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The Greystone Chronicles #3
Darkness Fallen
Alexander and the Greystone Guild are expanding their territory. Building up the keep, conquering new lands, and recruiting citizens of all races. And when they've prepared enough, they plan on taking the fight to the minions of the Dark One in their own strongholds. . New friends are discovered, and alliances are made. Tragedy befalls one of the group, and the Dark One's identity is finally discovered. A new, yet at the same time ancient enemy makes itself known, threatening to change the face of Io forever. This is the third installment in the Greystone Chronicles, a LitRPG/Gamelit series.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
353 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2018
356 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Dave Willmarth
31 books633 followersDave is a part-time author who would love to live full time in the game worlds he creates.
A gamer since the 70's, he loves the idea of being able to mix the science of virtual reality with the fantasy worlds inspired by great writers such as JRR Tokien and CS Lewis.
Dave has always wanted to be a writer. Over the past three decades he started and put away a dozen novels, distracted by work or life.
The dream of being an author seemed distant.
That is until recently, when he discovered the LitRPG/GameLit genre full of books that combined his love for video games and epic fantasy adventures. He was inspired by the books he read, and the authors who wrote them. So much so that he sat down and wrote the first two books of The Greystone Chronicles in just over a month. He published the first as an experiment, and was shocked at the response. These days he sits in his man cave late at night and writes the stories of characters he'd like to be, in worlds virtually without limits.
A gamer since the 70's, he loves the idea of being able to mix the science of virtual reality with the fantasy worlds inspired by great writers such as JRR Tokien and CS Lewis.
Dave has always wanted to be a writer. Over the past three decades he started and put away a dozen novels, distracted by work or life.
The dream of being an author seemed distant.
That is until recently, when he discovered the LitRPG/GameLit genre full of books that combined his love for video games and epic fantasy adventures. He was inspired by the books he read, and the authors who wrote them. So much so that he sat down and wrote the first two books of The Greystone Chronicles in just over a month. He published the first as an experiment, and was shocked at the response. These days he sits in his man cave late at night and writes the stories of characters he'd like to be, in worlds virtually without limits.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
February 16, 2018
Fun book
I enjoy this series. The good guys always win and are one step ahead. Not complicated, just light and fun. A nice escape from the complications of real life. The character interactions are fun and I feel like I know them. Highly recommended.
I enjoy this series. The good guys always win and are one step ahead. Not complicated, just light and fun. A nice escape from the complications of real life. The character interactions are fun and I feel like I know them. Highly recommended.
February 12, 2018
this is my favorite litrpg series right now. I wish there was a 4th waiting for me.
January 29, 2018
Good read
While a did run into a few glitches that tossed me out of full immersion, the reboot was smooth.
I enjoyed the third book in this series and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first to books.
If you haven't read them yet, grab them and get ready to meet some great characters.
While a did run into a few glitches that tossed me out of full immersion, the reboot was smooth.
I enjoyed the third book in this series and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first to books.
If you haven't read them yet, grab them and get ready to meet some great characters.
January 29, 2018
IO Chronicles continues to deliver entertaining, sleep depriving novels.
Awesome.
Awesome.
December 1, 2018
Good book
February 5, 2018
Good Read.
A LitRPG story. The story clears most of the plot threads that the previous two books had with a end of this story arc. Enemies are battled, borders are expanded and XP is gained.
A LitRPG story. The story clears most of the plot threads that the previous two books had with a end of this story arc. Enemies are battled, borders are expanded and XP is gained.
February 4, 2018
Amazing story and a great new book in this awesome series!
I have read all of these stories and I just keep wanting more! What an awesome story and I can’t wait for the next one! I love the characters and this world and I can’t recommend it enough!
I have read all of these stories and I just keep wanting more! What an awesome story and I can’t wait for the next one! I love the characters and this world and I can’t recommend it enough!
January 28, 2018
Well Done 13 and Up Lit Game/Rpg Series
The punishment for doing a good job is more work...I really hope book five is in the mix and book four is in editing. Please hurry. This story of a dying teen and his father who created a Vr world to prolong his life is a very interesting entertaining action packed story that I really enjoyed. Since finishing this book my life feels dreary and blue. I really hope this excellent storyteller works very hard to give me more stories to uplift my bleak existence.
The punishment for doing a good job is more work...I really hope book five is in the mix and book four is in editing. Please hurry. This story of a dying teen and his father who created a Vr world to prolong his life is a very interesting entertaining action packed story that I really enjoyed. Since finishing this book my life feels dreary and blue. I really hope this excellent storyteller works very hard to give me more stories to uplift my bleak existence.
January 30, 2018
DUDE 6+ stars
I laughed my butt off. It was almost like I was there. The story sucked me in and would not let me go. I really don’t know if this story can be topped but I dare you to try.
I laughed my butt off. It was almost like I was there. The story sucked me in and would not let me go. I really don’t know if this story can be topped but I dare you to try.
January 29, 2018
Awesome
Fuzzy bunny bosses attack!! Laughs, tears, tragedy & triumph. This series has it all. One of the best offerings in the genre. I love the intermingling of the real world and the game worlds. Well worth reading.
Fuzzy bunny bosses attack!! Laughs, tears, tragedy & triumph. This series has it all. One of the best offerings in the genre. I love the intermingling of the real world and the game worlds. Well worth reading.
January 30, 2018
Just as great as the all the others
I have pretty enjoyed this series. The surprising twist and the Character development have been awesome. I highly recommend this series too all.
I have pretty enjoyed this series. The surprising twist and the Character development have been awesome. I highly recommend this series too all.
January 30, 2018
Recommended!
The third in the series (yes, I read them in order) and going from strength to strength. Embodies all that LitRPG is about.
The third in the series (yes, I read them in order) and going from strength to strength. Embodies all that LitRPG is about.
January 29, 2018
Just a amazing LitRPG series!
I recommend this author to anyone who likes LitRPG cant wait for book 4 hoping it's coming soon. Need more pancakes lol
I recommend this author to anyone who likes LitRPG cant wait for book 4 hoping it's coming soon. Need more pancakes lol
March 27, 2019
Still fine
The series remains interesting enough for me to continue reading, whoever, the female characters continue to be extremely annoying and hiveminded. If these stereotypes of women keep on like this I don't think I could recommend the series. Some of the jokes are repetitive and the sexual innuendos made towards the main character by adult women are more than a bit creepy. He's still a kid.
The series remains interesting enough for me to continue reading, whoever, the female characters continue to be extremely annoying and hiveminded. If these stereotypes of women keep on like this I don't think I could recommend the series. Some of the jokes are repetitive and the sexual innuendos made towards the main character by adult women are more than a bit creepy. He's still a kid.
January 30, 2020
Such an amazing fantasy tale! I love it. The plotline is very well-developed, the world-building is exciting and paced so well, but the characters are what raises this tale above others. Each character is unique and brings something special to the story. The interaction between the main characters is heartfelt and authentic. It truly ranks high on my list. Alexander may seem overpowered at times but he comes by it through study, practice, and persistence. The budding romance with Jules makes the telling that much sweeter. Of course, there are quirks here and there; it can’t all be perfect. Max is a Ranger, when he runs across the young black panther it made me wondered why he didn’t have a pet. The group goes on to encounter the adult female Night Prowler; the Matriarch. Jules converses with it via an empathy skill. Still, the encounter does not result in Max or the other Elf Ranger in the guild, mentioning or acquiring a pet. Druids can also have pets, of which there are at least two in the guild, so I thought the whole situation odd. The large cats the guild officers have as mounts are not used much either, aside from occasionally summoning to feed them. These seem to be overlooked opportunities by such a talented author. Other than minor quibbles, I really enjoy this series. From my perspective, Greystone Chronicles ranks in the top five litRPG series. The writing is extraordinary, the characters heart-warming and delightful, and the narrative performance is flawless. Audible, the remaining books, please!
June 20, 2018
Better than 1 & 2
The story is progressing at an unnatural pace. The dark one was unmasked but the author left enough clues in the previous books that it shouldn’t be a mystery. What is a mystery is why the motive pushed them to kill? Not completely sure I buy what the author is selling.
The characters are still OP but finally their are good reasons. Game mechanics still feel loosey goosey. I know it’s for the plot but still it can be annoying at times. The Drow stealth case in point. Teleportation is my second point. Much like the last The last Jedi sent a cruzier into hyper drive to destroy Snokes fleet the teleportation ability seriously has flaws.
With that all said I still like this book more than 1 or 2. The dialogue is fun at times, killer bunnies, and characters do grow on you.
The story is progressing at an unnatural pace. The dark one was unmasked but the author left enough clues in the previous books that it shouldn’t be a mystery. What is a mystery is why the motive pushed them to kill? Not completely sure I buy what the author is selling.
The characters are still OP but finally their are good reasons. Game mechanics still feel loosey goosey. I know it’s for the plot but still it can be annoying at times. The Drow stealth case in point. Teleportation is my second point. Much like the last The last Jedi sent a cruzier into hyper drive to destroy Snokes fleet the teleportation ability seriously has flaws.
With that all said I still like this book more than 1 or 2. The dialogue is fun at times, killer bunnies, and characters do grow on you.
March 7, 2018
A grand tale when read out of context, but a failure as (MMO) LitRPG
Spoilers for book 1 of the series in this review!
First of all: very good price for the huge amount of story. Worth buying just for that, such authors should be encouraged.
It's a party focused LitRPG novel with an actual story arc, not merely slice of life. Slight intrusions of RL, but not overly much.
The heroes are so blindingly white you have to adjust your gamma to keep your eyesight intact, the villains are so black they require darksight to be seen at midday in the town square. No grey areas for this book, no sir!
Pure escapism with no moral dilemmas. I heartily aprove.
Why only 3 stars after all this praise? Because of the failure in the LitRPG area mentioned in the first paragraph. I was annoyed about it in the first book, outraged during the second installment and now Im just plain speechless.
We can have the clueless hobbit meet Gandalf in the first chapter of a novel. We can have the noob meet and befriend the king in a single player game. But guess what meeting endgame content as a 2 days old character means in a MMORPG?
A shitstorm, that's what. Stuck on the first page of reddit - and not in a nice way - a million threads on the game's forum and a helpdesk snowed under by an avalanche of complaints from paying customers.
Oh, and one of the players in question turns out to be the game company CEO's son. As an icing on the cake they made mocking videos about their sucess against another clan.
Say goodbye to any rational explanation, it wont be heard no matter what.
By Durin's hammer, why did the author reset the MCs' characters? The main characters were high level already, perfect for what was in store for them. Even the obligatory noob could have been included - its a game after all, just buy her an account! But no, the reset came. Everyone is level 1 again. WHHHYYYYY????
A bunch of noobs, not even playing their characters for a week, meeting the Commander of the guard, king, immortal grand wizzard, dragon prince, soon to own a village, a legendary smithy, a mine and whatnot. Just plain not possible in a public MMORPG.
That was in book one, and it's still haunting the series. With every new unique and server-first this third book piled on top of that, I was thrown out of my happy reading spree once again.
When even a character in the book points out that this looks like cheating - and not an unfriendly one at that - then something is truly rotten in denmark.
why, oh why :(
Fortunately an end is in sight, the levels are rising. Hopefully by book four, or at the very latest in book five our heroes will be back where they started, and finaly deserve once again to actually do the shit they're doing all the time. Despite all my whining I cant wait!
TL;DR very nice story when read as a classic novel 5 stars for that. Unbelievable as heck in a MMORPG environment, 2 stars for that, combines to 3.5 stars.
Spoilers for book 1 of the series in this review!
First of all: very good price for the huge amount of story. Worth buying just for that, such authors should be encouraged.
It's a party focused LitRPG novel with an actual story arc, not merely slice of life. Slight intrusions of RL, but not overly much.
The heroes are so blindingly white you have to adjust your gamma to keep your eyesight intact, the villains are so black they require darksight to be seen at midday in the town square. No grey areas for this book, no sir!
Pure escapism with no moral dilemmas. I heartily aprove.
Why only 3 stars after all this praise? Because of the failure in the LitRPG area mentioned in the first paragraph. I was annoyed about it in the first book, outraged during the second installment and now Im just plain speechless.
We can have the clueless hobbit meet Gandalf in the first chapter of a novel. We can have the noob meet and befriend the king in a single player game. But guess what meeting endgame content as a 2 days old character means in a MMORPG?
A shitstorm, that's what. Stuck on the first page of reddit - and not in a nice way - a million threads on the game's forum and a helpdesk snowed under by an avalanche of complaints from paying customers.
Oh, and one of the players in question turns out to be the game company CEO's son. As an icing on the cake they made mocking videos about their sucess against another clan.
Say goodbye to any rational explanation, it wont be heard no matter what.
By Durin's hammer, why did the author reset the MCs' characters? The main characters were high level already, perfect for what was in store for them. Even the obligatory noob could have been included - its a game after all, just buy her an account! But no, the reset came. Everyone is level 1 again. WHHHYYYYY????
A bunch of noobs, not even playing their characters for a week, meeting the Commander of the guard, king, immortal grand wizzard, dragon prince, soon to own a village, a legendary smithy, a mine and whatnot. Just plain not possible in a public MMORPG.
That was in book one, and it's still haunting the series. With every new unique and server-first this third book piled on top of that, I was thrown out of my happy reading spree once again.
When even a character in the book points out that this looks like cheating - and not an unfriendly one at that - then something is truly rotten in denmark.
why, oh why :(
Fortunately an end is in sight, the levels are rising. Hopefully by book four, or at the very latest in book five our heroes will be back where they started, and finaly deserve once again to actually do the shit they're doing all the time. Despite all my whining I cant wait!
TL;DR very nice story when read as a classic novel 5 stars for that. Unbelievable as heck in a MMORPG environment, 2 stars for that, combines to 3.5 stars.
February 28, 2018
While proofreading remains a problem, there is an excellent story here. Not so much outside the box thinking in this one, but since they are getting more estavlished, less unconventional means are less necessary. I really enjoyed this installment, and look forward to future installments. This is a great litrpg example, and I hope more authors learn from this one. And if you aren't an litrpg fan, that's ok too, you can just as easily enjoy this book without bothering with the stats and levels if so desired, it's a great story either way.
August 11, 2020
Fantastic!
Another great book in this series! Mr. Willmarth is a talented writer. He keeps the story line moving, takes us to a positive ending, then leaves a tag line that leads us to the next in this series.
I love his characters. They show consistent qualities, work well together (both form a meshing of character personalities and teamwork), and grow as the kingdom/guild grows.
Interesting interplay between adventurers and NPCs. The AI piece is also intriguing.
Well done.
Another great book in this series! Mr. Willmarth is a talented writer. He keeps the story line moving, takes us to a positive ending, then leaves a tag line that leads us to the next in this series.
I love his characters. They show consistent qualities, work well together (both form a meshing of character personalities and teamwork), and grow as the kingdom/guild grows.
Interesting interplay between adventurers and NPCs. The AI piece is also intriguing.
Well done.
January 31, 2026
Enemies revealed
Alternate universe, LitRPG, base building, VR fantasy world with RL overlap, save the world
Alexander and his guild continue to thwart their enemies, and after defeating one enemy, discover another. Alliances are made, and lines are drawn. Engaging. Despite improvements over the first two volumes, still average editing. Nonetheless, a rousing adventure. Onwards to book 4!
Alternate universe, LitRPG, base building, VR fantasy world with RL overlap, save the world
Alexander and his guild continue to thwart their enemies, and after defeating one enemy, discover another. Alliances are made, and lines are drawn. Engaging. Despite improvements over the first two volumes, still average editing. Nonetheless, a rousing adventure. Onwards to book 4!
March 9, 2018
A Must read Series
The Greystone Chronicles series was my introduction to LitRPG. Mr. Willmarth's excellent story lines and clearly defined characters make this series a great read. I found the lack of a lot of profanity refreshing. With much anticipation I waited for the latest book, "Darkness Fallen", and it didn't disappoint. Yea, Elysia! Pew! Pew! ☺️ What will book 4 bring?
The Greystone Chronicles series was my introduction to LitRPG. Mr. Willmarth's excellent story lines and clearly defined characters make this series a great read. I found the lack of a lot of profanity refreshing. With much anticipation I waited for the latest book, "Darkness Fallen", and it didn't disappoint. Yea, Elysia! Pew! Pew! ☺️ What will book 4 bring?
May 2, 2019
Another Success
Alex and crew at it again stirring up enemies, crafting new miracles and just making friends with everyone. The hardest bit has been that he makes it so easy but thankfully as the levels go up the enemies have now done the same and war is on the horizon with more than a few players.
Alex and crew at it again stirring up enemies, crafting new miracles and just making friends with everyone. The hardest bit has been that he makes it so easy but thankfully as the levels go up the enemies have now done the same and war is on the horizon with more than a few players.
January 15, 2020
Gets better and better
Fab read couldn’t put it down. The plot is excellent with one arc completed and now it seems an even bigger one is on us. Great to see that Fibble will be more.....
This is really well written and edited with only a couple of little typos and the characters continue to grow and develop with new ones added.
Love this series and now on to the next 😁
Fab read couldn’t put it down. The plot is excellent with one arc completed and now it seems an even bigger one is on us. Great to see that Fibble will be more.....
This is really well written and edited with only a couple of little typos and the characters continue to grow and develop with new ones added.
Love this series and now on to the next 😁
August 17, 2024
OMG another brilliant book
A mix of slight sci-fi future with fantasy role play in another world.
So me the story takes the usual ideas of dwarves, dragons, baddies etc. Some take on a thriller aspect in the players real world. An interesting mix going on and the story keeps building and building!
Now for book 4...
A mix of slight sci-fi future with fantasy role play in another world.
So me the story takes the usual ideas of dwarves, dragons, baddies etc. Some take on a thriller aspect in the players real world. An interesting mix going on and the story keeps building and building!
Now for book 4...
September 17, 2024
Another solid book from Dave Wilmarth. Good pacing, interesting characters, and I have no doubt he has influenced other writers. This one checks all the boxes with base building, kingdom building, guild dynamics, and solid litrpg with a nice balance between crunchy and smooth stat updates. A fun series that I will still with till it ends.
May 1, 2018
What a great read!
I felt like I was there with them every step of the way! I found myself laughing out loud at times and getting teary eyed at others. I didn't want the book to end!
I felt like I was there with them every step of the way! I found myself laughing out loud at times and getting teary eyed at others. I didn't want the book to end!
June 12, 2018
The Greystone Chronicles
Loved the book from start to finish, a great read to keep you happy for a couple hours. Good storyline and well crafted characters, I was rooting for the guys from start to finish. Fab
Loved the book from start to finish, a great read to keep you happy for a couple hours. Good storyline and well crafted characters, I was rooting for the guys from start to finish. Fab
November 10, 2019
So, we have learned more about The Dark One - and it's not who we thought, or at least not who we thought initially.
We also start seeing the group moving up in the world, gaining more power.
I'm going to move to the 4th as my next book, and I imagine the 5th as the book after that.
We also start seeing the group moving up in the world, gaining more power.
I'm going to move to the 4th as my next book, and I imagine the 5th as the book after that.
November 27, 2019
Great series!
You ever get so engrossed in a series that you tell yourself you're going to rate a book after you finish the next one? That's what happened to me with this series. Next thing I knew, I had finished it and hadn't left a single review. That's how good this series is!
You ever get so engrossed in a series that you tell yourself you're going to rate a book after you finish the next one? That's what happened to me with this series. Next thing I knew, I had finished it and hadn't left a single review. That's how good this series is!
July 24, 2020
Excellent
The scope of the story seems to grow from book to book, although if I have to nitpick a little a would have to say I felt as if the author rushed certain scenes and action seq2in this book a little compared to the previous 2 books.
The scope of the story seems to grow from book to book, although if I have to nitpick a little a would have to say I felt as if the author rushed certain scenes and action seq2in this book a little compared to the previous 2 books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews