Traveler's Zone: A LitRPG YA Fantasy

The Revelation Chronicles #2

by Chris Pavesic

Escape from a world of darkness into a magical realm of limitless adventure. In Starter Zone Cami kept herself and her younger sister Alby alive in a post-apocalyptic world, facing starvation, violence, and death on a daily basis. Caught by the military and forcefully inscribed, Cami manages to scam the system and they enter the Realms, a Virtual Reality world, as privileged Players rather than slaves. They experience a world of safety, plenty, and magical adventure. In the Traveler’s Zone magic, combat, gear scores, quests, and dungeons are all puzzles to be solved as Cami continues her epic quest to navigate the Realms and build a better life for her family. But an intrusion from her old life threatens everything she has gained and imperils the entire virtual world. Time to play the game. Praise for The Revelation "Wonderful world building and filled with twists. Even if you're not a gamer, you'll love the journey this story takes you on!"--Award Winning YA Author, Sharon Ledwith "She entered the game and I was hooked. I don't even play that kind of computer game, but the story was as addicting as I imagine a real MMORPG to be. Each level up, each new character, each new threat drew me in. I wish I could read the next book already!" --Kata, NetGalley Reviewer "I love the dystopian genre, and a lot of the problem I run into is a lot of them are boring and follow the same storyline. This one is so different it's amazing. I cannot recommend this enough. It's sci-fi, it's dystopian, and it fresh. A definite must read that I plan on reading again!" --Liliyana S., NetGalley Reviewer "From the beginning, I rooted for the two young sisters, Alby and Cami, to find a safe and happy place in the post apocalyptic setting. Both sisters are strong female characters who are good role models for young girls. This story is filled with suspense and adventure with a taste of the gaming world. It is the first LITRPG book that I have read and I really enjoyed it." --Teresa O, Educator "This book was amazing! The story line, along with the development of the characters was phenomenal. This book is very well paced, and easy to follow. Seeing the story play out for the characters, along with the lessons you gain from reading this book, makes it one of my new favorites. For, this book is more than just another dystopia novel. It's basis is on family love, and what you'd do to keep them safe. It's a young adult novel, yet is appropriate for anyone above the age of 10. I would highly suggest reading this book ASAP. You won't regret it!"--Almaz D, Reviewer Want to learn more about The Revelation Chronicles? Check out chrispavesic.com for updates on this and her other series.

307 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2018

About the author

Chris Pavesic lives in the Midwestern United States and loves Kona coffee, fairy tales, and all types of speculative fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading, gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or hanging out with friends. She occasionally blogs at http://www.chrispavesic.com

Reviews

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic and fantasy collide with the dark tones of a dystopian world to create an exciting read.

Cami and her sister have escaped the increasing dangers on Earth and are now submerged in the virtual reality of the watery depths, the scientists attempt to keep humans alive. Cami has managed to find her places in the gaming reality and is slowly working her way up to find a more permanent home for her and her sister. But something isn't right. Cami discovers characters in the game with powers which shouldn't exist, and someone claims he knows her secret. If that wasn't enough, the one man who helped her sneak into the game suddenly appears there himself, and he has a request she's not sure she's ready to help him fulfill.

This is the first LitRPG series I've read and I enjoyed this second book as much as the first. In this book, the world concentrates on the game. Still, the outside world—real Earth—isn't forgotten and the continuing death of the human race on the surface hangs in the background like a constant dark cloud. While Cami is battling the problems of the game, the dystopian world trickles through. This combination makes for a delightful mix, and one that promises so much more in the books to come.

The book reads like a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). There's magic, elves, mages, trainings, quests and all the other goodies a player would expect as Cami explores the world more and more. Even the computer peeps in every now and then with explanations and such. For gamers, it's an easy read to sink into. Cami spends quite a bit of time exploring, and her younger sister and their new found family member also settle into the story nicely, giving it a refreshing twist. Cami's heart of gold and wonderful moral compass make her a heroine to root for. And the added twists and beginning of a bit of mystery in the game realm, adds tension and excitement. Still, the pacing in the novel is not always at top speed and switches back into a more calm mode...one that still holds interest and never bores.

There are tons of layers and subplots developing in these pages, all of which promise tons of goodness to come. I'm looking forward to seeing how Cami handles it all and what adventures she will face next.

I received a complimentary copy, loved it and am giving it 5 stars because I really enjoyed falling into this world.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traveler’s Zone is the kind of book a book should be. It’s relentlessly creative and brings to mind the work of William Gibson, Ernest Cline, and JG Ballard.

I can only hope the author had as much fun writing it as I did reading it.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traveler's Zone is a great continuation of Starter's Zone and even better than the first book. I am a little sad that the books ends with a clear setup for a next instalment but there is no book 3. I hope Chris Pavesic continues the series one day and finishes up the story.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years go, scientists discovered how to imprint human consciousness onto a single water droplet and then stored those water droplets in tanks called Aquariums. The Aquariums were set up to be realms similar to MMORPGs, and the wealthy spent millions to be imprinted and spend their immortality there. When war broke out and the Aquariums were broken, the imprinted minds entered the ecosystem where they destroyed the world as it was. Cami and Alby were just trying to survive day to day when they were captured and imprinted, forced into a new realm with no idea what was in store. This book begins six months after the first, when Cami has leveled up enough to leave the safe Starter Zone and explore more of the new world.

This is the second book in the series, and you'll need to read the first book to fully grasp the storyline. This series has a pretty interesting premise, an intriguing way to get the main characters into the game world. I like my LitRPG to be character driven, heavy on the world-building, and light on the stats, and this book served up all that and more. I love Cami and Alby's relationship and thought it was really well written. Cami is still finding her way in this book, and isn't taking an active role in the new world, but it's setting up to be an awesome showdown when she does. I'd recommend the book for young teens on up, and to fans of both fantasy and LitRPG.

The narration was really well done, with the perfect voice for Cami. She performed accents for each of the characters and I thought it was a good performance. I read the first book and listened to the second, and preferred the audiobook. I requested a copy of the audio, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mirror World · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traveler’s Zone continues the story begun in Starter Zone, sort of like a second episode in a TV show. It’s short and sweet, while still managing to be really engaging and have a full story of its own. I was able to finish reading it in just two sessions, so it is a quick read. My only complaint is that I wish there was more of it, but then again, that’s more of a compliment than a complaint. One thing I will note, however is that I found L.G. Hodag’s character to lack purpose in this book. I’m hoping he will have more of a role in future installments, but it seemed like he was only in this book to keep Cami’s little sister company and as another example of how the game’s players and creators fail to treat NPCs or non-player characters as ‘lesser than.’

I wasn’t sure if LITRPG was a genre I would enjoy when I started this series, but Chris Pavesic has caught my interest and there’s so much more than just a ‘game’ going on in her series, that it makes for really engaging escapism. Bravo!

[Lance Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short and expensive to get more stars

I would give this book 4 stars. But the 170 pages for $5 makes it a bad return on the money.