What do you think?
Rate this book
Rise of the Grandmaster: Megabooks #1
Rise of the Grandmaster
Some people just knew how to go out in style. Tim had never been one of those guys.
Tim was always a planner. The plan was to get into college, graduate, and find a well-paying job.
That plan was coming together nicely until he saw a presentation to get paid to play 'The Etheric Coast' At his graduation ceremony.
After watching the company's employee recruitment video, Big Richie’s words had a whole new meaning. He could spend his life going from a cubicle at work to a one-bedroom apartment and back again. . .Or he could take a leap of faith by entering a virtual world of unlimited possibilities. And get paid.
Now he just has to figure out how to get the job of his dreams, help his parents financially, and catch the attention of the girl of his dreams.
It was time for him to catch his wave.Tim sure hoped it didn't kill him first.
RUNNING TIME ⇒ 20hrs. and 36mins.
©2019 Bradford Bates and Michael Anderle (P)2020 Tantor
Tim was always a planner. The plan was to get into college, graduate, and find a well-paying job.
That plan was coming together nicely until he saw a presentation to get paid to play 'The Etheric Coast' At his graduation ceremony.
After watching the company's employee recruitment video, Big Richie’s words had a whole new meaning. He could spend his life going from a cubicle at work to a one-bedroom apartment and back again. . .Or he could take a leap of faith by entering a virtual world of unlimited possibilities. And get paid.
Now he just has to figure out how to get the job of his dreams, help his parents financially, and catch the attention of the girl of his dreams.
It was time for him to catch his wave.Tim sure hoped it didn't kill him first.
RUNNING TIME ⇒ 20hrs. and 36mins.
©2019 Bradford Bates and Michael Anderle (P)2020 Tantor
- GenresFantasy
708 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2019
626 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
August 9, 2020
Everything in this book is either a lecture or a reference to pop culture and after a while I really started to hate it to the point where I rolled by eyes and mentally yelled "I GET IT."
Everybody including Tim is the exact same person. All of the conversations consist of snark, sarcasm, and references. I hated it. It got to the point where instead of actually describing a action like a normal book it just references other pop culture media such as smiling like Nicholas Cage or yelling This is Sparta when fighting, or referencing Liam Neeson's voice and it goes on and on to the point where I was honestly sick of it.
Then there are the lectures where Tim goes on a long rant about his beliefs and even though I agreed with his sentiments I felt as if I was getting preached to.
It got to the point where I, a person who constantly complains about how women are portrayed in litrpg, rolled my eyes when the women of the book complained about misogyny and monsters being chauvinistic when the men got one guard each and they only got one for the both of them.
Then Jackson/Jakobe kept calling Tim 'Boss' and Tim kept calling Jakobe 'Kid' and I hated everything because Jakobe is a grown ass man who finished his bachelors degree the same time as Tim and there is no reason for Jakobe a person who agreed to give up 3 actual years of his life to this game to not understand how to fight before he joined the group.
I can't even say that the game world makes any sense because a gaming corporation is recruiting freshly graduated students to play their game (fully plugged in) for 3 years real world time but actually 21 years in game. It makes absolutely no sense. And apparently you can't contact the outside world.
Also the levels make no sense they don't mean anything. Tim kills people who I would assume to be higher level than him and it feels empty. Tim also gains a windfall of money and you realize that even the economy makes no sense.
Everybody including Tim is the exact same person. All of the conversations consist of snark, sarcasm, and references. I hated it. It got to the point where instead of actually describing a action like a normal book it just references other pop culture media such as smiling like Nicholas Cage or yelling This is Sparta when fighting, or referencing Liam Neeson's voice and it goes on and on to the point where I was honestly sick of it.
Then there are the lectures where Tim goes on a long rant about his beliefs and even though I agreed with his sentiments I felt as if I was getting preached to.
It got to the point where I, a person who constantly complains about how women are portrayed in litrpg, rolled my eyes when the women of the book complained about misogyny and monsters being chauvinistic when the men got one guard each and they only got one for the both of them.
Then Jackson/Jakobe kept calling Tim 'Boss' and Tim kept calling Jakobe 'Kid' and I hated everything because Jakobe is a grown ass man who finished his bachelors degree the same time as Tim and there is no reason for Jakobe a person who agreed to give up 3 actual years of his life to this game to not understand how to fight before he joined the group.
I can't even say that the game world makes any sense because a gaming corporation is recruiting freshly graduated students to play their game (fully plugged in) for 3 years real world time but actually 21 years in game. It makes absolutely no sense. And apparently you can't contact the outside world.
Also the levels make no sense they don't mean anything. Tim kills people who I would assume to be higher level than him and it feels empty. Tim also gains a windfall of money and you realize that even the economy makes no sense.
December 30, 2019
Ye this one is a big NO
You ever pick up those books where the author spends 5 pages of inner monologue deciding rather or not to eat a potato chip? It's a soul crushing ride in to indecisiveness... MC is a crybaby with poor decision making, and each thought is half a chapter. Probably has a story somewhere in the book but good luck finding it. I found myself skipping 3 and 4 pages at a time waiting for the guy to shut up and take a step forward... Unreadable
You ever pick up those books where the author spends 5 pages of inner monologue deciding rather or not to eat a potato chip? It's a soul crushing ride in to indecisiveness... MC is a crybaby with poor decision making, and each thought is half a chapter. Probably has a story somewhere in the book but good luck finding it. I found myself skipping 3 and 4 pages at a time waiting for the guy to shut up and take a step forward... Unreadable
July 22, 2020
Stupid amount of what should be anachronisms in this book. If they have full immersion pods, it makes no sense that it is set today. Yet, things like 'fit bits' are still referenced. They are still a thing in 50 to 100 years? We have not advanced?
Certainly not for pop culture references. Nobody ever seems to have anything new - it's always frozen at whatever the author knows and tells you more about the author's age than anything else. I regard it as 'lazy writing'. Better to make up an entirely new group 'they sprung up in 2054 and took the punk-classic scene by storm' or whatever.
Also, way too much moralizing.
Ditsy characters who are thinking of other stuff rather than keeping their mind on what they should be doing seems to have quickly become a 'dead horse trope' within the LitRPG genre.
People putting bo staves into sheaths on their back? Any time an author has someone put a 2h sword or other long weapon into some sort of sheath on their back tells me they've never used one - or watched a youtube video. And saying that it went into their magical inventory. Or even a magical back scabbard or whatever would do it. This is also a super common problem.
Overall, it's a tiring book to read. It has some good parts and a whole lot of 'should be edited out IMO' stuff.
Gave up halfway through. Couldn't take the moralizing and asides.
Certainly not for pop culture references. Nobody ever seems to have anything new - it's always frozen at whatever the author knows and tells you more about the author's age than anything else. I regard it as 'lazy writing'. Better to make up an entirely new group 'they sprung up in 2054 and took the punk-classic scene by storm' or whatever.
Also, way too much moralizing.
Ditsy characters who are thinking of other stuff rather than keeping their mind on what they should be doing seems to have quickly become a 'dead horse trope' within the LitRPG genre.
People putting bo staves into sheaths on their back? Any time an author has someone put a 2h sword or other long weapon into some sort of sheath on their back tells me they've never used one - or watched a youtube video. And saying that it went into their magical inventory. Or even a magical back scabbard or whatever would do it. This is also a super common problem.
Overall, it's a tiring book to read. It has some good parts and a whole lot of 'should be edited out IMO' stuff.
Gave up halfway through. Couldn't take the moralizing and asides.
January 13, 2020
Solid story, but desperately needs an editor
Please little authors, please stop skimping on the editing. Even the most solid idea can lose fans when the wrong words are used, spells never get used, or magic items to missing. References to daggers stuck in a shield but it was never thrown. Little things that are up and pull the reader out of the moment.
Please little authors, please stop skimping on the editing. Even the most solid idea can lose fans when the wrong words are used, spells never get used, or magic items to missing. References to daggers stuck in a shield but it was never thrown. Little things that are up and pull the reader out of the moment.
July 17, 2020
DNF at 30%
Crybaby whiny shite Alert!!!!!
Crybaby whiny shite Alert!!!!!
September 2, 2021
I gave this 20% on my Kindle which should be about 140 pages, so how am I feeling?
The author reminds me of a 40 year old trying and failing to write a 20 year old. The references are a bit off. I can't think of a 20 year old whose first thought upon a chick sliding into his DM's would be the Snoopy Happy Dance. This sort of awkward reference happens often. There are also a fair amount of grammar errors to the point of being a bit distracting. I'm mildly surprised but also disappointed that Michael Anderle is associated with this book. He's obviously just cashing in on hits from the Amazon algorithm by having his name attached and letting the author name the game "Etheric" something or other.
I dislike the main character. He seems like both a loser and an asshole. He has a ton of judgement and opinions on everyone, yet doesn't seem to have an issue being an ass himself.
The "love interest" Sierra...I was never given anything to explain her attraction to the MC and every interaction they have from the party onward is very cringe in addition to coming out of left field.
The other characters in-game don't feel like real characters in the slightest, more like puppets on plot strings. Nothing interesting has happened and I'm bored to tears while disliking the MC. So I'm done wasting my time.
The author reminds me of a 40 year old trying and failing to write a 20 year old. The references are a bit off. I can't think of a 20 year old whose first thought upon a chick sliding into his DM's would be the Snoopy Happy Dance. This sort of awkward reference happens often. There are also a fair amount of grammar errors to the point of being a bit distracting. I'm mildly surprised but also disappointed that Michael Anderle is associated with this book. He's obviously just cashing in on hits from the Amazon algorithm by having his name attached and letting the author name the game "Etheric" something or other.
I dislike the main character. He seems like both a loser and an asshole. He has a ton of judgement and opinions on everyone, yet doesn't seem to have an issue being an ass himself.
The "love interest" Sierra...I was never given anything to explain her attraction to the MC and every interaction they have from the party onward is very cringe in addition to coming out of left field.
The other characters in-game don't feel like real characters in the slightest, more like puppets on plot strings. Nothing interesting has happened and I'm bored to tears while disliking the MC. So I'm done wasting my time.
July 11, 2022
Not sold yet
Honestly I was very excited by this collaboration and the plot of the story. Unfortunately I think it was a bit of a miss in book 1. I feel like the story started out great with world building and character development and once they got "in game" it fell apart a little. For example the need to have the main character be pointed out numerous times as a master of plans when he really hasn't planned anything or at least anything crazy. It felt like a forced character trait. Also the main character is very inconsistent. He wants to be a healer then he enjoys being an assassin then when the party is started its like he forgets he can fight and even said he's just throwing heals to feel like he's doing something. Him during a party fight are some of the more boring parts of the book. Its not exciting to have him just stand there watching the others fight. He then comes off as condescending when he's talking about the fire mage saying things like "maybe the kid just needs a chance" .....your the same age!!! Also being referred to as a veteran because he's level 8??? The guards at the entrance to the slums were in the 20's. He's still a noob. I will give book 2 a chance but I hope some of those flaws are fixed
Honestly I was very excited by this collaboration and the plot of the story. Unfortunately I think it was a bit of a miss in book 1. I feel like the story started out great with world building and character development and once they got "in game" it fell apart a little. For example the need to have the main character be pointed out numerous times as a master of plans when he really hasn't planned anything or at least anything crazy. It felt like a forced character trait. Also the main character is very inconsistent. He wants to be a healer then he enjoys being an assassin then when the party is started its like he forgets he can fight and even said he's just throwing heals to feel like he's doing something. Him during a party fight are some of the more boring parts of the book. Its not exciting to have him just stand there watching the others fight. He then comes off as condescending when he's talking about the fire mage saying things like "maybe the kid just needs a chance" .....your the same age!!! Also being referred to as a veteran because he's level 8??? The guards at the entrance to the slums were in the 20's. He's still a noob. I will give book 2 a chance but I hope some of those flaws are fixed
October 16, 2021
Did not finish. 1 star: disliked.
Two main problems: the story didn’t hook me, and I believe this to be bad literature.
Characters: 1/5 disliked
They weren’t interesting. The story opens with some frat boys making sarcastic/annoying remarks at each other. The book goes out of its way to describe how females look: their “angelic” faces or their “tight leather pants” or whatever. Characterizations seem quite juvenile, and I won’t be reading this a moment more.
World: ?/5
I stopped before I could come to a conclusion about the world.
Story: 2/5 okay
I couldn’t care about the characters or what’s happening to them. There’s a dude. He wants a girlfriend but hasn’t asked his crush out in four years despite seeming familiar with her. He comes off as snappy, sarcastic, and playfully violent. He had money problems. Someone offers him money to play a game. Frankly, I don’t care about his drama, and he seems like a below average Joe Shmoe. Theoretically he’s supposed to be exceptionally smart and analytical. Sadly, to write he story centered on a smart and analytical person, the author must be equally exceptionally smart and analytical. Oh well.
Two main problems: the story didn’t hook me, and I believe this to be bad literature.
Characters: 1/5 disliked
They weren’t interesting. The story opens with some frat boys making sarcastic/annoying remarks at each other. The book goes out of its way to describe how females look: their “angelic” faces or their “tight leather pants” or whatever. Characterizations seem quite juvenile, and I won’t be reading this a moment more.
World: ?/5
I stopped before I could come to a conclusion about the world.
Story: 2/5 okay
I couldn’t care about the characters or what’s happening to them. There’s a dude. He wants a girlfriend but hasn’t asked his crush out in four years despite seeming familiar with her. He comes off as snappy, sarcastic, and playfully violent. He had money problems. Someone offers him money to play a game. Frankly, I don’t care about his drama, and he seems like a below average Joe Shmoe. Theoretically he’s supposed to be exceptionally smart and analytical. Sadly, to write he story centered on a smart and analytical person, the author must be equally exceptionally smart and analytical. Oh well.
April 16, 2020
A solid first book in a hopefully new series.
First... It’s Espresso. Not sure why that made me pause and laugh.
Like the characters. The MC Tim is pretty believable. It’s nice to find a MC that isn’t super powered in a low key way or the luckiest person in the galaxy.
While the relationship dialog was... difficult, it was at least believable. I get tired of the usual two versions of MC when it comes to dealing with physical relationships, either their monks or it’s a harem story. Both are unrealistic.
Story is good. There is a lot going on with the MC and friends. Story ends on an easy note for book 2.
If you like LitRPG or are wanting to start one, give this a try. The mechanics and magic system are simple and there is not a ton of leveling experience points description which in this book I like. YMMV
First... It’s Espresso. Not sure why that made me pause and laugh.
Like the characters. The MC Tim is pretty believable. It’s nice to find a MC that isn’t super powered in a low key way or the luckiest person in the galaxy.
While the relationship dialog was... difficult, it was at least believable. I get tired of the usual two versions of MC when it comes to dealing with physical relationships, either their monks or it’s a harem story. Both are unrealistic.
Story is good. There is a lot going on with the MC and friends. Story ends on an easy note for book 2.
If you like LitRPG or are wanting to start one, give this a try. The mechanics and magic system are simple and there is not a ton of leveling experience points description which in this book I like. YMMV
January 8, 2021
A Unique Story With Awesome Characters
4.5 Stars... I wasn't disappointed.
I have read both of Bradford Bates Ascendancy series, and I really like his storytelling ability. On the other hand, this is the first time I have heard of Michael Anderle, so I may have to check out some of his other books. Between them, they have come up with a very promising series, and their fist book had me hooked.
I am not an MMORPGer, and I didn't know what a NPC was until I read the closing note by Michael Anderle. You don't have to know about either to enjoy the book, even though it is literally set within a game.
I found this book unique, because it takes place in an MMORPG called The Etheric Coast. Our main characters take on roles as NPC's, and the fun starts there. Just like in a real game, the characters have quests to complete and Stat Points to distribute, gear to earn and skills learn. Shadowlily and Tim are two of the main characters, with Cassie, Gaston, Jakobi and Ernie being just few very important characters.
The characters are well written and very real. There were several POV's, with Tim and Shadowlily being the main ones. The quality of the dialogue was very real, and the story just flowed easily. There were adventures, boss fights, exciting quests, fun character interactions, and some really great lines.
Overall, I'm glad I picked up this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great read, and I will definitely be following The Blue Dagger Society. 😎
4.5 Stars... I wasn't disappointed.
I have read both of Bradford Bates Ascendancy series, and I really like his storytelling ability. On the other hand, this is the first time I have heard of Michael Anderle, so I may have to check out some of his other books. Between them, they have come up with a very promising series, and their fist book had me hooked.
I am not an MMORPGer, and I didn't know what a NPC was until I read the closing note by Michael Anderle. You don't have to know about either to enjoy the book, even though it is literally set within a game.
I found this book unique, because it takes place in an MMORPG called The Etheric Coast. Our main characters take on roles as NPC's, and the fun starts there. Just like in a real game, the characters have quests to complete and Stat Points to distribute, gear to earn and skills learn. Shadowlily and Tim are two of the main characters, with Cassie, Gaston, Jakobi and Ernie being just few very important characters.
The characters are well written and very real. There were several POV's, with Tim and Shadowlily being the main ones. The quality of the dialogue was very real, and the story just flowed easily. There were adventures, boss fights, exciting quests, fun character interactions, and some really great lines.
Overall, I'm glad I picked up this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great read, and I will definitely be following The Blue Dagger Society. 😎
June 16, 2023
Not my favorite by Bradford Bates, but entertaining enough to finish. I really like the tank, Cassie. I like most of the characters, actually. The book is just too long, in my opinion, for the type of story it is. Details are lacking where I'd like them and expansive in places I don't care much about. I don't know if the "clunkiness" is because of two authors not yet used to working together or something else. The characters have me invested enough to complete the book, but I won't be in a hurry to read the next one. This was my first time to read Michael Anderle. The next looks like it's a bit shorter, so I may give it a shot to see if it improves. Was hoping for more excitement from Bates.
This book would have been better served if it ended after the first major boss battle was won. Instead, it slowly picked its way through a new arc with all the characters trying to get on the same page. Plus a new team member just suddenly showed up and was fighting (or hiding in fear) with no explanation where he came from or why he joined the team. The epilogue was sappy sweet but felt like a forced add on. I may try one more but not any time soon. I don’t feel all that invested. Listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an excellent job with all the characters. Probably the main reason I was able to finish the book.
This book would have been better served if it ended after the first major boss battle was won. Instead, it slowly picked its way through a new arc with all the characters trying to get on the same page. Plus a new team member just suddenly showed up and was fighting (or hiding in fear) with no explanation where he came from or why he joined the team. The epilogue was sappy sweet but felt like a forced add on. I may try one more but not any time soon. I don’t feel all that invested. Listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an excellent job with all the characters. Probably the main reason I was able to finish the book.
December 30, 2019
Excellently done story here. If you're any kind of LitRPG fan, you want to add this book to your want to read shelf if it isn't already on your read shelf. (yeah, it's that good). I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and it suffers from none of the typical grammar/typos that plague so many other LitRPG books, which just makes it that much more enjoyable. If you only read one LitRPG book, you should consider making it this one. It's a bit different from your typical LitRPG books in that stats, levels, skills and spells aren't the main focus of the characters, and yet they all manage to rack up a considerable collection of them anyway (as any good player should).g But, it's an excellent story even without the LitRPG elements, so that alone makes it worth reading, since the LitRPG elements just serve to enhance the story instead of actually make the story as happens in so many others. It looks like this is book 1 in a series, and I for one anxiously look forward to more in the series, if they're anything like this one, I suspect we're all infor a great adventure.
April 8, 2021
Picked this one up due to the Centaur and Minotaur on the cover. Centaurs are one of my favorite mythical sentient species and you rarely see them in books. Well, there was a Centaur in this book, it was mentioned in one sentence early on and never spoken of again..... F^%&.
Ya, instead the game species are the boring Human+ 95% of all books use, Human, Short Human, pointy ear human. The start seemed like it had potential but the theoretical detriment to his start quickly turns into an advantage.
The worst part, though, is the premise of the book, people getting payed to play the game, is never explained. Why are they there? Why do they need players to do the jobs they're having them do? No idea, they just do. There are some great world building explanations Bates could have used to add depth to the story but just never touches it.
So there's the skeleton of a good idea here, but really really needs better fleshing out.
Ya, instead the game species are the boring Human+ 95% of all books use, Human, Short Human, pointy ear human. The start seemed like it had potential but the theoretical detriment to his start quickly turns into an advantage.
The worst part, though, is the premise of the book, people getting payed to play the game, is never explained. Why are they there? Why do they need players to do the jobs they're having them do? No idea, they just do. There are some great world building explanations Bates could have used to add depth to the story but just never touches it.
So there's the skeleton of a good idea here, but really really needs better fleshing out.
September 5, 2021
A potentially solid work marred by key issues, also NPC Corp really?
While the story is solid it is marred by two key issues. The first major issue is that the system which seems overly focused on quest completion as a sole optimal method of advancement which seems imbalanced for an MMO this also damaged the pacing as despite being at the centre of events the protagonist is still the weakest of his party by books end. On top of this towards the end of the novel the characters, who so far have seemingly no major political interests go on a series of political rants that fill between 1&3 pages dragging you out of the story. Finally I just have to say NPC Corp really dude? If you're going to use a name that in the nose at least elaborate that it's based on the founders names or something, otherwise it comes across as cheap and lazy.
While the story is solid it is marred by two key issues. The first major issue is that the system which seems overly focused on quest completion as a sole optimal method of advancement which seems imbalanced for an MMO this also damaged the pacing as despite being at the centre of events the protagonist is still the weakest of his party by books end. On top of this towards the end of the novel the characters, who so far have seemingly no major political interests go on a series of political rants that fill between 1&3 pages dragging you out of the story. Finally I just have to say NPC Corp really dude? If you're going to use a name that in the nose at least elaborate that it's based on the founders names or something, otherwise it comes across as cheap and lazy.
January 15, 2020
Book one
Mistakes: I didn’t really find any spelling mistakes. What I did find was little bits that just didn’t fit right. Like getting tackled from behind, but laying on the floor kissing. Never selling any of the loot from normal kills, and only seeing loot from boss kills.
Plot: Another join a game to make money book. Something I like is this feels like three shorter stories that are combined to make a decent book.
Lots of movie references, that I got tired of.
Characters: The Mc is can be a little inconsistent at times. Example: I like to plan everything out and not rely on luck. Kind of makes it a point saying it over and over, but then he pops off with, Better lucky than good. This actually bothered me most of the book.
Mistakes: I didn’t really find any spelling mistakes. What I did find was little bits that just didn’t fit right. Like getting tackled from behind, but laying on the floor kissing. Never selling any of the loot from normal kills, and only seeing loot from boss kills.
Plot: Another join a game to make money book. Something I like is this feels like three shorter stories that are combined to make a decent book.
Lots of movie references, that I got tired of.
Characters: The Mc is can be a little inconsistent at times. Example: I like to plan everything out and not rely on luck. Kind of makes it a point saying it over and over, but then he pops off with, Better lucky than good. This actually bothered me most of the book.
January 3, 2020
Great and Awful!
Mr. Bates and Mr. Andersen are very good writers...that is the great. These two authors can weave a story line, create great characters, resolve stories, and get the reader engaged.
The awful is the constant foul language. I like these writers. Yet, but, I almost set the book aside multiple times as I ran into expletive after expletive. Normally, I will set aside a book and write a negative review. However, I attempted to read this through to see if, perhaps, maybe, please the expletives added to the story or character in some way. They do not.
So...should have been 5+ stars and a great review. Now less than great and a middling review.
Mr. Bates and Mr. Andersen are very good writers...that is the great. These two authors can weave a story line, create great characters, resolve stories, and get the reader engaged.
The awful is the constant foul language. I like these writers. Yet, but, I almost set the book aside multiple times as I ran into expletive after expletive. Normally, I will set aside a book and write a negative review. However, I attempted to read this through to see if, perhaps, maybe, please the expletives added to the story or character in some way. They do not.
So...should have been 5+ stars and a great review. Now less than great and a middling review.
January 16, 2020
Alert
I hate trying to write reviews because there are really only pass/fail results for me. Did I make it all the way through? Yes? 5 stars. No? There would be nothing here to read. In all fairness, if an author holds my attention from page one to the end, they’ve done their job. Anything less than 5 stars is petty criticism from someone incapable of even doing the job let alone doing a better one.
So in respect for the author and their work, I am going to start pasting this along with a generic review I found somewhere. “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Cheers
I hate trying to write reviews because there are really only pass/fail results for me. Did I make it all the way through? Yes? 5 stars. No? There would be nothing here to read. In all fairness, if an author holds my attention from page one to the end, they’ve done their job. Anything less than 5 stars is petty criticism from someone incapable of even doing the job let alone doing a better one.
So in respect for the author and their work, I am going to start pasting this along with a generic review I found somewhere. “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Cheers
March 16, 2020
a pretty good story
First off I'm not so happy with the spelling mistakes and wrong words! The story is solid and flows pretty good is the possitive thing I take from the story.
The one thing that wasn't really my thing is the authors way of being crass and often explaining things with a real world perspective. I could do without the writer pushing things he's into. This is just something that is not for me. It's not a bad thing but I don't personally like that style. I will most likely come back and read more books in the series but at the moment I am moving along to something else
First off I'm not so happy with the spelling mistakes and wrong words! The story is solid and flows pretty good is the possitive thing I take from the story.
The one thing that wasn't really my thing is the authors way of being crass and often explaining things with a real world perspective. I could do without the writer pushing things he's into. This is just something that is not for me. It's not a bad thing but I don't personally like that style. I will most likely come back and read more books in the series but at the moment I am moving along to something else
August 8, 2020
Pretty good
I enjoyed this story which had me engaged for most of the time. It is a long book with quite a bit of action and pretty well edited. Can’t recall typos etc. A couple of minor faults were that at times the text was a bit verbose and did not achieve much. Also some logic flaws for me, the premise of having a job in game just seemed weird and inconsistent, and why did the MC downgrade to the slums if he was not sending money to his family, then when he gets a big pay day he just leaves the money in the bank. Really I don’t care, the story was good and I kept reading.
I enjoyed this story which had me engaged for most of the time. It is a long book with quite a bit of action and pretty well edited. Can’t recall typos etc. A couple of minor faults were that at times the text was a bit verbose and did not achieve much. Also some logic flaws for me, the premise of having a job in game just seemed weird and inconsistent, and why did the MC downgrade to the slums if he was not sending money to his family, then when he gets a big pay day he just leaves the money in the bank. Really I don’t care, the story was good and I kept reading.
April 13, 2023
The MC joins a game to make money. As he is in need of money he starts low.
The story itself has not too many surprises for the reader but is well written. The characters are likeable and the story goes forward in a nice pace.
Only drawback for me were the first chapter - a lot litrpg books take too long to describe the "outer world" before diving into the game world and then suddenly all that happens before does not mean much. If that part would be a third of the lenght i would have been a lot happier with this book. So i was short before giving up when suddenly the "real" story started and that was a lot more interesting.
The story itself has not too many surprises for the reader but is well written. The characters are likeable and the story goes forward in a nice pace.
Only drawback for me were the first chapter - a lot litrpg books take too long to describe the "outer world" before diving into the game world and then suddenly all that happens before does not mean much. If that part would be a third of the lenght i would have been a lot happier with this book. So i was short before giving up when suddenly the "real" story started and that was a lot more interesting.
January 21, 2020
Great story, well edited, a little wordy
This is a good story and the characters are very likable.
The only thing I found questionable was the wordiness. It feels like filler, and that makes for a bloated story. I know it's all about KU page reads, but I skipped entire pages trying to get to the meat of the story. If the plot and characters weren't interesting, I would have abandoned the book over it.
Still, it was good enough. Cut out the pages-long introspection, and this would have been a 5-star story.
This is a good story and the characters are very likable.
The only thing I found questionable was the wordiness. It feels like filler, and that makes for a bloated story. I know it's all about KU page reads, but I skipped entire pages trying to get to the meat of the story. If the plot and characters weren't interesting, I would have abandoned the book over it.
Still, it was good enough. Cut out the pages-long introspection, and this would have been a 5-star story.
February 28, 2020
5% of the way into this book I was pretty sure I was giving this a "3", but once the main character gets settled into his new life online the story gets Much more interesting - not the least of which is because Tim starts acting like a better person, rather than the college "bro" who just happens to have a soft spot for his family back home. There were minor editing problems, but I didn't find them distracting. Hopefully, Tim will stay in the online realm, because it's far more interesting (and life-like) than the "real" world.
I'm eagerly looking forward to its sequel.
I'm eagerly looking forward to its sequel.
March 11, 2020
A lot of fun!
I really liked this story. My only quarrel with it, and maybe it's more a quarrel with myself, is that the main character is very emotionally immature. However, he is young, so it fits. Um, young being early 20s. Reference point, I'm old. That and the Hey Mikey, he likes it quote was from a Life cereal commercial that came on TV when I was a kid...a sci fi movie quote? Must be obscure, I googled it and found nothing. Anyway, I enjoyed being along for the ride. You should read it.
I really liked this story. My only quarrel with it, and maybe it's more a quarrel with myself, is that the main character is very emotionally immature. However, he is young, so it fits. Um, young being early 20s. Reference point, I'm old. That and the Hey Mikey, he likes it quote was from a Life cereal commercial that came on TV when I was a kid...a sci fi movie quote? Must be obscure, I googled it and found nothing. Anyway, I enjoyed being along for the ride. You should read it.
November 13, 2023
This was a good LitRPG I found on Audible. It follows the story of a Tim who plays an imersive video game for money, despite his parents wishes. He finds a girlfriend in-game and they adventure together. His character is a healer/assassin build. The story is fun and easy to listen to without the feeling you missed something and need to rewind to hear it again. A great book for having in the background while you play video games or do things around the house. It has a lot of shout-outs to popular culture, such as Princes Bride.
December 26, 2019
I recommend this for anyone...
Who enjoys a story full of action, romance, treachery, and role playing games. Tim, the main character, interacts with the NPCs in the fantasy world and grows as a character. He finds some friends and they become the Blue Dagger Society. They conquer a dungeon, kill some bounty monsters and go on lots of individual quests along the way. I can't wait for part 2!
Who enjoys a story full of action, romance, treachery, and role playing games. Tim, the main character, interacts with the NPCs in the fantasy world and grows as a character. He finds some friends and they become the Blue Dagger Society. They conquer a dungeon, kill some bounty monsters and go on lots of individual quests along the way. I can't wait for part 2!
December 28, 2019
Interesting story
I enjoyed this story. Having people spend time in a game as an NPC, as their job, is an interesting idea. Especially as they get the chance to switch to being an adventurer after reaching level 10; though, then they are no longer guaranteed a paycheck.
I’m looking forward to seeing how well Tim’s business plans work out, his relationship, his new guild, and his quest to, you know, save the world!
I enjoyed this story. Having people spend time in a game as an NPC, as their job, is an interesting idea. Especially as they get the chance to switch to being an adventurer after reaching level 10; though, then they are no longer guaranteed a paycheck.
I’m looking forward to seeing how well Tim’s business plans work out, his relationship, his new guild, and his quest to, you know, save the world!
December 31, 2019
A good beginning
Ok, you got me. I want to see just how and where this story continues. It has all the classic features of a game. Quests, challenges, friends and evil enemies are all in the world and there are gods in play as well. Thieves, mages, assassins , healers are in force as well as gamers working for the company as nonplaying characters in the game world. Not your average game. A good read.
Ok, you got me. I want to see just how and where this story continues. It has all the classic features of a game. Quests, challenges, friends and evil enemies are all in the world and there are gods in play as well. Thieves, mages, assassins , healers are in force as well as gamers working for the company as nonplaying characters in the game world. Not your average game. A good read.
January 22, 2020
Good, Funny, Cute, and Interesting
I’m always delighted to find a new book with a well-written plot, and polished editing. When the book is in a formulaic genre, yet gives you something new, then the fun increases. When the book contains a deft “what happens next” feel, then I’ve *won*. Definitely recommended (16+), this funny and thoughtful action story (I know) is a great first book. Definitely going to follow the series.
I’m always delighted to find a new book with a well-written plot, and polished editing. When the book is in a formulaic genre, yet gives you something new, then the fun increases. When the book contains a deft “what happens next” feel, then I’ve *won*. Definitely recommended (16+), this funny and thoughtful action story (I know) is a great first book. Definitely going to follow the series.
February 4, 2020
My review
It’s hard to know what to put in a review, not too much about the plot, don’t only focus on the negative but you can’t just sugarcoat it. So hear goes.
The story was pretty good altogether bit rushed at the end and a bit preachy at one point. I liked the characters and the world building alright, could have been better. I like that somethings were different enough from other LitRPG I’ve read but still hitting the tropes, in a good way.
It’s hard to know what to put in a review, not too much about the plot, don’t only focus on the negative but you can’t just sugarcoat it. So hear goes.
The story was pretty good altogether bit rushed at the end and a bit preachy at one point. I liked the characters and the world building alright, could have been better. I like that somethings were different enough from other LitRPG I’ve read but still hitting the tropes, in a good way.
February 29, 2020
This is what starter level LitRPG should be like!!!
No one starts or reaches OP levels without holding a job or doing side quests in an RPG. This book captures that starter level environment so well. I especially like that even though players are different from NPCs, there’s no ‘class’ separation, coz everyone needs to work for a living and needing to work at getting their levels higher and acquire/improve skills.
No one starts or reaches OP levels without holding a job or doing side quests in an RPG. This book captures that starter level environment so well. I especially like that even though players are different from NPCs, there’s no ‘class’ separation, coz everyone needs to work for a living and needing to work at getting their levels higher and acquire/improve skills.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews