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When Charles Morris is forced into retirement, the old multinational company CEO has to accept that it is all over. The days of running his financial empire have finally come to an end. All because of a stupid heart attack. Now what is there for him to do but to curl up in a corner and die?
While Charles is attending a fundraiser, however, something happens and he’s transported into a strange medieval world where magic is real and legendary heroes coexist with mythical monsters.
As it turns out, he’s been snatched by a goddess who was in need of a Champion to grow her village. But the goddess made a mistake. He wasn’t the one she was targeting with her spell. Long story short, she departs without even a word of excuse, leaving Charles stuck with no means of going back home. Not one to feel sorry for himself, Charles embraces this new opportunity, especially since the goddess’ magic returned him to his prime during the transfer.
On his way, Charles meets the inhabitants of Tine, a modest village that’s been awaiting a sign from the gods for centuries. And after discussing the situation with the Mayor, he decides to help them out by assuming the role of their Champion.
Relying on a lifetime of business expertise and the Topsight—an ability that allows him to see and manage the entire village from above—he will have to start back from the bottom and find how to bring this measly Level 1 village to prosperity. One thing is for certain, it will be a long road.
As Charles starts looking for any opportunity to generate gold, the problems begin to pile up. Soon, Charles not only has to deal with bandits and other rulers looking to make a profit out of him, he also has to face internal crises that threaten to escalate into a full-blown uprising.
Because, as he’ll quickly learn, the Mayor had somehow "forgotten" to tell the villagers of their deal, and now they’re mad at him for usurping the position of Champion without the approval of the gods. And so, they give him an ultimatum: he has one month to prove himself and improve Tine, otherwise it’s the hangman’s noose.
Follow Charles as he takes on the challenge of a lifetime. Follow him as he builds roads and shops, hires heroes, develops alliances with neighboring villages…but also fights terrible foes while struggling to maintain the Happiness and Satisfaction levels of his village in the positives.
While Charles is attending a fundraiser, however, something happens and he’s transported into a strange medieval world where magic is real and legendary heroes coexist with mythical monsters.
As it turns out, he’s been snatched by a goddess who was in need of a Champion to grow her village. But the goddess made a mistake. He wasn’t the one she was targeting with her spell. Long story short, she departs without even a word of excuse, leaving Charles stuck with no means of going back home. Not one to feel sorry for himself, Charles embraces this new opportunity, especially since the goddess’ magic returned him to his prime during the transfer.
On his way, Charles meets the inhabitants of Tine, a modest village that’s been awaiting a sign from the gods for centuries. And after discussing the situation with the Mayor, he decides to help them out by assuming the role of their Champion.
Relying on a lifetime of business expertise and the Topsight—an ability that allows him to see and manage the entire village from above—he will have to start back from the bottom and find how to bring this measly Level 1 village to prosperity. One thing is for certain, it will be a long road.
As Charles starts looking for any opportunity to generate gold, the problems begin to pile up. Soon, Charles not only has to deal with bandits and other rulers looking to make a profit out of him, he also has to face internal crises that threaten to escalate into a full-blown uprising.
Because, as he’ll quickly learn, the Mayor had somehow "forgotten" to tell the villagers of their deal, and now they’re mad at him for usurping the position of Champion without the approval of the gods. And so, they give him an ultimatum: he has one month to prove himself and improve Tine, otherwise it’s the hangman’s noose.
Follow Charles as he takes on the challenge of a lifetime. Follow him as he builds roads and shops, hires heroes, develops alliances with neighboring villages…but also fights terrible foes while struggling to maintain the Happiness and Satisfaction levels of his village in the positives.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
September 29, 2021
Imagine a book about a protagonist who has never played a 4x/city management which is, by all appearances, written by an author who has never played a 4x/city management game and you have encapsulated this shitty little book perfectly.
A glimpse into this worlds "mechanics": gold is the only relevant resource so there is no no resource management whatsoever, no supply chains, no tech trees, nothing like that. Everything and anything can be purchased with gold, including every building. Production time is completely arbitrary, as is quantity produced or the price of goods. A single level one farm is enough to pay for the upkeep of hundreds (thousands? enough to stave off an invasion, anyway) of mercenaries, not once but several times over? How does that make sense?
To top it off, the MC is almost a caricature of an out of touch CEO, who constantly spouts off trite business aphorisms and cretinous boomer truisms, the plot is non-existent, and there is absolutely 0 narrative tension as every problem is well withing the mc capabilities. And to top it off, IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY A 4X GAME HE'S PLAYING!!i!1!
In short, this book is mass produced trash, probably written over a weekend and with no care at all into the genre of games it deals with. Don't bother.
A glimpse into this worlds "mechanics": gold is the only relevant resource so there is no no resource management whatsoever, no supply chains, no tech trees, nothing like that. Everything and anything can be purchased with gold, including every building. Production time is completely arbitrary, as is quantity produced or the price of goods. A single level one farm is enough to pay for the upkeep of hundreds (thousands? enough to stave off an invasion, anyway) of mercenaries, not once but several times over? How does that make sense?
To top it off, the MC is almost a caricature of an out of touch CEO, who constantly spouts off trite business aphorisms and cretinous boomer truisms, the plot is non-existent, and there is absolutely 0 narrative tension as every problem is well withing the mc capabilities. And to top it off, IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY A 4X GAME HE'S PLAYING!!i!1!
In short, this book is mass produced trash, probably written over a weekend and with no care at all into the genre of games it deals with. Don't bother.
February 3, 2020
3 stars
This was a very fast paced LitRPG book that was a lot like playing a more complex game of Civilization. It’s different from most of the LitRPGs I’ve read, where the main object isn’t to destroy or protect something or someone with violence but rather to get ahead the main character Charles a former CEO uses trade and business tactics even when he is faced with military might. It’s a very plot driven book and the action hardly ever lets up. The only character we get to know well is Charles and
This was a very fast paced LitRPG book that was a lot like playing a more complex game of Civilization. It’s different from most of the LitRPGs I’ve read, where the main object isn’t to destroy or protect something or someone with violence but rather to get ahead the main character Charles a former CEO uses trade and business tactics even when he is faced with military might. It’s a very plot driven book and the action hardly ever lets up. The only character we get to know well is Charles and
November 7, 2019
Very cool concept
I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting to have a lot more issues with it, which is why I delayed starting to read it until now, but it was a surprisingly fun book to read.
I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting to have a lot more issues with it, which is why I delayed starting to read it until now, but it was a surprisingly fun book to read.
March 19, 2020
Faulty Foundations
I get it. It's just plain easier to hand wave consequences in world building than to sit down and laboriously craft a logical world that fits your fantasies. For me personally, you have to integrate game mechanics into the world, with clear explanations and repercussions, and not simply have a world that is a game.
This book honestly felt like I was watching someone play Civ5 on Twitch. That isn't a good thing in my books. If I wanted to see someone play a game I'd rather use a visual medium - it's easier for everyone involved (including the author). What makes it worse is that writing basics like descriptions are completely missing.
I get it. It's just plain easier to hand wave consequences in world building than to sit down and laboriously craft a logical world that fits your fantasies. For me personally, you have to integrate game mechanics into the world, with clear explanations and repercussions, and not simply have a world that is a game.
This book honestly felt like I was watching someone play Civ5 on Twitch. That isn't a good thing in my books. If I wanted to see someone play a game I'd rather use a visual medium - it's easier for everyone involved (including the author). What makes it worse is that writing basics like descriptions are completely missing.
October 7, 2019
Settlement Building
Worth the read if you like settlement building. Absolutely no combat and all conflict is of the trade and negotiation kind. Only flaw I really see is that natives are almost all practically wooden as NPCs but are supposed to be real people.
Worth the read if you like settlement building. Absolutely no combat and all conflict is of the trade and negotiation kind. Only flaw I really see is that natives are almost all practically wooden as NPCs but are supposed to be real people.
October 16, 2019
This held true to the Civ style game play. I loved how the author worked the story and the theme together and kept things interesting as it escalated. Less action and a lot of world building, trading, and exploration, but always interesting.
October 25, 2019
In someway the book gave a feeling of playing Civilization or some old strategy game. As such it wasn't predictable. The concept is new and unused. I haven't seen another book alike this one.
Unfortunately it didn't keep my attention. I found myself easily putting the book down and then picking it up at later date. It was a good read, but it wasn't excellent nor did it hold my attention. Nice light read for a quiet evening.
Unfortunately it didn't keep my attention. I found myself easily putting the book down and then picking it up at later date. It was a good read, but it wasn't excellent nor did it hold my attention. Nice light read for a quiet evening.
December 29, 2024
Capitalism Smut
September 23, 2022
Note: I listened to books 1-3 one right after another so they are all getting the same review. I only got about a third of the way through book 3 before giving up.
This book is the poster child for “actually stupid MC portrayed as smart”. The MC is transported to another world and starts running a town, all without any information gathering. For example, the MC was transported by a goddess who then abandons him. Does the MC ask for information about the gods and goddesses at any point in time? No. Later (end of book 1, I believe) a priest essentially forces information about the gods on the MC.
Does the MC ask what country the town is in? No. If the town owes taxes or fealty to anyone? If there is an ongoing war? Etc. No. The MC just encounters problems and generally tries to solve them without doing any research. About 1 time out of six the MC will actually ask the locals a question, but in general he just bumbles along. Frankly this is largely due to the author not actually thinking about his world as a world. For example, at one point in time the MC aids the formation of a military alliance but then goes and sets up a mercenary group to be hired by the opposing side. The mercs are to change sides at a key time but doing this without ANY ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE REST OF THE ALLIANCE IS INSANE. What if an alliance spy had gotten wind of the MC helping the enemy to hire mercs??? But the author doesn’t think like that. His characters only have spies when it suits the author, which, I guess, is just a long winded way of saying the characters are all pretty shallow and not thought out. The author even has one side character go from willing to abandon her god assigned tasks to avoid war to war mongering. (Basically, it seems that the author forgot his own premise applies to all the champions and not just the MC, that premise being that the gods assign their champions to specific towns to aid that town.) That was when I quit reading, so it is possible the author explains such a drastic change, but why should this part of the story differ from the rest of the two and one-third books I read? (Note that the motive the author appears to be attributing to the side character who takes up war mongering is anger at not getting to fight the war she had been desperate to avoid. Ridiculous.)
I am just stymied at how the MC never does any information gathering. At one point he is told by his magician that his understanding of magic is all wrong. Does the MC follow this comment up with about a thousand questions? No. Its not like magic is the single most important aspect of this new world!!! Bizarre. Then the MC specifically goes magic item shopping. Does the MC ask about a thousand questions of the sellers to find out more about his world? No. The MC doesn’t even window shop. He just identifies that most of the items are too expensive before leaving for a cheaper, less reputable market where the MC makes a lucrative deal while learning as little as possible about the world he is living in.
I generally like “empire building” story lines, which is why I got as far as I did. However, the characters are too shallow for this to be considered good writing and the villains in particular are just bullies (the MC even points out to a war mongering side character that he is nothing more than a bully at one point).
The author is not terrible which is why I’m giving more than 1 star. In particular he handles certain story twists well. Still, this author needs to raise his game significantly to be considered anything more than an okay amateur.
This book is the poster child for “actually stupid MC portrayed as smart”. The MC is transported to another world and starts running a town, all without any information gathering. For example, the MC was transported by a goddess who then abandons him. Does the MC ask for information about the gods and goddesses at any point in time? No. Later (end of book 1, I believe) a priest essentially forces information about the gods on the MC.
Does the MC ask what country the town is in? No. If the town owes taxes or fealty to anyone? If there is an ongoing war? Etc. No. The MC just encounters problems and generally tries to solve them without doing any research. About 1 time out of six the MC will actually ask the locals a question, but in general he just bumbles along. Frankly this is largely due to the author not actually thinking about his world as a world. For example, at one point in time the MC aids the formation of a military alliance but then goes and sets up a mercenary group to be hired by the opposing side. The mercs are to change sides at a key time but doing this without ANY ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE REST OF THE ALLIANCE IS INSANE. What if an alliance spy had gotten wind of the MC helping the enemy to hire mercs??? But the author doesn’t think like that. His characters only have spies when it suits the author, which, I guess, is just a long winded way of saying the characters are all pretty shallow and not thought out. The author even has one side character go from willing to abandon her god assigned tasks to avoid war to war mongering. (Basically, it seems that the author forgot his own premise applies to all the champions and not just the MC, that premise being that the gods assign their champions to specific towns to aid that town.) That was when I quit reading, so it is possible the author explains such a drastic change, but why should this part of the story differ from the rest of the two and one-third books I read? (Note that the motive the author appears to be attributing to the side character who takes up war mongering is anger at not getting to fight the war she had been desperate to avoid. Ridiculous.)
I am just stymied at how the MC never does any information gathering. At one point he is told by his magician that his understanding of magic is all wrong. Does the MC follow this comment up with about a thousand questions? No. Its not like magic is the single most important aspect of this new world!!! Bizarre. Then the MC specifically goes magic item shopping. Does the MC ask about a thousand questions of the sellers to find out more about his world? No. The MC doesn’t even window shop. He just identifies that most of the items are too expensive before leaving for a cheaper, less reputable market where the MC makes a lucrative deal while learning as little as possible about the world he is living in.
I generally like “empire building” story lines, which is why I got as far as I did. However, the characters are too shallow for this to be considered good writing and the villains in particular are just bullies (the MC even points out to a war mongering side character that he is nothing more than a bully at one point).
The author is not terrible which is why I’m giving more than 1 star. In particular he handles certain story twists well. Still, this author needs to raise his game significantly to be considered anything more than an okay amateur.
March 20, 2023
This book is a step closer to a particular unicorn I have been chasing recently; a fantasy story that isn’t about martial conflict.
I love the fantasy genre as it is the one genre that is truly limitless in scope. Yet, despite this, the genre is filled with stories about war and physical conflict with little else to offer, save maybe the odd romance here and there. I enjoy these books as much as the next person, but this genre can offer so much more.
CivCEO is a book that takes a step away from this in a good way. This story of a billionaire CEO from earth who is transported to a medieval fantasy world to start over does dabble in war from time to time, but it is never the focus. Instead this is a story of brain over braun and is more about a business man starting up a new enterprise than the usual war-heavy fare of empire building novels.
As such I enjoyed it immensely as it felt like a fresh read. However, that being said, there were some issues.
The first is that the characters are underdeveloped. The main character gets some development if for no other reason than we spend a lot of time with him, but the other characters are one note at best and disposable at worse. I have read the next 5 books in the series and can confirm that this isn’t always the case, but it is an issue with this first book.
The next issue is one of story arcs... there aren’t any. This book is told in the format of a problem rising for the protagonist and then the protagonist solving that problem. Each situation is very linear and as a result this book is at times more like ticking off a list than reading a novel. Again this is something that gets fixed in future novels, so bear with this series as I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Overall this book is a fun read that I enjoyed so much I read 5 more books in the series before I came back to write this review. It’s not perfect, and neither are the books that follow, but the author is remarkably consistent. If you enjoy this book then you will enjoy the whole series. In fact, this is probably the weakest book in the series so if you enjoy this one (as I did) then you should really enjoy what’s to come.
I love the fantasy genre as it is the one genre that is truly limitless in scope. Yet, despite this, the genre is filled with stories about war and physical conflict with little else to offer, save maybe the odd romance here and there. I enjoy these books as much as the next person, but this genre can offer so much more.
CivCEO is a book that takes a step away from this in a good way. This story of a billionaire CEO from earth who is transported to a medieval fantasy world to start over does dabble in war from time to time, but it is never the focus. Instead this is a story of brain over braun and is more about a business man starting up a new enterprise than the usual war-heavy fare of empire building novels.
As such I enjoyed it immensely as it felt like a fresh read. However, that being said, there were some issues.
The first is that the characters are underdeveloped. The main character gets some development if for no other reason than we spend a lot of time with him, but the other characters are one note at best and disposable at worse. I have read the next 5 books in the series and can confirm that this isn’t always the case, but it is an issue with this first book.
The next issue is one of story arcs... there aren’t any. This book is told in the format of a problem rising for the protagonist and then the protagonist solving that problem. Each situation is very linear and as a result this book is at times more like ticking off a list than reading a novel. Again this is something that gets fixed in future novels, so bear with this series as I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Overall this book is a fun read that I enjoyed so much I read 5 more books in the series before I came back to write this review. It’s not perfect, and neither are the books that follow, but the author is remarkably consistent. If you enjoy this book then you will enjoy the whole series. In fact, this is probably the weakest book in the series so if you enjoy this one (as I did) then you should really enjoy what’s to come.
May 2, 2020
Okayy?
Okay??
If you like super vague, super fast and a story that's full of small super easy, no issue events, this is the book for you.
The book starts off ok...but goes into x3 fast forward mode after. I found it quirky and fun but not that interesting as the meat is not really there . I t's just the bones for thenosr part.
MC gets taken to new word in weird way, they get taken care of right away, they become leader right away, they never fail and the MC always knows what to do wven against much stronger people.
No struggle really but it is fast and easy to read.
I personally will not be continuing this series as it's not deep enough unless I have nothing else to read.
Okay??
If you like super vague, super fast and a story that's full of small super easy, no issue events, this is the book for you.
The book starts off ok...but goes into x3 fast forward mode after. I found it quirky and fun but not that interesting as the meat is not really there . I t's just the bones for thenosr part.
MC gets taken to new word in weird way, they get taken care of right away, they become leader right away, they never fail and the MC always knows what to do wven against much stronger people.
No struggle really but it is fast and easy to read.
I personally will not be continuing this series as it's not deep enough unless I have nothing else to read.
October 15, 2019
Book one
Mistakes: I found one. A simple wrong word in a sentence.
Plot: Town and trade building.
Characters: The MC is different from most of those you find in these types of books. More interested in trading than anything else.
8/10 Looking forward to book two.
Mistakes: I found one. A simple wrong word in a sentence.
Plot: Town and trade building.
Characters: The MC is different from most of those you find in these types of books. More interested in trading than anything else.
8/10 Looking forward to book two.
November 12, 2019
I rolled the dice on this one (KU again making that affordable) and was pleasantly surprised. Not spectacular, but a good handling of the sub-genre(s) and well executed. I'll read the next one and see if it keeps my interest, but a good start.
October 29, 2021
First in a another of those gaming series, the kind where someone from earth is displaced in place; as in, they in fantasy land now.
Picked up this series randomly and read first two books in basically one gulp with certain interruptions along the way. Unlike a good many of these types of books I've read, the main characters is not young. They were actually 75 when the action starts. Oh, and I've also actually played Civilization, which, I believe, this one is based on.
Right, so. This book opens with an old man who had had a heart attack. He had been a mighty CEO who had raised an organization up to greatness. And stuff. But the board was worried about the stock price - and people learning their CEO had health issues, so they forced him out. Forced him to retire. He is the kind of man who would have fought, but, you know, he is feeling kind of tired.
Boredly looking at a future of boredom, the dude goes to a fundraiser. While talking to a young man, wind suddenly flows around him and . . . now he is in a forest nest to a tall angry woman. The woman was trying to get the young man, not the old dude. So she grunts at him and basically says he's on his own and wanders away.
Naturally, the old man is annoyed. Except - he is no longer old. He is now "in the prime of his life" (age not mentioned; though a younger body - albeit soft and not very athletic, just not old). So . . . he wanders. Enters the nearest village. Everyone in the village excitedly surrounds him and asks if he is their champion. Having learned nothing from Ghostbusters ("When a god asks you if you are a god, say yes!"; here "when a village asks you if you are a champion, say yes!") the old man in a younger man's body says that no he isn't a champion. Everyone sadly departs.
He takes a job as a gardner, pulls a muscle, and dies.
Heh, no. The mayor of the town basically begs the newcomer to pretend to be a champion anyway, and so, the old/young man does. Takes over the town. Begins setting up trading routes. Etc.
Right: there are several parts that are . . . annoying. Like: apparently this old 75 year old CEO built a massive company that's a monopoly in all but name ("if you are eating a packaged food product right now, it's probably one of ours"), yet, other than a brief mention indicating differently way at the beginning of the first book, he IS NOT A BAD DUDE!!!! I.E., he didn't step on any toes, he didn't buy items that fell off the back of a truck, he did not set up illegal money-laundering schemes. Because . . . reasons unexplained. It's not ethics - the dude does a bunch of unethical things in Civilization land, just refuses to do certain things and says it is because of ethics (it's not, but let's pretend, eh?).
So: basically he ran a monopoly on Earth (but he's not a bad guy!), and started to set up a trade monopoly in Civilization land. Does unethical stuff. People come up to him and basically beg him to do X; he flatly refuses for . . . reasons; which cause his village great hardship; but . . . he's this unethical ethical businessman dude so . . . profit!
By the way, I said profit above because that's the meme. Step 1: Do x; Step 2: ????; Step 3: Profit! But also because that was the main focus of this guy's life on Earth, and turns out to be the main focus of his life in Civilization land. He had no friends or family on Earth because his lover was the almighty dollar. Once he arrived in Civilization land - again his main focus is money. He even mocks others (in his head) for their unreasonable non-focus on "maintaining their gold".
Right, so. First book: 75 year old CEO of a food packaging monopoly on Earth is accidentally teleported to a fantasy world that is similar to the game Civilization. The goddess who dumped him there abandons him. He finds a level 1 village. 1) Stuff happens; 2) plot of book; 3) profit!!! eh, something like that.
I haven't played Civilization in (checks the date) roughly 20 years. Memories of that time, though, probably impacted my rating of this book.
Rating: 3.75
October 29, 2021
Picked up this series randomly and read first two books in basically one gulp with certain interruptions along the way. Unlike a good many of these types of books I've read, the main characters is not young. They were actually 75 when the action starts. Oh, and I've also actually played Civilization, which, I believe, this one is based on.
Right, so. This book opens with an old man who had had a heart attack. He had been a mighty CEO who had raised an organization up to greatness. And stuff. But the board was worried about the stock price - and people learning their CEO had health issues, so they forced him out. Forced him to retire. He is the kind of man who would have fought, but, you know, he is feeling kind of tired.
Boredly looking at a future of boredom, the dude goes to a fundraiser. While talking to a young man, wind suddenly flows around him and . . . now he is in a forest nest to a tall angry woman. The woman was trying to get the young man, not the old dude. So she grunts at him and basically says he's on his own and wanders away.
Naturally, the old man is annoyed. Except - he is no longer old. He is now "in the prime of his life" (age not mentioned; though a younger body - albeit soft and not very athletic, just not old). So . . . he wanders. Enters the nearest village. Everyone in the village excitedly surrounds him and asks if he is their champion. Having learned nothing from Ghostbusters ("When a god asks you if you are a god, say yes!"; here "when a village asks you if you are a champion, say yes!") the old man in a younger man's body says that no he isn't a champion. Everyone sadly departs.
He takes a job as a gardner, pulls a muscle, and dies.
Heh, no. The mayor of the town basically begs the newcomer to pretend to be a champion anyway, and so, the old/young man does. Takes over the town. Begins setting up trading routes. Etc.
Right: there are several parts that are . . . annoying. Like: apparently this old 75 year old CEO built a massive company that's a monopoly in all but name ("if you are eating a packaged food product right now, it's probably one of ours"), yet, other than a brief mention indicating differently way at the beginning of the first book, he IS NOT A BAD DUDE!!!! I.E., he didn't step on any toes, he didn't buy items that fell off the back of a truck, he did not set up illegal money-laundering schemes. Because . . . reasons unexplained. It's not ethics - the dude does a bunch of unethical things in Civilization land, just refuses to do certain things and says it is because of ethics (it's not, but let's pretend, eh?).
So: basically he ran a monopoly on Earth (but he's not a bad guy!), and started to set up a trade monopoly in Civilization land. Does unethical stuff. People come up to him and basically beg him to do X; he flatly refuses for . . . reasons; which cause his village great hardship; but . . . he's this unethical ethical businessman dude so . . . profit!
By the way, I said profit above because that's the meme. Step 1: Do x; Step 2: ????; Step 3: Profit! But also because that was the main focus of this guy's life on Earth, and turns out to be the main focus of his life in Civilization land. He had no friends or family on Earth because his lover was the almighty dollar. Once he arrived in Civilization land - again his main focus is money. He even mocks others (in his head) for their unreasonable non-focus on "maintaining their gold".
Right, so. First book: 75 year old CEO of a food packaging monopoly on Earth is accidentally teleported to a fantasy world that is similar to the game Civilization. The goddess who dumped him there abandons him. He finds a level 1 village. 1) Stuff happens; 2) plot of book; 3) profit!!! eh, something like that.
I haven't played Civilization in (checks the date) roughly 20 years. Memories of that time, though, probably impacted my rating of this book.
Rating: 3.75
October 29, 2021
September 7, 2023
I avoided this book for awhile after a poor first impression from one of the author's other books. Eventually, my desperation for a strategy gamelit forced me to give this a shot. I finished it, but can't say it was time well spent.
Plot - 4/10, Character - 3/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 4/10, Writing - 5/10, Enjoyment - 2/10
I'll say that I liked how the book started. An older guy who built a successful business from the ground up has a minor heart attack and is forced into retirement by the company. Later, while at a social event, he's isekai'd to a game world by a goddess who evidently grabbed the wrong person. She promptly flies off and leaves him to find his own way. This was a pretty good setup with a bit of twist in that our MC wasn't actually the chosen one, but he's got some skills that should serve him well. Despite the beginning being a bit info-dumpy, we got into the game world within 20 pages. Unfortunately, things just went downhill from the 25% mark and I was just bored.
The characters were pretty bland, which I didn't mind initially since they were basically NPCs without personality. The problem was, nothing ever changed. Each new town in the story was like its own character, but a one-dimensional one. Our MC had the beginnings of a personality, but it seemed like the author couldn't stay in character.
"I had been working for nearly twelve hours a day, nonstop, trying to get Tine in working order. Any time I felt a need to rest, I was spurred on by the hopes of this moment."
Things like this just broke my immersion and felt like the author showing underneath the character. What businessman who built an empire from the ground up would even bat an eye at a few weeks of 12-hour days? I currently work 12 hour shifts regularly and it's just part of the job. When I was younger I regularly worked 18-hour days in sales and loved it. So it seems dumb that a CEO would act like 12-hour days were hard, especially if his life was on the line. Which speaking of, it always felt like the MC was a bit too flippant with risking his own and his townfolk's lives. I eventually started to dislike the character and actively wanted to see bad things happen to him just to give him a reality check.
The setting and game mechanics were pretty shallow. Anyone coming into this with expectations of a 4x Grand Strategy style game will be sorely disappointed. It feels more like the author played a few hours of Stardew Valley and then ran with a half-baked story.
The writing was functional without too many errors. I guess that's a positive.
If this book would have been longer, I probably would have dropped it around the halfway point. I guess I'm glad I finally gave it a shot since I kept coming back to it every 6 months or so and considered what I might be missing. Now I can walk away without looking back and know I'm not missing anything. My expectations based on the other book I read from this author were pretty spot on.
Plot - 4/10, Character - 3/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 4/10, Writing - 5/10, Enjoyment - 2/10
I'll say that I liked how the book started. An older guy who built a successful business from the ground up has a minor heart attack and is forced into retirement by the company. Later, while at a social event, he's isekai'd to a game world by a goddess who evidently grabbed the wrong person. She promptly flies off and leaves him to find his own way. This was a pretty good setup with a bit of twist in that our MC wasn't actually the chosen one, but he's got some skills that should serve him well. Despite the beginning being a bit info-dumpy, we got into the game world within 20 pages. Unfortunately, things just went downhill from the 25% mark and I was just bored.
The characters were pretty bland, which I didn't mind initially since they were basically NPCs without personality. The problem was, nothing ever changed. Each new town in the story was like its own character, but a one-dimensional one. Our MC had the beginnings of a personality, but it seemed like the author couldn't stay in character.
"I had been working for nearly twelve hours a day, nonstop, trying to get Tine in working order. Any time I felt a need to rest, I was spurred on by the hopes of this moment."
Things like this just broke my immersion and felt like the author showing underneath the character. What businessman who built an empire from the ground up would even bat an eye at a few weeks of 12-hour days? I currently work 12 hour shifts regularly and it's just part of the job. When I was younger I regularly worked 18-hour days in sales and loved it. So it seems dumb that a CEO would act like 12-hour days were hard, especially if his life was on the line. Which speaking of, it always felt like the MC was a bit too flippant with risking his own and his townfolk's lives. I eventually started to dislike the character and actively wanted to see bad things happen to him just to give him a reality check.
The setting and game mechanics were pretty shallow. Anyone coming into this with expectations of a 4x Grand Strategy style game will be sorely disappointed. It feels more like the author played a few hours of Stardew Valley and then ran with a half-baked story.
The writing was functional without too many errors. I guess that's a positive.
If this book would have been longer, I probably would have dropped it around the halfway point. I guess I'm glad I finally gave it a shot since I kept coming back to it every 6 months or so and considered what I might be missing. Now I can walk away without looking back and know I'm not missing anything. My expectations based on the other book I read from this author were pretty spot on.
July 31, 2025
Another good red from Storytel 😎 Narrated by Neil Hellegers nontheless, this nicely sates my need to revisit Vuldrani. It almost feels like a cunning, polished Montana is the one telling me this story lol.
What a strange book this was lol. It's not quite litRPG, but game-lit still kinda fits. The biggest difference with how these stories are usually told is the agency the minor characters have. Sometimes they're NPCs who issue menial quests or just background characters living their own lives but in CivCEO they're very pawn-like. Even more simple than simple strips of code. It's weird and makes the cover of the book oddly accurate. On the one hand, MC wants to treat his charges like human lives, but on the other hand, they act like pawns on a game-board; unless they're promoted to fulfil some types of role. Not only do they just sit there unless being given a task but when given a task, they work mindlessly till they're incapacitated due to injury or exhaustion. And it's not a matter of respect or desire to please or perform well. Usually if you tell someone to build a house, you don't feel the need to specify they shouldn't work through the night, and should take regular breaks but the 'peasants', for this is what they're called in the book, seem to be unable to think for themselves. They don't become fully human unless promoted. But there are outliers since the neighboring town is led without a champion. The worldbuilding is not clear in this regard. Is this deliberate? Did the author intend for some people to be so pawn-like? Who knows... I'm intrigued though
What a strange book this was lol. It's not quite litRPG, but game-lit still kinda fits. The biggest difference with how these stories are usually told is the agency the minor characters have. Sometimes they're NPCs who issue menial quests or just background characters living their own lives but in CivCEO they're very pawn-like. Even more simple than simple strips of code. It's weird and makes the cover of the book oddly accurate. On the one hand, MC wants to treat his charges like human lives, but on the other hand, they act like pawns on a game-board; unless they're promoted to fulfil some types of role. Not only do they just sit there unless being given a task but when given a task, they work mindlessly till they're incapacitated due to injury or exhaustion. And it's not a matter of respect or desire to please or perform well. Usually if you tell someone to build a house, you don't feel the need to specify they shouldn't work through the night, and should take regular breaks but the 'peasants', for this is what they're called in the book, seem to be unable to think for themselves. They don't become fully human unless promoted. But there are outliers since the neighboring town is led without a champion. The worldbuilding is not clear in this regard. Is this deliberate? Did the author intend for some people to be so pawn-like? Who knows... I'm intrigued though
May 14, 2020
Excellent book! Very interesting world and lots of settlement building.
It is very refreshing to find a settlement building book that takes place over a long period of time. Maybe I’m not reading the best books in this sub genre of LitRPG but it seems like most MCs, when they say a project will be completed in a week or two, spend the rest of the book only covering the most minute details of the next couple days. This one takes place over months and it’s thrilling to see things actually being accomplished and built.
The thing I like most about this book is the dialogue, his reasonings and arguments, persuasions if you will, are well thought out and make you want to agree with him every time. But that is also a bit of what I think could be improved upon. All the arguments seemed a bit too easy and are always accepted after a bit of time. I understand he had decades to improve these skills back on earth but arriving on a new planet, you would expect the people to have different ideals and ways of thinking. The one gripe is that I wish he would fail, at least a couple times. Maybe in the next book.
9/10
It is very refreshing to find a settlement building book that takes place over a long period of time. Maybe I’m not reading the best books in this sub genre of LitRPG but it seems like most MCs, when they say a project will be completed in a week or two, spend the rest of the book only covering the most minute details of the next couple days. This one takes place over months and it’s thrilling to see things actually being accomplished and built.
The thing I like most about this book is the dialogue, his reasonings and arguments, persuasions if you will, are well thought out and make you want to agree with him every time. But that is also a bit of what I think could be improved upon. All the arguments seemed a bit too easy and are always accepted after a bit of time. I understand he had decades to improve these skills back on earth but arriving on a new planet, you would expect the people to have different ideals and ways of thinking. The one gripe is that I wish he would fail, at least a couple times. Maybe in the next book.
9/10
December 16, 2023
I just completed this book, and my thoughts are a mix of positive and negative aspects. The world-building narrative had its moments, but it fell short in various areas. There were instances where the pacing felt rushed, and, like other works by this author, the character development left something to be desired. Despite these drawbacks, I persevered and finished it. While it didn't become a personal favorite, it still held enough merit to keep me engaged. I'm considering giving the second book a try in the future.
May 20, 2020
Notes:
Solid potential to be an interesting series. It all depends on what directions the author takes in describing the various ways the MC will grown the little village into a place of prosperity & power.
Solid potential to be an interesting series. It all depends on what directions the author takes in describing the various ways the MC will grown the little village into a place of prosperity & power.
November 6, 2021
Excellent read, just wish he invested time in map making. He writes a lot about the Great Picture so a map reference would be sweet.
October 10, 2022
This is an interesting read. It kept my attention and I quite enjoyed the world building aspect of this installment
March 17, 2025
no magic. no fights but intriguing
I read this because I finished another series and tried this one! I find it to be like “the art of the deal” in a fantasy land. If you like business and negotiations sprinkled with a magical universe, you will enjoy this book
I read this because I finished another series and tried this one! I find it to be like “the art of the deal” in a fantasy land. If you like business and negotiations sprinkled with a magical universe, you will enjoy this book
March 4, 2022
CivCEO was a new experience in reading for me. I read all eight books and am now giving my review. Let me first clarify that three stars means I enjoyed the book and found it worth my time. Mr. Karevik created a unique world that I enjoyed. I found the system they implemented to be unique and interesting. I would've like to see more leveling and stat gains, but that just isn't part of the world system and frankly the system Mr. Karevik created works just fine.
The main character mostly handles almost all conflicts by negotiating a compromise/deal. This was unique and gave me a unique perspective on what the business world might be like. I enjoyed this new perspective that I didn't have before. Though at times the characters and scenarios felt forced and required a heavy suspension of belief to make it work.
Most of my gripes on the series are that the main character really didn't ever seem to be overly concerned with his own safety, results from conflict were often anti-climactic, and Mr. Karevik's style of writing is often story telling not story showing.
Aside from my complaints I found the series frustrating at times, but overall enjoyable. I will look into more works by Mr. Karevik
Very Respectfully,
Shea
The main character mostly handles almost all conflicts by negotiating a compromise/deal. This was unique and gave me a unique perspective on what the business world might be like. I enjoyed this new perspective that I didn't have before. Though at times the characters and scenarios felt forced and required a heavy suspension of belief to make it work.
Most of my gripes on the series are that the main character really didn't ever seem to be overly concerned with his own safety, results from conflict were often anti-climactic, and Mr. Karevik's style of writing is often story telling not story showing.
Aside from my complaints I found the series frustrating at times, but overall enjoyable. I will look into more works by Mr. Karevik
Very Respectfully,
Shea
May 10, 2020
Extremely short, but exactly my cup of tea. I love Town-building / town management stories. This one worked particularly well because the MC played to his strengths, in a very realistic way.
Of course, the transition into the new world felt a bit rushed (that's the hardest part I guess, making those few first minutes believable), but once we get past those, the story just carries you through in a hippity-hop manner.
The support NPCs were rather acceptable, as in they were not all pushovers ready to lick the MC's boots, and I enjoyed that quite a bunch.
The other "champions" got a bit too numerous for my taste and sense of scale, but at this point, it's just nitpicking. I'll get the next book if I can. And that says a lot in my book.
Of course, the transition into the new world felt a bit rushed (that's the hardest part I guess, making those few first minutes believable), but once we get past those, the story just carries you through in a hippity-hop manner.
The support NPCs were rather acceptable, as in they were not all pushovers ready to lick the MC's boots, and I enjoyed that quite a bunch.
The other "champions" got a bit too numerous for my taste and sense of scale, but at this point, it's just nitpicking. I'll get the next book if I can. And that says a lot in my book.
February 16, 2021
Honestly it is a bit bland. I like the concept of a litRPG focused on city building but instead of following someone slowly learning we follow the MC who is a billionaire business man whose skills translate perfectly to city building. He easily levels up the village in a month, he always negotiates plans that are in his benefit, he has one conversation with bandits and lures them to his side, he gets upset when someone sells their own resource complaining that he had plans for it, and he analysis people at a glance.
There is fundamentally nothing bad about this book but it is extremely boring. The MC negotiates the end to a 20 year war and it feels empty. I took a break from the book with only an hour left because I had absolutely no interest in the ending.
There is fundamentally nothing bad about this book but it is extremely boring. The MC negotiates the end to a 20 year war and it feels empty. I took a break from the book with only an hour left because I had absolutely no interest in the ending.
November 3, 2019
I have 2 books in my library I've been waiting to read.. And I skipped them for this
Maybe it was the cover, or the title.. No.. Not the title. Anyway something about this book piqued my interest. And I'm glad it did, because I really enjoyed the book.
Maybe it was the cover, or the title.. No.. Not the title. Anyway something about this book piqued my interest. And I'm glad it did, because I really enjoyed the book.
February 17, 2020
Different and fun
This was a fun diversion into a different sort of gamelit. Worth reading, Especially now that book 2 is out.
This was a fun diversion into a different sort of gamelit. Worth reading, Especially now that book 2 is out.
June 10, 2025
Title: CivCEO (The Accidental Champion, #1)
CivCEO introduces an intriguing hybrid between traditional LitRPG power fantasies and 4X strategy mechanics reminiscent of games like Civilization and Age of Empires. At its best, the book is a fresh, if flawed, take on the genre, offering a mix of town-building, diplomacy, and economic management. But despite a promising premise, it occasionally struggles to maintain narrative tension and suffers from uneven pacing.
Review Breakdown Concept & World-BuildingThe core premise—an office worker transported to a fantasy world where his skills as a CEO become tools of governance—is undeniably clever. Karevik capitalizes on this with a world that responds dynamically to economic policy and infrastructure development. The integration of game-like systems (gold, influence, build times) is seamless and satisfying for genre fans.
Strength: The civ-building mechanics are thoughtfully implemented and richly detailed. Weakness: The world outside the protagonist’s domain feels underdeveloped, and cultural or political nuance is largely absent. Character DevelopmentOur protagonist, Nathan, is a typical isekai lead: analytical, risk-averse, and overpowered through intellect rather than combat. While his pragmatism is refreshing, his emotional arc is thin. Supporting characters are mostly archetypes—loyal advisors, hostile nobles, and admiring townsfolk—rarely breaking free of their functional roles in the narrative.
Pro: No harem clichés; the book wisely avoids this tired trope. Con: Dialogue can feel stilted, and characters often lack distinct voices. Pacing & Structure“He was a CEO in his world. Here, he would become a king.” —a line that encapsulates the fantasy but also reveals the shallowness of deeper character exploration.
This is perhaps where CivCEO falters most. The opening is engaging, but once town-building begins, narrative momentum slows under the weight of micromanagement. Readers invested in macro-level strategy may find this rewarding, but others may feel bogged down by the spreadsheet-like decision trees.
Example: The story spends entire chapters on infrastructure upgrades with minimal dramatic tension. Writing StyleKarevik’s prose is clean and accessible, prioritizing clarity over lyricism. This suits the utilitarian tone of a strategy-based LitRPG, but the lack of stylistic flourish means the prose rarely rises above serviceable. There are few memorable lines, and description is more functional than immersive.
“The granary would take six days to build, but only three if he reassigned the lumberjack’s crew.”
While lines like this efficiently drive gameplay-style progression, they lack narrative artistry.
Final ThoughtsCivCEO is a niche book that will delight a specific audience: readers who enjoy number-crunching, resource allocation, and watching a fantasy society blossom under logical governance. But for those seeking high emotional stakes, complex character dynamics, or vivid world-building, the book may fall short.
Still, as a genre experiment, it deserves credit. Karevik takes a bold risk by grounding a fantasy novel in economic realism, and while the execution isn't flawless, the attempt is noteworthy.
Verdict Recommended for: Fans of LitRPG Strategy, readers of The Wandering Inn, gamers who love management simulators. Avoid if: You want character-driven plots, emotional depth, or fast-paced action.December 1, 2023
The story of Charles's adventures is well paced and seems to be planned for long term ahead, as evident by the approach Charles takes to his existential lack of funds going all in ont his money grabbing approach focused on building trade distribution network rather than more initial capital heavy alternatives - focusing on raising production or on generating money from the buildings -, or the way how action items are introduced sequentially, in some instances literally upgrading or adding details to previously built points. Exposition of the world in large, introduction to the existing forces and the powers of the champions' is done incrementally, as needed. Conflict between traders and Charles is progressing without haste as both sides are taking strategical action and more engaged in scheming long term than immediate displays of force.
MC is smart, but not infallible, like, when MC was building butchery not having designated building foreman, workers worked without breaks from 06 AM till late into the night and collapsed from the exhaustion, because rest periods and work schedule wasn't manage by anyone. The background of the corporate animal is well expressed in Charles's negotiations, like, when trying to save the unfamiliar champion from pneumonia and taking action to force Juseff's hand. New characters are introduced in order. The reeds village without it's champion, the lovable but failing champion Peter, the bandits in the forest around Thyme, the leader of the local branch of the traders, the mayor Hemmings, the judge Leopold, the diplomat Theresa, the Agatha, the Reeds village's leader, the Alamander etc. MC has potential for picking a god as a godless stray, champion of no one, interesting to see how this will impact the story going forward.
Conclusion: 3/5. A fantasy world set as mix between real world and board game where status bars are a thing and resources exist as resource fields from board games (like, Catan). Story is more of a slice of life adventure than an action filled survival. If every village has the book of the champion and any outsider can use it, displaced champion scouting agency is an open niche in CivCEO services' market for Charles to monopolize. Introduction of earls to be explored in future books. Waiting how the Peter's story goes, he is the embodiment of misery for those that love him, but his spirit of trying and independence is admirable. What will be the impact of Charles having had unlocked a hero unit? Has he broken the planned rules of the of champion's campaign?
MC is smart, but not infallible, like, when MC was building butchery not having designated building foreman, workers worked without breaks from 06 AM till late into the night and collapsed from the exhaustion, because rest periods and work schedule wasn't manage by anyone. The background of the corporate animal is well expressed in Charles's negotiations, like, when trying to save the unfamiliar champion from pneumonia and taking action to force Juseff's hand. New characters are introduced in order. The reeds village without it's champion, the lovable but failing champion Peter, the bandits in the forest around Thyme, the leader of the local branch of the traders, the mayor Hemmings, the judge Leopold, the diplomat Theresa, the Agatha, the Reeds village's leader, the Alamander etc. MC has potential for picking a god as a godless stray, champion of no one, interesting to see how this will impact the story going forward.
Conclusion: 3/5. A fantasy world set as mix between real world and board game where status bars are a thing and resources exist as resource fields from board games (like, Catan). Story is more of a slice of life adventure than an action filled survival. If every village has the book of the champion and any outsider can use it, displaced champion scouting agency is an open niche in CivCEO services' market for Charles to monopolize. Introduction of earls to be explored in future books. Waiting how the Peter's story goes, he is the embodiment of misery for those that love him, but his spirit of trying and independence is admirable. What will be the impact of Charles having had unlocked a hero unit? Has he broken the planned rules of the of champion's campaign?
May 10, 2022
This is a Sim City town/village building fantasy novel series. Main character, Charles Morris, gets accidentally reincarnated in another world as a "champion" (person in charge of the development of the people and infrastructure of the village/town Tine). Champion HUD (Heads Up Display) is game-like but story is not a game or based on a game, abilities and jobs have levels but main characters do not get points to improve them.
Positive: Even if it is an accident, main character was a successful businessman that at the "end" of his life, gets a second chance to apply all of his knowledge and abilities in this alternate reality world. Because main character is successful, it is meritorious to have accidentally chosen him to develop Tine.
Negative: Author in about 25% of the first volume of the story, does a play by play commentary of everything that happens and everything the main character does. I think author should just narrate the actions and let his readers come up with the conclusions. Main character's priorities are not necessarily the optimum ones. Main character prioritizes economy, Judge, over security and infrastructure. Main character uses best farmer to make him a Judge?? If farming wheat and barley was the biggest income of this village. Main character deals with both sides of a war-conflict in the west. This is not such a good idea, because maybe he could sell to them once or twice, but in the long run both sides are going to hate him and start a war with him. The Tradesmen is an organized crime group. As an organized crime group they do not have management positions CFO, CTO, etc. crime organizations are vertically organized with one mafia boos or capo per family. They divide the organized crime business.
There is a novel series that I consider better than this one, it is called The World Online. In this Chinese series, main character prepared a territory in mainland China and developed it. The winners of this "game" would get governance jobs in the world that Earth was migrating to.
Positive: Even if it is an accident, main character was a successful businessman that at the "end" of his life, gets a second chance to apply all of his knowledge and abilities in this alternate reality world. Because main character is successful, it is meritorious to have accidentally chosen him to develop Tine.
Negative: Author in about 25% of the first volume of the story, does a play by play commentary of everything that happens and everything the main character does. I think author should just narrate the actions and let his readers come up with the conclusions. Main character's priorities are not necessarily the optimum ones. Main character prioritizes economy, Judge, over security and infrastructure. Main character uses best farmer to make him a Judge?? If farming wheat and barley was the biggest income of this village. Main character deals with both sides of a war-conflict in the west. This is not such a good idea, because maybe he could sell to them once or twice, but in the long run both sides are going to hate him and start a war with him. The Tradesmen is an organized crime group. As an organized crime group they do not have management positions CFO, CTO, etc. crime organizations are vertically organized with one mafia boos or capo per family. They divide the organized crime business.
There is a novel series that I consider better than this one, it is called The World Online. In this Chinese series, main character prepared a territory in mainland China and developed it. The winners of this "game" would get governance jobs in the world that Earth was migrating to.
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