Read opening chapters here -magicdomebooks.blogspot.com/2018/11/t...
What is it like for a small flap-eared goblin herbalist to play the role of the Dark Sovereign, the main antagonist for Boundless Realm's hundreds of millions of players? What is it like to find one's self the standard bearer for an army of man-eating giants, cyclopes, skeletons, ghosts and other hellspawn, who don't give a damn about their modest little ruler?
Our hero didn't desire such an unenviable fate, but there is no way back now. He'll just have to tighten the straps and play the ghastly overlord to the innumerable hordes that now threaten all Boundless Realm. But the longer our hero plays, the better he understands that this world is much more complicated than it seems at first glance and he is just a pawn in someone else's game. And lots of things depend on whether he can figure all of it out in the short time he has left, including his own life.
Michael Atamanov was born in 1975 in Grozny, Chechnia. He excelled at school, winning numerous national science and writing competitions. Having graduated with honors, he entered Moscow University to study material engineering. Soon, however, he had no home to return to: their house was destroyed during the first Chechen campaign. Michael's family fled the war, taking shelter with some relatives in Stavropol Territory in the South of Russia.
Having graduated from the University, Michael was forced to accept whatever work was available. He moonlighted in chemical labs, loaded trucks, translated technical articles, worked as a software installer as well as scene shifter for local artists and events. At the same time he never stopped writing, even when squatting in some seedy Moscow hostels. Writing became an urgent need for Michael, driving him to submit articles to science publications, news fillers for a variety of web sites and a plethora of technical and copywriting gigs.
Then one day unexpectedly for himself he started writing fairy tales and science fiction novels. For several years, his audience consisted of only one person: Michael's elder son. Then, at the end of 2014 he decided to upload one of his manuscripts to a free online writers resource. Readers liked it and demanded a sequel. Michael uploaded another book, and yet another, his audience growing as did his list. It was his readers who helped Michael hone his writing style. He finally had the breakthrough he deserved when the Moscow-based EKSMO - the biggest publishing house in Europe - offered him a contract for his first and consequent books.
A new patch is released in the game. The lovely green Goblin becomes the Dark Sovereign. Nobody planned it in this way and the gaming company was not ready for such a turn. Rules are changing on the way. Millions of players are getting ready for the final battle.
I was afraid that the last book in the series will be boring, but it was very entertaining and full of surprises in the game and in real life.
I LOVED IT! It's been so long since i could be so deeply invested in a single character and I'm just so incredibly happy not only with this book on its own but with the way it ended the series. I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in the Litrpg subgenre of fantasy.
With all that said, here are my gripes. The repetition of the phrase "think for yourself" got annoying. The ending seemed rush, especially with the situation that is resolved at the very end that I won't include here for spoiling it. Just seemed rush toward the end there.
I think a lot of us hope that our favorite books never end. And at least for North American LitRPG that doesn't seem to be an issue, most popular series just keep going.
This is the second Russian LitRPG I've read that has actually ended. And while I'm sad I won't get to read about further adventures in Boundless Realms. I think the ending tied the storyline up quite well, and honestly who doesn't like a happy ending.
While the book maintained its mediocrity instead of declining further into idiocy, I still can't say much in favour of this series. It seemed everything in this series happened in a month, maybe two, real-time. That only further makes everything that happened with Tim seem incredulous.
Amra, his character, had a far more interesting storyline but a lot of the gameplay was bogged down with constant descriptions of female curves, or dwarves being spherical or corpulent. The many "asides" to the reader made the writing seem unpolished and childish. Addressing readers is a literary device that should be used to enhance a book or for educational purposes, not assume the reader is confused and can't follow along a simple narrative.
While this book is definitely about 2 stars, the series as a whole I would rate about 3. If this general plot of normal guy plays a VR game, but also has to deal with corporate drama IRL, is the norm of the genre, I'll have to make sure my eyes don't roll out of my head.
If anyone knows of any LitRPG series that don't involve the real-world, please give me recs! TIA!
I'm happy that this series got people interested in litRPGs I truly am but I really have an issue with this entire series it's just so unbelievable that I'm just waiting for the line 'then everyone clapped'. Also after so much build up the ending was not engaging at all because of Atamanov choice of portraying the battle.
Also even with all my gripes with Atamanov writing choices I was always engaged in his game worlds that he creates but it felt so cheap in this book.
Also they stole a plot point from The Way of the Shaman (A far superior series NoTeaNoShade) and I even hated that reveal in that book but at least it made sense in this series it felt stupid.
The series started out good but turned bad really fast. It was so cliche, sexist, shallow and demeaning. - my “crippled” sister which I love so much: Why then do you have to repeat constantly that she’s in a wheelchair!? That’s what she keeps getting reduced to. - My red headed girlfriend: err when did she become that?! Just because she had sex with you twice doesn’t make her your g/f - Lastly his AI wife, wich he likes because of the way she is. But ofc he enslaves her.
All in all this last book, I almost didn’t finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
V kategorii LitRPG je série Temný bylinkář na nějakých sedmi bodech z deseti (horší než Mahaněnko, lepší než Korněv), v kategorii „normálních“ knih je skoro nehodnotitelná (LitRPG příběhy jsou obecně jednoduché, předvídatelné, špatně napsané, takřka bez děje a znovu a znovu skoro stejné jako všechny předchozí, ale co už, hodně se tam leveluje, takže se s tím dá žít).
Mimochodem, dodnes jsem nepochopila, proč (převážně východoslovanské) LitRPG tak často glorifikuje oligarchy. Asi jinej gang, nebo nevím.
A good ending for such a serie but a little bit rushed
-spoiler-
Well this book removes one of the first problem of the last book but is far too short given the content. You also need to consider that it's typically Russian: we can assume that we like in a dystopic society without any police nor free media.
Utterly predictable, even before you begin. This book copies ideas directly from a much better LitRPG. Book 1 was great. It’s been downhill with each subsequent release.
The last book of the series has suddenly turned to be boring and slow to read: too much useless talking, a lot of blaming and complaining, less adventures, but this balances well towards the end of the book, getting back the original pace.
With this forth book being released I've recently happily revisited the whole series to finally get to the juicy finale and I'm quite happy with the result.
Since this is a translated series, there are a few odd statements or lines where I'm assuming the meaning was lost in translation. This is pretty common throughout the series with this one probably having the most examples of it. I could see some people being annoyed by these but I personally found them rather quaint and don't hold them against the story in the slightest.
The love interests in the story are probably the weakest point of this novel. With one ghosting the main character and becoming a completely different character, while the other almost appearing to have a split personality flip flopping between love and mistrust depending on the paragraph. The author tends to have a good explanation for these problems throughout the series but this book is left for us to just guess at reasons. I personally feel that the author may have been rushed to finish his series and some explanations may have been left on the cutting room floor, or that the author didn't have enough time to include them properly.
The game mechanics of this series are one of it's best qualities in my opinion. Everything is explained in a straightforward and concise way and the main character has good reasons for all of his choices which lead to him feeling almost overpowered. Almost is a an important distinction though, since you constantly feel like his abilities are attainable by your average Joe. By the end of the story, the stats and skills can get quite wordy but the fact that the author only lists these out around twice per novel really helps.
In the end, while the story may feel a little obvious and the ending quite rushed, this is still one of my favourite video game or litRPG books on the market and I would suggest it to anyone who is a fan of the genre!
Atamanov had always kind of skirted close to Vasily Mahanenko's The Way of the Shaman series, but up until this book it had managed to stay it's own thing...
Then Atamanov apparently said f*** it and just copied large chunks of it. -_-
Below has spoilers for Dark Herbalist AND The Way of the Shaman.
Enjoyed it a lot, as I did with the previous books.
A good clean ending that wraps the story up and takes all the plot points to their natural conclusions. A thing that will never happen, for example, with Rothfuss and will take decades too long with Stormlight, although I love Sanderson.
It's weird comparing "real books" with rpg pulp but I want to celebrate the fact that the author stuck the landing, a feat that the Daily Grind series (Osadchuk) did not. The latter completed the story but lost the magic. This one goes full dark overlord and succeeds beautifully. Promised payoffs (especially Fenrir) were delivered and they drove the plot somewhere unexpected. Well done.
Yes, this is a flawed series, and yes it's another Russian dystopia (I'm beginning to think that "Russian dystopia" just means writing about their normal lives because the more I read from Russia, the more I both like Russians and hate Russia itself, oof) and yes it has the world's worst girlfriend and paper thin characterizations. That said, I loved the cleverness of the plot, how the book reveled in strategic thinking, the unusual character classes, and how there was a connection (no matter how dysfunctional) between the main character and others in both the real world and the RPG.
I hope in Atamanov's next series, he skips the politics, skips the girlfriends, and celebrates the friendships and imagination that were this book's shining points.
My four stars are awarded because it is so fun and immersive, but probably a generous rating. Boundless Realms is highly intriguing and the author's development within it is clever. The writing style is breezy and fun to listen to (Audible)--very well narrated by Eric Michael Summerer.
The ending was so abrupt and weird, I didn't know what had happened in Boundless Realms. I listened again, and I suppose the author wants us to assume what happened. That is a negative.
The "love interest" in the real world is completely ludicrous, as is the culmination of that subplot. I forgive it because this is a fantasy book, but really extremely implausible.
Having said that, I very much like the main character and his sister, plus all his companions in game excluding the in game love interest, which is presented in a sexist way, like the out of game interest. Again, I forgave it, I'm not really the author's target audience.
Overall, I recommend the series for the marvelous journey...not for how it wraps up or the implausible relationships for the main character. This series makes for great listening, by the way.
This series started out as an interesting read. The characters are generally well written and that continues on through this finale. The plot was interesting, but it began to falter after the first entry in the series. In my mind, the plot was rushed and the timeline made the whole thing unbelievable.
The factor that hurt this entire series the most, in my opinion, is the assumption that literally, everyone else is stupid. I mean, did we move to a future where only the main character and his sister have more IQ than a potato? The entire premise of the series relies on the fact that people who have been developing those that have been playing the game Boundless Realm for years are incompetent. We blatantly say, throughout the series, that no one understands the game's mechanics better than these two even when they've only just logged in for the first time.
There are many stories that I could read again and again. This is not one that I'll ever pick back up.
I did not finish this book. I made it to about the halfway point. I don’t know how much of my problem with this series is translation related and how much is with the original text. The plot has been spiraling off into improbability for a while now. The treatment of female characters is mediocre at best. There’s basically no strife for the main character. He doesn’t have to work for anything. He says he wants something to happen and it more or less magically happens regardless of how little sense it makes for someone to do this thing for him.
Timothy/Amra finds himself thrust into the role of The Dark Sovereign, the biggest boss in the Boundless Realm game. He didn't ask for it but there you are. You play the cards you're dealt. I like the action, humor, romance, and strategy. The parallel story in real life heats up with action, romance, and many twists. I feel lonely with the end of the series, but I've had fun with this series as well as Primiter Defense one of my favorites.
I thoroughly enjoy the worlds of this litrpg and hope there are more forays in the future. Till then i'm very satisfied with the character's resolutions. My only gripe is that some parts felt compressed or rushed. I hoped to be with amra in the rhick of battle but only got a brief glimpse of the adventure. My favourite line of this series "suck my little green pee pee" hahaha
It's a quick read. And generally speaking, it's alright. But, especially if it's a closing chapter as it seems, it's pretty lackluster. And where things flowed pretty well in the previous books, even when something didn't entirely make it, this one feels pretty disjointed, which disrupts the immersion into book's world and the book's game world, kind of like the forced lag gimmick that's a part of the story.
A very few translation / editing issues (e.g. the former head of Goons is referred to as "he", and the very end is a bit rushed. I'm also pretty sure that corporations don't work like that, even in Russia in a few hundred years. That said, I definitely felt this one deserved the five stars. It was a good conclusion to an interesting series.
I am left with a question concerning Kira: which story concerning what happened to her is true?
Yes i like the series, alot. Its a fun romp filled with all the things litrpg needs. There are some obvious conclusions, yes. A few cheats, massive manipulation of rules and lots of other fun. Is it worth your time to read, absolutely. Read it its worth it.
This was awesome. I'm definitely impressed and I was pleased with the book. I enjoyed the cast and development of the plot too. Love how the twists pop in from unexpected places. Can't wait to get the next book. I will be looking forward to reading it and waiting impatiently in the mean time.
3.5 maybe 3.75 stars. Another great book by this author, not as strong as the first books in this series but still pretty good. I will for sure continue with any book that this author puts out. These books/series are not for everyone as you must like litrpg type books to enjoy them for the most part.
Fantastic narration, as per the whole series. Very interesting story, and I did enjoy it, if a bit less than the previous 3. The battles were interesting, mc became crazy over powered by the end of the book, but the ending was satisfying. Very excited to read what Michael Atamanov has up next.
For those who’ve enjoyed Atamano’s previous works, this is a fitting end to the saga. It’s got its flaws, namely the flat characters, unbelievable relationships, and overly ambitious number of plot threads. But it succeeds where it counts: it’s entertaining and creative. Plus, it doesn’t drag its feet getting to the good parts or overstay its welcome with endless sequels.
Pretty good! The only thing I wish about this whole series is that there was more to the characters. It almost feels like the main character is playing a game, and the author was like, oh, crap, I guess I gotta add more than that...So just added stuff in. But overall this whole series was pretty cool!
I absolutely loved this series. It was filled with twists that I never saw coming and ones that kept me entertained. It's sad that it's over but what a story to have been told. If only Amra's adventures would continue I'd be glued to find out more about the Boundless Realm and even Timothy's newest position as director.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Alright conclusion. The ending felt rushed. I could have used more show and less tell. A ton of stuff goes down at the end, including what could have been the climactic moments, but it is blown throw without any description. Events are simply listed. I’m also sick of the phrase “big-eared goblin.” Anyways the setup for events is pretty epic.
I gave this one 5 stars with a few important reservations. For this last entry to the series the MC is fairly OP and the end felt a bit rushed though very satisfying and I have to give the author high praise for tidying up all the loose ends. A little sad to see the series end but also glad to break the obsession. ;) So glad I found this and overall this was time well spent.
For all authors and fan's this is the way a epic story should end, tie up all your plot lines and have a exciting and fantastic finish!! I have nothing else to add, an excellent story I truly enjoyed.