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Immersion Online #1
The Noob
Charlie Mason (AKA Mace) is a former detective for major crimes who is forced to retire. His former Captain offers him a job as an in game constable for the hottest virtual reality game around, Immersion Online. This down and out detective knows nothing of character creation, leveling up, or magical artifacts. He's a real noob. He spawns in The Wilderbrook - a group of human and humanoid villages hundreds of miles from the nearest city - to learn the ins and outs of the game - before he assumes his role as a constable in Grandview - one of the largest cities in The Great Realm. In The Wilderbrook, he and his new companions come up against an ancient evil. Mace is low level and way out of his league. But virtual world or not, Mace still has his wits and training as a detective. And he is going to need them!
- GenresFantasy
175 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2021
167 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 11, 2022
To be a noob
Now this is a beginner's guide to rpg. Must learn and grow. A constable to find what's going on. A game that is learning too. Most interesting.
Now this is a beginner's guide to rpg. Must learn and grow. A constable to find what's going on. A game that is learning too. Most interesting.
September 4, 2021
This review was originally posted at https://bit.ly/3yLh8xZ.
When Mace is forced to retire from the police force by his long-time friend and previous partner Haggarty after a heart attack he isn't sure what he is going to do. Let alone how he is going to help his daughter, Amber, with college expenses as promised. That is until Haggarty says that he can get him on as a constable for the VR game: Immersion Online. Mace had never been big on gaming, even though he grew up in a time when it was prominent, so this would be a new experience. Once he gets online he is immediately thrown into battle and begins earning XP. However, there seems to be more to this game than meets the eye as the NPCs are self aware and things are happening that weren't programmed. Can the skills from his lifetime help him face the new challenges of this world?
I was sent a physical copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Somehow before the past 6 months I had never read any LitRPG books. Don't ask me how considering how many books I read as well as the fact that both I and my husband are gamers. He is actually playing DND on his desktop beside me as I write this with his buddies. I have decided that it is now one of my new favorite genres.
This book needs some editing, but after speaking with the author last night shortly after I finished the book he told me that the eBook has already received editing. I have a physical copy (YAY ME!!!) and it didn't receive that by the time it was published. Honestly, even with the editing issues it rarely detracts from the story. I can only think of 2 instances: one was when the word apoplectic was used instead of apologetic. It confused me simply because one possible definition of apoplectic is angered or enraged. And yes, I looked up the definition because I have no shame in admitting it wasn't one I was familiar with. The second was the first time we let the pretty boy NPC. The "whilst" did it for me. I kept reading it as "while-st". This one I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but it threw me. I am not going to take away any stars for this as the author did state that errors have been fixed since this publication, so they may have caught the ones I mentioned.
Those are the only bad things I have to say about this book. I love the full immersion in RPG games and think it would be a lot of fun to actually be able to do things like this. The auto log-off after a certain amount of time was certainly a nice touch, although one that I am sure many gamers would have problems with.
Our main character, Mace, is an older guy who only has his daughter left in his life after his wife died years before and he is forced into retirement. I am sure the initial betrayal stung on that one. Then, having never been a techy before, he is thrust into an online gaming world having no idea what to do and trying to fend for himself. He had discussed the basics with his friend before logging in and he had his personal assistant until level 15 in the starter town, but it is still a bit experience change. I loved that Mace treated the NPCs as lives that were worth saving instead of lines of coding.
This game seems to be a continuous play kind of game. So everyone has their own experiences. You don't receive the same tasks and choices made in the game actually affect the NPCs lives going forward. All in all I love the concept and the execution of this LitRPG so far. I am very curious where this will take a turn for in the future. I will be receiving the ARC of book 2 shortly as it will be released on Sept 19 and I want to have the review ready for launch. I am already excited for book 2 and hope that we see more of my favorite character, Hearn, in the future. The fact that the game had a mind of itself is great. Got to love it when technology grows sentient.
When Mace is forced to retire from the police force by his long-time friend and previous partner Haggarty after a heart attack he isn't sure what he is going to do. Let alone how he is going to help his daughter, Amber, with college expenses as promised. That is until Haggarty says that he can get him on as a constable for the VR game: Immersion Online. Mace had never been big on gaming, even though he grew up in a time when it was prominent, so this would be a new experience. Once he gets online he is immediately thrown into battle and begins earning XP. However, there seems to be more to this game than meets the eye as the NPCs are self aware and things are happening that weren't programmed. Can the skills from his lifetime help him face the new challenges of this world?
I was sent a physical copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Somehow before the past 6 months I had never read any LitRPG books. Don't ask me how considering how many books I read as well as the fact that both I and my husband are gamers. He is actually playing DND on his desktop beside me as I write this with his buddies. I have decided that it is now one of my new favorite genres.
This book needs some editing, but after speaking with the author last night shortly after I finished the book he told me that the eBook has already received editing. I have a physical copy (YAY ME!!!) and it didn't receive that by the time it was published. Honestly, even with the editing issues it rarely detracts from the story. I can only think of 2 instances: one was when the word apoplectic was used instead of apologetic. It confused me simply because one possible definition of apoplectic is angered or enraged. And yes, I looked up the definition because I have no shame in admitting it wasn't one I was familiar with. The second was the first time we let the pretty boy NPC. The "whilst" did it for me. I kept reading it as "while-st". This one I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but it threw me. I am not going to take away any stars for this as the author did state that errors have been fixed since this publication, so they may have caught the ones I mentioned.
Those are the only bad things I have to say about this book. I love the full immersion in RPG games and think it would be a lot of fun to actually be able to do things like this. The auto log-off after a certain amount of time was certainly a nice touch, although one that I am sure many gamers would have problems with.
Our main character, Mace, is an older guy who only has his daughter left in his life after his wife died years before and he is forced into retirement. I am sure the initial betrayal stung on that one. Then, having never been a techy before, he is thrust into an online gaming world having no idea what to do and trying to fend for himself. He had discussed the basics with his friend before logging in and he had his personal assistant until level 15 in the starter town, but it is still a bit experience change. I loved that Mace treated the NPCs as lives that were worth saving instead of lines of coding.
This game seems to be a continuous play kind of game. So everyone has their own experiences. You don't receive the same tasks and choices made in the game actually affect the NPCs lives going forward. All in all I love the concept and the execution of this LitRPG so far. I am very curious where this will take a turn for in the future. I will be receiving the ARC of book 2 shortly as it will be released on Sept 19 and I want to have the review ready for launch. I am already excited for book 2 and hope that we see more of my favorite character, Hearn, in the future. The fact that the game had a mind of itself is great. Got to love it when technology grows sentient.
September 5, 2021
I’ve been really lucky lately to get a chance to review some really good books. Immersion Online: The Noob, is no exception to that. I have to say, the author takes his world building seriously. Set about 50 years from now, the real world of the book has a certain real tech billionaire turning 100, after accomplishing things like starting a colony and Mars and working on a space elevator. There are advances like nanite tech, which make death by things like heart attacks a thing of the past if administered in time. VR gaming is now commonplace, with full immersion finally being possible, although the gameplay is actually time limited to 12 hours in a row, to ensure people aren’t in game to the point they forget basic necessities. This is actually a cool point, looking at the real world consequences of gaming too much. Not something a lot of stories deal with.
The characters really shine, especially the main protagonist, Charlie, who goes by Mace in game. After his forced retirement from the police, taking the job to become basically an in game cop is pretty funny, since he is not a gamer at all. He was also an old school kind of cop, more get the job done than worry about hurt feelings, so having to learn to work in a game world where cooperation is part of the game is hilarious to watch. Its a fun character arc to watch as Charlie discovers there is more going on in the game than he was led to believe, and he is now forced to discover just what the ghosts in the machine are up to. There is something boiling under the surface that is causing things that shouldn’t happen in the game and its a good thing Mace was a detective, because those skills serve him well throughout the game.
The secondary characters are a fun bunch. From his IRL boss, his old captain on the police force, to his various companions on his quests to level up in the game, there are a fun mix of personalities and skills that help compliment Mace’s skills, although being real people, they tend to make mistakes as well. The NPC’s are like nothing I’d ever seen before, since they are AI controlled, and basically have free will within the game, so act like real people, with all the strengths and flaws that brings. They actually react like real people will, so it adds a whole new layer of realism.
The antagonists are kind of what you expect from a game world, a mix of fantasy baddies, although there is something going on in the background causing monsters and villains that shouldn’t be released in a noob area to appear and wreak havoc. I really enjoyed seeing where this went, because seeing the characters go up against hopeless odds and still trying anyways is always one of my favorite things. The villains play very well against the protagonists, and were darker than I expected in a LitRPG book. Good play by the author.
The audiobook narration is performed by veteran VO actor Todd Menesses. It is his usual excellent performance. He gives each character a life of their own, using various tones, cadences and accents to differentiate the various characters. You are never in doubt which character is speaking, His narrative pacing is fantastic, never droning in a monotone or having a bunch of weird pauses. Like I said, an excellent performance.
While LitRPG might not be for everybody, I would like to challenge people to expand their horizons. This book has so many cool fantasy and sci-fi elements that the LitRPG elements shouldn’t distract. This is not a harem kind of wish fulfillment book, either, so no worries on that account. Its just a solid, fantasy based book that should appeal to fans of both LitRPG and fantasy alike. I highly recommend it, because book two is due to be released later this month, so you won’t have to wait for your next fix.
The characters really shine, especially the main protagonist, Charlie, who goes by Mace in game. After his forced retirement from the police, taking the job to become basically an in game cop is pretty funny, since he is not a gamer at all. He was also an old school kind of cop, more get the job done than worry about hurt feelings, so having to learn to work in a game world where cooperation is part of the game is hilarious to watch. Its a fun character arc to watch as Charlie discovers there is more going on in the game than he was led to believe, and he is now forced to discover just what the ghosts in the machine are up to. There is something boiling under the surface that is causing things that shouldn’t happen in the game and its a good thing Mace was a detective, because those skills serve him well throughout the game.
The secondary characters are a fun bunch. From his IRL boss, his old captain on the police force, to his various companions on his quests to level up in the game, there are a fun mix of personalities and skills that help compliment Mace’s skills, although being real people, they tend to make mistakes as well. The NPC’s are like nothing I’d ever seen before, since they are AI controlled, and basically have free will within the game, so act like real people, with all the strengths and flaws that brings. They actually react like real people will, so it adds a whole new layer of realism.
The antagonists are kind of what you expect from a game world, a mix of fantasy baddies, although there is something going on in the background causing monsters and villains that shouldn’t be released in a noob area to appear and wreak havoc. I really enjoyed seeing where this went, because seeing the characters go up against hopeless odds and still trying anyways is always one of my favorite things. The villains play very well against the protagonists, and were darker than I expected in a LitRPG book. Good play by the author.
The audiobook narration is performed by veteran VO actor Todd Menesses. It is his usual excellent performance. He gives each character a life of their own, using various tones, cadences and accents to differentiate the various characters. You are never in doubt which character is speaking, His narrative pacing is fantastic, never droning in a monotone or having a bunch of weird pauses. Like I said, an excellent performance.
While LitRPG might not be for everybody, I would like to challenge people to expand their horizons. This book has so many cool fantasy and sci-fi elements that the LitRPG elements shouldn’t distract. This is not a harem kind of wish fulfillment book, either, so no worries on that account. Its just a solid, fantasy based book that should appeal to fans of both LitRPG and fantasy alike. I highly recommend it, because book two is due to be released later this month, so you won’t have to wait for your next fix.
April 28, 2021
This is the first book I read from this author and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. The ending of this book.. come on! I just didn´t expect it! Can´t wait to read other books from this great writer! Amazing job! a must-read! A fantastic book that has it all! I happily endorse this story to any and all who are looking for an enjoyable read and a completely different experience than anyone could imagine on their own. ¡Great book!
April 18, 2022
The setup and initial story here are fine - real world cop becomes a cop in a game. This book and the two subsequent ones take the main character to some interesting places with some nice mechanics. The books read fast - there aren't too many events before the climax of the story. I would have liked to see the characters take advantage of their mechanics in more varied circumstances before the big battles. I would also like to see them on a growth path, rather than the big jumps that happen.
I was rather frustrated by poor editing in the first book (mostly dangling quotes, making the dialog a little confusion; And some switching around on terms for players and the NPCS). This improved in the next books, so if you like the story keep going.
I was rather frustrated by poor editing in the first book (mostly dangling quotes, making the dialog a little confusion; And some switching around on terms for players and the NPCS). This improved in the next books, so if you like the story keep going.
April 4, 2021
Enjoyed this story
An experienced detective has a heart attach in the squad room, and is forced to retire. His friend tells him of a new job - in an immersive online game! He's never played video games, much less one in which a player is immersed in the actual game. He has to start as a brand new novice player - a noob. This is the first part of his story - a great read!
An experienced detective has a heart attach in the squad room, and is forced to retire. His friend tells him of a new job - in an immersive online game! He's never played video games, much less one in which a player is immersed in the actual game. He has to start as a brand new novice player - a noob. This is the first part of his story - a great read!
July 27, 2021
My first journey into a Lit RPG novel. Seemed like the right choice for a noob. The nostalgia that comes from the RPG aspect is well done. I don't play many games anymore, but this brought me right back into them.
Storyline is good. Could use a proofread and a copy edit. And the last 15% felt like several short stories. But overall, it was good.
Storyline is good. Could use a proofread and a copy edit. And the last 15% felt like several short stories. But overall, it was good.
August 12, 2021
Yup, Mace is a noob alright and that's ok. Good story, huge room to grow with the world and lore of it and also room to tone down the constant stats refresh. Maybe once a chapter for a full stat run down or every other chapter.
Next book, make is longer please. :)
Todd did a great job again with the voice work.
Next book, make is longer please. :)
Todd did a great job again with the voice work.
March 4, 2023
There’s a new shieriff … coming to town
Pretty darned good start to a series I’m really looking forward to digging into! Interesting theme of the AI growing and morphing with the tech department clueless about stopping the anomalies … And this is my first LitRPG from the POV of law enforcement which is pretty novel imo … Keep em coming Mr. K!
Pretty darned good start to a series I’m really looking forward to digging into! Interesting theme of the AI growing and morphing with the tech department clueless about stopping the anomalies … And this is my first LitRPG from the POV of law enforcement which is pretty novel imo … Keep em coming Mr. K!
April 10, 2021
Nice first book
Very interesting MC, and I look forward to watching the growth of the side characters. Some care in editing would be appreciated, word choices and some chopped sentences have a negative impact
Very interesting MC, and I look forward to watching the growth of the side characters. Some care in editing would be appreciated, word choices and some chopped sentences have a negative impact
August 29, 2021
Enjoyable take on the genre
While lighter on stats than I would prefer, the book was well written, with very few editing errors. I appreciated the character development and world building and look forward to reading the next in the series.
While lighter on stats than I would prefer, the book was well written, with very few editing errors. I appreciated the character development and world building and look forward to reading the next in the series.
October 17, 2021
Good book
Easy to read very enjoyable although their was some things that did not need to be in the book the writer thought he or she was politically correct by adding it so I will not be reading anymore books of this writer!!
Easy to read very enjoyable although their was some things that did not need to be in the book the writer thought he or she was politically correct by adding it so I will not be reading anymore books of this writer!!
March 22, 2023
A good start.
I enjoyed reading this book. It needs further proof reading. The story and characters were interesting and engaging. It was definitely entertaining. This book is worth checking out.
I enjoyed reading this book. It needs further proof reading. The story and characters were interesting and engaging. It was definitely entertaining. This book is worth checking out.
May 5, 2023
Great read
From a middle-aged detective with a bad back and knees, gets a second chance in a video game. Read about his adventures and the people he meets. A book that was hard to put down.
From a middle-aged detective with a bad back and knees, gets a second chance in a video game. Read about his adventures and the people he meets. A book that was hard to put down.
June 18, 2024
Slightly different take
The same yet different and best of all no love story. This was great and all the moving elements of the story seemed consistent with the world framework. Little too many epilogues but that just seemed cute as well
The same yet different and best of all no love story. This was great and all the moving elements of the story seemed consistent with the world framework. Little too many epilogues but that just seemed cute as well
December 13, 2024
It was good, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next.
That said there is plenty of spelling errors, missing punctuation and wrongly used words; for example attached instead of attacked. Also six epilogues, not really how that works, but alrighty.
That said there is plenty of spelling errors, missing punctuation and wrongly used words; for example attached instead of attacked. Also six epilogues, not really how that works, but alrighty.
April 20, 2021
Great story
A,well written story, with believable characters, that make sense and you can feel for. The story is a nice difference, because it's the being of diving, game wise.
A,well written story, with believable characters, that make sense and you can feel for. The story is a nice difference, because it's the being of diving, game wise.
April 25, 2021
Immersive world building
The story was rather a slow start but I’m glad I stuck it out. It has a small portion of a sizable world that I look forward to learning more about
The story was rather a slow start but I’m glad I stuck it out. It has a small portion of a sizable world that I look forward to learning more about
May 3, 2021
Great Book!
Definitely a must read! Looking forward to book two! The epilogues were another pleasant surprise that answered a lot of questions!
Definitely a must read! Looking forward to book two! The epilogues were another pleasant surprise that answered a lot of questions!
May 15, 2021
Liked it a lot
Not too technical. Fun read. Looking forward to book 2. I read a lot of Lit RPG and I can’t say that I would recommend some of the others.
Not too technical. Fun read. Looking forward to book 2. I read a lot of Lit RPG and I can’t say that I would recommend some of the others.
September 16, 2021
Decent read. A bit clunky with uneven pacing. Liked the way the plot progressed. Following a detective in game is novel, but doesn't really offer much different from others in this genre.
March 1, 2022
Great start to a interesting series
April 8, 2022
Very good read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who like LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who like LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.
February 14, 2023
Really needs a good editor.
April 3, 2025
Once a cop
A life scare makes a man need to retire from the police force, but a friend got him a better one using his mind to do what he has been doing for years.
A life scare makes a man need to retire from the police force, but a friend got him a better one using his mind to do what he has been doing for years.
April 5, 2021
Another great story out of LitRpg. This story has a great backstory of the game that keeps you reading while the characters move the plot along. Everyone who loves rpg games will love this book.
December 30, 2022
good read
In desperate need of an editor. I always wonder if these are just good translations or someone who couldn’t be bothered with an editor. The story is well done just needs some words change/add/replaced.
In desperate need of an editor. I always wonder if these are just good translations or someone who couldn’t be bothered with an editor. The story is well done just needs some words change/add/replaced.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews