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Battleborne #1
Battleborne
Max was a professional soldier, and extremely good at his job. Right up until it killed him.
At the moment of his death, he meets Hildi the Valkyrie, and is given three options. Serve Odin in Valhalla as one of the Einherjar, fighting each day and celebrating each night until the battle of Ragnarok. Accept his death as final, and end his existence. Or be reincarnated as a Battleborne on a random unknown world.
Max chooses to gamble! To live a new life, whatever that might entail. Favored with a blessing of the Valkyries, who gift him with an unusual bloodline, he is reborn on a world of magic and monsters. In fact, his own new body is half monster!
Thrust into the world with nothing but a canvas diaper, sharp teeth, and claws, Max must use his skills as a soldier to improvise and survive. There are no respawns, and at level zero, nearly everything can kill him.
With his new status as one of the Battleborne, much is expected of Max. Dangerous and difficult quests are presented to him, and the loot ranges from filthy goblin loincloths to epic weapons!
Join Max as he learns to navigate his new life, struggling with the instincts of his monster bloodlines, and taking advantage of them at the same time.
At the moment of his death, he meets Hildi the Valkyrie, and is given three options. Serve Odin in Valhalla as one of the Einherjar, fighting each day and celebrating each night until the battle of Ragnarok. Accept his death as final, and end his existence. Or be reincarnated as a Battleborne on a random unknown world.
Max chooses to gamble! To live a new life, whatever that might entail. Favored with a blessing of the Valkyries, who gift him with an unusual bloodline, he is reborn on a world of magic and monsters. In fact, his own new body is half monster!
Thrust into the world with nothing but a canvas diaper, sharp teeth, and claws, Max must use his skills as a soldier to improvise and survive. There are no respawns, and at level zero, nearly everything can kill him.
With his new status as one of the Battleborne, much is expected of Max. Dangerous and difficult quests are presented to him, and the loot ranges from filthy goblin loincloths to epic weapons!
Join Max as he learns to navigate his new life, struggling with the instincts of his monster bloodlines, and taking advantage of them at the same time.
618 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2020
1583 people are currently reading
773 people want to read
About the author
Dave Willmarth
31 books629 followersDave is a part-time author who would love to live full time in the game worlds he creates.
A gamer since the 70's, he loves the idea of being able to mix the science of virtual reality with the fantasy worlds inspired by great writers such as JRR Tokien and CS Lewis.
Dave has always wanted to be a writer. Over the past three decades he started and put away a dozen novels, distracted by work or life.
The dream of being an author seemed distant.
That is until recently, when he discovered the LitRPG/GameLit genre full of books that combined his love for video games and epic fantasy adventures. He was inspired by the books he read, and the authors who wrote them. So much so that he sat down and wrote the first two books of The Greystone Chronicles in just over a month. He published the first as an experiment, and was shocked at the response. These days he sits in his man cave late at night and writes the stories of characters he'd like to be, in worlds virtually without limits.
A gamer since the 70's, he loves the idea of being able to mix the science of virtual reality with the fantasy worlds inspired by great writers such as JRR Tokien and CS Lewis.
Dave has always wanted to be a writer. Over the past three decades he started and put away a dozen novels, distracted by work or life.
The dream of being an author seemed distant.
That is until recently, when he discovered the LitRPG/GameLit genre full of books that combined his love for video games and epic fantasy adventures. He was inspired by the books he read, and the authors who wrote them. So much so that he sat down and wrote the first two books of The Greystone Chronicles in just over a month. He published the first as an experiment, and was shocked at the response. These days he sits in his man cave late at night and writes the stories of characters he'd like to be, in worlds virtually without limits.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 457 reviews
April 10, 2023
Protagonist dies and goes to heaven spoiler alert
I picked up this book not expecting too much and I still ended up disappointed. The protagonist is sent to a new world and promptly murders anyome he feels like without much remorse or thought put into it. He kills people he doesn't like, sleeps with women who magically decide he's the greatest thing since sliced bread for no good reason and then proceeds to flip flop on morals and motivation like a small child on a trampoline. His first encounter with intelligent race results in him mourning their loss, then he meets goblins and when he surprises and terrifies them murders them when they fight back. However as soon as he meets more goblins these ones are worthy of befriending as they supplicate themselves first, this blatant and never explained flip flopping continues through the entire story (or as much as I could bear to read) everyone in this world appears to go along with this attitude of casual murder but their reasonings are never explained. A race of grey dwarves attack his allies and the response is instant uncompromising genocide, no provision is made for civilians or children it is made clear everyone in the city is slain to make way for our protagonist's idea for a multicultural city before he goes off hunting another race for trophies merely because he was told to and not because he understands anything about them that actually would merit their on-sight destruction. But still at some point he will converse with them presumably with mutual benefit and the idea that both of these things could be possible is ridiculous. We are meant to believe this world is full of intelligent beings but in reality most act as base creatures that can apparently parrot intelligent speech.
In conclusion the protagonist is in no way a protagonist as any likable features are buried under a willingness to kill and a general autopilot go here do thing because someone said so attitude, the world is constantly unbelievable as it contradicts itself and add elements for convenience without ever explaining anything about them. And the story works itself around the idea that whatever the protagonist does is the right thing and anyone who isn't directly helping him is somehow bad without any evidence otherwise. Frankly if an actual antagonist had arrived I would probably be rooting for him.
I picked up this book not expecting too much and I still ended up disappointed. The protagonist is sent to a new world and promptly murders anyome he feels like without much remorse or thought put into it. He kills people he doesn't like, sleeps with women who magically decide he's the greatest thing since sliced bread for no good reason and then proceeds to flip flop on morals and motivation like a small child on a trampoline. His first encounter with intelligent race results in him mourning their loss, then he meets goblins and when he surprises and terrifies them murders them when they fight back. However as soon as he meets more goblins these ones are worthy of befriending as they supplicate themselves first, this blatant and never explained flip flopping continues through the entire story (or as much as I could bear to read) everyone in this world appears to go along with this attitude of casual murder but their reasonings are never explained. A race of grey dwarves attack his allies and the response is instant uncompromising genocide, no provision is made for civilians or children it is made clear everyone in the city is slain to make way for our protagonist's idea for a multicultural city before he goes off hunting another race for trophies merely because he was told to and not because he understands anything about them that actually would merit their on-sight destruction. But still at some point he will converse with them presumably with mutual benefit and the idea that both of these things could be possible is ridiculous. We are meant to believe this world is full of intelligent beings but in reality most act as base creatures that can apparently parrot intelligent speech.
In conclusion the protagonist is in no way a protagonist as any likable features are buried under a willingness to kill and a general autopilot go here do thing because someone said so attitude, the world is constantly unbelievable as it contradicts itself and add elements for convenience without ever explaining anything about them. And the story works itself around the idea that whatever the protagonist does is the right thing and anyone who isn't directly helping him is somehow bad without any evidence otherwise. Frankly if an actual antagonist had arrived I would probably be rooting for him.
April 20, 2023
I have no idea why I stuck with this to the two-thirds mark. Okay, it's probably because the power-fantasy is strong with this one. But I kept having to just let go of how things actually work in favor of the special rules at play in this world.
Max doesn't feel like any kind of soldier. He feels like some teen kid making up stories about how tough he is. He's gung-ho at the slightest hint of something cool, including being captured and disarmed. I mean, did he have to volunteer all the weapons in his completely personal and hidden storage space? They're all "put down your weapon" and he just volunteers all the backup weapons he has stored, including the super powerful, one-of-a-kind epic axe he picked up in a desolate battlefield.
Fortunately, those dudes were totally on the up and up and just gave him all his stuff back, including a stack of gold for the dwarven national treasure battleaxe. And no, that's not even sarcastic, that actually happened. And that's how this story goes. Anything an enthusiastic teen would go "that is so cool" just happens because that's how life should be in stories.
Okay, Willmarth tries a bit with a love interest that .
I eventually got tired of the plot moving on juvenile powers. It wore me out, honestly. One star for a story I never should have made it past Regin (the god-smith of Norse myth) doling out epic level armor when Max was still a noob.
Max doesn't feel like any kind of soldier. He feels like some teen kid making up stories about how tough he is. He's gung-ho at the slightest hint of something cool, including being captured and disarmed. I mean, did he have to volunteer all the weapons in his completely personal and hidden storage space? They're all "put down your weapon" and he just volunteers all the backup weapons he has stored, including the super powerful, one-of-a-kind epic axe he picked up in a desolate battlefield.
Fortunately, those dudes were totally on the up and up and just gave him all his stuff back, including a stack of gold for the dwarven national treasure battleaxe. And no, that's not even sarcastic, that actually happened. And that's how this story goes. Anything an enthusiastic teen would go "that is so cool" just happens because that's how life should be in stories.
Okay, Willmarth tries a bit with a love interest that .
I eventually got tired of the plot moving on juvenile powers. It wore me out, honestly. One star for a story I never should have made it past Regin (the god-smith of Norse myth) doling out epic level armor when Max was still a noob.
July 20, 2020
Generic or bad
The standards of a heroic death have really slipped. Meet Max Storm, who died running away after cowering from enemy fire. Good enough for a valkyrie to give him afterlife options.
He does little, is gifted much, and doesn't have anything he is competent in.
The setting is a generic western fantasy world, with Norse gods. The protagonist is an idiot gifted power arbitrarily.
I can't recommend this.
The standards of a heroic death have really slipped. Meet Max Storm, who died running away after cowering from enemy fire. Good enough for a valkyrie to give him afterlife options.
He does little, is gifted much, and doesn't have anything he is competent in.
The setting is a generic western fantasy world, with Norse gods. The protagonist is an idiot gifted power arbitrarily.
I can't recommend this.
October 19, 2020
Ridiculous OP
MC has so many positive attributes as to be farcical. Then he meets a dwarf ghost who gifts him armor and weapons simply for being sad. This is all before he has done *anything*.
There is no dramatic tension, no sense there may be any real peril or plot. Even the justification for why he is sent to this special world is just...whatever. I admit I am not far into the book (12%), but there should still be something that indicates a *point*!! There is no sense of a greater conflict, no hint of purpose.
DNF
MC has so many positive attributes as to be farcical. Then he meets a dwarf ghost who gifts him armor and weapons simply for being sad. This is all before he has done *anything*.
There is no dramatic tension, no sense there may be any real peril or plot. Even the justification for why he is sent to this special world is just...whatever. I admit I am not far into the book (12%), but there should still be something that indicates a *point*!! There is no sense of a greater conflict, no hint of purpose.
DNF
November 27, 2023
Ratings:- 3.5 stars
April 19, 2021
I knew I was going to be in for a rough ride when a older military veteran called his new body "badass" 3 times in the span of 10 minutes (audiobook version). It was a problem I struggled with for the whole book, all the "good" characters all acted and talked the exact same way which did not jive with the tone the book seemed to be going for. The characters all acted like teenagers despite being hardened military veterans, or in one case, a god. It really strained how much I could buy into the world despite finding the premise really interesting. The second biggest issue I had was that Max, despite being low leveled, had such ridiculous gear and spells that no fights really seemed to be all that dangerous. I mean, the second he got Jump and Boom he practically slept walked through fights as Boom was a one hit kill he could pull out at will (except for one fight) and they generally all worked out a lot in Max's favor. Even fights that supposedly were stacked against Max and huge fights it all turns out completely fine. For instance, when Max's caravan is surprise attacked by an elite fighting force trying to cause as much damage as possible the total casualties were 3? May as well not have the attack and been a personal attack against Max at that point. Max did plenty of things that did warrant such actions as he is completely ok with committing war crimes at the drop of the hat. But don't worry, 99% of all women he meets instantly fall in love with him at a glance which definitely doesn't add to the feeling Max is casually strolling through the plot without many hardships that actually matter.
For all this I didn't actively dislike the book, just felt while listening to this book that it was junk food. It was ok for a one off read and I liked the world itself even if it is clear there is some world breaking things you can easily get at low levels that make going through the world a cake walk. I dislike ratings out of 5 because I don't think this book is a 4/10, closer to a 5/10 as an averagish time passing novel.
For all this I didn't actively dislike the book, just felt while listening to this book that it was junk food. It was ok for a one off read and I liked the world itself even if it is clear there is some world breaking things you can easily get at low levels that make going through the world a cake walk. I dislike ratings out of 5 because I don't think this book is a 4/10, closer to a 5/10 as an averagish time passing novel.
July 23, 2020
Great Book
Found this by chance but saw it had a ton of great reviews and decided to buy it. I am very glad I did and highly recommend it to others who like fantasy books. I will be getting the next book in series whenever it comes out.
Found this by chance but saw it had a ton of great reviews and decided to buy it. I am very glad I did and highly recommend it to others who like fantasy books. I will be getting the next book in series whenever it comes out.
August 2, 2020
A very odd story written in a weird setting with a bizarre linguo
November 15, 2021
Oh, heck yeah! I believe I've found another favourite LitRPG author in Dave Willmarth. I love the characters her creates, and I'm going to request this from Mr. Willmarth now, please create a kickarse lesbian lead character ASAP!!!!
July 25, 2020
Alert
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Over the past year it has become apparent that my reviews are somewhat antagonistic and I apologize to those of you that have taken offense. I think I had hoped to change peoples’ minds about reviewing works of art and that seems to have backfired spectacularly. However, I am still going to be true to myself and write what I believe.
To the author: Thank you for this chance to escape reality and enjoy the world you created! Keep up the good work.
To my fellow reviewers: Messaging me and reviewing my reviews is as productive as trying to shovel water out of the ocean. Stop. I get it. Let’s just all live peacefully.
To potential readers: Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Over the past year it has become apparent that my reviews are somewhat antagonistic and I apologize to those of you that have taken offense. I think I had hoped to change peoples’ minds about reviewing works of art and that seems to have backfired spectacularly. However, I am still going to be true to myself and write what I believe.
To the author: Thank you for this chance to escape reality and enjoy the world you created! Keep up the good work.
To my fellow reviewers: Messaging me and reviewing my reviews is as productive as trying to shovel water out of the ocean. Stop. I get it. Let’s just all live peacefully.
To potential readers: Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
July 16, 2020
Good new series
I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Though not perfect it is a lot of fun. I really enjoy the setting/world and the authors tone/humor. The MC is a bit OP and gets some easy gifts later but not enough to spoil the fun and danger. This book has some.empire building and I see more of it in the future. The crafting is there early but lags later. I hope the MC continue to improve some of his crafting skills as he adds and advances. The author is not shy about allowing some important secondary characters for and I admire that even if I miss the characters. Can't make the story too Disney fairytale.... I am eagerly awaiting the next book and hope the wait is short. Like gnome or leprechaun short.
I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Though not perfect it is a lot of fun. I really enjoy the setting/world and the authors tone/humor. The MC is a bit OP and gets some easy gifts later but not enough to spoil the fun and danger. This book has some.empire building and I see more of it in the future. The crafting is there early but lags later. I hope the MC continue to improve some of his crafting skills as he adds and advances. The author is not shy about allowing some important secondary characters for and I admire that even if I miss the characters. Can't make the story too Disney fairytale.... I am eagerly awaiting the next book and hope the wait is short. Like gnome or leprechaun short.
July 21, 2020
I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book. I have never heard of this author or read anything else by him however this was a good introduction to his writing style and the story itself. I like the concept of the LITRPG introduction as a afterlife model, and the set up of reincarnation.
BMC it is well written and fun although there are parts where I am wondering if the character would really active certain way or if this is just the authors push of the character in a certain direction. But a little bit of drama that are in it are intriguing and don’t detract from the overall story.
Needless to say, I had a lot fun with the characters, world building was good, plot was good, and it flowed with pace. I’ll be following this author and will pick up the next copy why it’s available.
BMC it is well written and fun although there are parts where I am wondering if the character would really active certain way or if this is just the authors push of the character in a certain direction. But a little bit of drama that are in it are intriguing and don’t detract from the overall story.
Needless to say, I had a lot fun with the characters, world building was good, plot was good, and it flowed with pace. I’ll be following this author and will pick up the next copy why it’s available.
January 11, 2021
A good story, a great narration.
Not 100% my cup of tea, but entertaining still. Looking forward to how the "gang" gets back together.
Not 100% my cup of tea, but entertaining still. Looking forward to how the "gang" gets back together.
July 16, 2020
Very good
For those that have read other reviews or know me I'm the biggest fan of shadow sun which is another of Dave's series to me that series is perfection. This series was not perfection however it was danm good. The subtle humor and character development is great. The plot is familiar yet engaging and entertaining. And best of all it has a little bit of everything, stats, magic, game mechanics hacks, city building, diplomacy, business dealing and more. The action keeps you very engaged and curious as to what the outcomes will be. This is a very very good book and we should expect nothing less from Dave. Book two will be insane I can already tell
For those that have read other reviews or know me I'm the biggest fan of shadow sun which is another of Dave's series to me that series is perfection. This series was not perfection however it was danm good. The subtle humor and character development is great. The plot is familiar yet engaging and entertaining. And best of all it has a little bit of everything, stats, magic, game mechanics hacks, city building, diplomacy, business dealing and more. The action keeps you very engaged and curious as to what the outcomes will be. This is a very very good book and we should expect nothing less from Dave. Book two will be insane I can already tell
July 18, 2020
Excellent
Shadow Sun must rate as one of mybfavorite series of all time and maybe that sentence sounds trite and overused, I definitely mean it. So, when I saw a new book by the same author of the Shadow Sun series I just knew it w as something epic and worth reading. And I wasn't disappointed. Battleborne is epic and a lot more. The characters are likeable, the world they inhabit is described in such vivid detail that you almost feel as if you are walking alongside them, the baddies are bad, the action scenes are worthy of Hollywood and I can just go on. In short, read the book!
Shadow Sun must rate as one of mybfavorite series of all time and maybe that sentence sounds trite and overused, I definitely mean it. So, when I saw a new book by the same author of the Shadow Sun series I just knew it w as something epic and worth reading. And I wasn't disappointed. Battleborne is epic and a lot more. The characters are likeable, the world they inhabit is described in such vivid detail that you almost feel as if you are walking alongside them, the baddies are bad, the action scenes are worthy of Hollywood and I can just go on. In short, read the book!
July 9, 2020
He does it again
This was so good. A great new series hopefully as this sets up a great world with scope for plenty of adventures and city building. The MC is a great character and I enjoyed the setup and ongoing story as he battled, crafted and learnt about his new home.
Looking forward to more and liked to see someone make a wee cameo at the end 😉
I definitely recommend this as it’s well edited and paced to perfection, enjoy 😁
This was so good. A great new series hopefully as this sets up a great world with scope for plenty of adventures and city building. The MC is a great character and I enjoyed the setup and ongoing story as he battled, crafted and learnt about his new home.
Looking forward to more and liked to see someone make a wee cameo at the end 😉
I definitely recommend this as it’s well edited and paced to perfection, enjoy 😁
November 22, 2020
Where do I absolutely begin with this book? So first and foremost, I bought the Audiobook. I was looking for something to listen to while I work (In between phone calls, resume building, etc.)
Anyways. Let's start with the basics first.
Audiobook: 10/10 both individuals did an absolutely amazing job. Intriguing voices, really put emotion into the story. They didn't drag the story along or anything. These were great choices for the story.
Basics: Keep in mind a few things.
The main character was in a war before he died. That is in the description of the book. So not a spoiler. With that being said, I looked at a few reviews on here. In the military you are trained to put emotions to the side and do the job or be killed. There is a lot more to the military then that. So yes, he does what he needs to do to survive.
I will say this, sometimes super overpowered characters annoy me. Honestly, the story moved along in a great pace, great story telling, and the world is well different. So yes, is the character overpowered. Yep. But it wasn't annoying. You get to see how he faces trials and thinks through situations. So I did love this story.
Wow. I was not expecting to write so much. Regardless. This is a great story.
Anyways. Let's start with the basics first.
Audiobook: 10/10 both individuals did an absolutely amazing job. Intriguing voices, really put emotion into the story. They didn't drag the story along or anything. These were great choices for the story.
Basics: Keep in mind a few things.
The main character was in a war before he died. That is in the description of the book. So not a spoiler. With that being said, I looked at a few reviews on here. In the military you are trained to put emotions to the side and do the job or be killed. There is a lot more to the military then that. So yes, he does what he needs to do to survive.
I will say this, sometimes super overpowered characters annoy me. Honestly, the story moved along in a great pace, great story telling, and the world is well different. So yes, is the character overpowered. Yep. But it wasn't annoying. You get to see how he faces trials and thinks through situations. So I did love this story.
Wow. I was not expecting to write so much. Regardless. This is a great story.
December 9, 2021
Well, this was different! I’ve never read a book that’s pretty much like playing World Of Warcraft! Which I love by the way. This world and the characters are right up my alley but where are my beloved elves?? I thought for sure some would appear at some point. Hopefully in the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2020
Loved this book
Great read, fast paced but not frenetic. Storyline is what you would expect but the storytelling is so well written and doesn’t bog down in details of gameplay like so many of Dave’s contemporaries let their story get away from them. The MC is very overpowered by the end of the book and seems to be leading a 4 leaf clover life while being a npc friend is time to make sure your insurance premiums are paid. That being said truly enjoyed the book and looking forward to the follow on books in the serial.
Great read, fast paced but not frenetic. Storyline is what you would expect but the storytelling is so well written and doesn’t bog down in details of gameplay like so many of Dave’s contemporaries let their story get away from them. The MC is very overpowered by the end of the book and seems to be leading a 4 leaf clover life while being a npc friend is time to make sure your insurance premiums are paid. That being said truly enjoyed the book and looking forward to the follow on books in the serial.
July 20, 2020
Just started my journey into the litRPG genre. Having read all isekai manga I could find, I found myself really liking kingdom building, so here we are.
And oh boy, what a strong start.
The book starts in medias res, giving a nice twist to the 'isekai / reborn' classic introduction.
The action scenes are very well described and bound me page after page.
Underway the book delivers just enough detail to keep the RPG elements believable.
Takes a while before the kingdom building starts, a solid foundation for another book.
The formatting of the MC's characters stats / table could be better, is not really responsive to an e-books, where you could be changing font size.
Also a few times the sentences confused me, having me to re-read them, before fully understanding the meaning - I believe the editor could do better.
Except for this, I can't give this less than 5 stars, due to the amazing writing and story.
Really strong start to a series, can't wait for the next one! :)
And oh boy, what a strong start.
The book starts in medias res, giving a nice twist to the 'isekai / reborn' classic introduction.
The action scenes are very well described and bound me page after page.
Underway the book delivers just enough detail to keep the RPG elements believable.
Takes a while before the kingdom building starts, a solid foundation for another book.
The formatting of the MC's characters stats / table could be better, is not really responsive to an e-books, where you could be changing font size.
Also a few times the sentences confused me, having me to re-read them, before fully understanding the meaning - I believe the editor could do better.
Except for this, I can't give this less than 5 stars, due to the amazing writing and story.
Really strong start to a series, can't wait for the next one! :)
July 12, 2020
Great Book
I'm a big fan of these types of books where for so reason you die and go to some place, usually some older Roman type culture, then you go off on quest of some sort. This is the first book of this type that reminds me of my younger days reading "Conan" The author does a great job with the story by keeping the story interesting by adding the right amount of fighting, little funny parts and interesting characters. I have added this author to my favorites lost and will certainly purchase the next book in this series.
I'm a big fan of these types of books where for so reason you die and go to some place, usually some older Roman type culture, then you go off on quest of some sort. This is the first book of this type that reminds me of my younger days reading "Conan" The author does a great job with the story by keeping the story interesting by adding the right amount of fighting, little funny parts and interesting characters. I have added this author to my favorites lost and will certainly purchase the next book in this series.
April 1, 2021
For the first half of this book I would say it was hovering right around a 4 star, but the longer it went the more... meh it became. The premise is nothing special at this point for lit rpg. Someone dies on earth and gets a second chance in a fantasy world. The character isn't exactly human, but the "Chimera" he becomes is basically just another Human+. Again the story is pretty good up to about the half way point, and then it just starts to drag. It probably would have benefitted from being split into two books and book 2 getting a couple of redrafts.
July 9, 2020
Solid litrpg
This is one of the better entries in the litrpg genre I've read to date. It doesn't break into anything specifically unique, but it's still a fun read.
Only notable negative:
Makes one reference to another litrpg series that pretty heavily broke immersion for me. Aleron Kong has done much to both advance and severely hold back the genre. I hope that it doesn't mean the worlds are linked in some way as I could see that being a deal breaker on future novels for me. Overall this is a personal complaint not a reflection of the book's overall quality hence the high rating.
This is one of the better entries in the litrpg genre I've read to date. It doesn't break into anything specifically unique, but it's still a fun read.
Only notable negative:
Makes one reference to another litrpg series that pretty heavily broke immersion for me. Aleron Kong has done much to both advance and severely hold back the genre. I hope that it doesn't mean the worlds are linked in some way as I could see that being a deal breaker on future novels for me. Overall this is a personal complaint not a reflection of the book's overall quality hence the high rating.
July 3, 2020
Excellent read
A great first book to a very promising new series. Loved the character development; races and the darker feel of the story! Loved all of Dave willmarth’s books but this series is shaping up to be my favorite. Story is fast paced and makes you feel and like or dislike all the characters that the reader comes across. Along with leaving the reader wondering what will come next for our hero within the book and having very few loose ends that leave you miserable at wondering if they ever will be resolved at the end. All the while still giving you a brief glimpse of what is to come from the next book. Absolutely looking forward to and can’t wait for the next book to continue the awesome tale!
A great first book to a very promising new series. Loved the character development; races and the darker feel of the story! Loved all of Dave willmarth’s books but this series is shaping up to be my favorite. Story is fast paced and makes you feel and like or dislike all the characters that the reader comes across. Along with leaving the reader wondering what will come next for our hero within the book and having very few loose ends that leave you miserable at wondering if they ever will be resolved at the end. All the while still giving you a brief glimpse of what is to come from the next book. Absolutely looking forward to and can’t wait for the next book to continue the awesome tale!
October 2, 2020
imho, well written and gives ample time for the reader to adjust to the new world, rules, magic, etc.
Some of the smaller events in the story have a somewhat predictable outcome, however the story as whole seems quite unpredictable and you never know what's in the next chapter.
The characters are all unique and well developed. Relationships seem interesting and they develop and change thought the book as well as the characters themselves.
Overall there are some loose ends, however this being just the first book of, hopefully, many, is to be expected.
Overall, the book is really good and I highly recommend.
Some of the smaller events in the story have a somewhat predictable outcome, however the story as whole seems quite unpredictable and you never know what's in the next chapter.
The characters are all unique and well developed. Relationships seem interesting and they develop and change thought the book as well as the characters themselves.
Overall there are some loose ends, however this being just the first book of, hopefully, many, is to be expected.
Overall, the book is really good and I highly recommend.
November 9, 2021
I enjoyed reading the book for the most part but it is absolutely ridiculous male young adult phantasy. I wished i could rate it better but i really can´t.
Max Storm, a soldier who is killed in an ambush, decides to be reborn in a new world instead of going to Walhalla. (The standards of getting to Walhalla really have slipped if being blasted to pieces in an ambush already makes you a special hero deserving special boons for the afterlife, no matter if the protagonist tried to save his team colleague...)
He arrives in the new world already overpowered, promptly meets a god providing him with armor and weapons and trouble-fee accepts to collect ork ears for said god without having met orcs or knowing much about them. A typical amoral soldier. Or maybe he collected ears of his victims on Earth too? He then meets Goblins and attacks and kills them without real reason or regret. Later on ,however, he all of a sudden cares for the survivors who beg him for mercy. The story continues with him meeting dwarfs and fighting against grey dwarfs when he actively participates in the total genocide of the latter ones, ending up king of the now cleansed former grey dwarf town. He then decides that he wants to repopulate it with people from all races (except grey dwarfs). His character development is like a wild roller coaster ride: caring, ruthless, murderous, compassionate, loving, blind with rage, genocidal, diverse, Macchiavellian, arrogant, smug...
Max Storm learns two overpowered magic spells early on (Jump and Boom). The first can get him out of most dangerous situations, the second kills almost everything at once by saying "Boom" and pointing to the target ;-). The women of all races for some reason magically line up to lie at his feet, he instantly has sheer limitless money, great equipment, good trustworthy followers and he is trusted ally of a dwarf king and at least one god. Max Storm is not only a Gary Stu, no he is Master of the Universe!!
Max Storm, a soldier who is killed in an ambush, decides to be reborn in a new world instead of going to Walhalla. (The standards of getting to Walhalla really have slipped if being blasted to pieces in an ambush already makes you a special hero deserving special boons for the afterlife, no matter if the protagonist tried to save his team colleague...)
He arrives in the new world already overpowered, promptly meets a god providing him with armor and weapons and trouble-fee accepts to collect ork ears for said god without having met orcs or knowing much about them. A typical amoral soldier. Or maybe he collected ears of his victims on Earth too? He then meets Goblins and attacks and kills them without real reason or regret. Later on ,however, he all of a sudden cares for the survivors who beg him for mercy. The story continues with him meeting dwarfs and fighting against grey dwarfs when he actively participates in the total genocide of the latter ones, ending up king of the now cleansed former grey dwarf town. He then decides that he wants to repopulate it with people from all races (except grey dwarfs). His character development is like a wild roller coaster ride: caring, ruthless, murderous, compassionate, loving, blind with rage, genocidal, diverse, Macchiavellian, arrogant, smug...
Max Storm learns two overpowered magic spells early on (Jump and Boom). The first can get him out of most dangerous situations, the second kills almost everything at once by saying "Boom" and pointing to the target ;-). The women of all races for some reason magically line up to lie at his feet, he instantly has sheer limitless money, great equipment, good trustworthy followers and he is trusted ally of a dwarf king and at least one god. Max Storm is not only a Gary Stu, no he is Master of the Universe!!
July 6, 2020
Great story but needs a better editor
This is the start to another great series...however, it really needs a much better editor.
I love the character Max, he’s not some young feckless gamer excited about being transported into a litrpg world. He actually is thinking and planning for his new circumstances. In addition, he has a good head on his shoulders (while he scrambles from situation to situation just barely staying ahead of calamity).
The world he finds himself in, he’s at a disadvantage as he is NOT a gamer so it’s fun to watch him try to make sense of his surroundings while trying to survive.
The downside of this book is a lot of errors (spelling/grammar) somehow got through the proofing process, which is a shame as I would have definitely rated this book higher.
There’s missing punctuation such as “ when characters are speaking (this happens throughout the book), misspelled words ‘waived’ instead of ‘waved’ and odd spacing.
Fortunately, I was able to ignore these problem and focus on the story but l was half-way through the book by then.
Overall, the story/plot was excellent, fast-paced and crackled with life and energy. I will definitely follow this series.
This is the start to another great series...however, it really needs a much better editor.
I love the character Max, he’s not some young feckless gamer excited about being transported into a litrpg world. He actually is thinking and planning for his new circumstances. In addition, he has a good head on his shoulders (while he scrambles from situation to situation just barely staying ahead of calamity).
The world he finds himself in, he’s at a disadvantage as he is NOT a gamer so it’s fun to watch him try to make sense of his surroundings while trying to survive.
The downside of this book is a lot of errors (spelling/grammar) somehow got through the proofing process, which is a shame as I would have definitely rated this book higher.
There’s missing punctuation such as “ when characters are speaking (this happens throughout the book), misspelled words ‘waived’ instead of ‘waved’ and odd spacing.
Fortunately, I was able to ignore these problem and focus on the story but l was half-way through the book by then.
Overall, the story/plot was excellent, fast-paced and crackled with life and energy. I will definitely follow this series.
September 30, 2020
Once again, another book falls into the bottomless pit. This is becoming a pattern now.
So why did I drop this thing so early? Because, once again, nothing was happening!
I like conflict to be established early. I don't like the navel-gazing trend that so many LitRPG books fall into. It's already hard enough suspending disbelief with all the totally impractical "status pages" and stuff. At least show me the goal post, so I know the trek is worth it.
Life is short, damnit.
So why did I drop this thing so early? Because, once again, nothing was happening!
I like conflict to be established early. I don't like the navel-gazing trend that so many LitRPG books fall into. It's already hard enough suspending disbelief with all the totally impractical "status pages" and stuff. At least show me the goal post, so I know the trek is worth it.
Life is short, damnit.
July 10, 2020
Book one
Mistakes: I found only two mistakes in this book.
Plot: A lot happened in this book. It doesn’t feel rushed and everything flows nicely. Lots of fighting, loot, friends, love, death and so much more.
Characters: I really enjoyed the characters in this book and look forward to reading book two.
9/10
Mistakes: I found only two mistakes in this book.
Plot: A lot happened in this book. It doesn’t feel rushed and everything flows nicely. Lots of fighting, loot, friends, love, death and so much more.
Characters: I really enjoyed the characters in this book and look forward to reading book two.
9/10
August 10, 2020
Good book, entertaining. Not quite great, so it's a 4, but a solid 4. Rather different than his other books that I've read, but not in a bad way. Lots of sequel potential, so we'll see what happens.
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