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Alpha #1
Alpha Zero
I should not exist.
All children like me are stillborn, or die in infancy. Those who cannot grow stronger, die. No empty child has ever reached a year of age, yet I am now thirteen.
It has been a long and miserable thirteen years, where the best I can manage to do is walk with difficulty. Sometimes, I cannot even manage that.
My clan has paid dearly for every minute of my life. And money is not so easy to obtain, here at the edge of civilization.
Perhaps I might have lived in this state for many years. A cripple, strong in mind but feeble in body. But when some unexpected guests came to our estate, everything changed. I would die at last – or, I would learn to survive on my own.
All children like me are stillborn, or die in infancy. Those who cannot grow stronger, die. No empty child has ever reached a year of age, yet I am now thirteen.
It has been a long and miserable thirteen years, where the best I can manage to do is walk with difficulty. Sometimes, I cannot even manage that.
My clan has paid dearly for every minute of my life. And money is not so easy to obtain, here at the edge of civilization.
Perhaps I might have lived in this state for many years. A cripple, strong in mind but feeble in body. But when some unexpected guests came to our estate, everything changed. I would die at last – or, I would learn to survive on my own.
- GenresFantasy
366 pages, Paperback
Published December 20, 2020
892 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Stone
49 books262 followersArthur Stone is the pen name of one Arthur Sergeevich Smirnov Артём Каменистый, a prolific author in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. Born in 1973 in Donetsk, Ukraine, Arthur worked as a geologist, and also in the environmental sector and industrial archeology all over the world. Lives and works in Ukraine.
He began writing fiction in 2005 on a bet, and thus his addiction was born. His first book was published in 2006, and by the end of 2016 he’d published a total of 35, all of them in Russian.
The Weirdest Noob is a LitRPG trilogy, and Arthur’s first foray into the English-speaking market.
S.T.Y.X. Humanhive is perhaps Arthur's most popular work on the Russian market, a best-selling and critically acclaimed series.
Respawn is an epic adventure set in a world connected to the S.T.Y.X. universe!
Don't miss Arthur's new LitRPG series! Dark: Fearless Pioneer !!!
Arthur Stone - email arthurstone2017@gmail.com
He began writing fiction in 2005 on a bet, and thus his addiction was born. His first book was published in 2006, and by the end of 2016 he’d published a total of 35, all of them in Russian.
The Weirdest Noob is a LitRPG trilogy, and Arthur’s first foray into the English-speaking market.
S.T.Y.X. Humanhive is perhaps Arthur's most popular work on the Russian market, a best-selling and critically acclaimed series.
Respawn is an epic adventure set in a world connected to the S.T.Y.X. universe!
Don't miss Arthur's new LitRPG series! Dark: Fearless Pioneer !!!
Arthur Stone - email arthurstone2017@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
December 25, 2020
Arthur Stone has become the master of a niche litrpg subgenre: Level Zero stories. Characters trapped at level Zero take on and conquer system-run worlds and MMOs of varying complexity and brokenness, while relying on their wits and determination to survive and thrive.
This subgenre is primarily Russian, with all that entails. In the most typical scenario, a level zero worker cannot play in the full game but earns income by gold farming or mining.
For example, Stone's "Weirdest Noob" showcases a rags-to-riches story of a worker with a unique race and necromancy skill. Trapped with poor stat allocation (a Stone hallmark), with a level limit, and a low-end account, a poor schlub in a hospital bed plays for his life, and the chance to live again in a new body. Stone plays up the MC's "I am not a gamer but I did use a flight simulator a few times" aspect for a lot of fun. The MC has to figure out how to best make use of the few tools he has, primarily his necromancy, unique race, and his pets to get ahead. It's great fun in books 1 and 2. Book 3 tries to wrap things up a little too quickly and yet manages to spend too much time in the journey to the wrap-up. A little time skip over that journey would have helped.
Readers of Alexey's Odaschuk's Mirror World (4 books, complete) enjoy the story of a different unique race level zero trying to uncover the history of his people. Starting too as a miner, this is a very different take on the level zero story, and is abandoned a book or two in, as the MC becomes a full paying/full playing character. Oaschuk's system is pretty standard compared to Stone's.
There's also Dan Sugralinov's Disgardium, where non-citizen level zeros play an important role but aren't the focus of the story. Here, it's more about a dystopia, AIs, and a bit of cynical Russian mobster life. I liked this the least of these three stories.
Odaschuk followed Mirror World with his Underdog series, where Erik another level zero, was essentially crippled in a world where the System ruled and people prayed to RNJesus. I lost interest midway but the first book was quite good and worth the read. It shows him being enslaved, running away, and solo leveling while discovering the secrets of an ancient civilization. The followup books just didn't match the first.
Arthur Stone, when not writing his marvelous Zombie series (there are two, one that is full portal, and another that's MMO-like) debuted Dark: Fearless Pioneer, where a kidnapped man who was forced into a game, his stats crippled, had to escape and work his way past a complicated level zero trap. There are two books to date and I love how twisted the game is. It's technically a VRMMO, but the MC essentially lives in-game while his real world body has been kidnapped by hoodlums. Yes, it's Russian, what can I say? I am looking forward to book 3 as the end of book 2 set up a fresh new twist for the poor MC hero.
Now Stone gave us Alpha Zero. I won't lie. The first few chapters were really rough. I thought this was going to be a DNF until the level zero MC's entire clan was wiped, he was thrown out to the world, and the story really began. Yes, another level zero story, and honestly, my favorite system to date as his level zero status is both an ominous guillotine hanging over the hero's head as well as a practical superpower in terms of system rewards.
In Alpha Zero, we have the convergence of an Isekai whose truck-kun hit off-screen and then he was killed _again_ by the evil mother of the MC and stuck in the MC's body. When the story starts, he's living in a body he can barely move, with an amulet keeping him alive...just...and a psychotic parent who cannot think or plan beyond her knee jerk reactions. It's this utter failure of a mom who sets the wheels in motion and forces the isekai/portal/level zero MC out into the world.
Stripped of his possessions (save the life-giving amulet) and with a time-to-live countdown that's rapidly decreasing, the MC has to figure out how to level up, recharge his amulet, and escape from the bad guys who killed everyone but him. He ends up in a small village, populated by the dregs of society, having to earn allies where he can, and fend off the savage jealousy of those living on the edge when he soon prospers.
It's an adventure story full of self-reliance, Earth-y knowledge, system hacking, and friendship that feels a little Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn with a raft, a lot of fishing, and a ton of monsters of a distinct Russian feel. Because if Tom and Huck had been in Russia, surely they would have run into the mob, into turf wars, war lords, and so forth, right?
The last page hit me hard as I'll have to wait a while for the next installment. While this can be read as a standalone, it's clearly meant as part of a series, and the ending sets up the next stage of development for our hero.
My only warning is that it is Russian. Despite that, this one doesn't seem to have the women problems of some of his other books (mostly because they're nearly invisible/nonexistent in the book outside of psychomom) but there's plenty of that same feeling that the world is out to get the decent little guy just trying to make a place for himself.
Save for the beginning, this book exactly hit my love for innovative competence lore. Recommended, along with Stone's other books.
This subgenre is primarily Russian, with all that entails. In the most typical scenario, a level zero worker cannot play in the full game but earns income by gold farming or mining.
For example, Stone's "Weirdest Noob" showcases a rags-to-riches story of a worker with a unique race and necromancy skill. Trapped with poor stat allocation (a Stone hallmark), with a level limit, and a low-end account, a poor schlub in a hospital bed plays for his life, and the chance to live again in a new body. Stone plays up the MC's "I am not a gamer but I did use a flight simulator a few times" aspect for a lot of fun. The MC has to figure out how to best make use of the few tools he has, primarily his necromancy, unique race, and his pets to get ahead. It's great fun in books 1 and 2. Book 3 tries to wrap things up a little too quickly and yet manages to spend too much time in the journey to the wrap-up. A little time skip over that journey would have helped.
Readers of Alexey's Odaschuk's Mirror World (4 books, complete) enjoy the story of a different unique race level zero trying to uncover the history of his people. Starting too as a miner, this is a very different take on the level zero story, and is abandoned a book or two in, as the MC becomes a full paying/full playing character. Oaschuk's system is pretty standard compared to Stone's.
There's also Dan Sugralinov's Disgardium, where non-citizen level zeros play an important role but aren't the focus of the story. Here, it's more about a dystopia, AIs, and a bit of cynical Russian mobster life. I liked this the least of these three stories.
Odaschuk followed Mirror World with his Underdog series, where Erik another level zero, was essentially crippled in a world where the System ruled and people prayed to RNJesus. I lost interest midway but the first book was quite good and worth the read. It shows him being enslaved, running away, and solo leveling while discovering the secrets of an ancient civilization. The followup books just didn't match the first.
Arthur Stone, when not writing his marvelous Zombie series (there are two, one that is full portal, and another that's MMO-like) debuted Dark: Fearless Pioneer, where a kidnapped man who was forced into a game, his stats crippled, had to escape and work his way past a complicated level zero trap. There are two books to date and I love how twisted the game is. It's technically a VRMMO, but the MC essentially lives in-game while his real world body has been kidnapped by hoodlums. Yes, it's Russian, what can I say? I am looking forward to book 3 as the end of book 2 set up a fresh new twist for the poor MC hero.
Now Stone gave us Alpha Zero. I won't lie. The first few chapters were really rough. I thought this was going to be a DNF until the level zero MC's entire clan was wiped, he was thrown out to the world, and the story really began. Yes, another level zero story, and honestly, my favorite system to date as his level zero status is both an ominous guillotine hanging over the hero's head as well as a practical superpower in terms of system rewards.
In Alpha Zero, we have the convergence of an Isekai whose truck-kun hit off-screen and then he was killed _again_ by the evil mother of the MC and stuck in the MC's body. When the story starts, he's living in a body he can barely move, with an amulet keeping him alive...just...and a psychotic parent who cannot think or plan beyond her knee jerk reactions. It's this utter failure of a mom who sets the wheels in motion and forces the isekai/portal/level zero MC out into the world.
Stripped of his possessions (save the life-giving amulet) and with a time-to-live countdown that's rapidly decreasing, the MC has to figure out how to level up, recharge his amulet, and escape from the bad guys who killed everyone but him. He ends up in a small village, populated by the dregs of society, having to earn allies where he can, and fend off the savage jealousy of those living on the edge when he soon prospers.
It's an adventure story full of self-reliance, Earth-y knowledge, system hacking, and friendship that feels a little Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn with a raft, a lot of fishing, and a ton of monsters of a distinct Russian feel. Because if Tom and Huck had been in Russia, surely they would have run into the mob, into turf wars, war lords, and so forth, right?
The last page hit me hard as I'll have to wait a while for the next installment. While this can be read as a standalone, it's clearly meant as part of a series, and the ending sets up the next stage of development for our hero.
My only warning is that it is Russian. Despite that, this one doesn't seem to have the women problems of some of his other books (mostly because they're nearly invisible/nonexistent in the book outside of psychomom) but there's plenty of that same feeling that the world is out to get the decent little guy just trying to make a place for himself.
Save for the beginning, this book exactly hit my love for innovative competence lore. Recommended, along with Stone's other books.
January 28, 2021
Bottom-line: I'll likely read the next one, but there's a whole lot not to like in this initial volume of a Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains-like tale.
The poorly formulated and incoherent magic system is the primary negative. I seriously still don't really understand how most of it works or what impact the various things have.
Our MC is relatively unenjoyable and has hints of being a psychopath, and the rest of the characters are basically just filler. I don't really care what happens to any of them, which isn't a great sign. Plotwise, there's a lot of fishing. I mean a lot of fishing. It's not even really interesting fishing. Hopefully we've got fishing out of our system at this point.
Minor nits: the large gaps between paragraphs (as formatted on the kindle) are extremely annoying.
The poorly formulated and incoherent magic system is the primary negative. I seriously still don't really understand how most of it works or what impact the various things have.
Our MC is relatively unenjoyable and has hints of being a psychopath, and the rest of the characters are basically just filler. I don't really care what happens to any of them, which isn't a great sign. Plotwise, there's a lot of fishing. I mean a lot of fishing. It's not even really interesting fishing. Hopefully we've got fishing out of our system at this point.
Minor nits: the large gaps between paragraphs (as formatted on the kindle) are extremely annoying.
February 1, 2021
Nope
Barely made it to 25%. Everything is repeted 25 times or more, everything is explained over and over and over again and again, the same thing explained until you get sick of it, barely anything happens and when it dies it's over quickly and riddled with the same useless facts from before repeted again. I don't know if the author just wanted to inflate the page count, or he never read a book in his life and has no idea what one should be like but even bored out if my mind and realy trying to slog through it because it was well rated I couldn't make it past the 25%.
Barely made it to 25%. Everything is repeted 25 times or more, everything is explained over and over and over again and again, the same thing explained until you get sick of it, barely anything happens and when it dies it's over quickly and riddled with the same useless facts from before repeted again. I don't know if the author just wanted to inflate the page count, or he never read a book in his life and has no idea what one should be like but even bored out if my mind and realy trying to slog through it because it was well rated I couldn't make it past the 25%.
December 26, 2020
Not sure what it was with this book, but it was rough in the beginning. I read 20% of the book or so and was done. I found I was flipping pages and did not really care. For some reason I ended up reading a page even though I thought I was done and became hooked. Does not make sense to me either, but the around 40% on I was hooked to each page and did not put it down. I found myself disappointed that I have to wait for the next book.
November 4, 2021
Realistic Isekai LitRPG
This is a good book. BUT it sucks until the MC makes it to the fort about 25% in until then he is (for good reason) depressed whiny and hard to read. Once at the fort something changes and he rapidly becomes less whiny and starts planning and moving. Give this book a read and if you think about stopping skip to the point he gathers leeks for the first time. You wont miss anything too important other than world building.
This is a good book. BUT it sucks until the MC makes it to the fort about 25% in until then he is (for good reason) depressed whiny and hard to read. Once at the fort something changes and he rapidly becomes less whiny and starts planning and moving. Give this book a read and if you think about stopping skip to the point he gathers leeks for the first time. You wont miss anything too important other than world building.
January 4, 2021
It started slow but ended strong.
The first 10% of the book was kinda slow but then it picked up and got interesting. The world building is interesting and I liked world rpg system in use for the book. Overall I enjoyed it.
The first 10% of the book was kinda slow but then it picked up and got interesting. The world building is interesting and I liked world rpg system in use for the book. Overall I enjoyed it.
February 16, 2021
I like the author's other works, and I found this book reasonably enjoyable....
There is an _absurd_ amount of detail around the Magic/Leveling/ORDER system in the book though. It almost reads like a manual for someone who is going to have to use the system itself, not a book.
There's three different areas that gets levels... Your basic characteristics, Skills, and then... there was another level, like.. perks... Each one had their own "XP" needed to level, and pretty much any time the book started getting into leveling, I'd just start skipping pages until they finally stopped explaining the system, and finally just revealed what the choices made were.
It's not like the reader has any agency in the decision, so all the detail is just superfluous.
All in all, I'll probably pick up Book 2 when it's released, but if it's more of the same, I'll not be picking up Book 3.
There is an _absurd_ amount of detail around the Magic/Leveling/ORDER system in the book though. It almost reads like a manual for someone who is going to have to use the system itself, not a book.
There's three different areas that gets levels... Your basic characteristics, Skills, and then... there was another level, like.. perks... Each one had their own "XP" needed to level, and pretty much any time the book started getting into leveling, I'd just start skipping pages until they finally stopped explaining the system, and finally just revealed what the choices made were.
It's not like the reader has any agency in the decision, so all the detail is just superfluous.
All in all, I'll probably pick up Book 2 when it's released, but if it's more of the same, I'll not be picking up Book 3.
February 3, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: I didn't find anything wrong, but up to chapter nine the story felt more like disjointed rambling. After chapter nine the story picked up. You can definitely see the author took inspiration from the Underdog series.
Plot: A man from earth somehow ends up in the body of a child on a planet controlled by systems of order and chaos. How is not explained well and came across as a disjointed muddle.
Characters: We don't get much detail or depth on the MC.
3/10
Mistakes: I didn't find anything wrong, but up to chapter nine the story felt more like disjointed rambling. After chapter nine the story picked up. You can definitely see the author took inspiration from the Underdog series.
Plot: A man from earth somehow ends up in the body of a child on a planet controlled by systems of order and chaos. How is not explained well and came across as a disjointed muddle.
Characters: We don't get much detail or depth on the MC.
3/10
January 8, 2021
I tried, but this is the worst book out by this author
The book might be good, but it is just too much work trying to read it. The inner monologue and overexplaining just goes on and on and on and.... You guessed it...on and on. The MC is pretty unlikeable, and at 16% in I finally gave up. Zero redeeming qualities for the MC or his constant whining. I felt like I was reading one of those horrid knockoff wuxia novels. It's like listening to some drunk that won't shut up or get to the point.
The book might be good, but it is just too much work trying to read it. The inner monologue and overexplaining just goes on and on and on and.... You guessed it...on and on. The MC is pretty unlikeable, and at 16% in I finally gave up. Zero redeeming qualities for the MC or his constant whining. I felt like I was reading one of those horrid knockoff wuxia novels. It's like listening to some drunk that won't shut up or get to the point.
January 12, 2021
I nearly gave this book 1 star. The problem is not the story - it was fine - but the translation or writing(can't really separate them, but probably both). My main issue with the book is the all encompassing lack of focus: four sentences to describe something, where one would be more than enought, a story that doesn't seem to want to get anywhere, a timeout during a fight scene to tell something trivial (and not like "oh, the character was distracted by thinking about this" but a full infodump without even that excuse) and most of all an lack of ability to communicate the world building and the underlying concepts.
This gets better after about 1/3-1/2 of the book.
Furthermore the storytelling suffers from a heavy dose of "tell, don't show" the grammar often is bad (not horrible, but sentence structures that are decidedly not English) and there are a lot of mis- or improperly used words and phrases.
That said, I liked the idea of developing through fishing/crafting an if it has the writing quality of the last third, I might read the sequel.
This gets better after about 1/3-1/2 of the book.
Furthermore the storytelling suffers from a heavy dose of "tell, don't show" the grammar often is bad (not horrible, but sentence structures that are decidedly not English) and there are a lot of mis- or improperly used words and phrases.
That said, I liked the idea of developing through fishing/crafting an if it has the writing quality of the last third, I might read the sequel.
November 21, 2021
I nearly didn't finish this one, as it moved glacially for the first 1/2. The story moved in fits and starts from there, but it could easily have been 200 pages shorter. A condensed version would likely get 4 stars from me, as the concept and general writing quality were technically proficient. Concept minus execution doesn't get you much though.
Read the next one? Maybe, but if it doesn't move faster in the first 50 pages or so I won't be finishing it. It took me several attempts to finish this one, lots of other books were more of a distraction. I realize that I had read the first of the author's "Dark" series and abandoned the series after that book for the same pacing issues. Two points isn't a curve, but it sure is a line, one that I'm not sure I'll cross again.
[Edit: three points, so it is a curve; I forgot (not surprisingly considering my 2-star review) that I'd also read the first of the "Respawn" books too.]
Read the next one? Maybe, but if it doesn't move faster in the first 50 pages or so I won't be finishing it. It took me several attempts to finish this one, lots of other books were more of a distraction. I realize that I had read the first of the author's "Dark" series and abandoned the series after that book for the same pacing issues. Two points isn't a curve, but it sure is a line, one that I'm not sure I'll cross again.
[Edit: three points, so it is a curve; I forgot (not surprisingly considering my 2-star review) that I'd also read the first of the "Respawn" books too.]
February 20, 2021
An awkward beginning for a fantastic read and...
Hopefully even better series.
Well there are a few grammatical errors and misplaced words the story started out as a three-star and ended up a five. I say three star because the beginning parts of this first person epic fantasy adventure lit RPG was awkward to say the least. When you first start out a series you're just getting introduced to a character when you learn right off the bat that there's basically a backstory to the backstory of that character that you haven't even learned about yet it gets a bit confusing. Almost as confusing as that sentence lol.
This series is not appropriate for children and that is a bit unfortunate given that it would have simply taken not using certain curse words. The awkward backstory with minimal spoilers and basically all you really ever learn is that at some point our main character somehow in essence got his life soul or heart taken from him in our world and transplanted into the invalid body of a one-year-old child. So while the hero of the story is 13 year old physically he was a man of more than likely in his 20s when he was first taken.
I say minimal spoilers because in reality the story didn't even need that beginning but it looks to me as if it's going to be a main point to discover who this character is for however long this series goes. This is a very promising series and the lit RPG elements in it are done in a way that I feel is smoother than some of the other reads I've had. Part of the element is you have a character who is not from this world but who has been forced to live in it and he looks at it very much like how most lit RPGs start out as character sheets and stuff.
It does start out with the familiar yet fun at times trope of the hero who is weak or disabled in a way when it comes to his core and ability to hold whatever magical energy of that world in this case chi. It's not the empty vessel but a very leaky one and you see familiar elements in that in many lit RPGs and even in more martial arts cultivation type books such as the cradle foundation series by Will Wight
There is no romance and that is some humor within the story. I do feel as if the story does have a very strong beginning and a middle and while the end is satisfying it definitely leaves a semi cliffhanger that's not bad or will want to cause you to throw your Kindle or book against the wall. In a way the ending appropriate considering the length of the story and how much story can be gotten from where we are left.
This first book is definitely lacking female representation and even side characters. However in a small way it is understandable given who are main character is age wise in that world and his chosen profession. In fact he only has one real friend and that relationship dynamic is very interesting and holds quite a bit of weight story wise. I do see this as perhaps changing in Future works but given the prospect of man attract in child's body I don't see it happening anytime soon and understandably so becuase that you can get bit awkward.
Well there are some minor antagonist and antagonistic people in this story there is no clear leading antagonist caring part of the story. That said most of the characters are fairly well rounded to a point.
The story is a page Turner of sorts but also does dwell a bit on world building events as a character jumps from moment to moment building up and growing. It's a bit different in a sense of leveling with the RPG element. I think it's a fun and unique twist to the genre and I am interested in seeing where the author will take it.
If you're looking for the deep deep relationships or even meaningful and well-rounded side characters you're going to be disappointed. While the main side character is interesting and does carry his own weight there is not a great group of people surrounding our main character. He has very focused on his task and acts intelligently much more so than a normal 13-year-old would. the truth is the story could have been just as good if they would have put him in a bit older of a body which I think might have been a much better choice even if it was just 16 years old. The age of the protagonist is awkward mainly because you normally your target audience is 2 years younger than your age of the protagonist this is definitely not Harry Potter and feels more like a young adult in terms of at least language and subject matter being rather violent at times.
What is humorous though is the main character spins a large portion of the story fishing and somehow it is very action-packed and interesting as in essence it is his way to grind and increases abilities.
Hopefully even better series.
Well there are a few grammatical errors and misplaced words the story started out as a three-star and ended up a five. I say three star because the beginning parts of this first person epic fantasy adventure lit RPG was awkward to say the least. When you first start out a series you're just getting introduced to a character when you learn right off the bat that there's basically a backstory to the backstory of that character that you haven't even learned about yet it gets a bit confusing. Almost as confusing as that sentence lol.
This series is not appropriate for children and that is a bit unfortunate given that it would have simply taken not using certain curse words. The awkward backstory with minimal spoilers and basically all you really ever learn is that at some point our main character somehow in essence got his life soul or heart taken from him in our world and transplanted into the invalid body of a one-year-old child. So while the hero of the story is 13 year old physically he was a man of more than likely in his 20s when he was first taken.
I say minimal spoilers because in reality the story didn't even need that beginning but it looks to me as if it's going to be a main point to discover who this character is for however long this series goes. This is a very promising series and the lit RPG elements in it are done in a way that I feel is smoother than some of the other reads I've had. Part of the element is you have a character who is not from this world but who has been forced to live in it and he looks at it very much like how most lit RPGs start out as character sheets and stuff.
It does start out with the familiar yet fun at times trope of the hero who is weak or disabled in a way when it comes to his core and ability to hold whatever magical energy of that world in this case chi. It's not the empty vessel but a very leaky one and you see familiar elements in that in many lit RPGs and even in more martial arts cultivation type books such as the cradle foundation series by Will Wight
There is no romance and that is some humor within the story. I do feel as if the story does have a very strong beginning and a middle and while the end is satisfying it definitely leaves a semi cliffhanger that's not bad or will want to cause you to throw your Kindle or book against the wall. In a way the ending appropriate considering the length of the story and how much story can be gotten from where we are left.
This first book is definitely lacking female representation and even side characters. However in a small way it is understandable given who are main character is age wise in that world and his chosen profession. In fact he only has one real friend and that relationship dynamic is very interesting and holds quite a bit of weight story wise. I do see this as perhaps changing in Future works but given the prospect of man attract in child's body I don't see it happening anytime soon and understandably so becuase that you can get bit awkward.
Well there are some minor antagonist and antagonistic people in this story there is no clear leading antagonist caring part of the story. That said most of the characters are fairly well rounded to a point.
The story is a page Turner of sorts but also does dwell a bit on world building events as a character jumps from moment to moment building up and growing. It's a bit different in a sense of leveling with the RPG element. I think it's a fun and unique twist to the genre and I am interested in seeing where the author will take it.
If you're looking for the deep deep relationships or even meaningful and well-rounded side characters you're going to be disappointed. While the main side character is interesting and does carry his own weight there is not a great group of people surrounding our main character. He has very focused on his task and acts intelligently much more so than a normal 13-year-old would. the truth is the story could have been just as good if they would have put him in a bit older of a body which I think might have been a much better choice even if it was just 16 years old. The age of the protagonist is awkward mainly because you normally your target audience is 2 years younger than your age of the protagonist this is definitely not Harry Potter and feels more like a young adult in terms of at least language and subject matter being rather violent at times.
What is humorous though is the main character spins a large portion of the story fishing and somehow it is very action-packed and interesting as in essence it is his way to grind and increases abilities.
December 30, 2021
I enjoyed this book. However, there were some small things that kept it from getting a 5th star.
First is the system mechanics used. They seemed overly complicated, which was apparent in the way the author was consistently explaining - and re-explaining - the system mechanics for the reader. Well, either that, or they were just explained really poorly. It was hard to tell which. I do know that the idea of Alphas and Omegas needed to be explained more clearly than they were. With the way the base stats must be advanced, which is complicated enough, the Alpha/Beta/Omega labeling system was just an extra layer of difficulty without adequate explanation.
Second was the way the main character was portrayed, and treated, early on. Given what his mother went through - even with the less-than-desirable results - she seemed to treat him exceptionally bad. This is only emphasized with the complete disdain he has for her. The way he thinks about her - and how he talks to her in his mind - seems too harsh for someone who has been in the situation for years. While I certainly understood the reason, his actions made it seem like a fresh wound, as opposed to one that was years old.
Third was the lack of world building in the sense of explanation for why his clan was where it was. Perhaps I just didn't pick up on some of the information, but it seemed more like an arbitrary "I need the clan to be hated so that I can set up the protagonist as someone who has reason to go against the other nobles" on the part of the author than something that actually made sense in-world.
All those aside, though, the story has a good base. The problems above could have been handled with a good developmental editor, which would have elevated the book so much more. Despite the difficulty in understanding the mechanics, once I got a handle on them - which was much easier once Ged actually got into some action and started earning system rewards for his actions - I could appreciate the way the system made for large differences among the people of this world. The way a person sets up their base stats in their early levels has far-reaching implications for their future advancement, but I didn't grasp that until nearly the end of the book.
Once Ged made it to the outpost, things starting moving along very nicely. The character development of the side characters was good, and the background intrigue and machinations that were going on, particularly as Ged began bringing in more to the outpost while also hiding how he was doing so from others, was really good.
Despite the fact that the book had a rough start, it did get better as I read further. The story is also intriguing enough that I am looking forward to reading book 2.
First is the system mechanics used. They seemed overly complicated, which was apparent in the way the author was consistently explaining - and re-explaining - the system mechanics for the reader. Well, either that, or they were just explained really poorly. It was hard to tell which. I do know that the idea of Alphas and Omegas needed to be explained more clearly than they were. With the way the base stats must be advanced, which is complicated enough, the Alpha/Beta/Omega labeling system was just an extra layer of difficulty without adequate explanation.
Second was the way the main character was portrayed, and treated, early on. Given what his mother went through - even with the less-than-desirable results - she seemed to treat him exceptionally bad. This is only emphasized with the complete disdain he has for her. The way he thinks about her - and how he talks to her in his mind - seems too harsh for someone who has been in the situation for years. While I certainly understood the reason, his actions made it seem like a fresh wound, as opposed to one that was years old.
Third was the lack of world building in the sense of explanation for why his clan was where it was. Perhaps I just didn't pick up on some of the information, but it seemed more like an arbitrary "I need the clan to be hated so that I can set up the protagonist as someone who has reason to go against the other nobles" on the part of the author than something that actually made sense in-world.
All those aside, though, the story has a good base. The problems above could have been handled with a good developmental editor, which would have elevated the book so much more. Despite the difficulty in understanding the mechanics, once I got a handle on them - which was much easier once Ged actually got into some action and started earning system rewards for his actions - I could appreciate the way the system made for large differences among the people of this world. The way a person sets up their base stats in their early levels has far-reaching implications for their future advancement, but I didn't grasp that until nearly the end of the book.
Once Ged made it to the outpost, things starting moving along very nicely. The character development of the side characters was good, and the background intrigue and machinations that were going on, particularly as Ged began bringing in more to the outpost while also hiding how he was doing so from others, was really good.
Despite the fact that the book had a rough start, it did get better as I read further. The story is also intriguing enough that I am looking forward to reading book 2.
February 14, 2021
Alert
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Second, I am not a bot...at least I don’t think I am. Yes this is copy pasta (just learned that term, so fun!) simply because I feel like any book I read deserves acknowledgement but at the same time my feelings on reviews conflict with the normal review process.
I enjoyed this book, so my goal is to promote it and help the author. If you are a potential reader, just stop reading now and take the above as all you need to know. I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. It is my opinion that Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. Or not if you don’t think this book is for you. That choice is all yours and the beauty of art appreciation. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
If you are a member of the IAK Guild (thanks, Jason) or part of the review police, feel free to criticize me and challenge my philosophy on reviewing art. I think we all love a good debate. The forums are open and I welcome your comments. I was wrong in my previous request to get you to stop. Your blatant disregard for that request has led to some fun discussions. Growth is important for us all.
Cheers
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Second, I am not a bot...at least I don’t think I am. Yes this is copy pasta (just learned that term, so fun!) simply because I feel like any book I read deserves acknowledgement but at the same time my feelings on reviews conflict with the normal review process.
I enjoyed this book, so my goal is to promote it and help the author. If you are a potential reader, just stop reading now and take the above as all you need to know. I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. It is my opinion that Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. Or not if you don’t think this book is for you. That choice is all yours and the beauty of art appreciation. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
If you are a member of the IAK Guild (thanks, Jason) or part of the review police, feel free to criticize me and challenge my philosophy on reviewing art. I think we all love a good debate. The forums are open and I welcome your comments. I was wrong in my previous request to get you to stop. Your blatant disregard for that request has led to some fun discussions. Growth is important for us all.
Cheers
April 24, 2023
One of the worst series I've tried, don't waste your time
There are some interesting ideas occasionally in this series, but its important to know that it's mostly page filler. 1 in 5 paragraphs might actually pertain to the story, in the later books it gets even worse. In the first few books you will get tons of pointless and confusing stats that are constantly made irrelevant or contradicted. They are put at the beginning of every chapter to pad the page count. The first book is quadruple spaced and padded extra arbitrary numbers. The second book is formatted a little better but still double spaced and every paragraph has extra spacing. This type of formatting should be prohibited on kindle, the page count is deceitful.
The plot is all over the place. The first two books are presented as litrpg and supposedly crunchy. However the stats/progession literally have no real impact on the story except to be overly contrived and confusing for no reason. By the third book the stats are kinda just talked about, but not really progressed anymore more because of some reasons that make so little sense. At one point there is an academy/school trope part of the story again for some reasons, but its disjointed and reads like something ai wrote.
I'm pretty sure this is an author that bought ratings to sell overpadded novels for page counts. Don't waste your time or money.
There are some interesting ideas occasionally in this series, but its important to know that it's mostly page filler. 1 in 5 paragraphs might actually pertain to the story, in the later books it gets even worse. In the first few books you will get tons of pointless and confusing stats that are constantly made irrelevant or contradicted. They are put at the beginning of every chapter to pad the page count. The first book is quadruple spaced and padded extra arbitrary numbers. The second book is formatted a little better but still double spaced and every paragraph has extra spacing. This type of formatting should be prohibited on kindle, the page count is deceitful.
The plot is all over the place. The first two books are presented as litrpg and supposedly crunchy. However the stats/progession literally have no real impact on the story except to be overly contrived and confusing for no reason. By the third book the stats are kinda just talked about, but not really progressed anymore more because of some reasons that make so little sense. At one point there is an academy/school trope part of the story again for some reasons, but its disjointed and reads like something ai wrote.
I'm pretty sure this is an author that bought ratings to sell overpadded novels for page counts. Don't waste your time or money.
May 14, 2022
After reading several reviews I decided to start reading this book from chapter eight. Even so, I was forced to skip much of the next few chapters. The author is very proud of his leveling system and goes into far too much detail regarding the mechanics and the protagonist's point allocation choices. I would just skip to the end of these long sections, to see what had changed.
This approach streamlined the novel splendidly, and I enjoyed it from then on. Admittedly, there's a surprising amount of fishing but I suppose it's no less valid than hunting or gathering as an RPG grinding methodology... it may be a little less interesting though.
Ged is a likable enough main character. He's half optimist and half "fake it till you make it." Ged's got more courage than is generally believable but, that aside, he's a decent foundation for an adventure tale. His sidekick, Beko, is almost the opposite. He's a pessimist who admits defeat before anything bad can or does happen. They have a nice odd-couple dynamic that persuades the reader to overlook a lot of minor flaws.
I intend to give book two a try. There is clear improvement throughout this novel, so book two should, hopefully, continue this trend.
This approach streamlined the novel splendidly, and I enjoyed it from then on. Admittedly, there's a surprising amount of fishing but I suppose it's no less valid than hunting or gathering as an RPG grinding methodology... it may be a little less interesting though.
Ged is a likable enough main character. He's half optimist and half "fake it till you make it." Ged's got more courage than is generally believable but, that aside, he's a decent foundation for an adventure tale. His sidekick, Beko, is almost the opposite. He's a pessimist who admits defeat before anything bad can or does happen. They have a nice odd-couple dynamic that persuades the reader to overlook a lot of minor flaws.
I intend to give book two a try. There is clear improvement throughout this novel, so book two should, hopefully, continue this trend.
July 9, 2022
Fishing with Golum
The story strongly reminds me of Osadschuk´s "Underdog" series but where in the underdog series the MC became a strong mage with a good sidekick in this series he stays rather underpowered through at least the first 4 books and hangs out with seriously mentally handicapped people most of the time with the most brain addled and annoying sidekick since the infamous Jarjar Binks (i kept praying that this character finally would die but so far no luck). On the other hand the background story seems much more interesting, more thought through and people react (mostly) much less naive. Be aware that most of this book is about the wonders of industrial fishing!
The start is really confusing as it takes a while to understand what is really going on. The author keeps trying to force the rules of the development in this strange world on the reader over and over again. It reads like the tutorial of a difficult computer game. The author as well is prone of repeting and contradicting himself all the time.
All in all the book is really good if sometimes somewhat annoying.
The story strongly reminds me of Osadschuk´s "Underdog" series but where in the underdog series the MC became a strong mage with a good sidekick in this series he stays rather underpowered through at least the first 4 books and hangs out with seriously mentally handicapped people most of the time with the most brain addled and annoying sidekick since the infamous Jarjar Binks (i kept praying that this character finally would die but so far no luck). On the other hand the background story seems much more interesting, more thought through and people react (mostly) much less naive. Be aware that most of this book is about the wonders of industrial fishing!
The start is really confusing as it takes a while to understand what is really going on. The author keeps trying to force the rules of the development in this strange world on the reader over and over again. It reads like the tutorial of a difficult computer game. The author as well is prone of repeting and contradicting himself all the time.
All in all the book is really good if sometimes somewhat annoying.
January 9, 2021
Very enjoyable
Certainly not a unique story. However well written in a lot of fun to read. The author does tend to go into depth with the abilities and system. Can be a little much at times however I'd like to think it is better to have and not need then to need and not have. There is no romance here just stark survival. The battles are from and fairly detailed. The MC is a traveler from our world though Not much description when into how that happened. Only but he was trapped in a withered and empty body for many years.This is the story of he's beginning to gain power by using a system exploit/error to gain max rewards. I. This world He is only 13yrs old so there is much growing to do. He uses his otherworldly knowledge to help make tools and abilities to advance quickly but this Attracts the attentions of many others who are jealous of his success and abilities. Minor chaos and adventure ensue. Yay. I totally enjoyed this book and earlier wait the next 1
Certainly not a unique story. However well written in a lot of fun to read. The author does tend to go into depth with the abilities and system. Can be a little much at times however I'd like to think it is better to have and not need then to need and not have. There is no romance here just stark survival. The battles are from and fairly detailed. The MC is a traveler from our world though Not much description when into how that happened. Only but he was trapped in a withered and empty body for many years.This is the story of he's beginning to gain power by using a system exploit/error to gain max rewards. I. This world He is only 13yrs old so there is much growing to do. He uses his otherworldly knowledge to help make tools and abilities to advance quickly but this Attracts the attentions of many others who are jealous of his success and abilities. Minor chaos and adventure ensue. Yay. I totally enjoyed this book and earlier wait the next 1
August 28, 2021
Difficult, but rewarding
I struggled with the early chapters of this one. The narrative was confusing, the MC was unlikeable, and the world building was bewildering.
Clean prose.
Eventually, the MC started to develop. Then finally, he started to thrive. I’d say about 50% is where things came together for me.
There still a bit too much explanation of the ‘System’ for my tastes. Every chapter starts with the character sheet, which gets quite lengthy. And I don’t really understand how everything works, even though there are several passages explaining it. It is extremely complex.
What I liked is how the MC became a gatherer, then a craftsman, then a hunter (of sorts). Not a warrior or leader (yet?), but a normal person making things happen on a simple level.
I am going to read the next novel. I am not certain I can recommend this, as it is a challenging read. But it is a solidly written and intricately constructed narrative.
I struggled with the early chapters of this one. The narrative was confusing, the MC was unlikeable, and the world building was bewildering.
Clean prose.
Eventually, the MC started to develop. Then finally, he started to thrive. I’d say about 50% is where things came together for me.
There still a bit too much explanation of the ‘System’ for my tastes. Every chapter starts with the character sheet, which gets quite lengthy. And I don’t really understand how everything works, even though there are several passages explaining it. It is extremely complex.
What I liked is how the MC became a gatherer, then a craftsman, then a hunter (of sorts). Not a warrior or leader (yet?), but a normal person making things happen on a simple level.
I am going to read the next novel. I am not certain I can recommend this, as it is a challenging read. But it is a solidly written and intricately constructed narrative.
April 2, 2025
Ok. Detailed world building. Slow pacing
The story took almost 125 pages to really evolve. The beginning was so over explained and trying to convey to the reader the detailed complexion of the world building and the power dynamics. A lot of the inner dialogue was used in explaining this and it was incredibly slow paced and tedious. Once the story turned into a situation where the main character had its own agency, it became more enjoyable read.
The author over explains situations quite a bit but I found the characters interactions, dialogue, and logical thinking made the plot line fun and enjoyable story. There are several plotlines developed and the book ends with several of these open. The explanation of the mains characters power build is the most tedious of the reading, even though I understand the need for it, the explanations make for boring reading.
The story took almost 125 pages to really evolve. The beginning was so over explained and trying to convey to the reader the detailed complexion of the world building and the power dynamics. A lot of the inner dialogue was used in explaining this and it was incredibly slow paced and tedious. Once the story turned into a situation where the main character had its own agency, it became more enjoyable read.
The author over explains situations quite a bit but I found the characters interactions, dialogue, and logical thinking made the plot line fun and enjoyable story. There are several plotlines developed and the book ends with several of these open. The explanation of the mains characters power build is the most tedious of the reading, even though I understand the need for it, the explanations make for boring reading.
December 27, 2020
Excellent LITRPG progression fantasy
Oh, we have seen many of the tropes before, but they are very well done, and the leveling is clever and very detailed. You are sympathetic to the mc and he is neither horrid or a paladin. Just a kid trying to survive in an unfriendly world. Well written and executed. No one is a villain to be a villian, they have goals and their own loyalties that cross purposes with the main character's goals, but even he knows that it isn't personal, even when it is very personal.
Oh, we have seen many of the tropes before, but they are very well done, and the leveling is clever and very detailed. You are sympathetic to the mc and he is neither horrid or a paladin. Just a kid trying to survive in an unfriendly world. Well written and executed. No one is a villain to be a villian, they have goals and their own loyalties that cross purposes with the main character's goals, but even he knows that it isn't personal, even when it is very personal.
July 8, 2022
The starting was a little rough, and the explanation of the abilities still confuse me a little, even after finishing the book, but I did enjoy it.
There was a little snag near the middle when the "my precious" fellow turned up, but he grew on me.
I will definitely be picking up the sequel. This reminds me of the Underdog Series, where an anomaly takes advantage of the system. I hope this continues.
I just realized this Gollum knockoff reminds me of the Orange Lantern, Larfreeze. "It's Mine!".
3/5 Stars
There was a little snag near the middle when the "my precious" fellow turned up, but he grew on me.
I will definitely be picking up the sequel. This reminds me of the Underdog Series, where an anomaly takes advantage of the system. I hope this continues.
I just realized this Gollum knockoff reminds me of the Orange Lantern, Larfreeze. "It's Mine!".
3/5 Stars
December 27, 2020
Wow!
While I'm a bit worried about this new series adding delays to the time between books for his other series, I am very happy having a new series to read. I absolutely loved it. There was a little bit of confusion about the character sheet mechanics, damn that got complicated, but once I pushed through I believe I now have it figured out.
Thanks Arthur.
Are there going to be more Respawn and Humanhive books?
While I'm a bit worried about this new series adding delays to the time between books for his other series, I am very happy having a new series to read. I absolutely loved it. There was a little bit of confusion about the character sheet mechanics, damn that got complicated, but once I pushed through I believe I now have it figured out.
Thanks Arthur.
Are there going to be more Respawn and Humanhive books?
January 14, 2021
The beginning...
A lot of the previous reviews, stated that the first 15% of the book was hard to parse. I do not agree, it was more of a download that skipped a bit chronologically, but was still good at creating a solid foundation for the book.
That said, the book did improve over time. By the end I was captivated with the uniqueness of it, and I am now eagerly anticipating the next in the series!!
A lot of the previous reviews, stated that the first 15% of the book was hard to parse. I do not agree, it was more of a download that skipped a bit chronologically, but was still good at creating a solid foundation for the book.
That said, the book did improve over time. By the end I was captivated with the uniqueness of it, and I am now eagerly anticipating the next in the series!!
January 16, 2021
Decent first effort.
The intro is almost unbearable, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be so halting and jerky to reflect the MC capabilities at the time but after the MC wakes up in the new location it kicks off pretty well story wise and the strange rhetorical structure eases. Given the four star bc it is interesting enough of a setting, just, like many KU books, could use a little editing.
The intro is almost unbearable, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be so halting and jerky to reflect the MC capabilities at the time but after the MC wakes up in the new location it kicks off pretty well story wise and the strange rhetorical structure eases. Given the four star bc it is interesting enough of a setting, just, like many KU books, could use a little editing.
February 12, 2021
Too much fishing got boring fast.
Decant read and dont even know why but did like it but found too confusing and hard to follow the power system as was just all offer place, and what can do with items earned offer then form of currency?? Author tried think explain it around 44% into book but only little of what said there made any sense to me.
In end just gave up trying for most part and went on with it and just guessed instead.
And good first few chapters was confusing and kinda dull really hard get through.
Decant read and dont even know why but did like it but found too confusing and hard to follow the power system as was just all offer place, and what can do with items earned offer then form of currency?? Author tried think explain it around 44% into book but only little of what said there made any sense to me.
In end just gave up trying for most part and went on with it and just guessed instead.
And good first few chapters was confusing and kinda dull really hard get through.
February 25, 2021
Good book
It took a bit to get into this book, but, after I settled in, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Only issue I had was there was a little to much "word soup" in parts of the story that took a way from my full immersion into the story. I found myself skipping over this soup at times, so that the meat of the story would not cool. Otherwise, the story was well laid out with interesting characters and a tantalizing plot. I will read the next installment.
It took a bit to get into this book, but, after I settled in, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Only issue I had was there was a little to much "word soup" in parts of the story that took a way from my full immersion into the story. I found myself skipping over this soup at times, so that the meat of the story would not cool. Otherwise, the story was well laid out with interesting characters and a tantalizing plot. I will read the next installment.
April 13, 2021
Slow start but gets awesome
I almost gave up, but after reading some reviews decided to stick with it. I’m glad I did. The first 30% was super slow but after that was a lot of fun.
One thing that gets to me sometimes is when authors use a ton of unknown names or terminology literally from the get go. It makes the beginning a rough start because you can’t immerse in the story due to constant confusion.
I almost gave up, but after reading some reviews decided to stick with it. I’m glad I did. The first 30% was super slow but after that was a lot of fun.
One thing that gets to me sometimes is when authors use a ton of unknown names or terminology literally from the get go. It makes the beginning a rough start because you can’t immerse in the story due to constant confusion.
January 6, 2021
Good start
I liked the level up system and the complexity it gives the world. I did find that a lot of the book revolved around fishing which is fine but different. I know this is to set up a lot of plot and world building events but it did feel a bit to much. The rest of the book was great.
I liked the level up system and the complexity it gives the world. I did find that a lot of the book revolved around fishing which is fine but different. I know this is to set up a lot of plot and world building events but it did feel a bit to much. The rest of the book was great.
February 8, 2021
Interestingly different
The author's world is distinct and unique, and far from another Tolkien knock off. My one one small niggle is that the protagonist's internal voice doesn't 'feel' young enough, using old person words. The first few chapters are ...unusual... but once the plot moves away from 'home' it really picks up. By the end I'm left wanting to know whats next.
The author's world is distinct and unique, and far from another Tolkien knock off. My one one small niggle is that the protagonist's internal voice doesn't 'feel' young enough, using old person words. The first few chapters are ...unusual... but once the plot moves away from 'home' it really picks up. By the end I'm left wanting to know whats next.
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