Ninetoes

by Tim Andrews, Level Up

What if an NPC dismissed with contempt by the players of your role-playing game was to become an adventurer? A LitRPG adventure.Ninetoes is a wizard, which is unusual for a hobgoblin, and more unusual still, he’s no longer an NPC. The world of Adrenon is a game world and a twist of fate has made Ninetoes an Adventurer. With this new status comes access to power, magic and skills that his kind can rarely attain, but more, it is a chance to grow and become the centre of his own story.In his first quest, among the ancient ruins of Kavralach, Ninetoes faces danger and intrigue. Failure will mean the destruction of his home and his people, for whom he now has the potential to become their champion. Ninetoes must master the magic system of the game, advance as rapidly as he can, and find friends. For a wizard alone is vulnerable. If he can prevail, the hobgoblin Adventurer might someday become the hero he needs to be.

219 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2020

Reviews

[Kupel Yosef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another fantastic LitRPG novel to pass through my hands and join the droves of books that will fall on me one day and kill me. Don’t worry because being killed by having this book smashing me in the head would be an honor. This book is just that because it is just that amazing of a read! Now have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons or more commonly known as D&D? If not, then you might not appreciate the genius behind the following question. What happens to those characters we roll, but then decide to abandon to the Game Master’s folder? I did not know the answer until I picked up Tim Andrew’s Ninetoes. Enter Ninetoes, a hobgoblin, set in a D&D world where the wilds are filled with beasts such as Owlbears and nasty dwarves and goblins (yes, that was slightly D&D racist). Ninetoes must become the Adventure that he never knew how to be and become a master wizard to defeat those challenges that are laid out in front of him on his path to becoming the most powerful player on the field. Absolutely loved the nods to D&D and other tabletop RPGs that fill up the pages of this novel. The world building is already present, and Tim uses it to his full advantage by playing off of long known hatreds and uses it as a fine tool to add rich detail to each of his characters. Now, you are probably assuming that I would recommend reading this book to learn alongside Ninetoes as he changes from a standard hobgoblin into a master wizard, but you would be wrong. Ninetoes is just the cream on the cake that is Libby, the liberator of cheese, and she is by far the biggest star of the show with her absolute love for cheese and a mouth that would make your grandmother pass out from shock. Before continuing it is unprecedented that I mention that Libby is not your ordinary hero, but the Hero of all squirrels. Another brilliant addition to the LitRPG genre and would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for an entertaining novel with genuine characters filled with realistic struggles of self-doubt. Overall, a brilliant read.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true gem

What I liked the most about this story, is that the main character is a hobgoblin.

I say this, as it somewhat reflects how he doesn’t see the world as a human would - which can sometimes explain murder hobo tendencies he shows.
On top of this, the world feels rich and real, and the characters are fun.

I plan to read book 2.

[Aakif · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just hate the fucking squirrel.
Overall the book is quite good. The story follows the Hobgoblin Ninetoes as he does what any of us do in any RPG, grind as much as you can before the main quest. Slow but a very decent story. Finally I did not like the squirrel. It's not that it was a badly written character or anything, but to me it felt that the narrative was at times forced for the squirrel to be useful, and any other animal could have done better. But it's purely a subjective Oppinion, and I would still recommend the book for DnD lovers.

[Ryan McCoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid novel

A good, solid story. Plot structure was clean and the characters were interesting. He is flirting with three-dimensional characters and it feels like they are almost there. The world feels reasonably well-developed and familiar. I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing where things go.

[andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun adventure

Starts a little slow but quickly builds into an excellent adventure. A fun read for any d&d fan or anyone who loves leveling and loot