Imperial Legion

Viridian Gate Online #4

by James A. Hunter, J.A. Hunter

December, 2042

The Imperial Legion marches, and war looms on the horizon…

Jack Mitchel and his misfit crew of rebels never wanted a fight with the Empire, but the time for diplomacy has passed.

Ruthless tech-genius Robert Osmark is coming, and trailing behind him is a vast army determined to wipe the Crimson Alliance from the face of Eldgard. Impossibly, Jack has united the warring Murk Elf clans under his banner, but even with their aid, the Alliance is still badly outnumbered, and Osmark has some nasty tricks up his sleeves.

And while the long-awaited battle unfolds, an ancient evil stirs in the heart of Viridian Gate Online—one that will change the game forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Role Playing Games

372 pages, Paperback

Published November 18, 2017

About the author

James Hunter is a full-time ink slinger, a member of SFWA, and the bestselling author of Vigil Bound, Rogue Dungeon, Shadowcroft Academy, Bibliomancer (The Completionist Chronicles Expanded Universe), and the litRPG epic Viridian Gate Online! In addition to writing, James also runs Shadow Alley Press, an industry leader that specializes in publishing LitRPG, Fantasy, and selection Science Fiction.

James is a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). He’s also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—’cause that’s totally a real thing. And a spaceship captain, can’t forget that. Okay … the last one probably isn’t true. When not writing or spending time with family, James occasionally finds time to eat and sleep.

Find out more about James Hunter at www.ShadowAlleyPress.com

Reviews

[Rebbecca Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already littering a new world

... seriously though why does Jack throw his potion bottles on the ground. Are they not reusable? Do they magically disappear after a period of time? It “litterally” drove me nuts.

[Dave Packard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the various plots / quests that this one had. More than just a straight ahead story line it gave a bit more color to the world and the characters.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack and his friends from the Crimson Alliance face off once more against the determined creator of Viridian Gate Online, Robert Osmark. He's no longer playing nice and the Viridian Empire is determined to annihilate the Crimson Alliance. An unexpected threat looms from the shadows. The unstable Overmind of death Thanatos has developed something that will change Viridian Gate Online in ways Jack, Osmark, and the others never could have imagined.

Imperial Legion is the fourth book in Viridian Gate online and it was ok. I've decided to mix up the review with a good old fashioned list of pros and cons.

Pros

• The Void Terrors - Devil, Nikko, Mighty Joe, and Kong. Despite having limited roles I always appreciate them being summoned. The battle hungry drake is a definite favorite while Nikko and her team create mayhem whenever they arrive. Devil may have the best characterization of any character in the series.

• The powers - The powers, especially Grim Jack's show a high level of creativity. His abilities are interesting and diverse.

• Fight Sequences - I would list this as a pro overall, except when the author goes hard using cliches to describe what is happening. The descriptions are typically vivid and enjoyable.

Cons

• The characters and characterization - The characters are so lacking it is painful. They have limited descriptions at best and they could be swapped out in most instances with different characters with little impact.

• Dialogue - The dialogue is wooden and painful. Not to mention how often everyone winks. No one talks the way these characters do. It is all contrived in an unconvincing way.

• Motivations - Why is anyone even fighting? Robert Osmark saved so many people creating Viridian Gate Online. Did he do partnering with unscrupulous individuals? Sure, but to save so many lives who wouldn't do something less than honest and honorable. Grim Jack, Abby, and the other members of the Crimson Alliance apparently wouldn't. They are determined the savior of so many members of humanity is beyond evil and must be stopped. He hasn't really displayed anything that makes him seem unbelievably evil. He's offered Jack a chance to submit and work for him many times, but Jack believes the man who helped save his existence can't be trusted. Osmark could've set himself up like a God, but he chose not to. Maybe future books in the series will prove Jack correct, but so far he seems foolish.

The video game aspects of the book may be the difference maker for most people, but they do nothing for me. Seeing Jack view stat pages and distribute stat points isn't appealing to me. I'd rather play a game than read a description of a game.

The Imperial Legion was less interesting than I was hoping it would be. I don't know that I'll continue reading the series at this point.

2.5 out of 5 stars

[John #Audible · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, I am done with Viridian Gate Online; it's turned into a PvP boring crap fest, hardly any real exploring or adventure to be found in the books anymore. The MC seems to think he can take on the creator of the game, along with his financiers of the game. The bottom line, the author is not telling a believable story now. It would be one thing if the author gave hints that the creator of the game could not interfere with the game world, like not being able to power level or tweak out ones characters without doing anything. But not one of those hints have come in the previous 3 books.

The MC has not explored hardly any part of the game world, he's been stuck in a swamp zone for 3 books. Yeah and there was still the capture of Rowanheath prior. He was a noob and the rebels were all noobs, Not believable for someone like him to capture a base in a major game. I don't even want to get started on the MC himself how he is an idiot and treats people like tools. Then part way trough the story, spider bitch shows up with a army and gives this idiot a quest and then the idiot takes it, while mind you during war preparation that he has no idea when the creators army will show up.

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mini-Review:

4.5 Stars for Narration by Armen Taylor
3 Stars for Story
2 Stars for Pacing

The books need to be longer. Author does a nice job of balancing action with personal moments but the overall plot and character developments are sloppy & so-so on timing. Overall, I like the series and I plan to chomp on the rest but I feel like it could be much better than what I've read thus far. Loads of potential. The characters and events need more fleshing out.

[Lazybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 star, additional star for the antagonist.

[Chrys Minter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

I am really enjoying the series. This is the first series I started in my journey into the world of Rpg reads that have greatly increased my imagination as far as my own Lit rig stories. I'm anticipating much more in this series

[Cmoore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stated in my review of bk1: Cataclysm, that "these books are like popcorn". But I should have said, "they're like popcorn laced with cocaine!"... because they're just so damn addictive! They're packed with Sooooo Much action, and Sooooo Much fun, that I've actually got seven of James Hunter's books under my belt now (which includes the Blood Phoenix trilogy), and I'm ready for more... Good thing there's plenty more of his books to satiate my needs!
As the Crimson Alliance gears up to fight Robert Osmark, the CEO and self proclaimed Emperor of Viridian Gate, something dark and secretive is stirring! And Grimjack may need to re-evaluate just who is, and who isn't an enemy!
Armen Taylor's delivery of the narration, was perfectly matched to the storyline, and I'd be hard pressed to think of anyone else doing a better job of it!

[Matthew Wentworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another perfectly adequate installment in a decent LitRPG series.

I'm most impressed with the way that the author has been able to make the "game" far more than that. It's well done.

[Chris Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the love of god stop using the word 'flesh'. Look I get that there aren't a lot of good synonyms for 'skin' but that's not an excuse to use 'flesh' several dozen times in one book. Find different ways to say it, or cut back on the damage descriptions. Preferably the latter as he seems masochistic with his focus on just how badly hurt they are constantly getting.

While we're on the excessive focus issue, Hunter needs to dial down the number of Similes he uses. 'like a swarm of angry bees' is a cliched simile as it is, you don't need to run it into the ground by using it multiple times in one book. Often it feels like their just crammed in for the sake of it too, one right after another, like a squirrel hording nuts for winter (see how little that added?).

Anyways, gripes aside, the book is pretty good. The conflict finally comes to a head here with Osmark and his legion clashing with Jack's forces in a large scale battle that is actually pretty well written. (in my experience, authors tend to have a hard time with this so it's great he manages to keep it under control). However, he tries to put the pressure of a ticking clock on the story and to ramp up the pressure by having the time they have constantly get cut down, but fails in getting the frantic tone across. Jack is constantly oversleeping and going off on side missions and generally having a more relaxed feel to it all.

About one of those side missions btw, seems Hunter read Dungeon BornDungeon Born at some point between this book and the last one as he introduces a new character that, through some mishap, was spawned as a dungeon rather than a standard character. Not that he does much with him. My guess is it'll be a primary part of this next book, but had to tie up his current plot threads before changing focus.

[Kiba Snowpaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction
Alright, strap in, because this Alpha ice wolf’s got thoughts. Viridian Gate Online #4: Imperial Legion by J.A. Hunter is a LitRPG beast that dropped November 17, 2017, and it’s part of the long-running VGO series—a saga that mixes game mechanics with high-stakes fantasy like a cocktail of XP potions and pure adrenaline. Genre-wise, we’re talking Fantasy / Science Fiction / LitRPG, but let’s be real—it’s also a playground for MMO nerds and lore junkies. The pitch? Big armies, political scheming, mysterious gods, and more danger than a wolf’s tail in a bear trap. My tone? Buckle up, cub—this is gonna be blunt, icy, and just a little savage.

Plot Summary
Without giving away the crown jewels of the story, here’s the gist: The Crimson Alliance is prepping for war against the Imperial Legion, led by Robert Osmark—the tech genius turned emperor who may or may not be humanity’s savior. Meanwhile, Grim Jack (our POV alpha) is juggling war prep, alliances, and side quests that could derail the whole plan. The setting is Eldgard, a fully immersive VRMMO-turned-last-refuge-of-humanity, where Overminds (godlike AIs) mess with the rules and there’s always some fresh, oversized monster wanting to snack on your party. The pacing? It zigzags between war drums pounding and sudden detours into dungeons, traps, and “oh hey, let’s poke that obviously dangerous thing.” 

The Author
J.A. Hunter is no rookie to the LitRPG field—this is his hunting ground. The VGO series is his alpha pack, and while his prose is fast, punchy, and full of gamer slang, he sometimes bites off more than he can chew. He’s got a knack for battle descriptions and game mechanics integration, but the series sometimes wanders like a distracted pup chasing squirrels. Imperial Legion fits into his work as the turning point toward bigger wars and darker stakes. No major awards here, but he’s a known name in the LitRPG scene, with a fanbase that devours his books like starving dire wolves.

Characters
Grim Jack is still our chaotic-good tank/strategist, but sometimes he feels less like a wily alpha and more like a pup chewing on the same bone of moral high ground. Abby is the moral compass, sometimes to a frustrating degree. Osmark? He’s that infuriating enemy who might actually be the good guy if you tilt your head and squint. Side characters like Cutter, Devil, Nikko, and Mighty Joe bring spice, comic relief, and raw power to the mix, but characterization can be thin—you could swap some of them out and barely notice. The villains? Solid conceptually, but occasionally undercut by game logic inconsistencies.

Structure
Chapters hit quick, like short bursts of combat. The story flow suffers when the perspective hops between too many threads without enough connective tissue—like trying to track multiple raid groups with no minimap. The “battle – side quest – plot twist” loop is addictive, but the transitions can feel like abrupt server lag. There’s no deep experimental narrative technique here, but the LitRPG UI moments—stats, skill checks—still work as flavor.

Themes & Analysis
The book chews on themes of power, loyalty, survival, and the blurred line between hero and tyrant. It flirts with questions like: Does morality survive in war? Can rebellion be the true form of order? But these ideas sometimes get buried under action scenes and XP grinds. There’s a solid thread about gods/Overminds playing with mortal lives, but it’s not fully woven into every plotline yet.

World-Building
Eldgard is still a gnarly, well-built playground—half fantasy realm, half gamified apocalypse server. The lore is there: undead armies, eldritch threats, AI gods, and factions with conflicting agendas. It’s immersive when Hunter slows down to let you take in the scenery, but the constant battle chatter sometimes keeps you from smelling the digital roses. Compared to other LitRPGs, VGO’s world feels more politically layered but slightly less mechanically consistent.

Praise & Critique
Strengths: 
- Action sequences are vivid, punchy, and tactical. 
- Good balance of MMO mechanics with narrative stakes. 
- The Void Terrors and side allies steal the show whenever they appear. 
- Eldgard’s scale and threat level feel epic.

Weaknesses: 
- Character motivations can feel forced or illogical. 
- Dialogue occasionally wooden, with too many winks and awkward banter. 
- Inconsistent application of game rules. 
- Perspective jumps can confuse, making it hard to stay immersed. 
- The war build-up payoff is a bit underwhelming for the hype.

Comparison
Against earlier VGO books, Imperial Legion feels like the moment the series swaps out small dungeon runs for large-scale raids. Compared to Crimson Alliance or The Jade Lord, it’s bigger in scope but loses some of the tight plotting. Against the LitRPG genre giants, it’s competitive in action, weaker in deep character work, and middling in mechanical consistency. Still, it’s more strategic than grind-heavy series like *The Land* but less emotionally sharp than *He Who Fights with Monsters*.

Personal Evaluation
As a battle-hardened alpha wolf who’s seen more fights than seasons change, I appreciate a story with stakes this high. But—just like a raid leader watching their DPS ignore the boss mechanics—I get frustrated when the book ignores its own established rules. The audiobook narration by Armen Taylor adds flavor, but with so much hopping between POVs and subplots, I felt more confused than immersed at times. There’s bite, there’s meat, but sometimes it’s buried under too much fur.

Conclusion
Imperial Legion is a solid LitRPG war installment with flashes of brilliance, a few questionable player decisions, and enough cliff-edges to keep you reading (or howling in frustration). If you’ve run with this pack from book one, you’ll probably stick around for the next hunt. If you’re new, don’t start here—go back to book one or risk getting lost in the noise. 

Rating: 7.5/10 — Fierce in combat, a bit shaky in logic, but still worth a spot in the pack’s library.

[Alethea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy listening to these books but sometimes they drag. I'll probably continue though because I'm invested.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The battle rages

The action in this series is always amazing. The actual fighting is never boring, but sometimes Jack can be a real idiot. Now, maybe that makes him more realistic, and perhaps I wouldn't nearly as well in his shoes as he does. But some of the choices he makes and the actions he chooses just boggle my mind, some for the good while others less so, considering who he was before VGO. I don't know, the story seems flip back and forth between and great and Really? for me, at least.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so addictive and I for one, cannot get enough of the books! Every book I read I think is the best ever but the stories keep getting stronger as we read along and this book 4 is extremely powerful. The quests are getting more challenging and the world building that goes into creating these quests is fantastic as are all the tough and grotesque creatures Jack, Cutter and the rest of the Crimson Alliance fighters have to tackle. In this book we came across the risen dead, revenant knights, undead spellcasters, corpse hounds, ravaging devourers, a blood golem, a cyclops, and the ancient evil warriors the Vogthar. Things could not get any more exciting than they did in this novel which I once again read in one sitting as I just could not put the book down. Apart from the war with the Imperial Legion, which they were preparing for, Jack and Cutter were set quests which needed to be tackled. Osmark fights this war with power and strength but Jack fights this war with intelligence and deviousness and I love the creative ways the alliance come up with when trying their damnedest to fight a war against all odds. I love all the team on Jack's side but I especially love Devil, Nikko, Kong and Mighty Joe his void watchers, who are almost unbreakable! Also, even though Osmark thinks he is the strongest player in VGO, it is obvious who is pulling the strings and as usual the Gods are playing their own games and it looks like all in Eldgard are now threatened with their very lives!! Wow what a turnaround, cannot wait to read book 5, lovers of litRPG books this is one series you just all have to read!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Hunters Book 4 of his Viridian Gate series is well thought out with plenty of action, intrigue and surprises.
As a LitRPG author James goes to a great level of detail especially compared to a lot of upcoming bestselling series in this Genre.
What this means is that Visually its easy to go back to skill trees, stats and health, spirit bars etc. For audio then this has the same hurdle to face as lots of other LitRPG series and its managed very well with plenty of voice changes,  inflections and emphasis during the battle scenes where magic and physical attacks keep you on your toes keping track of the action.
Armen Taylor does this masterfully and hats off as this is a particularly difficult book to do especially as this is the first audio i have listened to in the series.
Yes you will need to listen carefully but for those who enjoy LitRPG in detail and are more than happy to do this then this does not dissapoint. For everyone else then i think most shall struggle,  i would reccomend the books and audio based on the above warning however and i will definitely be looking for more audio from this series and for other material by the narrator Armen. Buying the books also gives a good deal on the audio which i shall be taking advantage of myself.

[Pj · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story here is decent, but the large number of grammar mistakes pulled me out of the read on a regular basis. Starts out with the threat of PvP, turns into a dungeon crawl, and returns to PvP for the last 25% of the book. The balance of action to plot advancement is good.

Things keeping this from 4 to 5 stars:

Tactical decisions were troublesome. The protagonist decides to challenge the creator of the game to a duel, when he knows from the last book that his rival has powerful defensive magic items that look like normal clothes. He even uses, "Well he's just wearing dinner clothes, how hard can he be?" as his justification for the attack. What an idiot...

Toward the end I was a little frustrated that the protagonist and his allied forces didn't use their metal corroding ace up the sleeve as their first option against metal mech opponents. Instead fight fight fight... oh we aren't winning... why don't I try this thing we made for this exact purpose after we are already hurt and dying?

Grammar errors (see above).

Finally, a lot of the similes missed the mark in terms of making adequate comparisons, or were placed at times when they weren't needed and slowed down the read/listen.

Would have given it 4 stars if not for these issues.

[Zachary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read all the way until the third last chapter and then I simply couldn't do it anymore. The only reason I made it through all the previous books was because I think the premise and almost every other aspect of this book and the whole story in general is awesome. However, I simply couldn't handle the characters, at least the two main ones: Jack and Abby. They are just so annoyingly relatable and moral I wanted to punch them in the face, nobody is as ethical and naive as the two main characters, especially being 30 something year old people, like their not children they should realize that in a war people die, and even though most of those people would respawn they're all "oh everybody is innocent and their just being manipulated, we shouldn't hurt them" fucking annoying. I guess its because this is supposed to be a kids book, but I really don't know because there are multiple scenes that describe blood, gore and torture and shit like that so, I really don't know why the characters are like that. I will not be reading the next one.

[Torvull Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like where the story is heading and enjoyed the introduction of a second antagonist.

I definitely was able to predict the return on a minor or maybe a continuing major villain? Not sure what the author has planned but I definitely saw one character coming back.

The pros:

The introduction of a second antagonist

The main character doesn't just win because he is the main character. I enjoy when a character doesn't just get handed a win because they are the main character.

The cons:

Abby and Amara still have not spoken to one another yet.

Why doesn't Jack assume Robert might have some type of cheat or hack that makes it so he can't be killed. The only time he actually seemed concerned by death was with the introduction of the dagger that kills people. But during those fights Jack had with Robert, I can't believe that Jack wouldn't wonder if Robert had some way to cheat the system. He literally created VGO. Not to mention he is like twenty levels higher than Jack on top of that showing that Robert gave himself a massive advantage. This didn't seem plausible to me that Jack would never consider it.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World Gets More Complex
Grimm Jack continues to walk a tight-rope between likable guy trying to do whats right, and likable idiot who gets tons of in game advantages no one else has, the bane of good litRPG imho.

Jack's crew fighting skirmishes with the Imperials, ambushing caravans and the like, are a lot of fun. They are well written with nice detail and just a nattering of game mechanic.

Nikko and Jack's other void watcher apes provide some nice comic relief, as well as being employed effectively, if you visualize what's described whenever they get involved.

Amara and Cutter's relationship is slowly developing, but in a fun way.

Jack and crew are encountering more enemy PCs. Jay Taylor, the arrogant monk, send by Osmark to take him out. Devil seems to have developed a taste for eating enemy heads, seems like he chomps off a few more every fight.

The story is a series of small stories, interwoven on a background of impending doom as Osmark marches a huge army across the continent preparing to siege the Alliance's primary city. Creates a nice balance between the classic adventuring party dungeon crawls, and the world-level huge battles and politics. Well done.

Using the intermediate town to set a big trap for the Imperial's was fun to read.

The world keeps getting more interesting with different races and classes showing up. Vlad's alchemic weapons, Osmark's crew of tinkerers (Artificer Weaponeers), and a PC Dungeon boss, and much more. Siege weapons I'd never heard of like the Hwach'a.

Lowyth the spider queen, a bit close to Lolth, I assume its an intended nod. She continues to be s surprising, interesting character and her foreignness / spider hood is well captured.

The Catacombs of the Forsaken. Joseph the Gravemonger. Would have been more fun if Abby had come along.

The overwind (AIs) running the world are developing slowly, and getting more involved in the story.

Now we discover a whole new class of creatures (Uzrearal), the Vogthar, followers of Serth-Rog, coming from another world or plane of existence, Morsheim.

[Chuck McIntyre · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard to put down, but left me disappointed by the end.

As always, I enjoyed the action. The MC is mostly okay, though he does stupid things and we see a lot of repeat "revelations".

My main complaint is that the book was too short both substantively and in terms of page count. We advance the story by one and a half battles, and the twist is entirely predictable. Yawn.

The second complaint is that the story is internally inconsistent with itself. We established in book 1 that the system is supposed to be balanced in some way by the Overminds. The book 1 dungeon was made to be abused, but still required a super boss, etc. Yet this book appears to show an antagonist who entirely broke that rule (you know who).

[Chris Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeeeeehah

Now I know how General Custer felt. And that's all I will say about that. Spoilers!
Now that's a damned fun ride.
Once again the characters drive the story, the game mechanics and pace are just there to help our boy Jack grow up to be a man. Or was that Pinocchio? Oh well.
World building par excellence. Nothing is sacred. And Thanos. Talk about a true Infinity war!
This really has the feel of an epic story. It reminded me of both Robert Jordan (multiple characters, plot twisty stuff) and the Malazan book of the fallen (armies, sieg3 engines, sappers and cut throats. War in fantasy with a real military dymamic).
This is truely shaping up to being an epic story on every level. Thanks James!

[Nathaniel Harscher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep, intense, satisfying

James Hunter blows away the competition again with an incredible journey into the depths of Viridian Gate. I've been powering through his series like a freight train and I can't stop. His books carry me like a wind, fierce and powerful, screaming at me to not stop. There's so much amazing work in this book that I can't spoil for others, and I desperately want to! If you're looking for a story investment, and you love good MMOs, or are even looking to dabble a bit, Viridian Gate Online is where it's at.
James, well written, and well done. I can't wait to see the next adventures of Grim Jack.

[Elaina Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting new twist in the story arc

I always wondered when an action taken back in book one would come back to haunt Jack. We’ve had some foreshadowing in prior books and it finally escalated in this story. Oh boy! Jack certainly has his work cut out for him now. Hopefully, he can not only figure out ways to not only survive, but eliminate this new threat, and also how to persevere as the weight of leadership is starting to take its toll as well. Excellent story! I can’t wait to start the next one! (Well, I do have to wait until after work. :)

[Brent Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in the series. The theme of balance comes more to the forefront, with Jack coming into his own as the Champion of Order.

I found the concept of a rebel representing order interesting, and have come to believe it makes sense. Conservative people tend to view the powerful as the constants in our world, and look to them for order; rebels represent anarchy. In the right circumstances, this is wrong though - the powerful need to be balanced, and rebels are the ones to do this. What seems like anarchy can actually be just a balancing of power.

And I learned that right here!

[Omri Dallal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The part when the spider queen runs with a hord of monions to the crimson army was dumb. why would she charge like that? other then that the book have some new idies that i really liked, a player who got stuck as a sentient dungeon? cool stuff! invasion from a big bad that killing him will end the world? also intersting! the MC not wining every damn fight becuse he "beleives!", now thats a new concept ;)

all in all 4.5 stars, the half star is deducted becuse of the cheep use of the spider queen for drama and for the parts he describe every pice of furniture he use in his master suite.

[Kenneth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been half as long and not lost anything. The author clearly has no clue how MMO games work, seems to have forgotten the mechanics for VGO he defined in earlier books, and has completely dropped the 20+ antagonists announced in the first book. Players have access to a wiki and forums yet no one uses it to communicate how thousands of players are being conscripted? The characters and their motives are not believable. The plot was entirely far fetched already, and now the details too are trash.

[Noah Sturdevant · Rating 4 out of 5]

An action packed continuation

The folks in Viridian Gate Online can’t catch a break. It looks like the world is starting to come together and the main conflict has arrived. I enjoyed the book, as I have the others, but there l’ll admit to skimming some of the battles. James didn’t do anything wrong, I just prefer the more character oriented parts. That being said, this is still well worth your time.

[Eric Cooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This is more of the same.
To me this should be 5 stars, but it's missing something.

I feel like the hero shouldn't be at such overwhelming disadvantage. He gets by somehow... and that's the problem.

Instead of making things parity he goes for the out of the box and wins... again. Out of the box is great, but if it was simple everyone would do it. It hail Mary or punt. Those are very situational and not you go to atart position.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

VGO: Imperial Legion, James Hunter’s book 4 in the series, is starting to reach critical mass. The underdogs, (our heroes) finally have a real fight with the Imperial Legion. However, true non-human evil wants everything dead and it is starting to look like evil will prevail. Lots of progression in this chapter, and startling reveals just how powerful the maker of VGO is. Already on book 5, and wow, this series is awesome. Read ‘em in order.

[Jason Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woohoo the party rages on!

SPOILERS
I really loved this latest book in the grimjack series...lots if action adventure and heavy meaty filling to an already awesome series...SPOILER
LOVED JUSTED LOVED the addition of steampunk warfare to the mixx made osmark the mustache twirling bad guy of Victorian badassness from all the old movies/books....so glad James has shared books 1-7...loving the ride and trying to hope eventually he will offer 8 as well