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Ruins of Majesta #1
Blood & Cupcakes
There’s no problem a cupcake can’t solve.
M.I.T. calls her a genius, her mother calls her Cupcake, her buddies call her Princess Cuddle Fluff and she’s here to kick butt and blow stuff up. At least until she realizes she’s stuck. Eleven-year-old Mayah’s just collateral damage in an investigation by a government that’s intent on keeping control of its finances. Now she’s trapped in the Virtual Reality of Ruins of Majesta waging the war for her life the only way she can, by questing, leveling up and sewing.
She’s attempting to unravel the mystery of who did this to her and why. She’s angry as shaz and out for blood. The same blood the parental filters won’t let her see. So instead she’d be happy smashing them into a hole with her hammer and tossing in a few grenades for good measure. Involving her in their plans was the worst idea the government cronies ever had. If you’re going to be stupid enough to fight a genius, …DON’T!!!
Follow Mayah through the Ruins of Majesta, as she unlocks its mysteries, and tries to escape its deadly clutches.
This novel is a combination of big hammers, cats, books, enchanting, snark, necromancy, leveling, government conspiracies, financial revolutions, grandmothers, Evil sentient computer viruses, crafting, duels, getting gear, friendship, Happiness and sweet, sweet XP.
Safe for the kids Great for the adults.
This book Is GameLit / LitRPG and contains very visible RPG, video game mechanics, and fights that are integral to the story. No blood or cursing, though.
M.I.T. calls her a genius, her mother calls her Cupcake, her buddies call her Princess Cuddle Fluff and she’s here to kick butt and blow stuff up. At least until she realizes she’s stuck. Eleven-year-old Mayah’s just collateral damage in an investigation by a government that’s intent on keeping control of its finances. Now she’s trapped in the Virtual Reality of Ruins of Majesta waging the war for her life the only way she can, by questing, leveling up and sewing.
She’s attempting to unravel the mystery of who did this to her and why. She’s angry as shaz and out for blood. The same blood the parental filters won’t let her see. So instead she’d be happy smashing them into a hole with her hammer and tossing in a few grenades for good measure. Involving her in their plans was the worst idea the government cronies ever had. If you’re going to be stupid enough to fight a genius, …DON’T!!!
Follow Mayah through the Ruins of Majesta, as she unlocks its mysteries, and tries to escape its deadly clutches.
This novel is a combination of big hammers, cats, books, enchanting, snark, necromancy, leveling, government conspiracies, financial revolutions, grandmothers, Evil sentient computer viruses, crafting, duels, getting gear, friendship, Happiness and sweet, sweet XP.
Safe for the kids Great for the adults.
This book Is GameLit / LitRPG and contains very visible RPG, video game mechanics, and fights that are integral to the story. No blood or cursing, though.
544 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 29, 2022
I got bored. Mayah is a genius optimizing her character in the virtual reality MMORPG Majesta. She does things nobody else thought of. She's trapped in the game because of dastardly doings. The dichotomy between the real-world PoVs (where you have spies and government black ops and corporate intrigue) and the game world where Mayah is toodling around with stat optimization and helping random noobs, was disconcerting. Total tone shifts with the majority of the narration in the trivial.
I'm going to give this a second star in recognition of some decent writing and imaginative setting. It wasn't enough to keep my engagement on its own, though.
I'm going to give this a second star in recognition of some decent writing and imaginative setting. It wasn't enough to keep my engagement on its own, though.
January 6, 2019
Other than needing another round of proofreading, this book is a great story. It's humorous, entertaining, and an interesting tale to boot. I'd sure not mind reading more in this series, so I'll be keeping an eye out for them to appear.
July 4, 2018
Great first book
I really enjoyed this book! The author took a risk having a young girl as an MC... but she’s totally awesome! Smart, clever, kickbutt no-nonsense hard core gamer that I’d have in my raid group anytime!
This is a great kid-friendly book, but as a crusty old gamer it grabbed and held my attention thru to the end. Lots of humor, good action, solid progression.
I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
I really enjoyed this book! The author took a risk having a young girl as an MC... but she’s totally awesome! Smart, clever, kickbutt no-nonsense hard core gamer that I’d have in my raid group anytime!
This is a great kid-friendly book, but as a crusty old gamer it grabbed and held my attention thru to the end. Lots of humor, good action, solid progression.
I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
July 29, 2018
Great
Fantastic book can't wait for the sequel. Especially loved the small touches of crafting and the personality of the characters☺
Fantastic book can't wait for the sequel. Especially loved the small touches of crafting and the personality of the characters☺
June 12, 2018
Lord knows that we need more of this in the genre!
This book was so refreshing! Very well maintained story, with near zero plot holes, and cliches. I'm genuinely interested in this series progression.
This book was so refreshing! Very well maintained story, with near zero plot holes, and cliches. I'm genuinely interested in this series progression.
July 31, 2018
An interesting read
I never thought too much of the kid friendly premise of this story but I gave it a shot and its damn good it's great to see the math and break away from the harem scarem theme most litrpg tend to run
I never thought too much of the kid friendly premise of this story but I gave it a shot and its damn good it's great to see the math and break away from the harem scarem theme most litrpg tend to run
October 28, 2018
Great characters.
This was a well done lit rpg. There was an interesting combinination of tropes, which I consider to be the hallmark of the genre. I would recomend to anyone who enjoys YA novels and lit rpg.
This was a well done lit rpg. There was an interesting combinination of tropes, which I consider to be the hallmark of the genre. I would recomend to anyone who enjoys YA novels and lit rpg.
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September 6, 2018Loved it
Great read and kid friendly. I really enjoy the unique crafting elements of the story. Can't wait for the sequel
Great read and kid friendly. I really enjoy the unique crafting elements of the story. Can't wait for the sequel
June 30, 2019
A little girl, a cat and a necro walk into a VR...
A fun, witty read. Your daughter should be very proud of you. I look forward to the next installment. Fin
A fun, witty read. Your daughter should be very proud of you. I look forward to the next installment. Fin
March 27, 2019
Imagine if Iron Heart was trapped in a VR game? That pretty much sums up the main character. She's smart as a whip, but has serious social shortcomings when it come to people due to the fact that she's like 12 in the 12th grade. So she has the fact that everyone treats her like a kid because she is one, and the other is that because she's so smart she's alienated. Also, she's really shy, but once you talk to her about something she likes, she's an open book.
With that said, this is the story about a little girl who's trying to get back to her parents. Due to some government espionage, she's trapped in a video game that's trying to take over her body IRL. This is a fun read because Fluf and Grax act like siblings even though they both aren't. Also, they are some funny people to watch interact. That's the other thing, the characters are really enjoyable to watch interact with each other and grow. You learn a lot about the characters as well as their expectations and hopes.
With that all said, this is definitely a good book, but it's still a nice read of a little girl with an extremely strong disposition. I'm pretty sure I'll pick up the next one as well.
With that said, this is the story about a little girl who's trying to get back to her parents. Due to some government espionage, she's trapped in a video game that's trying to take over her body IRL. This is a fun read because Fluf and Grax act like siblings even though they both aren't. Also, they are some funny people to watch interact. That's the other thing, the characters are really enjoyable to watch interact with each other and grow. You learn a lot about the characters as well as their expectations and hopes.
With that all said, this is definitely a good book, but it's still a nice read of a little girl with an extremely strong disposition. I'm pretty sure I'll pick up the next one as well.
July 10, 2018
Loved this book!
This book is a great read! The main character is very relatable, and the inclusion of the stats info is done in such a manner that it is a natural part of the story. And what a great story! There are two stories going on - one inside the game and one outside. Both tailor together into a great narrative. Cannot wait for book 2!
This book is a great read! The main character is very relatable, and the inclusion of the stats info is done in such a manner that it is a natural part of the story. And what a great story! There are two stories going on - one inside the game and one outside. Both tailor together into a great narrative. Cannot wait for book 2!
September 22, 2018
Great game mechanics
This book is incredibly dense with its complex game mechanics and character interactions I'm really looking forward to the second book
This book is incredibly dense with its complex game mechanics and character interactions I'm really looking forward to the second book
August 18, 2019
It's hard to tell when Siphon stops and this one begins. Same sort of unlikeable entitled overly gifted precious precious princess (even literally for this one! sort of) who just is sooooooo talented and special.
The protagonist is a nasty vindictive entitled adult playing the role of a genius child. To be absolutely clear, this is the in-story character I am describing and how she comes across. I know nothing about the real world author and am only reacting to the content that has been presented to me through the narrative.
The story basically goes like this: evil villain infiltrates high school to infect a prodigy with a clothing-carried computer virus (no, I'm not making this up) on the off chance she ends up playing a particular new video game because villain intends to take down the game (because reasons) and prodigy ends up TRAPPED IN THE GAME.
Prodigy is SUPER AWESOME and able to bring in a save file from a previous game that's like TOTALLY IRONIC. She is so SMART AND WISE AND SUPER that she levels up super fast in the noob village. Plus, she treats the NPCs as if they were REAL PEOPLE and thus earns their LOVE AND RESPECT and gains the attention of the game's AI. She doesn't just gain two extra-powerful classes in the first twenty four hours but also thirty unique trades, learns how to combine them all for extra super powers, but also gains lots of enemies who hate her for how awesome she is and teaches them life lessons with lots of sass, giggles, and sticking-out-her-tongue at them because, after all, she's just 11 and that's what all the "real world 11 year-old-girls" that I have never met do.
Meanwhile, the entire real world grinds to a halt because she's so loved and prized, so everyone from the entire defense services to her parents can kneel next to her FIVR capsule to absorb blessings from the manger. “You’re the one who said [Main Character] can make miracles. Have a little faith.”
I'm only partway through this mess but I can't turn away from the train wreck, which is according to its marketing copy "Safe for the kids Great for the adults."
Here's another great quote:
Update: I can't oh I just can't. The 11-year-old protagonist is "cuddling" with a fully grown adult male in her lap because he looks like a cat and has told her a sob story about a family member.
The protagonist is a nasty vindictive entitled adult playing the role of a genius child. To be absolutely clear, this is the in-story character I am describing and how she comes across. I know nothing about the real world author and am only reacting to the content that has been presented to me through the narrative.
The story basically goes like this: evil villain infiltrates high school to infect a prodigy with a clothing-carried computer virus (no, I'm not making this up) on the off chance she ends up playing a particular new video game because villain intends to take down the game (because reasons) and prodigy ends up TRAPPED IN THE GAME.
Prodigy is SUPER AWESOME and able to bring in a save file from a previous game that's like TOTALLY IRONIC. She is so SMART AND WISE AND SUPER that she levels up super fast in the noob village. Plus, she treats the NPCs as if they were REAL PEOPLE and thus earns their LOVE AND RESPECT and gains the attention of the game's AI. She doesn't just gain two extra-powerful classes in the first twenty four hours but also thirty unique trades, learns how to combine them all for extra super powers, but also gains lots of enemies who hate her for how awesome she is and teaches them life lessons with lots of sass, giggles, and sticking-out-her-tongue at them because, after all, she's just 11 and that's what all the "real world 11 year-old-girls" that I have never met do.
Meanwhile, the entire real world grinds to a halt because she's so loved and prized, so everyone from the entire defense services to her parents can kneel next to her FIVR capsule to absorb blessings from the manger. “You’re the one who said [Main Character] can make miracles. Have a little faith.”
I'm only partway through this mess but I can't turn away from the train wreck, which is according to its marketing copy "Safe for the kids Great for the adults."
He looked at Grax and said, “So you’re the sneaky type eh?”
“Yes sir. I live to creep.”
Here's another great quote:
“Sorry.” He lowered his paws and slowly pat his “no-no zone” to make sure he wasn’t neutered.
Update: I can't oh I just can't. The 11-year-old protagonist is "cuddling" with a fully grown adult male in her lap because he looks like a cat and has told her a sob story about a family member.
June 3, 2018
A Surprise Gem
I bought the book on the strength of the reviews, not really expecting too much. I believed that it was going to be aimed at the YA maret but was very pleasantly surprised to be bowld along bythe storyline, characterisation, et al. I eagerly await the second book, and if the quality continues will likely change to a 5* review.
I bought the book on the strength of the reviews, not really expecting too much. I believed that it was going to be aimed at the YA maret but was very pleasantly surprised to be bowld along bythe storyline, characterisation, et al. I eagerly await the second book, and if the quality continues will likely change to a 5* review.
September 3, 2019
Read this book now.
I won't say hurry and finish book 2 because "writing" , but hurry up and take my money. Seriously book now, money
I won't say hurry and finish book 2 because "writing" , but hurry up and take my money. Seriously book now, money
November 8, 2019
Loved it
A young girl using her mind to problem solve. Plus a cat that may or may not cuddle. Already looking for next book.
A young girl using her mind to problem solve. Plus a cat that may or may not cuddle. Already looking for next book.
July 5, 2019
Don’t skip this gem!
I can’t believe I almost skipped this book. I wasn’t sure what to make of it based on the description and cover art, but it is a great book and litrpg.
“Cupcakes are muffins that believed in miracles.” This quote from the beginning epitomizes the book: funny, sweet, and a bit irreverent. While you have many common themes—trapped in VR and slice is life while starting up a new character, the spin on it is quite unique.
You follow Mayah, an 11-year-old genius, as she gets trapped an immersive VR game. As you would expect, she is a bit of a smart aleck, but still polite. The interactions with NPCs and other characters is deep and feels real. She is clever but not overpowered. It is fun to see the twist on common skills. The litrpg aspect feels well done. You also get some really cool crafting with runes and enchantments. A nice bonus.
The book reminds me of the Ritualist in terms of style and quality. You should definitely pick this book up.
I can’t believe I almost skipped this book. I wasn’t sure what to make of it based on the description and cover art, but it is a great book and litrpg.
“Cupcakes are muffins that believed in miracles.” This quote from the beginning epitomizes the book: funny, sweet, and a bit irreverent. While you have many common themes—trapped in VR and slice is life while starting up a new character, the spin on it is quite unique.
You follow Mayah, an 11-year-old genius, as she gets trapped an immersive VR game. As you would expect, she is a bit of a smart aleck, but still polite. The interactions with NPCs and other characters is deep and feels real. She is clever but not overpowered. It is fun to see the twist on common skills. The litrpg aspect feels well done. You also get some really cool crafting with runes and enchantments. A nice bonus.
The book reminds me of the Ritualist in terms of style and quality. You should definitely pick this book up.
May 29, 2018
A wonderful beginning to a stellar story
This is one of my favorite books to have come out recently. Not only is a fun and wonderful read for adults but it is kid friendly and they will love to grow along as fluffy does.
Fluffy, well I dont know what else to say besides she is adorable and probably my favorite female MC to have read about. Her drive and list for adventure and fun is unparalleled and is a treat to read about.
The plot in this story is a masterpiece not only does it draw you in but it keeps you invested in the story the whole way through the book. I couldn't stop reading it once I picked it up.
The character development isnt OP and is actually fun to follow as she crafts crazy equipment and designs interesting tools.
I read some of the book to my daughter every night and she absolutely loves it.
I cant recommend this book highly enough. It's a wonderful read for any adult and kid.
This is one of my favorite books to have come out recently. Not only is a fun and wonderful read for adults but it is kid friendly and they will love to grow along as fluffy does.
Fluffy, well I dont know what else to say besides she is adorable and probably my favorite female MC to have read about. Her drive and list for adventure and fun is unparalleled and is a treat to read about.
The plot in this story is a masterpiece not only does it draw you in but it keeps you invested in the story the whole way through the book. I couldn't stop reading it once I picked it up.
The character development isnt OP and is actually fun to follow as she crafts crazy equipment and designs interesting tools.
I read some of the book to my daughter every night and she absolutely loves it.
I cant recommend this book highly enough. It's a wonderful read for any adult and kid.
March 3, 2021
Ugh titles
An interesting take on NPCs. A lot of grinding stats and skills for cool results. Fun characters (in game) and a good progression design. Even the cutesy bits were humorous enough to not choke on the sweetness.
Mostly YA.
Now for the bad: a little too message-y, with a lot of clumsy real-world stuff. The evil lieutenant is evil because...oh, right, banks and corporations are bad. It provided some impetus to the narrative, but it lacked a lot of support. The early school scenes were pushing too hard on the child-genius-in-high-school tropes and tended to info-dump irrelevantly.
Also, I find it hard to believe an 11 yr old girl, no matter how smart, knows who Deforest Kelly is.
I still liked it for the in-game stuff. Gonna buy it (read in KU) and checkout the next novel. That’s a good recommendation.
An interesting take on NPCs. A lot of grinding stats and skills for cool results. Fun characters (in game) and a good progression design. Even the cutesy bits were humorous enough to not choke on the sweetness.
Mostly YA.
Now for the bad: a little too message-y, with a lot of clumsy real-world stuff. The evil lieutenant is evil because...oh, right, banks and corporations are bad. It provided some impetus to the narrative, but it lacked a lot of support. The early school scenes were pushing too hard on the child-genius-in-high-school tropes and tended to info-dump irrelevantly.
Also, I find it hard to believe an 11 yr old girl, no matter how smart, knows who Deforest Kelly is.
I still liked it for the in-game stuff. Gonna buy it (read in KU) and checkout the next novel. That’s a good recommendation.
May 6, 2018
Just about perfect for most everyone.
Kindle Unlimited - Thank you!
This was just so much fun to read. I'm (ahem) well beyond YA, and enjoyed every minute spent reading this. Treat yourself and give this book a chance.
Not much of a spoiler here... I only found one possible oops and it was inconsequential. There's a tournament team they didn't get to watch fight. Seems they could have picked up the video or asked Jensen to fill them in.
Truly looking forward to the next volume. And I love that the author uses numbered volumes in the series rather than book listings.
Kindle Unlimited - Thank you!
This was just so much fun to read. I'm (ahem) well beyond YA, and enjoyed every minute spent reading this. Treat yourself and give this book a chance.
Not much of a spoiler here... I only found one possible oops and it was inconsequential. There's a tournament team they didn't get to watch fight. Seems they could have picked up the video or asked Jensen to fill them in.
Truly looking forward to the next volume. And I love that the author uses numbered volumes in the series rather than book listings.
June 17, 2018
A terrific entry into LITRPG
A very enjoyable introduction to a new LITRPG world. A middle school girl finds herself trapped in a fantasy world, but persevere through all of it, making friends and finding her way through a charming set of challenges.
I’m a sucker for lots of training and crafting, and the vast majority of this book is made up of that. Characterization is very good. And the world is if not the most original, vivid and interesting.
The author falls prey a little bit to making the MC good at just about everything. I hope as the story develops, the character will find the world a little bit harder to master.
A very enjoyable introduction to a new LITRPG world. A middle school girl finds herself trapped in a fantasy world, but persevere through all of it, making friends and finding her way through a charming set of challenges.
I’m a sucker for lots of training and crafting, and the vast majority of this book is made up of that. Characterization is very good. And the world is if not the most original, vivid and interesting.
The author falls prey a little bit to making the MC good at just about everything. I hope as the story develops, the character will find the world a little bit harder to master.
April 3, 2019
Read this book
It's fun! It's funny! It's suitable for young tweens through seniors! It also contains some feels, tempered with several decades of pop culture references. It does not contain cringe, boredom, poor writing, typical white male juvenile fantasy self insert, typos, bad editing, harems, objectification, or poor punctuation, which puts it in the top shelf of fantasy / SciFi, and LitRPG.
I really enjoyed it and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel. It was so good I will forgive it for being a "Trapped in the Game" story, a plot device that needs to be buried so deep even the worst of necromancers can't revive it.
It's fun! It's funny! It's suitable for young tweens through seniors! It also contains some feels, tempered with several decades of pop culture references. It does not contain cringe, boredom, poor writing, typical white male juvenile fantasy self insert, typos, bad editing, harems, objectification, or poor punctuation, which puts it in the top shelf of fantasy / SciFi, and LitRPG.
I really enjoyed it and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel. It was so good I will forgive it for being a "Trapped in the Game" story, a plot device that needs to be buried so deep even the worst of necromancers can't revive it.
March 11, 2021
This is an atypical Story in my list. It is clearly written with a younger Audience in mind, so there is no Gore and no frisky shenanigans. Nevertheless i would recommend this completely as it shows that a good story and writing prevails over pure wish-fulfillment.
The MC is a young genius, at 11 Years old, she accomplished much in Reallife and in other games. When a new game launches, where you can use chars from other Games, she reuses her Princess Fluffy Character, complete with a frilly dress and her huge Warhammer "Happiness". While some of the story is cute enough to induce diabetes, i was not able to put this book down.
Read it, its worth it.
The MC is a young genius, at 11 Years old, she accomplished much in Reallife and in other games. When a new game launches, where you can use chars from other Games, she reuses her Princess Fluffy Character, complete with a frilly dress and her huge Warhammer "Happiness". While some of the story is cute enough to induce diabetes, i was not able to put this book down.
Read it, its worth it.
May 6, 2018
Book one
It actually took three tries for me to get past the school portion of this book, (I never did like school.)
but once I did, wow! What a great story.
I did find a few errors, but the interplay between the characters was really good.
I do think the that's what she said jokes coming from an eleven year old was a bit much, but I don't have kids so I can't judge if it might have been realistic or not.
I look forward to book two and recommend this book.
It actually took three tries for me to get past the school portion of this book, (I never did like school.)
but once I did, wow! What a great story.
I did find a few errors, but the interplay between the characters was really good.
I do think the that's what she said jokes coming from an eleven year old was a bit much, but I don't have kids so I can't judge if it might have been realistic or not.
I look forward to book two and recommend this book.
May 4, 2018
The story is very engaging and will get you to stay up far later than you intended. Thwe work is primarily for the young adult market but as an adult familiar with the genre of lit RPG i found the work better than many in the field. the author clearly knows gaming and gets the idea across in the work. the main character is sympathetic. i highly recommend.
March 18, 2019
A surprisingly enjoyable read
The premise of the rpg the game is set within is novel, it gets the balance right between mechanics, action, and most importantly character development. The author develops a set of characters that are interesting and I care what happens with them. Can't wait to read the next book.
The premise of the rpg the game is set within is novel, it gets the balance right between mechanics, action, and most importantly character development. The author develops a set of characters that are interesting and I care what happens with them. Can't wait to read the next book.
March 21, 2019
Fun book that I enjoyed reading
The characters were entertaining and the story kept my attention. Thank you for a great book.
The rest of this review is filled with blah. A specific number of words are required for this to actually post. The first sentences are my review. So are the number of stars. I read the stories, I do not write them.
The characters were entertaining and the story kept my attention. Thank you for a great book.
The rest of this review is filled with blah. A specific number of words are required for this to actually post. The first sentences are my review. So are the number of stars. I read the stories, I do not write them.
April 24, 2019
More crafting
Great starting book for what looks to be an awesome series. Slightly YA but not to childish. Considering the MC is an 21yr old genius expected but hope to see More of her inspiration shine. Lot of crafting and discovery made me enjoy this book immensely. Can't wait for more.
Great starting book for what looks to be an awesome series. Slightly YA but not to childish. Considering the MC is an 21yr old genius expected but hope to see More of her inspiration shine. Lot of crafting and discovery made me enjoy this book immensely. Can't wait for more.
August 11, 2020
Lighthearted With some Grim
This story of a 11 year old high school senior who gets targeted by a military unit to infiltrate a new VR game resulting in the kid being stuck in the game was fantastic. The funniest thing was a cat biting his tongue.
Aren’t Geniuses worth over a thousand regulars?
This story of a 11 year old high school senior who gets targeted by a military unit to infiltrate a new VR game resulting in the kid being stuck in the game was fantastic. The funniest thing was a cat biting his tongue.
Aren’t Geniuses worth over a thousand regulars?
August 1, 2019
A wonderful first book
I love a book where the MC gets into crafting instead of just fighting. This book strikes a good balance between crafting, fighting, and storyline. There are some minor grammatical errors, but they do not detract from the story.
I love a book where the MC gets into crafting instead of just fighting. This book strikes a good balance between crafting, fighting, and storyline. There are some minor grammatical errors, but they do not detract from the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews