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An Affinity.
Most humans never get one, but the Goddess gives everyone the opportunity when they turn 16.
With an Affinity, humans are given access to their internal energy and Skills. Magical powers that allow you to interact with the world in ways you could never imagine.
When Terrence receives his Affinity, he is shocked to discover it has never been seen before within the Kingdom. Worse yet, his Affinity reinforces the thing he was made fun of for his entire life. His weight.
Follow Terrence as he uses his Affinity to progress with the hopes of becoming a Dungeoneer – someone who explores and conquers Dungeons.
Discover a unique world where Terrence and his friends learn about their new abilities, their Affinities, AND themselves.
Their Skills will grow, and if they work hard enough, they might eventually Rank up!
Most humans never get one, but the Goddess gives everyone the opportunity when they turn 16.
With an Affinity, humans are given access to their internal energy and Skills. Magical powers that allow you to interact with the world in ways you could never imagine.
When Terrence receives his Affinity, he is shocked to discover it has never been seen before within the Kingdom. Worse yet, his Affinity reinforces the thing he was made fun of for his entire life. His weight.
Follow Terrence as he uses his Affinity to progress with the hopes of becoming a Dungeoneer – someone who explores and conquers Dungeons.
Discover a unique world where Terrence and his friends learn about their new abilities, their Affinities, AND themselves.
Their Skills will grow, and if they work hard enough, they might eventually Rank up!
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2020
508 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
January 9, 2021
Just not good
The prologue is...oh so bad. Like watching a stage play with elementary school kids. If the play was written by the PE teacher.
The concept is interesting. It’s really what kept me reading, hoping the ‘magic’ would develop further. But the writing felt so forced and awkward.
Then there were the unforced errors: sudden infodumps that did not fit into the flow of the narrative, strange modernisms that don’t feel natural to the setting (cereal with milk?). A narrative that limps along with no real direction, other than forward. Factual statements lacking any passion, or emotive statements that don’t feel like a real emotion.
This is weak writing. It’s an intriguing concept, but I don’t think I’ll be able to finish as the writing is boring. (I’m about 1/3rd through)
DNF
The prologue is...oh so bad. Like watching a stage play with elementary school kids. If the play was written by the PE teacher.
The concept is interesting. It’s really what kept me reading, hoping the ‘magic’ would develop further. But the writing felt so forced and awkward.
Then there were the unforced errors: sudden infodumps that did not fit into the flow of the narrative, strange modernisms that don’t feel natural to the setting (cereal with milk?). A narrative that limps along with no real direction, other than forward. Factual statements lacking any passion, or emotive statements that don’t feel like a real emotion.
This is weak writing. It’s an intriguing concept, but I don’t think I’ll be able to finish as the writing is boring. (I’m about 1/3rd through)
DNF
April 13, 2021
Rating 2.5 stars
This started out pretty good with an interesting idea but it never went anywhere. Half the population gets some kind of affinity on their 16th birthday. That means the other half don't. Despite the fear that a person might not get an affinity, there is also the anticipation that if a person gets an affinity, what will it be? The MC is a bow living in a small town. He has been heavy all his life and people have made fat jokes about him. He has been working out hard for the last 2 years and lost 40 pounds but people still make fun of him. He works out all the time and even got his dad to make him some weights to work out with. On his 16th birthday the MC does get an affinity. One nobody has ever heard of. He gets an affinity for weight. Since he gets an affinity, now he has to go away to school for a year. The magic system could of been much more developed. I kept waiting for more to happen. Overall I was disappointed. At best this might be a good book for middle schoolers who are not familiar with the genre.
This started out pretty good with an interesting idea but it never went anywhere. Half the population gets some kind of affinity on their 16th birthday. That means the other half don't. Despite the fear that a person might not get an affinity, there is also the anticipation that if a person gets an affinity, what will it be? The MC is a bow living in a small town. He has been heavy all his life and people have made fat jokes about him. He has been working out hard for the last 2 years and lost 40 pounds but people still make fun of him. He works out all the time and even got his dad to make him some weights to work out with. On his 16th birthday the MC does get an affinity. One nobody has ever heard of. He gets an affinity for weight. Since he gets an affinity, now he has to go away to school for a year. The magic system could of been much more developed. I kept waiting for more to happen. Overall I was disappointed. At best this might be a good book for middle schoolers who are not familiar with the genre.
December 18, 2021
By chapter 3, my ears were tuning the audiobook out.
The book is formulaic to a fault.
- misfit MC (*yawn*)
- talented bully, and his posse (what is this, high school drama?)
- massive info dump for no reason, explaining stuff that everybody is supposed to know and experience every year, as if it was something new... Really?
- inconsistent grammar
- juvenile tone
- bad world building
- awkward dialogs
- inconsistent POV, for no reason
- magic school (no, seriously, is it a high school drama though?)
I'll admit the peculiar power kept me intrigued for a while. I was wondering how exactly the author intended to make it useful, or relevant too killing monsters. So I stuck around until chapter 9, but I couldn't overcome the feeling that I'm not the target of this book.
I don't do YA. Sorry.
The book is formulaic to a fault.
- misfit MC (*yawn*)
- talented bully, and his posse (what is this, high school drama?)
- massive info dump for no reason, explaining stuff that everybody is supposed to know and experience every year, as if it was something new... Really?
- inconsistent grammar
- juvenile tone
- bad world building
- awkward dialogs
- inconsistent POV, for no reason
- magic school (no, seriously, is it a high school drama though?)
I'll admit the peculiar power kept me intrigued for a while. I was wondering how exactly the author intended to make it useful, or relevant too killing monsters. So I stuck around until chapter 9, but I couldn't overcome the feeling that I'm not the target of this book.
I don't do YA. Sorry.
June 9, 2021
Sooo sloooow... And super PG
It's like a "made for kids" special on watching paint dry. Boring, dull, and Incredibley slow paced. If you are having trouble falling asleep, this might work? It's also very very PG. It's like litrpg made for children, not YA.... Children.... Like those cringe cartoons on Netflix from other countries that no one watches.
It's like a "made for kids" special on watching paint dry. Boring, dull, and Incredibley slow paced. If you are having trouble falling asleep, this might work? It's also very very PG. It's like litrpg made for children, not YA.... Children.... Like those cringe cartoons on Netflix from other countries that no one watches.
October 24, 2022
Heavy was just the quick, fun entertainment I needed. After the first few pages, I thought "Hm, I dunno about this..." (having never read in the genre and not knowing what to expect), but then I ended up finishing it in a couple of days, lol
Heavy was fun and oddly wholesome. I love RPGs and JRPGs especially, and would say I have a high tolerance for in-game worldbuilding and at times fuzzy logic. RPGs are probably one area where I don't mind a lot of info, since most of it will be used directly afterwards. Basic things, like how to run, jump, pick up objects, and a few other moves.
The book does throw a lot of info at you, but still within the threshold of what I would expect in an RPG. It's about kids who discover whether they have certain Affinities when they're 16. Some are standard, like SWORD and SHIELD, but others are kind of random, like CLOTH. But that's okay, because not everyone wants to do something combat-based and are perfectly content having normal jobs at home.
Heavy is the first litRPG I've ever read. There are a lot of tropes, but the book is hella wholesome. I think if it were a video game, the first book would be an extended tutorial for basic moves and worldbuilding.
That said, it might not work for readers who are used to being thrown into action, or having a story focusing solely on a central quest. There are also quite a few info dumps. Just think of it as a wholesome, kid-friendly intro for an RPG, with magic schools, monster hunting, and the power of friendship.
Heavy was fun and oddly wholesome. I love RPGs and JRPGs especially, and would say I have a high tolerance for in-game worldbuilding and at times fuzzy logic. RPGs are probably one area where I don't mind a lot of info, since most of it will be used directly afterwards. Basic things, like how to run, jump, pick up objects, and a few other moves.
The book does throw a lot of info at you, but still within the threshold of what I would expect in an RPG. It's about kids who discover whether they have certain Affinities when they're 16. Some are standard, like SWORD and SHIELD, but others are kind of random, like CLOTH. But that's okay, because not everyone wants to do something combat-based and are perfectly content having normal jobs at home.
Heavy is the first litRPG I've ever read. There are a lot of tropes, but the book is hella wholesome. I think if it were a video game, the first book would be an extended tutorial for basic moves and worldbuilding.
That said, it might not work for readers who are used to being thrown into action, or having a story focusing solely on a central quest. There are also quite a few info dumps. Just think of it as a wholesome, kid-friendly intro for an RPG, with magic schools, monster hunting, and the power of friendship.
September 9, 2025
Heavy by J.J. Thorn follows Terrence, a boy who gets the brand-new Affinity—Weight—something no one has seen before. While it doesn’t make him powerful overnight, it sets him on the path to Krader’s Prep School, where he hopes to learn, grow, and eventually become a Dungeoneer. The story leans more into slice-of-life than action, focusing on school life, friendships, and the small steps of progress along the way.
I really liked Terrence as a main character—he’s very likable, and watching his slow but steady journey of learning and making friends was really nice to listen to. The Affinity itself was refreshing and different, which kept me curious about where it could go. I also enjoyed the school surroundings and the easy, low-stakes tone of the book. It’s very much a slice-of-life fantasy, which worked well here.
Not a fast-paced read, but if you’re in the mood for something lighter with a unique magic system and a wholesome protagonist, Heavy is a good pick.
I really liked Terrence as a main character—he’s very likable, and watching his slow but steady journey of learning and making friends was really nice to listen to. The Affinity itself was refreshing and different, which kept me curious about where it could go. I also enjoyed the school surroundings and the easy, low-stakes tone of the book. It’s very much a slice-of-life fantasy, which worked well here.
Not a fast-paced read, but if you’re in the mood for something lighter with a unique magic system and a wholesome protagonist, Heavy is a good pick.
January 11, 2021
I am going to write this as if the author will read it.
The book concept is interesting. However, it reads more like a first draft. Exposition is just given to the reader. Too much time is spent telling the reader what is, rather than describing the situation. The book ends on an interlude that doesn't seem applicable to our characters. The prologue was interesting, but didn't come into play again. The setting isn't easily defined. It feels like a modern medieval setting, where modern conventions are placed in a medieval time period. There was one paragraph that described a character walking and the verb "walk" was used every time.
Some positives: the rank system and the magic system is interesting. I like the idea of dungeon cores respawning in dungeons. The creatures are interesting.
Overall, not a great outing but shows promise. Keep writing and reading to polish your craft into something great.
The book concept is interesting. However, it reads more like a first draft. Exposition is just given to the reader. Too much time is spent telling the reader what is, rather than describing the situation. The book ends on an interlude that doesn't seem applicable to our characters. The prologue was interesting, but didn't come into play again. The setting isn't easily defined. It feels like a modern medieval setting, where modern conventions are placed in a medieval time period. There was one paragraph that described a character walking and the verb "walk" was used every time.
Some positives: the rank system and the magic system is interesting. I like the idea of dungeon cores respawning in dungeons. The creatures are interesting.
Overall, not a great outing but shows promise. Keep writing and reading to polish your craft into something great.
January 19, 2021
Solid concept, needs more work.
This reads more like a proof of concept than a full book. There does not seem to be much of a plot, but that could be improved upon. The main issue is a general lack of technical writing skills. While that may seem a bit harsh, it can be remedied with more practice and spending more time editing through multiple drafts. Plot and world building are the strongest elements here, but the book needs more work.
This reads more like a proof of concept than a full book. There does not seem to be much of a plot, but that could be improved upon. The main issue is a general lack of technical writing skills. While that may seem a bit harsh, it can be remedied with more practice and spending more time editing through multiple drafts. Plot and world building are the strongest elements here, but the book needs more work.
March 10, 2021
Slooooooooow
I think this book has the slowest pacing of any I’ve ever encountered. There is no climax or progression typical of the genre. The MC gets one worthless skill and doesn’t even advance it one rank in the entire book. There are multiple typos and plenty of places where an editor would have been useful. Skip this one.
I think this book has the slowest pacing of any I’ve ever encountered. There is no climax or progression typical of the genre. The MC gets one worthless skill and doesn’t even advance it one rank in the entire book. There are multiple typos and plenty of places where an editor would have been useful. Skip this one.
April 14, 2021
Good ideas, Bad execution.
I wanted to like this. The setting, characters, abilities, and challenges all appealed. Unfortunately the juvenile writing style, needlessly verbose descriptions, and badly constructed dialogue (all stilted and formalized, as if it was poorly translated) kept driving me away.
I wanted to like this. The setting, characters, abilities, and challenges all appealed. Unfortunately the juvenile writing style, needlessly verbose descriptions, and badly constructed dialogue (all stilted and formalized, as if it was poorly translated) kept driving me away.
February 2, 2021
Decent world held back by pitiful storytelling
We've got a main character with a very bland personality and a story where almost nothing occurs. So many "bully" characters that could be from any children's book and random tangents into other perspectives that contribute nothing.
We've got a main character with a very bland personality and a story where almost nothing occurs. So many "bully" characters that could be from any children's book and random tangents into other perspectives that contribute nothing.
February 5, 2021
Ok
Decent introductory story, though it comes off as part one-ish without much of a complete tale, even as a part one. Light on the rpg portion of litrpg. If food, I’d say it is along the lines of fast food.
Decent introductory story, though it comes off as part one-ish without much of a complete tale, even as a part one. Light on the rpg portion of litrpg. If food, I’d say it is along the lines of fast food.
January 24, 2021
Boring
Not very well written and not much of a story ,the beginning was ok but past that the story bogged down !!
Not very well written and not much of a story ,the beginning was ok but past that the story bogged down !!
March 9, 2021
Interesting story, in that the main character has a skill that seems useless, but he doesn't give up on it, and by the end of the book, it's looking pretty good for him, though we still don't know what the skill will do for him yet, but based on hints in the story, I'm guessing it'll be an epic skill once he levels it up a bit. Looking forward to book 2.
The story isn't bad, though it is a bit slow (well, not while you're reading it, but when you look back after finishing it). Not much happens, despite the story progressing at a decent rate. Hopefully, now that most of the world building is done, the next book will move along a bit faster.
The story isn't bad, though it is a bit slow (well, not while you're reading it, but when you look back after finishing it). Not much happens, despite the story progressing at a decent rate. Hopefully, now that most of the world building is done, the next book will move along a bit faster.
January 11, 2021
A good start.
This was an interesting story and a good start. Hope for more application of his ability in the next book. Kinda still not understanding how the abilities in this world work at this point. Was a f I n read tho. It is odd that his dad and uncle are dungeoneers and both have skills concerning combat and his dad is a blacksmith but he's never had any training or apparently even used a sword before. I thought that was a bit odd. Hope they explain that in the next book
This was an interesting story and a good start. Hope for more application of his ability in the next book. Kinda still not understanding how the abilities in this world work at this point. Was a f I n read tho. It is odd that his dad and uncle are dungeoneers and both have skills concerning combat and his dad is a blacksmith but he's never had any training or apparently even used a sword before. I thought that was a bit odd. Hope they explain that in the next book
February 14, 2021
It ok but could use a little more ummff
The characters were ok and the interludes weren’t bad but there wasn’t any conclusions to anything in the novel...if feel like the book just stopped as opposed to ended... we don’t really know much about the system and development except the very basic stuff.. yeah and I’m also not really attached to the characters yet...like if any should die I’d hardly be sad, the author need to make us get more invested and their growth, development and progression....and the prologue ???
The characters were ok and the interludes weren’t bad but there wasn’t any conclusions to anything in the novel...if feel like the book just stopped as opposed to ended... we don’t really know much about the system and development except the very basic stuff.. yeah and I’m also not really attached to the characters yet...like if any should die I’d hardly be sad, the author need to make us get more invested and their growth, development and progression....and the prologue ???
September 25, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: There are a handful of mistakes scattered throughout this book. All the ones I found are listed on Goodreads. Five in total.
Plot: This was by far one of the most boring books I've read this year. It's mostly centered on school classes, so there isn't much action. I hope things pick up in book two.
Characters: To much was spent on what they are learning and not enough time was spent fleshing out any of the characters, making you want to care about them.
4/10
Mistakes: There are a handful of mistakes scattered throughout this book. All the ones I found are listed on Goodreads. Five in total.
Plot: This was by far one of the most boring books I've read this year. It's mostly centered on school classes, so there isn't much action. I hope things pick up in book two.
Characters: To much was spent on what they are learning and not enough time was spent fleshing out any of the characters, making you want to care about them.
4/10
December 20, 2021
While not a bad story, the writing can best be described as amateurish.
The characters are flat and very stereotypical. The story is very heavy handed on how it is presented, breaking the narrative at several points. The main character is meant to be naive, but comes off as an imbecile with no ability for critical thinking. This was going to be a two star review. But as I kept waiting for the story to start, I suddenly reached the end of the book. That is just ridiculous.
The characters are flat and very stereotypical. The story is very heavy handed on how it is presented, breaking the narrative at several points. The main character is meant to be naive, but comes off as an imbecile with no ability for critical thinking. This was going to be a two star review. But as I kept waiting for the story to start, I suddenly reached the end of the book. That is just ridiculous.
January 22, 2023
First the good thing about it: It is an light easy read and I quickly got halfway through it just by virtue of not being motivated to start any of my other reads.
The bad thing about it is that the writing feels kinda clumsy and surface level to me. I don't think the author thought particularly deeply about most things. As an example his tier 1 skill
Or a simpler but unimportant example. His father wants prep school to be a surprise to him so he doesn't tell him anything about it. So he goes to town to ask others. But can't get info and thinks: "Ultimately, Huag's population was mostly normal, and as result, most people just didn't know." Yeah the people he talks with might be unusually clueless but that is a weird thought in the context of the world. The MCs year had unusually few kids in his town get an affinity with only a third getting one. Everyone who gets one goes to a prep school. Something over a third the adult population spent at least a year of their live on isn't exactly rare knowledge. Declaring the town is mostly normal doesn't jive with the high rate of people getting one. It feels like the author wrote that line in "super powers are rare mode" while forgetting how high he made the rate.
The worse thing though is how one dimensional the characters feel. If you are considering reading it and want to know what I mean by that, just get the reading sample and read through the first scene with the king and you will have a general impression.
I am kinda curious whether the author will actually find interesting uses for his first skill or whether the second skill will be interesting. But not enough to read more
The bad thing about it is that the writing feels kinda clumsy and surface level to me. I don't think the author thought particularly deeply about most things. As an example his tier 1 skill
Or a simpler but unimportant example. His father wants prep school to be a surprise to him so he doesn't tell him anything about it. So he goes to town to ask others. But can't get info and thinks: "Ultimately, Huag's population was mostly normal, and as result, most people just didn't know." Yeah the people he talks with might be unusually clueless but that is a weird thought in the context of the world. The MCs year had unusually few kids in his town get an affinity with only a third getting one. Everyone who gets one goes to a prep school. Something over a third the adult population spent at least a year of their live on isn't exactly rare knowledge. Declaring the town is mostly normal doesn't jive with the high rate of people getting one. It feels like the author wrote that line in "super powers are rare mode" while forgetting how high he made the rate.
The worse thing though is how one dimensional the characters feel. If you are considering reading it and want to know what I mean by that, just get the reading sample and read through the first scene with the king and you will have a general impression.
I am kinda curious whether the author will actually find interesting uses for his first skill or whether the second skill will be interesting. But not enough to read more
January 13, 2021
Another addition to the book shelf.
This was a good start to what I hope will be a successful series.
The story is about how Terrence (MC) received an affinity at his coming of age testing. To his disappointment he received the affinity "weight". According to this worlds beliefs the affinities are granted by the goddess, those she finds worthy and gifts them an affinity that she deemed would best suited them.
Terrence having been bullied for years about his weight of course was dismayed about his new affinity especially since he has been working out to lose weight. Still, he learns to appreciate his skill and looks forward to what additional skills he will receive upon leveling up.
The story remains true to the genre but there aren't what I would consider notifications as the individual has to manually display/stats/menu to view his current progress and it does not automatically populate after every completed task nor is much information given.
The magic and progression system is different and adds it's own functionality to the story and simple enough to understand. At the same time it is also vague enough to grow with the story.
One thing to consider is that this appears to be YA litrpg but may start to slow for children and I would suggest you download the sample. Another thing to be aware of while doing this is that it doesn't start off with the main character. Don't worry it will get to his perspective fairly quickly and jump between characters a little. Mostly at the begining before focusing on the MCs point of view for the remainder of the book.
This is not an OP MC story, this first book isn't filled with fighting and epic adventure. This book is part slice of life, part fantasy, and has Harry Potter elements (goes to school and learns more about the more fantastical side of the world). The MC has a dream he is chasing and will make friends, learn more about his gift and grow as person so he can chase his dream.
I would rate this closer to 4 starts but rated it 5 on amazon because I both want to support the author and because I enjoyed the story enough to want to continue it.
I would reccomend this to those who enjoy both YA books and the litrpg genre.
This was a good start to what I hope will be a successful series.
The story is about how Terrence (MC) received an affinity at his coming of age testing. To his disappointment he received the affinity "weight". According to this worlds beliefs the affinities are granted by the goddess, those she finds worthy and gifts them an affinity that she deemed would best suited them.
Terrence having been bullied for years about his weight of course was dismayed about his new affinity especially since he has been working out to lose weight. Still, he learns to appreciate his skill and looks forward to what additional skills he will receive upon leveling up.
The story remains true to the genre but there aren't what I would consider notifications as the individual has to manually display/stats/menu to view his current progress and it does not automatically populate after every completed task nor is much information given.
The magic and progression system is different and adds it's own functionality to the story and simple enough to understand. At the same time it is also vague enough to grow with the story.
One thing to consider is that this appears to be YA litrpg but may start to slow for children and I would suggest you download the sample. Another thing to be aware of while doing this is that it doesn't start off with the main character. Don't worry it will get to his perspective fairly quickly and jump between characters a little. Mostly at the begining before focusing on the MCs point of view for the remainder of the book.
This is not an OP MC story, this first book isn't filled with fighting and epic adventure. This book is part slice of life, part fantasy, and has Harry Potter elements (goes to school and learns more about the more fantastical side of the world). The MC has a dream he is chasing and will make friends, learn more about his gift and grow as person so he can chase his dream.
I would rate this closer to 4 starts but rated it 5 on amazon because I both want to support the author and because I enjoyed the story enough to want to continue it.
I would reccomend this to those who enjoy both YA books and the litrpg genre.
February 17, 2023
I read and reviewed this book last year 2022, and strangely discovered that Goodreads (an Amazon company since 2013) was still recommending it to me (again), so I looked for my review and found out that it doesn't exist...looked for it in my files and "nada"! So, I'm reading this book over again and remembering all of the comments and opinions I had of this first book of this Fantasy-book novel series...
The author writes that at everybody's 16th Birthday, each person has their affinity/ability revealed. The main characters are several groups of people in different places in this fantasy other world. While a Prince didn't receive an affinity/skill, the other main character (because was always bullied for being over-weight) received a gravity manipulating skill (that starts off being a skill that tells the person the weight of the things being questioned)...The Kingdom with the Prince without an affinity, hires mercenaries to kill off a Dungeon Core to be able to get an affinity for the Prince. The thing is, Dungeons are development centers for towns, territories and Kingdoms in this other world. They create jobs, create economic growth and development, so wiping out an entire town (economically), or even a Kingdom, because of "killing the Dungeon Core", to benefit just one person, is irrational, illogical, nonsensical and selfish. But because the King needs his family to keep the crown, he does not care the "cost" of getting a Dungeon Core for his son the Prince.
Likewise the more affluent and powerful families would "cheat the system" and teach since very young, their kids and families special skills to improve the odds of certain abilities coming up as an "affinity"...
Most of the first book is getting to the "magic-academy" and getting to know, creating the different study and adventure teams. The action could have gone faster. This fantasy novel series is not new or original. There is a Light novel very similar to this one...
The author writes that at everybody's 16th Birthday, each person has their affinity/ability revealed. The main characters are several groups of people in different places in this fantasy other world. While a Prince didn't receive an affinity/skill, the other main character (because was always bullied for being over-weight) received a gravity manipulating skill (that starts off being a skill that tells the person the weight of the things being questioned)...The Kingdom with the Prince without an affinity, hires mercenaries to kill off a Dungeon Core to be able to get an affinity for the Prince. The thing is, Dungeons are development centers for towns, territories and Kingdoms in this other world. They create jobs, create economic growth and development, so wiping out an entire town (economically), or even a Kingdom, because of "killing the Dungeon Core", to benefit just one person, is irrational, illogical, nonsensical and selfish. But because the King needs his family to keep the crown, he does not care the "cost" of getting a Dungeon Core for his son the Prince.
Likewise the more affluent and powerful families would "cheat the system" and teach since very young, their kids and families special skills to improve the odds of certain abilities coming up as an "affinity"...
Most of the first book is getting to the "magic-academy" and getting to know, creating the different study and adventure teams. The action could have gone faster. This fantasy novel series is not new or original. There is a Light novel very similar to this one...
May 25, 2023
I love LitRPG so really enjoyed this book though I must admit I found the writing to be a bit too simplistic and childish. Terrence had always dreamt of becoming a dungeoneer so when he finally turned sixteen he went to be tested, to find out whether the Goddess would give him an affinity. Terrence had always also been bullied because of his weight so when his affinity said WEIGHT he thought someone was pulling yet another prank on him. However this really was his affinity and come what may he decided he was going to make the best use of this no matter what. Terrence started training and experimenting with his affinity immediately even though he had no idea how this worked and often found himself lying unconscious through burnout. He did start to gain in his stats though, even before he went of to prep school. Though he knew he would miss his beloved family Terrence was eager to be off, hoping he would learn how to make his dream come true and maybe get a better experience in this school than the one he had in his village. In fact he made new friends, something he never had before, trained and grew stronger and lost weight and gained more stats. He spent a lot of time in the library and the training grounds and never missed a class. He found out that his affinity though different was worthwhile and hoped that when he ranked up he would be even more equipped to use this for the good of the kingdom. I love that the protagonists are young teens as this also seems to be a growing up story, and that Ren finally made some very good friends especially Zane whose family had turned him away when he got his affinity of IDENTIFY which they considered to be useless, doing this after treating him as the golden boy up to date fateful day. I do believe these two will go far together in the dungeoneering world and look forward to reading into more of their adventures and progression.
December 11, 2021
UPDATED:
Just terrible. Having work to do, I let it droll on, but the story NEVER improved. Random parts that lend nothing to the story, no progress in education, terrible/no character involvement and development, rudimentary RPG explanations of every facet whether needed or not ... just boring.
The MC is a guy that says things like, "exercise our bodies." WTF?! Who says that? He also claims to have no desire to have a relationship with a pretty girl. THIS from a 16 year old boy who has recently started getting in shape. He has almost a religious fervor for exercise and it sounds preposterous.
I DID manage to finish this book (an exercise in masochism). It should be noted that I listened to it as an audiobook. The narration was very stiff and almost robotic. I can actually deal with that, but there's sooo much nonsense and useless information that bogs down the story. The dialog is TERRIBLE! I can only suggest that the author starts to speak out loud those parts to 'hear' if that's how someone would talk ... this is especially important in an audiobook.
The MC is also an idiot. He's 16 and clueless about everything. If he was 6, then this might make more sense. For example, the MC wants to go monster killing, but never thought how he might actually kill a monster. Literally. For a person who's goal is to be a 'dungeon diver' that's just absurd.
I will be fair and give it another hour making the halfway mark, but as of now and 3 hours, it's garbage (I actually reached the end of the book). I can't believe the author actually has THREE of these books?! This book might be enjoyed by a preteen (it might have been written by one) but at this time I can't imagine anyone else finding it enjoyable. Seriously, the book description was MUCH more interesting.
Just terrible. Having work to do, I let it droll on, but the story NEVER improved. Random parts that lend nothing to the story, no progress in education, terrible/no character involvement and development, rudimentary RPG explanations of every facet whether needed or not ... just boring.
The MC is a guy that says things like, "exercise our bodies." WTF?! Who says that? He also claims to have no desire to have a relationship with a pretty girl. THIS from a 16 year old boy who has recently started getting in shape. He has almost a religious fervor for exercise and it sounds preposterous.
I DID manage to finish this book (an exercise in masochism). It should be noted that I listened to it as an audiobook. The narration was very stiff and almost robotic. I can actually deal with that, but there's sooo much nonsense and useless information that bogs down the story. The dialog is TERRIBLE! I can only suggest that the author starts to speak out loud those parts to 'hear' if that's how someone would talk ... this is especially important in an audiobook.
The MC is also an idiot. He's 16 and clueless about everything. If he was 6, then this might make more sense. For example, the MC wants to go monster killing, but never thought how he might actually kill a monster. Literally. For a person who's goal is to be a 'dungeon diver' that's just absurd.
I will be fair and give it another hour making the halfway mark, but as of now and 3 hours, it's garbage (I actually reached the end of the book). I can't believe the author actually has THREE of these books?! This book might be enjoyed by a preteen (it might have been written by one) but at this time I can't imagine anyone else finding it enjoyable. Seriously, the book description was MUCH more interesting.
August 12, 2024
1st book in a series, with some 1st book type problems - pacing, abrupt ending, etc. But, there's an author's note indicating that feedback was incorporated into later books (particularly 3-) and that it was a complete series, so, sure, I'll keep reading about Terrence ("Ren" sometimes) and his uncle Tom.
Still waiting to see exactly how the king mentioned in the prologue fits in.
Hoping the Fox's aren't too much of an issue - I'm becoming less and less interested in reading stories with bullies in them, and so those sorts of interactions just lose my interest rapidly. If it was clarified in the early book whether his cousin was still at the school, I missed it, so I keep waiting for him to get bullied that way too. Villains? Sure, why not. Bullies, and bullied protagonists, are just a trope I could do without.
I am confused about a few things. One had to do with population. Terrence's home town is relatively small - they talk about about how there are 115 people who finished their schooling and went to get tested. And yet, despite living in this town his entire life, he seems to not know anyone in the wagon going off to Prep, doesn't seem to even recognize the name of one of the more prominent / rich families, etc. Having graduated from a high school with approximately the same size class, this didn't ring quite right to me.
I'm also not clear on ages, as it seems like Terrence's sister acts about 4-5 years younger than her stated age.
The cover also seems to have nothing to do with the current book - unless I've completely misunderstood the creatures Tom's team is fighting (in which case, why just 1 person on the cover?).
Overall though, it was a quick and enjoyable read that I started last night, finished at lunch today, and will happily move on to book 2.
Still waiting to see exactly how the king mentioned in the prologue fits in.
Hoping the Fox's aren't too much of an issue - I'm becoming less and less interested in reading stories with bullies in them, and so those sorts of interactions just lose my interest rapidly. If it was clarified in the early book whether his cousin was still at the school, I missed it, so I keep waiting for him to get bullied that way too. Villains? Sure, why not. Bullies, and bullied protagonists, are just a trope I could do without.
I am confused about a few things. One had to do with population. Terrence's home town is relatively small - they talk about about how there are 115 people who finished their schooling and went to get tested. And yet, despite living in this town his entire life, he seems to not know anyone in the wagon going off to Prep, doesn't seem to even recognize the name of one of the more prominent / rich families, etc. Having graduated from a high school with approximately the same size class, this didn't ring quite right to me.
I'm also not clear on ages, as it seems like Terrence's sister acts about 4-5 years younger than her stated age.
The cover also seems to have nothing to do with the current book - unless I've completely misunderstood the creatures Tom's team is fighting (in which case, why just 1 person on the cover?).
Overall though, it was a quick and enjoyable read that I started last night, finished at lunch today, and will happily move on to book 2.
February 18, 2021
Alert
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Second, I am not a bot...at least I don’t think I am. Yes this is copy pasta (just learned that term, so fun!) simply because I feel like any book I read deserves acknowledgement but at the same time my feelings on reviews conflict with the normal review process.
I enjoyed this book, so my goal is to promote it and help the author. If you are a potential reader, just stop reading now and take the above as all you need to know. I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. It is my opinion that 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. Or not if you don’t think this book is for you. That choice is all yours and the beauty of art appreciation. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
If you are a member of the IAK Guild (thanks, Jason) or part of the review police, feel free to criticize me and challenge my philosophy on reviewing art. I think we all love a good debate. The forums are open and I welcome your comments. I was wrong in my previous request to get you to stop. Your blatant disregard for that request has led to some fun discussions. Growth is important for us all.
Cheers
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Second, I am not a bot...at least I don’t think I am. Yes this is copy pasta (just learned that term, so fun!) simply because I feel like any book I read deserves acknowledgement but at the same time my feelings on reviews conflict with the normal review process.
I enjoyed this book, so my goal is to promote it and help the author. If you are a potential reader, just stop reading now and take the above as all you need to know. I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. It is my opinion that 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. Or not if you don’t think this book is for you. That choice is all yours and the beauty of art appreciation. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
If you are a member of the IAK Guild (thanks, Jason) or part of the review police, feel free to criticize me and challenge my philosophy on reviewing art. I think we all love a good debate. The forums are open and I welcome your comments. I was wrong in my previous request to get you to stop. Your blatant disregard for that request has led to some fun discussions. Growth is important for us all.
Cheers
December 28, 2022
I realize this book has been out for a while, but I just got to it recently.
Terrence lives in the city of Huag, and like the other kids his age, dreams of getting an affinity from the Goddess when he turns sixteen.
Sure enough, his name day comes and he goes to the priest, where he is given the affinity WEIGHT.
I'll stop the recap there. Every teenager who receives an affinity is sent to the academy, and so Terrence is sent off to learn about his affinity and how to (hopefully) delve into dungeons. What he learns there is much more, but also slightly less.
While Terrence is able to see the weights of different people, animals, monsters, and buildings, that's all he can do. As a main character, he's perfectly pleasant. The story is nice and has enough interesting happening that it kept me engaged.
The problems are twofold. First, the editing is not great. Second, the book needs an antagonist. Since there isn't one, Terrence wanders through school learning and helping his affinity grow, and he makes a point of working out.
The editing is a different matter. It took me out of the book a few times, and that shouldn't happen. The only stats are the affinity, so we don't need to worry about regular LitRPG stats.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I just wish there was more. Seeing as book two is already out, I do plan to read it and see if the series improves.
5/5*
Terrence lives in the city of Huag, and like the other kids his age, dreams of getting an affinity from the Goddess when he turns sixteen.
Sure enough, his name day comes and he goes to the priest, where he is given the affinity WEIGHT.
I'll stop the recap there. Every teenager who receives an affinity is sent to the academy, and so Terrence is sent off to learn about his affinity and how to (hopefully) delve into dungeons. What he learns there is much more, but also slightly less.
While Terrence is able to see the weights of different people, animals, monsters, and buildings, that's all he can do. As a main character, he's perfectly pleasant. The story is nice and has enough interesting happening that it kept me engaged.
The problems are twofold. First, the editing is not great. Second, the book needs an antagonist. Since there isn't one, Terrence wanders through school learning and helping his affinity grow, and he makes a point of working out.
The editing is a different matter. It took me out of the book a few times, and that shouldn't happen. The only stats are the affinity, so we don't need to worry about regular LitRPG stats.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I just wish there was more. Seeing as book two is already out, I do plan to read it and see if the series improves.
5/5*
April 26, 2023
This book is going to be a series, but as much as I liked the direction the story was going (the author has planned this to be a six-book series.) But the first in the series ended without the first plot being completed, so the first cast of its characters were left hanging and without any explanations as to what was going on with them. When the first part of the story should have been given the rest if the pages to flesh out the first story so it would all have tied together and made sense! instead of starting the second book into its own volume of the series. (this was very disappointing) Now with a second cast and storyline to sort through. But instead, it was added to the first volume... that only disrupted the length that was allotted for this first part of the series. There was no way that both stories could be make any sense with the number of pages that were left, to make both storylines work out. The second volume should only have been hinted at in this first book and then the introduction for the second cast could have kicked off the second volume. Then they could have referred back to the first volume where they needed to, and it would not have become so confusing trying to switch from one cast of characters to the second cast of characters without warning or knowing what was going on.
I would really like to read more of this story... But I think the Author would.
I would really like to read more of this story... But I think the Author would.
January 14, 2022
I’m not honestly sure how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it had no discernable plot, no climax, no ending—just a series of events that felt like the tip of a story iceberg. On the other hand, it was rather entertaining to read, which certainly counts for a lot. I can forgive many things so long as I’m entertained.
If you enjoy books that emphasize plot over progression, that are centered around magical schools and learning new systems, that have a slice-of-life feel to them, then this is a story worth checking out.
However, if you are easily bothered by stories with similar-sounding characters, that are light on action, or that have great swaths of dialogue that just bounces back and forth, then you might want to take a pass here. Again, I felt like the entertainment value made up for most of these deficiencies, everybody’s entertainment value will vary.
This book also had a fair number of editing issues, but I was reading an early copy of the book so those may have been fixed by now. Honestly, my only real complaint was the similarity of the characters’ dialogue—I lost count of how many times someone began speaking with either a ‘Ya’ or “Haha”. Otherwise, this is an easy read with an original premise, and I can't deny that I enjoyed myself thoroughly while reading it.
If you enjoy books that emphasize plot over progression, that are centered around magical schools and learning new systems, that have a slice-of-life feel to them, then this is a story worth checking out.
However, if you are easily bothered by stories with similar-sounding characters, that are light on action, or that have great swaths of dialogue that just bounces back and forth, then you might want to take a pass here. Again, I felt like the entertainment value made up for most of these deficiencies, everybody’s entertainment value will vary.
This book also had a fair number of editing issues, but I was reading an early copy of the book so those may have been fixed by now. Honestly, my only real complaint was the similarity of the characters’ dialogue—I lost count of how many times someone began speaking with either a ‘Ya’ or “Haha”. Otherwise, this is an easy read with an original premise, and I can't deny that I enjoyed myself thoroughly while reading it.
March 20, 2023
Mostly ok, but I was thrown off by a few things. An example: there's a 40/60 split of the population, 40% get powers and 60% don't. Add to it that those with powers already in the family are even more likely to recieve these magic powers and I assume it would be a coin toss if you get them or not. You'd be just as likely to get them as to not. However I was told over and over how low the odds were and that the chosen were a small minority. The same thing happened when describing the passage of time, not seeing each other for a long time turned out to only be one day. All very confusing.This and similar things added up to make this feel like an unedited draft written by someone younger. Tone, pacing, personalities, all seemed off as well. A lot off telling me what happened, not showing me.
I was interested to see if there would be some sort if theme of fathers and the sons they raised after being introduced to four young men and their fathers in early chapters, but nothing came off it in this book. It makes me think that it wasn't a narrative choice and nothing will come of it later on. I will read reviews before buying book 2.
I was interested to see if there would be some sort if theme of fathers and the sons they raised after being introduced to four young men and their fathers in early chapters, but nothing came off it in this book. It makes me think that it wasn't a narrative choice and nothing will come of it later on. I will read reviews before buying book 2.
January 25, 2022
Same old, same old story
Kid gains abilities check, kid was bullied by other kids check, kid goes to Academy to learn his abilities check, kid gainside kick check, and kid get small good to help him check! Yes this story checks all of the standard boxes for this genre. There was nothing in this story that 1000th of those stories haven’t covered already. The writing is somewhat decent but not compelling. The main character is OK but not exceptional. Just like so many before him. The side story of his uncle I think was added to the novel just so it wouldn’t be so boring. It got so slow and boring I had to stop and read a couple other novels before coming back and finally finishing this one. I think my real problem with this novel is I’ve just read so many of these stories that another one with no originality was just too many. Maybe the weight thing will become something original but probably not until few novels into this series. I just don’t think my patients would last that long trying to read any more of this series.
Kid gains abilities check, kid was bullied by other kids check, kid goes to Academy to learn his abilities check, kid gainside kick check, and kid get small good to help him check! Yes this story checks all of the standard boxes for this genre. There was nothing in this story that 1000th of those stories haven’t covered already. The writing is somewhat decent but not compelling. The main character is OK but not exceptional. Just like so many before him. The side story of his uncle I think was added to the novel just so it wouldn’t be so boring. It got so slow and boring I had to stop and read a couple other novels before coming back and finally finishing this one. I think my real problem with this novel is I’ve just read so many of these stories that another one with no originality was just too many. Maybe the weight thing will become something original but probably not until few novels into this series. I just don’t think my patients would last that long trying to read any more of this series.
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