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Challenger's Call #1
Downfall And Rise
Disabled. Disgraced. Defiant.
When a sports injury ruins his body and his memory, Wes Malcolm loses his scholarship and his place in the world.
After every treatment fails, he is forced to consider that his future and dreams may be lost. But the next time he sleeps, he winds up in another world with its own rules. Here, he can grow, learn, and thrive, with no injury or public disgrace to show up and take it all away again. But this world and all its sister planets are under assault from dire prophecies and a slavering horde of nightmare creatures.
The strange, beautiful steward of these worlds offers him a deal: Save her worlds, and he can take part of the power he gains back to his original body on Earth. There, he can use that power to undo his condition and gain another shot at all his hopes and dreams. And maybe even exceed them.
But will removing his disability and stigma be enough for him to become the hero he believes he can be?
Come and find out.
Fantasy Story with LitRPG elements.
When a sports injury ruins his body and his memory, Wes Malcolm loses his scholarship and his place in the world.
After every treatment fails, he is forced to consider that his future and dreams may be lost. But the next time he sleeps, he winds up in another world with its own rules. Here, he can grow, learn, and thrive, with no injury or public disgrace to show up and take it all away again. But this world and all its sister planets are under assault from dire prophecies and a slavering horde of nightmare creatures.
The strange, beautiful steward of these worlds offers him a deal: Save her worlds, and he can take part of the power he gains back to his original body on Earth. There, he can use that power to undo his condition and gain another shot at all his hopes and dreams. And maybe even exceed them.
But will removing his disability and stigma be enough for him to become the hero he believes he can be?
Come and find out.
Fantasy Story with LitRPG elements.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2018
1464 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
December 8, 2019
Normally, I assume that a book with 100+ ratings that average over 4 stars is a safe option. I was let down this time since I gave this book 25% on my kindle (120ish pages) and received nothing more than a Gary Stu character and zero actual plot.
Just in case anyone hasn't heard of Gary Stu before...it's the male version of the Mary Sue which is an idealized and perfect fictional character that is often the author wearing fictional skin and/or a vehicle for wish fulfillment. Am I the only one who thought it was funny that the main character is named Wesley since one of the most prominent Gary Stu characters out there is Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation?
Other than a couple brief ventures into Avalon (yeah, you heard me) while sleeping, there was little to no training or specific world rules introduced. The only way to drag me along for any length of time while holding back the actual point of the book is to have a character that is interesting and likable. Wasn't the case here for me.
Forgive me for sounding callous, but I just can't get on board the guy who is supposedly so perfect except for his highly fictionalized juvenile case of CTE. Yeah, sure some people might like the wholesome white-knight character more than a realistic person...but sorry...it's a rough sell for me. Or at the very least, don't drag it out over 100 pages.
I guess if you are in the mood to get teary-eyed at the injustice of the world and root for this lovable loser, then the actual plot might start at page 300 and end up being interesting. To me, this was just a prologue chapter that went on for 100+ pages. No thank you.
Just in case anyone hasn't heard of Gary Stu before...it's the male version of the Mary Sue which is an idealized and perfect fictional character that is often the author wearing fictional skin and/or a vehicle for wish fulfillment. Am I the only one who thought it was funny that the main character is named Wesley since one of the most prominent Gary Stu characters out there is Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation?
Other than a couple brief ventures into Avalon (yeah, you heard me) while sleeping, there was little to no training or specific world rules introduced. The only way to drag me along for any length of time while holding back the actual point of the book is to have a character that is interesting and likable. Wasn't the case here for me.
Forgive me for sounding callous, but I just can't get on board the guy who is supposedly so perfect except for his highly fictionalized juvenile case of CTE. Yeah, sure some people might like the wholesome white-knight character more than a realistic person...but sorry...it's a rough sell for me. Or at the very least, don't drag it out over 100 pages.
I guess if you are in the mood to get teary-eyed at the injustice of the world and root for this lovable loser, then the actual plot might start at page 300 and end up being interesting. To me, this was just a prologue chapter that went on for 100+ pages. No thank you.
January 8, 2019
I had a hard time trying to keep up with the lack of action in the first half of the book. Way to much weird world building, bad high school experiences and persecuted naive MC. The actual gaming challenges were a bit dull. And the stupid computer voices were irritating. Plus, not the best editing job. All in all, not for me.
May 5, 2019
There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this book that I don't understand. This book is 80% dialogue and 20% story. Painfully so in parts. The MC is granted enormous powers and repeatedly fails to use them instead being a human punching bad both mentally and physically. I get it, he's been abused.....
I skimmed maybe 20% of the book because the constant talking was painful. Not sure if I'll continue.
I skimmed maybe 20% of the book because the constant talking was painful. Not sure if I'll continue.
September 8, 2020
Rating 2.0 stars
What the hell was that! This book started off on shaky ground for me. The main character had too many things going against him and to me it was a little overwhelming. I am a practical person. I read books and ask myself if what is happening makes sense in the world that is written. The amount of things going against the main character I thought were outside the bounds of being believable. Then some things happened and it made me think maybe there was a reason for those things to have happened. So I began to enjoy the book a little more. From about the 1/4 point to the 2/3 point in the book I was enjoying it. Then came the explanation for everything the MC went through early in the story. Normally when things take a bad turn in a story I describe it as the wheels fell off. In this instance I have to say the wheels feel off, the windows shattered, the engine exploded and the bus ended up on fire. The explanation made absolutely no sense to me. All of the what, when, where and how questions didn't make any sense.
The story follows Wes Malcolm, an 18 year old who is struggling to regain what he has lost. A few years ago he was hit on the football field and now he as extreme pain, difficulty walking and remembering. He is trying to get his functioning and memory back but it is a slow process. He is using a VR game to help him with his memory and movements. There are other things that are going against Wes Wes is on his way to take a test that will allow him to keep his scholarship and have a future when someone throws a book at his head and gives him a concussion. This is the part the I felt was over the top and made me want to put the book down. This guy is already a borderline cripple and people attack him? How does that happen? As the story progresses there seems to be more to this than simple bullying so I kept reading.
At some point Wes goes to sleep and wakes up on a world called Avalon. This is a world of magic. Earth doesn't have any magic though when the universe needs a champion - called a challenger here, earth is where the best candidates are found. Avalon is in desperate need of a challenger but they didn't call Wes. He got there on his own somehow. This is where the litprg part of the story comes in. He gets magic and stats and learns how to fight. He only goes to Avalon when he sleeps and time works differently on Avalon. Some of the stats that he gained on Avalon are felt back in the real world, which means that his memory and coordination are getting better back on earth. That is when the crazy part happens. Overall this was a huge miss for me.
What the hell was that! This book started off on shaky ground for me. The main character had too many things going against him and to me it was a little overwhelming. I am a practical person. I read books and ask myself if what is happening makes sense in the world that is written. The amount of things going against the main character I thought were outside the bounds of being believable. Then some things happened and it made me think maybe there was a reason for those things to have happened. So I began to enjoy the book a little more. From about the 1/4 point to the 2/3 point in the book I was enjoying it. Then came the explanation for everything the MC went through early in the story. Normally when things take a bad turn in a story I describe it as the wheels fell off. In this instance I have to say the wheels feel off, the windows shattered, the engine exploded and the bus ended up on fire. The explanation made absolutely no sense to me. All of the what, when, where and how questions didn't make any sense.
The story follows Wes Malcolm, an 18 year old who is struggling to regain what he has lost. A few years ago he was hit on the football field and now he as extreme pain, difficulty walking and remembering. He is trying to get his functioning and memory back but it is a slow process. He is using a VR game to help him with his memory and movements. There are other things that are going against Wes Wes is on his way to take a test that will allow him to keep his scholarship and have a future when someone throws a book at his head and gives him a concussion. This is the part the I felt was over the top and made me want to put the book down. This guy is already a borderline cripple and people attack him? How does that happen? As the story progresses there seems to be more to this than simple bullying so I kept reading.
At some point Wes goes to sleep and wakes up on a world called Avalon. This is a world of magic. Earth doesn't have any magic though when the universe needs a champion - called a challenger here, earth is where the best candidates are found. Avalon is in desperate need of a challenger but they didn't call Wes. He got there on his own somehow. This is where the litprg part of the story comes in. He gets magic and stats and learns how to fight. He only goes to Avalon when he sleeps and time works differently on Avalon. Some of the stats that he gained on Avalon are felt back in the real world, which means that his memory and coordination are getting better back on earth. That is when the crazy part happens. Overall this was a huge miss for me.
September 13, 2018
Preachy
Gave it a try when I was looking for something new. I couldn’t get past the sixth chapter. Not an adventure, more like a struggle to educate the reader.
Gave it a try when I was looking for something new. I couldn’t get past the sixth chapter. Not an adventure, more like a struggle to educate the reader.
August 23, 2018
If you are DESPERATE for some Christian apologist martyr-porn mixed with LitRPG, then a) that's an odd thing to be desperate for and b) this is the PERFECT book for you.
It's written well enough, if one can ignore the relatively frequent missing words and a few other mistakes like that, but it's so VERY clearly a martyr story. And not a GOOD martyr story, it's just "world v. terminally naive boy".
The part of the book where the progression system is both far too long and too short on useful detail. Time is spent explaining the standard Str, Dex, Con system, but then very little is said of the magic system or the leveling method.
Also, I've a personal message to the Magic Stick.
Dear Magic Stick.
You presented as having precognition, yet felt like not taking action to prevent later events. While this does not make you COMPLICIT in what follows, your later apologies are morally void. Kindly fall in a fire.
Kind regards, Isa.
Anyway, overall a decent book, containing not a SINGLE "ess" error, and NO snarky AI sidekick. Both significant pluses in my ledger. Unfortunately, this is then countered by having the game company be a part of the EvilRUs organisation later on.
It's written well enough, if one can ignore the relatively frequent missing words and a few other mistakes like that, but it's so VERY clearly a martyr story. And not a GOOD martyr story, it's just "world v. terminally naive boy".
The part of the book where the progression system is both far too long and too short on useful detail. Time is spent explaining the standard Str, Dex, Con system, but then very little is said of the magic system or the leveling method.
Also, I've a personal message to the Magic Stick.
Dear Magic Stick.
You presented as having precognition, yet felt like not taking action to prevent later events. While this does not make you COMPLICIT in what follows, your later apologies are morally void. Kindly fall in a fire.
Kind regards, Isa.
Anyway, overall a decent book, containing not a SINGLE "ess" error, and NO snarky AI sidekick. Both significant pluses in my ledger. Unfortunately, this is then countered by having the game company be a part of the EvilRUs organisation later on.
July 17, 2018
Ready for book 2
If you try and stick this book into a specific category such as scifi, fantasy or rpglit, you can't, its all of them, classic good vs evil, none of the harem junk that ruins so many potentially good books these days, enjoyed it can't wait for book 2
If you try and stick this book into a specific category such as scifi, fantasy or rpglit, you can't, its all of them, classic good vs evil, none of the harem junk that ruins so many potentially good books these days, enjoyed it can't wait for book 2
August 4, 2018
You MUST read this book.
I won't spoil anything.
I won't spoil anything.
December 13, 2019
So so writing, horrible everything else
Do you like religious agendas?
How about sexual repression?
Are you in to conservative views, and white knights?
How about 1/3 of a book spent trying to make you feel sorry for a sob story MC?
Well then this book if for you!
Seriously... So so writing but bad everything else, why do so many Sunday school weirdos write books about their adolescent fantasies? You write Scott sexual abuse, death, rape, torture.... Then the MC struggles with "curse" words and basically cums in his pants when a girl is in the room.... Its wierd and creepy...
Do you like religious agendas?
How about sexual repression?
Are you in to conservative views, and white knights?
How about 1/3 of a book spent trying to make you feel sorry for a sob story MC?
Well then this book if for you!
Seriously... So so writing but bad everything else, why do so many Sunday school weirdos write books about their adolescent fantasies? You write Scott sexual abuse, death, rape, torture.... Then the MC struggles with "curse" words and basically cums in his pants when a girl is in the room.... Its wierd and creepy...
August 16, 2018
Book one
This book needs to be edited again. Nothing large and glaring, just lots of small mistakes. Missing words or wrong word being used.
The story itself is fantastic and I loved that time was spent building up the MC to make him as realistic as possible before the adventure really begins.
I look forward to book two.
This book needs to be edited again. Nothing large and glaring, just lots of small mistakes. Missing words or wrong word being used.
The story itself is fantastic and I loved that time was spent building up the MC to make him as realistic as possible before the adventure really begins.
I look forward to book two.
August 6, 2019
It is too slow and too depressing to read. It is not an escape from reality, it is an analysis of society.
July 24, 2018
Great entrance !!
This is one of those books that builds momentum toward the end. It’s one of the best initial Litrpg novels I have read, comparing to “Awaken Online”, “Life Reset” and “The Land”. Well done, sir
This is one of those books that builds momentum toward the end. It’s one of the best initial Litrpg novels I have read, comparing to “Awaken Online”, “Life Reset” and “The Land”. Well done, sir
September 10, 2018
Fridgen Nora that was brilliant!
So much about this LitRPG story was straight outta left orbit. So incredibly creative and brilliant, so very well written. A true work of art. Probably in my top 5 LitRPG books in the last three years!
So much about this LitRPG story was straight outta left orbit. So incredibly creative and brilliant, so very well written. A true work of art. Probably in my top 5 LitRPG books in the last three years!
May 1, 2019
Nothing good to say
I don't have anything good to say. Just leaving low review so I won't ever be recommended these books. Done.
I don't have anything good to say. Just leaving low review so I won't ever be recommended these books. Done.
July 23, 2018
An interesting cross between litrpg and arthurian legend
Thompson did some good story telling. It.was clever and unique. There was the hunting of a possible harem throughout the book but was never cemented. Now the reason he only gets 4stars. There were a ton of typos repeated and reworded phrases. Occasionally it broke the immersion in the world of Thompson can get a halfway decent set of proof readers it should catapult it from a 4 to a 5. From good to beautiful. I for one am looking forward to book 2.
Thompson did some good story telling. It.was clever and unique. There was the hunting of a possible harem throughout the book but was never cemented. Now the reason he only gets 4stars. There were a ton of typos repeated and reworded phrases. Occasionally it broke the immersion in the world of Thompson can get a halfway decent set of proof readers it should catapult it from a 4 to a 5. From good to beautiful. I for one am looking forward to book 2.
September 14, 2018
Long read
July 20, 2018
A 10 for the win...
Ten ten mother $%#(/#@ 10.
Epic book.
We needs the next one precious,yes we does.
I would like to get coffee with the author of this book so I can read the next 5
Ten ten mother $%#(/#@ 10.
Epic book.
We needs the next one precious,yes we does.
I would like to get coffee with the author of this book so I can read the next 5
August 9, 2018
I did not finish, got 31% through. Why? Because after 31% we were still in the "explaining how the world works" phase, and it was boring. The characters even make jokes about how derivative it all is, but let's be clear: Being aware you are not original does not help it, and if you have nothing new to add don't spend ages explaining how you have nothing new to add.
There aren't any language problems in the book, the characters are fine and what (very) little combat I read was fine too, but none of it was excellent.
There aren't any language problems in the book, the characters are fine and what (very) little combat I read was fine too, but none of it was excellent.
March 26, 2021
DNF 31%
Not terrible but it drained my enthusiasm by portraying Wes without agency... constantly submitting to oppression. Sure that shows persistence but where's the fire.
And then, everything about the broader worlds of Avalon was exposition. Everything!
Not terrible but it drained my enthusiasm by portraying Wes without agency... constantly submitting to oppression. Sure that shows persistence but where's the fire.
And then, everything about the broader worlds of Avalon was exposition. Everything!
December 2, 2020
MC is.. Well. Stupid.
... And thats all i will say about this book.
No i will not be reading any more of this series.
... And thats all i will say about this book.
No i will not be reading any more of this series.
February 17, 2021
What a bloody concept. Too slow at start but at the end it was too awesome.
December 29, 2020
I honestly had mediocre expectations coming into this book, the cover made it look like one of those cheap genre standard low effort indie books, I was surprisingly wrong.
I won't just say 'this book' is great, this whole series is pretty damn amazing. Not only does it have great personal growth for the character and touching moments , it also has lots of actions and fun leveling up. Course the character should become OP but something is stopping him yet he still feels like he is near the top every time yet at the same time struggling to rise more, it's a perfect balance.
Also this book has what many 'hero" series lack, a character willing to do what needs to be done to protect his people. Often in these series where there is some good hearted guy, he'll always be looking to forgive his enemies and give them seconds chances. While Wes does talk to the bad guys and try to offer them a way out some of the time, he isn't a push over like others. For example, I read a book series where 11 books in,the character kept giving enemies chances or letting them go and kept getting screwed. Then book 11, guy comes and kidnaps his people, tortures them then brings them to the MC to show off and releases them as a example, MC swears he'll kill him for what he did, then once he has the upperhand ten minutes later, lets the bad guy go. Low and behold, few chapters later the bad guy comes back and starts wrecking shit again. That kinda behavior annoys the hell out of me. Even if 'killing sentients' is wrong that is part about being a leader, about sacrifcing that to protect your people so they don't get hurt. The moral thing is to kill your enemies so they can't hurt your people, not let them go over and over to do more crime. Sure the guy says he won't hurt your family but he's going to go off and kill others. The hero thing to do would be end him right then and there! Which Wes does! Sure he doesn't start off killing and he has moral hang ups about it but he grows into it during the series where he'll do what needs doing.
I love that he learns and grows in the book series, going from a damaged boy with physical disabilities and MANY mental hang ups, to slowly recovering dealing with them, helping himself and others.
Okay this sounds all like it's emotional self reflection book? It's really not thats just a small part, Mainly he's going out kicking ass, taking down monsters, getting loot, building his stats, learning skill and being a bad ass while more and more lore is discovered.
There is a overarcing mystery in the universe as well as what's been going on and who did what, which really hooks ya in making you want to know what really is happening behind the scenes.
I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes fighting, character growth, witty banter with memorable side characters or mysteries.
Plus the romance isn't over done, in other series they make it like 70% of the romance and that decides all their actions. Sure Wes has a thing for a girl but it's part of him, not his whole. It is like 1/6 of the story whole and it intertwines into it without it being shallow or teenage you're my whole world and screw everyone else type of mentality. It's pretty great.
Of course that is a review for the series as it stands book 1-6 as a whole.
I won't just say 'this book' is great, this whole series is pretty damn amazing. Not only does it have great personal growth for the character and touching moments , it also has lots of actions and fun leveling up. Course the character should become OP but something is stopping him yet he still feels like he is near the top every time yet at the same time struggling to rise more, it's a perfect balance.
Also this book has what many 'hero" series lack, a character willing to do what needs to be done to protect his people. Often in these series where there is some good hearted guy, he'll always be looking to forgive his enemies and give them seconds chances. While Wes does talk to the bad guys and try to offer them a way out some of the time, he isn't a push over like others. For example, I read a book series where 11 books in,the character kept giving enemies chances or letting them go and kept getting screwed. Then book 11, guy comes and kidnaps his people, tortures them then brings them to the MC to show off and releases them as a example, MC swears he'll kill him for what he did, then once he has the upperhand ten minutes later, lets the bad guy go. Low and behold, few chapters later the bad guy comes back and starts wrecking shit again. That kinda behavior annoys the hell out of me. Even if 'killing sentients' is wrong that is part about being a leader, about sacrifcing that to protect your people so they don't get hurt. The moral thing is to kill your enemies so they can't hurt your people, not let them go over and over to do more crime. Sure the guy says he won't hurt your family but he's going to go off and kill others. The hero thing to do would be end him right then and there! Which Wes does! Sure he doesn't start off killing and he has moral hang ups about it but he grows into it during the series where he'll do what needs doing.
I love that he learns and grows in the book series, going from a damaged boy with physical disabilities and MANY mental hang ups, to slowly recovering dealing with them, helping himself and others.
Okay this sounds all like it's emotional self reflection book? It's really not thats just a small part, Mainly he's going out kicking ass, taking down monsters, getting loot, building his stats, learning skill and being a bad ass while more and more lore is discovered.
There is a overarcing mystery in the universe as well as what's been going on and who did what, which really hooks ya in making you want to know what really is happening behind the scenes.
I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes fighting, character growth, witty banter with memorable side characters or mysteries.
Plus the romance isn't over done, in other series they make it like 70% of the romance and that decides all their actions. Sure Wes has a thing for a girl but it's part of him, not his whole. It is like 1/6 of the story whole and it intertwines into it without it being shallow or teenage you're my whole world and screw everyone else type of mentality. It's pretty great.
Of course that is a review for the series as it stands book 1-6 as a whole.
December 15, 2024
Do not read if mind control arcs bother you in fantasy. There is an extremely long (extends throughout basically the entire book) mind control arc which is suuuuper frustrating. The main character is even told that someone is messing with his mind, and then never thinks about that fact again. I think it's because the mind control stops him from being able to tell it's mind control? It isn't really very clear.
I get that the protagonist is only 18, but it is really frustrating how he oscillates between really savvy and unrealistically stupid. Like, he does like a quadruple take when Stell tells him she is finishing up puberty (he literally goes "wha?, bluh?, huh?" like four times in a row. Like dude, yes she told you words, that have meaning, and you know the meaning, use your freaking brain!! His continued obliviousness to the containment protocol is really annoying. His therapist asks him extremely pointed questions obviously fishing for information about Avalon, and he just thinks "huh that's kinda weird why is she so interested"? I could forgive it when it happened, because why would you necessarily immediately suspect a grand conspiracy. But then he realizes that there probably is a conspiracy, and thinks "huh anyone could be involved". And when he was so shocked that the extremely obviously corrupt police were corrupt, I literally said out loud "dude you are so fucking stupid".
Honestly, almost every character in this book is extremely stupid. From Stell burying her head in the sand and being completely useless at her job, to Wes (fucking Wes) still not wanting to kill any humans when they are literally trying to murder him and destroy the entire fucking universe. Hesitating to use any powers, doing jack fucking shit. Guineve taking a million fucking years to get into the fight to the point that she is basically completely useless, Avalon being pathetically terrible at resisting or preventing anything the bad guys are doing. Despite how disgusting the villains were, I was almost rooting for them to win because I just hated the good guys so much for being so terrible at literally everything.
He's also way too forgiving (*cough* freaking Breena *cough*) to people who make his life a living hell and then either not apologize and double down, or give a half-assed apology and then continue being one of the most annoying characters in fiction (*cough* Breena).
Bit rough in one book to get both an extended mind control arc, and also have the classic "spineless" MC issue.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel: I really enjoyed how the book wrapped up. Despite how extremely painful the preceding ~300 pages were, I actually thought that it paid off (somehow). Honestly, I feel like it would have been much more bearable if it wasn't so loooooong. Like, cut the whole book down by ~500 pages.
I get that the protagonist is only 18, but it is really frustrating how he oscillates between really savvy and unrealistically stupid. Like, he does like a quadruple take when Stell tells him she is finishing up puberty (he literally goes "wha?, bluh?, huh?" like four times in a row. Like dude, yes she told you words, that have meaning, and you know the meaning, use your freaking brain!! His continued obliviousness to the containment protocol is really annoying. His therapist asks him extremely pointed questions obviously fishing for information about Avalon, and he just thinks "huh that's kinda weird why is she so interested"? I could forgive it when it happened, because why would you necessarily immediately suspect a grand conspiracy. But then he realizes that there probably is a conspiracy, and thinks "huh anyone could be involved". And when he was so shocked that the extremely obviously corrupt police were corrupt, I literally said out loud "dude you are so fucking stupid".
Honestly, almost every character in this book is extremely stupid. From Stell burying her head in the sand and being completely useless at her job, to Wes (fucking Wes) still not wanting to kill any humans when they are literally trying to murder him and destroy the entire fucking universe. Hesitating to use any powers, doing jack fucking shit. Guineve taking a million fucking years to get into the fight to the point that she is basically completely useless, Avalon being pathetically terrible at resisting or preventing anything the bad guys are doing. Despite how disgusting the villains were, I was almost rooting for them to win because I just hated the good guys so much for being so terrible at literally everything.
He's also way too forgiving (*cough* freaking Breena *cough*) to people who make his life a living hell and then either not apologize and double down, or give a half-assed apology and then continue being one of the most annoying characters in fiction (*cough* Breena).
Bit rough in one book to get both an extended mind control arc, and also have the classic "spineless" MC issue.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel: I really enjoyed how the book wrapped up. Despite how extremely painful the preceding ~300 pages were, I actually thought that it paid off (somehow). Honestly, I feel like it would have been much more bearable if it wasn't so loooooong. Like, cut the whole book down by ~500 pages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2018
Unique, Interesting, Experience
First off, I truly enjoyed this book. I read it in days. It’s got a lot going for it: an underdog Main Character, unique universe setup, and well thought out character growth. The end of the book is remarkably brutal, but it is an earned, realistic brutality. You can look at the MCs arch and fully understand how he ended up where he did.
So... why three stars? One element that continuously took me out of the experience was typographical errors — specifically transposed, missing, or wrong words. They were so frequent that I had to actively try to ignore them. The worst offender is the use of tabs. They are incredibly inconsistent. About 10% of the paragraphs are missing a tab. Or... perhaps theres a spurious newline in many, many places. Whatever the case, it was distracting. Secondly, there is inconsistency in the spelling of names and in-book terminology. A good example is “Starsown”. Sometimes there’s a dash, sometimes not. Canonical terms really need to be kept straight.
Have to take a star for that.
Next: you’re gonna get emotional whiplash. One chapter is an abject nightmare, the next is heaven. This continues throughout the entire novel. It is by design, so, at first, I was ok with it. But while the MC and some supporting characters are well written and thought out, there is a distinct dimensional lack in the rest of the villains. They are devils without reason or nuance. The very end brings in one idea that explains why, but it was pages from the end. My opinion: we need to be told (or at least hinted at) why so many people are completely vile. Without the “why” I spent most of the book disbelieving certain circumstances.
All that being said, you should read this book. It’s great and unique in the genre. It’s worth your time and money.
First off, I truly enjoyed this book. I read it in days. It’s got a lot going for it: an underdog Main Character, unique universe setup, and well thought out character growth. The end of the book is remarkably brutal, but it is an earned, realistic brutality. You can look at the MCs arch and fully understand how he ended up where he did.
So... why three stars? One element that continuously took me out of the experience was typographical errors — specifically transposed, missing, or wrong words. They were so frequent that I had to actively try to ignore them. The worst offender is the use of tabs. They are incredibly inconsistent. About 10% of the paragraphs are missing a tab. Or... perhaps theres a spurious newline in many, many places. Whatever the case, it was distracting. Secondly, there is inconsistency in the spelling of names and in-book terminology. A good example is “Starsown”. Sometimes there’s a dash, sometimes not. Canonical terms really need to be kept straight.
Have to take a star for that.
Next: you’re gonna get emotional whiplash. One chapter is an abject nightmare, the next is heaven. This continues throughout the entire novel. It is by design, so, at first, I was ok with it. But while the MC and some supporting characters are well written and thought out, there is a distinct dimensional lack in the rest of the villains. They are devils without reason or nuance. The very end brings in one idea that explains why, but it was pages from the end. My opinion: we need to be told (or at least hinted at) why so many people are completely vile. Without the “why” I spent most of the book disbelieving certain circumstances.
All that being said, you should read this book. It’s great and unique in the genre. It’s worth your time and money.
January 24, 2021
It seems that lately I have been finding it hard to find great LITrpgs to sink my teeth into and it continues with this book.
The concept of this novel is actually pretty amazing. A downtrodden guy that shows perseverance during school and showing strength of character. The concept of Avalon and that are pretty amazing and well done. You might be wondering then why I rated it a 3? Well I rated it a 3 almost purely on concept.
There is a trend to litrpgs that seem to continue and I really hate it. Empowerment fantasies. The author in my opinions struggles with dialogue and inner dialogue. Ill give you an example. 5 seconds into Avalon we meet Stell and right off the bat from a iconic tshirt. He says and I quote, Already one of the best person I have met." Round 2, already falling for said girl just by watching her dance. He also goes into painstaking detail about how beautiful she is and how almost his every thought was pretty much undressing her with his eyes.
The reason this is a problem is that it breaks the flow of the novel. It would mean more if he actually set off these thoughts throughout the book and not just hammer the reader in the beginning about how perfect Stell was. That inner dialogue about him being bad around women and yet everytime he talks he seems to attract them multiple times in the novel for being a bumbling idiot.
These kinds of novels are not that fulfilling to me when there is no substance around them. It would mean more if the feelings gradually come about through action or a character deserving praise. This is the second most recent novel I have read that just hammers these empowerment fantasies and the main character just doesn't do anything to deserve it. I honestly tried to complete the novel, but couldn't with all the love at first sight stuff.
The concept of this novel is actually pretty amazing. A downtrodden guy that shows perseverance during school and showing strength of character. The concept of Avalon and that are pretty amazing and well done. You might be wondering then why I rated it a 3? Well I rated it a 3 almost purely on concept.
There is a trend to litrpgs that seem to continue and I really hate it. Empowerment fantasies. The author in my opinions struggles with dialogue and inner dialogue. Ill give you an example. 5 seconds into Avalon we meet Stell and right off the bat from a iconic tshirt. He says and I quote, Already one of the best person I have met." Round 2, already falling for said girl just by watching her dance. He also goes into painstaking detail about how beautiful she is and how almost his every thought was pretty much undressing her with his eyes.
The reason this is a problem is that it breaks the flow of the novel. It would mean more if he actually set off these thoughts throughout the book and not just hammer the reader in the beginning about how perfect Stell was. That inner dialogue about him being bad around women and yet everytime he talks he seems to attract them multiple times in the novel for being a bumbling idiot.
These kinds of novels are not that fulfilling to me when there is no substance around them. It would mean more if the feelings gradually come about through action or a character deserving praise. This is the second most recent novel I have read that just hammers these empowerment fantasies and the main character just doesn't do anything to deserve it. I honestly tried to complete the novel, but couldn't with all the love at first sight stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2018
Outstanding
You can find great books in any genre, but once in a while you get to find pinnacles: books that stand far above the others not only as polished examples of How To Do It Right, but as examples of How To Do It. In this book we have good gamelit features and action, but the depth of the story and characters, as well as the unabashed and excellent examples of religion and the waking nightmare that is the public school system (especially for anyone *different*) is done so well that it makes the story come alive. Also included in those examples is the accurate portrayal of small town behavior, including the support and / or cruelty one can find. (The accuracy of Texas small town behavior, where religion, power, politics, and football mesh together is also appreciated. Though that is certainly not limited to Texas.)
Constant touches of humor (especially when the humor is done very well) keep the story from being too dark, as the story touches on a lot of real (and realistic) darkness.
The story itself is fresh and different. Although there are plenty of genre touch points, this is not at all standard fare. You laugh, you weep, you cheer, you rage. It’s also important to note that it’s all done a large (!) book; no quickie novella here! I am most extremely interested in knowing what happens next in the story. I crave it. That’s the sign of a good writer, folks!
Lastly (but very much not least), the editing is pure bliss. For a book this size to not have any memorable or noticeable type-ohs, homonyms, or even pronoun trouble is amazing. Serious kudos to the editors and proof readers.
I don’t often give out 5 stars. When I do, it’s for books I want to immediately pick up and read again. Like this one.
Definitely recommended.
You can find great books in any genre, but once in a while you get to find pinnacles: books that stand far above the others not only as polished examples of How To Do It Right, but as examples of How To Do It. In this book we have good gamelit features and action, but the depth of the story and characters, as well as the unabashed and excellent examples of religion and the waking nightmare that is the public school system (especially for anyone *different*) is done so well that it makes the story come alive. Also included in those examples is the accurate portrayal of small town behavior, including the support and / or cruelty one can find. (The accuracy of Texas small town behavior, where religion, power, politics, and football mesh together is also appreciated. Though that is certainly not limited to Texas.)
Constant touches of humor (especially when the humor is done very well) keep the story from being too dark, as the story touches on a lot of real (and realistic) darkness.
The story itself is fresh and different. Although there are plenty of genre touch points, this is not at all standard fare. You laugh, you weep, you cheer, you rage. It’s also important to note that it’s all done a large (!) book; no quickie novella here! I am most extremely interested in knowing what happens next in the story. I crave it. That’s the sign of a good writer, folks!
Lastly (but very much not least), the editing is pure bliss. For a book this size to not have any memorable or noticeable type-ohs, homonyms, or even pronoun trouble is amazing. Serious kudos to the editors and proof readers.
I don’t often give out 5 stars. When I do, it’s for books I want to immediately pick up and read again. Like this one.
Definitely recommended.
October 30, 2018
Surprising book
I came in with low expectations. I read maybe one lit rpg book per week and many of them blur into each other. This one stood out. It was...surprisingly deep. I actually loved how the author treated the issue of identity. I can’t remember a book where this one handled better in fact.
I found myself devouring the book, curious to see what direction it would take. I’ll definitely read the next book. That said, a few items of consideration for the author:
1) I’m not sure how to categorize this book. Coming of age? New adult? Young adult? Sci Fi? Lit rpg? Crossed so many categorizations. Some themes I would love a teen to read (like one’s identity) but some of the book’s content I wouldn’t want a teen to read
2) faith/religion... left me confused. Not sure the MC view or author’s view. Some biblical content as a conservative Chrisitan I enjoyed. Other ways Christians portrayed in the book were...surprising. I won’t ruin with spoilers but very odd
3) the last 1/4 of the book felt disjointed. The fast forward was awkward and confusing. I almost thought I had accidentally skipped ahead. I understand the reason for doing it but if I wasn’t such a strong supporter of the book I would have dropped the rating by a star for how it was handled and how much interrupted the flow. This also brought out a major shift in the Mc which while understandable because the “shift” was rushed it made it feel like a 180 degree character shift rather than allowing the reader to process with the Mc as his views on killing changed, for example.
All in all it was an amazing debut. Look forward to the next
I came in with low expectations. I read maybe one lit rpg book per week and many of them blur into each other. This one stood out. It was...surprisingly deep. I actually loved how the author treated the issue of identity. I can’t remember a book where this one handled better in fact.
I found myself devouring the book, curious to see what direction it would take. I’ll definitely read the next book. That said, a few items of consideration for the author:
1) I’m not sure how to categorize this book. Coming of age? New adult? Young adult? Sci Fi? Lit rpg? Crossed so many categorizations. Some themes I would love a teen to read (like one’s identity) but some of the book’s content I wouldn’t want a teen to read
2) faith/religion... left me confused. Not sure the MC view or author’s view. Some biblical content as a conservative Chrisitan I enjoyed. Other ways Christians portrayed in the book were...surprising. I won’t ruin with spoilers but very odd
3) the last 1/4 of the book felt disjointed. The fast forward was awkward and confusing. I almost thought I had accidentally skipped ahead. I understand the reason for doing it but if I wasn’t such a strong supporter of the book I would have dropped the rating by a star for how it was handled and how much interrupted the flow. This also brought out a major shift in the Mc which while understandable because the “shift” was rushed it made it feel like a 180 degree character shift rather than allowing the reader to process with the Mc as his views on killing changed, for example.
All in all it was an amazing debut. Look forward to the next
October 7, 2025
One of my all-time favorite series. Challenger's Call is a series about loss, recovery, and growing above. There is so much I love about the series that I can't put it all into words, which as a writer is saying something.
Challenger's Call weaves a story of someone who has no reason to give back or care with how much the world has abused him, but he still reaches out to someone in need. It paints a picture of hope, of the majesty that I want to believe exists in the human soul, and of the kind of love that would grind itself to bloody nubs for those that it has claimed as it's own.
The story is dark, it's hard to get through. I won't lie on that fact. Book 1 is brutal, but it is WORTH IT.
I found this series when it was only six books, and I read all six books in four days, then proceeded to read the series again four times through before even considering other books (spoiler, I went and read his other series then, Soulship) and reread the entire series at least once a year still.
Challenger's Call tells a story of young love and hope in a dark world, with all the lumps and pimples of young love. It includes my all time favorite Female Lead that isn't one written by my own hand, (Stell is best girl!) and a cast of characters that are strong, unique, and fascinating.
Why are you still reading this review? Grab the book and read it yourself!
Challenger's Call weaves a story of someone who has no reason to give back or care with how much the world has abused him, but he still reaches out to someone in need. It paints a picture of hope, of the majesty that I want to believe exists in the human soul, and of the kind of love that would grind itself to bloody nubs for those that it has claimed as it's own.
The story is dark, it's hard to get through. I won't lie on that fact. Book 1 is brutal, but it is WORTH IT.
I found this series when it was only six books, and I read all six books in four days, then proceeded to read the series again four times through before even considering other books (spoiler, I went and read his other series then, Soulship) and reread the entire series at least once a year still.
Challenger's Call tells a story of young love and hope in a dark world, with all the lumps and pimples of young love. It includes my all time favorite Female Lead that isn't one written by my own hand, (Stell is best girl!) and a cast of characters that are strong, unique, and fascinating.
Why are you still reading this review? Grab the book and read it yourself!
November 20, 2018
Ho Lee Shit.
This was so much better than I thought it would be.
The style definitely changes distinctly throughout the book (it almost felt like it should be formally divided into 3 parts), but that doesn't really impact the quality. The dramatic, grandiose writing at the end was almost as good as Pierce Brown's in the Red Rising universe.
Finally, Trigger Warning. There is only so much heavily-implied child rape you can read before you start to get sick of it. We get it. They're bad people. Eventually they're almost cartoonishly evil in their uniformity and perversity. Like, where do they get all these people? At the end it's confirmed that
Overall, thrilled to have found this book.
This was so much better than I thought it would be.
The style definitely changes distinctly throughout the book (it almost felt like it should be formally divided into 3 parts), but that doesn't really impact the quality. The dramatic, grandiose writing at the end was almost as good as Pierce Brown's in the Red Rising universe.
Finally, Trigger Warning. There is only so much heavily-implied child rape you can read before you start to get sick of it. We get it. They're bad people. Eventually they're almost cartoonishly evil in their uniformity and perversity. Like, where do they get all these people? At the end it's confirmed that
Overall, thrilled to have found this book.
March 8, 2021
Parts I like and parts I don't like
Pros: The RPG mechanics are great. The world building is good if somewhat limited by the scope of the story.
Cons: There are weird character moments where the story insists the MC is this awesome noble hero and he...resists the idea? It made parts of the book awkward. I found the "fairy guide" character to be over the top and annoying. My biggest complaint is that the series is obviously heading in a harem direction which the author is trying to get around in a unique way. (SPOILERS............Technically the MC is getting into a relationship with one woman who has split off parts of herself into different bodies. These "satellites" are named and unique characters but technically they are just pieces of the original woman and still share a bond with her. So in a sense he's entering a relationship with one woman who is split into 8 or 9 different bodies but it's heavily implied he will be having relations with each individual body besides the original.)
I would have recommended this series if it weren't for the harem factor.
Pros: The RPG mechanics are great. The world building is good if somewhat limited by the scope of the story.
Cons: There are weird character moments where the story insists the MC is this awesome noble hero and he...resists the idea? It made parts of the book awkward. I found the "fairy guide" character to be over the top and annoying. My biggest complaint is that the series is obviously heading in a harem direction which the author is trying to get around in a unique way. (SPOILERS............Technically the MC is getting into a relationship with one woman who has split off parts of herself into different bodies. These "satellites" are named and unique characters but technically they are just pieces of the original woman and still share a bond with her. So in a sense he's entering a relationship with one woman who is split into 8 or 9 different bodies but it's heavily implied he will be having relations with each individual body besides the original.)
I would have recommended this series if it weren't for the harem factor.
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