Then in the scene comes a mountain of a man who speaks with a Russian accent. He dies tragically at one point and we are all sad. He just saved everyone. Oh, wait! Someone also needs to be black. And we miss a homosexual, too. Two dudes, actually. Girls are too much of a male fantasy... Bored yet?
I fucking hate political correctness. Can I say 'fuck' on the internet?
So we have the same kind of issue here, too. Everyone is made to be different and it matters absolutely nothing. 5 monk-class penguins could have been the main characters for all I've seen.
OK, that was probably unfair. I'm just so pissed off because of all the wasted potential. Like there wasn't enough time to do all the awesome things which were missing and I know that the author wanted them in there. Why was it left out, I will never know.
But I know I will read the sequel if I ever come to it. Just to satisfy my curiosity. Has everything gone to hell or is there a redemption factor in this series?
Outpost (Monsters, Maces and Magic #1)
by Terry W. Ervin II, Jonathan Waters (Narrator)
Still, it didn't make it good on its own. It couldn't. The story fell flat. Well, kind of.
It was good, has all the signs of a good story, but was also missing a lot of pieces. And when the plot started developing you could just feel those holes. The narrator was very good, but there's only so much you can do with the given script.
Anyway, the characters were fine. Not as deep as one would like, and that potentially leaves something for the sequel. Before you ask, I would definitely read it. I just wouldn't expect much.
I mean - it was fun. I liked where the story was going and how the entire party reacted to events. Even the "We're in the same boat but that doesn't mean I have to like you all" mentality exhibited by some of the members. Added to realism while providing further story arc possibilities.
Unfortunately, not many of those were explored. There was one goal which dictated the general course. Other events were just targeted quests out of necessity or not-so-random encounters. I really wanted more.
While they were thinking they are going to play a classic table-top RPG, party members chose their races, classes, and skills. When you don't expect your life to depend on it later as you'll be abducted into the game you probably think a 4-foot-high gnome healer is a good choice. Oh dammit - spoiler alert!! There, all fixed 🤣
Also, 4 feet should be around 120 cm. It's a pretty short gnome. Unlike a girl who rolled an elf character, 7 feet tall. My mind cannot work with arbitrary measures like feet, eyes, stones, and rocks so I subconsciously convert it 1:30. So 7 feet is 210 cm. !!! That's one crazy-high elf! And she wears high-boots. And gets dared into going with huge boobs on her character. She then adds some more to her, already impressive, size and we quickly learn which of the characters is to be overly sexualized.
What did her huge boobs have to do with the whole story, you ask? Absolutely nothing! Well, someone did get boob-slapped at one point, but I think it was a playful slap. Not sure. Still - disappointed!
No, I did not expect a Fantasy Swap Online-type of an all-out orgy, but come on! If you give your characters physical attributes of some kind, at least use them to some extent! Otherwise, why are you even mentioning it?
There's a guy who rolled a half-goblin rogue and it definitely boosted up his thieving skills while at the same time giving him an obvious hit to charisma and general trustworthiness. Big human warrior dude had all the obvious human race advantages and disadvantages that come with it. A warrior class makes him a punching bag to always take hits for the team. Finally, people are different enough so that anyone brings something unique to the party. There's a warrior-druid class combo which I've never seen working properly in practice, but hey! AD&D! I was looking forward to seeing how it will all work together and be awesome!
Except that it didn't all work together and was not awesome. Argh! Again - it was fiiiiiiine. It worked fine. Just not nearly close to what it could have been! Now I'm getting angry.
Getting everyone so differentiated and not using this to any kind of advantage is like seeing any Hollywood movie today. There's an Asian computer wizard kid, a badass white woman who is obviously empowered, or whatever the fancy word is today. Can't stand that white man who's also milling about. He's also useless and an asshole. Then in the scene comes a mountain of a man who speaks with a Russian accent. He dies tragically at one point and we are all sad. He just saved everyone. Oh, wait! Someone also needs to be black. And we miss a homosexual, too. Two dudes, actually. Girls are too much of a male fantasy... Bored yet?
I fucking hate political correctness. Can I say 'fuck' on the internet?
So we have the same kind of issue here, too. Everyone is made to be different and it matters absolutely nothing. 5 monk-class penguins could have been the main characters for all I've seen.
OK, that was probably unfair. I'm just so pissed off because of all the wasted potential. Like there wasn't enough time to do all the awesome things which were missing and I know that the author wanted them in there. Why was it left out, I will never know.
But I know I will read the sequel if I ever come to it. Just to satisfy my curiosity. Has everything gone to hell or is there a redemption factor in this series?
Outpost (Monsters, Maces and Magic #1)
by Terry W. Ervin II, Jonathan Waters (Narrator)
Verdict Needs to be... more
Runtime 07:23
Overall
Performance
Story
October 1, 2018
"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."
I read some of the reviews before diving into this book, and I was not disappointed. Sure, the excessive mention of breasts in the story was a bit much, I was not put off by it. Not because I am a guy, but because it added a humor factor, and it actually had a comedic device tied into the plot. It was a really quick read for me, so I was naturally not happy with the fast read and short story. While there are hints of character development and showings of the characters reacting to their overall predicament, I also felt that they were all pretty cool as a cucumber, considering. The story concludes with a lead in to the next book, so I am eager to read it.
I read some of the reviews before diving into this book, and I was not disappointed. Sure, the excessive mention of breasts in the story was a bit much, I was not put off by it. Not because I am a guy, but because it added a humor factor, and it actually had a comedic device tied into the plot. It was a really quick read for me, so I was naturally not happy with the fast read and short story. While there are hints of character development and showings of the characters reacting to their overall predicament, I also felt that they were all pretty cool as a cucumber, considering. The story concludes with a lead in to the next book, so I am eager to read it.
September 19, 2024
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I would recommend to any RPG'er.
March 25, 2018
Outpost by Terry Ervin was a fun story but not one I would say is the best of the fantasy genre and it doesn't have to be. It was a quick read and I would be interested in continuing with the series.
However there are a few things that took away from the flow of the story. The jumping back and forth between real world names and the fantasy ones took me a while to get used to. When we are in the thoughts of Glenn, he refers to everyone by their realworld names. But when the characters talk to one another, they are unable to use their real names and have to use their character names. Sort of hurts the flow. The other slight frustration was the going back to the physical humor involving Stephi/Marigold. When Stephi was transferred to the fantasy world, she became rather..dare I say....drop dead gorgeous but in a way that most feminists would grumble over. This gave some nice humor in places but it seemed that was brought up a little too much.
My last little gripe is that we didn't really get to know the characters much before they got stuck in the fantasy world. It's made clear that the race/talent..etc effected how they acted. But without knowing how they were prior to arriving, it's hard to tell who they are really.
All that aside, Terry takes us on a nice little adventure. The world building is good and most of the characters are fun to read. I think this story should be looked at as an intro to the bigger series and judged like that and not so much as a book unto itself.
However there are a few things that took away from the flow of the story. The jumping back and forth between real world names and the fantasy ones took me a while to get used to. When we are in the thoughts of Glenn, he refers to everyone by their realworld names. But when the characters talk to one another, they are unable to use their real names and have to use their character names. Sort of hurts the flow. The other slight frustration was the going back to the physical humor involving Stephi/Marigold. When Stephi was transferred to the fantasy world, she became rather..dare I say....drop dead gorgeous but in a way that most feminists would grumble over. This gave some nice humor in places but it seemed that was brought up a little too much.
My last little gripe is that we didn't really get to know the characters much before they got stuck in the fantasy world. It's made clear that the race/talent..etc effected how they acted. But without knowing how they were prior to arriving, it's hard to tell who they are really.
All that aside, Terry takes us on a nice little adventure. The world building is good and most of the characters are fun to read. I think this story should be looked at as an intro to the bigger series and judged like that and not so much as a book unto itself.
July 24, 2018
A fun but serious life or death fantasy adventure as 6 unsuspecting high school and college students, who are mostly strangers to one another, are transported into the Dungeons and Dragons-esq world of Monsters, Maces and Magic(M3). Many of the elements of tabletop role-playing are well portrayed in the book. One thing I found this "Trapped in Another World" book did that was interesting compared to others in the genre is while in this other world their personalities seem to be modified somewhat by their characters race, stats and abilities. This is done by giving them instincts to do things they don't think they would normally do based on their characters role or giving them limitations based on stats. I found this particularly interesting because it shows they aren't just themselves in another world but pushes the role-playing aspect of M3. It also adds a source of conflict within the party and in themselves to the existing friction from being grouped with people they don't know but must rely on in frequent life or death situations. Another aspect that was portrayed well was how they were unfamiliar with the fantasy world, its rules and its level of technology compared to other "Trapped in Another World" series where characters come off as perfectly adapted to the world they find themselves in. With Jonathan Waters great performance this was a very enjoyable experience and I am interested in future books in this series.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
October 1, 2025
Outpost is book #1 of the Monsters, Maces, and Magic Lit RPG fantasy series written by Terry Ervin II. Lit RPG means Literary Role-Playing Game, and it's a subgenre of fantasy novels that mimic the game mechanics of computer and/or video games. It is very common to find that novels will include numerical character statistics in the narrative exposition. "His wisdom was an incredibly adept 18."
In Glenn's sociology class, he has received an assignment where he must become a member of a subculture and participate in the nuances of such membership. The college has clubs for various things like chess, dancing, and disparate role-playing games (RPGs.) One such RPG is Monsters, Maces, and Magic which is similar to Dungeons and Dragons. Glenn joins and seems to actually fall into the game.
The story follows a campaign, but when the campaign is over, instead of falling back out of the game, a new adventure begins. Glenn and his fellow adventurers are struck with a host of puzzles
and questions. How did they literally get into the game. What is required to finish? If they die in the game, do they die in real life?
Fun premise with much potential. Not in love with the fact of a continuous story, but it does spark intrigue.
In Glenn's sociology class, he has received an assignment where he must become a member of a subculture and participate in the nuances of such membership. The college has clubs for various things like chess, dancing, and disparate role-playing games (RPGs.) One such RPG is Monsters, Maces, and Magic which is similar to Dungeons and Dragons. Glenn joins and seems to actually fall into the game.
The story follows a campaign, but when the campaign is over, instead of falling back out of the game, a new adventure begins. Glenn and his fellow adventurers are struck with a host of puzzles
and questions. How did they literally get into the game. What is required to finish? If they die in the game, do they die in real life?
Fun premise with much potential. Not in love with the fact of a continuous story, but it does spark intrigue.
September 15, 2018
Essentially Jumanji for D&D. Good character development. Decent world building. I'm excited to continue reading through the series. I'm 90% Derek and/or the kid are going to turn on the group in future books.
Just realized I like 'magical transport' /'magical transformation quest' themed books. Good to know for the future.
Just realized I like 'magical transport' /'magical transformation quest' themed books. Good to know for the future.
August 17, 2018
Disclaimer.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
This is marketed as a LitRPG book, but it just barely meets the requirements. It is mostly a fantasy story. And not a bad one. The story itself is good enough, showing us characters going on a few quests to help their compatriot. The quests are fun and keep you interested. There's one adventure after the other. The characters themselves are written well and are endearing. They leave an impression on you. I would be looking forward to the next book of the series.
What I disliked about the book -
Think of this book as a Fantasy story, not LitRPG.
Narration -
Narration by Jonathan Waters was a good match for the content. Every character got a unique voice and everything was easily distinguishable. Loved his delivery.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
This is marketed as a LitRPG book, but it just barely meets the requirements. It is mostly a fantasy story. And not a bad one. The story itself is good enough, showing us characters going on a few quests to help their compatriot. The quests are fun and keep you interested. There's one adventure after the other. The characters themselves are written well and are endearing. They leave an impression on you. I would be looking forward to the next book of the series.
What I disliked about the book -
Think of this book as a Fantasy story, not LitRPG.
Narration -
Narration by Jonathan Waters was a good match for the content. Every character got a unique voice and everything was easily distinguishable. Loved his delivery.
August 3, 2018
This thoroughly entertaining sword and sorcery adventure takes a group of RPG gamers and throws them into an alternate universe where their adventure unfolds in live action (think Jumanji but in a quasi medieval setting). When one of the party is killed in a battle, the rest of the adventurers must undertake a quest (or two) to earn enough credit to have her resurrected.
I think every RPG player worth their salt has, at one time or another, wondered whether the could turn their latest campaign into a best selling novel, and this book, it appears the author decided to give it a shot.
The story is well written, the action is very fast paced and the adventurers go from one challenge to another, some of them funny and others deadly serious.
All in all, this one was an enjoyable story.
I think every RPG player worth their salt has, at one time or another, wondered whether the could turn their latest campaign into a best selling novel, and this book, it appears the author decided to give it a shot.
The story is well written, the action is very fast paced and the adventurers go from one challenge to another, some of them funny and others deadly serious.
All in all, this one was an enjoyable story.
March 16, 2018
Wonderful
Started this story after a batch of poorly edited ones. The difference was a breath of fresh air. Looking forward to seeing more adventures of the party, and if they ever succeed.
I'll admit that beyond the "game-speak" used by the main characters, which itself is sparse, there are almost no game mechanics presented, giving this book more of a "transplanted to another world" fantasy feel then being part of the litrpg genre.
Started this story after a batch of poorly edited ones. The difference was a breath of fresh air. Looking forward to seeing more adventures of the party, and if they ever succeed.
I'll admit that beyond the "game-speak" used by the main characters, which itself is sparse, there are almost no game mechanics presented, giving this book more of a "transplanted to another world" fantasy feel then being part of the litrpg genre.
March 18, 2018
Always be careful during character creation
Transported I to another world during a RPG the characters struggle to come to terms with their new world and figure out how to get home. It reminded me of The Guardians of the Flame by Joel Rosenberg or the D&D cartoon. Looking forward to the sequel
Transported I to another world during a RPG the characters struggle to come to terms with their new world and figure out how to get home. It reminded me of The Guardians of the Flame by Joel Rosenberg or the D&D cartoon. Looking forward to the sequel
March 25, 2019
My first read from author Terry W. Ervin II. I was given an Audible copy of the third book in this series & wanted to read books 1 & 2 first so I went out & got them. Reminiscent of Joel Rosenberg’s Guardians of the Flame Series this was a well-written entertaining read, looks to be an enjoyable series. On to book 2. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
March 20, 2018
Similar but good
Pretty good story. Like the character Glenn. Much like the series critical failures, but more serious. Fun story . Looking forward to next book
Pretty good story. Like the character Glenn. Much like the series critical failures, but more serious. Fun story . Looking forward to next book
November 27, 2020
Outpost reminded me immediately of Joel Rosenburg’s Guardians of the Flame series, which I first read back in high school. The similarities are there, though the Monsters, Maces, and Magic stories are definitely more light-hearted and self-aware. For example, in Guardians of the Flame, the stories are on the serious side, with every effort made to keep things as ‘real’ as one could expect from a fantasy realm. In Outpost, much is completely upended, particularly when it comes to certain aspects of female anatomy and the effects of gravity and mobility. The characters are completely aware of this absurdity. Indeed, Glenn, our main protagonist, refers to watching a disproportionately buxom female elf’s ability to move about during a fight, unencumbered in ways that would never work in the real world, as ‘game mechanics’. Stephi, the elf in question, complains that most fantasy games are clearly designed by men with one-track minds who have no idea how gravity works on the female body.
The story does start a bit slow, and the focus on game stats is a bit heavy-handed early on. You’re anxious to get the characters into the fantasy world, which thankfully does happen fairly quickly, when a rather creepy game master teleports our unsuspecting heroes into the magical realm. The drawback is we don’t really get to know them before they’re fighting goblins and an ogre immediately after being transported into the world in the forms of their characters. This made it a bit difficult to follow at first, though things became easier the more the story progressed. I thought it might be an added obstacle, as the narration refers to them by their real names, whereas in dialog they are involuntarily compelled to address each other by their character names. Surprisingly, this did not present any issues.
Something I liked is that no one is an invincible human fighter that resembles Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian. In fact, as they’re all Level / Rank One characters, they are rather weak when compared to the enemies they find themselves facing. The story’s main protagonist is Glenn, a college sophomore back in the real world, who almost immediately regrets having chosen to play as a gnome healer, given his rather drastic physical limitations, which as he notes, ‘Seems to never come up during gaming sessions back home!’ Game mechanics, such as ranks, armour class, hit points, etc, are all mentioned frequently, though thankfully actual numbers are seldom used, as can sometimes happen in LitRPG books. The story reads very much like a typical gaming session, which is to be expected, and I found enjoyable. The self-awareness of the characters, particularly with the more ridiculous aspects of the world they’re in add to the story’s enjoyment. There are still plenty of serious moments, with the world they're proving to be brutal and unforgiving, in many ways reminiscent to medieval times. Even racism becomes an issue, as one of the characters is now a half-goblin, which leads to some rather uncomfortable encounters. The serious aspects add to the story's depth, but do not take away from the lighter overall tone.
I decided to go with the audiobook version, as I enjoy listening to Jonathan Waters’ narration. He does not disappoint, and in fact, his vocal style adds to the overall entertainment. His ability to vary his voice between characters makes them easier to follow. There are currently six books in the series, with Jonathan having narrated the first three. Here’s hoping he is able to produce the rest, as books two and three are already in my Audible queue! All in all, this was a fun tale that anyone with even a passing interest in role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons is sure to enjoy. And even if you’re not an RPG gamer, but still enjoy fantasy adventure, I recommend giving this story a read / listen.
The story does start a bit slow, and the focus on game stats is a bit heavy-handed early on. You’re anxious to get the characters into the fantasy world, which thankfully does happen fairly quickly, when a rather creepy game master teleports our unsuspecting heroes into the magical realm. The drawback is we don’t really get to know them before they’re fighting goblins and an ogre immediately after being transported into the world in the forms of their characters. This made it a bit difficult to follow at first, though things became easier the more the story progressed. I thought it might be an added obstacle, as the narration refers to them by their real names, whereas in dialog they are involuntarily compelled to address each other by their character names. Surprisingly, this did not present any issues.
Something I liked is that no one is an invincible human fighter that resembles Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian. In fact, as they’re all Level / Rank One characters, they are rather weak when compared to the enemies they find themselves facing. The story’s main protagonist is Glenn, a college sophomore back in the real world, who almost immediately regrets having chosen to play as a gnome healer, given his rather drastic physical limitations, which as he notes, ‘Seems to never come up during gaming sessions back home!’ Game mechanics, such as ranks, armour class, hit points, etc, are all mentioned frequently, though thankfully actual numbers are seldom used, as can sometimes happen in LitRPG books. The story reads very much like a typical gaming session, which is to be expected, and I found enjoyable. The self-awareness of the characters, particularly with the more ridiculous aspects of the world they’re in add to the story’s enjoyment. There are still plenty of serious moments, with the world they're proving to be brutal and unforgiving, in many ways reminiscent to medieval times. Even racism becomes an issue, as one of the characters is now a half-goblin, which leads to some rather uncomfortable encounters. The serious aspects add to the story's depth, but do not take away from the lighter overall tone.
I decided to go with the audiobook version, as I enjoy listening to Jonathan Waters’ narration. He does not disappoint, and in fact, his vocal style adds to the overall entertainment. His ability to vary his voice between characters makes them easier to follow. There are currently six books in the series, with Jonathan having narrated the first three. Here’s hoping he is able to produce the rest, as books two and three are already in my Audible queue! All in all, this was a fun tale that anyone with even a passing interest in role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons is sure to enjoy. And even if you’re not an RPG gamer, but still enjoy fantasy adventure, I recommend giving this story a read / listen.
May 12, 2020
Imagine, if you will, the possibility of crossing from this plane of existence into another one built on a role playing game. Where the decisions you made in setting up your character and your abilities, as well as ones made by all of the players in your group, could have life and death consequences within moments of your arrival. That magic, vampires, goblins, and more are totally real as is your ability to fight as a warrior and maybe heal yourself and others depending on the severity of the injury and what you chose moments before here in this world. That is the world as it exists for the characters in Outpost: Monsters, Maces and Magic Book One by Terry W. Ervin II.
The whole reason Glenn was in the Grimes Student Center that Friday evening was research for his Sociology 102 paper. He plans to participate in one of the get togethers hosted by the Role Playing Game Club on campus. By hanging out with the players of whatever game he chooses to be a part of, he hopes to gather enough material for his paper. A key point of his paper is to participate in a social setting or situation that is unfamiliar to him and being part of a role playing game fits the requirement very well.
While he has played a little bit of Dungeons & Dragons years ago, it wasn’t very much, and nobody needs to know that information. The point is to get in, play for a couple of hours, and get out as he has a life and isn’t going to waste his Friday evening this way.
It does not take long before he as well as Stephanie and Kim, two girls who are also from his Sociology class, are at a table with Kirby, Derek, and Ron along with a Game Master. Not only is the Game Master a bit unfriendly, he just seems rather weird and Glenn thinks there is something up with him, but pushes those thoughts aside as he and the other players build the characters and plan out the game.
As all the players are committed to the game and their characters, the Game Master pulls out various items and sets up things to get underway. The last item, when activated, pulls the six players into another dimension based on the fictional world they just created. What seemed to be a joke or unnecessary before, now has major importance as their very existence hangs in the balance at almost every moment. The foes are many, the challenges get harder and harder, and getting back to the reality they left is going to have to wait.
The first book of a series, Outpost: Monsters, Maces and Magic Book One by Terry W. Ervin II is full of intrigue, mystery, action and adventure, and occasional flashes of humor which are often of the adult variety based on how a certain female appears in the fantasy world. Billed as AN “LITRPG novel” or a literary role playing game novel, this is a book where the read combines role playing games with fantasy elements to entertain readers. Those who are seriously into role playing games may find it a bit light in that regard as the focus in much of the book is more of a fantasy quest style story. Those of us who are not serious about such games and therefore are not burdened a need for continuous complicated game play information that has little relevance as the read unfolds can relax and just enjoy the tale.
A fun read, Outpost: Monsters, Maces and Magic Book One by Terry W. Ervin II is a solidly good read and well worth your time. It is available in print, audio, as well as eBook formats.
Print material received many moons ago from the author with no expectation of a review. I do have the next in the series, Betrayal, here in my personal print TBR pile and intend to read it soon.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2020
The whole reason Glenn was in the Grimes Student Center that Friday evening was research for his Sociology 102 paper. He plans to participate in one of the get togethers hosted by the Role Playing Game Club on campus. By hanging out with the players of whatever game he chooses to be a part of, he hopes to gather enough material for his paper. A key point of his paper is to participate in a social setting or situation that is unfamiliar to him and being part of a role playing game fits the requirement very well.
While he has played a little bit of Dungeons & Dragons years ago, it wasn’t very much, and nobody needs to know that information. The point is to get in, play for a couple of hours, and get out as he has a life and isn’t going to waste his Friday evening this way.
It does not take long before he as well as Stephanie and Kim, two girls who are also from his Sociology class, are at a table with Kirby, Derek, and Ron along with a Game Master. Not only is the Game Master a bit unfriendly, he just seems rather weird and Glenn thinks there is something up with him, but pushes those thoughts aside as he and the other players build the characters and plan out the game.
As all the players are committed to the game and their characters, the Game Master pulls out various items and sets up things to get underway. The last item, when activated, pulls the six players into another dimension based on the fictional world they just created. What seemed to be a joke or unnecessary before, now has major importance as their very existence hangs in the balance at almost every moment. The foes are many, the challenges get harder and harder, and getting back to the reality they left is going to have to wait.
The first book of a series, Outpost: Monsters, Maces and Magic Book One by Terry W. Ervin II is full of intrigue, mystery, action and adventure, and occasional flashes of humor which are often of the adult variety based on how a certain female appears in the fantasy world. Billed as AN “LITRPG novel” or a literary role playing game novel, this is a book where the read combines role playing games with fantasy elements to entertain readers. Those who are seriously into role playing games may find it a bit light in that regard as the focus in much of the book is more of a fantasy quest style story. Those of us who are not serious about such games and therefore are not burdened a need for continuous complicated game play information that has little relevance as the read unfolds can relax and just enjoy the tale.
A fun read, Outpost: Monsters, Maces and Magic Book One by Terry W. Ervin II is a solidly good read and well worth your time. It is available in print, audio, as well as eBook formats.
Print material received many moons ago from the author with no expectation of a review. I do have the next in the series, Betrayal, here in my personal print TBR pile and intend to read it soon.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2020
July 7, 2020
I was surprised that I stuck with this book all the way to the end. It helps that it's rather short.
The beginning is surprisingly identical to another book I'm still in the process of finishing Greenways Goblins .
This notwithstanding, the writing wasn't bad; as in it wasn't like most juvenile wish-fulfilment drivel LitRPG is so generous with. The characters were quite caricatural, and not very believable most of the times. The leader speaks like an old book, the teenager like a veteran gangster, the girl like a prima-donna, the muscle-bound like a cardboard bully, and the MC has little flavour. The plot was rather simplistic and straightforward. And yet, the story managed to keep my interest to the end, mostly because the objective was clear, and the threats felt real. And that is what most LitRPGs lack.
I think I'll pick the next one up.
The beginning is surprisingly identical to another book I'm still in the process of finishing Greenways Goblins .
This notwithstanding, the writing wasn't bad; as in it wasn't like most juvenile wish-fulfilment drivel LitRPG is so generous with. The characters were quite caricatural, and not very believable most of the times. The leader speaks like an old book, the teenager like a veteran gangster, the girl like a prima-donna, the muscle-bound like a cardboard bully, and the MC has little flavour. The plot was rather simplistic and straightforward. And yet, the story managed to keep my interest to the end, mostly because the objective was clear, and the threats felt real. And that is what most LitRPGs lack.
I think I'll pick the next one up.
October 3, 2022
I'm a big fan of both LitRPG and D&D and this book comes the closest to combining them. The characterizations are great, in general, with one exception (in my opinion). The really tall, incredibly beautiful Elf with the oversized breasts is a good hook for teenager boys and, so far, it hasn't become tedious. It might in future works. I really enjoyed the fact that the characters are stuck with what they rolled, eg. the one character couldn't read because his Intelligence score was too low. The situations that the characters encounter are what you might expect in a D&D game, and they also comments intelligently about them ("Dungeon in a swamp area doesn't make sense, but that's a game world")
I wasn't totally happy with the ending. I feel the expected outcome could've been handled as well.
As mentioned above, there was one character that I felt was badly done: The low intelligence fighter that had a problem with the gnome (and with common cliches, phrases, insults, compliments) and was a coward. I know that having some intra-group tension helps the story but it felt forced to me.
I'm definitely going to listen to the next book! (Its already downloaded)
I received a free copy of this book and chose to write a review.
I wasn't totally happy with the ending. I feel the expected outcome could've been handled as well.
As mentioned above, there was one character that I felt was badly done: The low intelligence fighter that had a problem with the gnome (and with common cliches, phrases, insults, compliments) and was a coward. I know that having some intra-group tension helps the story but it felt forced to me.
I'm definitely going to listen to the next book! (Its already downloaded)
I received a free copy of this book and chose to write a review.
May 14, 2021
OUTPOST BY TERRY W ERVIN II is the first in the Monster, Maces and Magic series.
Outpost introduces us to Glenn a college student doing a paper in his Sociology class on the role playing group at the university. Glenn,along with two very hot girls in his class register and join in the class. The creepy moderator of the game gives Glenn, the two girls and three others the RPG experience of a lifetime: he inserts them into a real life RPG game.
Most of us, even this reader has done RPG games. Not like OUTPOST. In Outpost,you LIVE the game,your fight in the game and you DIE in the game! I cant wait to listen to the rest of the series.
The narrator , jonathan Waters, does a really good job with the narration and I hope he keeps the good work up in the rest of the series.
I recieved this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.
Outpost introduces us to Glenn a college student doing a paper in his Sociology class on the role playing group at the university. Glenn,along with two very hot girls in his class register and join in the class. The creepy moderator of the game gives Glenn, the two girls and three others the RPG experience of a lifetime: he inserts them into a real life RPG game.
Most of us, even this reader has done RPG games. Not like OUTPOST. In Outpost,you LIVE the game,your fight in the game and you DIE in the game! I cant wait to listen to the rest of the series.
The narrator , jonathan Waters, does a really good job with the narration and I hope he keeps the good work up in the rest of the series.
I recieved this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2023
I have no idea what this book tried to achieve. We start with six random people getting thrown in a D&D-like world. Why six? No idea. It instantly diluted the story because every decision that was made by the group was slowed down, because every character had to say something about it.
And it was all so, so inconsequential. Pages full of descriptions of dime-a-dozen taverns and bog-standard tabletop settings (insert goblins / trolls / tavern / church / swamp / skeletons / etc.). Endless arguing on what to do. Petty and silly arguments. Conversations between characters that make you wonder if the author ever talked to a woman, or another human being, at all.
It did really read like an extract from someone's D&D campaign. I don't know why anyone would enjoy that. I was hate-reading it to the end, just wondering when it would end. Not worth it.
And it was all so, so inconsequential. Pages full of descriptions of dime-a-dozen taverns and bog-standard tabletop settings (insert goblins / trolls / tavern / church / swamp / skeletons / etc.). Endless arguing on what to do. Petty and silly arguments. Conversations between characters that make you wonder if the author ever talked to a woman, or another human being, at all.
It did really read like an extract from someone's D&D campaign. I don't know why anyone would enjoy that. I was hate-reading it to the end, just wondering when it would end. Not worth it.
Read
August 28, 20213.0 out of 5 stars
Quit at 23% – Not What I Expected
August 27, 2021
I feel a bit bad rating Terry W. Ervin's 2018 novel [[ISBN:1230002422565 "Monsters, Maces, and Magic, Book 1: Outpost"]] at a mere OK 3 stars out of 5. But, I stopped reading at the 23% point simply because it wasn't what I expected and wasn't good enough to make up for that. The book's decent. But, I was expecting a LitRPG book something like Andrew Seiple's "Threadbare" series where the characters actually level up as they do things. Ervin's book doesn't do that and is LitRPG only in the sense that the characters get dumped into a D&D type of world and have to do D&D types of things. So, if that's what you're looking for, it might be worth a shot.
Quit at 23% – Not What I Expected
August 27, 2021
I feel a bit bad rating Terry W. Ervin's 2018 novel [[ISBN:1230002422565 "Monsters, Maces, and Magic, Book 1: Outpost"]] at a mere OK 3 stars out of 5. But, I stopped reading at the 23% point simply because it wasn't what I expected and wasn't good enough to make up for that. The book's decent. But, I was expecting a LitRPG book something like Andrew Seiple's "Threadbare" series where the characters actually level up as they do things. Ervin's book doesn't do that and is LitRPG only in the sense that the characters get dumped into a D&D type of world and have to do D&D types of things. So, if that's what you're looking for, it might be worth a shot.
July 23, 2018
Outpost is a fairly interesting rpg-ish story, but left quite a bit to be desired. As far as a LitRPG there were very little game mechanics throughout; none of the characters ever leveled and little if any discussion of distributing points to stats. There was no background on the characters short of three being students working on a paper and almost nothing on the other three. The story focused mainly on the group attempting to secure items and/or gold in order to raise one of their fallen group. The ending was abrupt and left you hanging. Definitely needs work. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
October 12, 2022
The premise was intriguing, but the execution was...lacking. I did not appreciate the constant references to one character's, um, "very large attributes". It seemed like the whole story was written by a hormonal teen-aged male, solely for the purpose of mentioning the above-mentioned female physical properties in one joke or snide comment after another. Also, there were a number of story-telling gaffes which dumped me out of the story, and the descriptions of the in-game mechanics and rationale were quite poor for someone (like me) not intimately familiar with D&D. 36% read but DNF. And I won't be reading the remaining books in the series.
March 17, 2018
Not really an rpg
This book is not an rpg.. Sure it talks and starts off that way, but how do you go through 4 or 5 fights , 2 being boss fights , and not rank up? This world uses rank instead of level. Other than that the book was really boring, the right scenes there were, we're unexciting, and unrealistic. Anyone who has played an rpg knows that unless you trust you team you are screwed. You might make it through the woods but a boss fight, no way. The ending seriously was AWFUL!!!!!!
This book is not an rpg.. Sure it talks and starts off that way, but how do you go through 4 or 5 fights , 2 being boss fights , and not rank up? This world uses rank instead of level. Other than that the book was really boring, the right scenes there were, we're unexciting, and unrealistic. Anyone who has played an rpg knows that unless you trust you team you are screwed. You might make it through the woods but a boss fight, no way. The ending seriously was AWFUL!!!!!!
June 25, 2021
Great start to this series!
IMO this is the perfect story for someone who’s new to LITRPG.
The characters are uniquely different and fun yet easy to remember. The story is also easy to follow even if you’re not familiar with RPG (Role Play Games)
There’s plenty of action, humor and drama. I loved it. The narration was absolutely brilliant. Jon Waters is very good at telling a story and his voice is perfect for these characters. Highly entertaining. This is book 1 and continues on to book 2. I can’t wait to jump in. I definitely recommend this book.
Sisters Spotlight 💜
IMO this is the perfect story for someone who’s new to LITRPG.
The characters are uniquely different and fun yet easy to remember. The story is also easy to follow even if you’re not familiar with RPG (Role Play Games)
There’s plenty of action, humor and drama. I loved it. The narration was absolutely brilliant. Jon Waters is very good at telling a story and his voice is perfect for these characters. Highly entertaining. This is book 1 and continues on to book 2. I can’t wait to jump in. I definitely recommend this book.
Sisters Spotlight 💜
May 12, 2018
High school writing
The dialog, the descriptions, and the writing in general felt like this was a high school assignment.
Numerous misspelled, missing and just completely wrong words were everywhere in this book. The author even managed to misspell character names.
The character Derek was just plain irritating and any gaming group would have left him behind in an instant. The MC, Stephi, and the half goblin all felt like cardboard cutouts.
The dialog, the descriptions, and the writing in general felt like this was a high school assignment.
Numerous misspelled, missing and just completely wrong words were everywhere in this book. The author even managed to misspell character names.
The character Derek was just plain irritating and any gaming group would have left him behind in an instant. The MC, Stephi, and the half goblin all felt like cardboard cutouts.
March 10, 2022
Read a few bad books lately so this was like a breath of fresh air, so I gave it five stars.
Really readable book - I couldn't put it down and can't wait to get started on #2. Character and world building are good and the story is well paced so the pages keep turning.
Recommended, the book rocks
Really readable book - I couldn't put it down and can't wait to get started on #2. Character and world building are good and the story is well paced so the pages keep turning.
Recommended, the book rocks
September 15, 2021
Not for Me
This story of a group of college students who are sent to a fantasy world with the characters they created as a class assignment. My problem is the Mc chose a gnome and it made me feel like a little dude. Great author to follow but this story was not one I wanted to feel.
This story of a group of college students who are sent to a fantasy world with the characters they created as a class assignment. My problem is the Mc chose a gnome and it made me feel like a little dude. Great author to follow but this story was not one I wanted to feel.
October 7, 2022
A great fantasy read!
The premise of people from the real world being drawn into a D&D type setting was really intriguing and this novel really pulled it off in a fun and comedic way. I really enjoyed it and I think anyone who has played RPG’s or just general fantasy readers will enjoy it too.
The premise of people from the real world being drawn into a D&D type setting was really intriguing and this novel really pulled it off in a fun and comedic way. I really enjoyed it and I think anyone who has played RPG’s or just general fantasy readers will enjoy it too.
September 9, 2018
I'm not sure which character I am suppose to care about, empathize with or think is interesting as all of them seem flat and dull.
No interesting characters in this pretty bland D&D rip off system = interest which waned very quickly.
No interesting characters in this pretty bland D&D rip off system = interest which waned very quickly.
December 14, 2019
Great 1st novel in series of a 'roleplaying game' for this D&D player. Some interesting plot points and world building based on the fantasy vrs. reality.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
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