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Unorthodox Farming #2
Oh, Great! I Discovered How to Cultivate a Farmer in 52 Easy Steps
Ever wonder what happened to the Isekai’d gamer who found himself incarnated into the overweight body of a LitRPG farmer, only to spit in the face of destiny and earn more money and experience than anyone ever dreamed possible? Fairytales would have you believe he lived happily ever after, but life doesn’t always match up to fairytale endings.
Accidentally murdered by a cleric in another universe during a botched resurrection, Arnold, a semi-pro gamer turned clerical error, has now become a thorn in the vindictive Northern Regent’s side. To make matters worse, he has a giant stuck in his well. And the adventurers’ guilds are pounding on his door for the chance to kill it. Which is more than a little annoying, as all Arnold wants to do is focus on taking his trap method wide while he builds a farm to give down-on-their-luck farmers like him a chance.
However, there is “one” little problem with his plan…
Changing the world isn’t easy. And Arnold needs an entire industry that doesn’t currently exist. And resource management is hard. And trying to find good employees is difficult. And Blackwood doesn’t have the infrastructure to support all these people, even if he does. And the regent is out for blood and trying to ruin him. And no matter what he tries, the giant won’t die. And for some reason, Ranic wants him to find a goal that gives his life meaning.
So let’s see how well his happily ever after really goes…
Accidentally murdered by a cleric in another universe during a botched resurrection, Arnold, a semi-pro gamer turned clerical error, has now become a thorn in the vindictive Northern Regent’s side. To make matters worse, he has a giant stuck in his well. And the adventurers’ guilds are pounding on his door for the chance to kill it. Which is more than a little annoying, as all Arnold wants to do is focus on taking his trap method wide while he builds a farm to give down-on-their-luck farmers like him a chance.
However, there is “one” little problem with his plan…
Changing the world isn’t easy. And Arnold needs an entire industry that doesn’t currently exist. And resource management is hard. And trying to find good employees is difficult. And Blackwood doesn’t have the infrastructure to support all these people, even if he does. And the regent is out for blood and trying to ruin him. And no matter what he tries, the giant won’t die. And for some reason, Ranic wants him to find a goal that gives his life meaning.
So let’s see how well his happily ever after really goes…
578 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2022
647 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
September 13, 2024
Rating 5.0 stars
I have really enjoyed this series. This is one of those the journey is more important than the destination kind of stories. While there is the general goal of Arnold trying to kill the Giant and trying to get rid of his farmer class, the steps taken to achieve those goals are the real story. This book was funny, smart, intelligent with great characters and a interesting magic system. There was balance with the action, the heart break, and the humor. Just enough of each to make the experience enjoyable. There were pop culture references but not too many that it was distracting. Now that I am writing this review and thinking about the totality of this story I think balance is the perfect word to encapsulate how I feel. Some stories have too much action. Too much litrpg. Too much humor. While I enjoy each of those aspects it is very hard to have that perfect mix. This book has that. Travis Baldree did an excellent good narrating the audiobook as well. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I hope there is more to come.
I have really enjoyed this series. This is one of those the journey is more important than the destination kind of stories. While there is the general goal of Arnold trying to kill the Giant and trying to get rid of his farmer class, the steps taken to achieve those goals are the real story. This book was funny, smart, intelligent with great characters and a interesting magic system. There was balance with the action, the heart break, and the humor. Just enough of each to make the experience enjoyable. There were pop culture references but not too many that it was distracting. Now that I am writing this review and thinking about the totality of this story I think balance is the perfect word to encapsulate how I feel. Some stories have too much action. Too much litrpg. Too much humor. While I enjoy each of those aspects it is very hard to have that perfect mix. This book has that. Travis Baldree did an excellent good narrating the audiobook as well. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I hope there is more to come.
August 3, 2022
Book one was a fun idea with interesting characters.
Book two starts out like a spreadsheet being described by an accountant. I read the first one in a single try. This one took several days with numerous breaks, it was that dry. This got bogged down with minutia. And the end was dragged out about two hundred pages too much.
Book two starts out like a spreadsheet being described by an accountant. I read the first one in a single try. This one took several days with numerous breaks, it was that dry. This got bogged down with minutia. And the end was dragged out about two hundred pages too much.
July 1, 2023
This is book two of an isekai LitRPG that picks up right where it left off. Read in order.
And you mostly know what you are getting with this. Or at least, the shape of the story. I'm still not a fan of the main antagonist and think Arnold took way too long to explore his options there. Also, if you're going to frame your story with prologues from the far future that includes Arnold's grandkids, you might want to give us a relationship that could become that. Like, some hint, even small ones, of who his wife might be. I know that's my romantic side coming through, but jeez, talk about making promises your story doesn't deliver.
But all the things I like are still present. I still like Arnold pushing his exploits. And I like developments in his understanding of the world. And not least because he's beginning to take it seriously as a part of his life instead of something he has to be better than. And it's still has some laugh-out-loud moments.
Some of the plot got tedious for me during this story (), but that's made up for by the characters and relationships that strengthened along the way.
And all that sounds like I should be giving this three stars instead of four, but the things I liked were way more important to me than all the stuff I'm griping about. Seriously, a good read and I'm more than a little bummed I can't immediately move onto the next (because there is no next, yet).
A note about Chaste: It's patently clear that Arnold is a bit of a player. He has sex with lots of people. But that happens so far off-page that we don't even know who they all are. His sexnanigans don't matter to him in any important way, so they're barely part of the story. And certainly don't show any steam at all. So I consider this very chaste (not even any kissing), but Arnold isn't even a little bit chaste, so your evaluation could vary.
And you mostly know what you are getting with this. Or at least, the shape of the story. I'm still not a fan of the main antagonist and think Arnold took way too long to explore his options there. Also, if you're going to frame your story with prologues from the far future that includes Arnold's grandkids, you might want to give us a relationship that could become that. Like, some hint, even small ones, of who his wife might be. I know that's my romantic side coming through, but jeez, talk about making promises your story doesn't deliver.
But all the things I like are still present. I still like Arnold pushing his exploits. And I like developments in his understanding of the world. And not least because he's beginning to take it seriously as a part of his life instead of something he has to be better than. And it's still has some laugh-out-loud moments.
Some of the plot got tedious for me during this story (), but that's made up for by the characters and relationships that strengthened along the way.
And all that sounds like I should be giving this three stars instead of four, but the things I liked were way more important to me than all the stuff I'm griping about. Seriously, a good read and I'm more than a little bummed I can't immediately move onto the next (because there is no next, yet).
A note about Chaste: It's patently clear that Arnold is a bit of a player. He has sex with lots of people. But that happens so far off-page that we don't even know who they all are. His sexnanigans don't matter to him in any important way, so they're barely part of the story. And certainly don't show any steam at all. So I consider this very chaste (not even any kissing), but Arnold isn't even a little bit chaste, so your evaluation could vary.
August 11, 2022
One significant change really ruined this book for me (early book spoilers)
The whole first book is based around how much it sucks to be a farmer. How you can't get experience for anything non-farming related. And the MC figuring out how to get around that is the crux of the story.
So when the story flips that on it's head and suddenly anybody owning a farm gets experience for ANYTHING done on their farm, leading to MC mastering "spearman" without ever holding a spear (for example), and thousands of "farmers" with 6-26 mastered classes (actual numbers from the book)..... I'm sorry, but that's really really really dumb. Mr. Kerei, you've broken your world.
In ANY RPG, shared experience only goes towards one class, that each character owns. That's because if everybody is running around lv. 100 everything, it breaks the world. Why do you need a mage and a warrior and a healer if one person is all three? Specialists aren't needed anymore. Provided you have the raw resources, you can do literally anything. For a VERY few people to have figured this out would be fine. But for tens of thousands? Which means it would be an open secret and everybody would figure it out before long. Even the scholar Ranic that knows EVERYTHING about farming somehow doesn't reveal this in the first book.
Why? Because it's a bad idea the author came up with in this book, it totally torpedoes any believability or stakes, and it killed my interest in the story.
Read 200 pages. Really wanted to give it a chance because I liked the first book. But just.... ugh.
The whole first book is based around how much it sucks to be a farmer. How you can't get experience for anything non-farming related. And the MC figuring out how to get around that is the crux of the story.
So when the story flips that on it's head and suddenly anybody owning a farm gets experience for ANYTHING done on their farm, leading to MC mastering "spearman" without ever holding a spear (for example), and thousands of "farmers" with 6-26 mastered classes (actual numbers from the book)..... I'm sorry, but that's really really really dumb. Mr. Kerei, you've broken your world.
In ANY RPG, shared experience only goes towards one class, that each character owns. That's because if everybody is running around lv. 100 everything, it breaks the world. Why do you need a mage and a warrior and a healer if one person is all three? Specialists aren't needed anymore. Provided you have the raw resources, you can do literally anything. For a VERY few people to have figured this out would be fine. But for tens of thousands? Which means it would be an open secret and everybody would figure it out before long. Even the scholar Ranic that knows EVERYTHING about farming somehow doesn't reveal this in the first book.
Why? Because it's a bad idea the author came up with in this book, it totally torpedoes any believability or stakes, and it killed my interest in the story.
Read 200 pages. Really wanted to give it a chance because I liked the first book. But just.... ugh.
June 16, 2025
As good as the first one
The further adventures of Arnold the guy who doesn't want to be a farmer.
This book is smart, funny, insightful, and very well written.
Oh, one thing though, The title mentions Cultivation -but it does not contain Xianxia. I was worried that this book would change tone mid way to jump on the Xianxia band wagon (I'm looking at you Randidly Ghosthound) but this is more of a pop culture joke (Xianxia is very hot right now) and a pun on farming. So no meditation, no circulating Chi, no bad Chinese stereotypes.
Can confirm this book stands up to rereading. I found new things on the second reading
The further adventures of Arnold the guy who doesn't want to be a farmer.
This book is smart, funny, insightful, and very well written.
Oh, one thing though, The title mentions Cultivation -but it does not contain Xianxia. I was worried that this book would change tone mid way to jump on the Xianxia band wagon (I'm looking at you Randidly Ghosthound) but this is more of a pop culture joke (Xianxia is very hot right now) and a pun on farming. So no meditation, no circulating Chi, no bad Chinese stereotypes.
Can confirm this book stands up to rereading. I found new things on the second reading
January 18, 2023
Notes:
Overall, a good book to dive back into reading. Good narration by Travis B & a decent plot by Kerei. Not a whole lot happens in the book, but Kerei took time to develop the world & characters a bit. Hopefully, a more exciting phase will follow the transitions that happened in 2.
Overall, a good book to dive back into reading. Good narration by Travis B & a decent plot by Kerei. Not a whole lot happens in the book, but Kerei took time to develop the world & characters a bit. Hopefully, a more exciting phase will follow the transitions that happened in 2.
August 5, 2022
book two
Mistakes: I only found one and have listed it on GoodReads.
Plot: Just a good fun story. I don’t know if there will be a third book, but I don’t think so.
Characters: The mc is an interesting character that I was happy to follow through his adventures.
8/10 Just an enjoyable story.
Mistakes: I only found one and have listed it on GoodReads.
Plot: Just a good fun story. I don’t know if there will be a third book, but I don’t think so.
Characters: The mc is an interesting character that I was happy to follow through his adventures.
8/10 Just an enjoyable story.
August 3, 2022
Amazing
First, the Prologue: Reading it is not necessary to enjoy the book. It is… Powerful. It is different from most of the pros in the rest of the book, and just a bit dark. Or maybe maudlin is the correct term.
For the rest of it, if you enjoyed the first book in the series you will definitely enjoy this one. There are system exploits, there are political machinations, and there are odd moments Of whimsical pop culture references and humor. There’s character and class building along side town building and farming.
I will neither confirm nor deny there is a sex dungeon.
The prose is solid, and while there are references to adult activities there is nothing that actually happens “on screen“.
I look forward to paying the author for another book. That’s my recommendation.
First, the Prologue: Reading it is not necessary to enjoy the book. It is… Powerful. It is different from most of the pros in the rest of the book, and just a bit dark. Or maybe maudlin is the correct term.
For the rest of it, if you enjoyed the first book in the series you will definitely enjoy this one. There are system exploits, there are political machinations, and there are odd moments Of whimsical pop culture references and humor. There’s character and class building along side town building and farming.
I will neither confirm nor deny there is a sex dungeon.
The prose is solid, and while there are references to adult activities there is nothing that actually happens “on screen“.
I look forward to paying the author for another book. That’s my recommendation.
August 5, 2022
I was very excited when I saw that this book was coming out. First reason is because Travis Baldree is my favorite narrator, I don't keep that a secret. The second reason was that the first book was just a good time. The MC was relatable and easy going. The story line was interesting, but still kind of chill and the delivery was tasteful. Basically the first book was fun and not too serious. This book was a little more serious and not as funny, but still a good time. There was much more story and action in this book. If there is a complaint it would be that there was no learning curve on the characters. There were several minor characters that didn't have any introduction even though the first book came out a while ago. The new characters that were introduced were interesting. The whole dwarf thing wasn't needed though. I didn't really understand the point of the needlessly elaborate storyline following a specific dwarf. Just doesn't seem realistic and I don't think other sentient beings would accept the actions of those that would act in such a way with regard to other sentient beings. Anyway the story was good. I did enjoy the general feel of the first book more though since I felt it wasn't as serious. It was tough for me to follow at times on audio because there were some stat sheets and system prompts that were repeated several times.
August 7, 2022
Fun read but with caveats.
Book 1 was full of action, great characters and gripping events that had me binge through it with happy abandon.
Book 2 has some action, characters that make little impression that sometimes you read a name and get confused to who that is and has few gripping events that get bogged down with looong boring prose of “who am I?” and “what do I want in life??” that get filtered constantly throughout the book. The constant introspection really brings down the pace of the narrative that I think this book is a one-time read.
I’ve seen that this might be book 2 of 6, so despite my criticisms I still look forward to the next instalment with the hope that it can gain back the high bar the first book set.
Book 1 was full of action, great characters and gripping events that had me binge through it with happy abandon.
Book 2 has some action, characters that make little impression that sometimes you read a name and get confused to who that is and has few gripping events that get bogged down with looong boring prose of “who am I?” and “what do I want in life??” that get filtered constantly throughout the book. The constant introspection really brings down the pace of the narrative that I think this book is a one-time read.
I’ve seen that this might be book 2 of 6, so despite my criticisms I still look forward to the next instalment with the hope that it can gain back the high bar the first book set.
February 6, 2025
A good follow up to the first, and I would say I potentially enjoyed it even more. My only issue was the ending. It was a bit bittersweet. Without getting too spoilery, Arnold has to come to terms with everything that has happened to him since the series started. Personally I would have liked some more time to sit with these feelings before the whole thing wrapped up. Since its framed as a memoir, we know things ultimately turn out well so it isn't the end of the world, but a surprisingly morose note considering the general uplifting tone.
February 19, 2024
Still really enjoying this series. Hope the author continues it.
August 30, 2024
An exceptional book , I loved every second of it!
Will remember and reread this series whether there is a sequel or not.
Will remember and reread this series whether there is a sequel or not.
August 8, 2022
3.5 Stars
This one felt a little scattered and ended in a way that implied the series was done, but didn't resolve anything with Arnold's nemesis.
As with the last book, I enjoyed the way problems were solved with creativity and planning, rather than brute force. The characters were fun, although Arnold was starting to come off as too good to be true. Salem, the walking Deux Ex Machina, was not used in this capacity... whew!
The world building was expanded just a tiny bit but showed promise. All in all, a very readable book but it didn't hit me as hard as the first.
This one felt a little scattered and ended in a way that implied the series was done, but didn't resolve anything with Arnold's nemesis.
As with the last book, I enjoyed the way problems were solved with creativity and planning, rather than brute force. The characters were fun, although Arnold was starting to come off as too good to be true. Salem, the walking Deux Ex Machina, was not used in this capacity... whew!
The world building was expanded just a tiny bit but showed promise. All in all, a very readable book but it didn't hit me as hard as the first.
August 9, 2022
Arnold grows and so does his world
An excellent sequel that expands upon the existing world.
I enjoyed the book, though at times the parade of new characters had me scratching my head trying to remember who was who.
I really like the idea of Arnold bringing board games to the world.
SPOILERS BELOW
***********************************
Arnold and the Regent come to an uneasy truce, which she almost immediately attempts to circumvent, but the dwarves she uses as a foil turn out to help Arnold immensely, even though one almost kills him at their first meeting.
Arnold becomes a Sage, having truly understood a fundamental piece of the Global System. He imparts a quest unto Durgun (the dwarf chief in charge of the forge/dwarf contingent).
The giant is eventually slain and the abandonment order is lifted.
His farm manor is constructed and leveled up crazily (becoming Masterwork), including a sex dungeon that the townspeople tricked the royal architect into including, based on a joke from the first book.
The story ends with Arnold slaying one for the most troublesome dwarves that had come back to attack.
No progress has been made with the Regent, who still hates him with a passion. Arnold is now a Champion, with the Champion assessor due to come visit in the future. Theoretically, that should keep him personally safe from the Regent.
His Crown Mark levels up several times.
He passed his 3rd threshold for farming and is now able to "retire" from being a farmer, allowing his vassals/employees/retainers to do the rest of the work to get him to his 4th threshold.
He decides to take Bard as his next class and see how that goes.
Meanwhile, his system is ready to "go wide" and be deployed elsewhere, helping farmers farm better and more safely.
An excellent sequel that expands upon the existing world.
I enjoyed the book, though at times the parade of new characters had me scratching my head trying to remember who was who.
I really like the idea of Arnold bringing board games to the world.
SPOILERS BELOW
***********************************
Arnold and the Regent come to an uneasy truce, which she almost immediately attempts to circumvent, but the dwarves she uses as a foil turn out to help Arnold immensely, even though one almost kills him at their first meeting.
Arnold becomes a Sage, having truly understood a fundamental piece of the Global System. He imparts a quest unto Durgun (the dwarf chief in charge of the forge/dwarf contingent).
The giant is eventually slain and the abandonment order is lifted.
His farm manor is constructed and leveled up crazily (becoming Masterwork), including a sex dungeon that the townspeople tricked the royal architect into including, based on a joke from the first book.
The story ends with Arnold slaying one for the most troublesome dwarves that had come back to attack.
No progress has been made with the Regent, who still hates him with a passion. Arnold is now a Champion, with the Champion assessor due to come visit in the future. Theoretically, that should keep him personally safe from the Regent.
His Crown Mark levels up several times.
He passed his 3rd threshold for farming and is now able to "retire" from being a farmer, allowing his vassals/employees/retainers to do the rest of the work to get him to his 4th threshold.
He decides to take Bard as his next class and see how that goes.
Meanwhile, his system is ready to "go wide" and be deployed elsewhere, helping farmers farm better and more safely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
Silly Arnold that’s Not How You Farm
Arnold Parker is back and he continues to look back on his life and how he got to where he is now. Arnold is told the Tower of Scholars needs to get to Level 10 so Ranic can pass through his fourth threshold and get a second class, a farmer. Ranic wants to become a farmer because he realizes that people born into the faming class have it very rough. He wants to spend the rest of his life outlining a strategy to make those born into the farmer class have lives that are just a bit easier.
Ranic tells Arnold that he will eventually get his second class and can basically do whatever he wants to do. He had a choice, he needed to make. Arnold needs to decide to stay, help farmers, continue to build the farm and the town with the possibility of fighting the regent at every turn or go somewhere else and do something else. He would have to start over anywhere he went, re-build trust with the noble families there. It would be like being brought into the world all over again. But fighting the regent could go on and on.
Arnold decides he has to expand the commercial zones of the village. If he pays for this, which is very expensive than everything for the village will be more costly. For the village to become a town goes up and the town then to become a city goes up. And that’s only if there are no complications. As we learned in book 1 with Arnold, though he has a knack for surviving and finding exploits of the system, things most the time do no go as planned. Add into that, that the Regent wants her own piece of revenge and it will be a bumpy ride. If you like slice of life or the first book, I would definitely recommend.
Arnold Parker is back and he continues to look back on his life and how he got to where he is now. Arnold is told the Tower of Scholars needs to get to Level 10 so Ranic can pass through his fourth threshold and get a second class, a farmer. Ranic wants to become a farmer because he realizes that people born into the faming class have it very rough. He wants to spend the rest of his life outlining a strategy to make those born into the farmer class have lives that are just a bit easier.
Ranic tells Arnold that he will eventually get his second class and can basically do whatever he wants to do. He had a choice, he needed to make. Arnold needs to decide to stay, help farmers, continue to build the farm and the town with the possibility of fighting the regent at every turn or go somewhere else and do something else. He would have to start over anywhere he went, re-build trust with the noble families there. It would be like being brought into the world all over again. But fighting the regent could go on and on.
Arnold decides he has to expand the commercial zones of the village. If he pays for this, which is very expensive than everything for the village will be more costly. For the village to become a town goes up and the town then to become a city goes up. And that’s only if there are no complications. As we learned in book 1 with Arnold, though he has a knack for surviving and finding exploits of the system, things most the time do no go as planned. Add into that, that the Regent wants her own piece of revenge and it will be a bumpy ride. If you like slice of life or the first book, I would definitely recommend.
August 14, 2022
Oh, Great! I Discovered How to Cultivate a Farmer in 52 Easy Steps by Benjamin Kerei is a bit of an odd book. For the first third of the book, it read like it was meant to be a conclusion to the series. There were a few minor retcons sprinkled throughout the book, and a few decisions that seemed a little dubious to me. Him becoming a Sage and discovering the meaning of the System seemed a bit too random. Getting past the level 125 threshold felt like it was walking back some earlier pieces of lore established in the first book. The scope of the story was made both larger and smaller, with the world becoming bigger, while the narrative finding itself firmly anchored around the Giant and later the Dwarves out to fulfill the quest of killing the giant. There's a lot to like about the book, but it did feel like a work undergoing an identity crisis. While the previous book left a clear problem to be solved at the end of it, this one seems non-committal about a sequel or about the direction of the book. Will there finally be a Demon Lord to get rid of? Or will Arnold decide to run around as a Bard and realize he needs to go back home and handle things on the farm? What about the Regent and the festival? There are directions for the story to go down, but the plot feels a lot more loose than it was at the end of the first.
I'm curious about the next book, assuming there will be one, but I'm a little conflicted with how this one turned out.
I'm curious about the next book, assuming there will be one, but I'm a little conflicted with how this one turned out.
December 29, 2023
I read a lot of LitRPG and I think that Benjamin Kerei has the best “game system” design powering his novels. It’s a fascinating system that I would probably spend a lot more time trying to understand if I were reading this in print instead of listening to it on audio.
This is a worthy sequel to the first book. The characters are fun and Arnold continues to grow both as a person and in the system. The thread holding everything together is the effort to find a way to kill the giant captured at the end of the last book. It gives rise to a lot of interesting situations, but the real plot is Arnold’s continued efforts to grow a massive farm that will better the lives of thousands of people.
I do have one problem with the book. Arnold’s friends whom he has done so much for play a prank on him which will have eternal negative consequences for Arnold. He ends up laughing it off, but I don’t think that’s what he would have really done. This is someone who has been toying with walking away from everything for the entire story, and in many ways, I think that would have been the better ending—Arnold walking away. His friend’s prank in non-game-system terms would have been harmless, but they messed with something that Arnold had been working toward for two books and spent enormous political capital and game capital on and it cannot be undone. It was not funny. And every time they laughed about it made me dislike them more.
This is a worthy sequel to the first book. The characters are fun and Arnold continues to grow both as a person and in the system. The thread holding everything together is the effort to find a way to kill the giant captured at the end of the last book. It gives rise to a lot of interesting situations, but the real plot is Arnold’s continued efforts to grow a massive farm that will better the lives of thousands of people.
I do have one problem with the book. Arnold’s friends whom he has done so much for play a prank on him which will have eternal negative consequences for Arnold. He ends up laughing it off, but I don’t think that’s what he would have really done. This is someone who has been toying with walking away from everything for the entire story, and in many ways, I think that would have been the better ending—Arnold walking away. His friend’s prank in non-game-system terms would have been harmless, but they messed with something that Arnold had been working toward for two books and spent enormous political capital and game capital on and it cannot be undone. It was not funny. And every time they laughed about it made me dislike them more.
August 24, 2022
I really enjoyed reading the book (which is an automatic 4 stars), but there are rough edges.
For me the biggest issue was getting a sense of scale and achievement. The power levels in the world are imbalanced and broken so it's hard to follow and get immersed.
E.g. on one hand you're reminded that getting to level 100 is impossible and takes several lifetimes, but then this just happens for the protagonist casually through a few battles. You can live by a few coppers a day, and then thousands of crowns are spent here and there. You can beat a troll or orgre as a low level farmer, but can't hurt a dwarf with level 74. Magic and AI exist (the kings hologram can just appear anywhere and deliver judgement), but people are amazed at board games and furniture. And so on.
The protagonist is constantly edging to become a Mary Sue. He's overpowered, gets all the women, becomes a sage, a champion, the best fighter, the best inventor etc. There's little room for him to grow further without becoming god like.
The pacing is also a bit off, there's lots of passages where people just debate endlessly about this and that. Other scenes are built up just to get abandoned (e.g. the guy who tried to choke the giant by smoke, the fire is lighted and then the protagonist just goes off to the next meeting).
Overall it's a good book though. It's probably for the better if the series ended here, but there's plenty of room for spinoffs.
For me the biggest issue was getting a sense of scale and achievement. The power levels in the world are imbalanced and broken so it's hard to follow and get immersed.
E.g. on one hand you're reminded that getting to level 100 is impossible and takes several lifetimes, but then this just happens for the protagonist casually through a few battles. You can live by a few coppers a day, and then thousands of crowns are spent here and there. You can beat a troll or orgre as a low level farmer, but can't hurt a dwarf with level 74. Magic and AI exist (the kings hologram can just appear anywhere and deliver judgement), but people are amazed at board games and furniture. And so on.
The protagonist is constantly edging to become a Mary Sue. He's overpowered, gets all the women, becomes a sage, a champion, the best fighter, the best inventor etc. There's little room for him to grow further without becoming god like.
The pacing is also a bit off, there's lots of passages where people just debate endlessly about this and that. Other scenes are built up just to get abandoned (e.g. the guy who tried to choke the giant by smoke, the fire is lighted and then the protagonist just goes off to the next meeting).
Overall it's a good book though. It's probably for the better if the series ended here, but there's plenty of room for spinoffs.
August 14, 2022
Overall, this was a pretty good read, though I enjoyed it less than the first book.
There were quite a few proofreading errors in certain places, as well as sloppy syntax. It felt like a few chapters of the book maybe didn't get as many edit passes.
All the time Arnold spent agonizing over details and languishing in Catholic-level guilt grew old for me pretty quickly. I understand this book was more about mental transformation and personal growth, so it wasn't unexpectedly emo, but that didn't make it too enjoyable for me.
The plot didn't really move much either and this felt almost like a warm-up before the proper event starts. A very lengthy warm-up.
I wish there would have been a bit of a refresher for the events of the first book. I remembered maybe half of the characters and some of the broader strokes from the first book, but had completely forgotten a lot of other stuff. It's been over a year since I read the first book and I've read nearly 100 other books since then. A few reminders here and there would have been great.
I plan to read the next book, but I feel like there will be more pressure on the plot to go somewhere interesting if I'm going to go too deep with this series.
There were quite a few proofreading errors in certain places, as well as sloppy syntax. It felt like a few chapters of the book maybe didn't get as many edit passes.
All the time Arnold spent agonizing over details and languishing in Catholic-level guilt grew old for me pretty quickly. I understand this book was more about mental transformation and personal growth, so it wasn't unexpectedly emo, but that didn't make it too enjoyable for me.
The plot didn't really move much either and this felt almost like a warm-up before the proper event starts. A very lengthy warm-up.
I wish there would have been a bit of a refresher for the events of the first book. I remembered maybe half of the characters and some of the broader strokes from the first book, but had completely forgotten a lot of other stuff. It's been over a year since I read the first book and I've read nearly 100 other books since then. A few reminders here and there would have been great.
I plan to read the next book, but I feel like there will be more pressure on the plot to go somewhere interesting if I'm going to go too deep with this series.
August 23, 2022
I've got to give this one 5 stars for delivering everything I asked for after reading the last book. I really enjoyed the last book with the caveat that I wasn't interested in the protagonist trying to follow a traditional adventurers path when it was the farming and exploration specialist elements were much more interesting and set this series apart.
Thankfully, the author must have come to the same conclusion because this story doubles down on what made the first story enjoyable and moves away from the more common paths. As a result I enjoyed this one much more.
There is still room for improvement though. I'd like to see some deeper character work to get me more attached to these characters. The author tried a little with the protagonist on this book, but it was a little on the thin side. This means that it called more attention to the lack of character work rather than fix the issue.
Going back to showing rather than telling here will help fix this problem. Spend more time having the character take actions about their motivations and issues rather than just talking about them will do wonders for this series.
Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one.
Thankfully, the author must have come to the same conclusion because this story doubles down on what made the first story enjoyable and moves away from the more common paths. As a result I enjoyed this one much more.
There is still room for improvement though. I'd like to see some deeper character work to get me more attached to these characters. The author tried a little with the protagonist on this book, but it was a little on the thin side. This means that it called more attention to the lack of character work rather than fix the issue.
Going back to showing rather than telling here will help fix this problem. Spend more time having the character take actions about their motivations and issues rather than just talking about them will do wonders for this series.
Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one.
July 9, 2025
I would hate to imagine what happens when something that makes the giant look weak shows up. The lengths they had to go for them to finally deal with it was exhausting, to say the least. The implications from it caused a lot of unique circumstances I probably wouldn't have considered. The author had a lot of ideas explored throughout these two books, and while I think certain decisions would have been better. Arnold was consistent in those decisions.
The cast continued to be loveable and absolutely hilarious. There is a lighthearted teasing present from everyone he interacts with, which keeps your mind away from the brutality that's happening on a daily basis.
Having an evil twin sister trope was done in a way that surprised me. Revealing the twin as the "better" version instead of the evil. Not that they aren't both cold calculating masterminds. One just has a completely justified hatred of the other. The regent is seriously a disturbed individual, and while she is quelled for the time being. I highly doubt she is just bidding her time fruitlessly.
Good book, good characters, and an interesting world structure. Salem is now the most interesting character in the book, and I hope a third installment of this book sees extrapolating his story out.
The cast continued to be loveable and absolutely hilarious. There is a lighthearted teasing present from everyone he interacts with, which keeps your mind away from the brutality that's happening on a daily basis.
Having an evil twin sister trope was done in a way that surprised me. Revealing the twin as the "better" version instead of the evil. Not that they aren't both cold calculating masterminds. One just has a completely justified hatred of the other. The regent is seriously a disturbed individual, and while she is quelled for the time being. I highly doubt she is just bidding her time fruitlessly.
Good book, good characters, and an interesting world structure. Salem is now the most interesting character in the book, and I hope a third installment of this book sees extrapolating his story out.
October 11, 2024
Oh, Great! I Discovered How to Cultivate a Farmer in 52 Easy Steps" by Benjamin Kerei is a whimsical and lighthearted story that follows the journey of the protagonist as they embark on their agricultural adventure. The book provides an insightful look into the world of not farming and the challenges one might face when trying to become a successful farmer.
Kerei's writing style is engaging and filled with humor, making it an enjoyable read for those interested in farming or looking for a light and entertaining story. However, some readers may find the story lacking a satisfying ending, as it seems that the author wrapped up the plot in two books. The lack of a strong antagonist and the monotonous progression of the story might leave some feeling like the narrative was stretched out without significant development.
Despite these shortcomings, I would still recommend finishing the series, as the book has its charms and offers valuable insights into the farming world. Kerei's unique storytelling and witty narrative make it worth considering, especially for readers who have already found enjoyment in the series.
Kerei's writing style is engaging and filled with humor, making it an enjoyable read for those interested in farming or looking for a light and entertaining story. However, some readers may find the story lacking a satisfying ending, as it seems that the author wrapped up the plot in two books. The lack of a strong antagonist and the monotonous progression of the story might leave some feeling like the narrative was stretched out without significant development.
Despite these shortcomings, I would still recommend finishing the series, as the book has its charms and offers valuable insights into the farming world. Kerei's unique storytelling and witty narrative make it worth considering, especially for readers who have already found enjoyment in the series.
August 7, 2022
Oh Great! I couldn't put the book down and now I hafta find the words to write a literate review, 😆.
Because I don't think saying, "Get the book 'cause Duh it are good" will cut it!
First off it's narrated by one of the best narrators in the business Travis Baldree and you should know that if he did it, then it's gonna be good.
Secondly it's a follow up book to one of the best books evarrr. It's not a bridge so don't expect to be able to skip bk1 and have any idea of whats going on! Although it's a little bit darker than the first book there's still plenty of pop-cultural references, which means plenty of laughs! And there's plenty of monsters and edge-of-your-seat action (which I crave). It's hard to believe that the story takes place in just one short year. But first Arnold has to figure out how to kill a giant!
Soooooooo yeah, Get the book 'cause Duh it are good! LOLOL.
Here's a quote that I found particularly amusing.
"Pull the stick out of your ass and beat them with it."
Because I don't think saying, "Get the book 'cause Duh it are good" will cut it!
First off it's narrated by one of the best narrators in the business Travis Baldree and you should know that if he did it, then it's gonna be good.
Secondly it's a follow up book to one of the best books evarrr. It's not a bridge so don't expect to be able to skip bk1 and have any idea of whats going on! Although it's a little bit darker than the first book there's still plenty of pop-cultural references, which means plenty of laughs! And there's plenty of monsters and edge-of-your-seat action (which I crave). It's hard to believe that the story takes place in just one short year. But first Arnold has to figure out how to kill a giant!
Soooooooo yeah, Get the book 'cause Duh it are good! LOLOL.
Here's a quote that I found particularly amusing.
"Pull the stick out of your ass and beat them with it."
August 12, 2024
This was much less interesting than the first novel. When introducing readers to a new world, writers have an advantage with their first novel to really immerse the reader in their creation. It's fun to read about the magic, the laws, culture, and general lifestyle the characters will experience.
In the first Unorthodox Farming book, Arnold saw everything with fresh eyes and because he was new to this world as we were, explanations of the world's mechanics were not tedious or awkward. In this 2nd book, while Arnold is no expert, there is less for him to learn that is fun for the reader to engage with. The novel read more like a boring daily diary with way too many stats that didn't mean anything to the reader. Even the climax of this story came off as uninteresting because there wasn't much buildup, even the main character acknowledged this. I think the author could make another book in this series, but he'd have to deviate from the farm for the protagonist to introduce new world mechanics.
In the first Unorthodox Farming book, Arnold saw everything with fresh eyes and because he was new to this world as we were, explanations of the world's mechanics were not tedious or awkward. In this 2nd book, while Arnold is no expert, there is less for him to learn that is fun for the reader to engage with. The novel read more like a boring daily diary with way too many stats that didn't mean anything to the reader. Even the climax of this story came off as uninteresting because there wasn't much buildup, even the main character acknowledged this. I think the author could make another book in this series, but he'd have to deviate from the farm for the protagonist to introduce new world mechanics.
August 5, 2022
Great sequel!
This seems like a character driven plot because so there’s a lot of soul searching and anxiety on the part of the main character which ultimately drives some of the action. It’s well done though and the pieces of the story come together. Without getting into too much detail, the character continues with the exploiting the system theme and tries to overcome a number of problems, ultimately succeeding at every turn. One disappointing part of this genre is that the “leveling” theme results in constant success for the character. Personally, I like stories where tragedies occur that cannot be corrected or characters have permanent, significant flaws. They are just more relatable and the stories are less predictable. In this genre though, this is one of the better series I’ve read. I hope there’s another coming. I would re-read the series just to enjoy it. Nice job Mr. Kerri!
This seems like a character driven plot because so there’s a lot of soul searching and anxiety on the part of the main character which ultimately drives some of the action. It’s well done though and the pieces of the story come together. Without getting into too much detail, the character continues with the exploiting the system theme and tries to overcome a number of problems, ultimately succeeding at every turn. One disappointing part of this genre is that the “leveling” theme results in constant success for the character. Personally, I like stories where tragedies occur that cannot be corrected or characters have permanent, significant flaws. They are just more relatable and the stories are less predictable. In this genre though, this is one of the better series I’ve read. I hope there’s another coming. I would re-read the series just to enjoy it. Nice job Mr. Kerri!
August 8, 2022
In all honesty this is probably a 3 star book, but I loved the end and book 1 was just so good.
This book was like a midlife crisis had angry sex with the purpose of life concept. The MC walked around without really doing anything for 70% of the book except for moaning about what he should do next with his life. Would have been ok if he was at least progressing in some way at the time but almost nothing happens. So much progress and crazy evolution of his class happened in book one and this was the polar opposite. I would barely classify the first 2/3 as LitRPG.
Then the last part of the book hits and I was reminded why I enjoyed book one so much. I won’t spoil anything, but the ultimate prank takes place and I couldn’t help but tip my hat in appreciation! That mixed with some crazy scenes, leveling, class perks, and dwarf shenanigans and I couldn’t get enough. Wish the whole book had been that way.
This book was like a midlife crisis had angry sex with the purpose of life concept. The MC walked around without really doing anything for 70% of the book except for moaning about what he should do next with his life. Would have been ok if he was at least progressing in some way at the time but almost nothing happens. So much progress and crazy evolution of his class happened in book one and this was the polar opposite. I would barely classify the first 2/3 as LitRPG.
Then the last part of the book hits and I was reminded why I enjoyed book one so much. I won’t spoil anything, but the ultimate prank takes place and I couldn’t help but tip my hat in appreciation! That mixed with some crazy scenes, leveling, class perks, and dwarf shenanigans and I couldn’t get enough. Wish the whole book had been that way.
August 31, 2024
Audible edition review
Bit of a step down from book 1.
I enjoyed this book but it was very heavy on introspection and exposition. Time spent actually doing stuff was dwarfed hugely by time spent talking about doing stuff.
The MC is basically a CEO now so we are very removed from a lot of day to day aspects of his work. It also felt in book 1 like he really earned his achievements whereas here they were planned out and sort of given to him. It definitely fits the narrative but still isn't as exciting.
There is no real antagonist like the giant was in book 1. There were some beetle creatures that I though would fill the roll but they kind of disappeared. Without a looming threat and with all challenges being dealt with near instantaneously it doesn't leave you with a lot to invest in.
I still liked the book, it made me laugh out loud on several occasions and the characters are well rounded. Baldree's narration was superb too. I just wasn't gripped by the story.
Bit of a step down from book 1.
I enjoyed this book but it was very heavy on introspection and exposition. Time spent actually doing stuff was dwarfed hugely by time spent talking about doing stuff.
The MC is basically a CEO now so we are very removed from a lot of day to day aspects of his work. It also felt in book 1 like he really earned his achievements whereas here they were planned out and sort of given to him. It definitely fits the narrative but still isn't as exciting.
There is no real antagonist like the giant was in book 1. There were some beetle creatures that I though would fill the roll but they kind of disappeared. Without a looming threat and with all challenges being dealt with near instantaneously it doesn't leave you with a lot to invest in.
I still liked the book, it made me laugh out loud on several occasions and the characters are well rounded. Baldree's narration was superb too. I just wasn't gripped by the story.
August 21, 2022
These books don't take themselves too seriously. Don't let that fool you. There is some amazing writing in between the farce and sarcasm and monster battles and magic. For example:
"Time is constant. ... it's always moving forward, never stopping or slowing. It never rewinds or gives you a do-over, so if you want to succeed, you have to use some of the time life gives you wisely. You have to try to make improvements where you can. Because if you don't do it now, then you'll have to do it later."
It's so stark against the context - weekly waves of monsters attacking the village while they try to figure out how to dispose of a giant. Dwarves trying to sneak into the village and murder people for the XP.
Read both Unorthodox Farming books as soon as you possibly can. And don't skip pages. If you hurry you will only cheat yourself.
"Time is constant. ... it's always moving forward, never stopping or slowing. It never rewinds or gives you a do-over, so if you want to succeed, you have to use some of the time life gives you wisely. You have to try to make improvements where you can. Because if you don't do it now, then you'll have to do it later."
It's so stark against the context - weekly waves of monsters attacking the village while they try to figure out how to dispose of a giant. Dwarves trying to sneak into the village and murder people for the XP.
Read both Unorthodox Farming books as soon as you possibly can. And don't skip pages. If you hurry you will only cheat yourself.
August 29, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and it picks up where book 1 left off. There is good world building and I like the development of the characters as you learn more about them. The main character, Arnold, continues to grow and develop and I like who he is and his actions. At the end I liked the information we learned about Salem and I liked how the book ended. There is quite a bit of violence in the book but I dare say that goes hand in hand with killing monsters. I really enjoyed the narration by Travis Baldree.
I loved this quote at the end of the book:
“Look for me on my dying day, so I can show you the truth of my heart. I took no joy in your death. Felt no happiness in your suffering. You were the storm, and I the wall that held back your destruction. So go in peace and hear no curse from my lips, for you were bound by your nature and I was bound by mine.”
I loved this quote at the end of the book:
“Look for me on my dying day, so I can show you the truth of my heart. I took no joy in your death. Felt no happiness in your suffering. You were the storm, and I the wall that held back your destruction. So go in peace and hear no curse from my lips, for you were bound by your nature and I was bound by mine.”
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