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Max Luck
All Max wanted was to be left alone, to mourn in peace. If he stayed in the game, perhaps the real world wouldn’t seem so real. He’d lost everything, his home, his job, his wife. Gone. All that remained was her dagger. Until they took it. Now he’ll do whatever’s necessary to get it back, even if it means breaking his promise to never kill again. To them, it’s only a game. To him, it’s personal. There’s one question everyone keeps asking. How far is Max willing to push his luck?
- GenresFantasy
579 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2022
23 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Craig Anderson
14 books72 followersCraig Anderson can't stand writing about himself in the third person. I’m a Brit that lives in Canada, and I moved here via Australia, so no matter where I go people hear my bizarre accent and ask me where I’m from. I have a beautiful wife, two rambunctious kids, a cat called Sydney, and a Sheepadoodle puppy.
I love to write humour (yes that is how they spell it where I am from!) with just a touch of depth. If I can make you laugh and then make you think, I’m on the right track. I have a soft spot for characters with hidden strength, the types that no-one thinks will amount to anything. Give me a nun-chuck wielding elf or a granny hacker any day of the week.
I love to write humour (yes that is how they spell it where I am from!) with just a touch of depth. If I can make you laugh and then make you think, I’m on the right track. I have a soft spot for characters with hidden strength, the types that no-one thinks will amount to anything. Give me a nun-chuck wielding elf or a granny hacker any day of the week.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 5, 2022
I'm a fan of Craig Anderson's writing, and he doesn't disappoint this time around.
Max is a player in a VRMMORPG. He used to be feared by many and was offered a top spot in the best guild, but he turned it down. His wife was a programmer for the company that owned the fantasy RPG, until she was killed in a fire.
Max has been desolate ever since.
Then the son of the leader of the guild goes into his shop. He laughs at Max and steals a dagger his wife had left behind after her passing. It's precious to him, and now it's gone. What happens after that is a well written plot with plenty of twists and turns until Max discovers the truth. Many truths, actually.
The characters are what drive this story. They're well drawn with clear motivations, some known and others unknown. We have Arthur, the guild leader who has devoted his life to the guild and its success. We have Kitty, the top ranked assassin who is more than a little off her rocker.
And we have Gregory, Arthur's son, who is petulant to the point of obnoxiousness.
It all comes together in a fascinating way. I almost gave up on the book early on because I had no idea what was happening, but the was over quickly as I became fascinated by the story. This book is all meat and no fat, and while it's isn't LitRPG in the strictest sense of the definition, it basically is except there are no stat pages.
The characters need to take cure potions when they're poisoned, and artifacts play a big role as well.
The editing is tight, and the author clearly put a lot of thought into how this story would play out. There is plenty of action, backstabbing, alliances here and gone, and much more.
5/5* Awesome and recommended.
Max is a player in a VRMMORPG. He used to be feared by many and was offered a top spot in the best guild, but he turned it down. His wife was a programmer for the company that owned the fantasy RPG, until she was killed in a fire.
Max has been desolate ever since.
Then the son of the leader of the guild goes into his shop. He laughs at Max and steals a dagger his wife had left behind after her passing. It's precious to him, and now it's gone. What happens after that is a well written plot with plenty of twists and turns until Max discovers the truth. Many truths, actually.
The characters are what drive this story. They're well drawn with clear motivations, some known and others unknown. We have Arthur, the guild leader who has devoted his life to the guild and its success. We have Kitty, the top ranked assassin who is more than a little off her rocker.
And we have Gregory, Arthur's son, who is petulant to the point of obnoxiousness.
It all comes together in a fascinating way. I almost gave up on the book early on because I had no idea what was happening, but the was over quickly as I became fascinated by the story. This book is all meat and no fat, and while it's isn't LitRPG in the strictest sense of the definition, it basically is except there are no stat pages.
The characters need to take cure potions when they're poisoned, and artifacts play a big role as well.
The editing is tight, and the author clearly put a lot of thought into how this story would play out. There is plenty of action, backstabbing, alliances here and gone, and much more.
5/5* Awesome and recommended.
July 5, 2022
I just took another roller coaster ride through Craig Anderson's latest book. Similar to Level Up, we are thrown into a virtual RPG world, where jargon like HP and EXP pop up like clover in the spring. On that well thrown in plant reference, we follow the adventure of a little leprechaun named Max. By luck, he is pulled into a skirmish with a disrespectful teenaged boy, who just happens to be the son of the game's biggest gangster. So, the little dust up quickly escalates into a much bigger fight. As we move through the story the problems escalate, and soon start to threaten lives outside of the game.
What I really loved about this book was constant thrill - there is always someone chasing the leprechaun, there are a lot of time sensitive situations, and the stakes keep getting bigger and bigger - this is what kept me keep turning pages. The inventiveness of Anderson keeps it fresh and fun; discovering new weapons or artifacts (like crafting fire bullets or smoking a invisibility pipe), that I kept looking forward to what new weapon would save Max when he found himself in another impossible situation.
Anderson's writing reminds me of Tom Holt - it's funny but has a serious side, especially when it comes to plot and plot twists. The characters are a great mix of light and funny, but again have a serious side with a lot of depth.
I actually wrote down a quote that I really enjoyed (and it embodies the character exactly): "Plan A had failed, and Plan B had failed too, but Arthur liked to plan his way through the Alphabet."
What I really loved about this book was constant thrill - there is always someone chasing the leprechaun, there are a lot of time sensitive situations, and the stakes keep getting bigger and bigger - this is what kept me keep turning pages. The inventiveness of Anderson keeps it fresh and fun; discovering new weapons or artifacts (like crafting fire bullets or smoking a invisibility pipe), that I kept looking forward to what new weapon would save Max when he found himself in another impossible situation.
Anderson's writing reminds me of Tom Holt - it's funny but has a serious side, especially when it comes to plot and plot twists. The characters are a great mix of light and funny, but again have a serious side with a lot of depth.
I actually wrote down a quote that I really enjoyed (and it embodies the character exactly): "Plan A had failed, and Plan B had failed too, but Arthur liked to plan his way through the Alphabet."
February 28, 2023
Riveting
True page turner. Believeable and engaging world building both real and virtual with great characters. Can't wait for the sequel.
True page turner. Believeable and engaging world building both real and virtual with great characters. Can't wait for the sequel.
November 1, 2023
Nice and Twisty... Twisted
Nice and Twisty... Twisted, Yeah, something along those lines. You think you've figured it all out and bam, there's another curveball.
Nice and Twisty... Twisted, Yeah, something along those lines. You think you've figured it all out and bam, there's another curveball.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews