Goldenshield

by J.R. Andrews

He thought his life was boring...until he woke up in a video game. Now he's a Level 1 newb in a deadly world without a restart button. Gerald Lawson just wanted to wrap up the last few hours of his night shift playing Realm Quest , his favorite video game RPG, before kicking off an epic weekend of gaming. But after a strange encounter with an ancient-looking guy who wouldn't be out of place at a cosplay convention, Gerald wakes up inhabiting his character from the game, and the town of Copperton is burning around him. Learning to survive his new reality proves harder than he could have imagined, and before he can even grind to a decent level, he's caught in a conflict between a local gang of outlaws and the people of Copperton. Even worse, he soon realizes this version of the game is increasingly unlike the one he's used to, and he's not the only one out of place. With dark plots in motion that could transform the very nature of the world, Gerald may be forced to abandon his quest to get back home in favor of something even to become the hero the people of Realm Quest desperately need. Goldenshield is the first book in the action-packed Realm Quest GameLit saga. If you like MMORPGs, reluctant heroes, complex villians, and a world with rich fantasy lore, you'll love J. R. Andrews' innovative new fantasy epic. Buy Goldenshield today to experience leveling up in a deadly online world!

420 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2020

About the author

JR Andrews is the pen name for real life human Jason A. Rust. Born in Indianapolis, he's lived all but the first six months of his life in Northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio. An avid reader and lifelong lover of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, as JR Andrews he writes stories set in fantasy worlds where the proverbial *% has hit the fan or is just about to do so.

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Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goldenshield by J.R. Andrews is a fairly typical fantasy storyline with hints of LitRPG and plenty of surprises thrown in. Not a typical LitRPG. No real stats, all very general, still a great fantasy, stuck in a video game type story. I enjoyed the story, the writing, the characters, and the inventiveness put forth by the author. I came to understand "there's no place like home" doesn't always fit the mold. I am looking forward to continuing the story and future adventures of Goldenshield. The story had me captivated, always wanting to get back to reading as soon as possible which is a true measure of a book. Put this one on your TBR list.

[Lenron Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, the mc was annoying at first but he got it together and realized it’s okay to grow up and have responsibilities.

[Dennis Plante · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Very Good

I am 30% of the way through this book. The plot is pretty good, and there's 2 MCs. The first is Gerald; he's a former rookie cop and is lazy, immature, ignorant, irresponsible, dumb (OMG so dumb), and whines a lot. Gerald has no good qualities
up to this point. The second is Zeke, and he also worked for the small town police department. They are childhood friends. He's very immature, high strung, and has a big temper, but is way smarter than Gerald. Both MCs are unlikable at this point in the book, especially Gerald. It appears he received very little training as a cop, probably because he is so lazy and has very little self motivation.
Okay, I'm over 50% through this book, and my opinion of Gerald and Zeke has not changed except to say Gerald has now developed a huge ego and has gone from whining to constant complaining! Two women have joined the two MC. They are, of course, brilliant, beautiful, and great fighters.
Well, I am 75% through the book.  At this point, I don't care what happens to all the characters. Since the characters started heading to Riverglow, this book has gotten to be mind numbingly boring. I'm not sure if I will finish it.
At the 85% point of this book, Gerald has an epiphany and suddenly becomes nice, smart, selfless, and generally a great guy.
The last few chapters are decent.

[Luis Dall · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever played any mmorpg or rpg video game you will truly enjoy this book! I have never read a LitRPG before, but i figured i would give it a shot, as I am an avid fantasy novel reader. I thoroughly enjoyed reading htis book. The main character has a n easy going gamervibe to him that makes the read easy and fun. The world and plot building was fun and smooth but kept the story moving along a at a fun digestaible clip. I thoroughly enjoyed how th emain character and his friend are always aware they are in a video game and remid themselves and the reader thorough simple actions.

A well written and fun read. Grammer and editing was well done. You can tell this author take shis writting seriously and this is not a debut novel. There is a level a maturity to the story telling. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest review.

This was really fun! I'd never read a LitRPG book before, although I've watched quite a few Isekai animes so I knew what to expect. I was worried that it would get tied down in numbers - health stats, levelling up and the like, but it really didn't. Instead this was a genuinely sweet book about finding where you belong and growing as a person. And, as a D&D nerd myself, I love the idea of being stuck in a D&D-esque world, so I found all of the references really exciting to read.

At the beginning I didn't like Gerald, but as I continued I realised that that was the point - he was a relatable main character because he wasn't perfect, or evil, he was just a normal person with the a slightly above average amount of laziness and selfishness but had to grow past that.

Overall this was just a really fun, light read!

[Margaret]

I received a free copy of this book from VRO and this is my voluntary honest review.
I find that I can't rate this book. I could not get past chapter one. I'm sorry. I just couldn't read because of all the unnecessary ( cuss) words. For me, it ruins the book. I believe a good writer doesn't need them.
I found the concept for the book intreging! Wakeing up in a video game and having the delema to go on a quest and becoming a hero or attempting to go home to the life he had before. Wow! Interesting! Intreging!
I'm pretty sure the writting is great, and a well paced story that is enjoyable and engaging! I wish the author great success in his writting! Check out this book for yourself! You probably will enjoy it! Enjoy!

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, I feel I need to apologize for the significant delay in leaving feedback. Only came across the error when reconciling the books on my phone.

I'm a geekish, nerd at heart. Though I've not read LitRPG before, I do indulge in the genre on gaming platforms. Like others have mentioned Gerald is the guy you love to hate.

The story is well told, laid out, and is clearly not written by someone who was bored and decided to write a book. Whether he did the editing, typesetting himself or not, it's a well-polished book.

Thanks to J.R. Andrews, I've gone on to read a few other LitRPG books. Though I've found it can be a hit-and-miss. So, I have to thank him for a positive introduction to the genre.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

The story is about Gerald and his best friend who are keen gamers who are drawn into a RPG world.

The storyline was appealing as a fan of RPGs and fantasy stories. The characters felt a little stereotypical and I found it hard to connect to any of them. The plot was well paced and engaging.

I did find the two side characters decisions to stay in the RPG realm interesting and would have liked to seen this element in a little more detail. But that’s probably a different story.

Overall an enjoyable read.

[Collette Mcguckin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a gamer I started reading this book excited by the gaming aspect, but I really did not feel it in that aspect. It felt more along the lines of “A wizard in rhyme” series (by christopher stasheff) where the man transmigrated from the real world to another fantasy world…but heavier. Took me a while to get into it but in the end I did, and I enjoyed it, and am looking forward to reading the next book.

[H J Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this thrilling LitRPG adventure. Featuring amazing fantasy and game elements, Andrews manages to create truly human characters, veering away from the beautiful and flawless trope.
Beautifully written, Andrews crafts a world unlike any other that will leave you wanting more. Action, drama, relationships, morality, romance, and fantasy all inhabit the world that you are about to enter.
Any gamer, fantasy addict, or book lover should read this!
Note: contains much swearing.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goldenshield is a great fantasy read. This is the first LitRPG novel I have read and because I am not a gamer I appreciated that the author gave an explanation each time he used gaming terminology or shorthand. This was an exciting adventure story where the main characters learn and grow as the story advances.

[Amber Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be an easy read. There is a lot of swearing but, they are young men taken from the real world and dropped into a video game. I really enjoyed myself reading it even if Gerald was irritating at times.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two friends get physically sucked into the game world that they have been playing. The story is not very compelling, and down right boring. Your our only hope, meets an officer who has ignored all of the game world with the exception of the go here and kill that.

[Vicky Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeke and Gerald were fun characters to follow on their adventure in the real world and in the game world. It was a typical RPG/D&D game made real in book form. I would read a second book just to see what happens to the best friends.

[Alan Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great New Series

This is the beginning of a great new series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am really looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Megan Watt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could hardly put this book down. It was easy to get lost in the world and get to know the characters. I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out.

[Richin109 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book

It was a different litrpg and enjoyed it. I cannot wait until the next book comes out. It will be interesting the direction the series takes.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book if you are a gamer. Not a big gamer myself but enjoyed the book. I’m sure that others will love it more.

[Aaron Ocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good first foray for the author. Interesting premise and good foreshadowing of what’s to come.

[Collette Mcguckin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a gamer I started reading this book excited by the gaming aspect, but I really did not feel it in that aspect. It felt more along the lines of “A wizard in rhyme” series (by christopher stasheff) where the man transmigrated from the real world to another fantasy world…but heavier. Took me a while to get into it but in the end I did, and I enjoyed it, and am looking forward to reading the next book

[Ali Whaite]

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and there was enough going on to keep the reader wanting more, but not too many new characters introduced at once to confuse things. The author ensured that everything made sense whilst also creating suspense and keeping my guessing as to where the next twist was going to be. I’m looking forward to reading more from him.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goldenshield broke the mold on LitRPG novels. The heroes aren’t playing a game. Gerald is a deputy sheriff responding to a disturbance in a store when he encounters a strange old man who hits him and his friend with a staff. Both young men then wake up in a different—a world that is similar to their gaming universe with a few small but important differences. Gerald’s friend, Zeke, is excited by the new world ,but Gerald just wants to get back home. He doesn’t think that things in the “game” universe are important and he certainly doesn’t want to take any responsibility for what is happening around them.

As Gerald fights against accepting his new reality, he and Zeke learn they aren’t the only earth-people trapped here in the game-verse. And they learn that one really important game function doesn’t work in this universe. There is no resurrection or respawning. This solidifies Gerald’s commitment to getting back to reality, but unfortunately for him there are lots of more immediate problems in his way—local bandits, an invading army, and an usurper king.

J. R. Andrews has put together a very nice story here with lots of action, strong worldbuilding, and credible character growth. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to the sequel.

I received this book from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story held my interest from the synopsis right away. Gaming, fantasy and adventures are all genres that I read so it wasn’t hard to get into it. I was hooked from the beginning of the book.. It reminded me a bit of Ready Player One, which I also loved. I was definitely caught up in the story and the characters. There were a few nice surprises to keep me guessing. I loved the characters. They were all well developed and interesting. There was nothing that I didn’t enjoy about this book except that it ended. I look forward to reading more by this author.
This book was a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Meghan Brownjohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

I'm going through a litrpg kick and this one kicked butt. I loved the fresh take on the well worn topic of litrpgs. With a LOT less emphasis on the mechanics of video games and way more attention to both actual character depth and storyline, Goldenshield held my attention. And while I don't usually like the reluctant hero thing, I loved it here. It made everything more believable because our main character spent so much time wanting to be back home.

I would continue reading if there were a 2nd book out :P Lol.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone for enjoys online gaming I was drawn to this book and I'm glad I was! Its a good read. Written well, and easy to jump into and an easy escape for a couple of hours. As a gamer I enjoyed the gaming elements, to the story and felt it added a layer of interest and understanding for me but you don't need to be a gamer to enjoy or understand the book. The plot is interesting and has depth and mystery to keep you intrigued, it moves at a good pace to keep you interested. I'll be looking out for any other books the Realm Quest Saga. If you're looking for an easy escape to a fantasy realm for a couple of hours this books for you.


I was given a copy of this book to read and review.

[Keri Rowback · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

I had some issues with this one for the first few chapters (especially the slow start and a few generic characters), but my the middle of part one I was really enjoying it. There are a lot of reasons to read Goldenshield. Lovable side characters, an interesting and detailed game world, and an intriguing plot that uses game models to the author’s benefit. Despite the slow start, the overall story is a great, fun read that many should add to their TBR list.

[Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder with exciting plot, clearly drawn characters and strong elements of danger and thrill. Great book for young readers who love adventure stories.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty decent book. It's a good story, and can't wait for the sequel. My only real complaint is I prefer my LitRPG to deal more with characters stats, and this did very little of that. The only stats you see are levels and a HP.