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Crystal Shards Online #1
Dodge Tank: A LitRPG Novel
Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
"There's only one rule … don't get hit."
Ryan's life sucks.
His brother is a jerk, his mom is sick, and his legs are next to useless thanks to a neurological disorder. Plus the world ended two centuries ago from nuclear war. Now, what's left of humanity live below ground, with the only escape from reality being the massive VR world of Crystal Shards Online.
But even in the game, Ryan's life sucks. Unable to play a combat class due to his condition, he works as a miner, earning barely enough to get by and not nearly enough to afford the operation that will save his mom's life.
When Ryan discovers an item that grants the ability to dodge any attack, however, he has the chance to become one of the game world's most elite and sought after players: a Dodge Tank.
But for someone who's never played a combat class, success isn't so easily had.
To save his mom, Ryan will have to overcome his disability and level his way to the top. But the real-world consequences are more far reaching than he ever could have imagined and the fate of not just his mother, but humanity itself, may be resting in his hands.
©2017 Rick Scott (P)2018 Podium Publishing
"There's only one rule … don't get hit."
Ryan's life sucks.
His brother is a jerk, his mom is sick, and his legs are next to useless thanks to a neurological disorder. Plus the world ended two centuries ago from nuclear war. Now, what's left of humanity live below ground, with the only escape from reality being the massive VR world of Crystal Shards Online.
But even in the game, Ryan's life sucks. Unable to play a combat class due to his condition, he works as a miner, earning barely enough to get by and not nearly enough to afford the operation that will save his mom's life.
When Ryan discovers an item that grants the ability to dodge any attack, however, he has the chance to become one of the game world's most elite and sought after players: a Dodge Tank.
But for someone who's never played a combat class, success isn't so easily had.
To save his mom, Ryan will have to overcome his disability and level his way to the top. But the real-world consequences are more far reaching than he ever could have imagined and the fate of not just his mother, but humanity itself, may be resting in his hands.
©2017 Rick Scott (P)2018 Podium Publishing
Audiobook
First published December 28, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
April 28, 2018
* * *
3 / 5
~review to come~
http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
Fun and whimsical, Dodge Tank is an easy to read and well written LitRPG novel. It was a bit too casual considering some of the serious plot elements (terminally sick mother, brother who seems to be in danger, MC is paraplegic at the beginning), but the ending really knocked it out of the park for me! Amazing!
3 / 5
~review to come~
http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
Fun and whimsical, Dodge Tank is an easy to read and well written LitRPG novel. It was a bit too casual considering some of the serious plot elements (terminally sick mother, brother who seems to be in danger, MC is paraplegic at the beginning), but the ending really knocked it out of the park for me! Amazing!
January 29, 2019
This review encompasses books 1-3 of the Crystal Shards Online series.
The first book was interesting enough that I purchased the next 2 of the series before I was finished reading it.
I hate reading/listening to a book that is fun/interesting/captivating, and then the author makes inexcusable mistakes and ruins all of the enjoyment.
The Good:
The first book was not bad; the game world was interesting enough and the real-world story was also okay. These kinds of books (LitRPG) are fairly predictable, but I enjoy them on the level of "What weird and wacky ideas of future tech are we thinking about in relation to full immersion VR gaming?" So, I'm not too critical when it comes to the actual setup as far as game world and the character's in-game vs real-world story. They are usually predictable, but I'm always looking for the cool new ideas that might set them apart. Even the mediocre books I've read/listened to in this genre have been enjoyable for me… for the most part. So my criticisms of this series have little to do with that.
The Bad:
The bad here has nothing to do with the genre, it has everything to do with the author's writing ability. There are a few things that will set me off, and in this book it is one of the greatest failures an author can make. Characters have to be believable! The setting, the tech, the bending of physics and such are all expected; we are pre-disposed to enjoy the sci-fi imaginings of the author, and as such the content in the book can fudge a little in the laws of the universe, but more so we expect to be immersed in the author's view of what future tech may hold for us. Here too Rick Scott, the author, has created an interesting enough setting for his books. However, this is not enough if you want to be an author! One has to be able to create believable characters. If you are a fiction author, please take note. If you create a smart character, then make sure your character doesn't make stupid mistakes… that just kills the immersion in the story. If you create a character of a certain age, then understand how that age affects his/her decisions. There is more to this, but if you start there and continue to ask questions about how this character would think and act then you are well on to creating a story character. Ignore this and destine yourself to the archives of unreadable literature.
**Spoiler**
The failure of this story happens in the second book. Ryan, who is 17, his first and new girlfriend, Gilly, his older brother and their friends get captured by an evil player character. So the bad player, puts everyone under a spell that forces them to do whatever he tells them to do. Then tells Ryan that the girls will join his harem. So, this bad guy intends to rape his new girlfriend as well as his other friend. In what scenario would a 17 year old, ever, not kill that bad guy if he had the chance? His youth would make him impulsive, his hormones would make him angered and jealous beyond belief, and in that instance there is no scenario where the bad guy and Ryan's team could share the same world. The bad guy already set the stakes. So when Ryan has the opportunity to kill this guy, he has a crisis of conscious because he does not want to be a murderer… he completely ignores that the situation is kill or be killed, and Scott completely ignores temperament of teenage boys. Scott ignores the intense feelings of first love; Scott ignores our human nature to protect one's tribe (especially when one is the most qualified and able to do so).
There were so many ways to believably write this part of the story: have the bad guy rescued and brought back from the brink of death, after Ryan makes his best attempt at killing him. Then, long after the confrontation, Ryan could brood on whether or not his intention to kill the guy makes him an evil person… that would almost be believable, but the stopping in the heat of the moment to feel mercy for this insane bad guy… no, you can't sell that. I don't believe Gandhi would have had that control and introspection at 17.
I lost it at this point. That mindset is not human and such reflections are true fantasy (in the sense of fantasy lacks all reality). Even a truly good person would kill in these circumstances because it is the only good that can be done in such circumstances.
Was Rick Scott trying to define good or innocence as the inability to experience the extreme emotional gambit and impulsivity of teenagers? In what human DNA exists the possibility of a teenager with the means to stop an avowed rapist from carrying out his plan to rape his girlfriend and enslave his friends, yet not act on this to save everyone he cares about? I'll grant that this is a possibility, but against all probability. Evolution does not suffer idiots and we as readers don't want authors writing about such idiots as heroes. I couldn't take the book seriously after that.
Scott attempts to justify this action, but it just made his creation the least believable character ever conceived. Even sillier, the bad guy was not even a pivotal character in the plot. Everything the bad guy did later in the book could have been done by introducing another villain. The world he writes about is dangerous and the dangers and adventures which happened after Ryan's crisis of conscious could have just as well been the actions of another villainous character had Ryan done what any other teenager would have done, kill the rapist slaver to protect everything that is precious in his life.
The third book did not redeem Scott's attempt (or lack of attempt) to create believable characters, but the third book failed additionally, in that the plot made no progress. The group is no nearer their goal than they were at the start of the book. Yes, stuff happened, but it was just filler to allow for another worthless book in a series of unbelievable character development.
Once again, to authors and would be authors, when you define a character as an author, your character must act within bounds you have created. Young characters can make unwise decisions through impulsivity, jealousy, inexperience etc. and these poor choices can be integrated into a story in a very believable way. There are, however, always limitations on what actions and choices a well written character will make.
There are many other inconsistencies in the series, but continuing this criticism won't help anyone looking for a recommendation to read or not to read this series.
The first book was interesting enough that I purchased the next 2 of the series before I was finished reading it.
I hate reading/listening to a book that is fun/interesting/captivating, and then the author makes inexcusable mistakes and ruins all of the enjoyment.
The Good:
The first book was not bad; the game world was interesting enough and the real-world story was also okay. These kinds of books (LitRPG) are fairly predictable, but I enjoy them on the level of "What weird and wacky ideas of future tech are we thinking about in relation to full immersion VR gaming?" So, I'm not too critical when it comes to the actual setup as far as game world and the character's in-game vs real-world story. They are usually predictable, but I'm always looking for the cool new ideas that might set them apart. Even the mediocre books I've read/listened to in this genre have been enjoyable for me… for the most part. So my criticisms of this series have little to do with that.
The Bad:
The bad here has nothing to do with the genre, it has everything to do with the author's writing ability. There are a few things that will set me off, and in this book it is one of the greatest failures an author can make. Characters have to be believable! The setting, the tech, the bending of physics and such are all expected; we are pre-disposed to enjoy the sci-fi imaginings of the author, and as such the content in the book can fudge a little in the laws of the universe, but more so we expect to be immersed in the author's view of what future tech may hold for us. Here too Rick Scott, the author, has created an interesting enough setting for his books. However, this is not enough if you want to be an author! One has to be able to create believable characters. If you are a fiction author, please take note. If you create a smart character, then make sure your character doesn't make stupid mistakes… that just kills the immersion in the story. If you create a character of a certain age, then understand how that age affects his/her decisions. There is more to this, but if you start there and continue to ask questions about how this character would think and act then you are well on to creating a story character. Ignore this and destine yourself to the archives of unreadable literature.
**Spoiler**
The failure of this story happens in the second book. Ryan, who is 17, his first and new girlfriend, Gilly, his older brother and their friends get captured by an evil player character. So the bad player, puts everyone under a spell that forces them to do whatever he tells them to do. Then tells Ryan that the girls will join his harem. So, this bad guy intends to rape his new girlfriend as well as his other friend. In what scenario would a 17 year old, ever, not kill that bad guy if he had the chance? His youth would make him impulsive, his hormones would make him angered and jealous beyond belief, and in that instance there is no scenario where the bad guy and Ryan's team could share the same world. The bad guy already set the stakes. So when Ryan has the opportunity to kill this guy, he has a crisis of conscious because he does not want to be a murderer… he completely ignores that the situation is kill or be killed, and Scott completely ignores temperament of teenage boys. Scott ignores the intense feelings of first love; Scott ignores our human nature to protect one's tribe (especially when one is the most qualified and able to do so).
There were so many ways to believably write this part of the story: have the bad guy rescued and brought back from the brink of death, after Ryan makes his best attempt at killing him. Then, long after the confrontation, Ryan could brood on whether or not his intention to kill the guy makes him an evil person… that would almost be believable, but the stopping in the heat of the moment to feel mercy for this insane bad guy… no, you can't sell that. I don't believe Gandhi would have had that control and introspection at 17.
I lost it at this point. That mindset is not human and such reflections are true fantasy (in the sense of fantasy lacks all reality). Even a truly good person would kill in these circumstances because it is the only good that can be done in such circumstances.
Was Rick Scott trying to define good or innocence as the inability to experience the extreme emotional gambit and impulsivity of teenagers? In what human DNA exists the possibility of a teenager with the means to stop an avowed rapist from carrying out his plan to rape his girlfriend and enslave his friends, yet not act on this to save everyone he cares about? I'll grant that this is a possibility, but against all probability. Evolution does not suffer idiots and we as readers don't want authors writing about such idiots as heroes. I couldn't take the book seriously after that.
Scott attempts to justify this action, but it just made his creation the least believable character ever conceived. Even sillier, the bad guy was not even a pivotal character in the plot. Everything the bad guy did later in the book could have been done by introducing another villain. The world he writes about is dangerous and the dangers and adventures which happened after Ryan's crisis of conscious could have just as well been the actions of another villainous character had Ryan done what any other teenager would have done, kill the rapist slaver to protect everything that is precious in his life.
The third book did not redeem Scott's attempt (or lack of attempt) to create believable characters, but the third book failed additionally, in that the plot made no progress. The group is no nearer their goal than they were at the start of the book. Yes, stuff happened, but it was just filler to allow for another worthless book in a series of unbelievable character development.
Once again, to authors and would be authors, when you define a character as an author, your character must act within bounds you have created. Young characters can make unwise decisions through impulsivity, jealousy, inexperience etc. and these poor choices can be integrated into a story in a very believable way. There are, however, always limitations on what actions and choices a well written character will make.
There are many other inconsistencies in the series, but continuing this criticism won't help anyone looking for a recommendation to read or not to read this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2017
So, read this review.
Ok, first off, I just about quit when the author tried to explain stats and the game. I mean, in an apocalyptic society... they play a ninja version of WOW? And the main was super retarded for at least 10 or 20 chapters before he got slightly less retarded... and then...
PURE FRIGGIN MAGIC
Suddenly a plot appeared. Suddenly... everything came together with a snap and I couldn’t stop reading. This instantly went from a “well... that was a strange WOW clone” to an excellent book. Drama, love, betrayal, drive, flaws, character development, sacrifice, and twists worth opening.a fly trap for.
Some of it was predictable, but most were a pleasant surprise.
Anyways, this is worth reading. Just skip the stats stuff while knowing that he goes max DEX and AGI. It honestly doesn’t impact the story at all. The title is more of a spoiler than if I’d put his full stat sheet in this review.
You’ll enjoy this book if you like LITRPG. You’ll wonder what you are reading if you don’t.
Ok, first off, I just about quit when the author tried to explain stats and the game. I mean, in an apocalyptic society... they play a ninja version of WOW? And the main was super retarded for at least 10 or 20 chapters before he got slightly less retarded... and then...
PURE FRIGGIN MAGIC
Suddenly a plot appeared. Suddenly... everything came together with a snap and I couldn’t stop reading. This instantly went from a “well... that was a strange WOW clone” to an excellent book. Drama, love, betrayal, drive, flaws, character development, sacrifice, and twists worth opening.a fly trap for.
Some of it was predictable, but most were a pleasant surprise.
Anyways, this is worth reading. Just skip the stats stuff while knowing that he goes max DEX and AGI. It honestly doesn’t impact the story at all. The title is more of a spoiler than if I’d put his full stat sheet in this review.
You’ll enjoy this book if you like LITRPG. You’ll wonder what you are reading if you don’t.
July 10, 2018
I absolutely loved it. Maybe I was just in a great mood but it reminded me in a good way of Ready Player One and I just tore through the audio.
October 7, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I came to this book after reading something that I thought was really bad, so maybe I was in a bit of a pessimistic mindset. I saw the telltale signs of the usual litrpg tropes and was just really wishing for something unique to hit me like a splash of cold water and get me back in the game.
Dodge Tank didn't hit me so quickly or stunningly, but similar to the frog in the boiling pot, my circumstances slowly shifted and then, before I knew it, I was enjoying this story.
The main character started off being a little generic and somewhat like the standard nice guy who finishes last, or maybe I was just being impatient. His motivations and situation became more fleshed out as the story progressed and I ended up on board. What a wonder having a main character who isn't a hateful p.o.s. can be. Take note, other litrpg authors. I think you know who you are.
The game mechanics were pretty well-designed in Crystal Shards. Even though I usually like to spend more time in the early game, I thoroughly enjoyed the progression not only of the character in-game avatar and his relationships with people he met, but also the real world storyline that served as a driving force for the character.
Over all, I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was a little passive and could use some stronger wording, but that's my only complaint and it's a minor one. I would recommend this for anyone who is interested in moving from something mainstream like Ready Player One into something a little more litrpg without getting overly crunchy.
Dodge Tank didn't hit me so quickly or stunningly, but similar to the frog in the boiling pot, my circumstances slowly shifted and then, before I knew it, I was enjoying this story.
The main character started off being a little generic and somewhat like the standard nice guy who finishes last, or maybe I was just being impatient. His motivations and situation became more fleshed out as the story progressed and I ended up on board. What a wonder having a main character who isn't a hateful p.o.s. can be. Take note, other litrpg authors. I think you know who you are.
The game mechanics were pretty well-designed in Crystal Shards. Even though I usually like to spend more time in the early game, I thoroughly enjoyed the progression not only of the character in-game avatar and his relationships with people he met, but also the real world storyline that served as a driving force for the character.
Over all, I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was a little passive and could use some stronger wording, but that's my only complaint and it's a minor one. I would recommend this for anyone who is interested in moving from something mainstream like Ready Player One into something a little more litrpg without getting overly crunchy.
January 9, 2018
Was OK
This is definitely just another YA book. The MC is an absolute moron. I think the author tried to pull off the "lovable buffoon" but the MC just comes across as plain stupid and naive. Also the characters just happens to become BFFs after knowing each other for minutes, which to me happens way too often in YA books. They basicly skip the good parts about gaining trust, aligned goals and everything else that makes people friends.
What makes the book OK is the MCs motivations and his family dynamic. The post-apocalyptic kind of setting was definitely a big plus for me. The actual game itself is set in a typical fantasy but felt lackluster and small scale.
Will not read the sequel.
This is definitely just another YA book. The MC is an absolute moron. I think the author tried to pull off the "lovable buffoon" but the MC just comes across as plain stupid and naive. Also the characters just happens to become BFFs after knowing each other for minutes, which to me happens way too often in YA books. They basicly skip the good parts about gaining trust, aligned goals and everything else that makes people friends.
What makes the book OK is the MCs motivations and his family dynamic. The post-apocalyptic kind of setting was definitely a big plus for me. The actual game itself is set in a typical fantasy but felt lackluster and small scale.
Will not read the sequel.
January 30, 2018
Entertaining book, but not really “good”
It kept me entertained, but there was no point where i really felt it clicked. The relationship with the high level protagonist is strained and takes abrupt turns, and the story line ends up in a utter free fall nearing the end. I liked it, but i cant claim it was all that great.
It kept me entertained, but there was no point where i really felt it clicked. The relationship with the high level protagonist is strained and takes abrupt turns, and the story line ends up in a utter free fall nearing the end. I liked it, but i cant claim it was all that great.
January 13, 2024
09/29/2019 Notes:
Fun YA LitRPG
Great Narration, Engaging Story
Fun YA LitRPG
Great Narration, Engaging Story
March 20, 2019
3.75☆
November 18, 2018
Liked the premise. Maze runner meets Litrpg. Nice plot twists at the end.
May 9, 2022
Did not finish because the author just throws out his set up without thought or substance. For example, the MC can't walk and for some reason plays a VR game that insists on punishing him for that fact by making his dexterity permanently negative 10 (or so we are told but I assume that changes since the MC, a miner, finds an over-powered scroll that can only be used by a ninja).
Add to the poor set up a ridiculous list of woes: MC is broke so has to work in a VR game as a miner; MC still can't afford rent or mother's medicine so mother has to work as a VR prostitute; mom is not just sick but has terminal cancer and will die in 6 months unless MC can somehow come up with the 400K needed for surgery; MC's brother is such a jerk that, not only does brother not contribute meaningfully to the household, but brother also rips the VR helmet off MC while MC is toiling away trying to get enough money to pay the rent by the end of the week.
This set up was so poorly thought out that by the time I was 14% of the way in I gave up. I mean just think about how much time and effort programmers would have to put in to make certain people who can't walk in real life be punished in their game. (Think about how that would affect games sales and PR too.) Then think about how stupid the MC must be to work in that game rather than another. Why would that function exist in a game at all??? And sure the MC may be stuck playing the game that punishes him because he needed work and couldn't find work elsewhere, but if that is the case the author failed to mention it in the portion of the book I listened to. In fact the author seems unaware of the issue treating it as perfectly reasonable for the MC to choose to work in a VR game that punishes him for being unable to walk.
Bottom line: Don't waste your time.
Add to the poor set up a ridiculous list of woes: MC is broke so has to work in a VR game as a miner; MC still can't afford rent or mother's medicine so mother has to work as a VR prostitute; mom is not just sick but has terminal cancer and will die in 6 months unless MC can somehow come up with the 400K needed for surgery; MC's brother is such a jerk that, not only does brother not contribute meaningfully to the household, but brother also rips the VR helmet off MC while MC is toiling away trying to get enough money to pay the rent by the end of the week.
This set up was so poorly thought out that by the time I was 14% of the way in I gave up. I mean just think about how much time and effort programmers would have to put in to make certain people who can't walk in real life be punished in their game. (Think about how that would affect games sales and PR too.) Then think about how stupid the MC must be to work in that game rather than another. Why would that function exist in a game at all??? And sure the MC may be stuck playing the game that punishes him because he needed work and couldn't find work elsewhere, but if that is the case the author failed to mention it in the portion of the book I listened to. In fact the author seems unaware of the issue treating it as perfectly reasonable for the MC to choose to work in a VR game that punishes him for being unable to walk.
Bottom line: Don't waste your time.
February 17, 2018
I sincerely wish I had not read the last pages of this book, but I did.
Up until then, it was one of the better LitRPG I have read, reasonably original without being hard to get, with a good forward momentum, intuitive game mechanics, believable characters and especially a believable main character who was motivated by the needs of his real-world family. It was not hard to cheer this guy on, and his moral choices were poignant and realistic. The semi-dystopian real-life setting was consistent and done in a way that added to the main (in-game) part of the story rather than detracting from it. Things sped up a bit toward the last part of the book, with the expected climax coming sooner than expected, by characters as well as the reader.
And then, in the last few pages, the book changes genre from LitRPG to generic dystopia. But more importantly, we learn that everything that motivated the main character was meaningless: Even though he had succeeded against impossible odds through desperate dedication, it actually didn't matter, because [spoiler].
But hey, it was fun while it lasted, and the writecraft was good. Aspiring writers could do worse than study this. And if you're a fan of bit plot twists at the end of books, you may actually enjoy this. Me, I am not amused. In all fairness, it is better than stories that end with the viewpoint character warking up and it was all a dream. More like a romance novel where the couple finally gets together and then nuclear war breaks out, to be continued in the next book. Thanks, but no thanks. I have already read the part that interested me, and I don't need that kind of escalation.
Up until then, it was one of the better LitRPG I have read, reasonably original without being hard to get, with a good forward momentum, intuitive game mechanics, believable characters and especially a believable main character who was motivated by the needs of his real-world family. It was not hard to cheer this guy on, and his moral choices were poignant and realistic. The semi-dystopian real-life setting was consistent and done in a way that added to the main (in-game) part of the story rather than detracting from it. Things sped up a bit toward the last part of the book, with the expected climax coming sooner than expected, by characters as well as the reader.
And then, in the last few pages, the book changes genre from LitRPG to generic dystopia. But more importantly, we learn that everything that motivated the main character was meaningless: Even though he had succeeded against impossible odds through desperate dedication, it actually didn't matter, because [spoiler].
But hey, it was fun while it lasted, and the writecraft was good. Aspiring writers could do worse than study this. And if you're a fan of bit plot twists at the end of books, you may actually enjoy this. Me, I am not amused. In all fairness, it is better than stories that end with the viewpoint character warking up and it was all a dream. More like a romance novel where the couple finally gets together and then nuclear war breaks out, to be continued in the next book. Thanks, but no thanks. I have already read the part that interested me, and I don't need that kind of escalation.
November 23, 2021
Wow!
While I saw the ending coming, I gotta say, this is a great story.
I'm looking forward to book two and hope it will be out soon.
I recommend this book for those that enjoy litrpg.
While I saw the ending coming, I gotta say, this is a great story.
I'm looking forward to book two and hope it will be out soon.
I recommend this book for those that enjoy litrpg.
February 2, 2018
Oh my god that was good
This was my first litrpg and I couldn't put it down! Now I can't wait for the next one to release!
This was my first litrpg and I couldn't put it down! Now I can't wait for the next one to release!
April 30, 2019
The story is sort of a mix of VR & Portal style of LitRPG. Follows the main character Reece and his journey to being a "mythical" dodge tank in less than a week in the worlds of Crystal Shards. It is a little odd to have something so mundane seemingly be the main focus of the story. Reece is also almost unbearably naive about almost everything and yet seems to be the one to provide random bits of insight and foresight going forward in the story. The real interest of the book came near the end as the story finally progresses past this prologue that makes up most of the book.
The supporting character cast is relatively solid. You have the love interest, the main character's motivator, the veteran mentor, typical antagonist, family drama, and plot pushers. Some are more interesting or fun characters than others, but they all seem to fit their role in some way.
The world itself reminds me of the one in The Matrix in that the world is pretty much taken over by the AI and everyone whiles away their lives in the simulation. I cannot help but feel that there is a wild split between how people act in game versus how you would expect most people to act in the situation that they are in. Maybe it is because the story is told from Reece's perspective, but it just seems odd that so many people seem to treat the Crystal Shards as a game rather than something more despite how much it meshes with the real world.
The writing style is reminiscent of young adult which makes sense in context of the character and genre, but was a little off putting while reading. There was a little too much "Oh no! I need to focus; I can't screw this up." or "Wow! The stats on this are amazing!" and other similar exclamations scattered throughout the book.
The numbers and game system are sort of just there as window dressing to be honest and is almost more of a plot device than anything. While there are some mentions here and there, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of explanation in regards to how important the stats are. Skills for all their uses are very vague in what they do. Stats are just numbers that go up with very little tangible affect other than the obvious life pool. That being said, the book does make heavy mention of the game system throughout the book so you do get the feeling that it affects things. Also, money is a joke in this game, numbers feel so arbitrary.
Overall the story was interesting and only got more interesting near the end. I could have really done without a lot of the naivety of the main character and his seemingly being surprised at every little thing, but he seems to get better as the story goes along. Will read the other books and see where those lead.
The supporting character cast is relatively solid. You have the love interest, the main character's motivator, the veteran mentor, typical antagonist, family drama, and plot pushers. Some are more interesting or fun characters than others, but they all seem to fit their role in some way.
The world itself reminds me of the one in The Matrix in that the world is pretty much taken over by the AI and everyone whiles away their lives in the simulation. I cannot help but feel that there is a wild split between how people act in game versus how you would expect most people to act in the situation that they are in. Maybe it is because the story is told from Reece's perspective, but it just seems odd that so many people seem to treat the Crystal Shards as a game rather than something more despite how much it meshes with the real world.
The writing style is reminiscent of young adult which makes sense in context of the character and genre, but was a little off putting while reading. There was a little too much "Oh no! I need to focus; I can't screw this up." or "Wow! The stats on this are amazing!" and other similar exclamations scattered throughout the book.
The numbers and game system are sort of just there as window dressing to be honest and is almost more of a plot device than anything. While there are some mentions here and there, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of explanation in regards to how important the stats are. Skills for all their uses are very vague in what they do. Stats are just numbers that go up with very little tangible affect other than the obvious life pool. That being said, the book does make heavy mention of the game system throughout the book so you do get the feeling that it affects things. Also, money is a joke in this game, numbers feel so arbitrary.
Overall the story was interesting and only got more interesting near the end. I could have really done without a lot of the naivety of the main character and his seemingly being surprised at every little thing, but he seems to get better as the story goes along. Will read the other books and see where those lead.
June 29, 2022
More a 3.5 than a 4 for me, but as it was enjoyable overall I decided to give it a 4. But there were a lot of head scratchers and problems for me in the details. The whole LitRPG system behind it wasn't very convincing, as the abilities to make this dodge tank work are clearly broken combined with a slim chance of actually becoming one. Yes, there is talk about it still requires skill, but it wasn't enough for me.
Combined with what felt like random numbers for XP and credits (the latter had been somewhat explained and diminished by what the story leads up to) it wasn't as engaging as other books I've read. Sometimes the author writes only about percentages to damage, but on few occasions we actually get clear numbers, which seem not to make that much sense, if I were to compare all of them. And I'm far from a stickler for accuracy in what is just a tool used by an author for progression's sake and because readers like it. But in this, it felt blatantly inaccurate and therefore immersion breaking. More often than usually I didn't care for the system behind the story, which made these aspects a bit more boring. Especially listening to an audio book in which the narrator repeats the same sentence way too often... "Congratulations. You've gained a level. x10"
Somehow the MC and his girl buddy spend a long time inside the game as miners and are just level 5. But then, they get into a cave and gain 3 levels in one evening. Or, 10 levels difference leads to no XP gained, even though that character had been clearly involved in fighting the monster.
Ok, but enough about the system.
The author did a good job in placing urgency and questions inside the story that motivated me to continue in order to find out about these things. Namely, what's up with Mike and the feud between Val and Iko. The whole "I have to save my mum" got a bit tedious, but made sense.
What I liked less was the heavy inner monologue of the MC at times, but overall it wasn't too bad. The interaction between him and Gilly, though, was cringeworthy at best. But I guess that's to be expected by a 17- and 16-year old. Still, rather annoying with the "babes".
The reveal at the end made it quite interesting. I can't say I actually understood what happened or how it's possible, but it's intriguing nonetheless. Somehow their underground world is in danger because credits are just a farce and now they are somewhat as their characters in the real world and need to figure stuff out.
Because of that, I might be tempted to read the second book. Without it, I probably wouldn't, although I don't think this is a bad book.
Combined with what felt like random numbers for XP and credits (the latter had been somewhat explained and diminished by what the story leads up to) it wasn't as engaging as other books I've read. Sometimes the author writes only about percentages to damage, but on few occasions we actually get clear numbers, which seem not to make that much sense, if I were to compare all of them. And I'm far from a stickler for accuracy in what is just a tool used by an author for progression's sake and because readers like it. But in this, it felt blatantly inaccurate and therefore immersion breaking. More often than usually I didn't care for the system behind the story, which made these aspects a bit more boring. Especially listening to an audio book in which the narrator repeats the same sentence way too often... "Congratulations. You've gained a level. x10"
Somehow the MC and his girl buddy spend a long time inside the game as miners and are just level 5. But then, they get into a cave and gain 3 levels in one evening. Or, 10 levels difference leads to no XP gained, even though that character had been clearly involved in fighting the monster.
Ok, but enough about the system.
The author did a good job in placing urgency and questions inside the story that motivated me to continue in order to find out about these things. Namely, what's up with Mike and the feud between Val and Iko. The whole "I have to save my mum" got a bit tedious, but made sense.
What I liked less was the heavy inner monologue of the MC at times, but overall it wasn't too bad. The interaction between him and Gilly, though, was cringeworthy at best. But I guess that's to be expected by a 17- and 16-year old. Still, rather annoying with the "babes".
The reveal at the end made it quite interesting. I can't say I actually understood what happened or how it's possible, but it's intriguing nonetheless. Somehow their underground world is in danger because credits are just a farce and now they are somewhat as their characters in the real world and need to figure stuff out.
Because of that, I might be tempted to read the second book. Without it, I probably wouldn't, although I don't think this is a bad book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2022
Mixed thoughts about this series....
I have abandoned at the beginning of book 4 as my frustration has built up over the series.
The setting is very good, post-apocalyptic world where humans live in underground cities, virtual reality game that is core to society and has a hidden agenda. The concept of using avatars in the "real world" is an interesting concept but i still don't understand how the "real world" is still like the "game world" with all the game mechanics in play. However, strangeness is par for the course in this genre.
The problem lies in the lack of depth in the characters or storyline and the many 'Ex Machina' moments. i.e. the convenient timing and convenient appearance of a pivotal skill or item that changes things from one extreme to the other. These devices are overused, there are so many near-death experiences (virtually every fight) that jeopardy of death loses meaning.
The main character is a ninja i.e. an assassin with huge stealth abilities, yet he never seems to use them. The entire party seems to pick really crazy moments to have discussions, just after escaping the fort and the besieging army through the tunnel. They stop after exiting and have a nice talk, even though the army is right behind them in the tunnel. Aiko, the thief, has an awareness over 300 which is at least 3x anyone else yet she, nor anyone else in the party doesn't notice the huge giant sneaking up on them and smacking them with a hammer!!
That is one of many clumsy devices used to cast the party from one crisis to another, like the near death experiences the crisis moments also lose their effect through overuse. The party is shown as a highly competent and skilled team one moment to unskilled, stupid idiots the next.
The counterpoint is that up until i abandoned this was a great page tuner and i may come back to this series once i regain my tolerance for the clumsy plot advancement.
I have abandoned at the beginning of book 4 as my frustration has built up over the series.
The setting is very good, post-apocalyptic world where humans live in underground cities, virtual reality game that is core to society and has a hidden agenda. The concept of using avatars in the "real world" is an interesting concept but i still don't understand how the "real world" is still like the "game world" with all the game mechanics in play. However, strangeness is par for the course in this genre.
The problem lies in the lack of depth in the characters or storyline and the many 'Ex Machina' moments. i.e. the convenient timing and convenient appearance of a pivotal skill or item that changes things from one extreme to the other. These devices are overused, there are so many near-death experiences (virtually every fight) that jeopardy of death loses meaning.
The main character is a ninja i.e. an assassin with huge stealth abilities, yet he never seems to use them. The entire party seems to pick really crazy moments to have discussions, just after escaping the fort and the besieging army through the tunnel. They stop after exiting and have a nice talk, even though the army is right behind them in the tunnel. Aiko, the thief, has an awareness over 300 which is at least 3x anyone else yet she, nor anyone else in the party doesn't notice the huge giant sneaking up on them and smacking them with a hammer!!
That is one of many clumsy devices used to cast the party from one crisis to another, like the near death experiences the crisis moments also lose their effect through overuse. The party is shown as a highly competent and skilled team one moment to unskilled, stupid idiots the next.
The counterpoint is that up until i abandoned this was a great page tuner and i may come back to this series once i regain my tolerance for the clumsy plot advancement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2025
It's annoying to read. There are no stakes in most stuff that happens. The game mechanics make little sense. Combat is boring. The love arc is ruined by how utterly stupid the MC is.
The beginning is aiming at making the stakes high with "dying mother needs money" story. Other than that, there is no tension to any fight. The MC either lives or dies. It doesn't matter because it's a game and you just respawn. The fights feel like a log from a game: hit, miss, dodge, hit, loose aggro, regain aggro...
The game mechanics seem poorly thought. The MC is level 6 after SIX MONTHS, but then gains two levels in a few hours doing exactly the same. Monsters drop real money and MC makes money way to fast after swithing classes. This would break the world economy. Why would anyone want to work in real life?
The love arc is kind of sweet except when the MC makes any decision which had me raging. He basicly is handed a girlfriend on a silver plate. A girl that is basicly stalking him for half a year, flirts with him and jumps at a possibility to kiss him. AND STILL, the MC knows exactly how to mess this up, multiple times, in worst possible moments. For example: I was half hoping that he isn't THAT stupid and when he wants to include a person that he "ows everything to" and he sees how his girlfriend deflates... well I was hoping for "it's you obviously! Thank you for always being there for me and doing all the research on what I need to do to play this game". Boy, was I disappointed...
The beginning is aiming at making the stakes high with "dying mother needs money" story. Other than that, there is no tension to any fight. The MC either lives or dies. It doesn't matter because it's a game and you just respawn. The fights feel like a log from a game: hit, miss, dodge, hit, loose aggro, regain aggro...
The game mechanics seem poorly thought. The MC is level 6 after SIX MONTHS, but then gains two levels in a few hours doing exactly the same. Monsters drop real money and MC makes money way to fast after swithing classes. This would break the world economy. Why would anyone want to work in real life?
The love arc is kind of sweet except when the MC makes any decision which had me raging. He basicly is handed a girlfriend on a silver plate. A girl that is basicly stalking him for half a year, flirts with him and jumps at a possibility to kiss him. AND STILL, the MC knows exactly how to mess this up, multiple times, in worst possible moments. For example: I was half hoping that he isn't THAT stupid and when he wants to include a person that he "ows everything to" and he sees how his girlfriend deflates... well I was hoping for "it's you obviously! Thank you for always being there for me and doing all the research on what I need to do to play this game". Boy, was I disappointed...
August 10, 2021
Just cross the finish line
OK I’m not sure how to review this book I’m giving it five stars. This comes with a caveat you need to get to the end of the book. I won’t spoil why but the end is what brings everything together.
Now if you really dive deep into these types of books like I do you will feel like I felt that the game dynamics game system overall seems flawed for lack of a better word. There seems to be no real different The characters someone can create. You’ll see that once the main character starts to grow and level up he can pull up a guide that tells him what to do to me that breaks The invisible wall we want in a game like this. You actually see it several times in the book where the character can pull up for lack of a better word a strategy guide will be given a strategy on what to do to reach a certain point. However keep in mind what I said get to the end of the book. No spoiler but that changes everything. I did not see this coming. All I will say is this it takes the typical ideas we have for RPG‘s that have been in place for a long time you know when you have a strategy guy that’s available to the public sounds that I’ve been developed for people to play in PVP of course and other things I won’t mention and it flips them on their head. You won’t see it coming trust me. Can’t wait to dive right into the next book in the series you would definitely want to know what happens next like I want to know what’s going to happen next.
OK I’m not sure how to review this book I’m giving it five stars. This comes with a caveat you need to get to the end of the book. I won’t spoil why but the end is what brings everything together.
Now if you really dive deep into these types of books like I do you will feel like I felt that the game dynamics game system overall seems flawed for lack of a better word. There seems to be no real different The characters someone can create. You’ll see that once the main character starts to grow and level up he can pull up a guide that tells him what to do to me that breaks The invisible wall we want in a game like this. You actually see it several times in the book where the character can pull up for lack of a better word a strategy guide will be given a strategy on what to do to reach a certain point. However keep in mind what I said get to the end of the book. No spoiler but that changes everything. I did not see this coming. All I will say is this it takes the typical ideas we have for RPG‘s that have been in place for a long time you know when you have a strategy guy that’s available to the public sounds that I’ve been developed for people to play in PVP of course and other things I won’t mention and it flips them on their head. You won’t see it coming trust me. Can’t wait to dive right into the next book in the series you would definitely want to know what happens next like I want to know what’s going to happen next.
November 30, 2020
I cannot, in good conscience, give this book any less than a 5 star review.
Generally speaking, I prefer litRPG of either the post apocalyptic genre, or the locked in genre. Making the real world feel important to the story while maintaining the LitRPG feeling requires talent and a sense for story composition that is hard to find. Dodge tank nails it, although, full disclosure, it is technically post apocalyptic, although not in the way you might be thinking. More of a ready player one post apocalyptic. It also involves many common tropes of the genre and yet, here they all work is a way that, for me, they've never worked before for any other title. I generally find these kinds of motivation boring, due to their artificial nature... And yet, here, they work.
Epic story, can't wait to read more.
Generally speaking, I prefer litRPG of either the post apocalyptic genre, or the locked in genre. Making the real world feel important to the story while maintaining the LitRPG feeling requires talent and a sense for story composition that is hard to find. Dodge tank nails it, although, full disclosure, it is technically post apocalyptic, although not in the way you might be thinking. More of a ready player one post apocalyptic. It also involves many common tropes of the genre and yet, here they all work is a way that, for me, they've never worked before for any other title. I generally find these kinds of motivation boring, due to their artificial nature... And yet, here, they work.
Epic story, can't wait to read more.
December 2, 2020
Not bad but the mc is a immature brat. He flirts and puts every girl on a pedestal. His best friend is in love with him and they kinda start dating. But he keeps flirting with other girls which upsets her and he can't figure out why it's bothering her? I mean he is staring at the other girls ass and tits constantly and forgets about her when she is there and kinda treats her like sh1t. It really makes him look like a dirty scumbag.
Top it off the mc is mentally retarded. Like he is a complete moron. He follows people to a pvp zone. And he is so surprised people would kill him. Like that is inbred stupid. Oh and the author inverted a insane huge plot hole. I mean there is no reason for him to lie to his family but he does so he can kill his brother I guess. I mean he acts like he wants to save him yet he easily could have but chose not 2. He lies and lies and you never know why he is lying. It's so insanely stupid.
Top it off the mc is mentally retarded. Like he is a complete moron. He follows people to a pvp zone. And he is so surprised people would kill him. Like that is inbred stupid. Oh and the author inverted a insane huge plot hole. I mean there is no reason for him to lie to his family but he does so he can kill his brother I guess. I mean he acts like he wants to save him yet he easily could have but chose not 2. He lies and lies and you never know why he is lying. It's so insanely stupid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2021
Watch a bumbling fool get challenged again and again and each time he gets bailed out by his luck or someone else. Here's the twist, it's not the classic comedy plot of a everything working out for the bumbling fool. No it's all played completely straight.
It's disappointing really there are some good ideas to make a fun book in there, but the author doesn't know how to solve any of the problems so they're just poofed away in a puff of smoke, and as a result the protagonist has about as much agency as a roller-coaster.
The protagonist is dull as a spoon, some of it while frustrating can be boiled down to inexperience and naivety, other times it can't.
There's the regular cookie cutter ya romance subplot.
There's a bit of somewhat fun world building.
wouldn't recommend picking it up unless the author substantially improves in later volumes, but I'm not willing to read them to find out.
It's disappointing really there are some good ideas to make a fun book in there, but the author doesn't know how to solve any of the problems so they're just poofed away in a puff of smoke, and as a result the protagonist has about as much agency as a roller-coaster.
The protagonist is dull as a spoon, some of it while frustrating can be boiled down to inexperience and naivety, other times it can't.
There's the regular cookie cutter ya romance subplot.
There's a bit of somewhat fun world building.
wouldn't recommend picking it up unless the author substantially improves in later volumes, but I'm not willing to read them to find out.
June 25, 2018
This book really took me by surprise. I picked to read it because I'm thinking of trying my hand at LitRPG, and I want to get a good feel for the genre. The first book I picked up, The Land by Aleron Kong, was okay, but I didn't feel a huge connection to the story.
This one was very different. Right from the beginning, the author makes you care about the main character. He suffers from a disorder that makes his legs almost useless, and yet he's still trying to take care of his sick mom.
That's the story I cared about. The RPG elements were okay. Nothing groundbreaking there. But it was the dystopian science fiction story surrounding those elements that really grabbed my intention. I really liked the way the author interwove those elements into an exciting story. The ending had me dying to read more.
Rating: 9/10
This one was very different. Right from the beginning, the author makes you care about the main character. He suffers from a disorder that makes his legs almost useless, and yet he's still trying to take care of his sick mom.
That's the story I cared about. The RPG elements were okay. Nothing groundbreaking there. But it was the dystopian science fiction story surrounding those elements that really grabbed my intention. I really liked the way the author interwove those elements into an exciting story. The ending had me dying to read more.
Rating: 9/10
April 4, 2019
Good start
Over all i liked the book however there are some things I didn't like it had problems with. First the book was slow to roll and was a 3 book till mid point when it got much better. Some of this is due to our MC being rather thick headed and noobie which wouldn't be bad except he has played for much of his life. His gaps in knowledge and lore is astounding for a place where almost everyone is jacked in. I also am not a fan of books with a fixed class and skill system. I prefer a more fluid skill system so that each person can have a slightly different skill set instead of everyone of a class being the same. That said the second half of the book was much better and though the ending was not a novel or a surprise concept (Beginners luck), it was fun and set the stage for more sequels. I do look forward to more books in this series.
Over all i liked the book however there are some things I didn't like it had problems with. First the book was slow to roll and was a 3 book till mid point when it got much better. Some of this is due to our MC being rather thick headed and noobie which wouldn't be bad except he has played for much of his life. His gaps in knowledge and lore is astounding for a place where almost everyone is jacked in. I also am not a fan of books with a fixed class and skill system. I prefer a more fluid skill system so that each person can have a slightly different skill set instead of everyone of a class being the same. That said the second half of the book was much better and though the ending was not a novel or a surprise concept (Beginners luck), it was fun and set the stage for more sequels. I do look forward to more books in this series.
February 25, 2018
Had an interesting start and a bloody awesome finish.
My god this was an awesome story. It has been a while since I read a litrpg book that was so complete and so well thought out. The characters were made with great attention to detail and the world building was done nicely. The MC was a truly good hearted person and didn't behave like an arrogant evil idiot(you can't believe how many stories nowadays have an evil or arrogant MCs). The game system was very well made. The beginning was a bit slow but from the mid point to the end the story was bloody amazing and I can't wait for the next book. And the heroine was just so cute and incredible. I liked how brave her character is.
I highly recommend this book.
My god this was an awesome story. It has been a while since I read a litrpg book that was so complete and so well thought out. The characters were made with great attention to detail and the world building was done nicely. The MC was a truly good hearted person and didn't behave like an arrogant evil idiot(you can't believe how many stories nowadays have an evil or arrogant MCs). The game system was very well made. The beginning was a bit slow but from the mid point to the end the story was bloody amazing and I can't wait for the next book. And the heroine was just so cute and incredible. I liked how brave her character is.
I highly recommend this book.
June 27, 2018
Solid story, though for the majority of the book, I couldn't help but think of it as a "paint by numbers" LitRPG. It's got everything readers of LitRPGs have come to expect, and it really doesn't stray from the formula until the very end. That's a shame, since I'm led to expect fresh ideas from the next book, but didn't really get anything here, even though it was enjoyable enough. So, do I gamble on the next book being a refreshing departure from the usual formula, or do I assume it's not going to make an effort to be any more creative and interesting than book one? That's not a question authors should leave their readers with, especially considering all the other new series I've been digging into that have have been truly new and different all the way through.
July 28, 2018
Pretty dang good litrpg. If you’re a fan of playing the OP toon in MMOs, or power leveling the this book is for you. There an over arching plot behind the sciences that really had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure it out. I also like that Mr. Scott doesn’t get bogged down with every single mob pull or encounter. It’s sometimes nice to read a litrpg that doesn’t have a ton of world building it and this book fits that description well. You learn about the real life world as you read the story and it was nice to just sit back and enjoy a guy leveling and doing his in game stuff without worrying about buildings that he has to have to survive. Don’t get me wrong I like that stuff too but as one of my favorite reviewers says, this is pure brain candy. Read it! Now!
November 8, 2019
Captivating from the beginning! Not sure why people say it was boring at first... this is how great books and book series are written. You have to develop characters, plots, build the world, etc...
So you have some context on where im coming from, my genre's of choice are LitRPG and Urban Fantasy. My favorite books are:
1. The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
2. Chaos Seeds - Aleron Kong
3. Ascend Online - Luke Chimilenko
4. Red Mage - Zander Boyce
5. Alex Verus - Benedict Jacka
6. Anthem of Infinity - Blaise Corvin
7. Awaken Online - Travis Bagwell
(These are just a few, for more, see my "Read" tab)
Rick Scott has a great story here. I love the world, the characters, classes, and everything he has built to far. I can't wait to continue reading, and at the same time I'm dreading the end.
So you have some context on where im coming from, my genre's of choice are LitRPG and Urban Fantasy. My favorite books are:
1. The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
2. Chaos Seeds - Aleron Kong
3. Ascend Online - Luke Chimilenko
4. Red Mage - Zander Boyce
5. Alex Verus - Benedict Jacka
6. Anthem of Infinity - Blaise Corvin
7. Awaken Online - Travis Bagwell
(These are just a few, for more, see my "Read" tab)
Rick Scott has a great story here. I love the world, the characters, classes, and everything he has built to far. I can't wait to continue reading, and at the same time I'm dreading the end.
June 19, 2022
This story is a little too similar to Matrix movie series...so this is a Fantasy-dystopian novel series, where the million or so humans left over after the machines took over the world, live underground and play a game all day long because they have nowhere to go and nothing else to do...
Illustrator redesigns/remakes what one would think are the clothes and weapons of a thief-ninja (main character on the cover).
Author creates a set of rules for the game, for this novel series, to later just break them. Story needs consistency and polish to remove a lot of the plot holes.
Someone should teach the author to use the spell-check grammar-check in a word processor because there are a lot of typos and mistakes that could have easily been corrected...in this whole series. Author thanks his proof-readers and editors, but I do not understand why, all of these people did not really correct his novel series.
Illustrator redesigns/remakes what one would think are the clothes and weapons of a thief-ninja (main character on the cover).
Author creates a set of rules for the game, for this novel series, to later just break them. Story needs consistency and polish to remove a lot of the plot holes.
Someone should teach the author to use the spell-check grammar-check in a word processor because there are a lot of typos and mistakes that could have easily been corrected...in this whole series. Author thanks his proof-readers and editors, but I do not understand why, all of these people did not really correct his novel series.
February 17, 2023
Great story, and narration.
The first book in the "Crystal Shards Online" series starts off pretty good, but towards the end you kind of start seeing a red thread and it's kind of annoying.
The overall story arc is really good though in my opinion, and it's the main reason why I kept reading the other books in the series. You really want to know what everything is all about.
The "tone" of the book is a bit too "Childrens book" for my taste, I wouldn't mind a bit more colorful language. Then again I'm a 47yo boomer gamer, and this kind of book might just not be intended for that kind of audience.
All in all a pretty decent start for this series, but in book #2 things start taking a dive...
I gave this book 4 stars.
The first book in the "Crystal Shards Online" series starts off pretty good, but towards the end you kind of start seeing a red thread and it's kind of annoying.
The overall story arc is really good though in my opinion, and it's the main reason why I kept reading the other books in the series. You really want to know what everything is all about.
The "tone" of the book is a bit too "Childrens book" for my taste, I wouldn't mind a bit more colorful language. Then again I'm a 47yo boomer gamer, and this kind of book might just not be intended for that kind of audience.
All in all a pretty decent start for this series, but in book #2 things start taking a dive...
I gave this book 4 stars.
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