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Limitless Lands #1
The Commander's Tale
Colonel James Raytak is about to die. The 93-year-old combat veteran is living his last days in a nursing home; his only hope for survival is an experimental Medpod life support system controlled by an Artificial Intelligence.
Co-developed by the world’s largest gaming company, Qualitranos the Artificial Intelligence will also control the soon to be released game Limitless Lands. Without its creator’s knowledge, the Artificial Intelligence decides the best course of treatment is to import its patient’s consciousness directly into the game.
Colonel Raytak must dust off his military training and lead his virtual troops in a fight to repair his broken body and mind while exploring the Limitless Lands.
Co-developed by the world’s largest gaming company, Qualitranos the Artificial Intelligence will also control the soon to be released game Limitless Lands. Without its creator’s knowledge, the Artificial Intelligence decides the best course of treatment is to import its patient’s consciousness directly into the game.
Colonel Raytak must dust off his military training and lead his virtual troops in a fight to repair his broken body and mind while exploring the Limitless Lands.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2018
969 people are currently reading
1051 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
October 23, 2018
This was a pretty enjoyable story with a somewhat fresh spin on game mechanics within a litrpg. I think it was the first book I've come across that really went in the direction of squad combat and it was a welcome change. Hopefully, the author finds some mentors/editors because the actual writing has significant room for improvement.
The prose was rudimentary, there were a variety of grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and the dialogue was honestly very bad. Not necessarily from the perspective of what was being said, but from how it was presented. One person would just talk for a solid page uninterrupted and then the other person would take a turn and talk forever. This is basically #1 on the list if there was a "5 signs your dialogue needs some work" post somewhere on the internet. This was also a fairly short book, 227 pages according to Amazon...and my Kindle said I was 10% into the book when I reached the point where I felt the story should have actually began.
I did like the story overall and there were definitely great indicators of imagination. It's also very refreshing to have a main character who is a decent human being with some competency and autonomy rather than a whining beta who brings nothing to the table and complains about how hard things are and wishes girls would like him.
I would love to see where this story goes if the author teamed up with some people who really know the craft of writing and also employed some solid editors. There is promise here, I just think some help is needed to let it take it's final form.
At the end of the day though, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone new to the litrpg genre as it's a pretty straightforward tale that isn't overly crunchy on game technicalities. I also think seasoned readers of the genre will really enjoy the unique spin this book has compared to the more standard fare that we see 99% of the time.
The prose was rudimentary, there were a variety of grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and the dialogue was honestly very bad. Not necessarily from the perspective of what was being said, but from how it was presented. One person would just talk for a solid page uninterrupted and then the other person would take a turn and talk forever. This is basically #1 on the list if there was a "5 signs your dialogue needs some work" post somewhere on the internet. This was also a fairly short book, 227 pages according to Amazon...and my Kindle said I was 10% into the book when I reached the point where I felt the story should have actually began.
I did like the story overall and there were definitely great indicators of imagination. It's also very refreshing to have a main character who is a decent human being with some competency and autonomy rather than a whining beta who brings nothing to the table and complains about how hard things are and wishes girls would like him.
I would love to see where this story goes if the author teamed up with some people who really know the craft of writing and also employed some solid editors. There is promise here, I just think some help is needed to let it take it's final form.
At the end of the day though, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone new to the litrpg genre as it's a pretty straightforward tale that isn't overly crunchy on game technicalities. I also think seasoned readers of the genre will really enjoy the unique spin this book has compared to the more standard fare that we see 99% of the time.
September 23, 2018
Amazing..
Reading the afterword really put this story into perspective. I'm seeing so many new books taking LitRPG to another level, and this is sure as hell on the top of that list.
I loved the MC, and the addition near the end. One of my other favorite series includes a duo as well so I'm hoping this turns out just as good.
Excellent story, professionally edited apparently, and I'm seriously sad there's not a sequel out already.
Reading the afterword really put this story into perspective. I'm seeing so many new books taking LitRPG to another level, and this is sure as hell on the top of that list.
I loved the MC, and the addition near the end. One of my other favorite series includes a duo as well so I'm hoping this turns out just as good.
Excellent story, professionally edited apparently, and I'm seriously sad there's not a sequel out already.
August 30, 2018
Great read!
This is a great start to what i hope is many more books to come! Well written and fast paced!
This is a great start to what i hope is many more books to come! Well written and fast paced!
September 30, 2018
Really great mix of litrpg and military action
I finished this book in hours with a non stop reading session. I enjoyed the gaming mix with military structured unit combat. The addition of using a dying vet as the mc struck a cord in me that took it over the top. Being the son of a marine and a vet of the Navy myself I want to thank Mr. Henegar for this book and the vet angle.
I finished this book in hours with a non stop reading session. I enjoyed the gaming mix with military structured unit combat. The addition of using a dying vet as the mc struck a cord in me that took it over the top. Being the son of a marine and a vet of the Navy myself I want to thank Mr. Henegar for this book and the vet angle.
July 11, 2019
Pretty much any gamer who's been sucked into a great RPG at some point wants to read a good LitRPG book. There's so much potential for the genre, but somehow, authors keep retreading the same ideas and relying on nostalgia and references to entertain readers. And while those aspects are fun to read, especially from the point of view of someone 'inside' the game, they just aren't enough to carry a book. A book needs complex characters that we can get invested in and a good story to keep us interested. Based on the rating, I'm sure you can guess what this book got wrong.
Let's start with the good first. There were a couple of creative choices that made this stand out a bit. The unique character classes that forced some players to be less individualistic was a nice touch which allowed for an original take in terms of playstyle. More intelligent NPCs (at least in terms of interactions) made them feel more important in the game and thereby the story as well. This lead to one or two scenes that didn't play out entirely as expected. And, well, that's about all the nice things I can say about this book.
The writing was unfortunately amateurish, which while readable, was very basic and bland. The world-building was likewise poor with the fact that the actual game world was a generic fantasy setting, not helping much. There were some parts that took place outside of the game which apart from adding context, were boring and all too often, cringy. There was only really one character in the book - the protagonist. Unfortunately, he was also pretty bland and forgettable. He barely developed over the course of the book and handled every situation in the most predictable way possible. Not that the story gave him much choice. The author was apparently determined to simply write about the kinds of interactions we've all had in these kinds of games, except from the point of view of this character and game. The author was also apparently unaware that just because a book might be one in a series, didn't mean they should just leave the story hanging at the end. There was literally no resolution in this book and it just felt like he decided to cut one long book into multiple pieces.
Hence the 2 stars. A book that takes place in a game, doesn't actually need to be all about the game. This is a different medium and I'm still holding out hope that an author out there will actually figure that out. This is still one of the better LitRPG books I've read though (as sad as that fact is), so if you're particularly into the genre, it's probably worth a go. However, if you read books for the characters and story, this one is sorely lacking in those departments.
Let's start with the good first. There were a couple of creative choices that made this stand out a bit. The unique character classes that forced some players to be less individualistic was a nice touch which allowed for an original take in terms of playstyle. More intelligent NPCs (at least in terms of interactions) made them feel more important in the game and thereby the story as well. This lead to one or two scenes that didn't play out entirely as expected. And, well, that's about all the nice things I can say about this book.
The writing was unfortunately amateurish, which while readable, was very basic and bland. The world-building was likewise poor with the fact that the actual game world was a generic fantasy setting, not helping much. There were some parts that took place outside of the game which apart from adding context, were boring and all too often, cringy. There was only really one character in the book - the protagonist. Unfortunately, he was also pretty bland and forgettable. He barely developed over the course of the book and handled every situation in the most predictable way possible. Not that the story gave him much choice. The author was apparently determined to simply write about the kinds of interactions we've all had in these kinds of games, except from the point of view of this character and game. The author was also apparently unaware that just because a book might be one in a series, didn't mean they should just leave the story hanging at the end. There was literally no resolution in this book and it just felt like he decided to cut one long book into multiple pieces.
Hence the 2 stars. A book that takes place in a game, doesn't actually need to be all about the game. This is a different medium and I'm still holding out hope that an author out there will actually figure that out. This is still one of the better LitRPG books I've read though (as sad as that fact is), so if you're particularly into the genre, it's probably worth a go. However, if you read books for the characters and story, this one is sorely lacking in those departments.
July 15, 2019
Fairly enjoyable litRPG.
I think the overall idea has a lot going for it, but the execution is falling a bit short.
Listening to the book really reminded be of my "Neverwinter Nights" game playing days.
And I think it is this nostalgia that made me enjoy the book as much as I did.
The narration and soundtrack was great.
I really hated the abrupt ending. The saving grace here was that they give you a 2 chapter intro into book 2 (in the audio version at least). If it wasn't for this, I'd be truly disappointed.
Seeing how slow the character(s) progressed through this book, and where we are at in the story(game) now, I suspect this series is going to need 10 books to really get anywhere. And I'm not sure I'd be keen to to continue so far with this series.
The unique character classes and abilities were great. The AI blurring the lines between NPC and PC is an excellent addition.
If you've ever played RPGs, you might enjoy this book. If not, you probably wont get as much out of it.
I think the overall idea has a lot going for it, but the execution is falling a bit short.
Listening to the book really reminded be of my "Neverwinter Nights" game playing days.
And I think it is this nostalgia that made me enjoy the book as much as I did.
The narration and soundtrack was great.
I really hated the abrupt ending. The saving grace here was that they give you a 2 chapter intro into book 2 (in the audio version at least). If it wasn't for this, I'd be truly disappointed.
Seeing how slow the character(s) progressed through this book, and where we are at in the story(game) now, I suspect this series is going to need 10 books to really get anywhere. And I'm not sure I'd be keen to to continue so far with this series.
The unique character classes and abilities were great. The AI blurring the lines between NPC and PC is an excellent addition.
If you've ever played RPGs, you might enjoy this book. If not, you probably wont get as much out of it.
October 12, 2018
Pleasant surprise.
Picked this book because of my obsession with the
Roman legions. Not expecting much of of the RPG aspect.
Surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and Ann going to grab the rest of the series as soon as I submit this review. Reminded me of my dungeons and dragons youth.
Great job Dean!!!
Picked this book because of my obsession with the
Roman legions. Not expecting much of of the RPG aspect.
Surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and Ann going to grab the rest of the series as soon as I submit this review. Reminded me of my dungeons and dragons youth.
Great job Dean!!!
August 8, 2018
Great book, unique idea!
So I really enjoyed this book. The MC takes a position that is entirely new, and unique for LITRPG. At first I didn’t think I was going to like the idea of the MCs class, but it really grew on me, and the squad based combat was well done also. Definitely looking forward to the next one and following this author. It’s a weird feeling not having a single powerful character but someone who gives up the power for those in his command.
Only 4 stars because there are some inconsistencies in the MCs reason for being in the game, there is a character that is blatantly obvious who it will end up being but the sheer probability of them meeting feels so low that it should have been explained. Maybe a chapter or two from the AIs perspective could’ve solved that.
So I really enjoyed this book. The MC takes a position that is entirely new, and unique for LITRPG. At first I didn’t think I was going to like the idea of the MCs class, but it really grew on me, and the squad based combat was well done also. Definitely looking forward to the next one and following this author. It’s a weird feeling not having a single powerful character but someone who gives up the power for those in his command.
Only 4 stars because there are some inconsistencies in the MCs reason for being in the game, there is a character that is blatantly obvious who it will end up being but the sheer probability of them meeting feels so low that it should have been explained. Maybe a chapter or two from the AIs perspective could’ve solved that.
September 18, 2018
Raytak is a combat veteran - one of the few left 60+ years in the future, when most American military might is robotic in nature. Limitless Lands is a MMORPG, run by an AI - the same AI in a new experimental medical unit to help rehabilitate patients, currently under a test-trial at the last remaining VA hospital.
This is the predictable, but well-written, result.
Lots of neat ideas in this story - I really enjoyed it, and can't wait for book 2.
This is the predictable, but well-written, result.
Lots of neat ideas in this story - I really enjoyed it, and can't wait for book 2.
September 15, 2018
Good read
Being a veteran myself and having waited in those VA hospitals I can agree with your sentiment regarding the hero's who quietly wait for treatment. The book is well paced and a pleasure to read and I look forward to the second book and the developing plot line. Keep up the good work you have a fan here who is rooting for you.
Being a veteran myself and having waited in those VA hospitals I can agree with your sentiment regarding the hero's who quietly wait for treatment. The book is well paced and a pleasure to read and I look forward to the second book and the developing plot line. Keep up the good work you have a fan here who is rooting for you.
November 23, 2018
A good beginning
This story combinds a few different elements. First it is a litrpg with a unique leveling system for the MC. It has elements of roman legions. Last the MC is a senior citizen with a military background. Given all that
I am ready to dive into the next book in the series.
This story combinds a few different elements. First it is a litrpg with a unique leveling system for the MC. It has elements of roman legions. Last the MC is a senior citizen with a military background. Given all that
I am ready to dive into the next book in the series.
November 1, 2018
Great blend of DOG and squad combat
Great new take on mmorpg! The commander class is amazing, I can't wait to see how it develops. Use of the Roman Legion motif was a great pleasure to a Roman history fanatic.
Great new take on mmorpg! The commander class is amazing, I can't wait to see how it develops. Use of the Roman Legion motif was a great pleasure to a Roman history fanatic.
August 12, 2018
A Soldier LITRPG
This is a new take on LITRPG a solders view. How many LITRPG don't show the character states until 60% off the book. If your like me and like sifi military give this a try, and if you haven't tried LITRPG because your not a gamer give this a try. I did give it 5 starts because it different, but this is just setting up what looks like a good story. Love opening and new I was in for something when the character passed on magic, wow how does that. At end author said thought it up at his time in a VA so I like to thank him for his service. Look forward to the next.
This is a new take on LITRPG a solders view. How many LITRPG don't show the character states until 60% off the book. If your like me and like sifi military give this a try, and if you haven't tried LITRPG because your not a gamer give this a try. I did give it 5 starts because it different, but this is just setting up what looks like a good story. Love opening and new I was in for something when the character passed on magic, wow how does that. At end author said thought it up at his time in a VA so I like to thank him for his service. Look forward to the next.
August 14, 2018
Refreshingly New
In 2085 a soldier in his 90s, one of the last who fought in a real war, is placed into a Medpod to try to repair his body and mind. This new treatment is run by an AI which also runs the first ever full immersion VR game Limitless Lands. Unknown to those supervising the medical trial our MC was allowed into the game by the AI and due to his combat experience was granted a unique class. Commander.
The new and interesting aspect is there is a focus on strategy, the MC is not personally powerful but can command NPC troops. It’s average length and is decently edited and proofread. Overall a good book and I hope book 2 comes out soon.
In 2085 a soldier in his 90s, one of the last who fought in a real war, is placed into a Medpod to try to repair his body and mind. This new treatment is run by an AI which also runs the first ever full immersion VR game Limitless Lands. Unknown to those supervising the medical trial our MC was allowed into the game by the AI and due to his combat experience was granted a unique class. Commander.
The new and interesting aspect is there is a focus on strategy, the MC is not personally powerful but can command NPC troops. It’s average length and is decently edited and proofread. Overall a good book and I hope book 2 comes out soon.
August 27, 2018
Cheating Death
Colonel James Raytak is a dying 93 year old veteran who is placed in a medipod controlled be a new game AI. The AI decides to put him in the game to map his brain before restoring it. His role in the game is to command troops based on the Roman Empire model. As he levels up, he draws on his real life experience as a commander of troops. I like the action and game environment. Raytak is a competent, compelling main character. I look forward to the next book.
Colonel James Raytak is a dying 93 year old veteran who is placed in a medipod controlled be a new game AI. The AI decides to put him in the game to map his brain before restoring it. His role in the game is to command troops based on the Roman Empire model. As he levels up, he draws on his real life experience as a commander of troops. I like the action and game environment. Raytak is a competent, compelling main character. I look forward to the next book.
August 12, 2018
Better then I thought it would be
I like this take on the genre. Especially since a lot of the recent stuff is rather meh. Generic cut and paste characters doing absolutely nothing. But this, a commander and his squads fighting together. Reminds me of those old Lord of the Rings and Warhammer games I use to enjoy.
I like this take on the genre. Especially since a lot of the recent stuff is rather meh. Generic cut and paste characters doing absolutely nothing. But this, a commander and his squads fighting together. Reminds me of those old Lord of the Rings and Warhammer games I use to enjoy.
September 7, 2018
Straight up excellent.
Came into this one curious about how they could make a commander style character work and left waiting for more. Definitely one of the more unique takes on a litrpg character that I’ve seen. Really hoping more comes sooner rather than later, I already feel invested in how the town does and how the son reacts.
Came into this one curious about how they could make a commander style character work and left waiting for more. Definitely one of the more unique takes on a litrpg character that I’ve seen. Really hoping more comes sooner rather than later, I already feel invested in how the town does and how the son reacts.
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May 22, 2020Note:
Tried on 05/22/2020 & the writing isn't good enough to float the ideas.
Tried on 05/22/2020 & the writing isn't good enough to float the ideas.
July 11, 2019
Even though this book has quite a weak start , i feel that overall it was worth a read if you enjoy litRPG books. The game is potrayed from the view of a different character class which is always interesting to see. Bit hard to reccomend and the writing/story/world can definitely use some work, both in how interesting it is and how much effort is put into world building.
August 29, 2018
I'd barely even heard of LitRPG, never mind read it before, so my opinion probably isn't worth much here, but I really enjoyed this book. I had trouble putting it down and I'm looking forward to the next volume.
It's hard to say what I liked so much about it; it's a little easier to note what I didn't like. I enjoyed the main story and Maxxo the show host, but the rest of the frame story was a bit less interesting and more confusing: I never really believed in the arbitrary plot connection between the video game and the medical experiment on the main character; it didn't make sense as a real-world business. Another confusing part of the frame story was the reveal at the end of something I had incorrectly assumed everyone knew already. I spotted a typo or two, but not enough of them to annoy me.
It's hard to say what I liked so much about it; it's a little easier to note what I didn't like. I enjoyed the main story and Maxxo the show host, but the rest of the frame story was a bit less interesting and more confusing: I never really believed in the arbitrary plot connection between the video game and the medical experiment on the main character; it didn't make sense as a real-world business. Another confusing part of the frame story was the reveal at the end of something I had incorrectly assumed everyone knew already. I spotted a typo or two, but not enough of them to annoy me.
January 5, 2020
Really wanted to like this, but I really wasn’t impressed. Purchased an audiobook of this with an Audible credit. Audiobook made to seem longer than it actually is since the author added a personal note to the story as well as a full on chapter from the next book.
Generally a bland story, with a subpar audiobook production quality.
Story: a lot of cheesy plot lines; US military ranks are anachronistic in this fantasy world; cheesy BETA launch, limited world building; MC’s callous regard toward his NPC’s troop’s lives—nevermind he gets replacements from out of no where from the barracks, he should have more respect for their lives
Narration: subpar, and the audiobook production quality was very poor. Lots of white noise, noticeable skips in audio, cuts between sound bites obvious
Generally a bland story, with a subpar audiobook production quality.
Story: a lot of cheesy plot lines; US military ranks are anachronistic in this fantasy world; cheesy BETA launch, limited world building; MC’s callous regard toward his NPC’s troop’s lives—nevermind he gets replacements from out of no where from the barracks, he should have more respect for their lives
Narration: subpar, and the audiobook production quality was very poor. Lots of white noise, noticeable skips in audio, cuts between sound bites obvious
February 26, 2020
There's so very much wrong with this book, but at least I was given it for free so the only thing it's cost me is my time.
I'm not a huge fan of LitRPG and this example of it highlights why. There's no jeopardy or peril. The main protagonist dies? Well, he'll just respawn back again 30 seconds later. Half his troops are wiped out? Well they're only NPCs, the game will just send him some more.
The premise is interesting, an ageing/disabled soldier being immersed in a VR MMORPG as part of their therapy, but with no risk to the actual protagonist, either in game or out, it's difficult to become at all invested in the story.
I'm not a huge fan of LitRPG and this example of it highlights why. There's no jeopardy or peril. The main protagonist dies? Well, he'll just respawn back again 30 seconds later. Half his troops are wiped out? Well they're only NPCs, the game will just send him some more.
The premise is interesting, an ageing/disabled soldier being immersed in a VR MMORPG as part of their therapy, but with no risk to the actual protagonist, either in game or out, it's difficult to become at all invested in the story.
August 25, 2018
Good stuff!
Great plot line and a very good intro into the genre. I have one request for you to think about and that is to make the world less linear as you flesh it out in further novels. Don’t get stuck in limiting characters in skills and abilities as any virtual world that feels as real as ‘real life’ should mean that people can learn anything and move into any direction. Don’t overly class lock people into limited roles but rather treat it as real life in a virtual world. Grow it and make it real. Thanks for the first novel, very cool.
Great plot line and a very good intro into the genre. I have one request for you to think about and that is to make the world less linear as you flesh it out in further novels. Don’t get stuck in limiting characters in skills and abilities as any virtual world that feels as real as ‘real life’ should mean that people can learn anything and move into any direction. Don’t overly class lock people into limited roles but rather treat it as real life in a virtual world. Grow it and make it real. Thanks for the first novel, very cool.
August 14, 2018
I thought it was very well written and I enjoyed very much due to the setting, the unusual character class, and the characters themselves. Fairly well written, the flow of the narrative seemed choppy a few times, but still head and shoulders above a lot of books I have read on here.
Trying to was rite a review on a phone is annoying. See the title of the review for the actual review. Look forward to the next book.
Trying to was rite a review on a phone is annoying. See the title of the review for the actual review. Look forward to the next book.
August 9, 2018
A refreshing new way to make a LitRPG book.
The book has good characters, good plot, good combat and good pacing, really everything you can want. It does not have the power-fantasy thing that a lot of LitRPGs have, but I generally don't like that anyway. It isn't a masterwork, but still well into excellent, hence 5 stars. I eagerly await the next book.
The book has good characters, good plot, good combat and good pacing, really everything you can want. It does not have the power-fantasy thing that a lot of LitRPGs have, but I generally don't like that anyway. It isn't a masterwork, but still well into excellent, hence 5 stars. I eagerly await the next book.
August 23, 2018
Litrpg well done
I gave 5 stars due to good character creation and concept. If you like litrpg lite then you should enjoy this story. No OP main character instead a good progression for the characters growth. I am looking forward to book two. The MC is not a solo OP player, instead a unique leader class.
I gave 5 stars due to good character creation and concept. If you like litrpg lite then you should enjoy this story. No OP main character instead a good progression for the characters growth. I am looking forward to book two. The MC is not a solo OP player, instead a unique leader class.
September 14, 2018
Excellent! Quality storytelling!
A well written MMO story. The combining of current and past militaries', strategies, fighting techniques and leadership styles, made this an enjoyable read. I could not put it down. I recommend this book especially to those who have served, are serving or who are students of military history.
A well written MMO story. The combining of current and past militaries', strategies, fighting techniques and leadership styles, made this an enjoyable read. I could not put it down. I recommend this book especially to those who have served, are serving or who are students of military history.
September 21, 2018
Ready Player One-ish...Fun Read
The beginning reads well and the end reads well. The gaming portions can drone on for a bit; I think that’s just my impatient reading though so that’s why I’m still giving 5 stars. The concept is also novel too; so far. I’m looking forward to reading the next one!
The beginning reads well and the end reads well. The gaming portions can drone on for a bit; I think that’s just my impatient reading though so that’s why I’m still giving 5 stars. The concept is also novel too; so far. I’m looking forward to reading the next one!
September 24, 2018
I'm a veteran and a gamer myself, having seen the VA system up close and personal, this sort of hit home for me. A good read and well thought out. Looking forward to the next installment.
Interesting in the details but also a bit on the predictable side. I was surprised by the personal development of the character. Dang good book though. Thank you.
Interesting in the details but also a bit on the predictable side. I was surprised by the personal development of the character. Dang good book though. Thank you.
October 23, 2020
This book lacking a real antagonist. Whatever achievement Raytak gains feel dull, because at the end of the day we knows that he will be safe in the medpod and become healthier. Basically he just playing a game without any real stake and whatever action he decided doesn't really matter to me as a reader.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews