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Tower of Power #1
Guild Master
A second chance at life on a new world.
Morgan used to be a pretty normal guy. He went to college by day and played online games by night, leading his guild into new conquests—until he got hit by a car, and a dude wearing a wetsuit appeared in front of him. The man offered him a new chance at life in a world that he had created, a world with similar rules to the games that Morgan loved to play. There is the promise of great rewards and power, he says, if Morgan manages to complete the Tower of Power. Stupid name, I know.
Morgan didn’t usually trust strangers who seem to have god complexes, but he was in a pinch. There’s a crazy-looking dude saying that he is technically not a god on one end of the tunnel, and a blinding light on the other end—and he was really not digging the light.
So he accepted the offer from the surfer god-not-god.
Getting dropped into a strange new world with no idea what the rules are was not something that Morgan was a fan of; and in this strange world, it seems like everything is out to eat his face. It was a good thing, then, that he stumbled onto two half-elf twins willing to help him get the hang of this strange new world.
Now, all he needs to do is survive long enough to reach this Tower.
WARNING: This book contains RPG mechanics and tables, profanity, and a main character who thinks that he is funny.
Morgan used to be a pretty normal guy. He went to college by day and played online games by night, leading his guild into new conquests—until he got hit by a car, and a dude wearing a wetsuit appeared in front of him. The man offered him a new chance at life in a world that he had created, a world with similar rules to the games that Morgan loved to play. There is the promise of great rewards and power, he says, if Morgan manages to complete the Tower of Power. Stupid name, I know.
Morgan didn’t usually trust strangers who seem to have god complexes, but he was in a pinch. There’s a crazy-looking dude saying that he is technically not a god on one end of the tunnel, and a blinding light on the other end—and he was really not digging the light.
So he accepted the offer from the surfer god-not-god.
Getting dropped into a strange new world with no idea what the rules are was not something that Morgan was a fan of; and in this strange world, it seems like everything is out to eat his face. It was a good thing, then, that he stumbled onto two half-elf twins willing to help him get the hang of this strange new world.
Now, all he needs to do is survive long enough to reach this Tower.
WARNING: This book contains RPG mechanics and tables, profanity, and a main character who thinks that he is funny.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2018
1166 people are currently reading
904 people want to read
About the author
Ivan Kal
42 books383 followersIvan Kal writes science fiction and fantasy, and is the author of the space opera series Rise of the Empire.
For most of his life he had been studying in the fields of electronics, IT, and web design.
But because of his great love for books and his need to tell stories, he decided to start writing.
His other interests include martial arts, movies and tv, and gaming.
For most of his life he had been studying in the fields of electronics, IT, and web design.
But because of his great love for books and his need to tell stories, he decided to start writing.
His other interests include martial arts, movies and tv, and gaming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
June 1, 2024
I appreciate that people liked this review but I am getting a little embarrassed about it still getting attention over five years later. It was not a rational review but one borne out of intense antipathy and that’s really not the Goodreads review legacy I’d like to leave. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I was incorrect or overreacting to what I still unfondly recall as a pretty terrible, sexist, xenophobic book with one of the worst protagonists I’ve ever sat through a whole book with, but I wish my past self had been a little less obnoxious about it.
April 7, 2024
This was sort of okay. Morgan gets the isekai special and ends up completely unprepared for a fantasy world where adventurers are on a timer to die if they don't kill monsters for the magic food pellets they drop. I wish I were making that up. Fortunately, he falls in with an elf duo with a mutual life-saving episode so they can exposition him properly. Not that he doesn't ignore half of what they say and cringe the heck out of the place with constant cultural references they aren't going to get. And don't get me started on his pause for applause that can't happen because they literally have no idea what he is talking about.
I kept at this because I liked that Morgan was more than just flash and actually tried planning things out in advance. It wasn't until after the book that it occurred to me that his plans go entirely too smoothly all things considered. And that he ends the book
Also, I liked his friends a bit. Ves and Val were sympathetic and they provided much-needed humanization of the situation. I was engaged with them. Until the end where
This probably doesn't deserve the third star I'm giving it, but I was entertained until that bit at the very end where I lost sympathy with the story. So I'm going to go with the three stars and the conclusion that I don't feel like I wasted my time with this book, but I have no desire to read the rest of the series.
A note about Chaste: Ves pushes Morgan into a relationship and it was a little creepy that he's making her think he's all committed when internally he's not so much. He gets closer over time to being committed, but most of their "relationship" had me upset for Ves's sake. She deserved better honesty from him. Anyway, they're fantasy-married and are having sex. We don't see any details. There's enough surrounding that it's a close call marking this chaste. But I'm tagging it as barely qualifying.
I kept at this because I liked that Morgan was more than just flash and actually tried planning things out in advance. It wasn't until after the book that it occurred to me that his plans go entirely too smoothly all things considered. And that he ends the book
Also, I liked his friends a bit. Ves and Val were sympathetic and they provided much-needed humanization of the situation. I was engaged with them. Until the end where
This probably doesn't deserve the third star I'm giving it, but I was entertained until that bit at the very end where I lost sympathy with the story. So I'm going to go with the three stars and the conclusion that I don't feel like I wasted my time with this book, but I have no desire to read the rest of the series.
A note about Chaste: Ves pushes Morgan into a relationship and it was a little creepy that he's making her think he's all committed when internally he's not so much. He gets closer over time to being committed, but most of their "relationship" had me upset for Ves's sake. She deserved better honesty from him. Anyway, they're fantasy-married and are having sex. We don't see any details. There's enough surrounding that it's a close call marking this chaste. But I'm tagging it as barely qualifying.
August 19, 2020
Rating 3.5 stars
A very familiar story. A lot of the litrpg tropes in this one. A man is hit by a car and when he dies he is offered a chance to go to another world and live again. A world with magic. The guy was a gamer on earth the the mechanisms in this new world are just like his MMORPG games he played on earth. The guy, Morgan, is a very sarcastic person and somewhat of a contradiction. He didn't have many friends except for his guild mates. He wasn't very good with women, though he had dated. He also took martial arts for 6 years and was in pretty good shape. That last one is where the contradiction comes in. Once Morgan arrives on this new world his goal is to level up and become stronger.
I didn't dislike Morgan but he was written way over the top. I like a sarcastic person. It is probably one of my most defining traits. However, there are times when sarcasm doesn't work. When he dies and met the powerful being that offered him the chance to live on a new world, Morgan was snarky. I hated that. That was not the time or the place. Morgan was given the beings name and immediately cut in half and gave him a nickname. Again stupid. If someone powerful is being an asshole and they need your help, then being sarcastic is understandable. From my point of view the being or god (little g) wasn't being an asshole or doing anything that warranted Morgans actions. When Morgan gets to the world he has the standard theme of using idioms from earth and nobody understanding. This is acceptable and understandable up to a certain point. Morgan used movie quotes and other pop culture references and was upset when people didn't understand how funny he was being. That was too over the top. Another thing that annoyed me about him was that on multiple occasions he screamed like a little girl. That is funny the first time, maybe, but by the 3 or 4th time it gets really old. He also had a stupid catch phrase after each win. He would say "That's how you do it, never been easier". In those moments I thought he was a complete jackass. There where times when Morgan wasn't being a complete moron, and during those times I actually liked the character. He didn't just jump into the action and start killing monsters. He came up with a strategy and figured out a way to win that I thought was pretty inventive. I enjoyed the story. I understood the reason for the choices these characters made and I agreed with them. I just wish that authors would learn that while a sarcastic character is great, if they take it too far it makes the character into kind of an asshole. Too often authors cross that line. This author stepped a toe over the line. I will be continuing the series.
A very familiar story. A lot of the litrpg tropes in this one. A man is hit by a car and when he dies he is offered a chance to go to another world and live again. A world with magic. The guy was a gamer on earth the the mechanisms in this new world are just like his MMORPG games he played on earth. The guy, Morgan, is a very sarcastic person and somewhat of a contradiction. He didn't have many friends except for his guild mates. He wasn't very good with women, though he had dated. He also took martial arts for 6 years and was in pretty good shape. That last one is where the contradiction comes in. Once Morgan arrives on this new world his goal is to level up and become stronger.
I didn't dislike Morgan but he was written way over the top. I like a sarcastic person. It is probably one of my most defining traits. However, there are times when sarcasm doesn't work. When he dies and met the powerful being that offered him the chance to live on a new world, Morgan was snarky. I hated that. That was not the time or the place. Morgan was given the beings name and immediately cut in half and gave him a nickname. Again stupid. If someone powerful is being an asshole and they need your help, then being sarcastic is understandable. From my point of view the being or god (little g) wasn't being an asshole or doing anything that warranted Morgans actions. When Morgan gets to the world he has the standard theme of using idioms from earth and nobody understanding. This is acceptable and understandable up to a certain point. Morgan used movie quotes and other pop culture references and was upset when people didn't understand how funny he was being. That was too over the top. Another thing that annoyed me about him was that on multiple occasions he screamed like a little girl. That is funny the first time, maybe, but by the 3 or 4th time it gets really old. He also had a stupid catch phrase after each win. He would say "That's how you do it, never been easier". In those moments I thought he was a complete jackass. There where times when Morgan wasn't being a complete moron, and during those times I actually liked the character. He didn't just jump into the action and start killing monsters. He came up with a strategy and figured out a way to win that I thought was pretty inventive. I enjoyed the story. I understood the reason for the choices these characters made and I agreed with them. I just wish that authors would learn that while a sarcastic character is great, if they take it too far it makes the character into kind of an asshole. Too often authors cross that line. This author stepped a toe over the line. I will be continuing the series.
December 24, 2018
I thought that the idea for this book was good.
The author did a good job of introducing his new series in such a way as to keep you engaged with the story. The author explained the way that the litrpg part of this book worked and did it in a way that was understandable. You are surprised several times in the book as the author worked to make you think about all the ways that thing's go wrong with raids on MMO'S. Overall I really liked this book.
The author did a good job of introducing his new series in such a way as to keep you engaged with the story. The author explained the way that the litrpg part of this book worked and did it in a way that was understandable. You are surprised several times in the book as the author worked to make you think about all the ways that thing's go wrong with raids on MMO'S. Overall I really liked this book.
February 19, 2020
This book opens up with an introduction of the main character, Morgan, which later turns out to be wrong. A very weird way to start a book and not something I would recommend to other writers. When you follow that up with an economy student that doesn't reference anything economy and even takes a swipe at studying economics as a whole (as an economist I found it terrible), and you have a very difficult beginning. On top of that we have the classic "I'm a min/max'er" but since this is his second life, the last opportunity and he doesn't min/max anything, doesn't ask for help for the most important questions and just jump in with both eyes closed, we have a main character who's an idiot and where his background barely matters. And that's not even mentioning this annoying personality.
If you are looking for a good LitRPG book or want to get into the genre, don't read this.
1,25 stars.
If you are looking for a good LitRPG book or want to get into the genre, don't read this.
1,25 stars.
September 23, 2020
The stars are because it was an interesting story and I liked the RPG aspect. But I could not stand the main character and his ogling male gaze with every female character. Sure, find girls attractive. But commenting on another girls attractiveness right after getting ‘married’? GTFOH. It’s exactly the reason I stopped feeling comfortable in male dominated MMORPG or in gaming communities dominated by men.
September 26, 2018
This was a fun book. This is the usual truck-san takes out a dude and he's then transported to a video game world, and it's all uphill from there. This has to be one of the more "realistic" isakai books. For one, it's permadeath, two, mob's are not regular mob's. To sum up what this book is like, imagine DarkSouls and Final Fantasy had a kid together. This would be that world. The character development was spot on. The character and their insecurities were very believable, and the main character is one of the few that I absolutely LOVE. He's grounded, he's not the type of guy that shows up and thinks that he can just run stuff because he can level up. The first battle that he cuts his teeth on almost kicks said teeth down his throat and had to learn to adjust quite quickly. The book ends on a pretty solid note and it sets up for what appears to be quite the LONG campaign to come. I can easily see this book becoming quite the series. Something along the length of the wheel of time length if the pacing stays the same.
June 4, 2019
BEST of the Worst. So I have to admit I have been sucked into a lot of these sort of lightweight Litrpg books recently. I got this as an audiobook and almost gave up on it but finished it and now I am cursing myself for listening to it again. Even worse I will probably buy the next one. At first I really wanted to give up on this one but then I have to give the author high marks for turning it around slowly winning me over. It seems this genre is cranking cookie cutter books like this left and right most of them seems poorly thought out but Mr. Kal manages to work some great mechanics and elements into this book along with a great support cast. The main character is beyond just being immature and the becomes more tolerable as the story develops. On the audiobook the narration is what it tips it over to 4 stars for me. I truly believe this is a good author and this series will get even better though I would like it if the main character would stop dropping so many f bombs that don't really serve the story other than to demonstrate the protagonists immaturity but with luck he will grow out of it.
September 22, 2018
* * *
3 / 5
Guild Master is a classic LitRPG story: a young guy, through mysterious circumstances (in this case involving death and a god-like figure), finds himself in a game-like world. Morgan gets a second chance at life when he is thrown into a whole new world with a promise of a great gift if he survives and completes the Tower of Power. He selects the Hunter class and is almost immediately killed by some goblins.
Teaming up with half-elf twins, Val and Ves, Morgan begins to understand the world around him and find his place in it. Featuring hefty betrayal, Guilds, team work, a weird romance, and a world very unlike our own, Guild Master was a fun read. It reminded me a little of Sufficiently Advanced Magic (in that the MC picks up a similar class) and of Ritualist by Dakota Krout. The whole reasoning behind the RPG-like world is a bit weird and the plot itself isn't particularly new in the genre, but the writing is solid and Morgan is a cool guy.
Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
3 / 5
Guild Master is a classic LitRPG story: a young guy, through mysterious circumstances (in this case involving death and a god-like figure), finds himself in a game-like world. Morgan gets a second chance at life when he is thrown into a whole new world with a promise of a great gift if he survives and completes the Tower of Power. He selects the Hunter class and is almost immediately killed by some goblins.
Teaming up with half-elf twins, Val and Ves, Morgan begins to understand the world around him and find his place in it. Featuring hefty betrayal, Guilds, team work, a weird romance, and a world very unlike our own, Guild Master was a fun read. It reminded me a little of Sufficiently Advanced Magic (in that the MC picks up a similar class) and of Ritualist by Dakota Krout. The whole reasoning behind the RPG-like world is a bit weird and the plot itself isn't particularly new in the genre, but the writing is solid and Morgan is a cool guy.
Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
February 4, 2024
In the first book of the series, the introduction of guild building added a unique element, making it somewhat interesting.
However, the main character's initial annoying traits made the experience mediocre.
Moving on to the second book, there was improvement in the character's likability, but the excessive annoyance persisted, leading to skipped conversations.
The series took a hit in the third book as the promising guild building was removed from the story, promising a return later.
Unfortunately, this change left the narrative lacking, resulting in a mediocre storyline with an increasingly irritating main character.
By the fourth book, the series had lost its initial charm, making it less appealing than its predecessors.
Overall, the only reason I continued reading after the first book was the intriguing guild building concept, but the subsequent books failed to live up to that promise.
If you're not a fan of the main character and have explored similar genres, this series may not be the best choice.
However, the main character's initial annoying traits made the experience mediocre.
Moving on to the second book, there was improvement in the character's likability, but the excessive annoyance persisted, leading to skipped conversations.
The series took a hit in the third book as the promising guild building was removed from the story, promising a return later.
Unfortunately, this change left the narrative lacking, resulting in a mediocre storyline with an increasingly irritating main character.
By the fourth book, the series had lost its initial charm, making it less appealing than its predecessors.
Overall, the only reason I continued reading after the first book was the intriguing guild building concept, but the subsequent books failed to live up to that promise.
If you're not a fan of the main character and have explored similar genres, this series may not be the best choice.
September 10, 2018
I liked this one a lot. But, then again, I've always liked the books where characters literally build their world from scratch. This one has our main characters building a guild from scratch, and the trials and tribulations they go through in doing so. I would definitely read more in this world, and especially in this series. I'm really liking the skillsets our main characters are making, (another thing that I really enjoy is the ability to follow the less trodden path), and I'm sure the invading goblins will get their butts kicked, it's just a matter of how, this should be interesting. I'll be keeping an eye out for more books in this series.
There's no doubt LitRPG fans will enjoy this one, and gamers will probably enjoy it too, though likely to a lesser degree.
There's no doubt LitRPG fans will enjoy this one, and gamers will probably enjoy it too, though likely to a lesser degree.
June 1, 2019
Nope. Instant Romance is my trigger and this book had it. Not sure, but chapter two and he is already falling in love and having sex and has a mate. Plus, he comes out as a total idiot. Really. She is being serious and he is all, oh oh please don’t cry, ok, I’ll be your mate. Ugh. Infuriating.
Honestly, I don’t think romance has a place in litrpg.
If I wanted romance, I’d read a romance novel. I’ve mentioned this before, when there is romance, it’s all about “her or him” and the story takes a 360, into something corny and less adventurous.
Honestly, I don’t think romance has a place in litrpg.
If I wanted romance, I’d read a romance novel. I’ve mentioned this before, when there is romance, it’s all about “her or him” and the story takes a 360, into something corny and less adventurous.
May 28, 2024
I wanted something to give me early Isekai Gaming world vibes and this definitely delivered. This is a light novel but good.
Yes.
Yes.
October 5, 2018
Book one
Mistakes: I lost count. Needs better editing. I really hate when characters just happen to have gear, potions or whatever on hand as needed without showing the reader when and how they got it.
Plot: Interesting and fun.
Characters: I like the characters in this story. They have a lifelike quality to them.
Overall I give this a 6.5/10 the story itself gives it a nice bump in my rating.
Mistakes: I lost count. Needs better editing. I really hate when characters just happen to have gear, potions or whatever on hand as needed without showing the reader when and how they got it.
Plot: Interesting and fun.
Characters: I like the characters in this story. They have a lifelike quality to them.
Overall I give this a 6.5/10 the story itself gives it a nice bump in my rating.
September 21, 2018
The logic of the novel did not make sense to me
The writing was good, the fight scenes did not seem to flow well. But the issue I had, were the decisions the MC made, who is a gamer but did not make gaming decisions. I have a feeling that the author planned the story out, by starting at the end, and working backwards. Because that is the only way the MC decisions make sense, and it drove me nuts.
The writing was good, the fight scenes did not seem to flow well. But the issue I had, were the decisions the MC made, who is a gamer but did not make gaming decisions. I have a feeling that the author planned the story out, by starting at the end, and working backwards. Because that is the only way the MC decisions make sense, and it drove me nuts.
February 13, 2019
It has potential but the MC was overly 'quirky' and the relationship 'developed' was so paper thin
I couldn't care less about them together
I couldn't care less about them together
April 22, 2020
I just can’t do another “i died and the afterlife is a video game.”
February 6, 2025
In all honesty this book is a 2.5/5 😅 The story takes on a very unoriginal idea - Isekai (a character being transported to another world) and it felt generic to me, which I do think was the author's intention. For me personally it was enjoyable enough to listen and get through, whereas I'm sure some people will love this book 😅
P.S the main character is just cringe and really difficult to listen to 😂🙈 like he constantly makes weird comments out loud and his thoughts are even worse. I get he's meant to be a teenager but I found him unbearable 😂
Overall 'Guild Master' is a pretty easy and quick listen (as well as free on Audible) however I can't recommend it and I very much doubt I'll be rereading this one - but some will love it! 😅
⭐⭐.5/5
P.S the main character is just cringe and really difficult to listen to 😂🙈 like he constantly makes weird comments out loud and his thoughts are even worse. I get he's meant to be a teenager but I found him unbearable 😂
Overall 'Guild Master' is a pretty easy and quick listen (as well as free on Audible) however I can't recommend it and I very much doubt I'll be rereading this one - but some will love it! 😅
⭐⭐.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2021
Simplistic, but good
Pretty simple and straightforward, but a solidly moving narrative and consistent direction keep it interesting. Not a lot of foreshadowing, but enough that events feel natural.
MC is *not* OP. They do have a few lucky finds, but again it is all explained and supported by the narrative.
Any purported resemblance to another popular series is in the eye of the beholder. Poisoning the food of your enemy is an *old* trope, enchanting is likewise old school, and archery is nothing new.
I will continue to read this series. Worth the time.
Pretty simple and straightforward, but a solidly moving narrative and consistent direction keep it interesting. Not a lot of foreshadowing, but enough that events feel natural.
MC is *not* OP. They do have a few lucky finds, but again it is all explained and supported by the narrative.
Any purported resemblance to another popular series is in the eye of the beholder. Poisoning the food of your enemy is an *old* trope, enchanting is likewise old school, and archery is nothing new.
I will continue to read this series. Worth the time.
November 18, 2023
Just don't care enough. Morgan made good decisions when creating his character and his tactics for handling large mob groups (poisoning the food, breaking the chains holding vats of molten metals, &c) felt like natural plans. I'm just not a fan of insta-love or base-building at the first settlement you see.
Even when he asks for opinions, we only get his explanations and everyone just agrees with Morgan even if they had other ideas in the first place. I really don't like that.
P.S. I would have wanted to pet the manticore, also. Me, seeing Fenrir in Thor Ragnarok: PUPPY!
Even when he asks for opinions, we only get his explanations and everyone just agrees with Morgan even if they had other ideas in the first place. I really don't like that.
P.S. I would have wanted to pet the manticore, also. Me, seeing Fenrir in Thor Ragnarok: PUPPY!
January 29, 2025
Narrator was meh. All the characters sound the same. The story itself is middling at best. MC married the first female he meets in a new world a few weeks in. It just all felt forced.
September 8, 2024
This review is going to contain spoilers hidden with the spoiler tag.
This series was hard to give a rating to, and the reason why is both subtle, and blaringly obvious. The four star review reflects my actual engagement in the story, which was usually very high, despite the severe shortfalls that are present in the story, which frankly, are impossible to describe without spoiling the story, so I won't try. You've been warned.
This series was hard to give a rating to, and the reason why is both subtle, and blaringly obvious. The four star review reflects my actual engagement in the story, which was usually very high, despite the severe shortfalls that are present in the story, which frankly, are impossible to describe without spoiling the story, so I won't try. You've been warned.
February 11, 2019
I always get annoyed with authors giving the protagonist a background story s/he doesn't adhere to. The author gave the protagonist a soon-to-be-dropout gamer with 6 years of martial arts (almost black belt) background. And he was run over by a red truck. Talk about luck, eh?
My problem with that?
Gamer = Must try to Min-Max but all of the protagonist's decisions aren't reflecting this background.
6 years of martial arts = level 2 in unarmed combat and level 1 in armed combat but that didn't do anything for him. With level 2 archery or bow mastery, he was able to shoot pretty well. But level 2 unarmed combat did literally nothing. He couldn't even jump out of the way.
The average statistics is clearly shown as 10. But his luck is only 9. Ever think that he died because he has bad luck? Luck that is below average? I mean, the chances of getting hit by a car isn't that low, 1 in 4200s. And the chances of dying is like 10 times less likely than that. While I don't suggest relying on luck, if his luck was like 2, I bet he would be pumping it like crazy.
My problem with that?
Gamer = Must try to Min-Max but all of the protagonist's decisions aren't reflecting this background.
6 years of martial arts = level 2 in unarmed combat and level 1 in armed combat but that didn't do anything for him. With level 2 archery or bow mastery, he was able to shoot pretty well. But level 2 unarmed combat did literally nothing. He couldn't even jump out of the way.
The average statistics is clearly shown as 10. But his luck is only 9. Ever think that he died because he has bad luck? Luck that is below average? I mean, the chances of getting hit by a car isn't that low, 1 in 4200s. And the chances of dying is like 10 times less likely than that. While I don't suggest relying on luck, if his luck was like 2, I bet he would be pumping it like crazy.
September 11, 2020
This is, by quite a margin, the worst book I have ever read!
*edit*
I only discovered the term LitRPG after having finished this review. And after this book I am quite sure it's not a trope for me.
However I still don't have anything positive to say about this book.
Morgan is the most annoying main character I have ever read. He keeps on going with his annoying catch phrases such as: "Fuck Yeah!", "Damn you Oxi" or similar. All the female characters fall for him for no apparent reason. All of his plans succeed, even though almost all of them are quite horrible.
The plot is extremely predictable, and clichéd to the point of where I laughed out several times (the only positive I have to say about this book) in amazement that anyone could seriously be this unoriginal. The plot armor in this book will put Game of Thrones season 8 to shame.
In conclusion this book comes of as complete wish fulfilment, if everything you wished for you stole from pop culture or other people.
*edit*
I only discovered the term LitRPG after having finished this review. And after this book I am quite sure it's not a trope for me.
However I still don't have anything positive to say about this book.
Morgan is the most annoying main character I have ever read. He keeps on going with his annoying catch phrases such as: "Fuck Yeah!", "Damn you Oxi" or similar. All the female characters fall for him for no apparent reason. All of his plans succeed, even though almost all of them are quite horrible.
The plot is extremely predictable, and clichéd to the point of where I laughed out several times (the only positive I have to say about this book) in amazement that anyone could seriously be this unoriginal. The plot armor in this book will put Game of Thrones season 8 to shame.
In conclusion this book comes of as complete wish fulfilment, if everything you wished for you stole from pop culture or other people.
November 11, 2020
I'm struggling with this book. Some of it decent but some of it just flat out is bad. You have a stone that will manufacture a guild hall, cool. you have a menu option to pick what type and attributes, cool. you make the choice and get a menu to place the hearthstone on the ground and step back and you ask what does this mean. REALLY. then it starts pulsing and flashing and you are still wondering what is going on. Makes me want to put the book down and never read anything from this author again. This is almost the last straw of a book that feels like it's written for 5 year olds with content for YA. Don't get me started on the fact that they literally just completed a dungeon, COMPLETED it and there is no exit. They only get out because they stumble into a lab they are not supposed to be able to access and a goddess ports them out after taking part of their memories. WTF man.
May 15, 2021
Standard isekai trope where a guy dies and gets a second chance in another world...a world like a video game.
Complete with:
underdeveloped and rapid romance
blatant hinting about the dark past of our MC
crazy good luck on loot
idiotic MC (references to stuff does not make an interesting or quirky protagonist)
I thought some of the strategies were interesting and there are elements of the world-building that seemed promising, but that doesn’t really redeem the book in my eyes.
Overall, a bland litrpg with little to offer. I read a lot of litrpg....so perhaps I am being a bit harsh, but this was not a good use of my time. I finished it to give it a chance, but I def won’t read the sequel. There are tons of litrpgs on the market and I’d suggest you find something better. I'd suggest Sufficiently Advanced Magic, The Crafter's Dungeon or The Completionist Chronicles.
Complete with:
underdeveloped and rapid romance
blatant hinting about the dark past of our MC
crazy good luck on loot
idiotic MC (references to stuff does not make an interesting or quirky protagonist)
I thought some of the strategies were interesting and there are elements of the world-building that seemed promising, but that doesn’t really redeem the book in my eyes.
Overall, a bland litrpg with little to offer. I read a lot of litrpg....so perhaps I am being a bit harsh, but this was not a good use of my time. I finished it to give it a chance, but I def won’t read the sequel. There are tons of litrpgs on the market and I’d suggest you find something better. I'd suggest Sufficiently Advanced Magic, The Crafter's Dungeon or The Completionist Chronicles.
February 22, 2019
It's quite clear at the start that Kal has been influenced by Aleron Kong's The Land: Founding with a little Matthew Schmidt's The City and the Dungeon. Still, the story is very much it's own thing, unlike a lot of other authors who stole every plot beat from it.
The main issue that kept this from being more than just an average story was the ending was rather weak.
The main issue that kept this from being more than just an average story was the ending was rather weak.
September 17, 2020
I'll put aside the rain of errors in grammar. This story has almost nothing original to the LitRPG genre. The one element that could have made it unique, starting and building a guild, was treated as an afterthought.
Oh yes, the love story was atrocious. Morgan is informed that his inadvertent actions, towards the first woman he meets in a new world, imply he is interested in marriage. Does he confess to a misunderstanding? No. She's a hotty so he pretends a lifetime partnership is what he wants. That's just cowardly and potentially hurtful.
On the plus side, the plot is engaging and the pacing is good. It's just not enough to draw me into the rest of the series.
Oh yes, the love story was atrocious. Morgan is informed that his inadvertent actions, towards the first woman he meets in a new world, imply he is interested in marriage. Does he confess to a misunderstanding? No. She's a hotty so he pretends a lifetime partnership is what he wants. That's just cowardly and potentially hurtful.
On the plus side, the plot is engaging and the pacing is good. It's just not enough to draw me into the rest of the series.
March 5, 2019
Awesome premise
Often used, of late, the premise of a person near, or having experienced death, escapes by entering a VR world. The difference being, the death of a character in The VR world, is permanent. This premise, unlike many of the books following the trope, makes the series unique. I've enjoyed following the story Eva Morgan and I recommend anyone who has read these types of books, read this series. I am very impressed and cannot wait for more to come.
Often used, of late, the premise of a person near, or having experienced death, escapes by entering a VR world. The difference being, the death of a character in The VR world, is permanent. This premise, unlike many of the books following the trope, makes the series unique. I've enjoyed following the story Eva Morgan and I recommend anyone who has read these types of books, read this series. I am very impressed and cannot wait for more to come.
February 12, 2019
Good, solid litrpg (if you're into it).
The RPG world is well introduced, including the reasons why normal people tend not to level and become "ascended". The cynical nature of the guilds, and the rise of the new guild is well done too. I put this slightly higher in quality than the more recent books from M. Kal.
The RPG world is well introduced, including the reasons why normal people tend not to level and become "ascended". The cynical nature of the guilds, and the rise of the new guild is well done too. I put this slightly higher in quality than the more recent books from M. Kal.
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