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Limitless Lands #2
Conquest
Placed in an experimental medpod controlled by an advanced artificial intelligence, 93-year-old Colonel James Raytak continues the fight to repair his failing body.
Leading his forces inside the game of Limitless Lands is helping the AI to heal his mind, but new threats are looming on the horizon.
Forces both in and out of the game have begun their plans of conquest. Colonel Raytak must rely on his soldiers, his friends, and decades of real-world combat experience to face these new challenges.
Find out who will rise to conquer in Limitless Lands Book 2: Conquest!
Leading his forces inside the game of Limitless Lands is helping the AI to heal his mind, but new threats are looming on the horizon.
Forces both in and out of the game have begun their plans of conquest. Colonel Raytak must rely on his soldiers, his friends, and decades of real-world combat experience to face these new challenges.
Find out who will rise to conquer in Limitless Lands Book 2: Conquest!
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2018
673 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
January 11, 2019
Book 2 of Limitless Lands and I still have a deep sense of frustration with this series. I would basically say that the second book will give you pretty much exactly what you got from the first...both the positives and the negatives. So if you enjoyed the first, then there's more here. If you had problems with the level of writing, well...nothing changed. Me personally, I actually really enjoyed the book but it is definitely despite the writing. I would be thrilled if this author got hooked up with a couple people who know something about the craft of writing.
There are two main issues I have with the book. The first is the format for the dialogue. One person will just talk and vomit pretty much everything they plan to say all at once and it sometimes excruciatingly goes on for multiple pages. Then a different person takes their turn and then they go their separate ways. People don't talk like this in real life at all. Also, when the dialogue tag to tell you who is talking doesn't come until the end and it's a group of people who are just being introduced, good luck knowing who is actually talking. A lot of times the dialogue would double as an exposition dump which leads into the other obstacle for me...
Telling rather than showing. The old line that everyone who writes has heard before and, honestly, is a bit overused by people who want to say something about a book without really having anything to say. In this case though...wow. Needless to say, I found myself skimming fairly often because I'm used to much better word economy to convey the info.
The prose used is extremely basic and comes across to me as something similar to listening to the deposition of a person in court: The officer then proceeded to accelerate his vehicle to ensure that he arrived at the scene in question in a timely manner. Upon arriving, the officer exited the car, identified himself, and issued directions to Mr. Insertnamehere to climb down from the tree. Mr. Insertnamehere proceeded to shout obscenity and throw what was later identified as fecal matter at Officer Smith. (this is not actually from the book)
See how the language used takes what could have been a very lively scene and saps all the emotion from it? That's what the Limitless Lands books have a tendency to do and if the author got with a decent writers group or something and brought his prose to life...well these books might end up being some of my favorites within the Litrpg genre.
As it stands, I still recommend these books just because they do provide a fairly unique character and gameplay experience. I felt like the personality of the characters came through a little bit more in this book as well. While it seems like I had some large complaints about the writing, it really isn't that far from par within the genre. If you are a litrpg fan and are used to it, then dive in and enjoy yourself. If you are not a litrpg reader, give it a shot and you might find something enjoyable and entertaining after struggling a little with the delivery.
There are two main issues I have with the book. The first is the format for the dialogue. One person will just talk and vomit pretty much everything they plan to say all at once and it sometimes excruciatingly goes on for multiple pages. Then a different person takes their turn and then they go their separate ways. People don't talk like this in real life at all. Also, when the dialogue tag to tell you who is talking doesn't come until the end and it's a group of people who are just being introduced, good luck knowing who is actually talking. A lot of times the dialogue would double as an exposition dump which leads into the other obstacle for me...
Telling rather than showing. The old line that everyone who writes has heard before and, honestly, is a bit overused by people who want to say something about a book without really having anything to say. In this case though...wow. Needless to say, I found myself skimming fairly often because I'm used to much better word economy to convey the info.
The prose used is extremely basic and comes across to me as something similar to listening to the deposition of a person in court: The officer then proceeded to accelerate his vehicle to ensure that he arrived at the scene in question in a timely manner. Upon arriving, the officer exited the car, identified himself, and issued directions to Mr. Insertnamehere to climb down from the tree. Mr. Insertnamehere proceeded to shout obscenity and throw what was later identified as fecal matter at Officer Smith. (this is not actually from the book)
See how the language used takes what could have been a very lively scene and saps all the emotion from it? That's what the Limitless Lands books have a tendency to do and if the author got with a decent writers group or something and brought his prose to life...well these books might end up being some of my favorites within the Litrpg genre.
As it stands, I still recommend these books just because they do provide a fairly unique character and gameplay experience. I felt like the personality of the characters came through a little bit more in this book as well. While it seems like I had some large complaints about the writing, it really isn't that far from par within the genre. If you are a litrpg fan and are used to it, then dive in and enjoy yourself. If you are not a litrpg reader, give it a shot and you might find something enjoyable and entertaining after struggling a little with the delivery.
November 23, 2018
Another late night!
Was gonna go to bed but saw this downloading on my kindle...it's now 2:10 in the morning and I'm ready for sleep. Way to hit it out of the park man I couldn't put it down. Just as good, if not better then the first one!
Was gonna go to bed but saw this downloading on my kindle...it's now 2:10 in the morning and I'm ready for sleep. Way to hit it out of the park man I couldn't put it down. Just as good, if not better then the first one!
February 6, 2019
Let me begin by saying this got 3 stars only because of how good the first book was.
The real issues come down to the game elements. Our low level character goes more than half the book without leveling. In so doing the character is regularly shown to be weak this stays the same through the whole book. The game is in its early stages with everyone under level 10 but it seems reasonable that a player can give out a matched set of epic gear? Seems like the author does not understand epic gear. In what universe does a corporation dedicated to a good feelings from its customers hire a professional player killer, people who prey on the weak? I know the game is supposed to be "realistic" but there is no realism regarding a low level player bribing an NPC more than 3 times his level to act against his own self interests to screw another players complete game experience. That's like saying the homeless man who speaks in drivel bribed the chief of police to fire a detective with a great closure rate. It does not hold together and does not make sense for an AI who was grown for the very duty of creating a game people love to play. Finally, I understand the need to show what's going on in all areas of the game world but it felt like half the book was not the main character and that was a bad use of the authors pages. If your going to dedicate this much time away from the MC increase the book length!
The real issues come down to the game elements. Our low level character goes more than half the book without leveling. In so doing the character is regularly shown to be weak this stays the same through the whole book. The game is in its early stages with everyone under level 10 but it seems reasonable that a player can give out a matched set of epic gear? Seems like the author does not understand epic gear. In what universe does a corporation dedicated to a good feelings from its customers hire a professional player killer, people who prey on the weak? I know the game is supposed to be "realistic" but there is no realism regarding a low level player bribing an NPC more than 3 times his level to act against his own self interests to screw another players complete game experience. That's like saying the homeless man who speaks in drivel bribed the chief of police to fire a detective with a great closure rate. It does not hold together and does not make sense for an AI who was grown for the very duty of creating a game people love to play. Finally, I understand the need to show what's going on in all areas of the game world but it felt like half the book was not the main character and that was a bad use of the authors pages. If your going to dedicate this much time away from the MC increase the book length!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2018
makeing an old Soldier cry
Thank you very much for this 2nd installment as a former soldier who deals with PTSD and also have had to watch many of my family members go through Allstartmur. to think that or to hope that technology could some day do what you write about. give hope that a grandaughter could meet her grandfather and have that kind of experance. thankyou
Thank you very much for this 2nd installment as a former soldier who deals with PTSD and also have had to watch many of my family members go through Allstartmur. to think that or to hope that technology could some day do what you write about. give hope that a grandaughter could meet her grandfather and have that kind of experance. thankyou
November 23, 2018
I enjoyed this book
This book is really interesting and I also hope that crunchy gets a bow. Look forward to reading book 3.
This book is really interesting and I also hope that crunchy gets a bow. Look forward to reading book 3.
December 11, 2018
Damn
If this series ends up being like Patrick O'Brien's Master and Commander, with 20+ books following the main character.... Please sign me up.
I really don't want to get into it and spoil anything, just pick it up and read it. Thank me later.
If this series ends up being like Patrick O'Brien's Master and Commander, with 20+ books following the main character.... Please sign me up.
I really don't want to get into it and spoil anything, just pick it up and read it. Thank me later.
January 19, 2019
Was expecting more...
I thought having a soldier's experience would have made this a fast paced and action filled story, but it fails miserably because the mc is a 90year with memory issues. He isn't a fighter and instead takes the backseat approach to every fight, only shouting orders while his soldiers dies like cannon fodder upon every conflict.
His years of experience as a soldier certainly did not show though to make this a exciting story. So if you are after someone like the guy in the movie Bravehart, who would bravely charge into battle head first, this isn't it.
I thought having a soldier's experience would have made this a fast paced and action filled story, but it fails miserably because the mc is a 90year with memory issues. He isn't a fighter and instead takes the backseat approach to every fight, only shouting orders while his soldiers dies like cannon fodder upon every conflict.
His years of experience as a soldier certainly did not show though to make this a exciting story. So if you are after someone like the guy in the movie Bravehart, who would bravely charge into battle head first, this isn't it.
March 27, 2022
Couldn't finish it. So many side plots following so many schemes to attack one town/area, and one commander in particular. They are both highly distracting and ruin the suspension of disbelief that anything but a deus ex machina will turn things around for the MC. Add to that the MC just gets his behind handed to him over and over again and it just becomes exhausting.
The first book felt great and seemed to start things off well. The second book has squandered that in glorious fashion.
The first book felt great and seemed to start things off well. The second book has squandered that in glorious fashion.
February 3, 2019
I expected much more after the decent first book.
There are too many PoV changes and the MC doesn't do much for most of the book.
For all of his supposed experience, he does get dupped quite easily all the time. I require for the MCs of the books I read to be more proactive instead of reactive.
Also, the guy that reads the audiobook sucks ass.
There are too many PoV changes and the MC doesn't do much for most of the book.
For all of his supposed experience, he does get dupped quite easily all the time. I require for the MCs of the books I read to be more proactive instead of reactive.
Also, the guy that reads the audiobook sucks ass.
May 18, 2022
4 My People Will Be Your People Stars
Conquest is the second book in the Limitless Lands series by Dean Henegar.
Ugh. That ending hit right in the feels! I enjoy the continued transition between Lieutenant Raytak's time in the game, and the little slips into moments following his sons struggle to wait and do what's best for his dad's recovery. To find out how 'not alone' he is in game was definitely heartwarming.
There was a scene near the end that was vague and annoyingly underdeveloped. When Narbos commits to his final push to control Bharg's Crossing attacking Haven. ,he unfortunately spends half the chapter being a narcissist and building convoluted schemes made by his enemies influence that don't exist. Namely assuming Delling of souring Vhellia's involvement with his overlord persona, placing the blame of his failures on Raytak and the Mayor's shoulders. Which led me to easily confusing if they were attacking Hayden's Knoll or not, since the town names are vaguely similar.. His narcissism kind of made a mess of that chapter for me.
The battle against Dunderman's growing forces was one I was anticipating. I'm glad they faced him in the finale of this book, and solidified their alliance with the Drebix in their victory. As well, I appreciate the emotional maturity shown by the Mc to respectfully bury this antagonist, since his afterlife was in no way intentional for the man and a scary transition for him and his family.
I'm saying it now. I think the scrolls placed by the assassin in the garrison are tied to Darkfallow paying off the Imperium Field Inspector. That they will conduct a search of his garrison, claiming they've heard he's gone rogue or the like, find the scrolls as evidence, and then force him to travel to headquarters to face trial/plead his case...? This tied in with the fact Phineas is a dirty, dirty spy? Some bad things are coming for our treasured Lieutenant if he doesn't discover the deceit and trickier before its too late. That still leaves Kofi's revenge for his perceived slight, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't involved in this Inspector's seemingly traitorous behavior, given Kofi's political connections.
The majority of this book was shaped in the building and cementing of alliances. The dwarves at the mine, the Drebix with their gnoll problem, the goblins they saved from slavery, and cosigning Tessel as the new dungeon boss to aid them when they are both under threat.
Conquest is the second book in the Limitless Lands series by Dean Henegar.
Ugh. That ending hit right in the feels! I enjoy the continued transition between Lieutenant Raytak's time in the game, and the little slips into moments following his sons struggle to wait and do what's best for his dad's recovery. To find out how 'not alone' he is in game was definitely heartwarming.
There was a scene near the end that was vague and annoyingly underdeveloped. When Narbos commits to his final push to control Bharg's Crossing attacking Haven. ,he unfortunately spends half the chapter being a narcissist and building convoluted schemes made by his enemies influence that don't exist. Namely assuming Delling of souring Vhellia's involvement with his overlord persona, placing the blame of his failures on Raytak and the Mayor's shoulders. Which led me to easily confusing if they were attacking Hayden's Knoll or not, since the town names are vaguely similar.. His narcissism kind of made a mess of that chapter for me.
The battle against Dunderman's growing forces was one I was anticipating. I'm glad they faced him in the finale of this book, and solidified their alliance with the Drebix in their victory. As well, I appreciate the emotional maturity shown by the Mc to respectfully bury this antagonist, since his afterlife was in no way intentional for the man and a scary transition for him and his family.
I'm saying it now. I think the scrolls placed by the assassin in the garrison are tied to Darkfallow paying off the Imperium Field Inspector. That they will conduct a search of his garrison, claiming they've heard he's gone rogue or the like, find the scrolls as evidence, and then force him to travel to headquarters to face trial/plead his case...? This tied in with the fact Phineas is a dirty, dirty spy? Some bad things are coming for our treasured Lieutenant if he doesn't discover the deceit and trickier before its too late. That still leaves Kofi's revenge for his perceived slight, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't involved in this Inspector's seemingly traitorous behavior, given Kofi's political connections.
The majority of this book was shaped in the building and cementing of alliances. The dwarves at the mine, the Drebix with their gnoll problem, the goblins they saved from slavery, and cosigning Tessel as the new dungeon boss to aid them when they are both under threat.
November 4, 2023
Raytak is leading his soldiers against the Drebix but is ambushed late at night. He and his men manage to repel the attackers, capturing a berserker in the process.
Raytak and the berserker speak and whilst there is little trust between them, the berserker leads Raytak towards nearby farms. The farms are under attack from gnolls so Raytak sends his men in to protect the villagers. Because of his actions, the berserker begins to trust Raytak.
Raytak leads his men back to town, stopping off at an old farm to rest overnight. They are attacked by ghouls who were once the farm owners. Despite killing some of the ghouls, all of Raytak's men (including himself) are either eaten or turned.
Some players are starting to bully other players in the game. One particularly nasty group have corporate sponsorship. This group assassinate Raytak and the mayor before causing havoc in the town.
Raytak leads his men against some slavers who have captured a mine and are using slaves to mine it. With Sergeant Ty's help they manage to kill the slavers and free the slaves.
Raytak, Sergeant Ty, and some adventurers head out to fight the ghouls, meeting the Drebix berserker on the way. They arrive at the Drebix main village to find it under attack from the Ghoul Lord and his army of turned ghouls. An epic battle ensues.
---
The spelling and grammar weren't as clean as the previous book but still not as prevalent as usually found in the LitRPG genre.
The focus often left Raytak to follow others in the game or outside of it. This seemed a distraction but I hope it leads somewhere meaningful in later books.
Once again, I really enjoyed following Raytak's actions but I didn't enjoy the bullying players at all. I understand the need for an antagonist but it just removes some of the enjoyment of the game/reading experience; if it were me I'd just drop the game and do something else.
Despite my distaste for poor players and the distraction of following events out of the game that don't seem to have had much of an impact so far, I still enjoyed this book and it (just barely) got 4 stars from me.
Loved it- 4 stars
++++
MY STAR RANKING SYSTEM:
- 5 Stars - Personal favourite
- 4 Stars - Loved it
- 3 Stars - Enjoyed it
- 2 Stars - Found it lacking
- 1 Star - DNFed / Hated it
Raytak and the berserker speak and whilst there is little trust between them, the berserker leads Raytak towards nearby farms. The farms are under attack from gnolls so Raytak sends his men in to protect the villagers. Because of his actions, the berserker begins to trust Raytak.
Raytak leads his men back to town, stopping off at an old farm to rest overnight. They are attacked by ghouls who were once the farm owners. Despite killing some of the ghouls, all of Raytak's men (including himself) are either eaten or turned.
Some players are starting to bully other players in the game. One particularly nasty group have corporate sponsorship. This group assassinate Raytak and the mayor before causing havoc in the town.
Raytak leads his men against some slavers who have captured a mine and are using slaves to mine it. With Sergeant Ty's help they manage to kill the slavers and free the slaves.
Raytak, Sergeant Ty, and some adventurers head out to fight the ghouls, meeting the Drebix berserker on the way. They arrive at the Drebix main village to find it under attack from the Ghoul Lord and his army of turned ghouls. An epic battle ensues.
---
The spelling and grammar weren't as clean as the previous book but still not as prevalent as usually found in the LitRPG genre.
The focus often left Raytak to follow others in the game or outside of it. This seemed a distraction but I hope it leads somewhere meaningful in later books.
Once again, I really enjoyed following Raytak's actions but I didn't enjoy the bullying players at all. I understand the need for an antagonist but it just removes some of the enjoyment of the game/reading experience; if it were me I'd just drop the game and do something else.
Despite my distaste for poor players and the distraction of following events out of the game that don't seem to have had much of an impact so far, I still enjoyed this book and it (just barely) got 4 stars from me.
Loved it- 4 stars
++++
MY STAR RANKING SYSTEM:
- 5 Stars - Personal favourite
- 4 Stars - Loved it
- 3 Stars - Enjoyed it
- 2 Stars - Found it lacking
- 1 Star - DNFed / Hated it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2019
I don't want to add any spoilers to this review. What I do want to say is that I loved the ending of this book. I can't remember the last time a book of this genre had me drying my eyes as I read the last page or two. I am hooked now and am looking forward to the next installment in this (hopefully) saga.
The story line is fast paced and kept me wanting more, from the first page to the last. There are a few pages dedicated to character stats, but not so many that it detracted from the story. I actually felt a bit of sympathy for the "old man" as he dealt with the constant series of emergencies while using his vast experience to build up his meager command from a few platoons into a large cohesive force. It really didn't feel like I was reading a LITRPG book, instead it was more like an autobiography, with plenty of details about the ongoing adventures.
The main character feels real to me. He has his weaknesses and his strengths, and isn't an overpowered character, instead he shows his experience as an experienced military commander who knows how to lead and inspire the men who serve in his command. I would serve with an officer like this.
I suggest reading the first book in the series before reading this one. The story line has much more meaning that way. I am already looking forward to the next book in what I hope continues to be such a delightful series. Kudos to Dean Henegar.
The story line is fast paced and kept me wanting more, from the first page to the last. There are a few pages dedicated to character stats, but not so many that it detracted from the story. I actually felt a bit of sympathy for the "old man" as he dealt with the constant series of emergencies while using his vast experience to build up his meager command from a few platoons into a large cohesive force. It really didn't feel like I was reading a LITRPG book, instead it was more like an autobiography, with plenty of details about the ongoing adventures.
The main character feels real to me. He has his weaknesses and his strengths, and isn't an overpowered character, instead he shows his experience as an experienced military commander who knows how to lead and inspire the men who serve in his command. I would serve with an officer like this.
I suggest reading the first book in the series before reading this one. The story line has much more meaning that way. I am already looking forward to the next book in what I hope continues to be such a delightful series. Kudos to Dean Henegar.
March 2, 2019
While you could use this book as the starting point for the series, I would recommend starting with the first one, while the pacing is a little slower, it works well as you need to be introduced to the characters, classes, the real and game worlds and the mechanics of the game.
This second instalment of the series picks up where the first one ends and then proceeds to ramp things up quite drastically for the main character and his friends with the world opening up and the level of threat increasing accordingly. Along the way there are some interesting revelations concerning both the game and real world that should have a significant impact in later books too.
In general the narrator did another good job of enhancing the story, voices were suitably distinctive to nicely enhance the characters, but some of the accents didn't quite work as well for me this time.
Overall, a strong second book in the series with the main problem being that there isn't yet a third for me to move onto.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
This second instalment of the series picks up where the first one ends and then proceeds to ramp things up quite drastically for the main character and his friends with the world opening up and the level of threat increasing accordingly. Along the way there are some interesting revelations concerning both the game and real world that should have a significant impact in later books too.
In general the narrator did another good job of enhancing the story, voices were suitably distinctive to nicely enhance the characters, but some of the accents didn't quite work as well for me this time.
Overall, a strong second book in the series with the main problem being that there isn't yet a third for me to move onto.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
February 7, 2020
This is a review for books 1-4 of this series. At the end of book 4 the author says book 5 will end the series.
The "bottom line" is these books are the best litRPG I've read to date. If you like litRPG you should own these books. They aren't perfect but they are close and, best of all, they have intelligent and interesting characters, especially the "bad guys".
In general the book is about technology moving on, making warfare automated leaving 90 year old veterans the only Americans with combat experience. One such veteran is nearing the end of his life but medical technology has progressed as well. In this way Colonel James Raytak finds himself playing lieutenant in a RPG legion while his vastly deteriorated body is repaired. Thanks to a 5 to 1 time compression in game Raytak can have 5 days of adventures between daily disconnects to resupply his medpod.
Bottom line: Read them.
The "bottom line" is these books are the best litRPG I've read to date. If you like litRPG you should own these books. They aren't perfect but they are close and, best of all, they have intelligent and interesting characters, especially the "bad guys".
In general the book is about technology moving on, making warfare automated leaving 90 year old veterans the only Americans with combat experience. One such veteran is nearing the end of his life but medical technology has progressed as well. In this way Colonel James Raytak finds himself playing lieutenant in a RPG legion while his vastly deteriorated body is repaired. Thanks to a 5 to 1 time compression in game Raytak can have 5 days of adventures between daily disconnects to resupply his medpod.
Bottom line: Read them.
November 24, 2018
This... This Book is just.. Amazing
I almost missed this getting released thankfully a bunch of people liked my review of the first one tipping me off.
I.. Loved the first book, and the second just blew me away again. I quite literally have 4 books on the go right now and I dropped everything to read this. And read I did, I absolutely consumed this book in a matter of hours.
This book had everything that I love about LitRPG and more. It had heartfelt moments as Raytak reminisced about his time in the military, some of which had me tearing up.. these are not emotions I normally have to deal with reading this genre. The battle scenes & tactics were fun and full of excitement. And yea.. I'm not a writer, this book is absolutely amazing and you should read both of them right now.
I almost missed this getting released thankfully a bunch of people liked my review of the first one tipping me off.
I.. Loved the first book, and the second just blew me away again. I quite literally have 4 books on the go right now and I dropped everything to read this. And read I did, I absolutely consumed this book in a matter of hours.
This book had everything that I love about LitRPG and more. It had heartfelt moments as Raytak reminisced about his time in the military, some of which had me tearing up.. these are not emotions I normally have to deal with reading this genre. The battle scenes & tactics were fun and full of excitement. And yea.. I'm not a writer, this book is absolutely amazing and you should read both of them right now.
November 26, 2018
Fantastic read.
This one picks up right where the last one left off, introduced new characters just as believable as the previous set which also gets a healthy dose of development. By the time I hit 50% I was in the edge of my seat, more excited than I probably should have been.
While it is difficult for me to sum up just what I like most of why exactly this book deserves a five star rating, I can honestly say that I greatly enjoy the core of the book, and the concept behind it, as well we appreciate the unique class and the style of town building - an almost must have for me in this kind of book. Not too fast, not too slow, just realistic enough to keep the fantastical grounded and creative enough to hold immersion. Well done and kudos to the author. I'll be following developments of the next book closely.
This one picks up right where the last one left off, introduced new characters just as believable as the previous set which also gets a healthy dose of development. By the time I hit 50% I was in the edge of my seat, more excited than I probably should have been.
While it is difficult for me to sum up just what I like most of why exactly this book deserves a five star rating, I can honestly say that I greatly enjoy the core of the book, and the concept behind it, as well we appreciate the unique class and the style of town building - an almost must have for me in this kind of book. Not too fast, not too slow, just realistic enough to keep the fantastical grounded and creative enough to hold immersion. Well done and kudos to the author. I'll be following developments of the next book closely.
October 16, 2021
The Second Novel In A LitRPG Series With Some Unusual Secondary Plot Lines
There are some secondary plot lines which involve events outside the VRMMORPG Commander/Lieutenant Raytak is undergoing therapy in. One involves a Corporation's attempt at currency/item trading with the game's players and the second involves Commander/Lieutenant Raytak's family living (mostly) in the real world. The AI's, Clio's, attempts to reconstruct Commander/Lieutenant Raytak's memories continues at steady, yet slow, pace as he advances through the game's challenges and build the size and power of his Imperiam Legion command.
The series, of which this novel is a part, may interest fans of Military Fiction, the broader Fantasy genre, and those who enjoy playing RPGs, as much as it does fans of the LitRPG genre.
There are some secondary plot lines which involve events outside the VRMMORPG Commander/Lieutenant Raytak is undergoing therapy in. One involves a Corporation's attempt at currency/item trading with the game's players and the second involves Commander/Lieutenant Raytak's family living (mostly) in the real world. The AI's, Clio's, attempts to reconstruct Commander/Lieutenant Raytak's memories continues at steady, yet slow, pace as he advances through the game's challenges and build the size and power of his Imperiam Legion command.
The series, of which this novel is a part, may interest fans of Military Fiction, the broader Fantasy genre, and those who enjoy playing RPGs, as much as it does fans of the LitRPG genre.
January 25, 2024
First book was pretty fun if not exceptional. This second book started to get boring pretty fast. I tend not to get as invested in books about being in a game as the stakes for the characters are so much lower. The game world started to feel pretty bland and just wasn't fun anymore. They point out that the game is not pay to win and that it is balanced. However a corporation can somehow just pour money into the game to buy in game gold. Suddenly they are able to purchase high level gear and pay any player to do what they want. It just felt so dumb and contrived. The main character is at half the level of some of his opponents even though he has spent every minute of the day logged in playing outside of the mandated 10 minutes a day he has to be out of the game. Maybe it gets better later, but this is as far as I go.
May 10, 2019
Great read, built nicely on the 1st book which didn't have many big story threads to follow, this one did a much better job of having several in play and then bringing them together with other kicking off continuously through the book so the setup is far less 1 dimensional. The downside to this was losing a lot of the main characters self progression. The battles were great all round and some good funny moments with Crunchy. The other thread with the guild I felt was building up to something then just all of a sudden went very sensible focusing on real life and just died off. I hope in book 3 it'll ramp that up and have a general level of betrayal between players that makes the story unpredictable.
Keep up the good work and I hope book 3 can get to 5 stars for me!
Keep up the good work and I hope book 3 can get to 5 stars for me!
January 13, 2020
Was. It prepared
While I have really started to enjoy the LitRPG genre, I haven’t really considered it to be “high” literature. Mostly I have considered it to be “popcorn” reads, light and fluffy.
Here’s the thing though, while I may have been able to spot the big reveal from the end of this book a mile away, it was so well written that I wept.
Improving ones writing structure is something any author can do over time, knowing how to craft emotion ties between readers and characters though is something only innately talented writers can do.
I can’t wait to see what comes from this author as he improves his overall craft.
While I have really started to enjoy the LitRPG genre, I haven’t really considered it to be “high” literature. Mostly I have considered it to be “popcorn” reads, light and fluffy.
Here’s the thing though, while I may have been able to spot the big reveal from the end of this book a mile away, it was so well written that I wept.
Improving ones writing structure is something any author can do over time, knowing how to craft emotion ties between readers and characters though is something only innately talented writers can do.
I can’t wait to see what comes from this author as he improves his overall craft.
December 2, 2025
It was honestly quite good for decent portion of the book. I did skip around when I didn’t find a specific passage interesting but that’s fine.
My main issue was the ending I guess. I understand that the Ai has deemed it necessary that the son can’t interact with Raytak. Sure whatever, even if you say the daughter getting to know him is helpful it should not be colluding with a child to lie to their parent. That’s a rogue Ai, I’m pretty sure the next book will have some bs about how the mom can be ported into the game and can see Raytak and that too won’t be a problem. I get the Author probably wants the son to be the last one to see his dad and it just seems cruel to Trey.
My main issue was the ending I guess. I understand that the Ai has deemed it necessary that the son can’t interact with Raytak. Sure whatever, even if you say the daughter getting to know him is helpful it should not be colluding with a child to lie to their parent. That’s a rogue Ai, I’m pretty sure the next book will have some bs about how the mom can be ported into the game and can see Raytak and that too won’t be a problem. I get the Author probably wants the son to be the last one to see his dad and it just seems cruel to Trey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2018
Damn good book
A few slight typos, but outside of that it's an intriguing story it just hooks you in. I loved the emotional trip at the end that came completely out of nowhere what a shock. Though I suspected a few pages before the reveal. Dean and old man raytack do need to start in on some basic magic soon. I personally disliked how the medics were an after thought almost like raytak thought well if I cant get anything better... keep up the good work and remember magic has its place in fantasy combat too and by ignoring that angle is lazy.
A few slight typos, but outside of that it's an intriguing story it just hooks you in. I loved the emotional trip at the end that came completely out of nowhere what a shock. Though I suspected a few pages before the reveal. Dean and old man raytack do need to start in on some basic magic soon. I personally disliked how the medics were an after thought almost like raytak thought well if I cant get anything better... keep up the good work and remember magic has its place in fantasy combat too and by ignoring that angle is lazy.
December 10, 2018
I liked it. The book was okay. A let down from the promise of book 1, and one that drew far too much on "bad for no reason" villains. What we didn't get to explore was the fun of the journey of leveling up an otherwise very weak character. Things just happened more _to_ him than _by_ him. I'll seek out book 3 if (1) I remember by the time it comes out and (2) it's on kindle unlimited and I'm still subscribed when it does. Otherwise, I think this may be the parting of ways between me and this series.
June 13, 2019
Got me right in the feels, I love the unique character class, one of the better litrpg series I've read!
Really enjoying the series, I didn't put a review on the first book I normally don't review, but at the end of this one I had to drop a review in a five-star! Really enjoy this unique character class, fast action good intrigue, not going to spoil the end but damn man damn right in the feels! Really looking forward to the next book going to Jump Right In! I find that a lot of the lit RPG series are mixed bag but very much enjoying the series!
Really enjoying the series, I didn't put a review on the first book I normally don't review, but at the end of this one I had to drop a review in a five-star! Really enjoy this unique character class, fast action good intrigue, not going to spoil the end but damn man damn right in the feels! Really looking forward to the next book going to Jump Right In! I find that a lot of the lit RPG series are mixed bag but very much enjoying the series!
August 23, 2020
Another great adventure in this series
I am really enjoying this series. The characters, game elements, real world and emotional pieces all weave together well. The next book should be really interesting and I hope Colonel Raytak will be able to speak with his family.
I was an active duty Marine when I was younger and appreciate how some of the issues those who've gone to war deal with are brought up. They aren't overt or often and are just part of the characters' interactions, but still it is good they are acknowledged, I think.
I am really enjoying this series. The characters, game elements, real world and emotional pieces all weave together well. The next book should be really interesting and I hope Colonel Raytak will be able to speak with his family.
I was an active duty Marine when I was younger and appreciate how some of the issues those who've gone to war deal with are brought up. They aren't overt or often and are just part of the characters' interactions, but still it is good they are acknowledged, I think.
September 12, 2020
Couldn’t support the concept
First, there was too much ‘tell’. Then, there was the overly complicated plot, as several side characters take the stage only long enough to move forward subplots before dying. Then There were the homonym errors: ‘sew’ instead of the correct ‘sow’. And finally, having yet another person brought into the game with a familial relationship...bridge too far for me.
I think the biggest problem is simply the complexity of the underlying concept, and it’s weakness in supporting a narrative.
First, there was too much ‘tell’. Then, there was the overly complicated plot, as several side characters take the stage only long enough to move forward subplots before dying. Then There were the homonym errors: ‘sew’ instead of the correct ‘sow’. And finally, having yet another person brought into the game with a familial relationship...bridge too far for me.
I think the biggest problem is simply the complexity of the underlying concept, and it’s weakness in supporting a narrative.
December 10, 2018
A much better effort than the last one. Three and a half stars really but there is strong hope for the series and its writer.
Just a note to the writer, though: Don't let your politics get revealed in your books, especially if it leans towards parochialism and jingoism. Your quip at the end of the story about some "fool civilian" asking a question about wars abroad was totally uncalled for, notwithstanding the devastation these wars have caused all around the world.
All the best.
Just a note to the writer, though: Don't let your politics get revealed in your books, especially if it leans towards parochialism and jingoism. Your quip at the end of the story about some "fool civilian" asking a question about wars abroad was totally uncalled for, notwithstanding the devastation these wars have caused all around the world.
All the best.
December 11, 2018
Too short.
Could have been longer, and would have liked more world building.
Main character is a bit underpowered in my opinion, he could use a force multiplier.
Bonus points for not including the extremely annoying character Maxo in this book; who is like listening to nails on a chalkboard... at least on the audiobook version.
Overall a decent read, and I plan on reading the next book in the series.
Could have been longer, and would have liked more world building.
Main character is a bit underpowered in my opinion, he could use a force multiplier.
Bonus points for not including the extremely annoying character Maxo in this book; who is like listening to nails on a chalkboard... at least on the audiobook version.
Overall a decent read, and I plan on reading the next book in the series.
December 22, 2018
Great job👍
Dean, you've continued on perfectly. Question: why can't Ry give individual names to his soldiers, maybe after he's seen them do something, giving an individual morale bonus to the soldier. After 22 years in the Navy, I did my best to get to know my people and call them by a name (nickname quite often) and when I was junior got a little burst when the Chief or Skipper knew who I was.
Dean, you've continued on perfectly. Question: why can't Ry give individual names to his soldiers, maybe after he's seen them do something, giving an individual morale bonus to the soldier. After 22 years in the Navy, I did my best to get to know my people and call them by a name (nickname quite often) and when I was junior got a little burst when the Chief or Skipper knew who I was.
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