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One Up #1
Level Up
Virtual is Reality. What would the world be like if video game rules suddenly applied? Marcus is about to find out. After a freak accident he finds himself stuck between a game and the real world. He’ll need to fight his way through football hooligans, carnies and the dreaded RNG to get to the final boss and save the world. Anything less means it’s game over for good. Along the way he’ll learn new skills, chase epic loot and most importantly of all, Level Up!If you love light LitRPG you’ll be sure to enjoy this humourous take on the genre. Grab your copy now!
302 pages, Paperback
Published May 8, 2018
1256 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Craig Anderson
14 books72 followersCraig Anderson can't stand writing about himself in the third person. I’m a Brit that lives in Canada, and I moved here via Australia, so no matter where I go people hear my bizarre accent and ask me where I’m from. I have a beautiful wife, two rambunctious kids, a cat called Sydney, and a Sheepadoodle puppy.
I love to write humour (yes that is how they spell it where I am from!) with just a touch of depth. If I can make you laugh and then make you think, I’m on the right track. I have a soft spot for characters with hidden strength, the types that no-one thinks will amount to anything. Give me a nun-chuck wielding elf or a granny hacker any day of the week.
I love to write humour (yes that is how they spell it where I am from!) with just a touch of depth. If I can make you laugh and then make you think, I’m on the right track. I have a soft spot for characters with hidden strength, the types that no-one thinks will amount to anything. Give me a nun-chuck wielding elf or a granny hacker any day of the week.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
February 25, 2018
This was a really entertaining novel. It's not introducing some new mechanic, or pushing the limit on the genre, but what it does, it does really well and consistently.
It's also self contained, with the possibility of expansion if the author so desires, but it's nice to be left without cliffhangers.
If you are looking for an uncomplicated and entertaining story, pick this up.
It's also self contained, with the possibility of expansion if the author so desires, but it's nice to be left without cliffhangers.
If you are looking for an uncomplicated and entertaining story, pick this up.
February 19, 2018
A humourous take on an honestly well overdone genre, this was light and refreshing and funny. Very much enjoyed!
February 17, 2019
Not really something I would normally pick up, but it was kind of fun. The teen age boy humor got a little old by the end.
January 9, 2019
This book is a quick read. Witty and entertaining.
December 28, 2019
After finishing Armada, I was looking for another book about games, and this one came recommended. It's a self-published, relatively short book, but it's a real gem!
I was hooked straight from the start when a VR game "injects" itself into reality. The main character suddenly sees a HUD in front of him, and all the people in the world start acting as NPC's (bots) in a game. He has to solve a few quests, overcome his fears, and fight enemies along the way. You know, business as usual in any game. Only this time, it's real life. No retry option when you die.
Oh, and "reality" is not what we think it is. Instead, the main characters discover that they live inside an ancestor simulation. (It does an outstanding job of describing the simulation theory in clear English! Mad probs!) The game has altered the simulation, introducing new capabilities to the players and bringing new physics.
All of these things came up in the first few chapters and caught on with me big time! Does that make me a complete nerd? Probably. Okay, fine. Yes, I am!
The book is filled with (nerdy) jokes about games, like the fact that the main character, which is a business analyst, has a unique skill to "pivot tables." I say no more! It also mocks the weird mechanics that are in most popular games.
The only downside is that the main characters encounter a few too many "boss fights." After a while, it becomes a bit of the same thing, but luckily the author squeezes in enough jokes, so it doesn't bore you too much.
I enjoyed this book. In fact, I loved it so much that I'll pick up the sequel, "Grow Up."
I was hooked straight from the start when a VR game "injects" itself into reality. The main character suddenly sees a HUD in front of him, and all the people in the world start acting as NPC's (bots) in a game. He has to solve a few quests, overcome his fears, and fight enemies along the way. You know, business as usual in any game. Only this time, it's real life. No retry option when you die.
Oh, and "reality" is not what we think it is. Instead, the main characters discover that they live inside an ancestor simulation. (It does an outstanding job of describing the simulation theory in clear English! Mad probs!) The game has altered the simulation, introducing new capabilities to the players and bringing new physics.
All of these things came up in the first few chapters and caught on with me big time! Does that make me a complete nerd? Probably. Okay, fine. Yes, I am!
The book is filled with (nerdy) jokes about games, like the fact that the main character, which is a business analyst, has a unique skill to "pivot tables." I say no more! It also mocks the weird mechanics that are in most popular games.
The only downside is that the main characters encounter a few too many "boss fights." After a while, it becomes a bit of the same thing, but luckily the author squeezes in enough jokes, so it doesn't bore you too much.
I enjoyed this book. In fact, I loved it so much that I'll pick up the sequel, "Grow Up."
April 4, 2019
This is the first time I've read any Lit RPG (I've seen Ready Player One, but not read it). This book was really fun.
After a freak accident, Marcus finds himself trapped between the real world and a video game. Normal rules have ceased to apply and video game rules are important. Marcus has to level up and defeat the big boss at the end of the game in order to save the real world from imploding.
I enjoyed the jokes. The pivot tables made me laugh a lot. This is a a fun and interesting quest style book set inside a video game. It was good fun.
After a freak accident, Marcus finds himself trapped between the real world and a video game. Normal rules have ceased to apply and video game rules are important. Marcus has to level up and defeat the big boss at the end of the game in order to save the real world from imploding.
I enjoyed the jokes. The pivot tables made me laugh a lot. This is a a fun and interesting quest style book set inside a video game. It was good fun.
February 24, 2020
It was a fun light read.
I haven't read a lot of LitRPG but I plan to.
The beginning was a bit of a slow uninteresting start but it soon picked up and stayed fast-paced all the way.
Overall I gave it 4 stars (it's really closer to 3) because it does what it means to perfectly which is a "Light LitRPG".
There were some fun references along the way and the story was a bit of a traditional white knight one in terms of development which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
I haven't read a lot of LitRPG but I plan to.
The beginning was a bit of a slow uninteresting start but it soon picked up and stayed fast-paced all the way.
Overall I gave it 4 stars (it's really closer to 3) because it does what it means to perfectly which is a "Light LitRPG".
There were some fun references along the way and the story was a bit of a traditional white knight one in terms of development which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
July 28, 2022
It read like a YA book so it was easy to go through. I found the conversations unconvincing though. It seemed like every time someone spoke, it was a sarcastic remark. I love sarcasm but you don’t need it in every situation. If this was made into a movie, I’d watch it. But I doubt I’ll read the book again.
April 22, 2019
I actually didn't want to like it but I really did in the end. Totally not my normal reading but it was fun!
November 3, 2019
The MC is a pansy moron.
February 13, 2020
A crazy and fun adventure
The story is well written with good characters. There are spots of humor throughout and I seriously cracked up laughing a couple of times. Note: as I am currently a business data analyst, I may have found the Piviot Table funnier than others might. ;)
The book also has a tiny bit of philosophical questioning. The last part of the book, after the epilogue, both had me laughing at times and wrapped up the final lingering question I had about the story's universe. I'm looking forward to reading the next book now.
Note to the author: Mr. Anderson, after what he did, the squirrel should have been able to keep the change to his fur! Even if not the rest. Just my opinion. :) Thank you for a fun adventure.
The story is well written with good characters. There are spots of humor throughout and I seriously cracked up laughing a couple of times. Note: as I am currently a business data analyst, I may have found the Piviot Table funnier than others might. ;)
The book also has a tiny bit of philosophical questioning. The last part of the book, after the epilogue, both had me laughing at times and wrapped up the final lingering question I had about the story's universe. I'm looking forward to reading the next book now.
Note to the author: Mr. Anderson, after what he did, the squirrel should have been able to keep the change to his fur! Even if not the rest. Just my opinion. :) Thank you for a fun adventure.
January 30, 2024
Had me busting out laughie
There were parts that did feel slow but the laughs are worth it. All I have is Not sack and Granny killer. Epic!
There were parts that did feel slow but the laughs are worth it. All I have is Not sack and Granny killer. Epic!
August 21, 2022
This book was good. A different take on video game adventure/quests than I have come across. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending though.
May 6, 2018
Marcus loved games, and hated his job. He worked twice as hard as everyone else, helped them out without pause, and his boss constantly dangled the promise of promotion just out of reach. He was better where he was, doing all the work, and meeting what should have been impossible deadlines, after all, why should some one be rewarded for their work when keeping them at their current station keeps the office running smoothly? Things, however, are about to change. His old love interest returned to the scene, and more surprisingly, she's working on a project to create VR. It's still in the testing phase, but Marcus is all too eager to help. A freak accident causes the game to crash, and when Marcus wakes up the world is not the same. Reality has become a game, and he has 48 hours to complete the main quest or the world itself will end.
Level Up by Craig Anderson is another book in my current favourite genre, LitRPG. I instantly connected with Marus' character, in fact, aside from his job title I have lived that office life. It's a quick paced and entertaining read. With a new HUD overlay to reality Marcus needs to level up and complete his objectives, all of which are related to himself and his own personal development. Reality becomes a game, experience a must and the means by which it is obtained have to integrate both the game and reality mechanics. There is a humour to the game that will appeal to everyone, particularly gamers. An easy, well-paced, and enjoyable read.
Level Up by Craig Anderson is another book in my current favourite genre, LitRPG. I instantly connected with Marus' character, in fact, aside from his job title I have lived that office life. It's a quick paced and entertaining read. With a new HUD overlay to reality Marcus needs to level up and complete his objectives, all of which are related to himself and his own personal development. Reality becomes a game, experience a must and the means by which it is obtained have to integrate both the game and reality mechanics. There is a humour to the game that will appeal to everyone, particularly gamers. An easy, well-paced, and enjoyable read.
January 5, 2021
TL;DR Unrealistic character behaviors and Interactions explained away by a flimsy excuse in order to justify extremely poor character writing throughout.
Every character, even the main char, acts like poorly scripted NPCs. Really early on, there's exposition where a character posits that it's more statistically likely that the world is just a giant super-advanced simulation. Then, some mishap happens and they reprogram reality a little to cause the rules of a game that is in development to start bleeding into reality.
That's the excuse they're going with as to why everyone around the MC (who the reality break is centered around) starts giving him quests and acting like buggy npcs. The problem is that even the people who supposedly retain sapience (the MC, his friend, and the heroine) also don't act and react like real people. It throws a wet blanket over everything.
The first line of the synopsis asks, "what would the world be like if video game rules suddenly applied?" It doesn't really answer that question, because no one reacts like they would in real life if some external magic imposed a game-like system on them.
Instead it should've asked "what would the world be like if everyone in the world loses sapience, and stop acting like real people?" The answer: stupid shit happens, the outcome of which doesn't matter, because nothing matters to anyone, because everyone has lost free will and sapience, thereby ceasing to be actual people.
Every character, even the main char, acts like poorly scripted NPCs. Really early on, there's exposition where a character posits that it's more statistically likely that the world is just a giant super-advanced simulation. Then, some mishap happens and they reprogram reality a little to cause the rules of a game that is in development to start bleeding into reality.
That's the excuse they're going with as to why everyone around the MC (who the reality break is centered around) starts giving him quests and acting like buggy npcs. The problem is that even the people who supposedly retain sapience (the MC, his friend, and the heroine) also don't act and react like real people. It throws a wet blanket over everything.
The first line of the synopsis asks, "what would the world be like if video game rules suddenly applied?" It doesn't really answer that question, because no one reacts like they would in real life if some external magic imposed a game-like system on them.
Instead it should've asked "what would the world be like if everyone in the world loses sapience, and stop acting like real people?" The answer: stupid shit happens, the outcome of which doesn't matter, because nothing matters to anyone, because everyone has lost free will and sapience, thereby ceasing to be actual people.
February 18, 2019
The writing is incredibly simplistic, it reads like an unintentional young adult novel. The grammar is fine but this is a book about adults with a pg-13 tone and yet the simplistic writing makes it feel like it was written for an audience of 12 year olds. The characterizations are also pretty one dimensional.
I read on the author's bio where he states that he prefers to write short stories and novellas, but this is a novel. Maybe that's why things aren't as fleshed out as they should have been. To me the writing in this book comes across as a polished first draft.
I almost grave up before i hit the 10% mark but I'm glad I didn't. This book is a really unique take on the LITRPG genre. This is "soft" LITRPG, there is definitely the prerequisite stats and leveling but its not bogged down with pointless numbers.
If you're a gamer the humor is spot on and you'll catch all the little references. Digging a bit deeper into the plot there are more things I didn't like about this book but overall I thought it was a good read and it succeeds at what it sets kitty to do.
I read on the author's bio where he states that he prefers to write short stories and novellas, but this is a novel. Maybe that's why things aren't as fleshed out as they should have been. To me the writing in this book comes across as a polished first draft.
I almost grave up before i hit the 10% mark but I'm glad I didn't. This book is a really unique take on the LITRPG genre. This is "soft" LITRPG, there is definitely the prerequisite stats and leveling but its not bogged down with pointless numbers.
If you're a gamer the humor is spot on and you'll catch all the little references. Digging a bit deeper into the plot there are more things I didn't like about this book but overall I thought it was a good read and it succeeds at what it sets kitty to do.
February 28, 2018
Simple, clean and fun
This is not a deep book, but it is a fun book. The writing is clean and flows very well, tight and fast you're carried along with little to no meandering or wandering aimlessly. That doesn't allow for much introspection or exploration, but it makes for a fun read and the author supplies plenty of humor, game+reality shenanigans, and moments of laugh out loud silliness to satisfy.
There was never a moment where I was worried about the main character, nor did I ever doubt he was going to win and get the girl, and the over all story was as straightforward as they get - but at the same time, there was never a moment where I wasn't enjoying the ride and looking forward, often with real curiously, to what would come next.
Highly enjoyable, would make a Great (light, fun) movie, and I'm going to check out what else the author has written!
This is not a deep book, but it is a fun book. The writing is clean and flows very well, tight and fast you're carried along with little to no meandering or wandering aimlessly. That doesn't allow for much introspection or exploration, but it makes for a fun read and the author supplies plenty of humor, game+reality shenanigans, and moments of laugh out loud silliness to satisfy.
There was never a moment where I was worried about the main character, nor did I ever doubt he was going to win and get the girl, and the over all story was as straightforward as they get - but at the same time, there was never a moment where I wasn't enjoying the ride and looking forward, often with real curiously, to what would come next.
Highly enjoyable, would make a Great (light, fun) movie, and I'm going to check out what else the author has written!
May 30, 2018
Absolutely hysterical. Loads of humor, plenty of action, and more game references than you can shake a stick at. (well, you probably could shake a stick at them, but who's keeping track?). For those who enjoy the LitRPG genre, but don't like all the stats most books have, this is the perfect book for you. It's great fun, very light hearted, poking fun at nearly everything, and just a wonderful read. I tore through it in one sitting, and was laughing nearly the whole time. This has to be the best LitRPG book I've read, just for the shear enjoyment factor. If you're hunting for that one LitRPG book to try introducing others into the wonderful world of eamon (wait, I mean LitRPG), then this is the book you want.
December 22, 2020
Level Up
Simulationism Realized
This is a light-hearted romp through some heady topics circling around the meaning of life, fear as a limiting factor, and other themes.
The combination of “real” life with some overlaid game mechanics that are bursting through tears in reality is well executed. There are definitely some laugh-out-loud moments as well.
Carlos is a great buddy, and his legendary ability to discover exploits and flaws in a computer game suddenly becoming extremely valuable is a fun sub-plot.
Sarah is a good love interest, although perhaps too perfect. On the rebound from a called off marriage, moved back to home town recently.
Nice sense of humor throughout. Things that could occur in a game rendered ridiculous in real life. E.g. Carlos starts power-gaming, and is wearing a leather outfit including a bodice because the stats are good. Resolving real-life morals vs gamer morality or lack thereof.
Marcus’s life at work sucks, and he has an abusive boss and bad coworkers. Marcus gets sucked into game environment due to a simultaneous late night experiment by a professor trying to prove simulationism going on at the computer center. Marcus technically dies, and is revived. Next day at work, he discovers he can use his class to exploit the HR rulebook, amongst other things. Life becomes much easier as game mechanics start to get overlaid on real life.
The conveniently placed professor coincidentally sharing computer time, causing the glitch, and then suggesting how to solve it combined with the quest mechanism to save the world by winning the game was clever and well done.
The blending of the “real world” and the “game” was handled in a plausible way. Marcus managed to pull first Carlos, then Sarah into the game by grouping with them. Lots of fun realizations of “if I do this in the game, how does the real world deal with it”.
The horrid office environment turned into a final end game fight was epic in many ways. The combats and progressions seem self-consistent, and there are many inside jabs at the gaming industry such as switching between different game mechanics, mini-games, and design-by-committee last minute bolting on of incomplete or poorly executed content.
The humor isn’t incessant, sometimes funny, and occasionally makes you laugh out loud.
The coda with the two simulators discussing things as they transpire, and revealing some implications of simulationism was bonus fun. Gotta admit I'm pushing the second book in this series up my reading list.
Simulationism Realized
This is a light-hearted romp through some heady topics circling around the meaning of life, fear as a limiting factor, and other themes.
The combination of “real” life with some overlaid game mechanics that are bursting through tears in reality is well executed. There are definitely some laugh-out-loud moments as well.
Carlos is a great buddy, and his legendary ability to discover exploits and flaws in a computer game suddenly becoming extremely valuable is a fun sub-plot.
Sarah is a good love interest, although perhaps too perfect. On the rebound from a called off marriage, moved back to home town recently.
Nice sense of humor throughout. Things that could occur in a game rendered ridiculous in real life. E.g. Carlos starts power-gaming, and is wearing a leather outfit including a bodice because the stats are good. Resolving real-life morals vs gamer morality or lack thereof.
Marcus’s life at work sucks, and he has an abusive boss and bad coworkers. Marcus gets sucked into game environment due to a simultaneous late night experiment by a professor trying to prove simulationism going on at the computer center. Marcus technically dies, and is revived. Next day at work, he discovers he can use his class to exploit the HR rulebook, amongst other things. Life becomes much easier as game mechanics start to get overlaid on real life.
The conveniently placed professor coincidentally sharing computer time, causing the glitch, and then suggesting how to solve it combined with the quest mechanism to save the world by winning the game was clever and well done.
The blending of the “real world” and the “game” was handled in a plausible way. Marcus managed to pull first Carlos, then Sarah into the game by grouping with them. Lots of fun realizations of “if I do this in the game, how does the real world deal with it”.
The horrid office environment turned into a final end game fight was epic in many ways. The combats and progressions seem self-consistent, and there are many inside jabs at the gaming industry such as switching between different game mechanics, mini-games, and design-by-committee last minute bolting on of incomplete or poorly executed content.
The humor isn’t incessant, sometimes funny, and occasionally makes you laugh out loud.
The coda with the two simulators discussing things as they transpire, and revealing some implications of simulationism was bonus fun. Gotta admit I'm pushing the second book in this series up my reading list.
November 15, 2020
What if your life turned into a video game...the question all of us have asked ourselves at some point right? Well, Anderson's book Level Up is one version of that. A fun, witty, adventure that had me levelling up through the pages late into the night. It was one of those books I ripped through b/c I couldn't put it down.
Level Up reminds me of Ready Player One, a book I read a few years ago and loved - I still think it is one of the best books I've read this decade. Both stories are full of out of this world - literally they take place in a video game type of world - adventure. Level Up is lighter, and full of laugh out loud moments. There is maybe a tad too much 'ball humour' for most folk if you get my drift, but I still laughed at all those jokes - what? A squirrel named nutsack is funny on so many levels!
The overall story is what really kept me reading. It is a fast paced quest full of exciting fights and mystery items that make the impossible seem possible - just like any good video game.
The problem I sometimes have with books like this is the transition between the real world and the fantasy world - books like Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold did a wonderful job of making the transition seem believable. Anderson does that in this book. I didn't miss a beat when Marcus went from the real world being, um, real...into the 'real' world being a video game version of the real world. What I'm saying is that the story makes sense and is believable.
I also liked that it was written in the first person. At some points I'd find myself thinking I was the hero, that I was the one telling the story. That perspective worked really well with this book.
Overall, this is a book I'd pass along to friends...which is a way of saying I really liked this book.
Level Up reminds me of Ready Player One, a book I read a few years ago and loved - I still think it is one of the best books I've read this decade. Both stories are full of out of this world - literally they take place in a video game type of world - adventure. Level Up is lighter, and full of laugh out loud moments. There is maybe a tad too much 'ball humour' for most folk if you get my drift, but I still laughed at all those jokes - what? A squirrel named nutsack is funny on so many levels!
The overall story is what really kept me reading. It is a fast paced quest full of exciting fights and mystery items that make the impossible seem possible - just like any good video game.
The problem I sometimes have with books like this is the transition between the real world and the fantasy world - books like Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold did a wonderful job of making the transition seem believable. Anderson does that in this book. I didn't miss a beat when Marcus went from the real world being, um, real...into the 'real' world being a video game version of the real world. What I'm saying is that the story makes sense and is believable.
I also liked that it was written in the first person. At some points I'd find myself thinking I was the hero, that I was the one telling the story. That perspective worked really well with this book.
Overall, this is a book I'd pass along to friends...which is a way of saying I really liked this book.
May 3, 2024
This book has good ideas but is dragged down by characters and dialogue. As many readers have pointed out, it's a YA novel but the ages of the main characters are mid 20s. The main characters act like children.
What really spoils this is that the Main Character (MC) clearly isn't the hero of this novel. Carlos and Sarah are. They are the competent ones, they always make the great decision and they are both great at everything they do. It makes you question why would Sarah want to be with the MC when Carlos is better than the MC in every way. The MC has one thing that sets him apart which is real world turning into a game. Then he introduces the others to it and now he is clearly the 3rd wheel.
The MC is a loser. We all have loser MCs in these sorts of books but they usually grow on you. He has some quests to make him better but there is nothing about him worth rooting for. He is whiny, he is scared of everything including girls, he acts out like a hormonal teenager, and he is a doormat.
I liked Carlos originally and thought he was a good friend to push the MC in the right direction, but then he is just a jerk. He looks out for himself while dragging the MC around. He gets the MC into fights over and over again, he greedy when it comes to loot... not even thinking of the MC or the goals, and probably one of the worst kinds of friends.
Sarah, again liked in the beginning. She has no flaws though. She has more in common with Carlos than the MC. Upon getting introduced to the game, it already shaped and transformed her body. She comes in as the dashing heroine in the nick of time. Both Carlos and Sarah break the world to level way past the MC in only an hour, 20 something levels. We as the readers don't know how and aren't meant to.
I ask myself this simple question to the author and any readers. When you read this book, who is the hero of the story? Also, why should I care about main or side characters?
What really spoils this is that the Main Character (MC) clearly isn't the hero of this novel. Carlos and Sarah are. They are the competent ones, they always make the great decision and they are both great at everything they do. It makes you question why would Sarah want to be with the MC when Carlos is better than the MC in every way. The MC has one thing that sets him apart which is real world turning into a game. Then he introduces the others to it and now he is clearly the 3rd wheel.
The MC is a loser. We all have loser MCs in these sorts of books but they usually grow on you. He has some quests to make him better but there is nothing about him worth rooting for. He is whiny, he is scared of everything including girls, he acts out like a hormonal teenager, and he is a doormat.
I liked Carlos originally and thought he was a good friend to push the MC in the right direction, but then he is just a jerk. He looks out for himself while dragging the MC around. He gets the MC into fights over and over again, he greedy when it comes to loot... not even thinking of the MC or the goals, and probably one of the worst kinds of friends.
Sarah, again liked in the beginning. She has no flaws though. She has more in common with Carlos than the MC. Upon getting introduced to the game, it already shaped and transformed her body. She comes in as the dashing heroine in the nick of time. Both Carlos and Sarah break the world to level way past the MC in only an hour, 20 something levels. We as the readers don't know how and aren't meant to.
I ask myself this simple question to the author and any readers. When you read this book, who is the hero of the story? Also, why should I care about main or side characters?
April 21, 2020
When you're setting up a character's development arc, there must be flaws, weaknesses, ignorance, etc. which the character must overcome to become the hero of their own story. The problem here is that the reader is forced to spend the first three chapters wallowing in Marcus' wimpy, loser life. I skipped ahead liberally, having faith (from the Lucky Beggar story) that Anderson would have something worthwhile to see.
The central gimmick showed initial promise. What if you could suddenly track your progress in the real-world with an RPG heads-up display? And then, taking it farther, what if you could level up to abilities beyond those present in the real-world... magic, superhuman strength, etc? If only it had stopped there.
Sadly, Anderson decides to take it a step too far. Death is not permanent. People start acting like stupid NPCs. The world devolves into the depths of cartoonish vapidity. There are a few saving graces that make it tolerable. Marcus must conquer four of his worst fears. Thus we get to enjoy that promised redemption arc. He's also a nice guy, so it's easy to pull for his success.
Overall, this is a miss for me. The concept was explored better by Dan Sugralinov.
The central gimmick showed initial promise. What if you could suddenly track your progress in the real-world with an RPG heads-up display? And then, taking it farther, what if you could level up to abilities beyond those present in the real-world... magic, superhuman strength, etc? If only it had stopped there.
Sadly, Anderson decides to take it a step too far. Death is not permanent. People start acting like stupid NPCs. The world devolves into the depths of cartoonish vapidity. There are a few saving graces that make it tolerable. Marcus must conquer four of his worst fears. Thus we get to enjoy that promised redemption arc. He's also a nice guy, so it's easy to pull for his success.
Overall, this is a miss for me. The concept was explored better by Dan Sugralinov.
December 7, 2020
“You’re the hero. I’m just the sassy sidekick.”
This book is so fun that a few chapters in, I downloaded the next in the series, just to make sure it was immediately ready.
Not your normal litRPG, this merges the real world with the game world in bizarre, wonderful ways. From a mangy pet squirrel to a magical purple hoody and so many points between, it's a rollicking ride that's not too game stat heavy. Villains come in unexpected forms, with amusingly deadly skills. The heroes also have unique skill sets and viewpoints, after adapting to treating their normal world like a game.
An example of the writing:
"She reaches out and tries to grab me in a bear hug. I only just manage to break free. That’s another way I’m not planning to die today, smothered by a middle-aged lady covered in cat hair. I need to keep her at a distance."
This book is so fun that a few chapters in, I downloaded the next in the series, just to make sure it was immediately ready.
Not your normal litRPG, this merges the real world with the game world in bizarre, wonderful ways. From a mangy pet squirrel to a magical purple hoody and so many points between, it's a rollicking ride that's not too game stat heavy. Villains come in unexpected forms, with amusingly deadly skills. The heroes also have unique skill sets and viewpoints, after adapting to treating their normal world like a game.
An example of the writing:
"She reaches out and tries to grab me in a bear hug. I only just manage to break free. That’s another way I’m not planning to die today, smothered by a middle-aged lady covered in cat hair. I need to keep her at a distance."
June 12, 2023
Lite SF in which the main character, a 20-something who is miserable at his office job, seeks escape in online gaming. He's asked by an old flame to try a virtual reality game she's part of testing, but Plot Things Happen, there''s an error in the test, and the main character discovers that video game elements have now invaded the real world. He suddenly has a health bar, he's given quests, and the world is now full of people being forced by The Programming to act like NPCs -- bar mobs resurrect after being beaten, security guards are compelled to follow set routines and complain loudly about the irrationality of it, etc. If you're into video games, it's wonderfully entertaining, but the premise is fantastical. Not up to Ready Player One standards, but it gave me many a laugh this past weekend.
April 25, 2024
This one is hard to review but I don’t recommend this for people who read often.
So the story is awesome on paper but it’s written in a way that isn’t great and honestly doesn’t make sense.
First of all the MC and all the relevant side characters are like 28+ years old but they all act and are written like straight up children.
This is a YA writing style but the ages are grown adult and there aren’t any of the YA themes common to the genre (moral decision making, societal questioning, pathfinding…)
I’m at a loss because if the characters had been appropriately aged, if the story leaned into YA, if there were any actual tough decisions made… well it wouldn’t feel empty.
I guess what I’m saying is that the book is well written, the prose is easy on the eyes, the story’s skeleton is there but the rest of it is hollow. There’s nothing driving me to continue reading.
So the story is awesome on paper but it’s written in a way that isn’t great and honestly doesn’t make sense.
First of all the MC and all the relevant side characters are like 28+ years old but they all act and are written like straight up children.
This is a YA writing style but the ages are grown adult and there aren’t any of the YA themes common to the genre (moral decision making, societal questioning, pathfinding…)
I’m at a loss because if the characters had been appropriately aged, if the story leaned into YA, if there were any actual tough decisions made… well it wouldn’t feel empty.
I guess what I’m saying is that the book is well written, the prose is easy on the eyes, the story’s skeleton is there but the rest of it is hollow. There’s nothing driving me to continue reading.
February 13, 2019
Not a bad book, just not for me. I one-star Goodreads "did not like it". Please note that I loathed the epilogue, which seems to have made the entire story up to that point irrelevant, but the epilogue did not affect my general feelings about this book.
I'm just not a fan of meta-humor books about gameplaying when they don't provide a solid core story I can identify with and resonate to. Technically, this book is the story of a working schlub becoming a hero by injecting RPG into the real world but that world is sparse, the characters are unlikeable (especially the best friend and "love interest"), and I'm just not the right audience for the jokes (such as the ones about table pivots and pie charts).
Wanted to like it. Didn't.
I'm just not a fan of meta-humor books about gameplaying when they don't provide a solid core story I can identify with and resonate to. Technically, this book is the story of a working schlub becoming a hero by injecting RPG into the real world but that world is sparse, the characters are unlikeable (especially the best friend and "love interest"), and I'm just not the right audience for the jokes (such as the ones about table pivots and pie charts).
Wanted to like it. Didn't.
October 4, 2020
Reality warps in a Tron meets Terminator like battle between Office Drone Underdog and Horrible Boss
Stuck in a miserable office job with his boss giving him increasingly impossible tasks, Marcus escapes into his favourite RPG along with his best mate. When they run into the one that got away, they jump at the chance to help her test out a new VR RPG she is developing. Naturally they are soon fighting for Reality itself, as ultimate underdogs, against Marcus' Horrible Boss. Fast paced with generous dollops of humour, and a completed storyline without a cliffhanger. Satisfyingly ludicrous with surprisingly believable characters. Reminiscent of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Also a Clean Read, for the Parental Units out there.
Stuck in a miserable office job with his boss giving him increasingly impossible tasks, Marcus escapes into his favourite RPG along with his best mate. When they run into the one that got away, they jump at the chance to help her test out a new VR RPG she is developing. Naturally they are soon fighting for Reality itself, as ultimate underdogs, against Marcus' Horrible Boss. Fast paced with generous dollops of humour, and a completed storyline without a cliffhanger. Satisfyingly ludicrous with surprisingly believable characters. Reminiscent of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Also a Clean Read, for the Parental Units out there.
June 19, 2021
Been searching for a fun fiction read for a while and this one fit the bill. It’s becoming harder and harder to find a good fiction novel for men these days so I’m glad I stumbled across this one on Amazon.
It’s a fun and fast paced story with a totally relatable protagonist facing normal day to day issues like a crap job that’s going no where, no social life outside of his witty best friend/sidekick, and is basically just existing rather than living life. It’s a great modern hero’s journey with a video game twist as Marcus true to find his confidence, overcome his fears, and gets a second chance to get the girl of his dreams while he figures out how to be a hero and live his best life.
It’s a fun and fast paced story with a totally relatable protagonist facing normal day to day issues like a crap job that’s going no where, no social life outside of his witty best friend/sidekick, and is basically just existing rather than living life. It’s a great modern hero’s journey with a video game twist as Marcus true to find his confidence, overcome his fears, and gets a second chance to get the girl of his dreams while he figures out how to be a hero and live his best life.
August 16, 2021
This is an ok read. However having come from recently reading complex story arch’s and following multiple characters across a series of books, this led me to be a little bit more critical of this book than I would normally be.
In terms of the story it is simple clear cut, and you get what you wanted out of it. In terms of the characters, the main character you can empathise with and you can get involved with his journey. However his best friend and love interest just come across as needing to be fleshed out a little more.
I have given 3 stars because this was the light hearted book I was looking for between deep reads but at times I felt like I needed more out of the characters and the story.
In terms of the story it is simple clear cut, and you get what you wanted out of it. In terms of the characters, the main character you can empathise with and you can get involved with his journey. However his best friend and love interest just come across as needing to be fleshed out a little more.
I have given 3 stars because this was the light hearted book I was looking for between deep reads but at times I felt like I needed more out of the characters and the story.
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