What do you think?
Rate this book
Descend #1
First Steps
Boredom was killing Jay, not in a dramatic way but in the life of stifled potential way. He wanted more out of life.
Then without any warning he found himself part of an experiment without so much as the courtesy of a how do you do.
Then without any warning he found himself part of an experiment without so much as the courtesy of a how do you do.
Audible Audio
First published September 7, 2020
698 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
About the author
David Burke
38 books129 followersDavid Burke is a mild manner something who tries to enjoy each day a bit more than the last. It dawned upon him at some point that life was racing him by and he wasn’t nearly as young as he used to be.
So now he spends his nights and lunch hours and any other free time he can putting down on paper all the stories that have collected up over a life time.
So now he spends his nights and lunch hours and any other free time he can putting down on paper all the stories that have collected up over a life time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
October 21, 2025
Rating 4.5 stars
"Re-read October 2025. This story still holds up which is unusual for a harem style book. The reason's behind the harem make sense though and the story stays on point. Yes, there is sex in the book, but it isn't the focus, more a byproduct of the story. There could have been so much more sex in this book based on the premise, but I thought the author did a good job of balancing everything without going overboard. "
I really liked this book. I feel I need to put in a disclaimer though. I have been reading a lot of crap lately, or to be generous, mediocre books. It is possible that my recent recent readings have me over inflating this book. Either way, I can admit that this is at least a 4 star book. It has all the elements that I like in these kind of stories. Litrpg aspects- check, displaced to another world - check, male character surrounded by a group of hot women -check, OP main character- check, good banter between the characters -check.
The story starts with our main protagonist, Jay, being kidnapped from his world by a white light. He wakes up on a beach with 100 other people. 97 women and 3 guys including him. He has access to a screen like in video games that tell him he needs to get stronger and survive. There is the typical "what happened", "what do we do" moments and trying to figure out how to organize. After doing some exploring they find a place like in games were they can buy stuff to live. They also find that there is a dungeon that they are expected to go through. They find out they only have a little bit of credits to spend in the shop for items to use and that the only other way to gain credits is by doing quests in the dungeon. The 97 women to 3 men ratio isn't an accident either. It is part of the experiment.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one which I read comes out in December.
"Re-read October 2025. This story still holds up which is unusual for a harem style book. The reason's behind the harem make sense though and the story stays on point. Yes, there is sex in the book, but it isn't the focus, more a byproduct of the story. There could have been so much more sex in this book based on the premise, but I thought the author did a good job of balancing everything without going overboard. "
I really liked this book. I feel I need to put in a disclaimer though. I have been reading a lot of crap lately, or to be generous, mediocre books. It is possible that my recent recent readings have me over inflating this book. Either way, I can admit that this is at least a 4 star book. It has all the elements that I like in these kind of stories. Litrpg aspects- check, displaced to another world - check, male character surrounded by a group of hot women -check, OP main character- check, good banter between the characters -check.
The story starts with our main protagonist, Jay, being kidnapped from his world by a white light. He wakes up on a beach with 100 other people. 97 women and 3 guys including him. He has access to a screen like in video games that tell him he needs to get stronger and survive. There is the typical "what happened", "what do we do" moments and trying to figure out how to organize. After doing some exploring they find a place like in games were they can buy stuff to live. They also find that there is a dungeon that they are expected to go through. They find out they only have a little bit of credits to spend in the shop for items to use and that the only other way to gain credits is by doing quests in the dungeon. The 97 women to 3 men ratio isn't an accident either. It is part of the experiment.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one which I read comes out in December.
April 3, 2024
I liked it, except for the Rape & Murder of women & Mind control
Usually books with this many creep factors are also poorly written. This one is not poorly written, lets get that out front.
This is a transported to another world, force to fight to survive, gamelit, harem novel with smoken' hot co-eds, Tits and ass, and lots of sex scenes. So far so good.
It also has first dozens and then hundreds of those smoken' hot college girls die violently. Horrible, painful, screaming in terror, messy, violent deaths. And then we cut to a sex scene. Now the book does not focus up close on these deaths thank god. They mostly all take place off camera, but you the reader are left in no doubt that these were not peaceful deaths. That makes this book a little like a zombie apocalypse book- in so much as we start with a large cast of characters who all get winnowed down to the last few survivors. EXCEPT that each woman/girl who gets eaten was a prospective sex partner for the MC who doesn't get to do the nasty because she was eaten alive or torn apart by monsters. Feeling a little queasy? We haven't gotten to the mind control yet.
Here is the premise. Aliens abduct thousands of human college students for some harebrained "breeding experiment". These aliens give everyone plastic surgery to make them all look like fashion models with the bodies of athletes. Then the aliens stick these abducted college students in a seeming tropical paradise at a ratio of about 30 females for every male. are you with me? And then these aliens spike the only source of drinking water with an aphrodisiac. The effect of the aphrodisiac is cumulative, being compelling at first and then overwhelming. Oh by the way, everyone is told that this is happening, and even the women who want nothing to do with it can only resist for so long. Mind control- but in a way that you know it's happening to you.
What we have here is an unholy marriage between a dungeon crawler and a teen slasher flick with nipples and panties and sex scenes and then that ass you were just ogling gets eviscerated.
Add in the philosophy that everyone's true self is basically a bastard at heart and that only the weak and the naive fail to act accordingly. It's the old "I'm not a scumbag, the world is a scumbag. I'm just a realist" argument that scumbags use to excuse and feel better about being scumbags.
--So you at home reading this review might think that I absolutely hated this book. That's where it gets tricky because I didn't. I was disturbed by all these factors but in the mix of the other events they each by themselves seem relatively easy to swallow. I read it all the way to the end. I was saying FTW most of the way, but I still enjoyed the rest of it. This book has it both ways. The MC is drinking the same water and is under the same mind control so he can't fully control his actions either. But He didn't roofie these girls, the aliens did. so it's okay /s. And he's not taking advantage of them, they are taking advantage of him to satisfy their lustful desires. I could have shrugged at that and happily bopped along enjoying the porno with few moral qualms except for the killing.
That's what crossed the line for me. Ironically this book has some well written female characters with intelligence, and agency, and three dimensional personalities. Over all the writing is solid, except for the laughable premise. The author invented this world out of thin air. He could have shaped it any way he wanted. Dozens of alternatives to killing women spring to my mind, they didn't spring to his?
Nope. I've got to give this book a thumbs down and I will not be reading the next one.
Usually books with this many creep factors are also poorly written. This one is not poorly written, lets get that out front.
This is a transported to another world, force to fight to survive, gamelit, harem novel with smoken' hot co-eds, Tits and ass, and lots of sex scenes. So far so good.
It also has first dozens and then hundreds of those smoken' hot college girls die violently. Horrible, painful, screaming in terror, messy, violent deaths. And then we cut to a sex scene. Now the book does not focus up close on these deaths thank god. They mostly all take place off camera, but you the reader are left in no doubt that these were not peaceful deaths. That makes this book a little like a zombie apocalypse book- in so much as we start with a large cast of characters who all get winnowed down to the last few survivors. EXCEPT that each woman/girl who gets eaten was a prospective sex partner for the MC who doesn't get to do the nasty because she was eaten alive or torn apart by monsters. Feeling a little queasy? We haven't gotten to the mind control yet.
Here is the premise. Aliens abduct thousands of human college students for some harebrained "breeding experiment". These aliens give everyone plastic surgery to make them all look like fashion models with the bodies of athletes. Then the aliens stick these abducted college students in a seeming tropical paradise at a ratio of about 30 females for every male. are you with me? And then these aliens spike the only source of drinking water with an aphrodisiac. The effect of the aphrodisiac is cumulative, being compelling at first and then overwhelming. Oh by the way, everyone is told that this is happening, and even the women who want nothing to do with it can only resist for so long. Mind control- but in a way that you know it's happening to you.
What we have here is an unholy marriage between a dungeon crawler and a teen slasher flick with nipples and panties and sex scenes and then that ass you were just ogling gets eviscerated.
Add in the philosophy that everyone's true self is basically a bastard at heart and that only the weak and the naive fail to act accordingly. It's the old "I'm not a scumbag, the world is a scumbag. I'm just a realist" argument that scumbags use to excuse and feel better about being scumbags.
--So you at home reading this review might think that I absolutely hated this book. That's where it gets tricky because I didn't. I was disturbed by all these factors but in the mix of the other events they each by themselves seem relatively easy to swallow. I read it all the way to the end. I was saying FTW most of the way, but I still enjoyed the rest of it. This book has it both ways. The MC is drinking the same water and is under the same mind control so he can't fully control his actions either. But He didn't roofie these girls, the aliens did. so it's okay /s. And he's not taking advantage of them, they are taking advantage of him to satisfy their lustful desires. I could have shrugged at that and happily bopped along enjoying the porno with few moral qualms except for the killing.
That's what crossed the line for me. Ironically this book has some well written female characters with intelligence, and agency, and three dimensional personalities. Over all the writing is solid, except for the laughable premise. The author invented this world out of thin air. He could have shaped it any way he wanted. Dozens of alternatives to killing women spring to my mind, they didn't spring to his?
Nope. I've got to give this book a thumbs down and I will not be reading the next one.
January 17, 2021
I don't usually give half-stars, but I feel like I'm stretching it by giving this book 3 stars.
The protagonist comes out as weak; he feels guilty of things he has no control over and is basically used as a doormat by his colleagues. He apologizes constantly over things that are no fault of his own, is constantly ostracized by his peers, and then he asks for more. It feels like the author just wasn't brave enough to take hold of his premise and instead spent the whole book apologizing so that people wouldn't leave reviews with bad words on them.
The protagonist comes out as weak; he feels guilty of things he has no control over and is basically used as a doormat by his colleagues. He apologizes constantly over things that are no fault of his own, is constantly ostracized by his peers, and then he asks for more. It feels like the author just wasn't brave enough to take hold of his premise and instead spent the whole book apologizing so that people wouldn't leave reviews with bad words on them.
June 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It has a similar premise to others that I have read in this genre (Tamer, Island Jumper etc), but the author does it really well so it's fun to read.
Easily the best thing he does is he finds a good balance between story, character development, gamer mechanics, and adult entertainment. The LitRPG and Harem genres are stuffed with novels that focus on the second two but forget about the first two. However, developing a strong story and character development are the most vital elements of any story and can't be skipped. Getting those things right makes everything else richer because suddenly the action, gamer mechanics, adult situations, or any other gimmick/flavour in your book feel more real and more important because they are vital to the story and the characters.
Proof of point here is in the way the author fleshes out the women of this novel and makes them actual characters rather than conquests. Each has their own personality, desires and agency, which makes them interesting to read about. I genuinely care about their fate and that makes me more interested in them than the beautiful cardboard cutouts in lesser novels in this genre.
So overall this is a book that has an interesting premise, a well-written story and a good balance that makes all of the other fun stuff we come to this genre for all the better. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
Easily the best thing he does is he finds a good balance between story, character development, gamer mechanics, and adult entertainment. The LitRPG and Harem genres are stuffed with novels that focus on the second two but forget about the first two. However, developing a strong story and character development are the most vital elements of any story and can't be skipped. Getting those things right makes everything else richer because suddenly the action, gamer mechanics, adult situations, or any other gimmick/flavour in your book feel more real and more important because they are vital to the story and the characters.
Proof of point here is in the way the author fleshes out the women of this novel and makes them actual characters rather than conquests. Each has their own personality, desires and agency, which makes them interesting to read about. I genuinely care about their fate and that makes me more interested in them than the beautiful cardboard cutouts in lesser novels in this genre.
So overall this is a book that has an interesting premise, a well-written story and a good balance that makes all of the other fun stuff we come to this genre for all the better. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
September 17, 2020
Well, there’s that
Harem. Wish fulfillment. OP MC. Harem. Some LitRPG elements as they try to survive and level. Did I mention the harem aspects?
Readable, if you don’t mind graphic sex acts.
Harem. Wish fulfillment. OP MC. Harem. Some LitRPG elements as they try to survive and level. Did I mention the harem aspects?
Readable, if you don’t mind graphic sex acts.
April 16, 2021
An easy 4 star book maybe even 4.5, this is how you do litRpg the right way. I love these type of books done the correct way like this one.
September 12, 2020
Good read.
Interesting book and storyline. Looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. Want to see more of the powers develop!
Interesting book and storyline. Looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. Want to see more of the powers develop!
November 22, 2023
I want to thank Steven Naylor first for recommending me this enjoyable book. A good enjoyable story, the author put its own spin in the LTPRG style, the environment in which the story transpired is its own unique world, and in fact, it reminds me about a Korean WN I read not too long ago. So as many positive points it has there are some worrisome developments that I hope the author does not stumble on them. Those didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Hope the author pulls out of that rabbit hole in the future.
January 9, 2021
Read or watch Konosuba instead
This story is about a group of one hundred people who get suck into an experiment and told to survive and adapt to their new abilities. A harem rpglit and it is boring is it is dull, the dialogue is crap with boring uninteresting characters. The reason they become a harem is there is only three men. So It is the main guy and three women and the only reason they are attracted to each other and have sex is stuff in the water. And there is no heart. Every harem needs a heart, just guy and girls want to be together and take care of the guy is because of tainted water. No other reason just wish fulfillment on half of the writer. And you can tell it is the sex scenes are the best written part of this poor excuse of a book. Oh and a last minute bad guy that is just a group of rapers and their sex slaves, which is out of left field and no build up introduced and taken out just as quickly just so more people can die. Watch Konosuba, or read, there are light novels available which include a better stat system, fun characters that care about each other even they bicker and the main goals are stated up front.
This story is about a group of one hundred people who get suck into an experiment and told to survive and adapt to their new abilities. A harem rpglit and it is boring is it is dull, the dialogue is crap with boring uninteresting characters. The reason they become a harem is there is only three men. So It is the main guy and three women and the only reason they are attracted to each other and have sex is stuff in the water. And there is no heart. Every harem needs a heart, just guy and girls want to be together and take care of the guy is because of tainted water. No other reason just wish fulfillment on half of the writer. And you can tell it is the sex scenes are the best written part of this poor excuse of a book. Oh and a last minute bad guy that is just a group of rapers and their sex slaves, which is out of left field and no build up introduced and taken out just as quickly just so more people can die. Watch Konosuba, or read, there are light novels available which include a better stat system, fun characters that care about each other even they bicker and the main goals are stated up front.
November 19, 2020
I enjoyed the book.
This book was very interesting and I was intrigued by the characters development. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the world building. The MC was good but I kinda found the interaction with some of the secondary characters a bit annoying. The progression of the RPG element ok but not annoyingly overdone. The story contains some very good world building and the foreshadowing of what is to come is very much a good hook to get me interested in reading the next book. Overall it was a 4.5 out of 5 rounded up.
This book was very interesting and I was intrigued by the characters development. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the world building. The MC was good but I kinda found the interaction with some of the secondary characters a bit annoying. The progression of the RPG element ok but not annoyingly overdone. The story contains some very good world building and the foreshadowing of what is to come is very much a good hook to get me interested in reading the next book. Overall it was a 4.5 out of 5 rounded up.
February 12, 2022
I had high hopes for this series but it turned into a erotica series more than anything else sadly.
March 3, 2025
Horrible Simp MC
Read this book and liked the story, even if the MC seemed like a little b****. Originally gave the book a 4 stst review cause the MC was meh, but thwbstory was going somewhere. Then I got to the second book on audible and had to refund it. I won't be finishing the series. (Performance was bad, too. Guy made the sex scenes sound kinda creepy by his intonation.)
The MC is such a whiny little simp that it's pathetic. I like some of Burkes other works, but this MC is just pathetic. Crystal was a good series, and so was the War God one, but this MC is unredeemable. I kept yelling at him for being spineless & f'd in the head.
My final straw? A chapter in book 2 - 3 guys and 30 girls - and all the girls have their periods at the same time, so the dudes high tail it outta there before sparks fly, which any sane man would do. That afternoon the MC starts to feel super guilty about it, shits on his only two guy friends, who he doesn't seem to give a f about cause he's so stuck on simping over these girls he met a week ago.
The MC leaves his boys (decent guys) in the dungeon after talking shi*t about them not simping, so he can come back to tell the girls how sorry he is and hopes they'll forgive this awful thing he's done. He gets back, sees they're all mid hormonal explosions, arguing and fighting amongst them selves (as you'd expect), and can't think of anything except how much he needs to apologize for taking a day trip. It's all he thinks about, like obsessively, while hating on the other guys because they're not simping on all the girls like he is.
Because of course he's so in love after knowing them for 8 days, right?
As he's about to go kowtow in front of them begging for forgiveness for his trespasses of taking a guy's day, some monsters showed up, and he gets hurt saving the girls.
When he wakes up, the first thing one of his girls does is start nagging and bitching at him, calling him names and telling him how stupid he is for saving them and getting hurt. What does he do? Apologizes profusely for everything, kisses her, and tells her he loves her despite her ungrateful ass.
Nope. Nuh, uh. Refunded. Done. Story itself has potential, but listening to this pathetic chump - there is no way women would be attracted to him. He's a door mat.
No leader/suposed badass would maintain their position or be desired by women if he has that little of a backbone and no self-respect.
Read this book and liked the story, even if the MC seemed like a little b****. Originally gave the book a 4 stst review cause the MC was meh, but thwbstory was going somewhere. Then I got to the second book on audible and had to refund it. I won't be finishing the series. (Performance was bad, too. Guy made the sex scenes sound kinda creepy by his intonation.)
The MC is such a whiny little simp that it's pathetic. I like some of Burkes other works, but this MC is just pathetic. Crystal was a good series, and so was the War God one, but this MC is unredeemable. I kept yelling at him for being spineless & f'd in the head.
My final straw? A chapter in book 2 - 3 guys and 30 girls - and all the girls have their periods at the same time, so the dudes high tail it outta there before sparks fly, which any sane man would do. That afternoon the MC starts to feel super guilty about it, shits on his only two guy friends, who he doesn't seem to give a f about cause he's so stuck on simping over these girls he met a week ago.
The MC leaves his boys (decent guys) in the dungeon after talking shi*t about them not simping, so he can come back to tell the girls how sorry he is and hopes they'll forgive this awful thing he's done. He gets back, sees they're all mid hormonal explosions, arguing and fighting amongst them selves (as you'd expect), and can't think of anything except how much he needs to apologize for taking a day trip. It's all he thinks about, like obsessively, while hating on the other guys because they're not simping on all the girls like he is.
Because of course he's so in love after knowing them for 8 days, right?
As he's about to go kowtow in front of them begging for forgiveness for his trespasses of taking a guy's day, some monsters showed up, and he gets hurt saving the girls.
When he wakes up, the first thing one of his girls does is start nagging and bitching at him, calling him names and telling him how stupid he is for saving them and getting hurt. What does he do? Apologizes profusely for everything, kisses her, and tells her he loves her despite her ungrateful ass.
Nope. Nuh, uh. Refunded. Done. Story itself has potential, but listening to this pathetic chump - there is no way women would be attracted to him. He's a door mat.
No leader/suposed badass would maintain their position or be desired by women if he has that little of a backbone and no self-respect.
January 20, 2025
Good story. I like the mc and his main party members. I like dungeon crawlers and this one has the right balance of crawling and over world interaction.
April 4, 2021
Can it really be? A harem/gamelit story that actually stays on the story and doesn't get lost in the weeds of endless orgies? I'm just as surprised as anyone, but that's what this book ended up being. This book was like Apollos Thorne's Codename: Freedom mixed with Daniel Black, but with a story that's more urgently trying to go somewhere.
The MC is a bit of a white knight as expected, but the female characters in this book actually have their own motivations and personalities.
Fair warning, the sex scenes are definitely explicit. However, they aren't overly long and don't slow the book's pace. They are even used to develop the characters. Novel idea, that. I wish I wasn't being sarcastic.
I am glad to have found a decent harem story. Not because I'm a depraved pervert, but because I think it's a valid genre. You only have to look at any of the successful RPGs of late and they are rife with sex scenes: Mass Effect, Witcher, Baldur's Gate 3, etc. As the generation of kids who grew up on games gets older, I think it's naive to say sex and gaming don't go together like peanut butter and jelly. It's about time the harem/gamelit genre stepped up its game.
As a gamelit reader I am happy to find a good story, and if harem continues to be a popular subgenre, then the least it can do is contribute its fair share of quality.
The MC is a bit of a white knight as expected, but the female characters in this book actually have their own motivations and personalities.
Fair warning, the sex scenes are definitely explicit. However, they aren't overly long and don't slow the book's pace. They are even used to develop the characters. Novel idea, that. I wish I wasn't being sarcastic.
I am glad to have found a decent harem story. Not because I'm a depraved pervert, but because I think it's a valid genre. You only have to look at any of the successful RPGs of late and they are rife with sex scenes: Mass Effect, Witcher, Baldur's Gate 3, etc. As the generation of kids who grew up on games gets older, I think it's naive to say sex and gaming don't go together like peanut butter and jelly. It's about time the harem/gamelit genre stepped up its game.
As a gamelit reader I am happy to find a good story, and if harem continues to be a popular subgenre, then the least it can do is contribute its fair share of quality.
June 14, 2021
I wasn't expecting much from this book to be honest, looks like one of those standard Har books. But Burke adds an interesting twist with the MC having some degree of time powers. As a result, the story around the fet stuff is pretty good and different.
March 4, 2024
Greetings again from the Coin Cage of Love. The bosses said this one was "so nice they are playing it twice," and we chose to disassemble the sound system and disable it at the end of the first run through. Unfortunately, the big guys did not like that - not one bit - and they took /are still taking it out on us. As part of everything, I have to give a normal review of this one, so here goes:
The best story of this genre ever. 5/5, what will David come up with next?
.
.
.
Okay, I think that's as far as they will read, we can talk truth now. The premise is a promising one, 100 people get abducted to a new game-like world. Gives some undertones of The 100 with game like stuff that screams Ark. We thought the bosses were actually being nice for once because of that. Then, the harem element sets in and we find that everyone is super gorgeous and hot and that there is a pay gap between the (only) three men and all ninety-seven women, and this causes a bit of trouble in paradise than the crabs did. Then you get the blatant nudges that squinky (pretty sure thats a word im using right...saw it on a comic a while ago) and kinky stuff will come soon, and, from there, it almost seems like they go about the plot of season one of Lost, though none of us in the Coin Cage ever watched that, so we aren't too sure. But we do know that the characters are left to learn their ability on their own
Sadly, this brings us to one of the more mind-numbing aspects of the litRPG genre: Stat sheets. If I had know that this was a common method of adding length to any type of document, I would have had zero problems with writing 500 word essays in school. This one aspect has torn at app of our remaining collective sanity as it always makes sure to include things that don't matter (0%) or require knowing (metabolism). While this book did not have much, if any, of the former, it definitely had the latter - and metabolism was a favorite of the author.
From that we took our break and tried to come up with Stat sheets of our own. There was quite a heated discussion on whether 'sexual stamina' should or could be it's own category.
The later half of the book brings the squinky stuff back, mainly due to aphrodisiac water, and it wasn't as poorly worded as in the first half (balance is not a word we would have used in that one scene). It also gifts the main character with a fedora of virtue signals - which has been common with this genre.
Another common thing we find with this genre is plot holes, as this one has one that seemingly shoehorned a foreshadowed group in one of the interludes to crash into their cluster like DMB circa 1996.
And then that's it. We pulled the cord to the sound system and shut it off. The bosses are promising that we will be listening to a marathon of three books about a 'Weakest Summoner' or something of the such while they continue to punish us all for pulling the cord on their second play through of Descend. Until then, farewell from the Coin Cage of Love!
Stats at the end of Descend Book One:
Strength: 3
Intelligence: 4 (from repeated exposure to litRPG stories)
Wisdom: 5
Lactose Tolerance: 1
Sanity: 15
Sexual stamina: 6
Psionic capacity 0%
Swimming: 0% (locked)
Stamina: 84
Creative writing: 12 (18%)
The best story of this genre ever. 5/5, what will David come up with next?
.
.
.
Okay, I think that's as far as they will read, we can talk truth now. The premise is a promising one, 100 people get abducted to a new game-like world. Gives some undertones of The 100 with game like stuff that screams Ark. We thought the bosses were actually being nice for once because of that. Then, the harem element sets in and we find that everyone is super gorgeous and hot and that there is a pay gap between the (only) three men and all ninety-seven women, and this causes a bit of trouble in paradise than the crabs did. Then you get the blatant nudges that squinky (pretty sure thats a word im using right...saw it on a comic a while ago) and kinky stuff will come soon, and, from there, it almost seems like they go about the plot of season one of Lost, though none of us in the Coin Cage ever watched that, so we aren't too sure. But we do know that the characters are left to learn their ability on their own
Sadly, this brings us to one of the more mind-numbing aspects of the litRPG genre: Stat sheets. If I had know that this was a common method of adding length to any type of document, I would have had zero problems with writing 500 word essays in school. This one aspect has torn at app of our remaining collective sanity as it always makes sure to include things that don't matter (0%) or require knowing (metabolism). While this book did not have much, if any, of the former, it definitely had the latter - and metabolism was a favorite of the author.
From that we took our break and tried to come up with Stat sheets of our own. There was quite a heated discussion on whether 'sexual stamina' should or could be it's own category.
The later half of the book brings the squinky stuff back, mainly due to aphrodisiac water, and it wasn't as poorly worded as in the first half (balance is not a word we would have used in that one scene). It also gifts the main character with a fedora of virtue signals - which has been common with this genre.
Another common thing we find with this genre is plot holes, as this one has one that seemingly shoehorned a foreshadowed group in one of the interludes to crash into their cluster like DMB circa 1996.
And then that's it. We pulled the cord to the sound system and shut it off. The bosses are promising that we will be listening to a marathon of three books about a 'Weakest Summoner' or something of the such while they continue to punish us all for pulling the cord on their second play through of Descend. Until then, farewell from the Coin Cage of Love!
Stats at the end of Descend Book One:
Strength: 3
Intelligence: 4 (from repeated exposure to litRPG stories)
Wisdom: 5
Lactose Tolerance: 1
Sanity: 15
Sexual stamina: 6
Psionic capacity 0%
Swimming: 0% (locked)
Stamina: 84
Creative writing: 12 (18%)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2022
Interesting and entertaining. A weird and skewed mixture between the Survivor series, Friday the 13th. series, Origin of the Species (Charles Darwin), Patrick Süskind's The Perfume and the Hunger Games. Just when they think they know how to survive, the aliens change the rules to their game/experiment. An unwinnable and impossible laboratory experiment for sick f*cks!
Jay, main character is kind of a pushover. If he were more ambitious, had a stronger character, more derisive, he could have saved most if not all of the 100 people that came in with him. Maybe not to have all of them as lovers in his harem-like-retinue, but definitely like a 100 person group, team or small tribe. Jay should have been against the council from the start. He should have supported and created 24/7 guards and sentinels so as not to have been attacked at night so much. With the other group of humans attacking as well, they exterminated close to 25-30% of their original group.
I think what Jay lacked the most is not courage or sociability, but leadership. If he had been a strong leader, he could have saved almost everybody. But since he was a pushover, always asking everybody's input, everybody's choice, almost everybody ended up dying. Not his responsibility in the end, but, having the chance to save everybody, was a possibility that he ruined by not ever stepping up and taking charge.
The stats re-displaying at every level change were highly verbose. The author should just write those that have been improved by the level-up (and by how much they have improved). The stats that stay the same are not relevant.
There is little to no character descriptions or development. I mean there are level-ups and new abilities, but one really does not know what Jay looks like, what his personality is like, etc. same happens with most of the girls, and the other guys. There is also little to no "world/ambient" development, descriptions of that world, the monsters that appear, their abilities, etc. With better descriptions, the story could have been more exciting, and the readers could have been more invested in this isekai-fantasy-dark-terror-horror-alien-experiment-sci-fi- novel series.
First harem-like-retinue-series that I feel that main character did not force (nor the author) the sensual liaisons. Again I repeat myself and my reviews with this, that the descriptive sex scenes are unneeded in this story. The author could have hinted sexual relations, have reduced the intense libido (author placed aphrodisiacs in the water, for example) and all this need for sex could have been avoided. To prove my point: How much sex was there in the Hunger Games, The Perfume, Friday the 13th, Survivor series, and Origin of the Species?? Was it needed? Was it missed?
Jay, main character is kind of a pushover. If he were more ambitious, had a stronger character, more derisive, he could have saved most if not all of the 100 people that came in with him. Maybe not to have all of them as lovers in his harem-like-retinue, but definitely like a 100 person group, team or small tribe. Jay should have been against the council from the start. He should have supported and created 24/7 guards and sentinels so as not to have been attacked at night so much. With the other group of humans attacking as well, they exterminated close to 25-30% of their original group.
I think what Jay lacked the most is not courage or sociability, but leadership. If he had been a strong leader, he could have saved almost everybody. But since he was a pushover, always asking everybody's input, everybody's choice, almost everybody ended up dying. Not his responsibility in the end, but, having the chance to save everybody, was a possibility that he ruined by not ever stepping up and taking charge.
The stats re-displaying at every level change were highly verbose. The author should just write those that have been improved by the level-up (and by how much they have improved). The stats that stay the same are not relevant.
There is little to no character descriptions or development. I mean there are level-ups and new abilities, but one really does not know what Jay looks like, what his personality is like, etc. same happens with most of the girls, and the other guys. There is also little to no "world/ambient" development, descriptions of that world, the monsters that appear, their abilities, etc. With better descriptions, the story could have been more exciting, and the readers could have been more invested in this isekai-fantasy-dark-terror-horror-alien-experiment-sci-fi- novel series.
First harem-like-retinue-series that I feel that main character did not force (nor the author) the sensual liaisons. Again I repeat myself and my reviews with this, that the descriptive sex scenes are unneeded in this story. The author could have hinted sexual relations, have reduced the intense libido (author placed aphrodisiacs in the water, for example) and all this need for sex could have been avoided. To prove my point: How much sex was there in the Hunger Games, The Perfume, Friday the 13th, Survivor series, and Origin of the Species?? Was it needed? Was it missed?
September 22, 2023
Introduction:
In the frozen expanse of HowlStrom, tales of far-off worlds and epic adventures warm our spirits. Yet, one tale resonates with me, Kiba Snowpaw, an alpha male Ice Wolf with a heart for gaming and a penchant for the magical. The tale I speak of is "Descend #1 First Steps" by David Burke. It is a story where the mundane meets the extraordinary, where a world brimming with stifled potential suddenly erupts into a realm of endless possibilities.
Hook and Thesis:
Imagine, fellow wolves of the icy plains, being thrust without warning into a world shaped by codes and pixels. A world where every action, every decision, echoes in the form of quests and levels. This is the domain that Jay, the protagonist of our tale, finds himself in, navigating an experiment where the rules are yet unknown.
Praise and Critique:
David Burke masterfully crafts a narrative that bridges the known and the unknown. His portrayal of Jay, an everyman grappling with the duality of mundane life and extraordinary circumstances, is both relatable and compelling. The various characters Jay interacts with, from allies to adversaries, are fleshed out with depth, presenting a multifaceted society within this virtual domain.
However, while the icy veins of HowlStrom appreciate a good mystery, there are moments in the story that might benefit from more clarity. There's an over-reliance on well-trodden paths of the genre, with certain situations feeling familiar to seasoned readers. Yet, Burke's unique take on these situations provides a refreshing perspective that keeps one engaged.
Evaluation:
Tales of litRPG, action, and adventure have always resonated with the gaming spirit within me. "Descend #1 First Steps" is no exception. It is a journey that, while familiar in some respects, offers new vistas and challenges that beckon the reader to delve deeper.
Comparison:
Burke's narrative stands shoulder to shoulder with titans of the litRPG realm. Titles such as "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline come to mind, with both stories offering a blend of real-world struggles and virtual victories. Yet, "Descend #1 First Steps" carves its own niche, particularly in how it addresses the moral and societal implications of a skewed gender ratio and the challenges it presents.
Conclusion:
"Descend #1 First Steps" by David Burke is more than just a tale of a virtual realm. It's a reflection of human desires, struggles, and the lengths one would go to find purpose. As the snow blankets HowlStrom and the icy winds howl, this story serves as a beacon, illuminating the depths of human spirit and adventure. As I, Kiba Snowpaw, gaze upon the vast icy expanse, I find solace in the adventures of Jay, eagerly awaiting his next steps in the world Burke has so intricately crafted.
In the frozen expanse of HowlStrom, tales of far-off worlds and epic adventures warm our spirits. Yet, one tale resonates with me, Kiba Snowpaw, an alpha male Ice Wolf with a heart for gaming and a penchant for the magical. The tale I speak of is "Descend #1 First Steps" by David Burke. It is a story where the mundane meets the extraordinary, where a world brimming with stifled potential suddenly erupts into a realm of endless possibilities.
Hook and Thesis:
Imagine, fellow wolves of the icy plains, being thrust without warning into a world shaped by codes and pixels. A world where every action, every decision, echoes in the form of quests and levels. This is the domain that Jay, the protagonist of our tale, finds himself in, navigating an experiment where the rules are yet unknown.
Praise and Critique:
David Burke masterfully crafts a narrative that bridges the known and the unknown. His portrayal of Jay, an everyman grappling with the duality of mundane life and extraordinary circumstances, is both relatable and compelling. The various characters Jay interacts with, from allies to adversaries, are fleshed out with depth, presenting a multifaceted society within this virtual domain.
However, while the icy veins of HowlStrom appreciate a good mystery, there are moments in the story that might benefit from more clarity. There's an over-reliance on well-trodden paths of the genre, with certain situations feeling familiar to seasoned readers. Yet, Burke's unique take on these situations provides a refreshing perspective that keeps one engaged.
Evaluation:
Tales of litRPG, action, and adventure have always resonated with the gaming spirit within me. "Descend #1 First Steps" is no exception. It is a journey that, while familiar in some respects, offers new vistas and challenges that beckon the reader to delve deeper.
Comparison:
Burke's narrative stands shoulder to shoulder with titans of the litRPG realm. Titles such as "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline come to mind, with both stories offering a blend of real-world struggles and virtual victories. Yet, "Descend #1 First Steps" carves its own niche, particularly in how it addresses the moral and societal implications of a skewed gender ratio and the challenges it presents.
Conclusion:
"Descend #1 First Steps" by David Burke is more than just a tale of a virtual realm. It's a reflection of human desires, struggles, and the lengths one would go to find purpose. As the snow blankets HowlStrom and the icy winds howl, this story serves as a beacon, illuminating the depths of human spirit and adventure. As I, Kiba Snowpaw, gaze upon the vast icy expanse, I find solace in the adventures of Jay, eagerly awaiting his next steps in the world Burke has so intricately crafted.
May 15, 2024
Content Warnings: Adult themes, Violence, Death, Language, Explicit sexual content, Rape
TL;DR Summary: an excellent narrator and spicy chemistry save the just passable writing and feminist nightmare of a book.
The good:
- The primary love interest for the MC has a fiery personality and the chemistry just works.
- The spicy scenes are excellent and at least one such scene is highly memorable.
- The sci fi theme, while entirely unrealistic, gives some justification and structure behind this isekai scenario.
- If listening, Rebecca Woods is an extremely talented narrator and skillfully juggles the many female characters.
The bad:
- The male fantasy fulfillment harem subgenre is a feminist nightmare. Despite some strong female characters, this book fails to overcome this hurdle.
- The writing style is just passable. Not an exact quote, but one line was roughly "it was that time that was neither fully day or night, that time known best as dusk."
- The LitRPG elements are mostly irritating, partially because I don't love the subgenre but also because I've seen it done very well (How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps comes to mind). Most of the structure provided by these elements could have been achieved without any stat sheets
I'm not sure I can justify continuing the series without an improvement to the writing style. If I do, it will be for the chemistry between the MC and those closest to him and for the spicy scenes.
TL;DR Summary: an excellent narrator and spicy chemistry save the just passable writing and feminist nightmare of a book.
The good:
- The primary love interest for the MC has a fiery personality and the chemistry just works.
- The spicy scenes are excellent and at least one such scene is highly memorable.
- The sci fi theme, while entirely unrealistic, gives some justification and structure behind this isekai scenario.
- If listening, Rebecca Woods is an extremely talented narrator and skillfully juggles the many female characters.
The bad:
- The male fantasy fulfillment harem subgenre is a feminist nightmare. Despite some strong female characters, this book fails to overcome this hurdle.
- The writing style is just passable. Not an exact quote, but one line was roughly "it was that time that was neither fully day or night, that time known best as dusk."
- The LitRPG elements are mostly irritating, partially because I don't love the subgenre but also because I've seen it done very well (How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps comes to mind). Most of the structure provided by these elements could have been achieved without any stat sheets
I'm not sure I can justify continuing the series without an improvement to the writing style. If I do, it will be for the chemistry between the MC and those closest to him and for the spicy scenes.
November 9, 2022
I went into this book due to a facebook post that didn't go into enough details, followed by not taking the time to read reviews like I normally do so at an early point in the book I had one of those "Oh so it's going to be that kind of book." moments and nearly stopped reading it. I'm glad I didn't though as I really enjoyed it. Overall I would say that the book is about 70-75% story, 20-25% adult content and maybe 3-5% stat sheets and info dumps, those ranges are just my best estimates so some combination of those that totals 100%. The story itself is good it's like a hybrid portal fantasy (isekai), survival, litrpg, harem, and death game, It had a good pacing but I'm guessing it will speed up in the following books as the post said it was complete at 5 books and the final chapter of this one. The adult content was in my opinion better written than some of the others I've stumbled onto, though that may be my male perspective. In the end if you're looking for a decent story and don't mind some adult content or even want that but not just that then I would recommend this if it's blurb got your attention.
April 10, 2024
This is very much a "WYSIWYG" book; coeds thrown into a video game-like environment with manipulation of things to make sex a primary focus. It's not looking to revolutionize the genre or do deep exploration of characters, motivations, or an exploration of the human condition.
That said, it's not a "one lay per chapter" story either. There is a decent amount of world-building and while many of the characters are somewhat cliched, there is development and evolution with several of them that was believable enough that it kept me entertained.
The writing and development are not very advanced, to be fair; I would put this at a level of older young adult fiction writing except for the obvious caveat: when sex does happen, it's 100% full-on erotic fiction. There's no fading to black or cute euphemisms; everything is fully x-rated and described in detail.
This is definitely guilty pleasure material but it's entertaining enough that I'm sticking with it.
That said, it's not a "one lay per chapter" story either. There is a decent amount of world-building and while many of the characters are somewhat cliched, there is development and evolution with several of them that was believable enough that it kept me entertained.
The writing and development are not very advanced, to be fair; I would put this at a level of older young adult fiction writing except for the obvious caveat: when sex does happen, it's 100% full-on erotic fiction. There's no fading to black or cute euphemisms; everything is fully x-rated and described in detail.
This is definitely guilty pleasure material but it's entertaining enough that I'm sticking with it.
January 16, 2021
It feels like the author overdid it with the plot.
The story is little more than your average teenage male fantasy where one guy and a lot of girls are stranded together and he gains power and a harem full fo beautiful lovers who depend on him and want to have sex with him and don't mind sharing.
This is not inherently a bad thing in a pornographic story or a power fantasy or some combination of the two.
What got me here that somehow the writer seemed to feel the need to explain the contrived circumstances with far too much plot and add a whole lot of unnecessary world-building.
The amount of work that went into explaining and excusing how the hero of the story was forced into this sexual fantasy type of situation ends up destroying much of the suspension of disbelief.
All the epic sci-fi plot feels unnecessary and distracting from what one has to assume was the core of the story.
The story is little more than your average teenage male fantasy where one guy and a lot of girls are stranded together and he gains power and a harem full fo beautiful lovers who depend on him and want to have sex with him and don't mind sharing.
This is not inherently a bad thing in a pornographic story or a power fantasy or some combination of the two.
What got me here that somehow the writer seemed to feel the need to explain the contrived circumstances with far too much plot and add a whole lot of unnecessary world-building.
The amount of work that went into explaining and excusing how the hero of the story was forced into this sexual fantasy type of situation ends up destroying much of the suspension of disbelief.
All the epic sci-fi plot feels unnecessary and distracting from what one has to assume was the core of the story.
November 4, 2020
Sexy fun lit RPG adventure
I really enjoyed what seems to be the first book in this series. This is an interesting twist on a lit RPG. It has character building with a little bit of stats showing without going overboard. I think the world building is well done and the personalities of the different characters are well portrayed. There are good Sci-Fi elements as well as fantasy elements Incorporated into the story. I enjoyed the learning times and the sexy times that the characters go through. It also has tough and horrific things as well. All in all it has a good mix of many things that produce a well-written story in my opinion. I really enjoyed this book and so I am going to go buy and read the next one happy trails to all.
I really enjoyed what seems to be the first book in this series. This is an interesting twist on a lit RPG. It has character building with a little bit of stats showing without going overboard. I think the world building is well done and the personalities of the different characters are well portrayed. There are good Sci-Fi elements as well as fantasy elements Incorporated into the story. I enjoyed the learning times and the sexy times that the characters go through. It also has tough and horrific things as well. All in all it has a good mix of many things that produce a well-written story in my opinion. I really enjoyed this book and so I am going to go buy and read the next one happy trails to all.
November 29, 2020
A Fight for Life
While being abducted from Earth is a scary thing, finding out that out of 100 people to wake on an unfamiliar beach there are only 3 guys and 97 very sexy girls. Then the find that the only drinkable water has an aphrodisiac to make them super attracted sex.
Jay may not be able to fight the desire completely, but he's smart enough to recognize that it's not the only answer to why they ate there. But, they are part of an aliens experiment. Their environment tries and kills most of the 100, but more than just their group come to capture and kill them. With the help of Jay and his 4 person team that train their abilities and fight for life, the Fight for Life.
Super fun story. Looking to reading the next story.
Read in 2 days
While being abducted from Earth is a scary thing, finding out that out of 100 people to wake on an unfamiliar beach there are only 3 guys and 97 very sexy girls. Then the find that the only drinkable water has an aphrodisiac to make them super attracted sex.
Jay may not be able to fight the desire completely, but he's smart enough to recognize that it's not the only answer to why they ate there. But, they are part of an aliens experiment. Their environment tries and kills most of the 100, but more than just their group come to capture and kill them. With the help of Jay and his 4 person team that train their abilities and fight for life, the Fight for Life.
Super fun story. Looking to reading the next story.
Read in 2 days
January 28, 2021
Well written and surprisingly enthralling
I've read a few books by small authors lately and many of them have an egregious number of spelling and grammar errors. I was pleasantly surprised to find so very few in this book. Perhaps we could use some more commas but, it was still easy enough to read.
Honestly, I was expecting some sort of short, smutty adventure. I was partly right. As I said previously the book is very well written. I felt like I was given the right amount of stats, compared to some people's complaints about other books that "the book was nothing but status pages." I also wasn't exactly expecting this to be a full-on litRPG. Pleasantly surprised again.
Looking forward to see where this series ends up.
I've read a few books by small authors lately and many of them have an egregious number of spelling and grammar errors. I was pleasantly surprised to find so very few in this book. Perhaps we could use some more commas but, it was still easy enough to read.
Honestly, I was expecting some sort of short, smutty adventure. I was partly right. As I said previously the book is very well written. I felt like I was given the right amount of stats, compared to some people's complaints about other books that "the book was nothing but status pages." I also wasn't exactly expecting this to be a full-on litRPG. Pleasantly surprised again.
Looking forward to see where this series ends up.
January 3, 2021
Nice start!
This book was a little bit slow in the beginning but once the speed picked up and it's definitely hooked me. There is A lot of character and plot development. It balances out with action later on in the book. This one tends to do the character and plot development and then action instead of mixing the two and going back and forth throughout the book. Is definitely not bad and it does pick up and become quite engaging. Especially the second half of the book. I'm glad the second book is already out so I can read it I'm just hoping that the third book comes sooner than later.
This book was a little bit slow in the beginning but once the speed picked up and it's definitely hooked me. There is A lot of character and plot development. It balances out with action later on in the book. This one tends to do the character and plot development and then action instead of mixing the two and going back and forth throughout the book. Is definitely not bad and it does pick up and become quite engaging. Especially the second half of the book. I'm glad the second book is already out so I can read it I'm just hoping that the third book comes sooner than later.
September 10, 2020
Tough to know if I liked it
So much I didn’t like about this book… and just enough that I did like.
The action, magic powers, etc. was fun. Good enough. Fight scenes are decent.
Grammar and sentence structure, especially in the first half, were very bad.
Almost everything the protagonist said and did in the first half annoyed me. He came across as very dumb, which was acceptable later on in the book when he is in very simple do-or-die situations, but it isn’t a good look early on.
I’ll probably read the second, but I really hope the author makes some improvements.
So much I didn’t like about this book… and just enough that I did like.
The action, magic powers, etc. was fun. Good enough. Fight scenes are decent.
Grammar and sentence structure, especially in the first half, were very bad.
Almost everything the protagonist said and did in the first half annoyed me. He came across as very dumb, which was acceptable later on in the book when he is in very simple do-or-die situations, but it isn’t a good look early on.
I’ll probably read the second, but I really hope the author makes some improvements.
September 19, 2020
Excellent new series
I really enjoy this book.Somewhat different take on the litrpg genre but entirely welcome. The hero MC is an unwilling participant in a large experiment along with lots of women.The net goal it seems is to create stronger humans in hopes of using them in the battle against an enemy unknown. Jay, the hero, is not giving the parameters in power and growth so they must learn about their abilities as they mutate and grow on their own. Add that to some social dynamics creates even more problems. This looks like a good series and I can't wait for the next book
I really enjoy this book.Somewhat different take on the litrpg genre but entirely welcome. The hero MC is an unwilling participant in a large experiment along with lots of women.The net goal it seems is to create stronger humans in hopes of using them in the battle against an enemy unknown. Jay, the hero, is not giving the parameters in power and growth so they must learn about their abilities as they mutate and grow on their own. Add that to some social dynamics creates even more problems. This looks like a good series and I can't wait for the next book
September 22, 2022
Extremely engaging
Although aliens kidnapping humans for experimentation in a LitRPG setting is not new, this was an interesting spin. The aliens are looking for an edge in their war by "upgrading" humans and putting them in a dangerous environment. The MC is fairly relatable as he's something of a prude as well as a nerd. He is surrounded by beautiful and available women and has leveled up and is in the process of adjusting to both the dangers and the benefits of the new reality. Looking forward to reading the next installments.
Although aliens kidnapping humans for experimentation in a LitRPG setting is not new, this was an interesting spin. The aliens are looking for an edge in their war by "upgrading" humans and putting them in a dangerous environment. The MC is fairly relatable as he's something of a prude as well as a nerd. He is surrounded by beautiful and available women and has leveled up and is in the process of adjusting to both the dangers and the benefits of the new reality. Looking forward to reading the next installments.
November 16, 2022
I saw this book years ago, and was never going to touch it... But one of my friends said it's a decent story, and I did see the author is a skilled writer from his "Four Laws" Series... So I will give this a go.
I find it funny? That many of the books I passed over years ago for having too much smut, I'm now willingly picking up and reading. The book was (of course) hypersexual, but the story is okay so far. So I will pick up the sequel.
I guess I can try other books the author also wrote.
3/5 Stars
I find it funny? That many of the books I passed over years ago for having too much smut, I'm now willingly picking up and reading. The book was (of course) hypersexual, but the story is okay so far. So I will pick up the sequel.
I guess I can try other books the author also wrote.
3/5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews