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Underpowered Howard

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When there's no way to win, cheat, and cheat BIG.

Deep within Heroes of Mythian, a game world where retirees exchange their physical bodies for an eternity of adventure, Howard learns a terrible secret: the game is glitched, and it’s killing its mightiest players forever.

Desperate to save his friends and countless innocents, he hatches a plan to fix things. Doing so will require skill, determination, and help from a number of unlikely heroes along the way. Using his deep knowledge of game mechanics, he’ll start again as a level 0 necromancer and exploit his way to power.

With luck, his game-breaking exploits will alert Mythian’s admins that something is wrong. With more luck, they’ll pull him aside and ask how and why he'd done it.

With even MORE luck … well … in that unlikely event, the game’s creators — uncaring at best, and sadistic at worst — won’t delete him for exposing their mistakes.

It’s a risk he’s willing to take, though some warn it may destroy all of Mythian in the process.

Don't miss an epic LitRPG Adventure from #1 Bestselling author John L. Monk. Did we mention it's got plenty of laughs? It's perfect for fans of Dakota Krout, James Osiris Baldwin, and Ryan Rimmel.

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 2, 2021

289 people are currently reading
164 people want to read

About the author

John L. Monk

21 books133 followers
John L. Monk lives in Virginia, USA, with his wife, Dorothy. A writer with a degree in cultural anthropology, he boldly does the dishes, roots out evil wherever it lurks, and writes his own stunts.

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5 stars
228 (44%)
4 stars
168 (32%)
3 stars
76 (14%)
2 stars
27 (5%)
1 star
17 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
568 reviews23 followers
March 1, 2021
As always, I go by the Goodreads grading system. One star means I did not like a book, and indeed I hated Underpowered Howard. As merit goes, the book writing is fine. It'd call it mid-list self-publishing level with a tendency to indulge in too many puns and pop-culture refs. That it produced such an emotional response in me versus boredom also goes to show that the author can handle the craft of telling a story.

So what I'm reacting to is not a bad book. What I'm reacting to is that I hated this story. I don't like a story of a good guy working hard to try to do the right thing and then getting punished for it.

Gamelit and LitRPG are escapist at their core. When we open a story in this genre, we get to experience both progression and triumph second-hand. Monk, instead, uses this platform to craft a horror story that verges on the Kafka-esque. There's no way to victory and an uncaring negligent development team has not only abandoned its charges, it, well, I can't really say what it does without spoiling but it's really ugly.

While Underpowered Howard uses a light tone and a digitized-to-the-game setting, its story is ultimately depressing and horrible. It might not be the wrong story but it was the wrong story for me. And going with how I received that story, my reaction to it, I can't think of any justification to bump it up to two stars ("It was okay") because for me it wasn't. I hated the betrayals. I hated Jane. I hated her god. I hated the Bounty-like sailing ship instance. I hated the developers. I hated the world. I hated the story.
Profile Image for Freedom.
46 reviews71 followers
February 13, 2021
I hear the word standalone for this book, but I reject this reality and substitute my own - one in which Mr. Monk publishes yet another trilogy within the Mythian gameverse.

Mr. Monks writing is equal parts glib humor, exacting game rationale, magical whimsy, and a few instances of spontaneous rhyming verse.

By far my favorite aspect in Underpowered Howard was the creative bits of magic that were easily as fun as say.. eating a piece of cake.

The ending gave me a bit of anxiety...the good kind! The kind with a looming threat made real.. however, I would complain that we were left without a proper emotional goodbye from the MC. Leaves me hope for more. Pls more?
Profile Image for H Rez.
137 reviews3 followers
July 17, 2022
So, not your typical VR litrpg, which is probably why I enjoyed most of it.
The focus seems to be less on the game play and more on the journey, it doesn't get snagged on game mechanics on interface details and I didn't get the feeling I'm being infodumped on.
To sum, this one takes to heart the 'show, don't tell' maxim and it's all the better for it.
Profile Image for Jim.
388 reviews9 followers
May 14, 2021
Howard, unlucky but committed, genius or madman?

This retirement game world is broken and no one can win on purpose, at least that’s what. Howard thinks after centuries of losing friends to a pain fueled nightmare sold as an infinite swords and sorcery style adventure.
The truth is far more nefarious but is it bad programming, a bug or corruption of the code? Howard is convinced the only solution is to break the game to get the developers attention. Or die trying. He already lost so many friends over the centuries of his retirement, it broke him, then reforged him with purpose.
The only question is whether he can bear the pain, as there will be to a of pain, physics and emotional.
Read on to see if Howard’s quest is fulfilled or is he convinced of the danger and futility of his goal?
A godlike being is against him, as well as an infinitely stronger follower of that being.
Profile Image for That Guy.
186 reviews10 followers
August 23, 2021
Pretty PG, got bored

I tried to finish the book but just couldn't get through it. Made it 60% in and found myself not really caring what happened. It also does that weird thing where it's perfectly ok to discuss death and going murder hobo, but the MC blushes at anything even remotely sexual even though he is hundreds of years old. He also seems to be ok with extreme violence but saying curse words is a no no.... What? No grown man says heck and darn. It's just weird...Reads like it was written for sheltered man children that live with thier mom in the Midwest.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,173 reviews81 followers
February 7, 2021
Stand alone

Mistakes: Almost a five star. Very well written, but it didn't get me excited as I was reading. Nor did I feel a sense of loss when I finished it.

Plot: A game world where the only exit is blocked by an unwinable fight, and one players desperate bid to bring attention to it.

Characters: The MC felt a bit false and shallow. Never liked characters that get upset about having to kill in self-defense and start calling themselves a murderer.

8/10
Profile Image for Jessica Gleason.
Author 37 books76 followers
February 27, 2021
I enjoyed the new perspective and expanded universe. I kept trying to turn the last page without realizing I'd hit the end of the book. I suppose that means I want more.

This was enjoyable and different than Ethan's story. I love that this is an inventive and unique premise and hope to see more.
2,478 reviews17 followers
March 24, 2021
I didn’t find “plenty of laughs” in this book. It was actually quite depressing.
Profile Image for Niels Baumgartner.
265 reviews2 followers
February 13, 2021
Wow

A book with a whole plot? Not written as a series? Id forgotten what they were like. This one is quite the masterpiece.
Worth your time. Recommend this 100%. Take a lazy day and go for it. You’ll love this story.
Profile Image for William Howe.
1,800 reviews88 followers
March 8, 2021
Not as wacky as you’d expect

There are a few moments of absurdity, notably around two characters in particular. But it’s not the dominant theme.

This is about an MC who has all but beaten the game several times.

Really well done. Conceptually, there is a lot going on.
Profile Image for Steve Naylor.
2,486 reviews127 followers
May 16, 2022
Rating 3.0 stars

This book started off pretty well but in the end I wasn't that impressed. This one had more of a story from the beginning which is where these type of books usually lack. When people retire they can upload themselves into the virtual world to live. The MC has done that. When he was 70 he uploaded himself into this world of magic and adventure. At the end of the game if they defeat the that challenge they can get a new synthetic body in the real world. Howard was afraid to take his chance. Over time all his friends left to face the challenge and he never saw them again. After building up his level more he decided to take the chance. He had 10 lives in this section of the game to try and make it. After he lost 9 times he came to the conclusion that the game was broken. There was no way to win. That means that everyone who tried has lost aren't coming back. He tries to warn people but very few listen. He decides to rest his character and start over again to try and find a way to fix the game. He plays at least a dozen characters before he switches. He never ends up as a high level character again which is why the call him underpowered Howard. He then comes across a work around to try and fix the game. The plan seems pretty reasonable at first but it becomes kind of stupid after a while. More than half of the book is spent with Howard trying to complete the first part of the plan. Overall this was a miss for me.
Profile Image for Sydney.
1,339 reviews67 followers
June 7, 2021
3.5 To Thin Civility In The Face Of Astonishing Stupidity Stars

Underpowered Howard is a LitRPS Adventure novel by John L. Monk.

This book was shaping up to be five stars of scarily fascinating machinations and world building. That I felt all too lucky to have discovered and therefore devoured. However, within reaching the final portion of the book where Howard sets out to create his army of Liches. Which was the surprising and long awaited, revealed BIG PLAN mentioned throughout the book. I felt let down? And then further disappointed in how Monk concluded this story with what amounts to a complete and utter recall of the world building we’ve thus far, with pushing the surviving and even long dead into another retirement world to be newly discovered. (Hopefully not as skewed against anyone actually winning as this one proved to be.)

But outside of the downsides, I adored much of this book so much I couldn’t bring myself to discount what came before that failing of an ending. (Imo)

So: SPOILERS ⚠️ below ⬇️

The concept behind the “lucids” alone intriguing enough to thoroughly snag my interest. Taking into account the mechanics individual to Mythian alone. What with the ridiculously bugged Domination to face on Ward 4. The instanced Royal Banshee with the douchebaggery of the Captain and later murderous crew. Yet again, the weirdness of a giant sea turtle 🐢 surfacing because of worms burrowing into its actual being, which you must assist in decimating to be rewarded with the best ingredient of the game.

All included my absolute favorite aspect of this entire book comes to four characters (outside of the beguiling Howard of course): Jane the Paladin, God Bernard Innskeeper of The Slaughtered Noob, and especially the amazing/wonderful couple Felix and Elfie Barnes. (Especially!)

Oh, and of course the ever compounding hilarity of the mostly ridiculous descriptions for many objects within the world of Mythian itself being a source of unending entertainment.
41 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2021
Undercover Life Transference.

The book is readable.
The character (main) - Howard, is a good lead.
The life of this book, even until the end, is "how to make the developer listen when something is wrong?"

It is a nice snapshot of life imitating art and getting it right.

I didn't find it hard to believe, that those in charge fond it hard to correct a mistake until it bites them in the butt. Overloading the counter is tried and true method that no programmer/debugger can overlook.

The only thing is the end of this book. If the author wishes to leave it as a stand alone, good. I also don't think it would hurt to flesh out the aftermath. It doesn't have to be all "roses and sunshine" but he can do better than a Matrix 3 ending.

Just saying.

A little confusing and long winded in some area's but still a good read.

N~
42 reviews
April 15, 2021
Sticks with you...

This is the kind of book that you can't stop thinking about for a while. It reminds me of some of my favorites: Enders Game, Dune, and others. They aren't just pure entertainment, because the characters are so real and the situation is so well explained, the events that transpire are so deep, your mind won't just skip off them easily like a smooth rock on a calm lake. Rather, your mind mulls it over. It's a delicious sort of feeling that I've become addicted to because I have had the privilege of reading such amazing authors. I like entertainment, of course, and this book is incredibly entertaining, but I love that it's more than that, too.
Profile Image for Colin Bate.
22 reviews2 followers
February 21, 2022
I'm not sure why I put this one off after reading the Chronicles of Ethan, but it was a nice dessert to add to that series. It definitely takes place in the same world, and Ethan is mentioned several times in this book.

This is not a stat-heavy book from a progression perspective, but there was a fair bit of 'battle math' and jargon which was notable, but not problematic for regulars of the genre. I probably wouldn't recommend this as a gateway into the genre though.

The MC was a bit devoid of personality, but the supporting characters made up for it.
Profile Image for Devan.
622 reviews20 followers
April 15, 2022
DNF

So some people might really like this book. In fact I was really enjoying the witty humor and story up until about 3/4 of the way through. At that point the MC makes a big choice that I was super annoyed by. Not only did that rub me wrong , but due to the choice I could tell what way the story was heading and I don’t like that kind of story.

Don’t want to spoil it, but it boils down to an MC making incredibly dumb choices that make no sense. Choices that you can tell will lead to more dumb choices and consequences.
Profile Image for Cameron.
283 reviews9 followers
February 7, 2021
Unexpectedly Enjoyable In ways I couldn’t imagine

I liked this book a lot. I will say it is written standalone - but the story works a lot as a standalone novel with a great arc that covers the main characters journey.

The humor and game / design elements are quite entertaining, well developed, and I greatly enjoyed the personalities of the numerous side characters. All in all, a fun experience.
Profile Image for Jack Vinson.
950 reviews48 followers
February 27, 2021
More Mythian!

The author had written a 3-book series, so I picked up this one as well. Turns out this one-shot is set in the same game-world, but with different characters. Knowledge of the previous series isn’t required, but helps a bit. Main character has a plan and has been investigating ways to make it happen. Now he has the plan and power, but others aren’t so sure it is a good idea. He gains a LOT of power on his way there. And some fun adventures and good (bad) puns.
60 reviews
December 31, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was amusing but got increasingly frustrating towards the end because things didn't make sense anymore. From my perspective, the author created an awful excuse to "rescue" the MC from the consequences of his plan. That was a shame because I really liked the MC and other supporting characters and wished for things to have been more thought-out than what actually happened.
Profile Image for Michael Rinaldi.
59 reviews1 follower
June 4, 2022
I just couldn’t get behind it

I heard the story turned decent after about 60%, but I just couldn’t make it. I got about halfway through with a few hours of predicted read time left on my kindle and I dropped it.

The entire first half is just Howard planning for the actual plot and that just isn’t my cup of tea. The final boss helped by giving a good backstory, but the multiple lives made it seem less tense.
Profile Image for Harold.
21 reviews
February 5, 2021
It was a fun and unique take on a genre where everything progressed in an understandable fashion. Why people did what they did on all accounts is reasonable and within a simple framework. Doesn't make the story bad, rather it makes the characters feel real.

Definitely one of the better tales I have read. Just felt like it ended a chapter early.
Profile Image for Charles Daniel.
583 reviews6 followers
February 14, 2021
Question: When you're trapped in a broken Virtual Reality Role Playing Game, how do you fix it?

Answer: Break the game so thoroughly that the Administrators are required to find out what you've done. Which brings you to the next question; what can you do to break the game? The answer to that question is the genius of Underpowered Howard.
Profile Image for Travis.
2,888 reviews48 followers
April 15, 2021
Pretty good story. Makes for interesting reading. I always like when the main character is setting out to accomplish something thought to be impossible. I like the various ways authors have of accomplishing the task for their characters. Can't say I predicted this one, but it sure made for a fairly decent story, so that's always a good thing.
I liked this one.
Profile Image for Ricky Stafford.
6 reviews
July 31, 2021
Fun book.

Honestly, it was a tad confusing at first. What is the real world like? How has he spent so much time in the game? Most of it makes some sense by the end, but not everything. Beyond that, it was a great read! Fun adventures, comedy and some suspenseful moments. Worth reading!
4 reviews
September 20, 2021
Amazing

I was enraptured with this book, and I can not WAIT to see how everything turns out in book 2, providing that there will be a book 2. I sincerely wish to see the story continue.

The characters are dynamic, the plot has twists that I never saw coming, and to top it all off, the world feels very well built.
Profile Image for John #Audible.
368 reviews
February 3, 2021
This P2W game world mess. Apparently the dev's brains went to mush when they made it, to have game mechanics in place like this ridiculous world has is just laughable. The MC is also a total unlikeable jag off to top it all off.
Profile Image for Kyi Night.
133 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2021
This was a astranged book which was alot of fun to read. A former develop trying to break the game in order to save the game and those who he loved. And who no where near overpowered but does find a game breaking thing and the consquence which follow. Yeah this is quite an interesting read
14 reviews
August 26, 2021
Better than I was expecting

This book has a unique and interesting outlook, even though it doesn’t necessarily draw you in with a quick fast paced sugar rush, it has staying power and is one hell of a book.
Profile Image for Ethan Stein.
Author 5 books247 followers
December 8, 2021
A fun entry in the world of Mythian. Same level of entertainment as the Chronicle of Ethan stories but with a more localized goal although it does have far-reaching implications. Definitely interested in listening to more tales.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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