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UnderVerse #1
Brightblade
A realm aside from our own is the center of the realities, home to every spectrum of magic. From the beautiful to the terrible, it was all held in delicate balance by the Eternal Emperor and his children. For ten thousand years, the empire was the bastion that protected the sentient races from the darkness, but the revolution changed all that...
Jax's a pretty regular guy, has a job he tolerates, a girl he kinda, sorta loves... and he fights creatures from the UnderVerse in his sleep, leaving him covered in horrific scars when he wakes up...
When his brother vanishes, and five years later he's kidnapped as well, he's given a stark choice by his asshat of a father; Go to the UnderVerse in reality, travel to the capitol of that ruined realm at the center of existence, and open a portal for the Noble Houses to return home...or die.
Slowly.
That's the good news, the bad is that he has to survive the arena first, to prove his right to go...twelve will enter, only one can leave....
Please be aware this is a dark LitRPG Fantasy and contains sexual references, violence and swearing. Ever wondered what would happen when a regular guy ends up in another world getting hunted and having his body torn apart? Yeah...that's why there's a lot of swearing...
Jax's a pretty regular guy, has a job he tolerates, a girl he kinda, sorta loves... and he fights creatures from the UnderVerse in his sleep, leaving him covered in horrific scars when he wakes up...
When his brother vanishes, and five years later he's kidnapped as well, he's given a stark choice by his asshat of a father; Go to the UnderVerse in reality, travel to the capitol of that ruined realm at the center of existence, and open a portal for the Noble Houses to return home...or die.
Slowly.
That's the good news, the bad is that he has to survive the arena first, to prove his right to go...twelve will enter, only one can leave....
Please be aware this is a dark LitRPG Fantasy and contains sexual references, violence and swearing. Ever wondered what would happen when a regular guy ends up in another world getting hunted and having his body torn apart? Yeah...that's why there's a lot of swearing...
486 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2020
1656 people are currently reading
1932 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
June 9, 2020
Honestly, this could have been a really good book. I liked what the author was trying to do. Its not very often that a LitRPG has an actual functioning story to it. There was just one problem for me, and that was the main character really started grating my nerves. This is a big book, and even after just 10% of it, I was wondering how I'm going to stomach the guy for the remaining 90%. Doesn't help that its written in first person. I managed to get up to 30% before I decided that was as much as I was going to stand.
Basically if you dislike following traits in your main character, then you might be in for a slow read:
- constant swearing and making lewd innuendos that weren't funny even the first time
- being in a perpetually pissed state
- grumbling, whining and and overall being a pain to everyone around him
- too much bark and zero bite
- always needing to get the last word
- constantly making wisecracks despite above points clearly showing that brain is not his strongest muscle
Also there are some strange inconsistencies to his personality, like getting angry or disgusted when certain people show a lack of care for others lives, while himself acting in a way that could truly be life threatening to those near him.
None of the other characters are worth much either. Half of them are just 'maids' present to service his every need, and other half barely had a couple of pages worth of dialogue put together to give them any depth. Not that the self-centred arse of a main character would listen to them anyway.
Overall, could have been great. If you don't mind the main character, you would probably enjoy the book.
Basically if you dislike following traits in your main character, then you might be in for a slow read:
- constant swearing and making lewd innuendos that weren't funny even the first time
- being in a perpetually pissed state
- grumbling, whining and and overall being a pain to everyone around him
- too much bark and zero bite
- always needing to get the last word
- constantly making wisecracks despite above points clearly showing that brain is not his strongest muscle
Also there are some strange inconsistencies to his personality, like getting angry or disgusted when certain people show a lack of care for others lives, while himself acting in a way that could truly be life threatening to those near him.
None of the other characters are worth much either. Half of them are just 'maids' present to service his every need, and other half barely had a couple of pages worth of dialogue put together to give them any depth. Not that the self-centred arse of a main character would listen to them anyway.
Overall, could have been great. If you don't mind the main character, you would probably enjoy the book.
September 13, 2020
Did not make it very far at all.
Had to stop once I realized the main characters was an idiot with no self control who would not stop running his mouth. This guy makes his life ten times harder for no reason and I could not care less about his problems or his brother. So I stopped wasting my time reading a book that made me stop caring about what happens.
Had to stop once I realized the main characters was an idiot with no self control who would not stop running his mouth. This guy makes his life ten times harder for no reason and I could not care less about his problems or his brother. So I stopped wasting my time reading a book that made me stop caring about what happens.
April 19, 2020
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.”
Now, since I have to keep explaining myself to people who don't like my reviews, I guess some clarification is in order.
1. I am 100% against criticism for works of art. Art is subjective, meaning reviews are irrelevant. The observer's opinion is only relevant to the observer. It is my belief that regardless of what others might say, I have to experience the art for myself.
2. I read upwards of 20 books a month. The $10/month I spend on K U, feels like I am cheating the authors. But since I can't afford 20 books a month if I were to purchase them directly, all I can offer is a positive review. That leads us to the final point.
3. If I get to the end of a book, then it was worth my time. I give those books 5 stars because it helps the author get exposure. That is the only reason I write reviews at all.
I understand that people are people and they are going to do what they do regardless of my stance. I know the way that I review books upsets some people. I am sorry they feel that way but as many have said, they will just ignore my review going forward. In fact, if you made it this far through my review, you should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews here. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
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.”
Now, since I have to keep explaining myself to people who don't like my reviews, I guess some clarification is in order.
1. I am 100% against criticism for works of art. Art is subjective, meaning reviews are irrelevant. The observer's opinion is only relevant to the observer. It is my belief that regardless of what others might say, I have to experience the art for myself.
2. I read upwards of 20 books a month. The $10/month I spend on K U, feels like I am cheating the authors. But since I can't afford 20 books a month if I were to purchase them directly, all I can offer is a positive review. That leads us to the final point.
3. If I get to the end of a book, then it was worth my time. I give those books 5 stars because it helps the author get exposure. That is the only reason I write reviews at all.
I understand that people are people and they are going to do what they do regardless of my stance. I know the way that I review books upsets some people. I am sorry they feel that way but as many have said, they will just ignore my review going forward. In fact, if you made it this far through my review, you should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews here. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
June 15, 2021
Yep, made it through the second book, but had to stop, I agree completely with others. The world building is interesting, as well as the story line being engaging. but honestly, the constant obsession with his Junk and all the sexual reference with the wisp left me feeling like the author as a serious Tinker Bell issue. Plus the fact that there is a "Bonding" issue between them, creating a Power Dynamic that is 'uncomfortable' and the Wisp is always written as childlike, makes it SUPER uncomfortable.
Additionally, the MC never gets any smarter or more qualified to lead. Despite all the points he puts into Intelligence and Charisma. He is always an uneducated, uncharismatic, lewd, street tough who's mind is always in the gutter.
I see where the author wants to go (sort of) most of the MC anger issues comes from the ball of anger of the Eternal, but, it never gets better. The MC never grows and more often than not, just stumbles into good fortune.
and honestly, the whole wisp and sex thing... it feels like a grown man wanting to have sex with a child. just yuck.
Additionally, the MC never gets any smarter or more qualified to lead. Despite all the points he puts into Intelligence and Charisma. He is always an uneducated, uncharismatic, lewd, street tough who's mind is always in the gutter.
I see where the author wants to go (sort of) most of the MC anger issues comes from the ball of anger of the Eternal, but, it never gets better. The MC never grows and more often than not, just stumbles into good fortune.
and honestly, the whole wisp and sex thing... it feels like a grown man wanting to have sex with a child. just yuck.
December 27, 2020
Generally decent first novel by this author, but has some substantial flaws. Mainly, the MC that he's attempting to write with brash wit just comes off as being an inconsistent douche. The first third of the story deserves an average 3+ star review, but there is a substantial plot discontinuity at that point and the quality drops for the remaining two thirds. The following are smaller problems I noted as I read.
The magic system doesn't really seem well thought out growing new elements without constraints. There are tiresome and obvious failures in forethought by the MC. It's filled with repetitive declarative text chunks as if it was serialized (word-for-word at times). The second two thirds of the story is filled with longish battle sequences that aren't compelling reads, along with irrelevant items, skills, and leveling. Opponent levels don't seem to make any difference to the story. There are some basic continuity issues (one major quest sees its XP reward boosted by 4.5x without any reason). I'm also not a fan of storytelling that include callouts to other LitRPG.
There are bones of a good story here that could have benefitted from professional editing and revision. Given that this appears to be a first try for the author I'll likely read the next one, but I'm not hoping for much.
The magic system doesn't really seem well thought out growing new elements without constraints. There are tiresome and obvious failures in forethought by the MC. It's filled with repetitive declarative text chunks as if it was serialized (word-for-word at times). The second two thirds of the story is filled with longish battle sequences that aren't compelling reads, along with irrelevant items, skills, and leveling. Opponent levels don't seem to make any difference to the story. There are some basic continuity issues (one major quest sees its XP reward boosted by 4.5x without any reason). I'm also not a fan of storytelling that include callouts to other LitRPG.
There are bones of a good story here that could have benefitted from professional editing and revision. Given that this appears to be a first try for the author I'll likely read the next one, but I'm not hoping for much.
January 20, 2022
It's rare that I mention the audiobook narrations here on Goodreads, but this one... it's something else. That's not to say it's bad, but it definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea. The narrator was clearly having fun with this, probably too much fun. He dialled his performance up to eleven, putting way too much emphasis on tonal changes, inflexion, accents and voices than is necessary for an audiobook. In my mind, a good narrator adds just enough performance to bring the author's writing to life without overshadowing it, but this one strays just a little too far in the wrong direction. Dial it back a notch though, and it would be a great performance.
Where it hasn't done this book any good is that this novel is already quite chaotic, and the uneven performance isn't going to help keep readers interested.
It starts off well enough with a really strong character introduction that sucked me into Jax's story and kept me reading. However, then the book takes a sharp turn in another direction that introduces the main story. Just when you're getting your teeth sunk into that story, it takes another turn in another direction. These turns aren't so off-piste that you can't follow them and they do make sense, but they are jarring enough that this felt like multiple stories wrapped up in one novel and gave me the feeling that this story doesn't know what it wants to be.
However, all that being said about both the performance and the writing, there's a lot to like here. If the performance can settle down and the writing can get focused, then this is a series that could easily go to some interesting places. That leaves me with hope for future novels, so I'm off now to give book 2 a try.
Where it hasn't done this book any good is that this novel is already quite chaotic, and the uneven performance isn't going to help keep readers interested.
It starts off well enough with a really strong character introduction that sucked me into Jax's story and kept me reading. However, then the book takes a sharp turn in another direction that introduces the main story. Just when you're getting your teeth sunk into that story, it takes another turn in another direction. These turns aren't so off-piste that you can't follow them and they do make sense, but they are jarring enough that this felt like multiple stories wrapped up in one novel and gave me the feeling that this story doesn't know what it wants to be.
However, all that being said about both the performance and the writing, there's a lot to like here. If the performance can settle down and the writing can get focused, then this is a series that could easily go to some interesting places. That leaves me with hope for future novels, so I'm off now to give book 2 a try.
April 29, 2021
Mediocre
I do not recommend the audio book at all. The guy who reads it is too loud and emphatic. He seriously sounds like the announcer at a monster truck rally every time he reads a character sheet.
Aside from that the MC isn't really likeable, though he does make some headway by the end of the book on becoming something other than a thug.
Swearing is high but author warned of that so it didn't affect my rating. MC sleeps with anyone who is willing pretty much, but it's not super graphic at all.
Has some potential but definitely don't get the audio book, it was really unpleasant to listen to.
I do not recommend the audio book at all. The guy who reads it is too loud and emphatic. He seriously sounds like the announcer at a monster truck rally every time he reads a character sheet.
Aside from that the MC isn't really likeable, though he does make some headway by the end of the book on becoming something other than a thug.
Swearing is high but author warned of that so it didn't affect my rating. MC sleeps with anyone who is willing pretty much, but it's not super graphic at all.
Has some potential but definitely don't get the audio book, it was really unpleasant to listen to.
January 24, 2022
Jax is hard to like. I adore Oracle... she's dope, but Jax... is a pain in the arse. There's a lot of information to get through, and I suppose it's to be expected considering this is the first book of many. It took me awhile to get through this, so I'm going to give it a rest before getting back into it again... if ever.
June 11, 2020
I liked it... Kind of.. ish
Before I say anything else, this author writes like a professional and creates new ideas that will have a lot of people thinking "wish I thought of that". It's not on par with Bagwell and Huesca for depth or style, but a lot of people will like this.
I hammer through a lot of LitRPG, I love it and can forgive 2D characters if its got a fun bit of progression. It's like the white bread of the literary world, most isn't great for you but it's a quick fix and there's lots of it. Trouble is it comes with a lot of love it or hate it concepts. If you've not guessed, I'm talking about bodice ripper (codpiece ripper?) books.
Yes I'm a prude, this isn't nearly as bad as others and there isn't more than casual mention that he had group sex with any female he meets in the book (actually close to not being an exaggeration). A lesser issue for me is it doesn't add anything to the story than to simply make a point that he can. The bigger issue being its pretty rapey. The author gives him a low charisma so he's not a charmer and with no questioning it, he's constantly having sex with his gaes bound handmaidens who don't even get names and aren't allowed to disobey any orders.... Hope he saves the day, but then maybe dies horribly, preferably before he has sex with his mentally childlike fairy.
So if you don't mind your kink or you can page flip past the back patting sex fantasies then you've got a perfectly readable bit of litRPG to tide you over.
Before I say anything else, this author writes like a professional and creates new ideas that will have a lot of people thinking "wish I thought of that". It's not on par with Bagwell and Huesca for depth or style, but a lot of people will like this.
I hammer through a lot of LitRPG, I love it and can forgive 2D characters if its got a fun bit of progression. It's like the white bread of the literary world, most isn't great for you but it's a quick fix and there's lots of it. Trouble is it comes with a lot of love it or hate it concepts. If you've not guessed, I'm talking about bodice ripper (codpiece ripper?) books.
Yes I'm a prude, this isn't nearly as bad as others and there isn't more than casual mention that he had group sex with any female he meets in the book (actually close to not being an exaggeration). A lesser issue for me is it doesn't add anything to the story than to simply make a point that he can. The bigger issue being its pretty rapey. The author gives him a low charisma so he's not a charmer and with no questioning it, he's constantly having sex with his gaes bound handmaidens who don't even get names and aren't allowed to disobey any orders.... Hope he saves the day, but then maybe dies horribly, preferably before he has sex with his mentally childlike fairy.
So if you don't mind your kink or you can page flip past the back patting sex fantasies then you've got a perfectly readable bit of litRPG to tide you over.
January 22, 2022
Notes:
Yay for libraries!
I have a few of this author's books on my radar to try out. I was happy to get the chance via library. Well, to my surprise, I do not like the narrator for the series. The made up accent for the main character grates on my ears like nails on a chalkboard. The fact that the other accents for characters are inconsistently enacted was another nail in the coffin.
If I could give negative stars for the narration, I would.
I'm going on a limb and leaving the rating at 3 stars. I thought the overall writing was a bit rough around the edges and needed another few rounds of editing to tighten up. The concepts are cool, but I'm not sure if I actually enjoyed the story or tried to find positive points to counteract the bad narration.
I have another book by JC to try and it's narrated by Neil Hellegers. I will try that before making final chop-chop decisions. =P
Note to Self: Avoid Wayne Mitchell narrated books. Try to read UnderVerse #2 at some point.
Yay for libraries!
I have a few of this author's books on my radar to try out. I was happy to get the chance via library. Well, to my surprise, I do not like the narrator for the series. The made up accent for the main character grates on my ears like nails on a chalkboard. The fact that the other accents for characters are inconsistently enacted was another nail in the coffin.
If I could give negative stars for the narration, I would.
I'm going on a limb and leaving the rating at 3 stars. I thought the overall writing was a bit rough around the edges and needed another few rounds of editing to tighten up. The concepts are cool, but I'm not sure if I actually enjoyed the story or tried to find positive points to counteract the bad narration.
I have another book by JC to try and it's narrated by Neil Hellegers. I will try that before making final chop-chop decisions. =P
Note to Self: Avoid Wayne Mitchell narrated books. Try to read UnderVerse #2 at some point.
April 21, 2020
I started the book without any expectations, and I was nicely surprised.
"Intro" was long, but it was important for the rest of the story so I didn't mind. Characters are well written and story flows smoothly.
I just don't know where his lack of anger control went.
"Intro" was long, but it was important for the rest of the story so I didn't mind. Characters are well written and story flows smoothly.
I just don't know where his lack of anger control went.
June 22, 2020
A great start
A really good first book here. There were a few tropes of the genre, but the story is solid. Characters are interesting, the plot points are relevant, and the setting is very deep and interesting. I'm looking forward to the next one.
A really good first book here. There were a few tropes of the genre, but the story is solid. Characters are interesting, the plot points are relevant, and the setting is very deep and interesting. I'm looking forward to the next one.
July 5, 2020
Can't get enough
Not good a reviews but I can say that I am dying to read more books both from the series and from Jez Cajiao him self!
Not good a reviews but I can say that I am dying to read more books both from the series and from Jez Cajiao him self!
January 23, 2024
I’m going with 3.5 stars, I enjoyed the main character however the print format was difficult for me. It easily could have been 4 stars with proper formatting, slightly more detail. Great story though!
June 17, 2020
A tragic start shows Jack is a real asshole with a smart mouth and an attitude of epic proportions before leaving Earth through his first steps into a new world. He wants a fresh start and to to find his brother.
Already a cursed or troubled soul depending upon who and when you asked. His curse scars are visible and misinterpreted often, but the angry troubled man seen during the day is a side effect of the unyielding force of destruction and savior that he becomes in his dreams.
He soon learns the truth of his curse, heritage, what comes with that and the knowledge that more suffering awaits if he wishes to be strong enough to go find his brother Tommy in that new world.
Rebuilding himself into Jax, he has trained, bled, suffered, and learned all he could to prepare for a mission, a quest that is forced upon him by a ‘father’ he never wanted.
A mix of magic spells cost him more than he would realize until it was explained to him... well you just have to see for yourself! And there’s a cool skeletal minion, as well as a few other characters that learn Jax is a passionate well meaning man, but speeches aren’t his gig. 🤣
Totally looking forward to the next installment!!
Already a cursed or troubled soul depending upon who and when you asked. His curse scars are visible and misinterpreted often, but the angry troubled man seen during the day is a side effect of the unyielding force of destruction and savior that he becomes in his dreams.
He soon learns the truth of his curse, heritage, what comes with that and the knowledge that more suffering awaits if he wishes to be strong enough to go find his brother Tommy in that new world.
Rebuilding himself into Jax, he has trained, bled, suffered, and learned all he could to prepare for a mission, a quest that is forced upon him by a ‘father’ he never wanted.
A mix of magic spells cost him more than he would realize until it was explained to him... well you just have to see for yourself! And there’s a cool skeletal minion, as well as a few other characters that learn Jax is a passionate well meaning man, but speeches aren’t his gig. 🤣
Totally looking forward to the next installment!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2020
Good. Really good.
I really enjoyed this one - can’t wait for book two to come out. Well with reading, with a bearable amount of stats type info.
I really enjoyed this one - can’t wait for book two to come out. Well with reading, with a bearable amount of stats type info.
June 13, 2020
Awesome!!
Jez is, obviously, from the North-East of England so hi from a fellow Geordie.
I loved this book. Fast paced, well written and characters I just loved.
Can't wait for the next book
Jez is, obviously, from the North-East of England so hi from a fellow Geordie.
I loved this book. Fast paced, well written and characters I just loved.
Can't wait for the next book
August 6, 2020
WOW! If I understand correctly, this is the author's first book? You would NEVER know it. Eloquent when he needs to be, but more than that, he paints a picture of the characters. Color me impressed, Jez. As someone who has read literally hundreds of litRPG and gamelit novels, I'm gonna call it right now and say this is gonna be a great series.
ALSO: Don't let people fool you, the swearing is great. 90% of LitRPG novels swear like a Mormon dad at a cheese-whiz convention for home-schooled kids. If you've ever lived with a dickhead best friend or gone to camp for any extended period of time, you should know how to swear like a sailor and this guy gets it. I'm tired of the goody-two-shoes main characters and their holier-than-thou-art attitudes. This guy has grit and he fucks up some times. I love it, don't stop what you're doing.
ALSO: Don't let people fool you, the swearing is great. 90% of LitRPG novels swear like a Mormon dad at a cheese-whiz convention for home-schooled kids. If you've ever lived with a dickhead best friend or gone to camp for any extended period of time, you should know how to swear like a sailor and this guy gets it. I'm tired of the goody-two-shoes main characters and their holier-than-thou-art attitudes. This guy has grit and he fucks up some times. I love it, don't stop what you're doing.
August 5, 2020
Excellent start
Great balance of descriptions and action, and damn does this trigger my soft spot for anything fairy. Interesting world and characters, definitely worth the read!
Great balance of descriptions and action, and damn does this trigger my soft spot for anything fairy. Interesting world and characters, definitely worth the read!
July 27, 2020
Slow start, strong finish
It took me a while to get into this book. Before the MC left earth, I wasn’t sure I was gonna like it or him. But soon I was really enjoying the story, and having finished it I will agree that even the beginning fed the story well, and I am following the author and looking forward to his next book. So I say - pick it up, and don’t drop it early!
It took me a while to get into this book. Before the MC left earth, I wasn’t sure I was gonna like it or him. But soon I was really enjoying the story, and having finished it I will agree that even the beginning fed the story well, and I am following the author and looking forward to his next book. So I say - pick it up, and don’t drop it early!
July 25, 2020
Combine the loveable asshole and main character Jax with loads of great side characters and challenges with pop culture references of all kinds along with the cheeky writing of Jez Cajiao (aka bearded beauty) makes any negative I have to say about this book wash away. Can't for the next book!
July 15, 2020
Great first book.
Great first book, did not read like one. Great character, will have to see second book to see if secondary characters follow through to become solid as well.
Great first book, did not read like one. Great character, will have to see second book to see if secondary characters follow through to become solid as well.
April 20, 2020
Enjoyed the book. Not the normal style I go for but it was decently done and entertaining.
It's not bad. I liked it. I don't know if I'll remember any of this by the time book 2 is written.
It's not bad. I liked it. I don't know if I'll remember any of this by the time book 2 is written.
July 12, 2020
Engaging read
Brightblade is an engaging read, with wonderfully flawed characters and an original take on the genre. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series
Brightblade is an engaging read, with wonderfully flawed characters and an original take on the genre. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series
July 10, 2020
Recommended by Kindle
And I am not regretting clicking this book and spending those couple of hours! What a ride. Awesome writing , great plot. Can't wait to get my hands on next one
And I am not regretting clicking this book and spending those couple of hours! What a ride. Awesome writing , great plot. Can't wait to get my hands on next one
December 29, 2020
What a great start to the book. A pub fight revealing skills Jack learned through years of combat fought in his dreams. He is dark, moody, violent, and a master of martial arts... and then he's just a noob that can't win a fight against a security guard and has the wits of a tween boy.
In short, the story is a hot mess. It can't seem to maintain a consistent tone for five minutes and the protagonist makes idiotic decisions that are only successful because of his impenetrable plot-armor. And let's not examine the author's psyche when we meet a twelve-inch tall super-model wisp who is obsessed with sex.
There are also several good elements in the tale. The world-building is interesting. We get a small taste of tower management that looks promising. I also think the magic system works well.
Overall I'm on the fence. I might continue with the series, but not anytime soon.
In short, the story is a hot mess. It can't seem to maintain a consistent tone for five minutes and the protagonist makes idiotic decisions that are only successful because of his impenetrable plot-armor. And let's not examine the author's psyche when we meet a twelve-inch tall super-model wisp who is obsessed with sex.
There are also several good elements in the tale. The world-building is interesting. We get a small taste of tower management that looks promising. I also think the magic system works well.
Overall I'm on the fence. I might continue with the series, but not anytime soon.
December 31, 2020
Like other people said, this book started really well, then broke down because of inconsistent writing. The more into the story we went, the looser the story got, till we reached a point where it looked like a different writer had taken over the book.
A damn shame.
A damn shame.
May 21, 2020
Excelent first book
July 15, 2022
Yikes. Soooo how am I going to justify following this series....
Protagonist Jaz gets sent to another world where he gets litRPG magic powers. Has to defeat the god of darkness and revive the old gods. Has to defeat the despotic rulers and recreate the old kingdom of justice. Has to find and save his brother. Also has to make middle school references to his dick as much as possible. Seriously. If the thought of "they call me three legs" and "they call me tripod" every 20 pages even mildly annoys you, stay far far far away.
So this is very testosterone-y, very low brow. That doesn't bother me - it is a style choice and testosterone-y is not identical to toxic. The world building is very solid and there is a large cast of characters with their own roles in the world. Their own roles but sadly not their own personalities - 80% of everyone mimics the protagonist. The books have a very good grasp of pacing and focus, simple and straightforward It's like the baseball player who doesn't think about swinging for the bleachers but who consistently gets to first base. ("They call me Mr. Baseball 'cause I'm always swinging my big bat around! Hur hur hur." Jaz says.)
One favorite bit is that Jaz gets his powers because he is one of the last descendants of the ancient demigod / king. The king has hung around as a spirit for centuries waiting to restore his kingdom. Of course centuries of isolation have made him nuts, so sometime the king helps Jaz, sometimes he gives inscrutable advice, and sometimes he tries to take over Jaz's body. You take the good, you take the bad.
Speaking of bad...there is one inexcusable bit. Very early on the protagonist is rewarded with a shape changing sex genie. Ugh. So that's like 5% of every installment where I have to turn my brain off. There are many other women in these books. Some fighters, some not. Some lovers, some not. Some dominant, some not. The sex genie is an isolated bit of male fantasy wish fulfillment and not a general attitude towards women. I'll take this over the "women are damsels in distress" books any day. I'll take this over the "women only care about clothing and makeup" books any day. I'll take this over the "women think differently and can't be understood" books most days. However the sex genie stuff is still just plain icky whenever it comes up ("And that's not the only thing coming up! Hur hur hur." Jaz says.)
Protagonist Jaz gets sent to another world where he gets litRPG magic powers. Has to defeat the god of darkness and revive the old gods. Has to defeat the despotic rulers and recreate the old kingdom of justice. Has to find and save his brother. Also has to make middle school references to his dick as much as possible. Seriously. If the thought of "they call me three legs" and "they call me tripod" every 20 pages even mildly annoys you, stay far far far away.
So this is very testosterone-y, very low brow. That doesn't bother me - it is a style choice and testosterone-y is not identical to toxic. The world building is very solid and there is a large cast of characters with their own roles in the world. Their own roles but sadly not their own personalities - 80% of everyone mimics the protagonist. The books have a very good grasp of pacing and focus, simple and straightforward It's like the baseball player who doesn't think about swinging for the bleachers but who consistently gets to first base. ("They call me Mr. Baseball 'cause I'm always swinging my big bat around! Hur hur hur." Jaz says.)
One favorite bit is that Jaz gets his powers because he is one of the last descendants of the ancient demigod / king. The king has hung around as a spirit for centuries waiting to restore his kingdom. Of course centuries of isolation have made him nuts, so sometime the king helps Jaz, sometimes he gives inscrutable advice, and sometimes he tries to take over Jaz's body. You take the good, you take the bad.
Speaking of bad...there is one inexcusable bit. Very early on the protagonist is rewarded with a shape changing sex genie. Ugh. So that's like 5% of every installment where I have to turn my brain off. There are many other women in these books. Some fighters, some not. Some lovers, some not. Some dominant, some not. The sex genie is an isolated bit of male fantasy wish fulfillment and not a general attitude towards women. I'll take this over the "women are damsels in distress" books any day. I'll take this over the "women only care about clothing and makeup" books any day. I'll take this over the "women think differently and can't be understood" books most days. However the sex genie stuff is still just plain icky whenever it comes up ("And that's not the only thing coming up! Hur hur hur." Jaz says.)
April 2, 2021
I had this book for quite some time, but never got around to reading it because a friend said he dropped it... I'm running low on books I "want" to read, so I will just start grabbing from my pile.
This book is confusing. What?
I was thinking of dropping this because it was boring at the start, but it's starting to get interesting, so I will continue for now.
Did this author just plug his friend's book in this book? It's a "dogeared" book too... When I see something like this, I always wonder if the author is being serious or just joking.
The protagonist was fighting smart, then all of a sudden, he threw himself down a flight of stairs and injured himself. For what? To artificially make the fight harder? The protagonist overcoming hardships doesn't make the book more nuanced, or character more developed, especially when the protagonist stuck the stick into his own bicycle spokes while riding.
Let me get this straight.
We will see how far this stupidity is stretched.
This book could have done with some more continuity checks. Near the end the timing of activities were off. The stats were also horrendous, but the story was "okay", I guess.
I will pick up the sequel later.
3/5 Stars
This book is confusing. What?
I was thinking of dropping this because it was boring at the start, but it's starting to get interesting, so I will continue for now.
Did this author just plug his friend's book in this book? It's a "dogeared" book too... When I see something like this, I always wonder if the author is being serious or just joking.
The protagonist was fighting smart, then all of a sudden, he threw himself down a flight of stairs and injured himself. For what? To artificially make the fight harder? The protagonist overcoming hardships doesn't make the book more nuanced, or character more developed, especially when the protagonist stuck the stick into his own bicycle spokes while riding.
Let me get this straight.
We will see how far this stupidity is stretched.
This book could have done with some more continuity checks. Near the end the timing of activities were off. The stats were also horrendous, but the story was "okay", I guess.
I will pick up the sequel later.
3/5 Stars
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