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System Misinterpret #1
Starred Tower
An Apocalypse. An epic change in biology. Humanity’s new powers. No instructions. So, everyone created their own!
Born over a century after ‘The Rise,’ Jeff scavenges with his tyrannical mother for survival. Banned from cultivating freely, Jeff wants none of this life; his one objective is to join the immortal rankers as they attempt to climb the Northern Tower. On the day of his escape, a powerful guild attacks Leah’s group, and Jeff is thrown through a unique dungeon portal— a portal that hasn’t been used in nearly a hundred years.
In the pursuit of Jeff’s ultimate goal, he must choose whether to follow the Church, join a guild or try it all on his own. Predators don’t only come from dungeons, and he must dig through mountains of misinformation for one straight answer.
When spells and skills unleash chaos, a special blue screen powers up, and Jeff’s journey to the peak or the grave begins.
Born over a century after ‘The Rise,’ Jeff scavenges with his tyrannical mother for survival. Banned from cultivating freely, Jeff wants none of this life; his one objective is to join the immortal rankers as they attempt to climb the Northern Tower. On the day of his escape, a powerful guild attacks Leah’s group, and Jeff is thrown through a unique dungeon portal— a portal that hasn’t been used in nearly a hundred years.
In the pursuit of Jeff’s ultimate goal, he must choose whether to follow the Church, join a guild or try it all on his own. Predators don’t only come from dungeons, and he must dig through mountains of misinformation for one straight answer.
When spells and skills unleash chaos, a special blue screen powers up, and Jeff’s journey to the peak or the grave begins.
488 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2021
486 people are currently reading
1140 people want to read
About the author
Ryan DeBruyn
21 books231 followersRyan DeBruyn - Author of the Amazon best-selling series Ether Collapse, Ether Flows, and System Misinterpret.
Ryan is a relatively new author but has already reached the best-seller status in multiple categories. Find out why and start your adventure below!
Ryan is a relatively new author but has already reached the best-seller status in multiple categories. Find out why and start your adventure below!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
June 25, 2021
This is a weird story to try and fit into a shelf. There's a bit of tower climb, there's a bit of gamelit, there's a bit of cultivation...
it's also the first book from the author outside of the MountainDale umbrella, so it's not as polished as some of his other works but still very entertaining.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
it's also the first book from the author outside of the MountainDale umbrella, so it's not as polished as some of his other works but still very entertaining.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 14, 2021
Awful main character
MC is a spoiled 10 year old trapped in a 21 year olds body apparently, spends most of the time whinging about everything. Even if the rest of the world and system is fine the main character is unbearable.
MC is a spoiled 10 year old trapped in a 21 year olds body apparently, spends most of the time whinging about everything. Even if the rest of the world and system is fine the main character is unbearable.
May 11, 2021
Alert
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
By all accounts, this is a perfectly worded review. Unfortunately, some of our fellow readers are offended that I am not pouring my heart out and offering a detailed and intimate breakdown of my thoughts on the books. As such they have reported me to the authorities and I have been warned against continuing my bad behavior. I will not. So I may be banned. If so, it was a fun journey with you.
If I enjoy a book, my goal is to promote it and help the author by encouraging others to read it. I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. I am simply saying that I liked it. I would like you to read it and make your own decision. After all, you are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
By all accounts, this is a perfectly worded review. Unfortunately, some of our fellow readers are offended that I am not pouring my heart out and offering a detailed and intimate breakdown of my thoughts on the books. As such they have reported me to the authorities and I have been warned against continuing my bad behavior. I will not. So I may be banned. If so, it was a fun journey with you.
If I enjoy a book, my goal is to promote it and help the author by encouraging others to read it. I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. I am simply saying that I liked it. I would like you to read it and make your own decision. After all, you are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
May 17, 2021
Great book
I cannot wait to see how the rest of the series u folds. If you are remotely thinking about reading it, just do it.
I cannot wait to see how the rest of the series u folds. If you are remotely thinking about reading it, just do it.
May 14, 2021
Goodreads 2 star "It was okay".
The book is about a kid who argues with an AI about what he eats for breakfast and uses a pelaton trainer to get into shape. At the same time, evil people persecute him for no good reason and he ends up accidentally married to a princess.
Yes, it is entertaining at points. I enjoyed a number of dungeon sequences, especially where the MC attempts to figure out the dungeon tricks. On the other hand, I found the cultivation sequences interminable and the worldbuilding incredibly weak.
The MC is a just a poor kid, isolated from his psycho mom and quickly losing his mentor as an AI offers him a place to stay and be safe. It's that ultimate safety and growth within that context that actually hurts the book the most because it armors him against any normal growth arc. The book tries to be Man vs Himself (cultivation) _and_ Man vs Man (tribal society without social contract) at the same time and never quite decides which story it is telling.
It takes a lot of conniving to try to get the book to have any palpable conflict or insecurity beyond "We are evil people acting evil and the system in this society is so corrupt that you will never get justice but we're also so ubiquitous that your (wrongly) blackened name will be spread far and wide across all the great reaches of the mighty Canada". It barely manages to do so right at the very end by threatening the MC's hideyhole in a convoluted setup. Points for effort.
So should you read this book? First, the tower in the title doesn't happen in any meaningful way. This is a medieval post-apocalyptic dungeon book not a tower book. Beat up orphan kid tries to better himself by being found and raised in a mansion with a butler, food, modern plumbing, cleaning service, in-house Apple Fitness Plus coach, Amazon storefront, and more. He even gets elective surgery to improve his identification skills. Not only is his mansion lush, we have hints that the thing is massively downgraded from its prime, where it presumably had a helipad, a suite of Porches and Ferraris in garages, an in-house masseuse, and more.
Second, the kid undergoes no measurable character growth beyond improving his mana channels. Woo. And he accidentally entangles another person into those mana channels in a way that binds them for life and makes sex an inevitability without consent -- all with the knowledge of his robo butler who is just a complete asshole about these things.
Third, the antagonists are laughably bad. Based on the Butler's ridiculous advice, the kid goes around town offering to use his Rolex watch to help delving teams for a fee and is surprised when he is not only rolled for this but that the teams smell that he has even more loot. By the end I was actually cheering on the antagonist team who resorted to some clever lawfare to sue him for parking his mansion in a dump that they bought.
Fourth, the MC makes a goblin friend because he's so sterling a character that he treats them well and knows their language through the Linguistic School of Deus Ex Machina. The goblin friend becomes a slave trope, happy to live in the mansion, watch tv, and cook for the young master when he's not out being Friday to the MC's Crusoe in clearing dungeons. The goblin has no inner life, no feature beyond his goblinoidness, and no interests outside of serving the MC.
I kind of want to stick around for book 2 to see how much of a trainwreck it is.
The book is about a kid who argues with an AI about what he eats for breakfast and uses a pelaton trainer to get into shape. At the same time, evil people persecute him for no good reason and he ends up accidentally married to a princess.
Yes, it is entertaining at points. I enjoyed a number of dungeon sequences, especially where the MC attempts to figure out the dungeon tricks. On the other hand, I found the cultivation sequences interminable and the worldbuilding incredibly weak.
The MC is a just a poor kid, isolated from his psycho mom and quickly losing his mentor as an AI offers him a place to stay and be safe. It's that ultimate safety and growth within that context that actually hurts the book the most because it armors him against any normal growth arc. The book tries to be Man vs Himself (cultivation) _and_ Man vs Man (tribal society without social contract) at the same time and never quite decides which story it is telling.
It takes a lot of conniving to try to get the book to have any palpable conflict or insecurity beyond "We are evil people acting evil and the system in this society is so corrupt that you will never get justice but we're also so ubiquitous that your (wrongly) blackened name will be spread far and wide across all the great reaches of the mighty Canada". It barely manages to do so right at the very end by threatening the MC's hideyhole in a convoluted setup. Points for effort.
So should you read this book? First, the tower in the title doesn't happen in any meaningful way. This is a medieval post-apocalyptic dungeon book not a tower book. Beat up orphan kid tries to better himself by being found and raised in a mansion with a butler, food, modern plumbing, cleaning service, in-house Apple Fitness Plus coach, Amazon storefront, and more. He even gets elective surgery to improve his identification skills. Not only is his mansion lush, we have hints that the thing is massively downgraded from its prime, where it presumably had a helipad, a suite of Porches and Ferraris in garages, an in-house masseuse, and more.
Second, the kid undergoes no measurable character growth beyond improving his mana channels. Woo. And he accidentally entangles another person into those mana channels in a way that binds them for life and makes sex an inevitability without consent -- all with the knowledge of his robo butler who is just a complete asshole about these things.
Third, the antagonists are laughably bad. Based on the Butler's ridiculous advice, the kid goes around town offering to use his Rolex watch to help delving teams for a fee and is surprised when he is not only rolled for this but that the teams smell that he has even more loot. By the end I was actually cheering on the antagonist team who resorted to some clever lawfare to sue him for parking his mansion in a dump that they bought.
Fourth, the MC makes a goblin friend because he's so sterling a character that he treats them well and knows their language through the Linguistic School of Deus Ex Machina. The goblin friend becomes a slave trope, happy to live in the mansion, watch tv, and cook for the young master when he's not out being Friday to the MC's Crusoe in clearing dungeons. The goblin has no inner life, no feature beyond his goblinoidness, and no interests outside of serving the MC.
I kind of want to stick around for book 2 to see how much of a trainwreck it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2021
Nice start to a new series
MC starts as a real looser but realy grows into his own by the end of the book. Love the story line so far. Hope to get a look of the towers in the next book.
MC starts as a real looser but realy grows into his own by the end of the book. Love the story line so far. Hope to get a look of the towers in the next book.
June 3, 2021
Hoping the MC stops being a naive idiot
I'd like to preface this by saying that while the MC's naivety is in keeping with his upbringing, it is still extremely frustrating watching him make such stupid decisions over and over. That he is naive I'm fine with, you live and you learn. However...Naive and stupid... That and the lack of world building is what kept this from being a 5 stars for for me. Everything else in this book is freaking great from the flashbacks that give just enough to drool for more, to the interesting blend of cultivation and litrpg. I will be reading the next one, the story has a lot of potential.
I'd like to preface this by saying that while the MC's naivety is in keeping with his upbringing, it is still extremely frustrating watching him make such stupid decisions over and over. That he is naive I'm fine with, you live and you learn. However...Naive and stupid... That and the lack of world building is what kept this from being a 5 stars for for me. Everything else in this book is freaking great from the flashbacks that give just enough to drool for more, to the interesting blend of cultivation and litrpg. I will be reading the next one, the story has a lot of potential.
May 8, 2021
Not great
Super weak MC. Slow story. Overly detailed. 2 paragraphs about casting a spell. 1 whole chapter describing the 4 training rooms. MC is still weak at end of book.
Super weak MC. Slow story. Overly detailed. 2 paragraphs about casting a spell. 1 whole chapter describing the 4 training rooms. MC is still weak at end of book.
June 23, 2021
Awesome book. Well worth the read!
Really enjoyed this book. Great MC and storyline. Definitely left me wanting more, as in, I can't wait till the next one in the series comes out!
Really enjoyed this book. Great MC and storyline. Definitely left me wanting more, as in, I can't wait till the next one in the series comes out!
June 14, 2021
I really liked this book. I will definitely be looking for more in this series. Very well done tale, and one that handles the LitRPG and the cultivation topics fairly well. I enjoyed this book.
May 15, 2021
Slow to Start, but Definitely Worth It!
I have to say, at the beginning of the book I considered dropping it, but I'm really glad I didn't!
I'm not a fan of arrogant/dismissive characters so Leanne(I'm pretty sure that's her name) isn't my cup of tea and her sections of the book are easily my least favorite.
Jeff on the other hand is a delight! He's smart without being a jerk, which isn't easy to pull off. He's just a kid who was sheltered trying to make a life for himself.
Crash is probably my favorite character, he comes across a bit like William from Away and that's high praise coming from me. I like how he works around his programming to help Jeff, but still digs at him in the process.
Overall, a solid read. I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel.
I have to say, at the beginning of the book I considered dropping it, but I'm really glad I didn't!
I'm not a fan of arrogant/dismissive characters so Leanne(I'm pretty sure that's her name) isn't my cup of tea and her sections of the book are easily my least favorite.
Jeff on the other hand is a delight! He's smart without being a jerk, which isn't easy to pull off. He's just a kid who was sheltered trying to make a life for himself.
Crash is probably my favorite character, he comes across a bit like William from Away and that's high praise coming from me. I like how he works around his programming to help Jeff, but still digs at him in the process.
Overall, a solid read. I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel.
May 17, 2021
I like it
Classic cultivation tropes mixed with system apocalypse and tower.
Clean prose and mostly family friendly, though it does hint at romance.
There is something I would change, but it’s not the plot or the characters. The first chapter spends a *lot* of time setting the stage for the greater plot, which is then instantly set aside for the actual narrative. I feel that less time should be spent introducing the mother initially, as she is not the MC. It’s a matter of shuffling scenes, not changing substance.
That being said, I really enjoyed this and look forward to a sequel.
Classic cultivation tropes mixed with system apocalypse and tower.
Clean prose and mostly family friendly, though it does hint at romance.
There is something I would change, but it’s not the plot or the characters. The first chapter spends a *lot* of time setting the stage for the greater plot, which is then instantly set aside for the actual narrative. I feel that less time should be spent introducing the mother initially, as she is not the MC. It’s a matter of shuffling scenes, not changing substance.
That being said, I really enjoyed this and look forward to a sequel.
May 15, 2021
Great book
I would recommend that you read this book. It's almost long enough for 2 books from normal authors. Sadly, there is no book number 2. Hopefully, one will be out someday.
I thought it wouldn't really appeal to me. Not really a dungeon type. Only small part of the book is based in the dungeon, but it is important to the main character.
Hope you enjoy it too.
I would recommend that you read this book. It's almost long enough for 2 books from normal authors. Sadly, there is no book number 2. Hopefully, one will be out someday.
I thought it wouldn't really appeal to me. Not really a dungeon type. Only small part of the book is based in the dungeon, but it is important to the main character.
Hope you enjoy it too.
May 29, 2021
Great read
I didn’t want to put it down.
Interesting take on cultivating with litrpg,
I enjoyed the story looking forward to reading more.
I didn’t want to put it down.
Interesting take on cultivating with litrpg,
I enjoyed the story looking forward to reading more.
July 14, 2021
Outstanding story!
I’m relatively new to this genre and I do enjoy it, but sometimes
these stories are hard for me to follow. This story was well written and easy to follow. It may seem a bit slow in the beginning but that’s one thing I loved about it. The author took the time to explain everything in such detail that it made me excited for this series. Another thing I loved were the characters. They were funny and clever and I especially enjoyed the banter. There were so many other things that made this story brilliant but I don’t want to give any spoilers. The narration was absolutely fantabulous. Steve Campbell really has a wide range when it comes to unique characters. I really appreciated the bonus bloopers. It’s affirmation that while narrating might look easy, it is definitely not.
Well done everyone! This is book 1 and is continuing in this series. I can’t wait for book 2.
I highly recommend this book/series.
Sisters Spotlight 💜
I’m relatively new to this genre and I do enjoy it, but sometimes
these stories are hard for me to follow. This story was well written and easy to follow. It may seem a bit slow in the beginning but that’s one thing I loved about it. The author took the time to explain everything in such detail that it made me excited for this series. Another thing I loved were the characters. They were funny and clever and I especially enjoyed the banter. There were so many other things that made this story brilliant but I don’t want to give any spoilers. The narration was absolutely fantabulous. Steve Campbell really has a wide range when it comes to unique characters. I really appreciated the bonus bloopers. It’s affirmation that while narrating might look easy, it is definitely not.
Well done everyone! This is book 1 and is continuing in this series. I can’t wait for book 2.
I highly recommend this book/series.
Sisters Spotlight 💜
May 22, 2022
I don't like cultivation stories. More often than not, the magic system is the story, and we spend more time exploring the esoteric biology and the different treatises on how to improve it, rather than telling an actual story. And that is boring as hell.
This book is no exception.
This book is no exception.
June 15, 2021
Excellent
An excellent new book from Ryan debruyn highly recommend this book and his other ones if you are into kgamelit
An excellent new book from Ryan debruyn highly recommend this book and his other ones if you are into kgamelit
May 16, 2021
Present tense
This is written in the present tense. I don't understand why authors do this. It is wrong and irritating. Avoid.
This is written in the present tense. I don't understand why authors do this. It is wrong and irritating. Avoid.
May 16, 2021
WTH?
No beginning with introduction to people or system just a fight and from the reading of the pages before I quit characters I did not like!! Why waste my time!!
No beginning with introduction to people or system just a fight and from the reading of the pages before I quit characters I did not like!! Why waste my time!!
June 5, 2021
Lots of reviewers bashing the mom, but she is obviously suffering from understandable ptsd.
The story is good. I look forward to the next book.
The story is good. I look forward to the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2021
Fun read.
I enjoyed the progression, and the characters. I look forward to the political shenanigans to come with the church and the guilds.
I enjoyed the progression, and the characters. I look forward to the political shenanigans to come with the church and the guilds.
May 10, 2021
Ryan DeBruyn has done it again with a great new LitRPG series! Be prepared for an adventure with an unlikely hero and his unconventional group of friends. Starred Tower is an engaging read and has some very intriguing characters that you can't help but become attached to and want to see succeed. I can't wait to find out where the author takes us in the next book. Well done!
May 12, 2021
Very Promising Start to a Series
Very promising start to a cultivation style litRPG series. Fun characters with the right amount of quirk. Good world building. My only complaint is that the main character acts far younger and more naive than seems realistic. Some of this can be explained by being sheltered but still seems over the top .
Very promising start to a cultivation style litRPG series. Fun characters with the right amount of quirk. Good world building. My only complaint is that the main character acts far younger and more naive than seems realistic. Some of this can be explained by being sheltered but still seems over the top .
May 9, 2021
Couldnt put it down.
This story sets up an in depth very wide world, yet doesnt neglect the immediate action to do so. Great mix of charcters and stpry telling. Can't wait to read more!
This story sets up an in depth very wide world, yet doesnt neglect the immediate action to do so. Great mix of charcters and stpry telling. Can't wait to read more!
May 24, 2021
An interesting take on cultivation
This was an okay read, but I felt the main character's social ineptitude was a bit over the top. It would have been more believable if he was actually a thirteen year old instead of twenty-one.
This was an okay read, but I felt the main character's social ineptitude was a bit over the top. It would have been more believable if he was actually a thirteen year old instead of twenty-one.
May 25, 2021
Good book
I enjoyed the story and found the plot interesting. It takes a few pages to get to the MC and while the mc progresses, it's a fairly slow progression. Not sure the MCs friendship with the monster races makes sense but looking forward to see where the story goes next.
I enjoyed the story and found the plot interesting. It takes a few pages to get to the MC and while the mc progresses, it's a fairly slow progression. Not sure the MCs friendship with the monster races makes sense but looking forward to see where the story goes next.
May 7, 2021
Wow
Absolutely love this book can’t wait for book 2 to come out!! And damn!! The mom is crazy!!!! Hope book two comes out soon!
Absolutely love this book can’t wait for book 2 to come out!! And damn!! The mom is crazy!!!! Hope book two comes out soon!
May 9, 2021
An interesting tale
I thoroughly enjoyed this take on a tower climbing saga. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here
I thoroughly enjoyed this take on a tower climbing saga. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here
May 12, 2021
Great book
I really enjoyed reading this book.
I still do not understand why Amazon requires soooooo many words from people who are not authors.
I really enjoyed reading this book.
I still do not understand why Amazon requires soooooo many words from people who are not authors.
May 8, 2021
So much better than the cover
This is an amazing novel and the cover absolutely let's it down. It is not a kiddie book, it is well rounded gripping story that was an incredible read.
There are new mechanics and twists on old themes that really work together to create something new and interesting.
Ryan has crafted an amazing world
This is an amazing novel and the cover absolutely let's it down. It is not a kiddie book, it is well rounded gripping story that was an incredible read.
There are new mechanics and twists on old themes that really work together to create something new and interesting.
Ryan has crafted an amazing world
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews