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Pixel Dust #1
Party Hard
Before the online game Carpe Noctem hit the market, the average person wasted a third of their life sleeping. Now, instead of lying in bed dreaming about showing up late to class in their underwear, players step into a breathtaking world of fantasy and adventure. For most users, this is a dream come true. For players like MaxDamage24 and his sidekick Kirabell, it is about to become something else.
After being fired, one of Noctem’s creators sets into motion a plan to bring the system crashing down. To stop the collapse, Max and Kira will have to gather their most trusted friends and embark on a quest that will push them to their absolute limits. Together they’ll face creepy dungeons, impossible bosses, and their own nightmares, all while doing their best to stay alive. With a mission this big, none of them will be the same after. The real question is… how much will they be forced to change?
Only one thing is certain - if they want to survive, they’re gonna have to Party Hard.
After being fired, one of Noctem’s creators sets into motion a plan to bring the system crashing down. To stop the collapse, Max and Kira will have to gather their most trusted friends and embark on a quest that will push them to their absolute limits. Together they’ll face creepy dungeons, impossible bosses, and their own nightmares, all while doing their best to stay alive. With a mission this big, none of them will be the same after. The real question is… how much will they be forced to change?
Only one thing is certain - if they want to survive, they’re gonna have to Party Hard.
535 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2018
253 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
December 23, 2019
Party Hard is a mixed bag.
I generally don't note down good things, as I tend to remember them for longer, but take notes of the things I didn't like. Since I listened to this book at the end of May, some 7 months ago, I have only bad things as reminders to work with :-) So I re-read some parts, got my memory refreshed and we're good to go.
When I relaxed and treated the book as an average Holywood superhero movie, it was very good. When I engaged my critical mind and treated the book as it wanted me to, a lot was left to be desired. Not saying the book is bad but it could have been so much more than it ended up being. It felt... rushed.
In places, too much explanation was offered about player skills and spells. Way too much! And it all differed from what you'd expect from a standard RPG or AD&D game. It intentionally wanted to be different but didn't offer the right kind of information to be regarded as such. It did offer the volume of information, though, which caused it to be overwhelming at times. Like it wanted to be different for the sake of being different. "I'm not ripping off anyone's work here," the author wrote between the lines. It would have been fine even if he did, nobody would case. As it is, I just nodded my head and kept moving along in an "I'll figure it out on my own if it's an important part" kind of way. Many of these parts were not important.
Now that I think of it, my introduction - plus the name of the book - will have you staring blankly unless you've read the book synopsis or already know what's it about. 'Party' refers to a group of players in a game who undertake quests together. 'Hard' part refers to the difficulty of said quests. There, all clear now :-)
We're introduced to many characters but are meant to care about two of them - MaxDamage24 and Kirabell. Or Max and Kira, as they'll be called throughout the book. They play a game Carpe Noctem, an immersive MMO - played while sleeping. Game designers figured people waste 8 hours sleeping each day so why not make people have fun while doing so. A great idea!
All nice and dandy, but when two game owners start fighting one of them quits. And wants to destroy the game. A bad idea!
He is psycho enough to 3had put the necessary pieces in-game several years ago fully expecting the situation to escalate to this point. Even says "I really don't want to do this but if you win the self-destruct event will stop." The other owner says "Neil is a jerk, but is not evil." And here I am, lost, and none of it makes sense to me. I continue reading, regardless.
The other owner enlists Max, Kira, and their party to prevent the impending end of the world. In short, the game gets increasingly difficult as everyone is meant to die. When they don't end up dying, game ups the ante once more. Physical bodies get into a coma, triggering a perma-death scenario - if you die in the game, you die for real. A dick move. Good thing the psycho dude wasn't evil, just a jerk.
On the bright side, we don't really care about our heroes as we're just following them through their quests and watch their interactions with others. Aside from a little piece of history they're pretty much bland, 2-dimensional characters.
The story, however unlikely it may sound if you're reading this review, is actually pretty good. It is weird and feels forced at times, but some of the events and mechanics are indeed unique and interesting. The only problem is that all the actions are very loosely connected.
There's a revelation coming in chapter 58 (of 62) where we're served long digressions about the personal lives of everyone present. Good, and welcome, but arriving too late. I stopped the book so I have time to apply the newfound knowledge across all the actions our characters did so far and morally paint them accordingly. It wasn't a bright example of good pacing.
Characters spontaneously start having internal self-reflections. And before you know it, we have waaaay too much self-reflection. Chapter 59 is full of drama and is highly philosophical. If the story wasn't good, or if the narrator failed, these would all be unforgivable mistakes. Still, even unfortunately-timed, the bunch of events made up for some of the earlier misses, resulting in an enjoyable read.
All that character building at the end of the book felt like realization the last train has already left the station. But leaving you on the platform overnight is not what the author intended. So let's build an AirBNB bungalow nearby and host you there instead. Errrmmm... Okay. I appreciate the effort but I 2do hope you did better in a sequel. And I will happily read that sequel one day, hoping for positive improvements to many different aspects of the book.
As it is, I cannot give the story more than 3 stars. Luke, on the other hand, was fantastic - just as I'm used to by now - and according to my formula this totals 3.75*. I'm happy with this rating.
Interesting fact: The only book I read where the main character died after stubbing her toe. Having 6 health points total will do that to you :-)
Party Hard (Pixel Dust #1)
David Petrie (Author), Luke Daniels (Narrator)
I generally don't note down good things, as I tend to remember them for longer, but take notes of the things I didn't like. Since I listened to this book at the end of May, some 7 months ago, I have only bad things as reminders to work with :-) So I re-read some parts, got my memory refreshed and we're good to go.
When I relaxed and treated the book as an average Holywood superhero movie, it was very good. When I engaged my critical mind and treated the book as it wanted me to, a lot was left to be desired. Not saying the book is bad but it could have been so much more than it ended up being. It felt... rushed.
In places, too much explanation was offered about player skills and spells. Way too much! And it all differed from what you'd expect from a standard RPG or AD&D game. It intentionally wanted to be different but didn't offer the right kind of information to be regarded as such. It did offer the volume of information, though, which caused it to be overwhelming at times. Like it wanted to be different for the sake of being different. "I'm not ripping off anyone's work here," the author wrote between the lines. It would have been fine even if he did, nobody would case. As it is, I just nodded my head and kept moving along in an "I'll figure it out on my own if it's an important part" kind of way. Many of these parts were not important.
Now that I think of it, my introduction - plus the name of the book - will have you staring blankly unless you've read the book synopsis or already know what's it about. 'Party' refers to a group of players in a game who undertake quests together. 'Hard' part refers to the difficulty of said quests. There, all clear now :-)
We're introduced to many characters but are meant to care about two of them - MaxDamage24 and Kirabell. Or Max and Kira, as they'll be called throughout the book. They play a game Carpe Noctem, an immersive MMO - played while sleeping. Game designers figured people waste 8 hours sleeping each day so why not make people have fun while doing so. A great idea!
All nice and dandy, but when two game owners start fighting one of them quits. And wants to destroy the game. A bad idea!
He is psycho enough to 3had put the necessary pieces in-game several years ago fully expecting the situation to escalate to this point. Even says "I really don't want to do this but if you win the self-destruct event will stop." The other owner says "Neil is a jerk, but is not evil." And here I am, lost, and none of it makes sense to me. I continue reading, regardless.
The other owner enlists Max, Kira, and their party to prevent the impending end of the world. In short, the game gets increasingly difficult as everyone is meant to die. When they don't end up dying, game ups the ante once more. Physical bodies get into a coma, triggering a perma-death scenario - if you die in the game, you die for real. A dick move. Good thing the psycho dude wasn't evil, just a jerk.
On the bright side, we don't really care about our heroes as we're just following them through their quests and watch their interactions with others. Aside from a little piece of history they're pretty much bland, 2-dimensional characters.
The story, however unlikely it may sound if you're reading this review, is actually pretty good. It is weird and feels forced at times, but some of the events and mechanics are indeed unique and interesting. The only problem is that all the actions are very loosely connected.
There's a revelation coming in chapter 58 (of 62) where we're served long digressions about the personal lives of everyone present. Good, and welcome, but arriving too late. I stopped the book so I have time to apply the newfound knowledge across all the actions our characters did so far and morally paint them accordingly. It wasn't a bright example of good pacing.
Characters spontaneously start having internal self-reflections. And before you know it, we have waaaay too much self-reflection. Chapter 59 is full of drama and is highly philosophical. If the story wasn't good, or if the narrator failed, these would all be unforgivable mistakes. Still, even unfortunately-timed, the bunch of events made up for some of the earlier misses, resulting in an enjoyable read.
All that character building at the end of the book felt like realization the last train has already left the station. But leaving you on the platform overnight is not what the author intended. So let's build an AirBNB bungalow nearby and host you there instead. Errrmmm... Okay. I appreciate the effort but I 2do hope you did better in a sequel. And I will happily read that sequel one day, hoping for positive improvements to many different aspects of the book.
As it is, I cannot give the story more than 3 stars. Luke, on the other hand, was fantastic - just as I'm used to by now - and according to my formula this totals 3.75*. I'm happy with this rating.
Interesting fact: The only book I read where the main character died after stubbing her toe. Having 6 health points total will do that to you :-)
Party Hard (Pixel Dust #1)
David Petrie (Author), Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Verdict A different take on LitRPG. Good intro for a sequel.
Runtime 15:15
Overall
Performance
Story
May 21, 2019
A convoluted but enjoyable read
This book has been on my radar for a little while and I have noticed some pretty good reviews. The fact that book 2 is rumoured to come out soon gave me a push to read it.
I'm glad I did. Party management in an action packed story, it can get quite convoluted at times, with everything that is happening and the the "rules" to keep in place, but it was a really fun read.
This book has been on my radar for a little while and I have noticed some pretty good reviews. The fact that book 2 is rumoured to come out soon gave me a push to read it.
I'm glad I did. Party management in an action packed story, it can get quite convoluted at times, with everything that is happening and the the "rules" to keep in place, but it was a really fun read.
October 25, 2019
Abandoned
I got about 45% of the way through this and gave up. I just didn’t care about the characters, the game they played, or their objective. Their end goal isn’t to save the world, or explore a new world, it’s to save their game, a game they have basically mastered already and therefore have no need to improve. I wouldn’t spend hours watching people play world of Warcraft on twitch because they were trying to keep the game from getting shut down. Meh. Especially if they spent the entire time bragging about how good they are at the game. Bleh.
I got about 45% of the way through this and gave up. I just didn’t care about the characters, the game they played, or their objective. Their end goal isn’t to save the world, or explore a new world, it’s to save their game, a game they have basically mastered already and therefore have no need to improve. I wouldn’t spend hours watching people play world of Warcraft on twitch because they were trying to keep the game from getting shut down. Meh. Especially if they spent the entire time bragging about how good they are at the game. Bleh.
April 17, 2019
I bought this book after reading some reviews, all of which were glowing. After reading the book I wonder how this is possible. The story is bland, the characters are mildly interesting but the classes used are completely unclear! This was frustrating me for the first 50% of the book. By then I just wanted to finish it, but did not enjoy it. I found it crap, but you might like it; who knows.
August 27, 2019
Standout in its genre
I didnt really appreciate how invested i had become in these characters until near the end of the book. The character development in this story is simply outstanding, and the setting offers a suprisingly fresh take over the more standard game lit fare. An absolute must read
I didnt really appreciate how invested i had become in these characters until near the end of the book. The character development in this story is simply outstanding, and the setting offers a suprisingly fresh take over the more standard game lit fare. An absolute must read
August 13, 2020
4.5 stars; very well written, but just that much short of great. Thought it was going to be another "Sword Art Online" scenario and it looked like it for a bit, but the ending of this (book 1) keeps you guessing as to what exactly is going on. I appreciate that; already have the next one queued up, so we'll see where this takes us.
April 21, 2019
Party Hard!!
David Petrie lived up to his new book's title in Party Hard. His new Pixel Dust Series looks like it is going to be a fun ride.
David Petrie lived up to his new book's title in Party Hard. His new Pixel Dust Series looks like it is going to be a fun ride.
February 25, 2022
I picked up this book solely on the recommendation by Travis Baldree. I know a narrator makes a living off of the sales of his his/her books, but there are occasions when Travis makes a little more effort in promoting a book's release, and when he says that this book was one of his favorites to do, I believe him! And boy I'm glad I did as it's one of the best litRPG's that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing!
Party Hard is tightly written, fun, and it has a lot of action. I'm sure you'll find plenty to L💖VE, from a ship named Nostromo, to a reference about Little Nemo in Slumberland, plus there's even a quip about Mothra!
The pleasure I got from Party Hard was due in part to Travis Baldree's wonderful voice performance. I think that his own delight with the story was transmitted directly into my brain somehow!
So grab this perfectly delightful book, join-up with Max, Kira, and the rest of their group, and remember... Party Hard!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Because I didn't remember the book much, it has been almost 2 years after all, this re-read was almost like reading it again for the for the first time! It was so much fun and made my action-lovin heart sing!!!
Party Hard is tightly written, fun, and it has a lot of action. I'm sure you'll find plenty to L💖VE, from a ship named Nostromo, to a reference about Little Nemo in Slumberland, plus there's even a quip about Mothra!
The pleasure I got from Party Hard was due in part to Travis Baldree's wonderful voice performance. I think that his own delight with the story was transmitted directly into my brain somehow!
So grab this perfectly delightful book, join-up with Max, Kira, and the rest of their group, and remember... Party Hard!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Because I didn't remember the book much, it has been almost 2 years after all, this re-read was almost like reading it again for the for the first time! It was so much fun and made my action-lovin heart sing!!!
October 22, 2018
Disclaimer: I did receive this book in return for a review.
With that out of the way, I purchased the book anyway in order to pay David for the excellent work on his novel. The story was well crafted and the characters balanced. I did struggle with Kirabell for a time, but came to enjoy the little fairy as the story progressed.
The story contains plenty of action and detail for the reader to get into, and I often found myself saying "just one more chapter".
While this is classified LITRPG there was not as many "pop up screens" and character stats as I have encountered in other books (Yes, that means you Aleron! :) ). Still the use of descriptions for key items and skills were well used and blended into the storyline relatively seamlessly.
I really hope that this book does well as I would love to read more of what David has to offer. He has an excellent imagination and great storytelling skills.
With that out of the way, I purchased the book anyway in order to pay David for the excellent work on his novel. The story was well crafted and the characters balanced. I did struggle with Kirabell for a time, but came to enjoy the little fairy as the story progressed.
The story contains plenty of action and detail for the reader to get into, and I often found myself saying "just one more chapter".
While this is classified LITRPG there was not as many "pop up screens" and character stats as I have encountered in other books (Yes, that means you Aleron! :) ). Still the use of descriptions for key items and skills were well used and blended into the storyline relatively seamlessly.
I really hope that this book does well as I would love to read more of what David has to offer. He has an excellent imagination and great storytelling skills.
October 12, 2018
was lucky enough to be given an early copy for review, and I completely enjoyed it.
While this is a LITRPG, the book is set in a video game but isnt bogged down with characters constantly leveling up and acquiring tons of new skills. The focus feels more on story and character development, though there is time devoted to introducing you to the game and how its played. The author does a great job of introducing you to the game world without making you feel like they are cramming your head with exposition. Great example of "show dont tell". It does touch on some adult topics, but very lightly.
I have to recommend this book as it is a really fun read. The characters are unique and enjoyable. No one comes off as annoying or tropie. I think this book is well worth the $5.
While this is a LITRPG, the book is set in a video game but isnt bogged down with characters constantly leveling up and acquiring tons of new skills. The focus feels more on story and character development, though there is time devoted to introducing you to the game and how its played. The author does a great job of introducing you to the game world without making you feel like they are cramming your head with exposition. Great example of "show dont tell". It does touch on some adult topics, but very lightly.
I have to recommend this book as it is a really fun read. The characters are unique and enjoyable. No one comes off as annoying or tropie. I think this book is well worth the $5.
October 18, 2018
A fun adventure book with good characters.
I enjoyed this lit rpg book. It had a fun sounding world, the characters were likeable, it was humorous and fast paced. The negatives for me were mostly came from there just not being enough space in a single book. The areas sounded cool but weren't fully fleshed out since there wasn't a point with the fast pace. There's still alot of story to the characters which is good but left some of them a bit lacking until later which was fixed and made them very enjoyable as they were fleshed out. All together a very solid, enjoyable, fast paced storyline and a good read.
I enjoyed this lit rpg book. It had a fun sounding world, the characters were likeable, it was humorous and fast paced. The negatives for me were mostly came from there just not being enough space in a single book. The areas sounded cool but weren't fully fleshed out since there wasn't a point with the fast pace. There's still alot of story to the characters which is good but left some of them a bit lacking until later which was fixed and made them very enjoyable as they were fleshed out. All together a very solid, enjoyable, fast paced storyline and a good read.
October 21, 2018
Couldn’t stop reading
This was a fun adventure of the save-the-world variety. The main characters have a lightness to them, even in the middle of battle. And there were plenty of battles, along with the jokes. The story takes an unusual turn as the characters delve deeper into their quest. Did they win?
This was a fun adventure of the save-the-world variety. The main characters have a lightness to them, even in the middle of battle. And there were plenty of battles, along with the jokes. The story takes an unusual turn as the characters delve deeper into their quest. Did they win?
September 5, 2025
I listened to this as an audiobook, so If I spell names wrong, I only listened to them.
Now, this book was a real mixed bag. My commute to and from work got a lot longer this summer, so I figured I'd try this audiobook to make it go a bit faster. Unfortunately, if I'd had another book to read, I probably would have changed books.
The start is SO SLOW
Even accounting for the exposition the book needs in the beginning to get you immersed in the world, it took way to long for this book to get really interesting. I think it wasn't until we hit the first horseman that I started getting actually interested in what was happening. But even then, there would be portions that were interesting, and then we would be back to kind of slogging along. So I think there were a lot of pacing issues, particularly if you were listening to it.
Now, another problem that I had is that the stakes presented in this book are presented as world ending. Like "we must complete this quest or the world will collapse and people will die and life will never be the same!" kind of urgency. But actually... That's not the case at all.
This isn't like the Oasis in Ready Player One, where the game is so ingrained in everyday life that the system going down would collapse the education and commerce center of the world.
And this isn't like Sword Art Online, where the players are trapped in the game and will die if they get disconnected or if they die in the game.
Really, this is like... a server getting shut down.
And yeah, it will affect some lives. Ginger makes the majority of her money in the game, and she would likely struggle without it. But the global economy as a whole will still exist. She could go find another job. Life would go on. This part of it would just be different.
So that really bothered me. And honestly, when they hit that first waypoint and drank that potion, I thought they were being set up to being trapped in the game and the stakes would exist for them. But that didn't happen either.
Now, the characters did keep me engaged. I liked Max and his arrogance, and Kira was adorable and her development with Farnsworth was my favorite thing (I kinda ship them). And Ginger and Keegan and Corbin - all of them were great. They were the reason I kept listening. And seeing past their game lives to their real lives was really interesting, I sort of wish we could see more of that.
Over all, I don't know. The book ends on a massive cliffhanger, and technically I have the other two audio books as well, but I don't know yet if I'm going to listen to them. I suppose time will tell
Now, this book was a real mixed bag. My commute to and from work got a lot longer this summer, so I figured I'd try this audiobook to make it go a bit faster. Unfortunately, if I'd had another book to read, I probably would have changed books.
The start is SO SLOW
Even accounting for the exposition the book needs in the beginning to get you immersed in the world, it took way to long for this book to get really interesting. I think it wasn't until we hit the first horseman that I started getting actually interested in what was happening. But even then, there would be portions that were interesting, and then we would be back to kind of slogging along. So I think there were a lot of pacing issues, particularly if you were listening to it.
Now, another problem that I had is that the stakes presented in this book are presented as world ending. Like "we must complete this quest or the world will collapse and people will die and life will never be the same!" kind of urgency. But actually... That's not the case at all.
This isn't like the Oasis in Ready Player One, where the game is so ingrained in everyday life that the system going down would collapse the education and commerce center of the world.
And this isn't like Sword Art Online, where the players are trapped in the game and will die if they get disconnected or if they die in the game.
Really, this is like... a server getting shut down.
And yeah, it will affect some lives. Ginger makes the majority of her money in the game, and she would likely struggle without it. But the global economy as a whole will still exist. She could go find another job. Life would go on. This part of it would just be different.
So that really bothered me. And honestly, when they hit that first waypoint and drank that potion, I thought they were being set up to being trapped in the game and the stakes would exist for them. But that didn't happen either.
Now, the characters did keep me engaged. I liked Max and his arrogance, and Kira was adorable and her development with Farnsworth was my favorite thing (I kinda ship them). And Ginger and Keegan and Corbin - all of them were great. They were the reason I kept listening. And seeing past their game lives to their real lives was really interesting, I sort of wish we could see more of that.
Over all, I don't know. The book ends on a massive cliffhanger, and technically I have the other two audio books as well, but I don't know yet if I'm going to listen to them. I suppose time will tell
May 8, 2019
Carpe Noctem revolutionized the world when it was released, a virtual reality game that users could play while they slept. For some gamers, it's a way to experience things they'd never see in real life, for others, it's a way to make a living. For Max and Kira, best friends who'd played games together for years, it's a bit of both.
When one of Carpe Noctem's creators is fired, he unleashes a series of events meant to bring the game down, unless Max and Kira and their party can complete a custom quest meant to be the most challenging thing they've ever faced.
This was an awesome LitRPG, I enjoyed every minute of it! 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. It gets bonus points for cracking me up so many times! Max, Kira, and the rest were characters I'd love to play with in person, and the banter between them got me every time. The writing was well done too, with awesome imagery that painted the scene each time. There are no massive info dumps, but the world is still fleshed out and worth saving. There's a solid ending with no cliffhanger, but I'll definitely be on the watch for the sequel!
The narration was great, with a distinct voice and accent for each character. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
When one of Carpe Noctem's creators is fired, he unleashes a series of events meant to bring the game down, unless Max and Kira and their party can complete a custom quest meant to be the most challenging thing they've ever faced.
This was an awesome LitRPG, I enjoyed every minute of it! 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. It gets bonus points for cracking me up so many times! Max, Kira, and the rest were characters I'd love to play with in person, and the banter between them got me every time. The writing was well done too, with awesome imagery that painted the scene each time. There are no massive info dumps, but the world is still fleshed out and worth saving. There's a solid ending with no cliffhanger, but I'll definitely be on the watch for the sequel!
The narration was great, with a distinct voice and accent for each character. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
February 7, 2023
We are starting to see a lot more litrpg coming out and some at differing levels of quality. While I find the writing style to be above average, I had a hard time really connecting with any of the characters at all. Unlike Shadowslinger where there is a better comical dynamic between some of the main characters, in this book it tries to hard and doesn't match the level of expectation that I have grown to appreciate in other stories.
The other characteristic of this story that I really didn't like was at the end of the story when the individual who gains god-like powers in the game world, can do so because they were willing to give up their gender identity and that is what makes them powerful. This was especially problematic as it introduced a disconnect between the start of the story. It began with the character picking a female fairy, despite being a male in real life, only because they had planned it out and found the fairy to have the best support stats.
Overall not the worst litrpg style, in fact pretty slim compared to others where you are constantly bombarded with level up prompts and stat increases, but the characters just felt bland and the ending was very mediocre and unfulfilling.
The other characteristic of this story that I really didn't like was at the end of the story when the individual who gains god-like powers in the game world, can do so because they were willing to give up their gender identity and that is what makes them powerful. This was especially problematic as it introduced a disconnect between the start of the story. It began with the character picking a female fairy, despite being a male in real life, only because they had planned it out and found the fairy to have the best support stats.
Overall not the worst litrpg style, in fact pretty slim compared to others where you are constantly bombarded with level up prompts and stat increases, but the characters just felt bland and the ending was very mediocre and unfulfilling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2021
great book for most of it about 75% way through the book gets weirdly obsessed with one of the characters and gets weird but if you can put up with it its pretty enjoyable
pros
-good characters for the most part
-interesting gaming world
-decent combat and cool class names
cons
1-the author over sexualises the hell out of one of the characters to the point it just gets acquired then doesn't stop obsessing's over her to the point were she takes over the story
2-3 of the main characters don't really get much characterization to the point were i legitimately
didn't remember there names till the second book
3-commits the cardinal sine of mmorpg story's of making a bunch of random attributes unique to one character as if a game would ever allow that and character races being unique to one character or having detriments to the point of them being unplayable
4-the weird ass tangents that happen in both the first and second book were the author who has over sexualised a character has the character go on a rant about how she hates being objectified for 15 minutes straight
ultimately a mixed bag good but held back from being great
pros
-good characters for the most part
-interesting gaming world
-decent combat and cool class names
cons
1-the author over sexualises the hell out of one of the characters to the point it just gets acquired then doesn't stop obsessing's over her to the point were she takes over the story
2-3 of the main characters don't really get much characterization to the point were i legitimately
didn't remember there names till the second book
3-commits the cardinal sine of mmorpg story's of making a bunch of random attributes unique to one character as if a game would ever allow that and character races being unique to one character or having detriments to the point of them being unplayable
4-the weird ass tangents that happen in both the first and second book were the author who has over sexualised a character has the character go on a rant about how she hates being objectified for 15 minutes straight
ultimately a mixed bag good but held back from being great
July 19, 2021
It boogles my mind that this is the same author that wrote one of if not the best zombie apocalypse series I've ever seen. Frankly I could hardly male it past the 40 minute mark of this book. The introduction in all honesty was just so bad and boring a concepte. The writing and they way things are described is just halfassed. Like the fact that within the first 5-10 min we have a time jump of several years. Then we change character focus too some random other group for well reasons. It felt like in the first 40 min the plot jumped around from 1 concept to the next never really developing or explaining anything. Frankly I was so confused by the start of this story that I had to check that it really was book 1. Especially as it felt like I had missed an entire book of information. But that was not the case. I've attempted to listen to this book 3 times now. However I can't get over the bad premise of it I just get stuck at the same point.
December 30, 2023
I began listening to this because it was narrated by Travis Baldree and the Pixel Dust trilogy was as a single book on Audible and I love computer games and MMORPGs, so the premise was intriguing. You will get the most out of this if you have some idea of how MMORPGs and games in general work, because there is some knowledge that adds context to the action in the book and some of the processes.
It's an intriguing listen, better written than I expected and the characters are wholly enjoyable to follow. Max and Kira are best friends, in game and IRL, and it bleeds through the whole book. It's kind, a kind book, with friendships and supportive relationships and a decent pacing of 'are they going to make it?'
If you like this sort of thing, I think you will enjoy it.
It's an intriguing listen, better written than I expected and the characters are wholly enjoyable to follow. Max and Kira are best friends, in game and IRL, and it bleeds through the whole book. It's kind, a kind book, with friendships and supportive relationships and a decent pacing of 'are they going to make it?'
If you like this sort of thing, I think you will enjoy it.
October 26, 2018
I don't play video games, but I still loved this book. It's the unique, diverse characters that Petrie chose to include in his story and the meaningful discussions they have along the way that makes this book a cut above the rest in this genre. Of course there is plenty of banter and humor thrown in to keep things light as the group battles with different bosses in a quest to save the game that's become their second home. "Party Hard" is an enjoyable book that will appeal to a wider audience than simply video game connoisseurs.
December 29, 2018
Interesting concept, even if not entirely unique. I liked the story, and it was nice to see the game manufacturer actually trying to help for a change, most books have the game developers generally either unaware, uncaring, or simply unable to assist, so that was a nice touch. I'd wager most gamelit fans will enjoy this one. LitRPG fans ma or may not, depending on how much they like their stat screens. If you're all about the stats, skills and spells, this one may not be as enjoyable for you. If you're just after a good story though, this one whould resonate fairly well.
June 23, 2019
Great fun read. Another addition of the LitRPG genre that I recently discovered.
A small quest becomes a world ending scenario that a group of recent friends have to face and find out what's important.
I hope to get more details on the technology that drives this dreamworld as its not explained well enough for my taste on the first book. Otherwise, it's light and entertaining while keeping you asking for more quests and stories on what's looking like another series to follow.
If you get the audible version, the amazing Luke Daniels narration is a must.
A small quest becomes a world ending scenario that a group of recent friends have to face and find out what's important.
I hope to get more details on the technology that drives this dreamworld as its not explained well enough for my taste on the first book. Otherwise, it's light and entertaining while keeping you asking for more quests and stories on what's looking like another series to follow.
If you get the audible version, the amazing Luke Daniels narration is a must.
October 22, 2023
Excellent!
Each book of the series gets me hooked a little more (I just finished book 3). I am not a fan of the “magic fantasy” style, never played Dungeons and Dragons (only on the Intellivision in the early 80's) and even if I read some stories of that type in the past 30 years, I got fed up really fast.
I tried another series of David Petrie early this year and got hooked up at first sight, against all odds! Looking forward to the fourth book (don't know if there will be one, though, as there is no information about it). Let's cross fingers!
Each book of the series gets me hooked a little more (I just finished book 3). I am not a fan of the “magic fantasy” style, never played Dungeons and Dragons (only on the Intellivision in the early 80's) and even if I read some stories of that type in the past 30 years, I got fed up really fast.
I tried another series of David Petrie early this year and got hooked up at first sight, against all odds! Looking forward to the fourth book (don't know if there will be one, though, as there is no information about it). Let's cross fingers!
August 1, 2021
Pixel Dust
A funny LitRPG with a variety of characters that grow on you. The main character is a male playing a female character and as a female gamer it is always good to see people calling out unsavory internet behaviors. There's lots of interesting action and it's interesting to see the differences in classes in the game. Overall a fun read with some serious points about gaming and life in general.
A funny LitRPG with a variety of characters that grow on you. The main character is a male playing a female character and as a female gamer it is always good to see people calling out unsavory internet behaviors. There's lots of interesting action and it's interesting to see the differences in classes in the game. Overall a fun read with some serious points about gaming and life in general.
May 24, 2022
Parental advisement. C-plot is about gender identity.
Such a fun world. Great stakes. Great heroes with flaws to overcome. But the gender identity c-plot in a world where their gender doesn't impact the story at all is forced and jarring. The story walked the perfect balance of gender awareness and roles the entire story until the last few chapters. Then it becomes an unrealistic focus when the digital world is at stake.
Such a fun world. Great stakes. Great heroes with flaws to overcome. But the gender identity c-plot in a world where their gender doesn't impact the story at all is forced and jarring. The story walked the perfect balance of gender awareness and roles the entire story until the last few chapters. Then it becomes an unrealistic focus when the digital world is at stake.
April 24, 2023
4.5 stars: Honestly I was shocked at how much I loved this book. I thought the plot sounded interesting but I never expected to find a new favorite novel. I love all the characters, the plot is interesting and does not drag on, and the setting of the world makes me want to know more. I’m super excited to see where this series goes! Also big points for being a litrpg that shows women’s povs and has queer characters. I love seeing the genera becoming more welcoming to all people.
October 18, 2018
Great character thriller with shades of litrpg
While not perfect, this is a great page turner that focuses on the people in the story. I feel like the author did a very excellent characterization of Kira, and to a lesser extent the other major actors. The action was well scripted, and I feel like the plot was above average.
While not perfect, this is a great page turner that focuses on the people in the story. I feel like the author did a very excellent characterization of Kira, and to a lesser extent the other major actors. The action was well scripted, and I feel like the plot was above average.
November 11, 2018
It was an interesting book
I liked it but felt it was quite long in some parts of the book. The characters were great but the author kept a bit too much focus on few characters more than others, like in this case Keagan got hardly much attention in the book.
Overall the book had a few grammar issues and the ending was a bit all over the place.
I liked it but felt it was quite long in some parts of the book. The characters were great but the author kept a bit too much focus on few characters more than others, like in this case Keagan got hardly much attention in the book.
Overall the book had a few grammar issues and the ending was a bit all over the place.
July 30, 2019
A fantastic book about a team of gamers given a world changing quest. Fun loving friends, they have to utilize each other’s abilities or else this is a quest this high level team won’t get through. This book gives you action, adventure, and laughs. And as a gamer, it shows a world I’d enjoy playing myself as well as people I’d happily be friends with.
September 20, 2019
A good read overall, but the pop culture references almost became a game in its own to point out. Often they seemed to have been added as filler. Also the bit about Moxie, 2 Florida boys are unlikely to actually know that nectar of the gods from New England. Was recommended to me by someone.
October 26, 2019
Good read - surprising depth, for a gamer-read. It was at its best when it kept to the more gamer-centric aspects... it lost a little when the story aspired to its loftier-ideals of gender-ideals/roles, but still a solid read. I'm looking forwards to the next installment.
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