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Bard to the Bone
What would you do if you were trapped in a game as a bard?
Would you take on a demon-worshiping cult? Would you charm beautiful women? Team up with said women to storm a castle and overthrow a tyrant?
Hell yes, you would.
James didn't expect a quick foray into an MMO game to last this long. He's fantasized about being a rock star but has never held a tune. Now he's stuck as a bard. Forever.
Lesser mortals would despair, but there's only one option: Becoming the most kickass bard ever.
Armed with just his wits and a lute, James must survive in a game world where everything wants to kill him. Teaming up with a pair of gorgeous, lethal women is first on the list. Next is conquering the world.
Authors Note: This LitRPG novel contains harem elements, detailed game mechanics, a complex fantasy world filled with monsters, intrigue, and nonstop action!
Would you take on a demon-worshiping cult? Would you charm beautiful women? Team up with said women to storm a castle and overthrow a tyrant?
Hell yes, you would.
James didn't expect a quick foray into an MMO game to last this long. He's fantasized about being a rock star but has never held a tune. Now he's stuck as a bard. Forever.
Lesser mortals would despair, but there's only one option: Becoming the most kickass bard ever.
Armed with just his wits and a lute, James must survive in a game world where everything wants to kill him. Teaming up with a pair of gorgeous, lethal women is first on the list. Next is conquering the world.
Authors Note: This LitRPG novel contains harem elements, detailed game mechanics, a complex fantasy world filled with monsters, intrigue, and nonstop action!
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2018
100 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 15, 2018
A LitRPG story. A trapped in the game story (a twist from the standard trapped story) where the main character is a Bard. The story kept me entertained till the end.
November 14, 2018
Enjoyable
I enjoyed the book. I very much enjoyed the rts/settlement building toward the end. I'm hoping the next book has more of this as well as a trip to the fire lands. Hopefully it will be out soon.
I enjoyed the book. I very much enjoyed the rts/settlement building toward the end. I'm hoping the next book has more of this as well as a trip to the fire lands. Hopefully it will be out soon.
November 19, 2018
I really enjoyed this book it had a good idea and worked to make it into a good book. The premise on how they ended up in the game was a unique twist that avoided all the normal tropes.
The author managed to take a suppost type of player a Bard MC and make them fun and powerful but at the same time did not make them OP. The MC had many of the normal things we expect a bard to have like seduce but he managed to work in how a few minor spells used creatively can really enhance those around him to make them super effective and powerful.
The author also did a good job on making the female members of the bard's party unique and interesting. He avoided the issue that all the women just seemed to be carbon cutouts of the token harem girl. Overall i really enjoyed this book and i am looking foreward to his next book.
The author managed to take a suppost type of player a Bard MC and make them fun and powerful but at the same time did not make them OP. The MC had many of the normal things we expect a bard to have like seduce but he managed to work in how a few minor spells used creatively can really enhance those around him to make them super effective and powerful.
The author also did a good job on making the female members of the bard's party unique and interesting. He avoided the issue that all the women just seemed to be carbon cutouts of the token harem girl. Overall i really enjoyed this book and i am looking foreward to his next book.
February 11, 2019
I liked this book a lot. It was gamelit, and James was stuck in the virtual reality game he was playing. It addressed the psychological elements of that well, and integrated game information so it flowed and was explained decently. I thought the book was really interesting, as it combined the game with a fantasy kind of plot, which was fun and exciting. I liked James, and thought the Bard class was quite interesting and unique. Amy and Naomi were great characters as well, and were strong and smart, which I liked. I will be on the lookout for book two. 4 stars. I had a lot of fun reading Bard to the Bone.
November 21, 2018
Amazing, yet ever-so-slightly underwhelming story.
Let me start off by saying I absolutely loved this story. From the dorkiness of the main character, to the constant teasing of sexual tension, to the great choice of classic rock by the rock-star-bard, this book does not disappoint... except in one area. The story is fantastic until about 3/4 of the way through, at which point it feels...rushed. Almost like Cid Banks had a deadline and had to wrap it up there. Even with that said, still a wonderful read from start to finish.
Looking forward to the next story, Cid. Thanks for the great read 😁
Let me start off by saying I absolutely loved this story. From the dorkiness of the main character, to the constant teasing of sexual tension, to the great choice of classic rock by the rock-star-bard, this book does not disappoint... except in one area. The story is fantastic until about 3/4 of the way through, at which point it feels...rushed. Almost like Cid Banks had a deadline and had to wrap it up there. Even with that said, still a wonderful read from start to finish.
Looking forward to the next story, Cid. Thanks for the great read 😁
December 4, 2018
He is now trapped in a game but not as what he had thought he would be. He is trapped as a hard and he needs to work his way through the game. Will he be able to get through and defeat the enemy? Follow his adventures
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 19, 2018
Good story
Decent characterization, story pulled you in. It had adult moments without crossing the line into being an adult novel. Overall, good book. I’ll be watching for the sequel.
Decent characterization, story pulled you in. It had adult moments without crossing the line into being an adult novel. Overall, good book. I’ll be watching for the sequel.
November 13, 2018
A very different look at Bards.
Very much the scared support character to start but learns to step up and learn what it really means to support your team. I really enjoyed the game elements in this book. It makes you wonder if you are in the game or not.
Very much the scared support character to start but learns to step up and learn what it really means to support your team. I really enjoyed the game elements in this book. It makes you wonder if you are in the game or not.
November 14, 2018
Bardrific!
So excited to see another quality bard story out! I'm looking forward to see how he builds his character! Great job!
So excited to see another quality bard story out! I'm looking forward to see how he builds his character! Great job!
December 4, 2018
Just ok
Mistakes: I found only a couple.
Plot: Interesting overall idea but not executed that well. There should have been no way to beat the big bad with the level difference. Also the MC remembers all the words to multiple types of songs. I just don't buy that.
Characters: not very interesting at all
5.2/10
Mistakes: I found only a couple.
Plot: Interesting overall idea but not executed that well. There should have been no way to beat the big bad with the level difference. Also the MC remembers all the words to multiple types of songs. I just don't buy that.
Characters: not very interesting at all
5.2/10
November 18, 2018
I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I liked the book and would read a second in the series when one becomes available. Below I will break down the book into components with some mild spoilers (nothing that will take away from the read though)
1. Editing - I read a lot of independent fiction and for the most part editing is down right terrible. I was very pleased to only find one blatant spelling error in this work. That is very rare in this type of work so kudos to the editor.
2. Character Development - The MC was likeable and fun. He showed more than one side of his flawed character. So many times LITRPG characters are one dimensional. The MC was a bit wishy washy where the female characters were concerned but it was forgivable.
3. Game Mechanics - You cant address a piece of LITRPG without considering the game mechanics. Character progression happened too quickly in my opinion at one point gaining both level 7 and level 8 at the same time. When does that ever happen in a game? I can forgive a level 2 and 3 jump at one time, but higher levels just irritate me. The MC is really slow to do level progression upgrades. Who does that in their own gaming? I loved the character progression upgrades across the board. It seems like a lot of thought went into the game development. Its a game Id actually like to play even if I did get sucked into the game permanently.
4. Writer maturity - This work borders on harem fantasy. Thats ok if that works for you. As a reader I consider the maturity of the writer when I read a piece and this one seems to be a bit too much into boobies. I think a lot of female readers might be turned off by this book because it has all the hallmarks of a teenagers wet dream. That said the writer knows how to write. I didnt want to put this book down as I was reading it. The author gave me the book at 7pm last night and i read the last word at 630 the next morning. Not a lot of books hold my attention like that.
5. Storyline - I liked the story line. It held my attention although I think way too much attention is spent on fight details. This was a short book to start with taking me only about 3 hours to read it. I would be willing to bet that at least 20% of it was fight details. I think this one book could have easily been twice as long and still held my attention.
Overall I liked the book a lot. I am looking forward to more story and less boobies in book 2.
1. Editing - I read a lot of independent fiction and for the most part editing is down right terrible. I was very pleased to only find one blatant spelling error in this work. That is very rare in this type of work so kudos to the editor.
2. Character Development - The MC was likeable and fun. He showed more than one side of his flawed character. So many times LITRPG characters are one dimensional. The MC was a bit wishy washy where the female characters were concerned but it was forgivable.
3. Game Mechanics - You cant address a piece of LITRPG without considering the game mechanics. Character progression happened too quickly in my opinion at one point gaining both level 7 and level 8 at the same time. When does that ever happen in a game? I can forgive a level 2 and 3 jump at one time, but higher levels just irritate me. The MC is really slow to do level progression upgrades. Who does that in their own gaming? I loved the character progression upgrades across the board. It seems like a lot of thought went into the game development. Its a game Id actually like to play even if I did get sucked into the game permanently.
4. Writer maturity - This work borders on harem fantasy. Thats ok if that works for you. As a reader I consider the maturity of the writer when I read a piece and this one seems to be a bit too much into boobies. I think a lot of female readers might be turned off by this book because it has all the hallmarks of a teenagers wet dream. That said the writer knows how to write. I didnt want to put this book down as I was reading it. The author gave me the book at 7pm last night and i read the last word at 630 the next morning. Not a lot of books hold my attention like that.
5. Storyline - I liked the story line. It held my attention although I think way too much attention is spent on fight details. This was a short book to start with taking me only about 3 hours to read it. I would be willing to bet that at least 20% of it was fight details. I think this one book could have easily been twice as long and still held my attention.
Overall I liked the book a lot. I am looking forward to more story and less boobies in book 2.
November 22, 2018
Good Romp, Went Along Great At First
Good LitRPG style, a little crunch but lots of plot and character development to keep things interesting. Iffy mechanics.
Amy and Naomi were nice counterpoints. I enjoyed that both of the female main characters were fare more powerful and advanced then James, at least for most of the book. Captured a classic event, making a somewhat quick character decision, and then finding yourself trapped with that decision indefinitely.
Krile continually giving James credit for rescuing her despite having actually been saved by Naomi was classic, and it was nice how Krile reappeared later in the story.
The final battle with the storm king, and his repeated re-spawning at lower power levels was a cool mechanic and fun.
The magic systems and bard skills seemed a bit random and limited. Like a big compromise between a playable system and avoiding too much rules crunch.
The adult situations were fun, balanced, and not too over the top. Definitely in line with the genre.
The book fell into the classic LitRPG trap. The main character got too powerful too quickly, and got very special very fast, going from a newb to leading a rebellion and claiming territory and a keep as few other characters got to do, even those who played for years.
The "trap" and evil AI enemy lurking in the background left a lot of ground open for exploration in that direction, but seems to be a pretty common mechanism in LitRPG books. The slow death of memories over in-game deaths was an interesting idea.
Good LitRPG style, a little crunch but lots of plot and character development to keep things interesting. Iffy mechanics.
Amy and Naomi were nice counterpoints. I enjoyed that both of the female main characters were fare more powerful and advanced then James, at least for most of the book. Captured a classic event, making a somewhat quick character decision, and then finding yourself trapped with that decision indefinitely.
Krile continually giving James credit for rescuing her despite having actually been saved by Naomi was classic, and it was nice how Krile reappeared later in the story.
The final battle with the storm king, and his repeated re-spawning at lower power levels was a cool mechanic and fun.
The magic systems and bard skills seemed a bit random and limited. Like a big compromise between a playable system and avoiding too much rules crunch.
The adult situations were fun, balanced, and not too over the top. Definitely in line with the genre.
The book fell into the classic LitRPG trap. The main character got too powerful too quickly, and got very special very fast, going from a newb to leading a rebellion and claiming territory and a keep as few other characters got to do, even those who played for years.
The "trap" and evil AI enemy lurking in the background left a lot of ground open for exploration in that direction, but seems to be a pretty common mechanism in LitRPG books. The slow death of memories over in-game deaths was an interesting idea.
November 23, 2018
It’s an entertaining read. The MC fumbles and fails and succeeds, rather than being perfect. The story is fast paced and holds ones attention well. This is a well developed and thought out story. The plot is fleshed out so that there is a clear climax and goal in mind rather than wandering like most LitRPG stories tend to. And important to note in this new genre; this book was edited! The characters seemed relatable. My only qualm were that the MC’s relationships progressed way too fast. In all I think you’ll enjoy the read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 29, 2018
Picked this book up purely for the pun in the title, and while the story itself has a hard time living up to that title I still had a good time.
This book contains harem-lite elements. More romance than explicit smooshing.
The only real disappointment is that in bard-focused books I really enjoy original songs. This particular one relied on a knowledge of some popular songs to fit with key moments, but I really wanted at least one original song.
This book contains harem-lite elements. More romance than explicit smooshing.
The only real disappointment is that in bard-focused books I really enjoy original songs. This particular one relied on a knowledge of some popular songs to fit with key moments, but I really wanted at least one original song.
November 21, 2018
I like RPG stories and this was pure fun. As someone who's spent way too much time playing A Bard's Tale I was curious to see how the character would be handled. I'll definitely be checking out the next installment.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 24, 2018
Ok, this was an interesting book. I don't think it lived up to it's potential, but it was definitely decent enough to be worth the read, and I think most LitRPG fans would enjoy this one, though it's a bit odd in places, it is still interesting, and tells a story that might have you thinking about long after you're finished with the book.
November 22, 2018
An interesting book from a new author
While I didnt initially enjoy the main character I came around after a few chapters, Cid does a good job with pacing and world creation. Definitely give it a read.
While I didnt initially enjoy the main character I came around after a few chapters, Cid does a good job with pacing and world creation. Definitely give it a read.
December 11, 2018
3.5 stars, very decent book but nothing too special
January 19, 2019
Fun
Was a quick extremely fun read. It is always refreshing to experience the story of a bard. I look forward to other books. Good job Cid!
Was a quick extremely fun read. It is always refreshing to experience the story of a bard. I look forward to other books. Good job Cid!
dnf
July 28, 2024DNF at 10% - not a fan sadly, much preferred the character and narrative style in a different mmorpg book - sentenced to Troll
October 23, 2019
- Quote: I pushed Logout again. A 1 jumped from my bleeding wound. “Log out!” What would happen when I died?
- Thoughts: Not as funny as I was expecting after reading its sinopse, but also not what I would expect from a more serious book, there seems to be a very darker side not yet fully explored. It's like those children shows that one day suddenly are not suitable for children at all. The game elements are well established.
▶◀
These are my personal opinions, you may discord, my final rating of the book is not necessarily linked to this system and may diverge from it.
Book Storyline
- Originality: 3/5 stars
- Development: 4/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 4/5 stars
- Writing stile: 4/5 stars
- Funnyness: 2/5 stars
- Epicness: 3/5 stars
- Scaryness: 2/5 stars
- Smartness: 4/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 4/5 stars
- Plot twists: 3/5 stars
- Pace: 4/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars
- Ending: 4/5 stars
- Holes: 2/5 negative stars
- Self contained (Y/N): ✓
- Cliffhanger (Y/N): ✓
- Adult (Y/N): ✓
- Mystery (Y/N): ✓
- Treasure Hunting (Y/N): ×
- Violence level: Virtual brutality
- Tech level: Medieval
- Religion level: Fictional religion inside the game
- Main genre: litRPG
- Subgenre: Gamelit
- Point of view: Main Character talking with the reader inside his head
- Best of it: The story opened an really interesting plot for the follow-up books with the lvl 99 character
- Worst of it: could have better jokes since it's supposed to be a funny book.
- Aftertaste: salt and sugar
Cover
- Quality: 3/5 stars
- Traces: 3/5 stars
- Colors: 3/5 stars
- Style: 3/5 stars
- In a few words: exactly the same bard in the cover as
from A.J. Wiseman
World
- Originality: 4/5 stars
- Variety: 4/5 stars
- Consistency: 4/5 stars
- Impact on the story: 5/5 stars
- Maps: no map/5 stars
- Real world (Y/N): ×
- Fantasy based on real world (Y/N): ×
- Journey (Y/N): ×
- Main scenario: Wandering Around
Characters
The main character has a bit of a chip on his shoulders, that is never cool as we don't really read fantasy to see someone that is all the time thinking about his problems. It gets a little better later though. When starts to do stuff instead of feel pity for himself. Also he claims to be a gamer but is totally unfamiliar with most basic aspects of RPGs.
The other players character kind of make up for him though, they have interesting personalities and growth
- Consistency: 3/5 stars
- Connection: 2/5 stars
- Dialogs: 3/5 Stars
- Interactions: 3/5 Stars
- Underworld Crew (✓/×): ×
- Training (✓/×): ×
- Romance: There's a triangle
- Notable best characters: Tom
- Notable worse characters: Jamie or James or whatever the Bard's name is
Setting
Locked inside a full dive game, the game has lots of regions and themed cities, proficiency classes, fortress and territory systems that affect its geopolitical status. The local history inside the game is mostly discarded by the players as unimportant.
- Setting overall score: 4/5 Stars
- Tension: 1/5 Stars
- Atmosphere: 2/5 Stars
- Superpowers (✓/×): ✓
- Non-human races (Y/N): ✓
- Virtual Reality (Y/N): ✓
- Monsters (Y/N): ✓
Series Starter
Not sure when and if the next book will be cooked, but I guess I'll give it a try when I see it around
- Can be read as a standalone (✓/×): ✓
- Thoughts: Not as funny as I was expecting after reading its sinopse, but also not what I would expect from a more serious book, there seems to be a very darker side not yet fully explored. It's like those children shows that one day suddenly are not suitable for children at all. The game elements are well established.
▶◀
These are my personal opinions, you may discord, my final rating of the book is not necessarily linked to this system and may diverge from it.
Book Storyline
- Originality: 3/5 stars
- Development: 4/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 4/5 stars
- Writing stile: 4/5 stars
- Funnyness: 2/5 stars
- Epicness: 3/5 stars
- Scaryness: 2/5 stars
- Smartness: 4/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 4/5 stars
- Plot twists: 3/5 stars
- Pace: 4/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars
- Ending: 4/5 stars
- Holes: 2/5 negative stars
- Self contained (Y/N): ✓
- Cliffhanger (Y/N): ✓
- Adult (Y/N): ✓
- Mystery (Y/N): ✓
- Treasure Hunting (Y/N): ×
- Violence level: Virtual brutality
- Tech level: Medieval
- Religion level: Fictional religion inside the game
- Main genre: litRPG
- Subgenre: Gamelit
- Point of view: Main Character talking with the reader inside his head
- Best of it: The story opened an really interesting plot for the follow-up books with the lvl 99 character
- Worst of it: could have better jokes since it's supposed to be a funny book.
- Aftertaste: salt and sugar
Cover
- Quality: 3/5 stars
- Traces: 3/5 stars
- Colors: 3/5 stars
- Style: 3/5 stars
- In a few words: exactly the same bard in the cover as
from A.J. WisemanWorld
- Originality: 4/5 stars
- Variety: 4/5 stars
- Consistency: 4/5 stars
- Impact on the story: 5/5 stars
- Maps: no map/5 stars
- Real world (Y/N): ×
- Fantasy based on real world (Y/N): ×
- Journey (Y/N): ×
- Main scenario: Wandering Around
Characters
The main character has a bit of a chip on his shoulders, that is never cool as we don't really read fantasy to see someone that is all the time thinking about his problems. It gets a little better later though. When starts to do stuff instead of feel pity for himself. Also he claims to be a gamer but is totally unfamiliar with most basic aspects of RPGs.
The other players character kind of make up for him though, they have interesting personalities and growth
- Consistency: 3/5 stars
- Connection: 2/5 stars
- Dialogs: 3/5 Stars
- Interactions: 3/5 Stars
- Underworld Crew (✓/×): ×
- Training (✓/×): ×
- Romance: There's a triangle
- Notable best characters: Tom
- Notable worse characters: Jamie or James or whatever the Bard's name is
Setting
Locked inside a full dive game, the game has lots of regions and themed cities, proficiency classes, fortress and territory systems that affect its geopolitical status. The local history inside the game is mostly discarded by the players as unimportant.
- Setting overall score: 4/5 Stars
- Tension: 1/5 Stars
- Atmosphere: 2/5 Stars
- Superpowers (✓/×): ✓
- Non-human races (Y/N): ✓
- Virtual Reality (Y/N): ✓
- Monsters (Y/N): ✓
Series Starter
Not sure when and if the next book will be cooked, but I guess I'll give it a try when I see it around
- Can be read as a standalone (✓/×): ✓
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews