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God Core #2
Exodus of Gnomes
A rolling gnome gathers no moss.
The kobolds’ Core has been destroyed. The Grotto is safe once more, and the gnomes are finally beginning to regroup.
But when a greater threat rises, their only hope of survival is to embark upon a monumental exodus, abandoning everything they’ve built and striking out across the surface in search of a new home. As the god of gnomes, Corey must place more faith than ever before in his denizens - and a few unexpected allies.
Driven from their underground realm, the gnomes’ skills and resilience will be tested to their limits by deadly terrain, vicious wildlife, and unseen enemies snapping at their heels. If they cannot survive the perils of the journey and reach their new base before time runs out... all will be lost.
Inspired by the god sims such as Black & White, dungeon managers like Dungeon Keeper and civ builders like Age of Empires, Exodus of Gnomes is the second in a new generation of LitRPG and Dungeon Core stories — God Core.
The kobolds’ Core has been destroyed. The Grotto is safe once more, and the gnomes are finally beginning to regroup.
But when a greater threat rises, their only hope of survival is to embark upon a monumental exodus, abandoning everything they’ve built and striking out across the surface in search of a new home. As the god of gnomes, Corey must place more faith than ever before in his denizens - and a few unexpected allies.
Driven from their underground realm, the gnomes’ skills and resilience will be tested to their limits by deadly terrain, vicious wildlife, and unseen enemies snapping at their heels. If they cannot survive the perils of the journey and reach their new base before time runs out... all will be lost.
Inspired by the god sims such as Black & White, dungeon managers like Dungeon Keeper and civ builders like Age of Empires, Exodus of Gnomes is the second in a new generation of LitRPG and Dungeon Core stories — God Core.
- GenresFantasy
603 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 10, 2021
123 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Demi Harper
2 books95 followersDEMI HARPER is a pseudonym of Laura M. Hughes, a freelance editor and fantasy writer living in the north of England. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Lost Lore, Art of War, and the Stabby Award-winning Heroes Wanted.
When she isn’t faffing around in FFXIV Online, murderhoboing in D&D, or re-re-replaying Dragon Age, you’re likely to find her reading or writing LitRPG. Her first novel, God of Gnomes, released in 2019, with the rest of the God Core trilogy to follow in 2021. Right now she and Luke Chmilenko are co-writing the first book in a brand-new Norse progression fantasy series scheduled for release in 2022, tentatively titled Nine Worlds and optimistically described as “God of War meets Cradle.”
When she isn’t faffing around in FFXIV Online, murderhoboing in D&D, or re-re-replaying Dragon Age, you’re likely to find her reading or writing LitRPG. Her first novel, God of Gnomes, released in 2019, with the rest of the God Core trilogy to follow in 2021. Right now she and Luke Chmilenko are co-writing the first book in a brand-new Norse progression fantasy series scheduled for release in 2022, tentatively titled Nine Worlds and optimistically described as “God of War meets Cradle.”
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 26, 2021
A sequel worthy of the amazing God of Gnomes!
We get back to all the characters we met in book one, plus some new faces, and voices...
Especially the side characters do get a lot more depth and agency.
I loved exploring more of the world and the surroundings, and was hooked all the way through again!
The world gets expanded as well as the adventures and the threats faced grow along with the levels and skills.
I do love them all, even Binky the spider, and I was on the edge of my seat more than once!
The game dynamics were handled well and felt smooth instead of too much. Often in LitRPG the stats can become a bit annoying if it's too much pure levels and info. Not so in Demi Harper's series!
Brilliant fun and engaging entertainment that had me giggling, snorting, holding my breath, sniff and gave me a hole bunch of emotions all around!
We get back to all the characters we met in book one, plus some new faces, and voices...
Especially the side characters do get a lot more depth and agency.
I loved exploring more of the world and the surroundings, and was hooked all the way through again!
The world gets expanded as well as the adventures and the threats faced grow along with the levels and skills.
I do love them all, even Binky the spider, and I was on the edge of my seat more than once!
The game dynamics were handled well and felt smooth instead of too much. Often in LitRPG the stats can become a bit annoying if it's too much pure levels and info. Not so in Demi Harper's series!
Brilliant fun and engaging entertainment that had me giggling, snorting, holding my breath, sniff and gave me a hole bunch of emotions all around!
June 1, 2021
Very good second volume in the series. Maybe not so innovative as the first one, but it has a good story, the arc of the characters it`s interesting, and the whole action it`s very well paced. Also, there were some new pieces of informations, about our main characters added to the table, so, all in all, it lets the impression of a well made second book.
December 29, 2022
Having got an ARC of book 2 in tale of Corey the god Core and his gnomish denizens, I have to say I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first one.
You can read a little more detail to my thoughts on it at the fantasy-hive here
You can read a little more detail to my thoughts on it at the fantasy-hive here
March 19, 2021
Chonkier than the first book, but very rewardingly so since the storytelling is compelling and all the happenings in both main plot and sub plots are riveting.
Besides opening up the world through the titular gnomish 40 day exodus across it, in this book the characters are at the core. Our main protagonist God Core Corey gets a story arc filled with growth, and the many side characters are more fleshed out and some even get their own arcs.
One of the things I love about second books in a trilogy is that you get a lot more information and mysteries solved, and yet there’s still more that remains to be discovered in the final book. And this is definitely a well executed second book in that regard.
All in all, Demi Harper is a masterful storyteller. I’m very much looking forward to the next book!
Besides opening up the world through the titular gnomish 40 day exodus across it, in this book the characters are at the core. Our main protagonist God Core Corey gets a story arc filled with growth, and the many side characters are more fleshed out and some even get their own arcs.
One of the things I love about second books in a trilogy is that you get a lot more information and mysteries solved, and yet there’s still more that remains to be discovered in the final book. And this is definitely a well executed second book in that regard.
All in all, Demi Harper is a masterful storyteller. I’m very much looking forward to the next book!
March 12, 2021
Great series looking forward to more
An exciting thrilling adventure from start to finish. Looking forward to watching the gnomes develop more in the future and while the focus is not on them the story is interesting and intriguing
An exciting thrilling adventure from start to finish. Looking forward to watching the gnomes develop more in the future and while the focus is not on them the story is interesting and intriguing
September 6, 2021
Exodus of Gnomes by Demi Harper is a curious sequel. Part of the God Core series, it diverts somewhat from the formula of the first book by taking away many of the abilities of the protagonist, and builds a deeper mythology that can at times be a little tricky to track.
As you might guess from the title Corey must escort his gnome worshippers (and vice versa) to a new homeland, with the help of the two surviving adventurers from the previous book. Meanwhile there’s plenty of other subplots, including cartographer Tiri’s investigation into the misdeeds and plans of the Guildmaster, the unfolding of the origin of some of the characters of the first book, and the attempted bonding of a reluctant familiar by pyromancer Benin.
It’s all got the same good humour is the first book, with perhaps even more tension as the Gnomes are vulnerable throughout the entirety of the book. Corey has barely any of the abilities from the first book while his worshippers perform the exodus, and no mana to create or maintain his god-born creatures, meaning only the longest lived Binky and his avatar Ris’kin survive to join the gnomes. Honestly this was kind of disappointing for me, as one of my favourite elements of the dungeon core style novels is the creative combining of animal elements in defence of the base, which is completely absent here. Corey is even more of a spectator here than he occasionally was in the first book, and it’s a little frustrating. The last time a book series did something similar to this, I enjoyed the book more on the second read through, but I can’t tell whether the same would happen here.
Maybe it’s because of the way I tend to read litrpg/progression style books as popcorn filler, but most of the background elements didn’t really work for me all that much. There were some big reveals about the wider world that didn’t really affect me all the much – maybe because I pretty much only care about the well-being of those daft gnomes.
The gnomes are still great, and they show even more personality here than in the previous book, with more gnomes getting names and roles.
There’s still a lot to enjoy in this sequel, and things are left in a position that makes me feel like the next book will go back to more familiar ground in terms of the powers and abilities of Corey. While I think Exodus of Gnomes is a step down for the series, it’s still worth reading if you’re invested in the characters.
Rating: 7/10
For reviews like this and more, visit my blog
As you might guess from the title Corey must escort his gnome worshippers (and vice versa) to a new homeland, with the help of the two surviving adventurers from the previous book. Meanwhile there’s plenty of other subplots, including cartographer Tiri’s investigation into the misdeeds and plans of the Guildmaster, the unfolding of the origin of some of the characters of the first book, and the attempted bonding of a reluctant familiar by pyromancer Benin.
It’s all got the same good humour is the first book, with perhaps even more tension as the Gnomes are vulnerable throughout the entirety of the book. Corey has barely any of the abilities from the first book while his worshippers perform the exodus, and no mana to create or maintain his god-born creatures, meaning only the longest lived Binky and his avatar Ris’kin survive to join the gnomes. Honestly this was kind of disappointing for me, as one of my favourite elements of the dungeon core style novels is the creative combining of animal elements in defence of the base, which is completely absent here. Corey is even more of a spectator here than he occasionally was in the first book, and it’s a little frustrating. The last time a book series did something similar to this, I enjoyed the book more on the second read through, but I can’t tell whether the same would happen here.
Maybe it’s because of the way I tend to read litrpg/progression style books as popcorn filler, but most of the background elements didn’t really work for me all that much. There were some big reveals about the wider world that didn’t really affect me all the much – maybe because I pretty much only care about the well-being of those daft gnomes.
The gnomes are still great, and they show even more personality here than in the previous book, with more gnomes getting names and roles.
There’s still a lot to enjoy in this sequel, and things are left in a position that makes me feel like the next book will go back to more familiar ground in terms of the powers and abilities of Corey. While I think Exodus of Gnomes is a step down for the series, it’s still worth reading if you’re invested in the characters.
Rating: 7/10
For reviews like this and more, visit my blog
March 11, 2021
I received a copy of this book for review from Portal Books a week ago.
Exodus of Gnomes is a very nice book, an excellent follow up to Harper's first book, God of Gnomes. These books are gamelit of the dudgeon variety though a fairly user friendly version without a lot of stats and bloody detail. There's plenty of fighting since the MC, Corey the Dungeon Core, is forced to play defense and get out of Dodge while both the environment and bad actors try to eliminate both him and his gnomes. There's a lot of hairy scenes so despite the cute badgers and gnomes this might not be good fare for the little kids but I think anyone over 6 or 7 can handle it.
Harper has some fun with details such as having the gnomes make an ark due to an upcoming flood and then causing an exodus that lasts 40 days. Sounds kinda familiar. It is a great plot device because the journey allows for a number of trials and tribulations as well as growth potential for Corey, his gnomes & badgers as well as Ris'kin, his familiar, and Binky the giant spider. My favorite character is Tiri the human thief who spends a lot of the novel spying and doing support work back at the Academy to protect Corey & the gnomes as well as her human friends Coll the warrior and Benin the fire mage.
This is the second book in a trilogy and Harper is reportedly working on the third book now. I can't wait. She's also collaborating with Luke Chmilenko on a Norse mythology book to be released next year. Sounds fantastic to me!
Exodus of Gnomes is a very nice book, an excellent follow up to Harper's first book, God of Gnomes. These books are gamelit of the dudgeon variety though a fairly user friendly version without a lot of stats and bloody detail. There's plenty of fighting since the MC, Corey the Dungeon Core, is forced to play defense and get out of Dodge while both the environment and bad actors try to eliminate both him and his gnomes. There's a lot of hairy scenes so despite the cute badgers and gnomes this might not be good fare for the little kids but I think anyone over 6 or 7 can handle it.
Harper has some fun with details such as having the gnomes make an ark due to an upcoming flood and then causing an exodus that lasts 40 days. Sounds kinda familiar. It is a great plot device because the journey allows for a number of trials and tribulations as well as growth potential for Corey, his gnomes & badgers as well as Ris'kin, his familiar, and Binky the giant spider. My favorite character is Tiri the human thief who spends a lot of the novel spying and doing support work back at the Academy to protect Corey & the gnomes as well as her human friends Coll the warrior and Benin the fire mage.
This is the second book in a trilogy and Harper is reportedly working on the third book now. I can't wait. She's also collaborating with Luke Chmilenko on a Norse mythology book to be released next year. Sounds fantastic to me!
March 10, 2021
Keeps Getting Better.
All is well with the Gnomes who are recovering nicely after the events in the previous novel. Unfortunately they are suddenly forced to evacuate their homes and relocate to a new location. This puts them in danger in many forms and turns the story from charming to gripping. Especially seeing that Corey and his Gnomes seem to have a bullseye painted on them and powerful entities out to get them. Will they find a home before they are destroyed or will the relocation timer run out and Corey will be left crippled?
Not remembering a thing about the previous novel, I was hesitant to start this one. The author has foreseen this and put a very nice "what has gone before" section at the start. Sufficient to refresh the memory without being boring. The writing style is good and, with the world dynamics taken care of in the first novel, the author is now able to move on with the story, taking the reader on an absolute un-put-downable adventure.
I so enjoyed this book that I am sorry to have finished it.
All is well with the Gnomes who are recovering nicely after the events in the previous novel. Unfortunately they are suddenly forced to evacuate their homes and relocate to a new location. This puts them in danger in many forms and turns the story from charming to gripping. Especially seeing that Corey and his Gnomes seem to have a bullseye painted on them and powerful entities out to get them. Will they find a home before they are destroyed or will the relocation timer run out and Corey will be left crippled?
Not remembering a thing about the previous novel, I was hesitant to start this one. The author has foreseen this and put a very nice "what has gone before" section at the start. Sufficient to refresh the memory without being boring. The writing style is good and, with the world dynamics taken care of in the first novel, the author is now able to move on with the story, taking the reader on an absolute un-put-downable adventure.
I so enjoyed this book that I am sorry to have finished it.
January 28, 2022
Misses the mark a bit
Good enough, nice length and decent story. Some really annoying things ruin this book for me. Author feels like they are building the backstory as a subplot rather than the basis for the current state of the world. Too much time spent on descriptions that are then repeated a chapter or two later almost word for word. Plot holes that are meant to be big mysteries but just feel like distractions rather than world building. Bringing up new things about leveling that are never previously mentioned (and only vaguely skimmed over) but are shoved in to make it feel more ‘rewarding’ to the reader. Bringing up really cool potential for growth and almost completely glossing it over as it could seem too ‘OP’ if actually built upon. Yeah I can only hope that the next one is better, I doubt this will get a book 4. Really feels like the author is trying to wrap things up already.
Good enough, nice length and decent story. Some really annoying things ruin this book for me. Author feels like they are building the backstory as a subplot rather than the basis for the current state of the world. Too much time spent on descriptions that are then repeated a chapter or two later almost word for word. Plot holes that are meant to be big mysteries but just feel like distractions rather than world building. Bringing up new things about leveling that are never previously mentioned (and only vaguely skimmed over) but are shoved in to make it feel more ‘rewarding’ to the reader. Bringing up really cool potential for growth and almost completely glossing it over as it could seem too ‘OP’ if actually built upon. Yeah I can only hope that the next one is better, I doubt this will get a book 4. Really feels like the author is trying to wrap things up already.
May 9, 2021
It is, generally, as much fun as the first one. There are some rough moments of exposition during flashback and perspective switches and confusing chronology moments. Laura Hughes, aka Demi Harper, seems to have spent too many of her formative years in the company of teen boys as there is a proliferation of scrotum and erection humor bits. And, boy are there a lot of cores creeping out of the woodwork! I enjoyed the adventure in this one—the travel felt significant and the encounters impactful to Corey’s denizens’ exodus. I still want to play this game!
March 16, 2021
This was a solid sequel to God of Gnomes. The hints we got about the wider world in the first book got expanded a lot in this book. As the title indicates, the main plot is about gnomes moving their base. While doing so, they get mixed up with other escalating events.
Despite the more epic nature of this book, I enjoyed the slice-of-life aspects of the gnomes improving their life under the influence of their god core. There were plenty of hilarious moments as well as some tear inducing emotional ones.
I hope the final book continues to be an enjoying read.
Despite the more epic nature of this book, I enjoyed the slice-of-life aspects of the gnomes improving their life under the influence of their god core. There were plenty of hilarious moments as well as some tear inducing emotional ones.
I hope the final book continues to be an enjoying read.
September 29, 2022
A fun journey with our favorite dark elf turned god core. New mechanics, new monsters, amd new mysteries are unfolding. This felt like a complete story, but left a lot of questions hanging on the air that hopefully the next book will answer.
The only real criticism i have is that the audio book dialog isnt very dramatic. Like when someone should be telling "stop" the narrator just reads it like all the rest of the text. It's not that off putting because the story isn't dialog heavy, but a small annoyance
The only real criticism i have is that the audio book dialog isnt very dramatic. Like when someone should be telling "stop" the narrator just reads it like all the rest of the text. It's not that off putting because the story isn't dialog heavy, but a small annoyance
April 27, 2021
The Story Of The Wandering Gnomes
Heavy rains flood the Grotto; Forcing Cory, the new God of the Gnomes, to evacuate the newly prosperous village his Gnomes have spent months building and have shed Kobold and Gnomish blood to protect. His greatest challenge: finding a new home for a nearly extinct people. Lesser challenges are dealing with hostile fauna, poisonous flora, and an ancient entity who seeks the purple God Core for reasons only it knows.
This novel will likely appeal to fans of the Fantasy, Dungeon Core, and LitRPG genres; as well as those who enjoy playing RPGs.
Heavy rains flood the Grotto; Forcing Cory, the new God of the Gnomes, to evacuate the newly prosperous village his Gnomes have spent months building and have shed Kobold and Gnomish blood to protect. His greatest challenge: finding a new home for a nearly extinct people. Lesser challenges are dealing with hostile fauna, poisonous flora, and an ancient entity who seeks the purple God Core for reasons only it knows.
This novel will likely appeal to fans of the Fantasy, Dungeon Core, and LitRPG genres; as well as those who enjoy playing RPGs.
September 18, 2021
Fantastic!
A triumphant sequel! You like gnomes? We got gnomes! You like intrigue, mystery, and sudden revelations? Hooooboy do we got those! The story is gripping, the characters keep growing AND growing on you, and even if things are left a bit cliffhanger-ish, it makes you eager to see what's next!
A triumphant sequel! You like gnomes? We got gnomes! You like intrigue, mystery, and sudden revelations? Hooooboy do we got those! The story is gripping, the characters keep growing AND growing on you, and even if things are left a bit cliffhanger-ish, it makes you eager to see what's next!
March 3, 2022
Good story
Good words in a row, lots of action, but where is book three? Much miserable slogging to get to their "promise land", the main disadvantage to living in an extinct volcano is there is no way out. The second is that in a magical world, there are no extinct volcanos, they can fill up with hot Magna whenever.
Good words in a row, lots of action, but where is book three? Much miserable slogging to get to their "promise land", the main disadvantage to living in an extinct volcano is there is no way out. The second is that in a magical world, there are no extinct volcanos, they can fill up with hot Magna whenever.
March 19, 2021
Continued wonder
As delightful a romp as the first, with likeable characters, fun and dramatic situations and colourful descriptions. I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next one :D
As delightful a romp as the first, with likeable characters, fun and dramatic situations and colourful descriptions. I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next one :D
March 21, 2021
Book two
Mistakes: I didn't find anything wrong with this book editing wise.
Plot: Well the title says it all for once.
Characters: Honestly at times I felt like the gnomes where the size of bugs.
7/10
Mistakes: I didn't find anything wrong with this book editing wise.
Plot: Well the title says it all for once.
Characters: Honestly at times I felt like the gnomes where the size of bugs.
7/10
March 24, 2021
Props on a great sequel
It’s not often a second book is so good. The author has done a splendid job of building an exciting world with flawed characters that you cheer for and loads of mystery to unpack.
It’s not often a second book is so good. The author has done a splendid job of building an exciting world with flawed characters that you cheer for and loads of mystery to unpack.
April 12, 2021
Loved it
The Gnome god must take the little guys and flee. Along the way a vast conspiracy is discovered and eons-long threats loom.
I throughly enjoyed it. I found it well paced and a wonderful addition to the story arc and world building. Enjoy
The Gnome god must take the little guys and flee. Along the way a vast conspiracy is discovered and eons-long threats loom.
I throughly enjoyed it. I found it well paced and a wonderful addition to the story arc and world building. Enjoy
April 29, 2021
A really fun read
I don't think this book was as good as the first one, but I think that might've been mostly because a lot of the "settlement building" was pretty much non-existent throughout the book.
Looking forward to that coming back in the next one.
I don't think this book was as good as the first one, but I think that might've been mostly because a lot of the "settlement building" was pretty much non-existent throughout the book.
Looking forward to that coming back in the next one.
March 18, 2021
A very good read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that likes litRPG and dungeon type of books.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that likes litRPG and dungeon type of books.
March 23, 2021
Still Kitschy and cutesy still fun yet I found myself bothered by it, guess I'm more in the mood for a more mature reading experience.
March 24, 2021
Good.
Good sequel, I liked seeing gnomes skill up. I will read book 3. This sentence is to hit the minimum word requirement
Good sequel, I liked seeing gnomes skill up. I will read book 3. This sentence is to hit the minimum word requirement
March 29, 2021
Loved it!
So happy to see this come out and it did not dissapoint! The only downside to it is so many questions unanswered....I need the next one asap!
So happy to see this come out and it did not dissapoint! The only downside to it is so many questions unanswered....I need the next one asap!
April 10, 2021
Engaging characters
A fun read with characters who develop and grow without any of the “last minute power boost that saves the day” trope.
A fun read with characters who develop and grow without any of the “last minute power boost that saves the day” trope.
April 18, 2021
Great book
Stellar work once again from Demi Harper! Lots of action and adventure, monsters and magic. Looking forward to the next one!
Stellar work once again from Demi Harper! Lots of action and adventure, monsters and magic. Looking forward to the next one!
July 12, 2021
This was an excellent follow up from the first book!
March 9, 2022
Gnome Antic's on the Road
This time the gnome antics are taken to the open road. Don't ask to stop again, you won't want to! Really sets up the next story arch for book 3.
This time the gnome antics are taken to the open road. Don't ask to stop again, you won't want to! Really sets up the next story arch for book 3.
May 15, 2021
Great next Ark for Exodus
Fun and fast read. Really enjoyed the movement. Deviated from the god core line a bit, but the character development was great. Filled out the story well. Looking forward to the next!
Fun and fast read. Really enjoyed the movement. Deviated from the god core line a bit, but the character development was great. Filled out the story well. Looking forward to the next!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews