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The Ripple System #2
Black Sand Baron
The manhunt has officially begun.
Now the target of a game-wide Holy War, Ned is forced to flee the Onyx Sands.
The odds are stacked against him; Tyrann has tens of thousands of followers, a religion that’s spreading like wildfire, and a powerful god that will be stepping into the world of EBO in a matter of days.
Meanwhile, Ned’s allies are a squirrel-exploding bard, a repurposed home security system who takes her instructions far too literally, and a wildly unreliable talking axe named Frank.
But even as the inevitable conflict draws closer, change is coming to EBO. An old power is stirring, bringing with it strange new enemies, fearsome challenges, and rewards that every player will be vying to obtain.
There will be blood.
Not enough for Frank, but a very substantial amount.
Now the target of a game-wide Holy War, Ned is forced to flee the Onyx Sands.
The odds are stacked against him; Tyrann has tens of thousands of followers, a religion that’s spreading like wildfire, and a powerful god that will be stepping into the world of EBO in a matter of days.
Meanwhile, Ned’s allies are a squirrel-exploding bard, a repurposed home security system who takes her instructions far too literally, and a wildly unreliable talking axe named Frank.
But even as the inevitable conflict draws closer, change is coming to EBO. An old power is stirring, bringing with it strange new enemies, fearsome challenges, and rewards that every player will be vying to obtain.
There will be blood.
Not enough for Frank, but a very substantial amount.
835 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2021
371 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
October 29, 2021
Starts out nice enough, but gets progressively worse. While I like the setting and enjoy the overarching story, I had a number of issues with the characters and parts of the plot.
First of all: the inconsistencies and things that simply don't make sense. There are a couple of things that don't make sense, or that got introduced in book one and then disregarded in book two. One of the most obvious examples I can think of is that the games creator Klein is surprised the players "discovered" the nominal Ripple System and are heavily engaging with the mechanic, when it was literally introduced in chapter one of the first book. Everyone knows about it. Hell it's the games greatest selling point.
My second Issue: Frank the Axe. This technically also ties into the "doesn't make sense" category. Frank is useless. A big part of the story's premise is that Frank gives Ned a giant advantage and has basically all the information about every aspect of the game EBO. To balance this out (and presumably to preserve an element of suspense) the game's developer / the author put some restriction in place, most notably but not exclusively the wielders level that needs to be high enough to access the information they want or need. If the requirements aren't met, Frank can't say anything. Which means that even by the end of this book, Frank has yet to actually fulfil his role as source of information. He is never able (or willing) to tell Ned ANYTHING in advance. The best he can do is state the obvious (the monster that just stunned you has a stun attack) or give a vague hint that usually boils down to "that thing that you wanted to do anyway is a good thing to do."
That aside, he functions as a commentator during combat and he bickers with Ned. That is a whole thing by the way. I feel like a good 10-20% of the book is literally just Frank and Ned throwing the same couple of sentences back and forth on repeat. Frank wants Ned to kill stuff violently, preferably in melee combat, no matter how idiotic the idea, and then calls Ned names (often questioning Neds masculinity). Torture comes up a lot, as well as awkward pining for Darling. And then finally Ned seeks constant validation from Frank in the form of "Frank points", a joke that got old the moment it was first introduced.
While annoying in and of itself, the bigger issue is that they bicker at wholly inappropriate times. Like, they're currently talking to someone else and then we press pause and have a page or two of Frank/Ned dialogue, no matter how serious the situation is. And apparently friend and foe alike just stand there and wait for the couple to finish.
Issue number three: Character interaction/relationships and side characters in general. Well, we don't get to see a lot. Sure, other characters beside Ned and Frank exist, and they do turn up, but when you really look at it, Ned barely interacts with them. He seeks Darling and the guild out when he needs something, but he pretty much ditches them immediately once he got what he needs. He might throw some money or items around, or receive tons of disproportionally valuable stuff, but that's it. Ned and Frank supposedly help them have an edge, but the things they do, they would've done anyway without Franks vague hints. There is one moment where some personal stuff on Darlings side is implied, but the book never goes into detail.
There's house, the supposedly super advanced AI, that kinda sucks at stuff that "lesser" AI have no problems with. She still has trouble posing as a human which comes down to her being a overblown caricature of cliches about autistic people. Like, she ticks ALL the boxes. Ned and Frank support her in her endeavour to deal with her anxiety, but it often feels condescending.
Then we have Lars, an NPC that partially acts like a player, who wants to follow Ned and is excluded by Ned on pretty much every occasion. Ned also takes advantage of him in my opinion.
Tyrann, our villain for now, is flat and fairly stereotypical. Nothing much to say here.
Lastly, there's Ned himself. While he always had the tendency to be too good at everything, now succeeds at everything he does. The small losses he takes are inconsequential and are remedied ten times over mere pages after they occur. It's boring.
One last issue I have, though a minor one, is the time frame during which the plot takes place. At the end of book two maybe 6 days or so have passed since the launch of the game. To me it feels like very little considering all the things that happen and the considerable amount of travel. Also, large events that only last a couple of hours don't make sense from a game developer side. Why plan a giant event with huge amount of content, only to end it mere hours later, when very little of it has been seen by the vast majority of players. I get that it's a highly competitive game, but it just seems like a wasted effort.
Overall I'd give it 2,5 stars, rounded up. Not sure I'll pick up the next book.
First of all: the inconsistencies and things that simply don't make sense. There are a couple of things that don't make sense, or that got introduced in book one and then disregarded in book two. One of the most obvious examples I can think of is that the games creator Klein is surprised the players "discovered" the nominal Ripple System and are heavily engaging with the mechanic, when it was literally introduced in chapter one of the first book. Everyone knows about it. Hell it's the games greatest selling point.
My second Issue: Frank the Axe. This technically also ties into the "doesn't make sense" category. Frank is useless. A big part of the story's premise is that Frank gives Ned a giant advantage and has basically all the information about every aspect of the game EBO. To balance this out (and presumably to preserve an element of suspense) the game's developer / the author put some restriction in place, most notably but not exclusively the wielders level that needs to be high enough to access the information they want or need. If the requirements aren't met, Frank can't say anything. Which means that even by the end of this book, Frank has yet to actually fulfil his role as source of information. He is never able (or willing) to tell Ned ANYTHING in advance. The best he can do is state the obvious (the monster that just stunned you has a stun attack) or give a vague hint that usually boils down to "that thing that you wanted to do anyway is a good thing to do."
That aside, he functions as a commentator during combat and he bickers with Ned. That is a whole thing by the way. I feel like a good 10-20% of the book is literally just Frank and Ned throwing the same couple of sentences back and forth on repeat. Frank wants Ned to kill stuff violently, preferably in melee combat, no matter how idiotic the idea, and then calls Ned names (often questioning Neds masculinity). Torture comes up a lot, as well as awkward pining for Darling. And then finally Ned seeks constant validation from Frank in the form of "Frank points", a joke that got old the moment it was first introduced.
While annoying in and of itself, the bigger issue is that they bicker at wholly inappropriate times. Like, they're currently talking to someone else and then we press pause and have a page or two of Frank/Ned dialogue, no matter how serious the situation is. And apparently friend and foe alike just stand there and wait for the couple to finish.
Issue number three: Character interaction/relationships and side characters in general. Well, we don't get to see a lot. Sure, other characters beside Ned and Frank exist, and they do turn up, but when you really look at it, Ned barely interacts with them. He seeks Darling and the guild out when he needs something, but he pretty much ditches them immediately once he got what he needs. He might throw some money or items around, or receive tons of disproportionally valuable stuff, but that's it. Ned and Frank supposedly help them have an edge, but the things they do, they would've done anyway without Franks vague hints. There is one moment where some personal stuff on Darlings side is implied, but the book never goes into detail.
There's house, the supposedly super advanced AI, that kinda sucks at stuff that "lesser" AI have no problems with. She still has trouble posing as a human which comes down to her being a overblown caricature of cliches about autistic people. Like, she ticks ALL the boxes. Ned and Frank support her in her endeavour to deal with her anxiety, but it often feels condescending.
Then we have Lars, an NPC that partially acts like a player, who wants to follow Ned and is excluded by Ned on pretty much every occasion. Ned also takes advantage of him in my opinion.
Tyrann, our villain for now, is flat and fairly stereotypical. Nothing much to say here.
Lastly, there's Ned himself. While he always had the tendency to be too good at everything, now succeeds at everything he does. The small losses he takes are inconsequential and are remedied ten times over mere pages after they occur. It's boring.
One last issue I have, though a minor one, is the time frame during which the plot takes place. At the end of book two maybe 6 days or so have passed since the launch of the game. To me it feels like very little considering all the things that happen and the considerable amount of travel. Also, large events that only last a couple of hours don't make sense from a game developer side. Why plan a giant event with huge amount of content, only to end it mere hours later, when very little of it has been seen by the vast majority of players. I get that it's a highly competitive game, but it just seems like a wasted effort.
Overall I'd give it 2,5 stars, rounded up. Not sure I'll pick up the next book.
October 3, 2021
So this is the second installment of this series and I obviously started this series because Travis is the narrator and he does an amazing job. The reason I continued to read it is because they are great! Very satisfying story progression. The characters don't really take much of a step forward. You see more of a couple of them because they are more in the spotlight, but you don't get actual character progression. House is still sort of in the background, it would be nice to see more progress from it.
The characters all make power progress so the story is progressed very well, but IRL isn't really mentioned at all. These characters seemingly have very little going on in the real world as far as the book is concerned. And we still see just that in this installment. It would be nice to read a little more about Rock or Nena, or Darling maybe find out about why he hardly talks, or about Darling's condition, but you wont get it in this one. It would also be nice to see the MC step out in the real world to see if his perspective has changed any. I guess the real thing that I forget is that this 2 book series has occurred over a very short period of actual time. Effectively we are looking at a couple weeks, definitely less than a month of real time. I like that there isn't any time compression, because it really shows the sacrifice necessary to submerge yourself this much. Not just anyone can put this amount of time in. People that are at the top of MMORPGs are not necessarily the best strategist, or the most ruthless they are the people that are the most committed. I have known quite a few people that sacrifice almost everything to be at the top of online games. There are several interesting aspects involved with this book. One that is apparent is that if you want to be one of the best in these games you have to get in early and then you have to be fully committed. You can't just be casual and expect to make a name for yourself.
Outside of the overall concept and execution the actual story is great. The world is moving in interesting ways, with lots of local and overall progression. If anything it could have been a little longer because some of the more long term progressions paid out, but weren't explored. Great series, loved it, will continue to read.
The characters all make power progress so the story is progressed very well, but IRL isn't really mentioned at all. These characters seemingly have very little going on in the real world as far as the book is concerned. And we still see just that in this installment. It would be nice to read a little more about Rock or Nena, or Darling maybe find out about why he hardly talks, or about Darling's condition, but you wont get it in this one. It would also be nice to see the MC step out in the real world to see if his perspective has changed any. I guess the real thing that I forget is that this 2 book series has occurred over a very short period of actual time. Effectively we are looking at a couple weeks, definitely less than a month of real time. I like that there isn't any time compression, because it really shows the sacrifice necessary to submerge yourself this much. Not just anyone can put this amount of time in. People that are at the top of MMORPGs are not necessarily the best strategist, or the most ruthless they are the people that are the most committed. I have known quite a few people that sacrifice almost everything to be at the top of online games. There are several interesting aspects involved with this book. One that is apparent is that if you want to be one of the best in these games you have to get in early and then you have to be fully committed. You can't just be casual and expect to make a name for yourself.
Outside of the overall concept and execution the actual story is great. The world is moving in interesting ways, with lots of local and overall progression. If anything it could have been a little longer because some of the more long term progressions paid out, but weren't explored. Great series, loved it, will continue to read.
September 30, 2021
Normally, I don't do reviews, but I did get this Audible copy free by winning a drawing on Facebook's LitRPG Forum. So, I thought it would only be fair to review it.
I came to LitRPG and GameLit late, but it has rapidly become a favorite genre. The downside, is there are some really bad books out there. Poor plots, bad characters, and just poor writing.
But there are some GEMS too. Kyle Kirrin Shadeslinger and Black Sand Baron definitely fall into the latter group. Well-written, engaging, characters that don't fall flat or seem like every other character in the book. Frank and House in particular are standouts that having me chuckling constantly in their uniqueness.
Can't wait until book 3!
I came to LitRPG and GameLit late, but it has rapidly become a favorite genre. The downside, is there are some really bad books out there. Poor plots, bad characters, and just poor writing.
But there are some GEMS too. Kyle Kirrin Shadeslinger and Black Sand Baron definitely fall into the latter group. Well-written, engaging, characters that don't fall flat or seem like every other character in the book. Frank and House in particular are standouts that having me chuckling constantly in their uniqueness.
Can't wait until book 3!
March 20, 2022
This could have been a 4 star book, but two of the characters are so wrong I can barely get past them to enjoy the rest of the book. House, is the most advanced AI ever created but can’t study people, tv, or the internet enough to understand basic idioms. And Frank is annoying, not funny, not interesting, just annoying.
October 18, 2022
I had a great time with this book. The pacing and character development went up a notch here so I added that last 5 star rating for myself. I am looking forward to the third book now, and can't wait to do another re-read when I complete that third installation.
June 22, 2022
Excellent book! Loving this series so far!
Writing is good, MC definitely making progress on becoming a guy you could respect. A little predictable at times, but an all around enjoyable story. The humor is fun and I chuckled a few times out loud.
One thing the author does better than most is having the MC occasional fail with some consequences. Many books have the MC pulling off impossible feats, one after the other, but in this series the MC periodically fails and it's actually much more relatable. It also makes the successes that much sweeter and provides real tension.
Strongly recommend this series, it's probably my favorite of the 6 or 7 series I'm currently reading!
Writing is good, MC definitely making progress on becoming a guy you could respect. A little predictable at times, but an all around enjoyable story. The humor is fun and I chuckled a few times out loud.
One thing the author does better than most is having the MC occasional fail with some consequences. Many books have the MC pulling off impossible feats, one after the other, but in this series the MC periodically fails and it's actually much more relatable. It also makes the successes that much sweeter and provides real tension.
Strongly recommend this series, it's probably my favorite of the 6 or 7 series I'm currently reading!
December 2, 2023
This came up as an audible sale where it was snatched. I had been lacking some Travis Baldree narration and LitRPG in my life and this series had a decent start.
This was a good continuation - nothing spectacular but kept a good pace and kept my interest. The main character is a little too bland with a side of juvenile, but that's typical of this style of book. The side characters seem to exist simply to do what the MC needs then fade away until next time. The plot/progression/timeline of the game elements don't make much sense. However, the writing is decent, the world is interesting and the book held my attention.
This was a good continuation - nothing spectacular but kept a good pace and kept my interest. The main character is a little too bland with a side of juvenile, but that's typical of this style of book. The side characters seem to exist simply to do what the MC needs then fade away until next time. The plot/progression/timeline of the game elements don't make much sense. However, the writing is decent, the world is interesting and the book held my attention.
December 16, 2021
Some hilarious moments but ultimately it felt like a lot of action and I didn’t care enough for the outcomes. Yeah I want the good guys to win, but it grew tiresome. I’m on the fence about the next one.
January 21, 2022
Loved these more than I was expecting to. Drawn in by nostalgia, but stayed for the excellent characters and humour. Kyle, the author, also seems super nice on his discord and very communicative with people there.
Can't wait for book #3!
Can't wait for book #3!
October 24, 2021
Too much of the socially-inept duo for my tastes, as if their social unawareness was bumped up to 11 in this novel. Being stuck in that guy's head is a nightmare.
The adventuring, world / PvP plotlines were OK, but it felt like two books crammed into one, w/ far too much time spent on inner monologues of a guy constantly worrying about not providing enough for his friends while constantly solo'ing important events w/o inviting them.
Also, unless I'm crazy and inserted plot into the first book that doesn't exist, there's a huge continuity error concerning his caravans and the underground NPC that handles them. Was extremely confused by this, as it greatly affects the second book's plot.
The adventuring, world / PvP plotlines were OK, but it felt like two books crammed into one, w/ far too much time spent on inner monologues of a guy constantly worrying about not providing enough for his friends while constantly solo'ing important events w/o inviting them.
Also, unless I'm crazy and inserted plot into the first book that doesn't exist, there's a huge continuity error concerning his caravans and the underground NPC that handles them. Was extremely confused by this, as it greatly affects the second book's plot.
April 1, 2024
Loved the audible off this series. Was super into the voice actor for being actually really good at his job
October 18, 2021
First book was fun, then I saw on Reddit that the sequel was released so downloaded it right away.
It's still fun but sometimes the banter got to be a bit too much. Same goes for the fight descriptions. The MC doesn't seem to lose, the only way is up and that got a bit predictable.
I appreciated the fact that it all came together rather nicely in the end. But the arch/scope of the next book is clearly stated at the end of next one. If it's a linear progression again I might downgrade to three stars.
If you like gaming and progression fantasy this is probably fun for you.
It's still fun but sometimes the banter got to be a bit too much. Same goes for the fight descriptions. The MC doesn't seem to lose, the only way is up and that got a bit predictable.
I appreciated the fact that it all came together rather nicely in the end. But the arch/scope of the next book is clearly stated at the end of next one. If it's a linear progression again I might downgrade to three stars.
If you like gaming and progression fantasy this is probably fun for you.
May 5, 2024
I cannot take any more of this "banter". I hate Frank and everything he stands for. DNF
February 2, 2025
This installment of the Ripple System series rocks! I love the chemistry between Ned and Frank! I can't get enough, I want more! If Litrpg is your thing or if you have been wanting to sample this genre you're in for a enjoyable experience! Frank! Frank! Frank! LOL!
October 11, 2021
Oh my geeerd
Another epic installment. Holly smokes. So good. Can we get his man a clone so we can have more faster?
Another epic installment. Holly smokes. So good. Can we get his man a clone so we can have more faster?
February 26, 2025
It was a fantastic continuation of the series!!!! Loved every party, especially the end battles!!!!
GET FRANKED!!!!!!!!
GET FRANKED!!!!!!!!
August 6, 2023
Really, really great story
For real, this is a fun story, but editing is really crummy. What a way to mess up huh! Now you see, if the editing were as great as the storytelling, wow! We would need to add a sixth star. They probably couldn't print enough books!
But how can one enjoy a giggle when you suddenly get ripped around and have to say..."sat what?" Try that about fifty times without spitting all down the front of your fresh pressed shirt!
I'm actually considering if I ought to stop the review right here, or ought I share/write some reasons I like this story???
For one thing it's really funny, the private conversations between Ned and Frank the Axe..... It's pure enjoyable sarcasm that can't help but make you laugh out loud.
And the nail biters! Yeah, of course they will survive, or the story would have to end too. I often stop after a long read to admire the language, the gifted writer who can throw words down in such a fun way, stringing you right along until you let out a barking laugh - not in the library of course.
I do wish though, that there were no appreviations (darn,how do you spell that word?) or/and allowed. Way too many, and no appendix! Even though I'm loving this story, doesn't mean that I am familiar with the terminology that goes with this type of online gaming. Like agr, or arg,. It's just another roadblock we readers have to maneuver around. Well, I'm sure you get just how aggravated I am about that and the editing or lack thereof. Could have been bragging some more about how much I like this story and that I can't wait till I get the next book, and that I hope this is a long series.
For real, this is a fun story, but editing is really crummy. What a way to mess up huh! Now you see, if the editing were as great as the storytelling, wow! We would need to add a sixth star. They probably couldn't print enough books!
But how can one enjoy a giggle when you suddenly get ripped around and have to say..."sat what?" Try that about fifty times without spitting all down the front of your fresh pressed shirt!
I'm actually considering if I ought to stop the review right here, or ought I share/write some reasons I like this story???
For one thing it's really funny, the private conversations between Ned and Frank the Axe..... It's pure enjoyable sarcasm that can't help but make you laugh out loud.
And the nail biters! Yeah, of course they will survive, or the story would have to end too. I often stop after a long read to admire the language, the gifted writer who can throw words down in such a fun way, stringing you right along until you let out a barking laugh - not in the library of course.
I do wish though, that there were no appreviations (darn,how do you spell that word?) or/and allowed. Way too many, and no appendix! Even though I'm loving this story, doesn't mean that I am familiar with the terminology that goes with this type of online gaming. Like agr, or arg,. It's just another roadblock we readers have to maneuver around. Well, I'm sure you get just how aggravated I am about that and the editing or lack thereof. Could have been bragging some more about how much I like this story and that I can't wait till I get the next book, and that I hope this is a long series.
December 29, 2021
This book is a funny, no-brainer, popcorn, litRPG. It's 50% action packed dungeon raiding and boss battles, 40% banter with Frank and House, and 10% a coherent story that feels rewarding specially at the end.
There's leveling, abilities, classes, loot, violence, quests, mounts, town building, sociopaths, guilds, a game world, bosses, gods and a lot of Frank :)
Perfect example of what a popcorn book should be about and specially a great example what litRPG is to its core (pun intended). Not too much focus on the character arch, but not forgetting it either, with secondary characters that evolve nicely (in level and in character), and a simple but rewarding main mission: of just being awesome and decline world domination to archenemies.
Frank and House carried this book and I can't get enough of the combo. On one hand there's Frank, the blood thirsty psychopath that has violence embedded in his very essence which with its every heartbeat seeks harm but it's actually impotent of doing harm whatsoever. And on the other, there's House, the social disfunctional sociopath, cat loving AI turned playing character that doesn't seek violence whatsoever, and still not flinching an eye while razing dozen of players to the ground. The chemistry there is magical and the idiom jokes never get old.
As for Ned, he isn't the a$$ from the first book, as his ties with the guild and his in-game buddies finally allow him to start trusting people and break some of his introvert/sociopath persona.
If you enjoyed the first book, I recommend this one as well. Actually, I think I like this one better than the previous.
There's leveling, abilities, classes, loot, violence, quests, mounts, town building, sociopaths, guilds, a game world, bosses, gods and a lot of Frank :)
Perfect example of what a popcorn book should be about and specially a great example what litRPG is to its core (pun intended). Not too much focus on the character arch, but not forgetting it either, with secondary characters that evolve nicely (in level and in character), and a simple but rewarding main mission: of just being awesome and decline world domination to archenemies.
Frank and House carried this book and I can't get enough of the combo. On one hand there's Frank, the blood thirsty psychopath that has violence embedded in his very essence which with its every heartbeat seeks harm but it's actually impotent of doing harm whatsoever. And on the other, there's House, the social disfunctional sociopath, cat loving AI turned playing character that doesn't seek violence whatsoever, and still not flinching an eye while razing dozen of players to the ground. The chemistry there is magical and the idiom jokes never get old.
As for Ned, he isn't the a$$ from the first book, as his ties with the guild and his in-game buddies finally allow him to start trusting people and break some of his introvert/sociopath persona.
If you enjoyed the first book, I recommend this one as well. Actually, I think I like this one better than the previous.
September 10, 2025
This book is great fun! I really enjoyed listening to it! I actually read the first book quite some time ago and actually kinda sorta forgot about it, but recently I started thinking about Frank! Yeah, Frank the sentient AI Axe! And I needed to read more just as soon as I remembered more about the book like the title or anything other than Frank. Due to happenstance and Facebook I located the book and quickly started listening, as welll I love Travis Baldree, true to form he was great. And Black Sand Baron book 2 was even better than the first one! Ned and his team, turned guild are setting down roots out in the Black Sand's and if that involves killing one of the gods and stopping a cult from taking over then so be it. And ohhhh yes Frank is just as crass as always! Plus how could I have forgotten about House another sentient being trying so hard to humanize herself?!?
So yeah you gotta go grab the book to enjoy it.
Here's a few quotes for y'all:
“Maybe. But there’s something about considering deicide first thing in the morning, you know? The thought alone just brightens my day.”
“Whatever, those were rabbits,” Frank said. “Filthy little, fornicating creatures. Cats are different. I would never explode a cat.”
“Oh. It is so small and warm and vibrationally inclined. I do not know what it is, but I love it so much that my chest hurts.” “It’s a cat, House, and her name’s Bella."
So yeah you gotta go grab the book to enjoy it.
Here's a few quotes for y'all:
“Maybe. But there’s something about considering deicide first thing in the morning, you know? The thought alone just brightens my day.”
“Whatever, those were rabbits,” Frank said. “Filthy little, fornicating creatures. Cats are different. I would never explode a cat.”
“Oh. It is so small and warm and vibrationally inclined. I do not know what it is, but I love it so much that my chest hurts.” “It’s a cat, House, and her name’s Bella."
September 23, 2023
A mixed bag.
The incessant banter of Ted and Frank even at the most inoportune moments is REALLY annoying. Ted´s constant self doubts are off putting. It is sad that the protagonist hardly interacts with other people than Darling. Somehow this makes the world feel empty..
House´s continuing social ineptitude is unbelievable given the fact she is supposed to a super advance AI with access to all media in existence. .
Tyrann continues to be a stereotypical villain - it is strange how he is supposed so many views by streaming and why House does not follow up on him.. (the same goes for the other main guilds. House´s capabilities are massively under used...)
The incessant banter of Ted and Frank even at the most inoportune moments is REALLY annoying. Ted´s constant self doubts are off putting. It is sad that the protagonist hardly interacts with other people than Darling. Somehow this makes the world feel empty..
House´s continuing social ineptitude is unbelievable given the fact she is supposed to a super advance AI with access to all media in existence. .
Tyrann continues to be a stereotypical villain - it is strange how he is supposed so many views by streaming and why House does not follow up on him.. (the same goes for the other main guilds. House´s capabilities are massively under used...)
Read
December 7, 2021Nothing like a sarcastic axe for motivation!
Well I have to say after book 1s slow start this was a great book 2. Much better pacing all around, some cool new abilities, character growth, and kick butt raids! Ned is definitly coming into how own now! And I have to say that Frank is growing on me(much like a certain description of black mold in the book). Also House has turned into a surprisingly enjoyable character, which I was not expecting. A great read, and I cant wait to see what book 3 will hold!
Well I have to say after book 1s slow start this was a great book 2. Much better pacing all around, some cool new abilities, character growth, and kick butt raids! Ned is definitly coming into how own now! And I have to say that Frank is growing on me(much like a certain description of black mold in the book). Also House has turned into a surprisingly enjoyable character, which I was not expecting. A great read, and I cant wait to see what book 3 will hold!
June 2, 2022
LitRPG is such a hit or miss category with me. I love the idea, because the fantasy worlds are so up my alley, but some authors get so deep in the D&D of it all - telling us the stats for the every new piece of armor and weapon and spell, etc. - that it can become mind numbing.
Kyle Kirrin falls into that trap a little too often. But he's such a fun author, his world so entertaining, that it's a blast anyway. Loved the book, thought it showed clear growth from the first in the series, and am excited for the next.
Kyle Kirrin falls into that trap a little too often. But he's such a fun author, his world so entertaining, that it's a blast anyway. Loved the book, thought it showed clear growth from the first in the series, and am excited for the next.
October 5, 2022
4.5 Stars
The Ripple System is a top-tier LitRPG series for me. House and Frank are hilarious as always in this one, and Kyle Kirrin, perhaps better than just about anyone, captures what it might actually feel like with the release of a full-immersion MMO game. My only real complaint was that I wanted a little less soloing. Ned has made a lot of allies, but often doesn't use them. As much as I love the banter between Frank, House, and Ned, I'd love to see more involving his allies, and more development with some of those side characters. Hoping we get more of that in book 3.
The Ripple System is a top-tier LitRPG series for me. House and Frank are hilarious as always in this one, and Kyle Kirrin, perhaps better than just about anyone, captures what it might actually feel like with the release of a full-immersion MMO game. My only real complaint was that I wanted a little less soloing. Ned has made a lot of allies, but often doesn't use them. As much as I love the banter between Frank, House, and Ned, I'd love to see more involving his allies, and more development with some of those side characters. Hoping we get more of that in book 3.
December 1, 2025
re-reboot
The metagame, a rich guy started a new game off by buying all the early access slots so he could play by himself (tho maybe he could have bought his own server and had his fancy AI serve as his curated DM), this annoyed everyone in the real world and now people are out to get him so much, he made an alias so he’s now both the BadGuy and the Good Guy.
Equal parts banter, silliness, leveling and the authors own MMO raid encounters. No romance yet, not certain if that’s coming or if Ned is too busy breaking the game to get with anyone.
The metagame, a rich guy started a new game off by buying all the early access slots so he could play by himself (tho maybe he could have bought his own server and had his fancy AI serve as his curated DM), this annoyed everyone in the real world and now people are out to get him so much, he made an alias so he’s now both the BadGuy and the Good Guy.
Equal parts banter, silliness, leveling and the authors own MMO raid encounters. No romance yet, not certain if that’s coming or if Ned is too busy breaking the game to get with anyone.
December 11, 2025
Very fun
This book was a lot of fun. Im not sure what to say to avoid giving story surprises away. Regardless, I laughed out loud several times and sometimes read sections aloud because they were too funny to keep to myself.
Only downside: I'm not a big fan of the character House. Shes supposed to be the most advanced AI ever byilt and yet she is less socially capable than literally every other AI and NPC. There are literally dictionaries of idioms and online slang/urban dictionaries. How the heck is she this ignorant?
Still a fun book.
This book was a lot of fun. Im not sure what to say to avoid giving story surprises away. Regardless, I laughed out loud several times and sometimes read sections aloud because they were too funny to keep to myself.
Only downside: I'm not a big fan of the character House. Shes supposed to be the most advanced AI ever byilt and yet she is less socially capable than literally every other AI and NPC. There are literally dictionaries of idioms and online slang/urban dictionaries. How the heck is she this ignorant?
Still a fun book.
September 25, 2021
amazing epic book
Wow, I can’t say enough how much I love this book and how it is one of my favorite series of the year.
The mc is smart and there is great character development with all of the other side characters.
Frank provides non stop laughs and there is so much funny and witty dialogue.
You will love this book. I own it on both audible and ebook. They’re both amazing.
Wow, I can’t say enough how much I love this book and how it is one of my favorite series of the year.
The mc is smart and there is great character development with all of the other side characters.
Frank provides non stop laughs and there is so much funny and witty dialogue.
You will love this book. I own it on both audible and ebook. They’re both amazing.
September 28, 2021
An insane sequel!
The second book in this series is just as good as the first. The characters develop well, and the increase in the world building is a nice addition, allowing you to feel engaged with the world and as a consequence the players.
Whilst the story is well fleshed and would stand well on its own, the game mechanics are added artfully showcasing the skill of the author!
The second book in this series is just as good as the first. The characters develop well, and the increase in the world building is a nice addition, allowing you to feel engaged with the world and as a consequence the players.
Whilst the story is well fleshed and would stand well on its own, the game mechanics are added artfully showcasing the skill of the author!
October 8, 2021
I haven’t written a review for subsequent books in a series yet so I’m not really sure what to say here…but I started this account because I wanted to support the authors I liked and I figured ratings/reviews were a good way to do that so here I am. Black Sand Baron is a solid sequel to Shadeslinger, with just as much heart and soul as the first. Basically, everything that was great about the first book (you can refer to my review for it) is back.
Loved it, read it in a day, go read it!
Loved it, read it in a day, go read it!
October 23, 2021
Plot twists galore
Kyle continues to weave together an immersive story that revolve around a talking-axe, his partner in crime, a guild and a golem AI that has a CPT of at least ten. Would definitely recommend this book for people who are new to the LITRPG or Gamelit if they want a flexible system that isn’t incredibly stat heavy and offers versatility; classes are unique depending on specialities
Kyle continues to weave together an immersive story that revolve around a talking-axe, his partner in crime, a guild and a golem AI that has a CPT of at least ten. Would definitely recommend this book for people who are new to the LITRPG or Gamelit if they want a flexible system that isn’t incredibly stat heavy and offers versatility; classes are unique depending on specialities
November 8, 2021
Ned becomes a bit of a powerhouse damage dealer, learns the true meaning of friendship, strengthens ties, and deals a major blow to his primary rival in the game. I'm enjoying pretty much every element of this story. I actually paused it with half an hour left of the audiobook and just kind of chilled in silence for a while because I wanted to put off the moment when I ran out of story, which is about as high an endorsement as you can get from me.
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