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The Grand Game #2
Way of the Wolf
New Powers and Old. A conflict millennia in the brewing. And at the center of it: one man.
Michael has escaped the clutches of the Dark, if only temporarily. Surfacing in the world above, he finds matters no less complex than down below and survival as challenging as it had been in the dungeon.
Is the harder path the one you must forge on your own?
Many want Michael as their ally. Yet more want him dead, and the Dark is not done with him either. Can he find a way to navigate the treacherous waters of the Game and uncover the mysteries about himself?
Or will Michael bend to Powers greater than him?
Follow him on his epic journey of discovery and find out!
Michael has escaped the clutches of the Dark, if only temporarily. Surfacing in the world above, he finds matters no less complex than down below and survival as challenging as it had been in the dungeon.
Is the harder path the one you must forge on your own?
Many want Michael as their ally. Yet more want him dead, and the Dark is not done with him either. Can he find a way to navigate the treacherous waters of the Game and uncover the mysteries about himself?
Or will Michael bend to Powers greater than him?
Follow him on his epic journey of discovery and find out!
579 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2022
1062 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Tom Elliot
21 books334 followers"Tom Elliot's writing is like his hero: it never quits." - Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Daniels series.
Wander through epic worlds of dungeons, dragons, and magic created by fantasy author, Tom Elliot.
Reader. Gamer. Writer. That’s me :).
I enjoy creating worlds for readers to explore, and of course, amazing magic for my characters to wield!
In June 2021, I released my debut novel, The Grand Game. It follows the adventures of Michael, an assassin with a ‘wolven’ heritage and is told from the first-person perspective. Step by step, we watch as Michael grows from a lowly level 1 noob to… well, you’ll see soon enough.
Between my day job and family, I indulge in my passion for writing, reading and gaming. I favour CRPGs and turn-based strategy games, and epic fantasy novels.
You can support my writing on: PATREON, and follow me on social media through: Goodreads, Facebook, or Twitter.
Still writing,
Tom.
Wander through epic worlds of dungeons, dragons, and magic created by fantasy author, Tom Elliot.
Reader. Gamer. Writer. That’s me :).
I enjoy creating worlds for readers to explore, and of course, amazing magic for my characters to wield!
In June 2021, I released my debut novel, The Grand Game. It follows the adventures of Michael, an assassin with a ‘wolven’ heritage and is told from the first-person perspective. Step by step, we watch as Michael grows from a lowly level 1 noob to… well, you’ll see soon enough.
Between my day job and family, I indulge in my passion for writing, reading and gaming. I favour CRPGs and turn-based strategy games, and epic fantasy novels.
You can support my writing on: PATREON, and follow me on social media through: Goodreads, Facebook, or Twitter.
Still writing,
Tom.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
September 22, 2024
A compelling and direct continuation of The Grand Game which sees our player, Michael, come into himself as a person and following the path of the Wolf. Excellent writing, engaging plotline and all round page turning fun. Recommended for LitRPG enthusiasts.
2023 Read
2023 Read
April 22, 2023
This is second in a series that tightly ties plot, character, and story developments together. Read in order.
This book is largely a continuation of the first. Indeed, since Michael sent the best allies he had down a different portal, he's just as alone in this story as he was in the first. The entire "sector" is populated by his enemies. And goblins. Who are also his enemies.
Okay, that isn't actually true. His dire wolf friends are also stationed there and I loved, more than a little, everything to do with their interactions. And yes, even though Michael functioned mostly as the lone wolf rather than an integral part of the pack. I still loved it.
And I liked his Mark of the Wolf developments, especially how that affected his relationship with Light/Dark/Shadow. Very cool and the trials to develop his Wolf heritage weren't bad, either.
But my favorite part is his determination to take on whatever odds he needs to in order to succeed in protecting the pack and doing his enemies the nasty. I love how he breaks down their advantages and turns them on their heads. I love his quiet stalking and careful ambushes. And I liked how he'd use one powerful enemy to mess with another by turning them on each other. Yes, he played his own games of deception and carefully screwed over those who want to use him for their own purposes. And yes, he is definitely in the gray zone morally in many cases. I don't agree with all of his choices by any measure. But I was fully engaged throughout and more than willing to be with him on his journey.
Which adds up to a five-star read on my part for fulfilling my expectations and extending the story in interesting ways. In particular, in ways I'm still eager to see what happens in the next book.
A note about Chaste: There's no hint of romantic activity. Or merely carnal activity for that matter. Michael is in an extremely low-trust environment, so there's zero room for shenanigans. So this is extremely chaste.
This book is largely a continuation of the first. Indeed, since Michael sent the best allies he had down a different portal, he's just as alone in this story as he was in the first. The entire "sector" is populated by his enemies. And goblins. Who are also his enemies.
Okay, that isn't actually true. His dire wolf friends are also stationed there and I loved, more than a little, everything to do with their interactions. And yes, even though Michael functioned mostly as the lone wolf rather than an integral part of the pack. I still loved it.
And I liked his Mark of the Wolf developments, especially how that affected his relationship with Light/Dark/Shadow. Very cool and the trials to develop his Wolf heritage weren't bad, either.
But my favorite part is his determination to take on whatever odds he needs to in order to succeed in protecting the pack and doing his enemies the nasty. I love how he breaks down their advantages and turns them on their heads. I love his quiet stalking and careful ambushes. And I liked how he'd use one powerful enemy to mess with another by turning them on each other. Yes, he played his own games of deception and carefully screwed over those who want to use him for their own purposes. And yes, he is definitely in the gray zone morally in many cases. I don't agree with all of his choices by any measure. But I was fully engaged throughout and more than willing to be with him on his journey.
Which adds up to a five-star read on my part for fulfilling my expectations and extending the story in interesting ways. In particular, in ways I'm still eager to see what happens in the next book.
A note about Chaste: There's no hint of romantic activity. Or merely carnal activity for that matter. Michael is in an extremely low-trust environment, so there's zero room for shenanigans. So this is extremely chaste.
April 16, 2022
I wasn't real high on Book 1, but felt like things could go either way with the next book. I had some Amazon credits that were going to expire, so I gave this a shot and I guess I'm glad I only spent credits and not 7 real dollars.
I made it about 30% in before giving up. I'm completely bored. All the characters are generic, boring, and moronic. There are a lot of action scenes that are extremely boring since all the characters/creatures involved are generic, boring, and moronic.
From what I can remember of the 1st book, it seems like the writing has improved a bit, but unfortunately, nothing else did.
I made it about 30% in before giving up. I'm completely bored. All the characters are generic, boring, and moronic. There are a lot of action scenes that are extremely boring since all the characters/creatures involved are generic, boring, and moronic.
From what I can remember of the 1st book, it seems like the writing has improved a bit, but unfortunately, nothing else did.
November 27, 2022
Murder hobo
Basically, he kills everyone. It would great if the story had some character development or interpersonal relationships. He doesn’t know or like anyone. All relationships are fleeting, so in the end… who cares. No characters or villains you can identify with… just a gamer murdering things.
Basically, he kills everyone. It would great if the story had some character development or interpersonal relationships. He doesn’t know or like anyone. All relationships are fleeting, so in the end… who cares. No characters or villains you can identify with… just a gamer murdering things.
July 1, 2023
I did not enjoy this book for multiple reasons, so this will be a pretty long review. Sorry in advance.
First off, I liked most of the worldbuilding and the system. There's nothing really that innovative or surprising in them, but it's solid.
I'm also generally happy with MC and most of his choices. It's nice to see a character who's pragmatic and selfish, while also balancing it out with fairness to those who helped them. Also, I like main characters who chase immortality and power for its own sake, so I didn't have an issue with MCs lack of motivation.
Now for the reasons I DNF'd this, and won't continue with the next ones.
It wasn't a single unbearable thing I just couldn't stomach (like with my archenemy, Art of the Adept 2), but more of a lot of irritations coming together.
The pacing is ok, and the writing overall did improved a bit since book 1, but not a lot. It's still pretty amateurish, and the dialogue still feels unnatural at times.
My primary irritation was with plot armor tho. As my Dungeon Master likes to remind us during D&D sessions, anything the main character has access to is available for all the enemies as well. So if you get 1 ability point per level in this system, and this is true for enemies as well, then there has to be a believable explanation for why a level 60 person loses to a level 30 one. They have way stronger stats, more slots for abilities and skills and spent more class upgrade points. This can be waved away sometime with saying "MC has stealth, their enemies' strengths didn't come into play, since they were assassinated", but multiple times MC fights open battles with full warriors twice his level. How can someone who ignores thr strength stat parry and block people who have been investing in it heavily? If MC has 7 different abilities and incredibly graceful movements with only 15 dexterity, then why do most of his fighter enemies only run around at normal pace and swing their weapons like non-gameworld medieval peasants? Where are all those piercing/crippling/disarming strikes? Those were supposed to be "basic" abilities. The answer is: because if the enemies weren't crippled beyond belief by the author, MC wouldn't stand a chance. It feels like the author only gave the MC and his main named opponents access to the system, and disregards anything MC doesn't invest in as irrelevant. It was irritating, and it caused me to suspend my suspension of disbelief.
My second main irritation was with how Warhammer 40k Space Wolf these books sound. There are multiple points where I felt like "The main motivation behind writing that sentence was to sound cool.", and it just doesn't work. At one point there are paragraphs like "You are a Scion of House Wolf so following the Way of the Wolf, you can become Prime Wolf!". I know, I should have expected this from the titles in the series alone (Way of the Wolf, House Wolf, Void Wolf of the Wolfy Wolf), but I guess I was naive.
Overall I'd say the series had some nice ideas, but the execution was just not good enough :/
First off, I liked most of the worldbuilding and the system. There's nothing really that innovative or surprising in them, but it's solid.
I'm also generally happy with MC and most of his choices. It's nice to see a character who's pragmatic and selfish, while also balancing it out with fairness to those who helped them. Also, I like main characters who chase immortality and power for its own sake, so I didn't have an issue with MCs lack of motivation.
Now for the reasons I DNF'd this, and won't continue with the next ones.
It wasn't a single unbearable thing I just couldn't stomach (like with my archenemy, Art of the Adept 2), but more of a lot of irritations coming together.
The pacing is ok, and the writing overall did improved a bit since book 1, but not a lot. It's still pretty amateurish, and the dialogue still feels unnatural at times.
My primary irritation was with plot armor tho. As my Dungeon Master likes to remind us during D&D sessions, anything the main character has access to is available for all the enemies as well. So if you get 1 ability point per level in this system, and this is true for enemies as well, then there has to be a believable explanation for why a level 60 person loses to a level 30 one. They have way stronger stats, more slots for abilities and skills and spent more class upgrade points. This can be waved away sometime with saying "MC has stealth, their enemies' strengths didn't come into play, since they were assassinated", but multiple times MC fights open battles with full warriors twice his level. How can someone who ignores thr strength stat parry and block people who have been investing in it heavily? If MC has 7 different abilities and incredibly graceful movements with only 15 dexterity, then why do most of his fighter enemies only run around at normal pace and swing their weapons like non-gameworld medieval peasants? Where are all those piercing/crippling/disarming strikes? Those were supposed to be "basic" abilities. The answer is: because if the enemies weren't crippled beyond belief by the author, MC wouldn't stand a chance. It feels like the author only gave the MC and his main named opponents access to the system, and disregards anything MC doesn't invest in as irrelevant. It was irritating, and it caused me to suspend my suspension of disbelief.
My second main irritation was with how Warhammer 40k Space Wolf these books sound. There are multiple points where I felt like "The main motivation behind writing that sentence was to sound cool.", and it just doesn't work. At one point there are paragraphs like "You are a Scion of House Wolf so following the Way of the Wolf, you can become Prime Wolf!". I know, I should have expected this from the titles in the series alone (Way of the Wolf, House Wolf, Void Wolf of the Wolfy Wolf), but I guess I was naive.
Overall I'd say the series had some nice ideas, but the execution was just not good enough :/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2022
Rating 4.0 stars
I liked the book but there were still problems. Things that I was sort of okay with in the first book because of the setup but then continued in this book. Micheal gets out of the dungeon to freedom and then ....... pretty much winds up in almost the same situation. The whole area he is in is controlled by the enemy and he has no way out. He only has a week with his non aggression treaty with the master. That doesn't mean he can't use his allies to go after Michael. The spider power places a 1000 gold bounty on his head. That seems a little over the top for a brand new player whose only guilty of staying alive. Yes he killed her minions but that was because they were trying to kill him. They can't possibly react that badly every time someone accidentally messes up her plans. Another issue is that he just got to this world and has to make irrevocable decisions about the rest of his life with little to no information. Should he chose the dark, shadow or light? If the system is all about choice how about more than a couple days to decide. Also how is it a choice if the alternative is death? The last thing that was annoying to me were the odds. Michael was tasked to do things that seemed impossible in such a short period of time. In the moment his plans seemed okay, but somehow miraculously everything short term plan he came up with also ended up solving his long term problems. This goes back to him having to make plans with little or no information. Where is this going even. He doesn't have any friends. Other players have factions and probably have friends but what does Michael have? I know he is fighting to survive but what are the long term plans? More power. What for? Just so he can survive. There has to be more to a story than that. It is interesting in the short term but long term it can get kind of boring if there isn't anything else to look forward to.
I liked the book but there were still problems. Things that I was sort of okay with in the first book because of the setup but then continued in this book. Micheal gets out of the dungeon to freedom and then ....... pretty much winds up in almost the same situation. The whole area he is in is controlled by the enemy and he has no way out. He only has a week with his non aggression treaty with the master. That doesn't mean he can't use his allies to go after Michael. The spider power places a 1000 gold bounty on his head. That seems a little over the top for a brand new player whose only guilty of staying alive. Yes he killed her minions but that was because they were trying to kill him. They can't possibly react that badly every time someone accidentally messes up her plans. Another issue is that he just got to this world and has to make irrevocable decisions about the rest of his life with little to no information. Should he chose the dark, shadow or light? If the system is all about choice how about more than a couple days to decide. Also how is it a choice if the alternative is death? The last thing that was annoying to me were the odds. Michael was tasked to do things that seemed impossible in such a short period of time. In the moment his plans seemed okay, but somehow miraculously everything short term plan he came up with also ended up solving his long term problems. This goes back to him having to make plans with little or no information. Where is this going even. He doesn't have any friends. Other players have factions and probably have friends but what does Michael have? I know he is fighting to survive but what are the long term plans? More power. What for? Just so he can survive. There has to be more to a story than that. It is interesting in the short term but long term it can get kind of boring if there isn't anything else to look forward to.
October 31, 2024
Things get more and more intriguing as Michael follows his own path in the game. The Nexus awaits..
August 22, 2025
this series is, as a gamer and fan of all levelling systems, absolutely amazing
July 26, 2022
3-stars might feel a little bit harsh considering the fact that I gave 5-stars to the first novel and, when judged on writing quality alone, this book was of a similar level. It continues to be well-paced, the dialogue is of decent quality, the side characters are well rounded, and the action well written. So why the deduction of 2-stars?
In short; this book is lacking a 'happily ever after'.
By that, I don't mean I'm disappointed that this book didn't finish with a happily ever after ending, but rather that there is no happily ever after that the protagonist is chasing. This is a big mistake for this reader because staying alive simply to stay alive is not enough of a motivation to drive a series. It might be enough to drive a single novel, but at some point, the protagonist we are following needs to want something more than just staying alive, they need a reason to want to live.
That is missing from this series in a big way, and as a result, my interest started slipping in this book. As the book progresses the story starts to deliver more promises about where this series is eventually going, but what it didn't deliver was a reason for the main character to chase those promises. This became abundantly clear to me at about the halfway mark when the main character is asked to make a significant sacrifice that has far-reaching consequences for himself (eternal consequences), and the decision about whether to make that sacrifice happens without a good reason why.
Many books with heroic main characters explore the mental strength a character must have to survive their trials because this strength is a fascinating aspect of humanity. From what I have read over the years, this is almost always because the main character has a reason to stay strong. Whether he is fighting for a moral conviction, to save a loved one, to create a better world... whatever the reason, there needs to be a reason.
Because of Michael's lack of memories, he has no life he's trying to get back to. Because he, and by extension, the reader, have never been introduced to a world outside what he knows in these last two books, we don't know what kind of world he might be trying to exist in when/if he escapes this one. Without any lasting friendships/relationships building in these series, he has no people he wants to fight for/protect save maybe the wolves, but even that's not explored all that well.
This series is just the story of a man going through incredibly dangerous and difficult trials, amassing power along the way simply for the sake of getting out on the other side of those trials. That just doesn't make for interesting writing, and though I am loathe to go so far as to call this book boring, it certainly wasn't as gripping as it could have been with a proper driving motivation.
For authors who really want to understand this phenomenon and improve this aspect of their writing, I recommend reading 'Man's search for Meaning' by Viktor Frankl. It is a real-life account of a psychologist who was a holocaust survivor who managed to survive where so many others died because he found a reason to stay alive. His words explain this human drive far better than I ever could.
This book did just enough that I'll read the next book, but unless that book gives me a better reason to invest my interest in this story than to see whether Michael will survive for another book and grow to be a great power in this universe, then the next book might be where I part ways with this series.
In short; this book is lacking a 'happily ever after'.
By that, I don't mean I'm disappointed that this book didn't finish with a happily ever after ending, but rather that there is no happily ever after that the protagonist is chasing. This is a big mistake for this reader because staying alive simply to stay alive is not enough of a motivation to drive a series. It might be enough to drive a single novel, but at some point, the protagonist we are following needs to want something more than just staying alive, they need a reason to want to live.
That is missing from this series in a big way, and as a result, my interest started slipping in this book. As the book progresses the story starts to deliver more promises about where this series is eventually going, but what it didn't deliver was a reason for the main character to chase those promises. This became abundantly clear to me at about the halfway mark when the main character is asked to make a significant sacrifice that has far-reaching consequences for himself (eternal consequences), and the decision about whether to make that sacrifice happens without a good reason why.
Many books with heroic main characters explore the mental strength a character must have to survive their trials because this strength is a fascinating aspect of humanity. From what I have read over the years, this is almost always because the main character has a reason to stay strong. Whether he is fighting for a moral conviction, to save a loved one, to create a better world... whatever the reason, there needs to be a reason.
Because of Michael's lack of memories, he has no life he's trying to get back to. Because he, and by extension, the reader, have never been introduced to a world outside what he knows in these last two books, we don't know what kind of world he might be trying to exist in when/if he escapes this one. Without any lasting friendships/relationships building in these series, he has no people he wants to fight for/protect save maybe the wolves, but even that's not explored all that well.
This series is just the story of a man going through incredibly dangerous and difficult trials, amassing power along the way simply for the sake of getting out on the other side of those trials. That just doesn't make for interesting writing, and though I am loathe to go so far as to call this book boring, it certainly wasn't as gripping as it could have been with a proper driving motivation.
For authors who really want to understand this phenomenon and improve this aspect of their writing, I recommend reading 'Man's search for Meaning' by Viktor Frankl. It is a real-life account of a psychologist who was a holocaust survivor who managed to survive where so many others died because he found a reason to stay alive. His words explain this human drive far better than I ever could.
This book did just enough that I'll read the next book, but unless that book gives me a better reason to invest my interest in this story than to see whether Michael will survive for another book and grow to be a great power in this universe, then the next book might be where I part ways with this series.
He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how. - Friedrich Nietzsche
April 26, 2024
I can't
Gave this series a second try because it's long and had good reviews.
Seems like another litrpg by someone who... hasn't played rpgs. Game mechanics make no sense whatsoever.
Most of MCs fights rely on stunlocking enemies via a basic (common) skill - 3s stun with no cd or diminishing returns. Despite being a common skill, he seems to be the only person in the game world who figured out that spamming stuns is overpowered.
When he's not stunlocking or spamming mind control, he's winning by backstabs or deus ex machina.
Gave up at the point where he's level 63 and winning 1v2s against level 100 mages without a scratch.
"How's he doing that?!" One of the mage screamed as he evades a hail of spells by people twice his level.
Literally no answer other than plot armor smh, he doesn't even have any overpowered skills to justify it smh
Gave this series a second try because it's long and had good reviews.
Seems like another litrpg by someone who... hasn't played rpgs. Game mechanics make no sense whatsoever.
Most of MCs fights rely on stunlocking enemies via a basic (common) skill - 3s stun with no cd or diminishing returns. Despite being a common skill, he seems to be the only person in the game world who figured out that spamming stuns is overpowered.
When he's not stunlocking or spamming mind control, he's winning by backstabs or deus ex machina.
Gave up at the point where he's level 63 and winning 1v2s against level 100 mages without a scratch.
"How's he doing that?!" One of the mage screamed as he evades a hail of spells by people twice his level.
Literally no answer other than plot armor smh, he doesn't even have any overpowered skills to justify it smh
April 6, 2023
Okay, that's enough for me. The grammar is a little better than in book one but the plot armor is twice as thick. I think the protagonist has noticed because he does some stupidly reckless things. If this was an RPG the GM would be cackling with glee before bringing the hammer down.
May 13, 2022
Michael has escaped the dungeon to find himself in a bigger world where the politics are more complicated, there are many more players with their own agendas and bigger powers backing them. Many want him as an ally but just as many want him dead. Can he get powerful enough to forge his own path or will that only bring more unwanted interest his way?
A nice progression in the story, the character and and levels. It is balanced well between levels and an actual story, coming more out on the story side which I like. Michael has a lot of plans and deceptions in the air in this one. I'm surprised that some of his double-dealings don't have more consequences but they may in the future.
I look forward to the next one in the series.
A nice progression in the story, the character and and levels. It is balanced well between levels and an actual story, coming more out on the story side which I like. Michael has a lot of plans and deceptions in the air in this one. I'm surprised that some of his double-dealings don't have more consequences but they may in the future.
I look forward to the next one in the series.
May 6, 2025
Sadly this book has only grown on the flaws I Ignored in the first book. The MC has so much Plot armor it is almost comical. The other players seem to be incredibly weak compared to the MC, without there being any reason as to why. When the MC is easily killing multiple players in open battle, that are twice his Level. That does not make any sense, since the Player is not even skilled for open battle. Players twice your Level, will have twice your ability points, not Accounted for All the possible skills they could have. Thats just poor writing style, for making the MC special. Sad. Since the first book Was very intriguing.
June 9, 2025
This was a solid continuation, opened up the world enough to not be overpowering and demanding, and definitely cemented the progression of the character to make him a true protagonist. With litRpgs, I've come to understand there are nice clean endings and breaks, and then they're almost episodic. I like this format more and more and even more so when the author really seems to excel at it/ be talented at it.
June 15, 2023
This was ok, but it would have been significantly better if it wasn't so much stats & grind. WAY too much stats & grind. It was good enough that I listened to the first four, but I was constantly rolling my eyes at the "reading of the profile page." It was over. the. fucking. top.
March 23, 2025
Not bad, not great
This is the definition of a mid fantasy book. It’s not terrible by any stretch but it’s not great either. If you are bored it’s not a bad option but if you have other books to read, I would skip this one.
This is the definition of a mid fantasy book. It’s not terrible by any stretch but it’s not great either. If you are bored it’s not a bad option but if you have other books to read, I would skip this one.
December 10, 2022
Decent sequel.
Althoug the structure of the world and Powers got a little confusing at some poin, the story was still exciting to read.
Althoug the structure of the world and Powers got a little confusing at some poin, the story was still exciting to read.
January 11, 2023
Loved seeing more characters in this book .
The underestimating. The half truths told… the enemies 🤌🏽
Micheal, you cunning bastard! On to the Nexus.
The underestimating. The half truths told… the enemies 🤌🏽
Micheal, you cunning bastard! On to the Nexus.
May 19, 2024
4.4 stars. Solid progression of this series. I do like the MC, which I have found isn't always the case in this genre.
July 2, 2024
DNF at 75%. 2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it never clicked.
I disliked all of the different political parties in this book. There isn't really a solid reason to care about the other group's schemes and problems. I feel like the political situation takes away too much from Michael and his progression/story. I also don't generally care for this type of thing.
Another thing I really disliked was how cocky Michael was and how weak/incapable everyone else seemed. There is a power disparity between the characters. It just doesn't make sense how the MC can always come out on top, especially when he's just a newbie facing off against more experienced players.
Also, Michael is low-key a Murder Hobo. While I appreciate a character who can get things done, I'm not a fan of how he just kills everyone left and right. There's little character development and no interesting/meaningful connections/side characters.
While things got better as the story progressed, and I am slightly curious about what happens next, I will stop here.
I disliked all of the different political parties in this book. There isn't really a solid reason to care about the other group's schemes and problems. I feel like the political situation takes away too much from Michael and his progression/story. I also don't generally care for this type of thing.
Another thing I really disliked was how cocky Michael was and how weak/incapable everyone else seemed. There is a power disparity between the characters. It just doesn't make sense how the MC can always come out on top, especially when he's just a newbie facing off against more experienced players.
Also, Michael is low-key a Murder Hobo. While I appreciate a character who can get things done, I'm not a fan of how he just kills everyone left and right. There's little character development and no interesting/meaningful connections/side characters.
While things got better as the story progressed, and I am slightly curious about what happens next, I will stop here.
June 18, 2022
half-truths and outright lies
MC develops well. Manages to find more trouble than he should be able to handle, but uses guile to pit enemies against each other.
Not sure I like how often a chapter change happens. It broke the narrative flow a few times. I can see *why* it was done, just not sure it was the best choice.
Looking forward to the next book.
MC develops well. Manages to find more trouble than he should be able to handle, but uses guile to pit enemies against each other.
Not sure I like how often a chapter change happens. It broke the narrative flow a few times. I can see *why* it was done, just not sure it was the best choice.
Looking forward to the next book.
February 29, 2024
📖 Rating Based on Immersive Reading 🎧
Story: 4 ⭐/ 5 ⭐
Narration: 4 ⭐/ 5 ⭐
General: 4 ⭐/ 5 ⭐
A Solitary Journey with a Dash of Deception: Unraveling "Way of the Wolf"
-- NO SPOILER SECTION --
Main Points Summary:
- The protagonist's solitary path is both intriguing and a departure from the communal spirit of the first book.
- Rapid advancement and outmatching of opponents underscore his unique journey, yet raise questions about believability.
- Lack of meaningful interaction with other players is felt, despite the protagonist's strategic manipulations.
- Some discrepancies between the written book and the audiobook narration slightly disrupt the immersive experience.
A Tale of Growth and Isolation:
"Way of the Wolf," book 2 of The Grand Game, takes us on a solitary voyage of the protagonist, emphasizing his cunning and strategic dominance over his adversaries. While this showcases his exceptional growth and the fulfillment of his destiny, it also veers away from the rich player interactions that added depth to the first installment. This shift, while still entertaining, leaves a longing for the camaraderie and dynamic player interplay of the previous book.
Challenges of Plausibility and Interaction:
The protagonist's ability to outmaneuver significantly stronger opponents is a testament to his extraordinary capabilities. However, the extent of his victories sometimes stretches the bounds of plausibility, given the expected countermeasures by his foes. This aspect, though thrilling, occasionally breaks the immersion, contrasting with the more balanced confrontations of the first book.
Narration and Immersion:
The audiobook experience offers compelling narration that vividly brings the story to life, despite minor discrepancies with the text that can momentarily break reader immersion. These differences, notably during player message exchanges, are fewer than in the predecessor, indicating an improvement in consistency. Nonetheless, the occasional divergence underscores the challenge of maintaining a seamless narrative flow in immersive reading.
Final Thoughts:
"The Way of the Wolf" is a captivating sequel that entertains and engrosses, despite the noted shifts in character interaction and the stretches of believability. The protagonist's journey remains compelling, filled with strategic deceit and formidable challenges. As the narrative unfolds, the anticipation for how these elements will evolve in subsequent books grows, promising more thrilling adventures in The Grand Game.
Story: 4 ⭐/ 5 ⭐
Narration: 4 ⭐/ 5 ⭐
General: 4 ⭐/ 5 ⭐
A Solitary Journey with a Dash of Deception: Unraveling "Way of the Wolf"
-- NO SPOILER SECTION --
Main Points Summary:
- The protagonist's solitary path is both intriguing and a departure from the communal spirit of the first book.
- Rapid advancement and outmatching of opponents underscore his unique journey, yet raise questions about believability.
- Lack of meaningful interaction with other players is felt, despite the protagonist's strategic manipulations.
- Some discrepancies between the written book and the audiobook narration slightly disrupt the immersive experience.
A Tale of Growth and Isolation:
"Way of the Wolf," book 2 of The Grand Game, takes us on a solitary voyage of the protagonist, emphasizing his cunning and strategic dominance over his adversaries. While this showcases his exceptional growth and the fulfillment of his destiny, it also veers away from the rich player interactions that added depth to the first installment. This shift, while still entertaining, leaves a longing for the camaraderie and dynamic player interplay of the previous book.
Challenges of Plausibility and Interaction:
The protagonist's ability to outmaneuver significantly stronger opponents is a testament to his extraordinary capabilities. However, the extent of his victories sometimes stretches the bounds of plausibility, given the expected countermeasures by his foes. This aspect, though thrilling, occasionally breaks the immersion, contrasting with the more balanced confrontations of the first book.
Narration and Immersion:
The audiobook experience offers compelling narration that vividly brings the story to life, despite minor discrepancies with the text that can momentarily break reader immersion. These differences, notably during player message exchanges, are fewer than in the predecessor, indicating an improvement in consistency. Nonetheless, the occasional divergence underscores the challenge of maintaining a seamless narrative flow in immersive reading.
Final Thoughts:
"The Way of the Wolf" is a captivating sequel that entertains and engrosses, despite the noted shifts in character interaction and the stretches of believability. The protagonist's journey remains compelling, filled with strategic deceit and formidable challenges. As the narrative unfolds, the anticipation for how these elements will evolve in subsequent books grows, promising more thrilling adventures in The Grand Game.
May 14, 2024
We still don't know what Michael looks like, so I've settled on him being a young adult Mexican, and about 5'9". Basically I projected myself onto him, so sue me.
Nevertheless this book is a great follow up to the first.
Michael escaped the dungeon, and has finally entered into the greater world of The Forever Kingdom. Not really though, or at least we don't learn that until a little bit into this book. Yes Michael escaped the dungeon, but he's now in an isolated sector that he [once again like with the dungeon] needs to find a way out of.
This is a great way of building the world in my opinion. Starting small with the dungeon, and introducing the worlds key elements while here in this book expanding it incrementally to a whole sector, and a new set of power dynamics between players & Powers.
Without giving too much away Michael is quickly caught in a struggle between groups that are vying for control of this sector. Why are they trying to control the sector? Well that's part of the story that I won't spoil, but suffice it to say; whoever controls this sector is going to get some good "stuff" out of it.
Michael continues to try to retain his autonomy from swearing allegiance to any of the powers while still trying to further his own goals. It's in this book we see just how... manipulative, and/or cunning he really is. Coordinating certain events to happen in the way best suited to get what he wants, and further obtaining abilities to strengthen his skill set from the first book. Not to mention we finally start to see some story/world development of "The Mark of the Wolf" he earned in the first book. Very exciting.
Previously I had mentioned when reading the first book that the "game" messages were overly abundant, and edged on the border of being frustrating. That seems to have finally been rectified. We still get notifications of skill advancements, level ups, and deaths, but they're not as front, and center anymore, so that's good.
There technically isn't any "permanent" side characters [just like the first book], but the supporting cast members here are still enjoyable. Actually we have some returning characters from the 1st book [no spoilers], but time will tell if they are "permanent." However just because they came back doesn't mean we get POV's of them. This is still very much Michael's story.
I haven't delved into the LitRPG genre very much, but this series is definitely very entertaining, and I can't wait to see what sort of machinations unfold in the next book.
Nevertheless this book is a great follow up to the first.
Michael escaped the dungeon, and has finally entered into the greater world of The Forever Kingdom. Not really though, or at least we don't learn that until a little bit into this book. Yes Michael escaped the dungeon, but he's now in an isolated sector that he [once again like with the dungeon] needs to find a way out of.
This is a great way of building the world in my opinion. Starting small with the dungeon, and introducing the worlds key elements while here in this book expanding it incrementally to a whole sector, and a new set of power dynamics between players & Powers.
Without giving too much away Michael is quickly caught in a struggle between groups that are vying for control of this sector. Why are they trying to control the sector? Well that's part of the story that I won't spoil, but suffice it to say; whoever controls this sector is going to get some good "stuff" out of it.
Michael continues to try to retain his autonomy from swearing allegiance to any of the powers while still trying to further his own goals. It's in this book we see just how... manipulative, and/or cunning he really is. Coordinating certain events to happen in the way best suited to get what he wants, and further obtaining abilities to strengthen his skill set from the first book. Not to mention we finally start to see some story/world development of "The Mark of the Wolf" he earned in the first book. Very exciting.
Previously I had mentioned when reading the first book that the "game" messages were overly abundant, and edged on the border of being frustrating. That seems to have finally been rectified. We still get notifications of skill advancements, level ups, and deaths, but they're not as front, and center anymore, so that's good.
There technically isn't any "permanent" side characters [just like the first book], but the supporting cast members here are still enjoyable. Actually we have some returning characters from the 1st book [no spoilers], but time will tell if they are "permanent." However just because they came back doesn't mean we get POV's of them. This is still very much Michael's story.
I haven't delved into the LitRPG genre very much, but this series is definitely very entertaining, and I can't wait to see what sort of machinations unfold in the next book.
July 6, 2022
I've enjoyed this series so far and the only thing that's really keeping me giving the second book five stars is that the stats system feels pretty arbitrarily applied, more decorative than functional. You never really get a sense that skill level matters for anything other than the MC needing to retry some skills occasionally.
This is even more evident in the combat where, initially, it felt annoying that the MC's really basic and seemingly readily available skill combination of stealth and simple charm felt absurdly overpowered; why didn't every faction just run around with stealth mind controllers? But towards the end of the book, I realized it was more that everything was just as fragile or durable as the author wanted it to be for a given scene. Whether the target is level 100 or level 20, apparently if you stab it and really try to hit a vulnerable spot it just dies in one hit. Enemies that hit you, never one-shot you. Enemies that you charm and then hit their allies, usually one-shot them.
Obviously, every scene is ultimately scripted by the author but I do appreciate it when the cause and effect are internally consistent.
That said, I do enjoy the world, I like the Powers and the history behind that and the path the MC is on.
This is even more evident in the combat where, initially, it felt annoying that the MC's really basic and seemingly readily available skill combination of stealth and simple charm felt absurdly overpowered; why didn't every faction just run around with stealth mind controllers? But towards the end of the book, I realized it was more that everything was just as fragile or durable as the author wanted it to be for a given scene. Whether the target is level 100 or level 20, apparently if you stab it and really try to hit a vulnerable spot it just dies in one hit. Enemies that hit you, never one-shot you. Enemies that you charm and then hit their allies, usually one-shot them.
Obviously, every scene is ultimately scripted by the author but I do appreciate it when the cause and effect are internally consistent.
That said, I do enjoy the world, I like the Powers and the history behind that and the path the MC is on.
May 3, 2023
Michael's story continues right where it left off from the first book. He's out of the dungeon, but his problems are even bigger, and time is not on his side.
The story was a little convoluted for me. I kept forgetting all the different lies, and machinations of the different characters. It became a bit of a slog at one point.
But as soon as Michael and the wolf pack were reunited, the story picked up again. The wolves made this story for me, though some of Michael's strategies were pretty cool. The ending was satisfying, as well.
Things I appreciated:
1. Michael treated women with respect. No staring at boobs, or drooling over women. Or men, for that matter. No romance, mostly because Michael is something of a lone wolf.
2. As ruthless and brutal as he could be with his enemies, he was always kind to those who were weaker, or non-players, or unaligned. He was never cruel for the sake of being cruel.
Things that need improvement:
1. Humor. Just a sprinkle of humor would lighten the tone.
2. I'd like to see Michael make some friends. The story lightens up when he's with his wolf friends, so I hope he makes more in future books.
Enjoyable series, and will be continuing.
The story was a little convoluted for me. I kept forgetting all the different lies, and machinations of the different characters. It became a bit of a slog at one point.
But as soon as Michael and the wolf pack were reunited, the story picked up again. The wolves made this story for me, though some of Michael's strategies were pretty cool. The ending was satisfying, as well.
Things I appreciated:
1. Michael treated women with respect. No staring at boobs, or drooling over women. Or men, for that matter. No romance, mostly because Michael is something of a lone wolf.
2. As ruthless and brutal as he could be with his enemies, he was always kind to those who were weaker, or non-players, or unaligned. He was never cruel for the sake of being cruel.
Things that need improvement:
1. Humor. Just a sprinkle of humor would lighten the tone.
2. I'd like to see Michael make some friends. The story lightens up when he's with his wolf friends, so I hope he makes more in future books.
Enjoyable series, and will be continuing.
December 14, 2022
Volume 2 is much like volume 1, maybe a bit too much. Michael exchanged a dungeon for an open air forest, but he is still stuck and still needs to work to get out by manipulating the people around him as much as defeating opponents in a direct fight. My likes and dislikes for the book are otherwise the same, except for two things. The behaviour of the random monsters was inconsistent, one moment they fight to the death as in computer games, the next they retreat when they realize their prey is too strong for them. Secondly, Michael's personality is beginning to grate a bit. It is consistent (except for when his supposed gaming knowledge applies and when not), but for a supposed wolf is he is remarkably anti-authoritarian and unable to work with others. It is the author's world, but somehow this clashes in particular for me. Michael acts more like a solitary cat than a wolf. Still, I enjoyed the book, but there were just a few too many grating moments for me to make it a 4 star review.
May 13, 2025
This book is significantly better than its predecessor in every way. The narrative is engaging, Michael, actually has a personality and character flaws now, and the prose is sophisticated yet efficient. The LitRPG mechanics still leave a lot to be desired in terms of worldbuilding (as in, the book doesn't really answer a lot of questions about how the world works), but the nature of the plot doesn't really allow for that to happen. Michael is aloof, foolhardy, and a bit of an asshole, but he's written in a way that makes him less annoying than similar protagonists in the genre. The way that he has to spin a web of lies and half truths to navigate the complex political situation in the valley was the main appeal of the narrative for me. The book also does a lot of work to set up a ton of plot hooks for the future that are very necessary for long winded LitRPG stories like these which were worryingly absent in the first book.
I could never hate a book with cute wolves.
I could never hate a book with cute wolves.
July 5, 2022
I enjoyed the book, but lowered my score due to the baffling motivations of the Dark.
The Dark is trying to take the enclosed sector. All they have to do is have the goblins in the fort swear to one of the powers (the spider goddess). She doesn't make an official agreement. The reasoning for this was the Powers are greedy and don't trust each other of the same faction. If that is true, even more reason to make the deal and secure the sector. Already control the portal, have hidden the sector away, no reason not to finish the job.
Even the MC Michael is confused by this. A lot of his shenanigans would not have happened if the Dark's motivations weren't so inane.
The whole story progresses from an idea that doesn't make sense. The more I think on it, the more annoyed I get, lol. Other than that, nice progression and action. Hopefully it leads to something interesting.
The Dark is trying to take the enclosed sector. All they have to do is have the goblins in the fort swear to one of the powers (the spider goddess). She doesn't make an official agreement. The reasoning for this was the Powers are greedy and don't trust each other of the same faction. If that is true, even more reason to make the deal and secure the sector. Already control the portal, have hidden the sector away, no reason not to finish the job.
Even the MC Michael is confused by this. A lot of his shenanigans would not have happened if the Dark's motivations weren't so inane.
The whole story progresses from an idea that doesn't make sense. The more I think on it, the more annoyed I get, lol. Other than that, nice progression and action. Hopefully it leads to something interesting.
November 18, 2022
One of the best examples of this genre
This is truly exemplary lit RPG. So far this series is one of if not maybe the best I’ve read in the genre. It’s all just done so well; the world is nuanced and interesting, the characterisation is strong, the action is extremely well written and engaging. There’s a good amount of stats and lit RPG elements but they don’t drag or get overly dry. The character is getting stronger in a way that feels real and earned and also interesting - instead just overwhelming magical strength he’s a duplicitous, lethal assassin lurking in the shadows with somewhat questionable morals perhaps but good enough to still root for. The character makes smart decisions too and the plot goes in unexpected directions. All round I am thoroughly impressed with this book and series in general. I’d very strongly recommend checking this out. 10/10.
This is truly exemplary lit RPG. So far this series is one of if not maybe the best I’ve read in the genre. It’s all just done so well; the world is nuanced and interesting, the characterisation is strong, the action is extremely well written and engaging. There’s a good amount of stats and lit RPG elements but they don’t drag or get overly dry. The character is getting stronger in a way that feels real and earned and also interesting - instead just overwhelming magical strength he’s a duplicitous, lethal assassin lurking in the shadows with somewhat questionable morals perhaps but good enough to still root for. The character makes smart decisions too and the plot goes in unexpected directions. All round I am thoroughly impressed with this book and series in general. I’d very strongly recommend checking this out. 10/10.
October 2, 2023
Great read!! Fast, exciting, and fun. Better follow up to book one.
There's not much to say about this book except it was excellent. Well I guess I could go on because I really had no negative feedback when I read it. The world building and storytelling was first class and really engaged the reader. A game base genre story sometimes gets convoluted, however this story kept a fast fun Pace that kept you on your edge and you really wanted to know what happens next. I was captivated enough to binge read it straight through. Not many books can grab a reader's attention like that today so it's a pleasant surprise especially in a book too of a series. Highly recommend the series and can't wait for book 3!!!!
There's not much to say about this book except it was excellent. Well I guess I could go on because I really had no negative feedback when I read it. The world building and storytelling was first class and really engaged the reader. A game base genre story sometimes gets convoluted, however this story kept a fast fun Pace that kept you on your edge and you really wanted to know what happens next. I was captivated enough to binge read it straight through. Not many books can grab a reader's attention like that today so it's a pleasant surprise especially in a book too of a series. Highly recommend the series and can't wait for book 3!!!!
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