What do you think?
Rate this book
An Old Man's Journey
At the end of his life, Charles was left with one question: What was it all for?
After his tour of duty and an unremarkable post-Army business career, Charles spent his twilight years watching old movies and waiting for his grandkids to call. He'd lived a good life, been a decent man, but now that his wife was gone he was... Lonely.
Until his old friend Bert introduced him to Crossroads, the new VR sensation. In this virtual world he can move without pain, explore new lands, and most importantly - see his family again. For as long as he can hold their interest, in this fast-paced modern world of instant gratification and VR thrills.
The solution: Build a place his family wants to visit. Armed only with a magic stick with game-breaking powers that should be nerfed, Charles sets out on a journey to find a place to call his own. Along the way, he will be mistaken for an NPC quest giver, become the antagonist in epic questlines, and attempt to teach the next generation proper behavior - even if he has to beat it into them.
This is the story of one man's search for belonging in his second virtual life. A search for a place to belong, and what it takes to get there. It's also a hilarious romp through online fantasy cliches that will appeal to fans of Ready Player One, The Wandering Inn, and slice-of-life comedies.
Because at the end of a man's life: What's more important than family?
After his tour of duty and an unremarkable post-Army business career, Charles spent his twilight years watching old movies and waiting for his grandkids to call. He'd lived a good life, been a decent man, but now that his wife was gone he was... Lonely.
Until his old friend Bert introduced him to Crossroads, the new VR sensation. In this virtual world he can move without pain, explore new lands, and most importantly - see his family again. For as long as he can hold their interest, in this fast-paced modern world of instant gratification and VR thrills.
The solution: Build a place his family wants to visit. Armed only with a magic stick with game-breaking powers that should be nerfed, Charles sets out on a journey to find a place to call his own. Along the way, he will be mistaken for an NPC quest giver, become the antagonist in epic questlines, and attempt to teach the next generation proper behavior - even if he has to beat it into them.
This is the story of one man's search for belonging in his second virtual life. A search for a place to belong, and what it takes to get there. It's also a hilarious romp through online fantasy cliches that will appeal to fans of Ready Player One, The Wandering Inn, and slice-of-life comedies.
Because at the end of a man's life: What's more important than family?
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2021
212 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
March 5, 2022
I listened to the audiobook version. The voice artist did a great job. I struggled to finish the book though.
I wanted to like this book. I tried hard to like this book. I failed. The problem was the main character, Charles. He is utterly unlikable. He makes decisions based on whim with no thought to the consequences. He manipulates others for his own advantage. He makes no effort to understand the world. His excuse? He is old. Ok, you can be old and not wholly disconnected with the universe.
There is also a fundamental problem with the character arc. He doesn't change or grow. He just blunders through living a charmed life while the universe changes to suit him.
On a technical level, the book is not badly written. Gregory Allanther can certainly write and the dialogue and scene setting are well written but the main character ruined the book in my opinion.
I am sorry to leave a negative review but this was not a book that I enjoyed at all. Of course, all reviews are subjective and maybe you will absolutely love this book. It wasn't for me though.
I wanted to like this book. I tried hard to like this book. I failed. The problem was the main character, Charles. He is utterly unlikable. He makes decisions based on whim with no thought to the consequences. He manipulates others for his own advantage. He makes no effort to understand the world. His excuse? He is old. Ok, you can be old and not wholly disconnected with the universe.
There is also a fundamental problem with the character arc. He doesn't change or grow. He just blunders through living a charmed life while the universe changes to suit him.
On a technical level, the book is not badly written. Gregory Allanther can certainly write and the dialogue and scene setting are well written but the main character ruined the book in my opinion.
I am sorry to leave a negative review but this was not a book that I enjoyed at all. Of course, all reviews are subjective and maybe you will absolutely love this book. It wasn't for me though.
December 13, 2021
OK...ish
I just finished this book, took me almost 3 days and for me that's quite a long time. I can't decide if I enjoyed this or not, but towards the end it got to a slog to carry on reading. It seemed like there was a good story hidden in there, but there was such a lack of details into anything other than him being old and wanting everyone to just not speak near him.
Not a story I will read again, although I might have a gander at a second if it's written, just to see of there is any improvements
I just finished this book, took me almost 3 days and for me that's quite a long time. I can't decide if I enjoyed this or not, but towards the end it got to a slog to carry on reading. It seemed like there was a good story hidden in there, but there was such a lack of details into anything other than him being old and wanting everyone to just not speak near him.
Not a story I will read again, although I might have a gander at a second if it's written, just to see of there is any improvements
November 19, 2021
KU Review
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis. I hate trying to define my enjoyment and describe facets of it that would appeal to someone else. It is simply not my style. But for the sake of those fishing for clues:
Character development: great
Game elements: minimal
Harem elements: none
Tone: maybe it’s because I’m feeling older than I am. maybe it’s because I just spent the week with my 83 year old pops, but this book really resonated. :)
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis. I hate trying to define my enjoyment and describe facets of it that would appeal to someone else. It is simply not my style. But for the sake of those fishing for clues:
Character development: great
Game elements: minimal
Harem elements: none
Tone: maybe it’s because I’m feeling older than I am. maybe it’s because I just spent the week with my 83 year old pops, but this book really resonated. :)
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
July 22, 2022
Ok, I made it about 30% and I had to throw in the towel. The writing is fine and the story is also okay, but my enjoyment is nonexistent since I dislike the MC so much. There are some moments of humor due to circumstance here and there, but not nearly enough to justify spending more time with the crotchety old man Charles as the plot continues to enable and justify his boomer attitude for the sake of humor.
He's the type of old person that makes me not like old people. If you start this book, you should have a fair idea of whether it's for you (or not) within the first 50 pages.
He's the type of old person that makes me not like old people. If you start this book, you should have a fair idea of whether it's for you (or not) within the first 50 pages.
April 5, 2022
Extremely disappointing.
I initially became aware of this novel when an author on royalroad gave it a shout-out. It had already been published here. I was sufficiently intrigued by the premise that I went ahead and gambled five bucks on buying it blind. I regret that decision.
There were two things that initially caught my interest: the old man protagonist inside a VR MMO without any gaming history or background struck me as a unique protagonist, and the equally unique goal of establishing a safe haven in the virtual space for him to spend time with his family.
Both of these hooks were mishandled. The old man protagonist, Charles, simply meanders from place to place interacting with things without understanding them. Which would be fine, if it were done well. The fish-out-of-water aspect was the draw, after all. The problem is that he never learns, grows, or adapts to his circumstances. In fact, any time he is given a chance to develop as a character we are 'treated' to the stubborn old man tuning out everyone around him and deciding to act based on an internal monologue that frequently has nothing to do with the scene he is in. In this way, Charles comes across as less of a portrayal of an elderly gentleman in over his head and as more of a cartooning parody of one whose only personality is a handful of variations on the same basic one-note joke.
As far the other draw? The unique motivation of wanting build a place to spent time with his family in his old age? It's....mostly ignored in favor of more 'comical' shenanigans. Outside of a background arc concerning his granddaughter running into a problem offline that he occasionally lets his thoughts dwell on, the family is not a actually in-focus for a significant part of the story. They show up as essentially minor background characters twice. Meanwhile, Charles makes no active efforts at the stated goal. There were two clear opportunities for Charles to start establishing a place in the game world, and both times the author swerved away in favor of more wacky old man hijinks. Look at the chaos as the bumbling old grump blindly stumbles his way into success and legendary player status! Isn't it exciting?
Essentially, I went into this story expecting something like Beware of Chicken or The Wandering Inn. A story where the outsider's perspective shakes up the status quo of expected behaviors as the protagonist builds a sense of community. Instead, I got something that tries very hard to be a comedy, but the shallowness and sheer repetitiveness of the attempted humor causes it to fail spectacularly.
It barely passes as an average attempt at being what it wants to be, and it pales in comparison to what the summary blurb convinced me it could be. Thus the review title. I am extremely disappointed.
I initially became aware of this novel when an author on royalroad gave it a shout-out. It had already been published here. I was sufficiently intrigued by the premise that I went ahead and gambled five bucks on buying it blind. I regret that decision.
There were two things that initially caught my interest: the old man protagonist inside a VR MMO without any gaming history or background struck me as a unique protagonist, and the equally unique goal of establishing a safe haven in the virtual space for him to spend time with his family.
Both of these hooks were mishandled. The old man protagonist, Charles, simply meanders from place to place interacting with things without understanding them. Which would be fine, if it were done well. The fish-out-of-water aspect was the draw, after all. The problem is that he never learns, grows, or adapts to his circumstances. In fact, any time he is given a chance to develop as a character we are 'treated' to the stubborn old man tuning out everyone around him and deciding to act based on an internal monologue that frequently has nothing to do with the scene he is in. In this way, Charles comes across as less of a portrayal of an elderly gentleman in over his head and as more of a cartooning parody of one whose only personality is a handful of variations on the same basic one-note joke.
As far the other draw? The unique motivation of wanting build a place to spent time with his family in his old age? It's....mostly ignored in favor of more 'comical' shenanigans. Outside of a background arc concerning his granddaughter running into a problem offline that he occasionally lets his thoughts dwell on, the family is not a actually in-focus for a significant part of the story. They show up as essentially minor background characters twice. Meanwhile, Charles makes no active efforts at the stated goal. There were two clear opportunities for Charles to start establishing a place in the game world, and both times the author swerved away in favor of more wacky old man hijinks. Look at the chaos as the bumbling old grump blindly stumbles his way into success and legendary player status! Isn't it exciting?
Essentially, I went into this story expecting something like Beware of Chicken or The Wandering Inn. A story where the outsider's perspective shakes up the status quo of expected behaviors as the protagonist builds a sense of community. Instead, I got something that tries very hard to be a comedy, but the shallowness and sheer repetitiveness of the attempted humor causes it to fail spectacularly.
It barely passes as an average attempt at being what it wants to be, and it pales in comparison to what the summary blurb convinced me it could be. Thus the review title. I am extremely disappointed.
October 15, 2021
Very entertaining!!
This book is perfect for people tired of reading about all the heroes and villains in LITRPG ,it made fun of the stupid harem books that are published on Kindle and all the chores that are given out and leveling!! Need more books on this character!!
This book is perfect for people tired of reading about all the heroes and villains in LITRPG ,it made fun of the stupid harem books that are published on Kindle and all the chores that are given out and leveling!! Need more books on this character!!
November 7, 2021
I really want to give it 5 stars
But the flaws are too obvious when they happen.
First, this is a very enjoyable read. If you liked “This Quest is Bull$hit!”, then this is for you.
It’s funny. Not hysterically funny, but there are so many ridiculous events you will find a giggle somewhere.
Now for the bad:
Around chapter 56 there is a full-on recap. Completely unnecessary. Pages of plot points and character backstory that you should probably know *because you just got done reading it in long form*. Any editor worth a dollar should have cut that without hesitation.
Speaking of editing, a round of copy editing wouldn’t go amiss. As you read deeper into the book the errors start to build. Even simple spelling errors show up in the latter half (‘hie’ should have been ‘he’). Not to mention attempts at $2 words (‘pension’ when it should have been ‘penchant’).
The ret-conn of the MC’s granddaughter’s issue came a bit out of left field. It should have been supported a bit better, as it felt that Bert’s revelation was abrupt.
I really enjoyed the concept. Even for all the humor, there is an underlying truth about age and family that really sings.
I *do* recommend this novel. I think it is so good the flaws are more annoying as a result. Like listening to a major orchestra play ‘Adagio for Strings’ by Barber, but one of the cellists is clearly out of tune.
But the flaws are too obvious when they happen.
First, this is a very enjoyable read. If you liked “This Quest is Bull$hit!”, then this is for you.
It’s funny. Not hysterically funny, but there are so many ridiculous events you will find a giggle somewhere.
Now for the bad:
Around chapter 56 there is a full-on recap. Completely unnecessary. Pages of plot points and character backstory that you should probably know *because you just got done reading it in long form*. Any editor worth a dollar should have cut that without hesitation.
Speaking of editing, a round of copy editing wouldn’t go amiss. As you read deeper into the book the errors start to build. Even simple spelling errors show up in the latter half (‘hie’ should have been ‘he’). Not to mention attempts at $2 words (‘pension’ when it should have been ‘penchant’).
The ret-conn of the MC’s granddaughter’s issue came a bit out of left field. It should have been supported a bit better, as it felt that Bert’s revelation was abrupt.
I really enjoyed the concept. Even for all the humor, there is an underlying truth about age and family that really sings.
I *do* recommend this novel. I think it is so good the flaws are more annoying as a result. Like listening to a major orchestra play ‘Adagio for Strings’ by Barber, but one of the cellists is clearly out of tune.
April 26, 2022
A fun read that is easily digested.
The book felt like the author changed directions after the first quarter. The tone shifted from mildly serious to satirical. An antagonist was dropped into the story out of nowhere, and we learn that the protagonist is actually 120 years old... a fact that apparently wasn't significant until then.
I suspect the author simply belted this story out in a stream of consciousness. If so, it's remarkably good. I prefer a little more internal consistency though.
The book felt like the author changed directions after the first quarter. The tone shifted from mildly serious to satirical. An antagonist was dropped into the story out of nowhere, and we learn that the protagonist is actually 120 years old... a fact that apparently wasn't significant until then.
I suspect the author simply belted this story out in a stream of consciousness. If so, it's remarkably good. I prefer a little more internal consistency though.
October 24, 2021
the guy’s senile
I am just so annoyed it’s the hero and the plot, old guy decided to game as was forced by friend. Does no research, apart from brief episodes of sanity behaves like a senile old man. Despite power level in it seems like no intelligence or wisdom was added..illogical,stupid not thinking re wolves and adventurers in dungeon despite being over level 40. Arrrrrgh!
I am just so annoyed it’s the hero and the plot, old guy decided to game as was forced by friend. Does no research, apart from brief episodes of sanity behaves like a senile old man. Despite power level in it seems like no intelligence or wisdom was added..illogical,stupid not thinking re wolves and adventurers in dungeon despite being over level 40. Arrrrrgh!
November 7, 2022
В бъдещето, разбира се, всички ще бъдем закачени за виртуалната реалност така, както сега всички са закачени за телефоните. И даже още повече, защото сега старото поколение (донякъде) е резистентно към заразата, докато след няколко десетилетия старото поколение ще са тия, дето сега са тийнейджъри, изкривили врат над телефона.
Видеоигрите пък вече от няколко години са индустрия, надхвърлила по финансов приход целия Холивуд, така че резултатът от тия два факта е близко до акъла: голяма част от населението ще прекарва дните си във виртуални видеоигри. А каква по-подходяща възраст за това от пенсионерската, когато имаш колкото искаш свободно време, не искаш/не можеш да обикаляш насам натам и парите за по-интересни забавления не стигат?
За съжаление настоящата книга е добра идея, банално изпълнение. Това е едно от ония литературни рпг-та, които се вторачват в игралната система и "игровия" елемент на разказа, като тотално пренебрегват (най-често поради младостта и неопитността в литературата на автора) всичко останало - история, образи, действие...
Видеоигрите пък вече от няколко години са индустрия, надхвърлила по финансов приход целия Холивуд, така че резултатът от тия два факта е близко до акъла: голяма част от населението ще прекарва дните си във виртуални видеоигри. А каква по-подходяща възраст за това от пенсионерската, когато имаш колкото искаш свободно време, не искаш/не можеш да обикаляш насам натам и парите за по-интересни забавления не стигат?
За съжаление настоящата книга е добра идея, банално изпълнение. Това е едно от ония литературни рпг-та, които се вторачват в игралната система и "игровия" елемент на разказа, като тотално пренебрегват (най-често поради младостта и неопитността в литературата на автора) всичко останало - история, образи, действие...
October 24, 2021
Well definitely different
If you like grumpy old men in vr games and feel like these dam kids dont shut up about the latest trending thing going then this book will have you in stitches laughing, a reflection on current society values from an elderly man and a different take on how we treat this genre, a what if instead of running around doing quests we just looked around at the beauty of the game world.
Also never argue with a woman your in a relationship with, they are always right even when they are wrong, never try to fix something that isnt broken, remember to say yes darling and beware of old people and sticks they got to that age for a reason and if we can get as old maybe we can have our own stick to teach the youngsters how to behave or a pocket full of toffees, as a great man once said some times the stick some times the sweets.
Those that read the book will get the above as sarcasm and not be woke about it.
If you like grumpy old men in vr games and feel like these dam kids dont shut up about the latest trending thing going then this book will have you in stitches laughing, a reflection on current society values from an elderly man and a different take on how we treat this genre, a what if instead of running around doing quests we just looked around at the beauty of the game world.
Also never argue with a woman your in a relationship with, they are always right even when they are wrong, never try to fix something that isnt broken, remember to say yes darling and beware of old people and sticks they got to that age for a reason and if we can get as old maybe we can have our own stick to teach the youngsters how to behave or a pocket full of toffees, as a great man once said some times the stick some times the sweets.
Those that read the book will get the above as sarcasm and not be woke about it.
May 12, 2022
old farts take heart
this was a great story about getting older. it was a great way to turn the litrpg on its head.
this was a great story about getting older. it was a great way to turn the litrpg on its head.
November 5, 2021
Hilarious to the end
Someone else made the comment that the main character has an aura of "get off my lawn" energy, and I feel that is a very good description of Charles. The ending kinda threw me a bit, but overall ended relatively how I expected it to and I'm quite satisfied with it. Well worth the read.
Someone else made the comment that the main character has an aura of "get off my lawn" energy, and I feel that is a very good description of Charles. The ending kinda threw me a bit, but overall ended relatively how I expected it to and I'm quite satisfied with it. Well worth the read.
November 2, 2021
Truly amused! ! !
Perhaps sad to say, but I really related - if only my name was Charles...
The writer must be over 60 years old. 😅. I'm way over 60!
Great adventure, It made me WANT to BE there. 😎
Perhaps sad to say, but I really related - if only my name was Charles...
The writer must be over 60 years old. 😅. I'm way over 60!
Great adventure, It made me WANT to BE there. 😎
March 23, 2022
One of the oldest men in the world, Charles, gets a phone call from his granddaughter telling him that she messed up and hangs up without any further details. A few minutes later, his friend sends over a full-immersion gaming pod and invites him to join a game online.
Charles was never a gamer but Bert sets up his starting character with several overpowered items and tells him to go do a quest or two (let this be a lesson to you kids, never give OP items to noobs!)
Charles takes a quest for taking a letter to the local adventurers guild and meets a halfling-thief player who he, unknowingly, gives a quest to. He then starts to walk out of the city (following a cup of tea) and heads towards a quiet looking shack in the woods he spotted in a topographical map in the Guild.
Charles is cantankerous, obstinate, and has an extremely low opinion of others. He constantly berates those around him and isn't really a nice person to be around... except that he somehow gains the Quest Giver skill and so is constantly sought after.
The only thing Charles cares about are his family. He doesn't care about the game, he doesn't care about the PCs around him, or the NPCs that tag along too. [At one point he beats Altwater, an NPC, after a romantic interlude she had and expelled her from the group. There was no further mention of her. What came of her? His behaviour towards her, and many others was abhorrent really.]
Halfway through this book I got fed up with Charles' lack of interest in the mechanics of the game, and the way he constantly behaved. Unfortunately, that never changed. There was no character development whatsoever. In fact, Charles took the violence he learned in the game and repeated it in the real world (without any real repercussions).
Basically, I didn't like the main character as he constantly whined and moaned and had little to redeem him. I stopped caring about him or his boring back story (family don't want to see him, former wife had him under the thumb, has no interests, reflects on his past life which was unremarkable at best).
The writing of this book started out OK but as it neared the final 3rd of the book more and more grammatical errors were apparent; felt like the author just want to hurry up and finish it. The prose wasn't particularly great and the main character was neither pleasant to spend time with or to watch as he never learned to partake in the game (he had no interest in the game).
There were a number of characters that may have been interesting to follow but Charles just became unbearable. He was the type of person, throughout his life, who had things happen to him but he never once instigated anything. He never strived to improve himself. He never was interested in life at all, be that in the real world or in the game. Even the ending of the book felt "meh" to me too.
I just feel like this book could have been an interesting story following an elderly nan on a new journey one final adventure, but that never happened. So much opportunity was lost on this one.
Found it lacking - 2 stars
Charles was never a gamer but Bert sets up his starting character with several overpowered items and tells him to go do a quest or two (let this be a lesson to you kids, never give OP items to noobs!)
Charles takes a quest for taking a letter to the local adventurers guild and meets a halfling-thief player who he, unknowingly, gives a quest to. He then starts to walk out of the city (following a cup of tea) and heads towards a quiet looking shack in the woods he spotted in a topographical map in the Guild.
Charles is cantankerous, obstinate, and has an extremely low opinion of others. He constantly berates those around him and isn't really a nice person to be around... except that he somehow gains the Quest Giver skill and so is constantly sought after.
The only thing Charles cares about are his family. He doesn't care about the game, he doesn't care about the PCs around him, or the NPCs that tag along too. [At one point he beats Altwater, an NPC, after a romantic interlude she had and expelled her from the group. There was no further mention of her. What came of her? His behaviour towards her, and many others was abhorrent really.]
Halfway through this book I got fed up with Charles' lack of interest in the mechanics of the game, and the way he constantly behaved. Unfortunately, that never changed. There was no character development whatsoever. In fact, Charles took the violence he learned in the game and repeated it in the real world (without any real repercussions).
Basically, I didn't like the main character as he constantly whined and moaned and had little to redeem him. I stopped caring about him or his boring back story (family don't want to see him, former wife had him under the thumb, has no interests, reflects on his past life which was unremarkable at best).
The writing of this book started out OK but as it neared the final 3rd of the book more and more grammatical errors were apparent; felt like the author just want to hurry up and finish it. The prose wasn't particularly great and the main character was neither pleasant to spend time with or to watch as he never learned to partake in the game (he had no interest in the game).
There were a number of characters that may have been interesting to follow but Charles just became unbearable. He was the type of person, throughout his life, who had things happen to him but he never once instigated anything. He never strived to improve himself. He never was interested in life at all, be that in the real world or in the game. Even the ending of the book felt "meh" to me too.
I just feel like this book could have been an interesting story following an elderly nan on a new journey one final adventure, but that never happened. So much opportunity was lost on this one.
Found it lacking - 2 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2021
Unique Story
This story of the oldest man going into a gaming world and not caring one bit about the game. Players think he is a NPC as he starts giving out quest, when really he’s just trying to get them to leave him alone. This story made me feel really old and carefree.
This story of the oldest man going into a gaming world and not caring one bit about the game. Players think he is a NPC as he starts giving out quest, when really he’s just trying to get them to leave him alone. This story made me feel really old and carefree.
November 1, 2021
When you write a slice-of-life book, this is what you're going for.
There is very little point and a rather random direction, but the day to day is absolutely brilliant. The character chemistry is perfect. The whole thing reminds me of playing a game late at night, and suddenly you see light as the sun comes up. And you have no idea where the entire night went. That is what you want, that is just good writing.
There is very little point and a rather random direction, but the day to day is absolutely brilliant. The character chemistry is perfect. The whole thing reminds me of playing a game late at night, and suddenly you see light as the sun comes up. And you have no idea where the entire night went. That is what you want, that is just good writing.
March 16, 2022
Book one?
Mistakes: The back half of the book was riddled with mistakes. Seriously it’s I’m going to pet the cat. I’m petting the cat. And he petted the cat’s head. Those are some examples that the author just used pet for all situations.
Plot: One very grumpy old man’s adventures in V.R. Lots of laughs to be had.
Characters: I them all to be great fun and really enjoyed traveling with them.
8/10 I’d read a book two.
Mistakes: The back half of the book was riddled with mistakes. Seriously it’s I’m going to pet the cat. I’m petting the cat. And he petted the cat’s head. Those are some examples that the author just used pet for all situations.
Plot: One very grumpy old man’s adventures in V.R. Lots of laughs to be had.
Characters: I them all to be great fun and really enjoyed traveling with them.
8/10 I’d read a book two.
February 13, 2022
Get Off My Lawn
Charlie is home alone again (not like the movie). He is watching movies but they just don’t make them like they used to. On top of that, they remakes they do are worse than the originals. He gets a call from one of his few remaining friends, Bert. Bert tries to get him to play a VR game with him. He turns him down again. Bert tells him too bad, I ordered the rig and it’s being delivered today. On top of that, your family can call you in game and come visit you there as well.
Charles gets a call from his granddaughter and she is obviously upset, but she doesn’t want to talk about. So he tells her that he will listen when she is ready to talk. After stewing about what he will do to someone who hurt his granddaughter, he decides to blow off steam in the game.
He decides to set himself up as human, same weight and height. But he doesn’t have patience for the a lot of the questions and settings so he lets the game default based on his personality. He ends up floating over land, wars and adventurers finding treasure to arrive in a small kingdom that is predominantly human but is accepting of others. Helios is a back water country. Bert reaches out to Charles and tells him he will be there shortly. Bert gives him a bunch of unique soul bound items (so that no one can steal them even if he dies). People just annoy him and he wants to be left alone, this leads to him be given the skill quest giver and this leads to people following him asking for quests.
Charlie is home alone again (not like the movie). He is watching movies but they just don’t make them like they used to. On top of that, they remakes they do are worse than the originals. He gets a call from one of his few remaining friends, Bert. Bert tries to get him to play a VR game with him. He turns him down again. Bert tells him too bad, I ordered the rig and it’s being delivered today. On top of that, your family can call you in game and come visit you there as well.
Charles gets a call from his granddaughter and she is obviously upset, but she doesn’t want to talk about. So he tells her that he will listen when she is ready to talk. After stewing about what he will do to someone who hurt his granddaughter, he decides to blow off steam in the game.
He decides to set himself up as human, same weight and height. But he doesn’t have patience for the a lot of the questions and settings so he lets the game default based on his personality. He ends up floating over land, wars and adventurers finding treasure to arrive in a small kingdom that is predominantly human but is accepting of others. Helios is a back water country. Bert reaches out to Charles and tells him he will be there shortly. Bert gives him a bunch of unique soul bound items (so that no one can steal them even if he dies). People just annoy him and he wants to be left alone, this leads to him be given the skill quest giver and this leads to people following him asking for quests.
February 15, 2022
What an interesting study of aging... This was certainly not the book I expected when I picked it up! I expected it to be like John Scalzi's book Old Man's War but with a Fantasy LitRPG feel, where even though the protagonists in both books were really old when they joined-up/logged-in they would under go a transformation. This is not what happened!
What we got was a grumpy old coot who only logged in because a friend asked him to. For him it seemed like the lesser of a couple of evils, as he could re-watch a show, go to bed, or try something new! Knowing that it would prolly be another time waster. And yeah, he was right after logging in he was immediately bored. Not bothering with or understanding the instructions, he let the game pretty much build his character, a character that reflected him as an old man! (A cranky old man, who initially I didn't like.) He determined that he wouldn't be pushed around by a game, nope he was way to old for that nonsense so instead gamed the system, and kinda sorta broke it. He made it work for him while he went about the business of finding and building a good home so his grandkids could come and play because for him it was all about family!
Once I dropped my expectations that he'd guit being, well old and grumpy, that was the turning point for me, whereupon I discovered that I could enjoy the book!
And as for Michael Kramer voice performance, I wouldn't have it any other way! It was right for the character!
What we got was a grumpy old coot who only logged in because a friend asked him to. For him it seemed like the lesser of a couple of evils, as he could re-watch a show, go to bed, or try something new! Knowing that it would prolly be another time waster. And yeah, he was right after logging in he was immediately bored. Not bothering with or understanding the instructions, he let the game pretty much build his character, a character that reflected him as an old man! (A cranky old man, who initially I didn't like.) He determined that he wouldn't be pushed around by a game, nope he was way to old for that nonsense so instead gamed the system, and kinda sorta broke it. He made it work for him while he went about the business of finding and building a good home so his grandkids could come and play because for him it was all about family!
Once I dropped my expectations that he'd guit being, well old and grumpy, that was the turning point for me, whereupon I discovered that I could enjoy the book!
And as for Michael Kramer voice performance, I wouldn't have it any other way! It was right for the character!
January 28, 2023
Rating 2.0 stars - DNF
This whole book is basically an old guy telling kids to "Get off my lawn". An old man is missing his grandchildren. Hasn't seen them in a long time. His best friend is super rich and sets him up to play an online game immersion type game. Before he goes in the game his granddaughter calls and tells him something is wrong but won't tell him what. He goes into the game to get his mind off of things. His best friend finds him and gives him a bunch of OP equipment. Going along with the "get off my lawn" mentality, Charles keeps his character to look exactly the same as he does in the real world. An old man. He can't be bothered to pick his class, pick his skills, pick his stats. He just wants to be left alone. He keeps going on and on about how he can't wait to see his kids and grandkids. How lonely he has become, but he gets annoyed when anyone wants to talk to him. He is confused with an NPC and starts giving out quests to people. He does this without any thought or foresight. I made it about halfway through the story when I realized nothing was going to change. Charles was never going to have any growth as a character. The world was going to change around him. The jokes were a little funny at first but then it just became sad. Charles was kind of an asshole. No wonder his kids and grandkids didn't want to be around him. This just wasn't an enjoyable read.
This whole book is basically an old guy telling kids to "Get off my lawn". An old man is missing his grandchildren. Hasn't seen them in a long time. His best friend is super rich and sets him up to play an online game immersion type game. Before he goes in the game his granddaughter calls and tells him something is wrong but won't tell him what. He goes into the game to get his mind off of things. His best friend finds him and gives him a bunch of OP equipment. Going along with the "get off my lawn" mentality, Charles keeps his character to look exactly the same as he does in the real world. An old man. He can't be bothered to pick his class, pick his skills, pick his stats. He just wants to be left alone. He keeps going on and on about how he can't wait to see his kids and grandkids. How lonely he has become, but he gets annoyed when anyone wants to talk to him. He is confused with an NPC and starts giving out quests to people. He does this without any thought or foresight. I made it about halfway through the story when I realized nothing was going to change. Charles was never going to have any growth as a character. The world was going to change around him. The jokes were a little funny at first but then it just became sad. Charles was kind of an asshole. No wonder his kids and grandkids didn't want to be around him. This just wasn't an enjoyable read.
November 11, 2021
Lovely funny story
Although there are a few moments when you aren't quite sure if what you know from reading Charles' prompts are things he knows after all, you eventually catch on that he probably didn't read any of it. It he is just doing his old man act again. He is delightful, curmudgeonly and generally a fun character to read about. The game has some interesting quirks to it with the quests and styles it degenerates per player. Harem Destroyer!
The outer various characters around Charles make this a fun and entertaining read as they grow and change from experiencing his journey. Lovely book by with a happy ending. I would love to hear more from Charles but can't see how it could be done ... Maybe something in the same world? Either way I loved this book and really recommend it to others x
Although there are a few moments when you aren't quite sure if what you know from reading Charles' prompts are things he knows after all, you eventually catch on that he probably didn't read any of it. It he is just doing his old man act again. He is delightful, curmudgeonly and generally a fun character to read about. The game has some interesting quirks to it with the quests and styles it degenerates per player. Harem Destroyer!
The outer various characters around Charles make this a fun and entertaining read as they grow and change from experiencing his journey. Lovely book by with a happy ending. I would love to hear more from Charles but can't see how it could be done ... Maybe something in the same world? Either way I loved this book and really recommend it to others x
March 14, 2024
I quite enjoyed this book, I've seen other people complain about the character and his lack of growth and development which is true but I feel like that's kind of the point? He is a grumpy old man who wants to spend time with his grandkids, he isn't looking to play a hero or have a "new" life just wants to see his kids and grandkids more. He doesn't care about the game or how to play it, and likes to mess with the young people playing the game.
There are parts that you can tell the story shifted but I don't think it detracted from the overall feel of the story. If you are looking for a story of a hero, leveling and outplaying everyone this book is not for you. If you want to hear a grumpy old man telling a bunch of gamers to basically "get off his lawn" while also giving them ridiculous quests while pretending to be an NPC give this a shot.
There are parts that you can tell the story shifted but I don't think it detracted from the overall feel of the story. If you are looking for a story of a hero, leveling and outplaying everyone this book is not for you. If you want to hear a grumpy old man telling a bunch of gamers to basically "get off his lawn" while also giving them ridiculous quests while pretending to be an NPC give this a shot.
February 27, 2022
This was quite different for a LITRPG book. It was lighter than most, and often humorous. I thought the idea of an old man wandering in a game environment was a totally unique idea. And what a grumpy man Charles can be!
If you’re ready for a break from all the blood and gore contained in most LIRPG, then this is the book for you. That isn’t to say there’s no action or adventure… or fighting, killing, and maiming.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a terrific job voicing the characters. He also kept a good pace and had the right intonation for what was taking place during the tale.
I received a copy of this from the publisher and freely offer my unbiased review of it.
If you’re ready for a break from all the blood and gore contained in most LIRPG, then this is the book for you. That isn’t to say there’s no action or adventure… or fighting, killing, and maiming.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a terrific job voicing the characters. He also kept a good pace and had the right intonation for what was taking place during the tale.
I received a copy of this from the publisher and freely offer my unbiased review of it.
October 18, 2021
Your typical litrpg with a slight twist
Pretty decent for a Litrpg. I was a bit disappointed that it followed the usual overpowered protagonist trope, even if his motives and goals are different than most.
Harem trope mocking also went a bit overboard, to the point where it was almost as bad as reading an actual harem story.
What the story did well was capture the story of a grumpy, lonely, old man near the end of his life who is given a 2nd chance of sorts at spending some quality time with his family.
The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were especially enjoyable.
Pretty decent for a Litrpg. I was a bit disappointed that it followed the usual overpowered protagonist trope, even if his motives and goals are different than most.
Harem trope mocking also went a bit overboard, to the point where it was almost as bad as reading an actual harem story.
What the story did well was capture the story of a grumpy, lonely, old man near the end of his life who is given a 2nd chance of sorts at spending some quality time with his family.
The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were especially enjoyable.
February 24, 2022
fun
The premises that the MC is in it is as old as dirt and joins the game to take his mind off some family issues. Rather than being in the game as a young healthy warrior or other PC he decides he wants to live a quiet life. The game has other things in mind and begin sending people his way because he keeps accidentally giving better and better quests. In the end he gathers enough points that he has to move onto the next region.
The story is awesome and hilarious and downright silly. The main character can be kind of an annoyance as he plays the old age card. So funny. I truly enjoyed this rate and I hope you will too.
The premises that the MC is in it is as old as dirt and joins the game to take his mind off some family issues. Rather than being in the game as a young healthy warrior or other PC he decides he wants to live a quiet life. The game has other things in mind and begin sending people his way because he keeps accidentally giving better and better quests. In the end he gathers enough points that he has to move onto the next region.
The story is awesome and hilarious and downright silly. The main character can be kind of an annoyance as he plays the old age card. So funny. I truly enjoyed this rate and I hope you will too.
June 15, 2024
Audio: 5 Stars
Story: Torn about this one. It has some fun moments but others make the MC sound like an idiot instead. I mean, the Dungeon part was ridiculous, even non-players know about Dungeons and what they are. Also he is so negative and grumpy that it gets a bit painful to feel any care for the MC. Maybe that is why the family don't care to call him? Who needs additional stress and negativity in their life. Therefore, it is well written but the MC is unlikable. It is not a total waste, but not as good as I thought is would be when I began the book. Onto my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
Story: Torn about this one. It has some fun moments but others make the MC sound like an idiot instead. I mean, the Dungeon part was ridiculous, even non-players know about Dungeons and what they are. Also he is so negative and grumpy that it gets a bit painful to feel any care for the MC. Maybe that is why the family don't care to call him? Who needs additional stress and negativity in their life. Therefore, it is well written but the MC is unlikable. It is not a total waste, but not as good as I thought is would be when I began the book. Onto my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
January 17, 2022
Fantastic New Series!
This book reminds me of He who Fights With Monsters, Old Mans War, & Limitless Lands. All of which I enjoyed immensely.
Editing is great & the writing is engrossing. Although I must say, there’s really not much LIT or RPG here…. But it’s the setting of the plot & there’s a lot of room in the plot for that to pick up in book 2.
I really loved the beginning anecdotes on each chapter. As a father & husband I must say, there’s some great kernels of wisdom here & some funny tongue in cheek visions of future.
This book reminds me of He who Fights With Monsters, Old Mans War, & Limitless Lands. All of which I enjoyed immensely.
Editing is great & the writing is engrossing. Although I must say, there’s really not much LIT or RPG here…. But it’s the setting of the plot & there’s a lot of room in the plot for that to pick up in book 2.
I really loved the beginning anecdotes on each chapter. As a father & husband I must say, there’s some great kernels of wisdom here & some funny tongue in cheek visions of future.
January 17, 2022
Harem Slayer!?!?
So this was awesome! So refreshing and different. I loved every minute of it. I mean he earns the title of harem slayer and masters the mythic daos of death and taxes. How could the book not be epic!
I did find it a little sad that the whole book revolves around the MC hoping his kids and grandkids would visit. Despite it being a little bittersweet it didn’t detract from the story and made the MC even more endearing. I just kept waiting and hoping for him to say “Get off my lawn!”.
So this was awesome! So refreshing and different. I loved every minute of it. I mean he earns the title of harem slayer and masters the mythic daos of death and taxes. How could the book not be epic!
I did find it a little sad that the whole book revolves around the MC hoping his kids and grandkids would visit. Despite it being a little bittersweet it didn’t detract from the story and made the MC even more endearing. I just kept waiting and hoping for him to say “Get off my lawn!”.
October 6, 2021
Old Man has Aura of Lawn (Get Off!)
Feel good story, light on the LitRPG elements, which makes sense with the tone and narrative.
Good length, doesn't overstay its welcome or leave an glaring opening for a sequel, which it is nice to have a 1 book story in the LitRPG/VRMMO genre.
Easy to make positive comparisons between Charles and the protagonist in Gregory Allanther's Wizard Tower series, so fans of one should read the other.
Feel good story, light on the LitRPG elements, which makes sense with the tone and narrative.
Good length, doesn't overstay its welcome or leave an glaring opening for a sequel, which it is nice to have a 1 book story in the LitRPG/VRMMO genre.
Easy to make positive comparisons between Charles and the protagonist in Gregory Allanther's Wizard Tower series, so fans of one should read the other.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews