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Sentenced to Troll #1
Sentenced to Troll
Who says a troll can't be the hero?
Chad Johnson built his following by being a troll. Online games, social media, you name it—he's there with a witty comeback. But when he goes too far during a televised stream, he's handed a punishment unlike any other.
Instead of the usual ban or suspension, Chad's sentenced to thirty days of full immersion therapy in Isle of Mythos—a world of epic fantasy filled with dungeons and mythical creatures. The twist? He's forced to embody a forest troll, one of the most-despised races in Mythos.
At least the punishment fits the crime.
Now, Chad's on a quest, slaying monsters and aiding his troll tribe. It's different, but not necessarily in a bad way, especially with a mischievous little imp as his sidekick. For the first time in his life, Chad's found something more than just trolling—he's found purpose.
Rehabilitation? Call it what you want, but Chad's all in. Who knows? Maybe this troll can be a hero.
Chad Johnson built his following by being a troll. Online games, social media, you name it—he's there with a witty comeback. But when he goes too far during a televised stream, he's handed a punishment unlike any other.
Instead of the usual ban or suspension, Chad's sentenced to thirty days of full immersion therapy in Isle of Mythos—a world of epic fantasy filled with dungeons and mythical creatures. The twist? He's forced to embody a forest troll, one of the most-despised races in Mythos.
At least the punishment fits the crime.
Now, Chad's on a quest, slaying monsters and aiding his troll tribe. It's different, but not necessarily in a bad way, especially with a mischievous little imp as his sidekick. For the first time in his life, Chad's found something more than just trolling—he's found purpose.
Rehabilitation? Call it what you want, but Chad's all in. Who knows? Maybe this troll can be a hero.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2018
578 people are currently reading
844 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Rowland
20 books530 followersS.L. Rowland is a cozy fantasy and LitRPG author known for crafting immersive worlds filled with adventure, heart, and a touch of humor. A lifelong gamer and fantasy enthusiast, he draws inspiration from tabletop RPGs, video games, and the fantastical. When he’s not writing, he enjoys weightlifting, hiking with his Shiba Inu, and enduring the heartbreak of being an Atlanta sports fan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
April 15, 2019
I bought this story on a whim because it had a super fun sounding blurb and I'm glad it did as it really lived up its fun sounding blurb by delivering a fun and engaging story. It actually ended up being one of the best LitRPG books I've read so far. The game world was good as was the experimental new tech that got our main character into that world and the story was engaging from start to finish. The lead character was genuinely likeable and the story had a good balance of action and adventure.
The premise was fun. As a punishment for online trolling Chad is offered an alternative punishment to a potential 1-3 year prison sentence. That alternative was a month spend in a new fully immersive VR world. The catch is Chad will be forced to spend his time playing as a Troll in a world where the Trolls are reviled by the other races. Chad jumps at the idea of the rehabilitation option rather than jail time! The downside is Chad soon finds he is not the only player in the game as someone has decided to see if hardcore criminals can be rehabilitated by being cast in the roles of heroes in this fully immersive VR world!
I was sucked into the story from start to finish. We got a tiny glimpse of the real world before Chad jumped into the fun VR fantasy world that the majority of the story focused on. The early parts gave us a glimpse into Chad and the life he had before the game and why he got sentenced to the rehabilitation program in the first place. The time in the fantasy style game world was fun from the get go. Chad had to learn the rules of the world as well as get used to his giant new Troll body. Before too long he met a bunch of Trolls and some members of the others races with mixed results and ended up with a few quests and the like. The action was pretty fun and even managed to have a surprising amount of emotional engagement to it as Chad realized that perhaps the Trolls were not so bad and that they might be in need of a hero of their own!
Despite the fact that Chad was sentenced to the game as a punishment for trolling people online he proved to be a surprisingly easy guy to like. He seemed to realize what he did was wrong and showed good growth over the course of the story. I loved how his growth as a character was handled. There was nothing preachy about it. Most of Chad's growth came from the fact that Chad's life in the game world was massively different to that which he was used to in the real world and that gave him a natural chance to grow and change for the better. I felt like this aspect of the story was handled really smoothly and that lead to Chad being one of the more likeable main LitRPG characters I've encountered.
Outside of Chad the story had a few fun secondary characters. The most notable being Chad's crazy imp companion who provided plenty of humour to the story as well as a few more touching scenes.
This one ended in a bit of a weird way. It had the feel of a solid ending while also leaving the option there for a sequel. I do hope we get a sequel as there is definitely a lot more potential in this story.
The other big plus in the books favour was that S.L. Rowland did not get bogged down with stats. We got some to track Chad's development but not so much that they overwhelmed the story. This is the perfect balance that others in the genre should be looking to emulate. My feeling is most of those stat laden books are just gaming the Kindle Unlimited system and padding the word count. I listen in audio most of the time and those stats can get mind-numbing in that format. Nothing like that with this book thankfully.
All in all this was a fun and engaging LitPRG story.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: I felt like Eric Martin did a good job with the audio. His general narration was very good and his character voices were decent as well.
The premise was fun. As a punishment for online trolling Chad is offered an alternative punishment to a potential 1-3 year prison sentence. That alternative was a month spend in a new fully immersive VR world. The catch is Chad will be forced to spend his time playing as a Troll in a world where the Trolls are reviled by the other races. Chad jumps at the idea of the rehabilitation option rather than jail time! The downside is Chad soon finds he is not the only player in the game as someone has decided to see if hardcore criminals can be rehabilitated by being cast in the roles of heroes in this fully immersive VR world!
I was sucked into the story from start to finish. We got a tiny glimpse of the real world before Chad jumped into the fun VR fantasy world that the majority of the story focused on. The early parts gave us a glimpse into Chad and the life he had before the game and why he got sentenced to the rehabilitation program in the first place. The time in the fantasy style game world was fun from the get go. Chad had to learn the rules of the world as well as get used to his giant new Troll body. Before too long he met a bunch of Trolls and some members of the others races with mixed results and ended up with a few quests and the like. The action was pretty fun and even managed to have a surprising amount of emotional engagement to it as Chad realized that perhaps the Trolls were not so bad and that they might be in need of a hero of their own!
Despite the fact that Chad was sentenced to the game as a punishment for trolling people online he proved to be a surprisingly easy guy to like. He seemed to realize what he did was wrong and showed good growth over the course of the story. I loved how his growth as a character was handled. There was nothing preachy about it. Most of Chad's growth came from the fact that Chad's life in the game world was massively different to that which he was used to in the real world and that gave him a natural chance to grow and change for the better. I felt like this aspect of the story was handled really smoothly and that lead to Chad being one of the more likeable main LitRPG characters I've encountered.
Outside of Chad the story had a few fun secondary characters. The most notable being Chad's crazy imp companion who provided plenty of humour to the story as well as a few more touching scenes.
This one ended in a bit of a weird way. It had the feel of a solid ending while also leaving the option there for a sequel. I do hope we get a sequel as there is definitely a lot more potential in this story.
The other big plus in the books favour was that S.L. Rowland did not get bogged down with stats. We got some to track Chad's development but not so much that they overwhelmed the story. This is the perfect balance that others in the genre should be looking to emulate. My feeling is most of those stat laden books are just gaming the Kindle Unlimited system and padding the word count. I listen in audio most of the time and those stats can get mind-numbing in that format. Nothing like that with this book thankfully.
All in all this was a fun and engaging LitPRG story.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: I felt like Eric Martin did a good job with the audio. His general narration was very good and his character voices were decent as well.
February 11, 2025
I made it about a third through before I decided I wasn't interested. I mean, the boredom had been building, but once we see the main bad guy and the troll community response is to send Chod off on a multi-day quest that was as ill-defined as it was uninteresting I lost what little interest I still had. I mean, it wasn't named maguffin, but might as well have been.
Plus, Chad (the player, it's the character he's playing who is called Chod. Yes, that is as stupid as it sounds) is pretty basic for someone who is "a professional gamer". Could we see him make just one interesting or good choice? Maybe intuit an interaction or build ahead of time? Anything? He literally rage-fled from a slime.
I gave a pass for the stupid setup where we have laws that wouldn't pass a first amendment challenge made by a first-grader and even the defense lawyer who was both incompetent and visibly disinterested in a trial that was supposed to be public and highly anticipated. But the sentence and its execution were so devoid of creativity or interest it was like the author couldn't be bothered to story. Seriously, if you're that eager to get to the VR world, then just skip all that nonsense! If it doesn't matter enough to make it interesting, then why make your reader(s) go through it?!? Yeah, I should have seen the dnf coming from there.
Anyway, one star dnf. A potentially fun idea run aground on the shoals of the boredom archipelago. Tale as old as time, really.
Plus, Chad (the player, it's the character he's playing who is called Chod. Yes, that is as stupid as it sounds) is pretty basic for someone who is "a professional gamer". Could we see him make just one interesting or good choice? Maybe intuit an interaction or build ahead of time? Anything? He literally rage-fled from a slime.
I gave a pass for the stupid setup where we have laws that wouldn't pass a first amendment challenge made by a first-grader and even the defense lawyer who was both incompetent and visibly disinterested in a trial that was supposed to be public and highly anticipated. But the sentence and its execution were so devoid of creativity or interest it was like the author couldn't be bothered to story. Seriously, if you're that eager to get to the VR world, then just skip all that nonsense! If it doesn't matter enough to make it interesting, then why make your reader(s) go through it?!? Yeah, I should have seen the dnf coming from there.
Anyway, one star dnf. A potentially fun idea run aground on the shoals of the boredom archipelago. Tale as old as time, really.
February 24, 2023
As a virtual reality gamer, I was excited for the premise of this book. The protagonist Chad is charged with online bullying and has to spend a month in a new fully immersive game, playing as the game’s most despised race, Troll.
Unfortunately, the game side of the experience is only lightly explored, leaving a story that is a predictable fantasy tale. For example, the majority of characters Chad meets are NPCs. Yet their interactions are indistinguishable from human players. This makes the scenario less game like, and peculiar that Chad seems unsurprised by the level of interaction with computer characters. Equally, there’s only the most basic mention of gaming elements (levels and loot) and little discussion about how the new highly immersive environment is changing the experience. The story could be presented nearly identically to a scenario where Chad falls into a portal and wakes up a troll in a new world, with no game backstory.
Chad’s character shows little to no evolution during the game, despite the premise of teaching him empathy through playing as a hated character type. The description of female characters (in particular, the game company boss) are unpleasantly and irrelevantly sexualised. Putting a woman in a position of authority is not sufficient create a non-misogynistic book.
The writing style is also very weak: if language were a chocolate, this is an Oreo cookie.
That said, the plot was sufficiently fun that finishing the book was no hardship.
Unfortunately, the game side of the experience is only lightly explored, leaving a story that is a predictable fantasy tale. For example, the majority of characters Chad meets are NPCs. Yet their interactions are indistinguishable from human players. This makes the scenario less game like, and peculiar that Chad seems unsurprised by the level of interaction with computer characters. Equally, there’s only the most basic mention of gaming elements (levels and loot) and little discussion about how the new highly immersive environment is changing the experience. The story could be presented nearly identically to a scenario where Chad falls into a portal and wakes up a troll in a new world, with no game backstory.
Chad’s character shows little to no evolution during the game, despite the premise of teaching him empathy through playing as a hated character type. The description of female characters (in particular, the game company boss) are unpleasantly and irrelevantly sexualised. Putting a woman in a position of authority is not sufficient create a non-misogynistic book.
The writing style is also very weak: if language were a chocolate, this is an Oreo cookie.
That said, the plot was sufficiently fun that finishing the book was no hardship.
July 23, 2024
I give this book all the stars!! This is my favorite book so far this year. I didn't know I was a video game book girly, but here I am. The characters were all so much fun and had so much personality. Limery has my whole heart and reminds me so much of dobby from Harry Potter. IYKYK. The world building was fantastic, and I never felt like I was lost. I was learning the world with the main character & it worked out so good that way. It is very fast paced & high action which I enjoy. It is unlike any book I've read this year and I def recommend. I haven't been this entertained while reading a book in a long time!
May 21, 2019
I didn't much like this one. It felt as if the author couldn't decide if he was writing a fantasy, or a litRPG. He's talking about levels one moment and about how some npc will be "scarred for the rest of her life" the next...
it creates a "seriously?!" sort of feeling in me, when the hero is wondering about the history and characters as if they were real rather than a game, while he is a "pro-gamer". If this was an attempt to make us see how realistic the game was to him, it failed miserably.
The game system, story, dialogues and pretty much everything else in the book was a bit below average as far as litRPG genre goes. The only intersting idea was the premise of being forced to play as a troll for punishment. Fortunately, the book was short - otherwise, I wouldn't have finished it.
it creates a "seriously?!" sort of feeling in me, when the hero is wondering about the history and characters as if they were real rather than a game, while he is a "pro-gamer". If this was an attempt to make us see how realistic the game was to him, it failed miserably.
The game system, story, dialogues and pretty much everything else in the book was a bit below average as far as litRPG genre goes. The only intersting idea was the premise of being forced to play as a troll for punishment. Fortunately, the book was short - otherwise, I wouldn't have finished it.
December 3, 2019
2.5 stars, rounded up. Heavy on the male gaze from the beginning and it doesn't get better. So that's gross. Our hero is imprisoned for crimes of trolling, but he shows no trolling behavior in the early going, so if there was supposed to be a character arc there, it falls flat. The NPCs are distinct, but simple and one-note, which made it hard to care about them. The crunch of the game mechanics and the overall in-game plot save this story, tbh.
August 22, 2024
I can’t really describe what I like about this book. I didn’t really love the main character. The side charters were not very captivating. The world felt a touch bland. The story while kinda silly and funny feels too rushed to really have any stakes.
Yet…… I have a lot of fun reading this book haha I flew through it.
You gotta like video games and the Litrpg genre but if you do it’s a blast. The ending feels so rushed but yet I am excited to read the next one.
Yet…… I have a lot of fun reading this book haha I flew through it.
You gotta like video games and the Litrpg genre but if you do it’s a blast. The ending feels so rushed but yet I am excited to read the next one.
November 13, 2020
Entertaining
This book delivered a fun story that kept me engaged. I'd read the rest of the series for sure. Well done.
This book delivered a fun story that kept me engaged. I'd read the rest of the series for sure. Well done.
January 9, 2019
The whole idea of being punished by having to play a troll for being a troll immediately grabbed my interest and the story definitely didn’t disappoint. The world building was fairly traditional with a forest and trolls who live in there in buildings shaped by trees. But the extra attention to character development is where the story really shines. Not only do we get to watch the main character struggle with his own issues which led to his bad behavior in the first place, we get side characters with their own dreams, goals, and personalities.
The basic plot was guided by the character’s choices. At first he stumbles around like a true newbie. Then he shakes it off and starts learning the game. His first choices are made from lack of any in game knowledge and are pretty much what he’d do normally. Except he’s a troll now. That takes a bit to sink in as you might expect. But eventually he embraces his troll nature. He also begins the game taking quests for the possible reward like a typical gamer. But at the end of the story, he takes on tasks because he wants to save the troll village and his new NPC friends.
I think my only complaint was the dungeons were too short! Or maybe that’s just me lamenting the amount of trash in WoW dungeons and raids. Seriously, though, I was surprised at how few battles there were in each dungeon, especially for the amount of loot at the end.
The other thing to be aware of is that this is not as numbers in your face as other LitRPG, which I don’t mind at all. You do get the rundown of percentage health during battles and get to see the character debating over which skills to take and stats to raise after he levels up. And while some skills are pretty standard berserker class skills, the other stuff had some fun twists. I also loved the way the main character came up with interesting solutions to tough battles by using his existing skills in unusual ways.
Overall, I was quite happy with the story and didn’t feel bored at any point. I was invested in the characters and rooted for them to succeed. This was a fun romp in a new world and had a decent conclusion while still leaving plenty of open opportunities to explore in future books. I can’t wait for book 2.
The basic plot was guided by the character’s choices. At first he stumbles around like a true newbie. Then he shakes it off and starts learning the game. His first choices are made from lack of any in game knowledge and are pretty much what he’d do normally. Except he’s a troll now. That takes a bit to sink in as you might expect. But eventually he embraces his troll nature. He also begins the game taking quests for the possible reward like a typical gamer. But at the end of the story, he takes on tasks because he wants to save the troll village and his new NPC friends.
I think my only complaint was the dungeons were too short! Or maybe that’s just me lamenting the amount of trash in WoW dungeons and raids. Seriously, though, I was surprised at how few battles there were in each dungeon, especially for the amount of loot at the end.
The other thing to be aware of is that this is not as numbers in your face as other LitRPG, which I don’t mind at all. You do get the rundown of percentage health during battles and get to see the character debating over which skills to take and stats to raise after he levels up. And while some skills are pretty standard berserker class skills, the other stuff had some fun twists. I also loved the way the main character came up with interesting solutions to tough battles by using his existing skills in unusual ways.
Overall, I was quite happy with the story and didn’t feel bored at any point. I was invested in the characters and rooted for them to succeed. This was a fun romp in a new world and had a decent conclusion while still leaving plenty of open opportunities to explore in future books. I can’t wait for book 2.
November 24, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐ While I've read books that lean towards litRPG, this is my first that is firmly in that genre. It has been quite a while since I've truly gamed, but you do not need to be a gamer to enjoy this fun, light-hearted yet introspective tale. The premise is one of the MC being a troll who got in legal trouble for his verbal abuse of another gamer and thus he is sentenced to full immersion in a game as a troll for his crimes. This is mainly just used as a plot device to start the story but Chad is a likeable character from the start, so it isn't really a rehabilitation / redemption arc as you might believe. I was so drawn into the story that I would forget that it wasn't a fantasy at times. The gaming elements were thoughtfully planned out and well placed.
I received an audiobook compendium of the first 3 books in the series for free. I jumped on it because I love the combination of S. L. Rowland's writing and Eric Jason Martin's narration. I was not disappointed. My thoughts are my own.
I received an audiobook compendium of the first 3 books in the series for free. I jumped on it because I love the combination of S. L. Rowland's writing and Eric Jason Martin's narration. I was not disappointed. My thoughts are my own.
November 30, 2020
The protagonist is a young man who gets in trouble for severely trolling people during a video game stream, and instead of jail time he gets to test out a new fully immersive game but he has to play as a troll, the most hated species in said game’s world, in hopes of him seeing the error of his ways.
I’m still fairly new to the GameLit genre, only having read three different series at the point of reading this one, but already this didn’t have a lot of originality outside of the jail time aspect. There were a couple neat skills attained, but there never seemed to be any real sense of progression, just one scene after another with everything falling into place for the protagonist — sure he had obstacles, but maybe he just seemed too strong I guess, I don’t know, nothing seemed impossible, I never felt like he was in any real danger or anything.
Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not terrible, it just didn’t fully entertain me, and I didn’t relate or connect with any of the characters, so it’s just a personal thing. It was an easy and fast read, so if you’re looking to try out the genre, give it a go.
I’ll likely move along in the series at some point to see if it gets better for me.
I’m still fairly new to the GameLit genre, only having read three different series at the point of reading this one, but already this didn’t have a lot of originality outside of the jail time aspect. There were a couple neat skills attained, but there never seemed to be any real sense of progression, just one scene after another with everything falling into place for the protagonist — sure he had obstacles, but maybe he just seemed too strong I guess, I don’t know, nothing seemed impossible, I never felt like he was in any real danger or anything.
Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not terrible, it just didn’t fully entertain me, and I didn’t relate or connect with any of the characters, so it’s just a personal thing. It was an easy and fast read, so if you’re looking to try out the genre, give it a go.
I’ll likely move along in the series at some point to see if it gets better for me.
July 25, 2024
I'm not going to lie. This book was never on my radar. I'm not a gamer but I don't mind watching people play them. I was on a TT live with someone who had started reading this book. She described it as a guy who got in trouble and ended up having to go into a 30 full immersion simulation as a troll for punishment. And I thought......why not?
Jump forward, book read that night. I couldn't put it down. It's funny, its constantly moving in regards to action and it's just a fun, fast paced gamer story.
This was out of my normal genres and let me tell you, sometimes it pays off to take a leap and SL Rowland was a perfect match for me.
I recommend you read it. Seriously, don't over think it. Just try it. It's on KU so if you have that, what do you have to lose?
Jump forward, book read that night. I couldn't put it down. It's funny, its constantly moving in regards to action and it's just a fun, fast paced gamer story.
This was out of my normal genres and let me tell you, sometimes it pays off to take a leap and SL Rowland was a perfect match for me.
I recommend you read it. Seriously, don't over think it. Just try it. It's on KU so if you have that, what do you have to lose?
January 16, 2025
Incredibly badly written. As someone who absolutely devoured the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, I wanted to like this, as it was recommended to me by some DCC fans, but this book was so absolutely awful I couldn’t finish it. If I could give zero stars, I would. Who is rating this book highly? It reads like a 3rd grade picture book without the pictures to make it interesting! Simplistic, short, choppy, sentences without any attention to setting an atmosphere or creating a mood; no descriptive narrative to speak of; a poorly developed, stereotypical and deliberately unlikeable tough guy protagonist (without any interesting features to make you want to read in case there is a redemptive story arc in later books); poorly written dialogue when there was any at all…I could go on, but just the introduction was so boring I didn’t care what was going to happen, to the point of dumping this book as quickly as possible. My ninth graders could write better than this (and have!). Someone needs to either get this author an accomplished editor or suggest he go back to school and learn how to SHOW, NoT TELL the reader what he wants them to know. That’s Storytelling 101. He also needs to work on varying his sentence structure, using sensory details to create a compelling narrative, writing suspenseful scenes, and, most importantly, character development. Don’t waste your time (DCC readers, just do a reread of that series or listen to the amazing DCC audiobooks instead!).
January 25, 2023
Pretty bland, but at least it's a complete story - no cliffhanger, and an easy read.
May 16, 2023
A Fun LitRPG Adventure
This book was a great time. The main character, Chad, is totally a butthead at first, but overtime comes into his own. The adventure takes place in a ultra reality fantasy video game and it sounds like one that would be awesome to play!
Overall this was a really fun read.
Caution: This book does have some crass language here and there.
This book was a great time. The main character, Chad, is totally a butthead at first, but overtime comes into his own. The adventure takes place in a ultra reality fantasy video game and it sounds like one that would be awesome to play!
Overall this was a really fun read.
Caution: This book does have some crass language here and there.
Read
June 25, 2024Prepping for book 4!
August 10, 2025
What happens when you take a cyber bully and put them into a game where they are the one being bullied? When Chad Johnson’s toxic online persona finally catches up to him, he’s not sent to jail. Instead he is sentenced to thirty days of full-immersion therapy designed to improve his anger control. Chad’s therapy is meant to make him a nicer person online, and he’s sentenced to play as a troll because all trolls are considered killable on site by the rest of the Mythos game. To make matters more complicated, Chad becomes Chod the forest troll who is dumped into a forest with no guide, no information, and no clue what to do next.
I loved how this book started out with an MC that we could hate for his actions, then proceeded to change him into something still not perfect, but more relatable. The story starts Chad is an angry rich kid who’s parents don’t give him the time of day, no matter how popular and famous a streamer he becomes. I felt like the whole reason he was sent into the game was lost within a few chapters. Then it just became a grind for levels that was interspersed with plot points that drive the story further.
The fact that he was turned into a “monster” and was subjected to prejudices just because of his appearance made for an entertaining story, for the first part of the book. Chad becomes Chod - the first cyber bullying he had to deal with. He learns quickly, and repeatedly, that his temper is only going to get him into more trouble. Yet by the midpoint of the book, this plot line was dropped in favor of Chod levelling and fulfilling the obligations to the first trolls. I loved that the forest trolls were so fleshed out as a tribe and as individuals. I wasn’t fully invested in Chad/Chod, but I did love the side characters, especially Lemmy.
Content Warnings:
Major - Fantasy violence, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail,
Moderate - Bullying,
Minor - Emotional abuse
I loved how this book started out with an MC that we could hate for his actions, then proceeded to change him into something still not perfect, but more relatable. The story starts Chad is an angry rich kid who’s parents don’t give him the time of day, no matter how popular and famous a streamer he becomes. I felt like the whole reason he was sent into the game was lost within a few chapters. Then it just became a grind for levels that was interspersed with plot points that drive the story further.
The fact that he was turned into a “monster” and was subjected to prejudices just because of his appearance made for an entertaining story, for the first part of the book. Chad becomes Chod - the first cyber bullying he had to deal with. He learns quickly, and repeatedly, that his temper is only going to get him into more trouble. Yet by the midpoint of the book, this plot line was dropped in favor of Chod levelling and fulfilling the obligations to the first trolls. I loved that the forest trolls were so fleshed out as a tribe and as individuals. I wasn’t fully invested in Chad/Chod, but I did love the side characters, especially Lemmy.
Content Warnings:
Major - Fantasy violence, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail,
Moderate - Bullying,
Minor - Emotional abuse
August 3, 2019
The author had offered copies of the audiobook on a Facebook group and I was lucky enough to get one. I have voluntarily left this review.
Chad is a teenager, who like many has anger management issues and because of his toxic behavior, is sentenced to full-immersion therapy for 30 days in the Isle of Mythos as a Troll. Nominally, he has to fully experience what it is like to be hated. We follow Chad through a series of adventures until he finally is defending the Trolls in the city where he has settled. Throughout, he has developed relationships and commitments to NPCs and nominally matured from the experience. At the end of the story, we learn more about Chad's relationship with his parents, which got us here in the first place and help set the stage for future volumes in the series.
I was hooked right away listening to this book. The narration was excellent and the story line was easy to follow while driving. I was immediately able to get immersed in the book and the characters, and finished the book yesterday. In my opinion, Rowland made an excellent selection of a narrator, his easy accessible style made for a pleasant experience and he had a good story to tell. All told, the audiobook production was great.
I had some trouble with some of the game mechanics. Either I lost track of or missed the "horrors" which seemed to play a prominent role, but I did't understand their action. When Chad/Chod leveled up, there were additions that I didn't understand how they were applied (I'd have to go back to the book for specifics, so forgive me). Nevertheless, it doesn't detract from a very, very entertaining experience and I look forward to Sentenced to Troll 2.
Chad is a teenager, who like many has anger management issues and because of his toxic behavior, is sentenced to full-immersion therapy for 30 days in the Isle of Mythos as a Troll. Nominally, he has to fully experience what it is like to be hated. We follow Chad through a series of adventures until he finally is defending the Trolls in the city where he has settled. Throughout, he has developed relationships and commitments to NPCs and nominally matured from the experience. At the end of the story, we learn more about Chad's relationship with his parents, which got us here in the first place and help set the stage for future volumes in the series.
I was hooked right away listening to this book. The narration was excellent and the story line was easy to follow while driving. I was immediately able to get immersed in the book and the characters, and finished the book yesterday. In my opinion, Rowland made an excellent selection of a narrator, his easy accessible style made for a pleasant experience and he had a good story to tell. All told, the audiobook production was great.
I had some trouble with some of the game mechanics. Either I lost track of or missed the "horrors" which seemed to play a prominent role, but I did't understand their action. When Chad/Chod leveled up, there were additions that I didn't understand how they were applied (I'd have to go back to the book for specifics, so forgive me). Nevertheless, it doesn't detract from a very, very entertaining experience and I look forward to Sentenced to Troll 2.
April 19, 2019
Chad is an aspiring pro gamer but his short temper and bullying manner keep him from the pro teams. When he goes too far in his bullying one day, he's arrested and charged with online griefing and faces up to a year in prison. Instead, he's sentenced to a month of full immersion rehab in a new game. The catch is that he'll be playing a troll, a hated race, and will face discrimination and hatred in an effort to teach him to treat people with respect.
The author made an interesting choice to make Chad a real life internet troll who shouts racial slurs and tells his teammates to kill themselves. To a gamer audience, this is just the sort of person who embodies the worst of us and I was worried I wouldn't like Chad. But I started this book expecting a great character arc redemption and I wasn't disappointed, Chad really steps up and shows his greatness and leadership qualities.
The gaming part was detailed and necessary to the plot, and the stats weren't repeated too often. The world was immersive and one I'd love to visit myself. I love LitRPGs that create a world I'd love to live in, and this book made me wish this game existed, which is a total win in my book. The narration was really well done with different voices for each character and race type, and pulled me right into the story. I'm joining the rest of the fans eagerly waiting for book 2!
The author made an interesting choice to make Chad a real life internet troll who shouts racial slurs and tells his teammates to kill themselves. To a gamer audience, this is just the sort of person who embodies the worst of us and I was worried I wouldn't like Chad. But I started this book expecting a great character arc redemption and I wasn't disappointed, Chad really steps up and shows his greatness and leadership qualities.
The gaming part was detailed and necessary to the plot, and the stats weren't repeated too often. The world was immersive and one I'd love to visit myself. I love LitRPGs that create a world I'd love to live in, and this book made me wish this game existed, which is a total win in my book. The narration was really well done with different voices for each character and race type, and pulled me right into the story. I'm joining the rest of the fans eagerly waiting for book 2!
November 28, 2019
I picked this book up a few weeks ago when it was on sale thinking why not iv had it on my list to read for a while now but I was not in any kinda Rush to buy it or read it due solely on the simple fact that I've had not heard anything about the book or much about S.L Rowland but HOLYCRAP! I loved this book it's got lots of good battles with good attention to detail the author has amazing pacing with this book not too fast not too slow at the same time he also doesn't add unneeded Fluff. While the story is not completely unique it offers a unique way to go about progressing the story which was a welcome surprise. I loved it's the characters they were in no way the normal cookie-cutter character. I'd say by far the imp was my favorite it just makes me smile to picture A 3ft tall imp rushing to protect an 8ft tall 600 pound troll all the while screaming you shall not hurt Chaud with a giant Fireball over his head double the size of the imp itself I love the Mighty Mouse thing that he's got going on. Overall the book was really good I'm definitely looking forward to book 2 I pretty much had to buy book 2 right away it was just that good. In short, I will be watching out for new books from this amazing author.
January 8, 2023
Off to a great start
5 stars easily. Has all the things you might want action decent story good MC nice set of side characters as well. Normally I don’t like when authors have you go through some virtual reality immersion many of them. Miss the mark when it comes to a good introduction, but this story got it right. Even better they built a universe where there isn’t constant. Logging in and logging out. You actually have to be there. The action is good. The systems in the world is good not much to complain about really. I normally write a letter to the author at the end of a review, saying hey, try this out. Try that out. I won’t even do that here. I only have one minor issue and it’s the first side character the MC meets, I hate that he has such a let’s call it an accent. His mother doesn’t talk like that, so why does he? I can understand if he had a more child like Tone to his voice but this isn’t childlike really, and the only other entity like him doesn’t talk like that, so it makes no sense to me. It’s a minor gripe really minor. Other than that great story I’m going to the next book immediately.
5 stars easily. Has all the things you might want action decent story good MC nice set of side characters as well. Normally I don’t like when authors have you go through some virtual reality immersion many of them. Miss the mark when it comes to a good introduction, but this story got it right. Even better they built a universe where there isn’t constant. Logging in and logging out. You actually have to be there. The action is good. The systems in the world is good not much to complain about really. I normally write a letter to the author at the end of a review, saying hey, try this out. Try that out. I won’t even do that here. I only have one minor issue and it’s the first side character the MC meets, I hate that he has such a let’s call it an accent. His mother doesn’t talk like that, so why does he? I can understand if he had a more child like Tone to his voice but this isn’t childlike really, and the only other entity like him doesn’t talk like that, so it makes no sense to me. It’s a minor gripe really minor. Other than that great story I’m going to the next book immediately.
February 25, 2025
This was a fun read. The action is well paced, the characters are interesting and relatable, and there's a good deal of tongue-in-cheek humor woven into the immersive narrative voice. Some of the battle scenes have a lot of moving parts, but things are always headed in a clear direction, even if some of the details need an occasional second read.
My only real complaint is that the main character is sent into the game world to rehabilitate a glaring flaw. However, this flaw seems to be cured almost immediately after his arrival. It would've been nice to see him struggle with it in the game world, and then maybe learn to control it and use it to his advantage in the final confrontation.
That said, the game-world story is fairly self-contained and very entertaining. Other aspects of the player's real life come into play and enrich his experience in the game world, and his experiences there subtly comment on real-world problems. I found myself invested in the characters, and at several times reading "just one more chapter" to see if they'd survive the cliffhanger of the previous one.
My only real complaint is that the main character is sent into the game world to rehabilitate a glaring flaw. However, this flaw seems to be cured almost immediately after his arrival. It would've been nice to see him struggle with it in the game world, and then maybe learn to control it and use it to his advantage in the final confrontation.
That said, the game-world story is fairly self-contained and very entertaining. Other aspects of the player's real life come into play and enrich his experience in the game world, and his experiences there subtly comment on real-world problems. I found myself invested in the characters, and at several times reading "just one more chapter" to see if they'd survive the cliffhanger of the previous one.
April 16, 2019
The idea of an online troll being sentenced to play as the unliked race in a new game was an interesting one, but the book didn't really use it for anything beyond getting the player into the game, right from the outset he was a likeable protagonist and only developed from there and his repeated behaviour in the real world was effectively hand-waved away as him basically being lonely and misunderstood rather than anything worse.
Thankfully, this approach didn't detract from the story as both it and the main character developed quite quickly in an interesting manner, with it having the right balance for me of focusing more on the actual events over the game mechanics & stats.
The narrator's performance was a good one that helped to increase my enjoyment of the book quite a bit, his tone suited the book and he was sufficiently distinctive with the various characters too.
Overall, an enjoyable listen and I will be interested to hear more from this series in the future.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
Thankfully, this approach didn't detract from the story as both it and the main character developed quite quickly in an interesting manner, with it having the right balance for me of focusing more on the actual events over the game mechanics & stats.
The narrator's performance was a good one that helped to increase my enjoyment of the book quite a bit, his tone suited the book and he was sufficiently distinctive with the various characters too.
Overall, an enjoyable listen and I will be interested to hear more from this series in the future.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
August 12, 2019
The setup for the story is really good. I could see a full immersion VR game being used exactly for this purpose some day if it ever comes to be. Containing, punishing, and rehabilitating prisoners would be a perfect use for it.
The MC is even a non-human species for a change!
The premise isn't explored very well though. All they do is stick the criminal in the vr game to play, almost nothing is done to actually push them towards rehabilitation or punish them for miss behaving. Rowland just uses their presence more to act as convenient villains which doesn't fit the stated purpose.
Still, the plot is pretty good and it works well as a one shot. (I know there are more, but I have a feeling he's going to struggle with it since the main premises runs it's coarse in this book)
Unfortunately, the reader for this book is really really dull. His monotone droning regularly caused me to tune out and miss parts of story without even noticing. He sounds a lot like Tim Russ
reading the book as Tuvok from Voyager.
The MC is even a non-human species for a change!
The premise isn't explored very well though. All they do is stick the criminal in the vr game to play, almost nothing is done to actually push them towards rehabilitation or punish them for miss behaving. Rowland just uses their presence more to act as convenient villains which doesn't fit the stated purpose.
Still, the plot is pretty good and it works well as a one shot. (I know there are more, but I have a feeling he's going to struggle with it since the main premises runs it's coarse in this book)
Unfortunately, the reader for this book is really really dull. His monotone droning regularly caused me to tune out and miss parts of story without even noticing. He sounds a lot like Tim Russ
reading the book as Tuvok from Voyager.
August 8, 2024
A gamer with a chip on his shoulder and anger management issues acts like a troll in a competition and is sentenced to play a troll for 30 days in a fully immersive new RPG program. I loved Chad/Chod. He starts out so angry and selfish all the time, so it was awesome to see his attitude and priorities gradually change. The in-game NPCs have a great cultural and individual history, too, so felt very real.
As real as this world feels, I was reminded it was a game each time Chod pulled up his stats or had to decide on new skills whenever he leveled up. Even the NPCs seemed to know it's a game as they refer to players as the undying or heros. Undying as when they die, to return a their place of spawning and come back.
I love the ending. When I was near the end of the book, it was easy to see that Chod had completed the quests the game had set for him, but not the big one he set for himself. So I was thrilled to discover this is just the first book in a series. I will definitely be grabbing the rest of the books.
As real as this world feels, I was reminded it was a game each time Chod pulled up his stats or had to decide on new skills whenever he leveled up. Even the NPCs seemed to know it's a game as they refer to players as the undying or heros. Undying as when they die, to return a their place of spawning and come back.
I love the ending. When I was near the end of the book, it was easy to see that Chod had completed the quests the game had set for him, but not the big one he set for himself. So I was thrilled to discover this is just the first book in a series. I will definitely be grabbing the rest of the books.
March 21, 2019
Sentenced to Troll is a masterful LitRPG. Having read dozens of books in the genre, it has become exceedingly rare that I find one that becomes an instant favorite. This is as close to perfect as I could ask for. With interesting and endearing characters, Artful world building, and a unique plot, this story bring it all together to tell one entertaining tale. The writing is polished, the pacing is superb, and it is apparent that this is an author who is excellent at his craft. If you like LitRPGs that take place entirely in the game world, like the Chaos Seeds or Play to Live series than this book is not only for you, but be prepared to be pleasantly surprised with just how enjoyable this genre can be.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning- this book contains mild violence and some language.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning- this book contains mild violence and some language.
April 6, 2019
4.5 stars. This was a very enjoyable LITRPG with actual RPG elements. I think some authors have a difficult time adding RPG elements such as stats and lore to their books, but Rowland does a great job without it being cumbersome. The explanation for the full VR experience was very good and the story building goes along at a good pace. The characters are all very well done and likeable. This wasn't really a funny book, but it didn't need to be. The game elements keep it fun and enjoyable. Any gamer would enjoy this book. The narration was very good with unique voices for all characters. I have added Rowland and Eric to my list of Authors and Narrators. Look forward to listening to more from them and book 2. "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
December 17, 2024
Overall, this was a surprisingly fun read. When I first picked it up, I liked the concept of being tossed into a video game and feeling everything, as well as interactive and NPC. I’ve read from this author before and he has a fun riding style. I will say I am a bit biased because I was first introduced to him from his novel Cursed Cocktails, which had a more queer centered protagonist. Which is why I wanted to pick up this one in case there was more of that. I haven’t read the rest of this series so it’s hard to say, but this one didn’t have that. The only thing is, I did feel it was written like a gamer guy with the descriptions of the troll women’s bodies and what not which I’m sure he was channeling in his inner Chad LMFAO. I’m not afraid to continue the series, and I would recommend this to my friends.
February 11, 2025
*Sigh*
It gets better after the awkward/cringy introduction who's focus is to highlight MC's insecurities about his body, his masculinity, his family etc. None of that comes into play again. I was willing to get past that.
I was also willing to disregard MC's weird relationship with NPCs. He's simultaneously hiper aware that he is in a game but also focused on individuals and the tribe as if they were living beings. The math doesn't math. Annoying but not the first time a new author will retcon in later books to fix such problems.
What I couldn't get over is the boredom. It's boring. Things happen but I'm not invested in the least. I don't care about the MC or any other character at any point in the book. So there you have it. Just too many flaws and not enough interest. Two stars because I'm feeling nice and I've read some truly dismal stuff lately.
It gets better after the awkward/cringy introduction who's focus is to highlight MC's insecurities about his body, his masculinity, his family etc. None of that comes into play again. I was willing to get past that.
I was also willing to disregard MC's weird relationship with NPCs. He's simultaneously hiper aware that he is in a game but also focused on individuals and the tribe as if they were living beings. The math doesn't math. Annoying but not the first time a new author will retcon in later books to fix such problems.
What I couldn't get over is the boredom. It's boring. Things happen but I'm not invested in the least. I don't care about the MC or any other character at any point in the book. So there you have it. Just too many flaws and not enough interest. Two stars because I'm feeling nice and I've read some truly dismal stuff lately.
April 16, 2019
I hoped for more
Going in I believed the blurb, this would be a callus individual suffering and overcoming bullying and strife. Instead, the character is repentant at the start so no character growth. He only faces “trolling” once or twice, he mostly faces racism and social inequality via proxy as he learns the game history and the challenges associated with his character’s race. But he doesn’t face challenges based on this, he faces a player. His adventures are standard. The story is nice, but not a clever introspective twist I was expecting. And honestly towards the end I began to lose interest altogether. I won’t be continuing the series, unless growth and true conflict... anyhoo, 3 of 5; I liked it, but that’s all.
Going in I believed the blurb, this would be a callus individual suffering and overcoming bullying and strife. Instead, the character is repentant at the start so no character growth. He only faces “trolling” once or twice, he mostly faces racism and social inequality via proxy as he learns the game history and the challenges associated with his character’s race. But he doesn’t face challenges based on this, he faces a player. His adventures are standard. The story is nice, but not a clever introspective twist I was expecting. And honestly towards the end I began to lose interest altogether. I won’t be continuing the series, unless growth and true conflict... anyhoo, 3 of 5; I liked it, but that’s all.
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