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Prophecy Approved Companion #1
The Chosen One
Qube was designed to die...
As the cheerful childhood NPC companion who helps the [Player] learn the world during the start of the game, it was only natural that the big bad would kill her at the end of the tutorial, kick-starting the [Player] on a quest for vengeance.
The only thing is, no one told her that...
And this particular [Player] doesn’t like to play by the rules. Being a chaos-loving gremlin, he glitches her out of her programming loop and drags her on various adventures. They'll grapple with friendly sharktopuses, Evil Emperors, and what it means to be a person.
On the way, they pick up equally unlikely party members, with Qube breaking the world in increasingly strange ways as she seeks to be the very best companion ever.
All the while, Qube herself slowly realizes that her reality is not quite what it seems...
Experience the start of a GameLit / LitRPG series about an NPC freed of it's programming loop and brought along on a player's journey of adventure and power progression. A loving parody of old school games, dungeon's and dragons, and every player who has ever thought “what happens if I do this...”.
As the cheerful childhood NPC companion who helps the [Player] learn the world during the start of the game, it was only natural that the big bad would kill her at the end of the tutorial, kick-starting the [Player] on a quest for vengeance.
The only thing is, no one told her that...
And this particular [Player] doesn’t like to play by the rules. Being a chaos-loving gremlin, he glitches her out of her programming loop and drags her on various adventures. They'll grapple with friendly sharktopuses, Evil Emperors, and what it means to be a person.
On the way, they pick up equally unlikely party members, with Qube breaking the world in increasingly strange ways as she seeks to be the very best companion ever.
All the while, Qube herself slowly realizes that her reality is not quite what it seems...
Experience the start of a GameLit / LitRPG series about an NPC freed of it's programming loop and brought along on a player's journey of adventure and power progression. A loving parody of old school games, dungeon's and dragons, and every player who has ever thought “what happens if I do this...”.
578 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2022
408 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 11, 2024
This was an OK adventure/comedy LitRPG with a twist. The twist being the fact the POV character was an NPC character coming to sentience while following around the human Chosen One “player” on his quest through a fully immersive futuristic fantasy RPG game. The coming to sentience elements did tend to give the story a slightly YA coming of age style tone. Not that such a thing is a negative!
I really did love the concept of this one. NPC leads and AI coming to sentience are two of my favourite LitRPG tropes. We followed Qube (an NPC character) as she accompanied the human player on his quest to save the world from the Evil Emperor. The twist being the fact that Qube was supposed to just be a character that was the Chosen Ones childhood friend who introduces the player to the game world before dying and providing the Chosen One with the motivation he needs to leave his village and start his quest to free the realm from the rule of the Evil Emperor that murdered his childhood pal and who is oppressing the realm in general. The “game” went awry from the get go as the player was more obsessed with glitching and crashing the game than actually completing the in game quests. His first major glitch was to ensure that Qube survived and accompanied him out of the starter village. It was from that point that Qube started to become sentient and eventually began to question the nature of her world.
It was an OK tale that never quite managed to live up to the potential of its awesome story concept. The tale we did get was readable enough to be worth the investment just not quite as fantastic as I hoped it would be.
Qube was a fun and easy to like lead character. The biggest issue is that outside of her everything from her world, the game story quests, her companions, and even the human player “Chosen One” all felt a tad disposable and meaningless. Qube coming to sentience was the only thing in the story that had any power to make me emotionally invest in the happenings. The good news is I felt like that issue was beginning to get addressed towards the end of the book as more of the AI characters started to become sentient and the player began to suspect that Qube might be than just a regular game character and started to question the moral implications of what that would mean if true. I’d have loved Tevagah to lean more into that part of the tale but much more time was spend on a mix of hit and miss humour and fairly dull in game questing.
This was a solid read so I’ll definitely move right onto the sequel but the biggest criticism I can say about it was that it reminded me of both Curious Beginnings (with its NPC lead and humorous adventure) and Artificial Jelly: Book One (with its very similar premise) and that The Chosen One unfortunately lacked the same fun in the action/adventure elements as compared to Salvos and lacked the true emotional depth of the story we got in Artificial Jelly.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: This was a Soundbooth Theatre production. Annie Ellicot did the main narration and the female voices but she was supported by Jeff Hays and Gary Furlong voicing various members of the male cast. Plus there was some singing, music, and sound effects in the production. Not as much as one would find in a Graphic Audio by a long shot but definitely some! As always I felt like the Soundbooth team did a fantastic job with audio.
I really did love the concept of this one. NPC leads and AI coming to sentience are two of my favourite LitRPG tropes. We followed Qube (an NPC character) as she accompanied the human player on his quest to save the world from the Evil Emperor. The twist being the fact that Qube was supposed to just be a character that was the Chosen Ones childhood friend who introduces the player to the game world before dying and providing the Chosen One with the motivation he needs to leave his village and start his quest to free the realm from the rule of the Evil Emperor that murdered his childhood pal and who is oppressing the realm in general. The “game” went awry from the get go as the player was more obsessed with glitching and crashing the game than actually completing the in game quests. His first major glitch was to ensure that Qube survived and accompanied him out of the starter village. It was from that point that Qube started to become sentient and eventually began to question the nature of her world.
It was an OK tale that never quite managed to live up to the potential of its awesome story concept. The tale we did get was readable enough to be worth the investment just not quite as fantastic as I hoped it would be.
Qube was a fun and easy to like lead character. The biggest issue is that outside of her everything from her world, the game story quests, her companions, and even the human player “Chosen One” all felt a tad disposable and meaningless. Qube coming to sentience was the only thing in the story that had any power to make me emotionally invest in the happenings. The good news is I felt like that issue was beginning to get addressed towards the end of the book as more of the AI characters started to become sentient and the player began to suspect that Qube might be than just a regular game character and started to question the moral implications of what that would mean if true. I’d have loved Tevagah to lean more into that part of the tale but much more time was spend on a mix of hit and miss humour and fairly dull in game questing.
This was a solid read so I’ll definitely move right onto the sequel but the biggest criticism I can say about it was that it reminded me of both Curious Beginnings (with its NPC lead and humorous adventure) and Artificial Jelly: Book One (with its very similar premise) and that The Chosen One unfortunately lacked the same fun in the action/adventure elements as compared to Salvos and lacked the true emotional depth of the story we got in Artificial Jelly.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: This was a Soundbooth Theatre production. Annie Ellicot did the main narration and the female voices but she was supported by Jeff Hays and Gary Furlong voicing various members of the male cast. Plus there was some singing, music, and sound effects in the production. Not as much as one would find in a Graphic Audio by a long shot but definitely some! As always I felt like the Soundbooth team did a fantastic job with audio.
November 12, 2022
A fantastic game parody
A beautiful parody of classic JRPG tropes with some surprisingly insightful takes on dealing with the ethics of AI and game designer involvement. Excited to read more!
A beautiful parody of classic JRPG tropes with some surprisingly insightful takes on dealing with the ethics of AI and game designer involvement. Excited to read more!
October 23, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised!
The good
This book totally caught me wrong-footed. I wasn't expecting it to be this entertaining.
Qute is cute in a very tangible way. The author does a very convincing job of painting the picture of a complex and self-aware AI on the brink of breaking out of its sandbox. I really liked how whenever confronted with circumstances that threaten to literally break her world, Qute would somehow manage to "reason" it back into a frame she can grasp, no matter how far-fetched.
The support characters also add to this growing tension of being "on the verge of". And every time they took one more step towards autonomy from The Script, I cheered heartily.
I think this book sports one of the best examples of social commentary done right. Hats off to the author on that front.
The bad
The plot tends to get quite repetitive (as most travel logs tend to do).
The Players / Devs lack gravitas a bit too much at times. It makes them hard to picture. In a game that is this realistic, al lot of our social inhibitions would automatically kick in. and I struggled with how utterly careless and tone-deaf the "Chosen One" was most of the time. It was just too much.
The ugly
Nothing in this book qualifies for this section in my opinion.
The conclusion
I liked it. It was a bit light on actual plot, but the character arc was interesting enough to carry the tale. I'm curious to see where the author goes from here.
The good
This book totally caught me wrong-footed. I wasn't expecting it to be this entertaining.
Qute is cute in a very tangible way. The author does a very convincing job of painting the picture of a complex and self-aware AI on the brink of breaking out of its sandbox. I really liked how whenever confronted with circumstances that threaten to literally break her world, Qute would somehow manage to "reason" it back into a frame she can grasp, no matter how far-fetched.
The support characters also add to this growing tension of being "on the verge of". And every time they took one more step towards autonomy from The Script, I cheered heartily.
I think this book sports one of the best examples of social commentary done right. Hats off to the author on that front.
The bad
The plot tends to get quite repetitive (as most travel logs tend to do).
The Players / Devs lack gravitas a bit too much at times. It makes them hard to picture. In a game that is this realistic, al lot of our social inhibitions would automatically kick in. and I struggled with how utterly careless and tone-deaf the "Chosen One" was most of the time. It was just too much.
The ugly
Nothing in this book qualifies for this section in my opinion.
The conclusion
I liked it. It was a bit light on actual plot, but the character arc was interesting enough to carry the tale. I'm curious to see where the author goes from here.
September 17, 2022
More than expected
What starts as a fluffy little RPG adventure based inside a game becomes a surprisingly deep meditation on AI, destiny and free will. With fighting and jokes.
Recommended.
What starts as a fluffy little RPG adventure based inside a game becomes a surprisingly deep meditation on AI, destiny and free will. With fighting and jokes.
Recommended.
September 1, 2022
I love this series! It is one of my favorite books in the young adult genre, and I highly recommend it. The world of PAC (Prophecy Approved Companion) is a virtual world where Qube, the protagonist and loveable artificial intelligence, lives. She and her childhood friend, who is also the Chosen One, set off on a journey to stop the evil emperor. Meanwhile, the Chosen One is acting strange because little does Qube know, but the Chosen One is a test player trying to break the game (find all the glitches) and has replaced her childhood friend.
Beyond all the hilarious satire the story has to offer, PAC is a sort of coming-of-age story, but AI edition. From the very start, we watch Qube grow as an AI as she breaks free from her coding constraints and steps into the realm of sentience. You will grow to love each of PAC's characters and scream at the Chosen One to notice Qube's sentience.
I love PAC's unique story, PAC's characters, and really, I love everything about the series. The only problem is we have to wait for more (the second and third books are on Royal Road and Patreon).
Beyond all the hilarious satire the story has to offer, PAC is a sort of coming-of-age story, but AI edition. From the very start, we watch Qube grow as an AI as she breaks free from her coding constraints and steps into the realm of sentience. You will grow to love each of PAC's characters and scream at the Chosen One to notice Qube's sentience.
I love PAC's unique story, PAC's characters, and really, I love everything about the series. The only problem is we have to wait for more (the second and third books are on Royal Road and Patreon).
April 6, 2023
Fun times! A lot of Zelda references and I loved it!
February 23, 2023
Hilarity at its finest.
September 10, 2022
Unfortunately I wasn't in the right audience to appreciate this gamelit book... even though it had been narrated by Soundbooth Theater Productions, where some of the best narrators work... They couldn't fix the book for me. They couldn't fix the slow beginning or that Qube was such a ditz, even Qube the Chosen One realized that she was being a ditz, but due to her programming couldn't help herself. And don't even get me started on how much I disliked the Hero. So yeah I did not finish the book, maybe if I'd had a bit more patience I could have power though and gotten through to the nougat.
...Okay that sounded a little harsh. So I girded my loins and listened a couple more hours... but unfortunately, 5hrs in, I still 😕 haven't changed my mind, sigh 😔. Qube is less of a ditz and more importantly able to control what she says and even able to start making some decisions on her own, always a good sign. But the Hero is definitely a putz.
...Okay that sounded a little harsh. So I girded my loins and listened a couple more hours... but unfortunately, 5hrs in, I still 😕 haven't changed my mind, sigh 😔. Qube is less of a ditz and more importantly able to control what she says and even able to start making some decisions on her own, always a good sign. But the Hero is definitely a putz.
January 7, 2023
Periodically you read a book that has good reviews and ratings and just wonder if you're reading the same thing everyone else read. The Chosen One was one of those for me.
I got to 20% hoping to find something enjoyable or interesting and just never did. It has competent writing, an interesting idea (maybe?), annoying characters, and is occasionally funny, but it's entirely devoid of any spark to keep my interest. I don't care about the plot, I don't care about the characters, I don't care about the world, and it's not funny enough to survive on its own.
I got to 20% hoping to find something enjoyable or interesting and just never did. It has competent writing, an interesting idea (maybe?), annoying characters, and is occasionally funny, but it's entirely devoid of any spark to keep my interest. I don't care about the plot, I don't care about the characters, I don't care about the world, and it's not funny enough to survive on its own.
September 17, 2022
At first this book was a breath of fresh air its much more light hearted and fun than other Litrpgs ive read but as I got more into the book that wore off and i found it lacked substance,and i enjoyed it less and less,i can see how some people would love this series but ive found i prefer the more gritty and dark aspects of other series so this just wasnt for me
January 29, 2024
DNF 18%
The premise, of a sapient NPC companion to a glitch-exploiting gamer, is amusing at first. The trouble is that it doesn't grow into anything substantial. It would be okay as a short story but in this novel, we have to suffer through the same joke again and again.
The premise, of a sapient NPC companion to a glitch-exploiting gamer, is amusing at first. The trouble is that it doesn't grow into anything substantial. It would be okay as a short story but in this novel, we have to suffer through the same joke again and again.
September 23, 2023
Introduction:
Greetings, fellow denizens of HowlStrom. It is I, Kiba Snowpaw, the alpha Ice Wolf with over three decades of gaming experience, here to share my frosty thoughts on Tevagah's LitRPG novel. As the icy winds of our world whisper tales of legends, so too do the pages of this book. But not all tales are worth the howl.
Hook and Thesis:
In the vast universe of gaming, where every pixel can lead to a new adventure, Tevagah's "Prophecy Approved Companion #1 The Chosen One" feels like a game that's forever stuck in the tutorial mode. It's as if the essence of HowlStrom's chilling magic was used to freeze the narrative in place, leaving it devoid of the warmth of a compelling story.
Basic Plot Summary:
Set in a digital realm that attempts to parody iconic RPG elements, Qube, an NPC, is destined to meet her end as a mere tutorial tool. However, a rule-defying [Player] decides to rewrite her fate, leading to a series of chaotic escapades against foes like sharktopuses and Evil Emperors. As they gather a motley crew of allies, Qube starts questioning her very existence in this digital dimension.
Praise and Critique:
The novel's premise, where an NPC breaks free from her coded chains, is as refreshing as the first snowfall of HowlStrom. It's a unique take on the age-old gaming trope. Yet, as the story progresses, it feels like a sled ride that's lost its way in a blizzard. The narrative often meanders, leaving readers yearning for a map to navigate its convoluted paths. The humor, which should've been the torchlight in this icy tale, often fizzles out, leaving readers in the cold.
Characters:
While Qube's journey from a programmed entity to a self-aware being is intriguing, the other characters, especially the [Player], lack depth. It's like meeting a fellow wolf who's lost its howl. The potential for character development, especially for the side characters, is as vast as the HowlStrom tundras, but sadly, it remains largely unexplored.
Structure:
The book's structure is as unstable as thin ice. Just when you think you've found solid ground, it cracks, plunging you into the icy waters of confusion. The pacing is inconsistent, and the transitions between scenes are as jarring as a sudden blizzard.
Impact:
For a seasoned gamer like me, the book's impact is akin to a game that promises an epic adventure but delivers only side quests. It lacks the gripping engagement that keeps a player's fingers glued to the controller.
Comparison:
When placed alongside masterpieces like "Ready Player One" or the witty tales of Terry Pratchett's Discworld, this novel feels like a low-level quest that's not worth the XP. It lacks the immersive world-building and razor-sharp humor that define the best in the genre.
Conclusion:
In the grand tapestry of LitRPGs, "Prophecy Approved Companion #1 The Chosen One" is a thread that fails to shine. It's a tale that had the potential to be an epic saga but ends up feeling like a side quest that's not worth the grind. As the alpha of HowlStrom, my advice to fellow readers is to tread carefully on this icy path, for it might not lead to the adventure you seek. In the words of our legendary gaming ancestors, this one's a "respawn and try again."
Greetings, fellow denizens of HowlStrom. It is I, Kiba Snowpaw, the alpha Ice Wolf with over three decades of gaming experience, here to share my frosty thoughts on Tevagah's LitRPG novel. As the icy winds of our world whisper tales of legends, so too do the pages of this book. But not all tales are worth the howl.
Hook and Thesis:
In the vast universe of gaming, where every pixel can lead to a new adventure, Tevagah's "Prophecy Approved Companion #1 The Chosen One" feels like a game that's forever stuck in the tutorial mode. It's as if the essence of HowlStrom's chilling magic was used to freeze the narrative in place, leaving it devoid of the warmth of a compelling story.
Basic Plot Summary:
Set in a digital realm that attempts to parody iconic RPG elements, Qube, an NPC, is destined to meet her end as a mere tutorial tool. However, a rule-defying [Player] decides to rewrite her fate, leading to a series of chaotic escapades against foes like sharktopuses and Evil Emperors. As they gather a motley crew of allies, Qube starts questioning her very existence in this digital dimension.
Praise and Critique:
The novel's premise, where an NPC breaks free from her coded chains, is as refreshing as the first snowfall of HowlStrom. It's a unique take on the age-old gaming trope. Yet, as the story progresses, it feels like a sled ride that's lost its way in a blizzard. The narrative often meanders, leaving readers yearning for a map to navigate its convoluted paths. The humor, which should've been the torchlight in this icy tale, often fizzles out, leaving readers in the cold.
Characters:
While Qube's journey from a programmed entity to a self-aware being is intriguing, the other characters, especially the [Player], lack depth. It's like meeting a fellow wolf who's lost its howl. The potential for character development, especially for the side characters, is as vast as the HowlStrom tundras, but sadly, it remains largely unexplored.
Structure:
The book's structure is as unstable as thin ice. Just when you think you've found solid ground, it cracks, plunging you into the icy waters of confusion. The pacing is inconsistent, and the transitions between scenes are as jarring as a sudden blizzard.
Impact:
For a seasoned gamer like me, the book's impact is akin to a game that promises an epic adventure but delivers only side quests. It lacks the gripping engagement that keeps a player's fingers glued to the controller.
Comparison:
When placed alongside masterpieces like "Ready Player One" or the witty tales of Terry Pratchett's Discworld, this novel feels like a low-level quest that's not worth the XP. It lacks the immersive world-building and razor-sharp humor that define the best in the genre.
Conclusion:
In the grand tapestry of LitRPGs, "Prophecy Approved Companion #1 The Chosen One" is a thread that fails to shine. It's a tale that had the potential to be an epic saga but ends up feeling like a side quest that's not worth the grind. As the alpha of HowlStrom, my advice to fellow readers is to tread carefully on this icy path, for it might not lead to the adventure you seek. In the words of our legendary gaming ancestors, this one's a "respawn and try again."
September 22, 2022
The AIs Have It
A small town has a prophecy that one of 3 people will become the chosen one that will save all the people. For those who were not chosen, they highest position they could get would prophecy approved companion. Qube worked hard to become the chosen one’s best friend. He had led them on adventures close to home that improved his combat abilities and her magic. The other possible chosen ones are a magic user and a rogue. The other magic user could only produce a weak fireball and had no healing abilities. The rogue was in a town that had no crime and the town folks worked together to ‘let’ their items be stolen on a schedule. They could always go and take them back when/if needed. The more she thought about things, the odder they were. Some of the same things happened at the same time every night.
The prophecy was odd in that it had placeholders like [fighter, mage, rouge], only one would awaken to a real champion. Every morning she went to the hut that held the prophecy to see if the placeholders were revealed to the actual champion. Qube figured that even if she and her hero weren’t the champion, they would probably still accompany them to help keep them safe. This morning there is no change, still placeholders, as she was about to walk away golden light envelopes the book then the hut and shoot across to her champion’s home. Her champion was enveloped with the gold light. He is the chosen hero of the prophecy. Her champion was awakened but was acting quite odd. He is looking her up and down, doing stretches in the corner and asking odd questions. What did the awakening do to him? On the way to the town elder, he does forward rolls all the way. Why is he doing this?
We later learn that the odd behavior of the champion is because he is a player and Qube and the others are AIs (Artificial Intelligence) and NPC (non-player characters). And all the odd things that the champion is doing to ‘break’ things
A small town has a prophecy that one of 3 people will become the chosen one that will save all the people. For those who were not chosen, they highest position they could get would prophecy approved companion. Qube worked hard to become the chosen one’s best friend. He had led them on adventures close to home that improved his combat abilities and her magic. The other possible chosen ones are a magic user and a rogue. The other magic user could only produce a weak fireball and had no healing abilities. The rogue was in a town that had no crime and the town folks worked together to ‘let’ their items be stolen on a schedule. They could always go and take them back when/if needed. The more she thought about things, the odder they were. Some of the same things happened at the same time every night.
The prophecy was odd in that it had placeholders like [fighter, mage, rouge], only one would awaken to a real champion. Every morning she went to the hut that held the prophecy to see if the placeholders were revealed to the actual champion. Qube figured that even if she and her hero weren’t the champion, they would probably still accompany them to help keep them safe. This morning there is no change, still placeholders, as she was about to walk away golden light envelopes the book then the hut and shoot across to her champion’s home. Her champion was enveloped with the gold light. He is the chosen hero of the prophecy. Her champion was awakened but was acting quite odd. He is looking her up and down, doing stretches in the corner and asking odd questions. What did the awakening do to him? On the way to the town elder, he does forward rolls all the way. Why is he doing this?
We later learn that the odd behavior of the champion is because he is a player and Qube and the others are AIs (Artificial Intelligence) and NPC (non-player characters). And all the odd things that the champion is doing to ‘break’ things
April 25, 2023
Qube the healer is a Prophecy Approved Companion. The Chosen One is her childhood companion, and she believes it's her job to be his guiding light on his journey. Except she was never meant to go on that journey. The Chosen One makes her a glitch by saving her from her pre-programmed death at the beginning of the game. Qube slowly becomes aware that her reality isn't what it seems, and while she tries to reason it out and keep the Chosen One alive, she evolves into something much more.
This is the first book in the fantasy LitRPG series, Prophecy Approved Companion. It surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had a good laugh with the Player/Chosen One who just wants to break the game. He skips all the lore and background dialogue, he steals from everyone, breaks pots for coins, and names his companions funny names. Managing to glitch Qube was something he read in a forum, and he's as fascinated by the ways she evolves as an AI as I was. She's the stereotypical cutesy healer girl but she slowly breaks out of her programming, and I love the direction it takes. The story is told from Qube's point of view, and I love how she sees what the Player is doing. The other companions like Sewer Bard and Sexy Screamy Spider Lady are fabulous too. This is perfect for readers who play RPGs. It does end on a cliffhanger, but that's okay. I already wanted to read lots more in this series.
P.S. I hate platforming too.
This is the first book in the fantasy LitRPG series, Prophecy Approved Companion. It surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had a good laugh with the Player/Chosen One who just wants to break the game. He skips all the lore and background dialogue, he steals from everyone, breaks pots for coins, and names his companions funny names. Managing to glitch Qube was something he read in a forum, and he's as fascinated by the ways she evolves as an AI as I was. She's the stereotypical cutesy healer girl but she slowly breaks out of her programming, and I love the direction it takes. The story is told from Qube's point of view, and I love how she sees what the Player is doing. The other companions like Sewer Bard and Sexy Screamy Spider Lady are fabulous too. This is perfect for readers who play RPGs. It does end on a cliffhanger, but that's okay. I already wanted to read lots more in this series.
P.S. I hate platforming too.
September 11, 2022
The Amazon blurb is an excellent overview of the book. This is a humorous, tongue-in-cheek, LitRPG adventure in which the Hero (“The Chosen One”) violates rules as he tries to “break” things. His “Prophecy Approved Companion” was supposed to have been killed but she became his loyal sidekick. She is usually invisible, is dedicated to saving the world and guiding the Chosen One, and is extremely helpful collecting goods for him. She doesn’t realize she is supposed to be an NPC and continually becomes distracted from her script. The Hero proceeds to wreak havoc on the game he is supposed to be testing. They are joined by several interesting Companions: Sewer Bard, who is skilled at picking locks and seducing women; Sexy Screamy Spider Lady, a giant talking spider covered in stitched-on children’s faces or else a beautiful wood elf (depending on who's looking at her); Definitely Bad Guy, a powerful mage; and finally Squiggles, the team mascot. They have many dangerous, exciting adventures and quests, ostensibly fulfilling the Golden Prophecy by defeating the Evil Wizard and his minions, and returning the Exiled Prince and Princess to the throne. But Qube, the Companions, and the Hero often work at cross-purposes. They don’t understand each other’s reactions, actions, or motivations, which adds a whole level of humor to their dialogue and interactions.
November 30, 2022
I've read a lot of stories written by people who think they know how gamers behave, and it's almost always either a caricature or just a standard book protagonist. Tevagah really captured a the mindset of a game player.
The story starts out about as generic as you can imagine, standard fantasy trope, starting village, ext ext. Except the Player (who isn't the main character) acts like someone who knows how games and stories work. So the 'subtle' hints the gamer writers work in are picked up on immediately, and he understands how game engines and mechanics work so he does his best to sequence break, clip, and generally exploit the game physics and coding bugs. The result is extremely interesting and engaging.
Best of all, the real people involved all feel and act like real people even while the npcs act properly.
Highly recommend this one!
The story starts out about as generic as you can imagine, standard fantasy trope, starting village, ext ext. Except the Player (who isn't the main character) acts like someone who knows how games and stories work. So the 'subtle' hints the gamer writers work in are picked up on immediately, and he understands how game engines and mechanics work so he does his best to sequence break, clip, and generally exploit the game physics and coding bugs. The result is extremely interesting and engaging.
Best of all, the real people involved all feel and act like real people even while the npcs act properly.
Highly recommend this one!
September 1, 2024
A good story but surprisingly serious.
I was expecting a fun story about breaking things in a LitRPG setting but that wasn't really the core of it. There was one break and things spiralled from there but the main character is an NPC who is out of place because of it.
That NPC's thoughts/feelings/emotions as she tries to understand the world around her, the problems with it, the ethics and the horrible nature of her situation were really impactful and left more of an emotional impact on me than I expected. The external debates on the nature of AI were interesting too.
The setting and other characters were both juvenile and, beyond the surface level, quite deep. The narration was spectacular too. I would definitely recommend this book although I think the story could have been wrapped up in a slightly longer book 1 rather than doing 2 books.
I was expecting a fun story about breaking things in a LitRPG setting but that wasn't really the core of it. There was one break and things spiralled from there but the main character is an NPC who is out of place because of it.
That NPC's thoughts/feelings/emotions as she tries to understand the world around her, the problems with it, the ethics and the horrible nature of her situation were really impactful and left more of an emotional impact on me than I expected. The external debates on the nature of AI were interesting too.
The setting and other characters were both juvenile and, beyond the surface level, quite deep. The narration was spectacular too. I would definitely recommend this book although I think the story could have been wrapped up in a slightly longer book 1 rather than doing 2 books.
April 19, 2025
Brilliant!
Fast Paced and well written action adventure Litrpg fantasy with magic, game settings, found family, friendships, allies, animal companions, and a whole lot of glitches. It is told from the POV of a NPC who slowly starts questioning the world when the “chosen one” starts breaking things. She is a breath of fresh air, always believing in the best of people and is endlessly optimistic. I love the wholesome friendship that develops between the protagonists. Plus, the secondary characters are just as unique, endearing, and complex. It plays with good and evil themes and as the story progresses you begin to question whether evil is evil and good is good. It’s exciting and touching and I can’t wait to see what chaos unfolds in the next book. 100% would recommend. It’s very unique.
Fast Paced and well written action adventure Litrpg fantasy with magic, game settings, found family, friendships, allies, animal companions, and a whole lot of glitches. It is told from the POV of a NPC who slowly starts questioning the world when the “chosen one” starts breaking things. She is a breath of fresh air, always believing in the best of people and is endlessly optimistic. I love the wholesome friendship that develops between the protagonists. Plus, the secondary characters are just as unique, endearing, and complex. It plays with good and evil themes and as the story progresses you begin to question whether evil is evil and good is good. It’s exciting and touching and I can’t wait to see what chaos unfolds in the next book. 100% would recommend. It’s very unique.
June 6, 2024
DNF @ 53%. I tried to give it a good run, but everything was just repetitive. While I understand that Qube is an NPC only technically liberated from the limits of her programing, I found that her wondering the same things over and over again and never asking the Chosen One (aka her best friend aka her reason for being) about it to be just boring after a while. I understand that miscommunication as a plot device has been a tried and true method since the dawn of time, but here it was just way too drawn out. The author probably could have compressed the entire series into a single book - and probably should have.
July 1, 2024
This book is a winner for anyone that likes to poke fun at the tropes and inconsistencies of Legend of Zelda and similar games. The characters were amusing and the audiobook performance was excellent.
The point of the story was clearly about character development, and so the plot takes a definite back seat. Mostly, I think the plot was there so that the characters would have something to do and places to go, not because any of it really mattered. The book ended before anything important was resolved in the plot. Perhaps because the plot wasn't particularly important, I felt a bit like the book was a little too long.
Overall, I enjoyed this and I plan to continue the series.
The point of the story was clearly about character development, and so the plot takes a definite back seat. Mostly, I think the plot was there so that the characters would have something to do and places to go, not because any of it really mattered. The book ended before anything important was resolved in the plot. Perhaps because the plot wasn't particularly important, I felt a bit like the book was a little too long.
Overall, I enjoyed this and I plan to continue the series.
January 29, 2023
I don’t usually read fantasy novels, but I do have fond memories of playing point-and-click adventure games when I was a kid, and this fun and quirky book transported me straight back to the world of the text-based computer programmer. Through artificial intelligence, a character in a computer game begins to develop ideas and preferences of her own, and interacts with the human player on an increasingly sophisticated level. This book raises questions about what defines sentience. I can’t read to read the next instalment!
January 20, 2024
Really something different
For all the variations on litrpg the hero is in a video game out there, even the ones that poke fun at the tropes or what the NPCs get up to when the players aren't around, I can't recall one that actually took seriously the potential existential nightmare of being one of those NPCs. It's both heat wrenching and at times quite funny. Qube is worth a dozen of those what if the video game world was, like, real protagonists. I really found myself caring about her trials and sometimes triumphs.
For all the variations on litrpg the hero is in a video game out there, even the ones that poke fun at the tropes or what the NPCs get up to when the players aren't around, I can't recall one that actually took seriously the potential existential nightmare of being one of those NPCs. It's both heat wrenching and at times quite funny. Qube is worth a dozen of those what if the video game world was, like, real protagonists. I really found myself caring about her trials and sometimes triumphs.
July 27, 2024
Maddening
This book has a very fun idea. An amazing performance for the audio book. And the writing itself was enjoyable, but the pacing was far too drawn out. Having listened to the audio book (15 hrs) I looked up the page count. 554 pages. It feels like it should've been 300 tops. The number of times the main character almost has character growth... only to talk herself out of it was one of the most frustrating things I've encountered in reading.
Tevagah seems to be quite a talented writer. But I wish they had killed a few more darlings.
This book has a very fun idea. An amazing performance for the audio book. And the writing itself was enjoyable, but the pacing was far too drawn out. Having listened to the audio book (15 hrs) I looked up the page count. 554 pages. It feels like it should've been 300 tops. The number of times the main character almost has character growth... only to talk herself out of it was one of the most frustrating things I've encountered in reading.
Tevagah seems to be quite a talented writer. But I wish they had killed a few more darlings.
December 2, 2022
Hilarious Take On Life In A Video Game
Qube has been raised to be the childhood companion to the chosen one. She works hard to be the best companion that she can be. When her potential chosen one awakens, he is completely different than what he used to be. He deviates from the game's script and all sorts of unexpected things ensue. Will Qube's development change the game? I like the action, humor, Qube's logic, and potential relationships.
Qube has been raised to be the childhood companion to the chosen one. She works hard to be the best companion that she can be. When her potential chosen one awakens, he is completely different than what he used to be. He deviates from the game's script and all sorts of unexpected things ensue. Will Qube's development change the game? I like the action, humor, Qube's logic, and potential relationships.
July 10, 2023
As someone who loves litrpg and gamelit for the stories, but not the stat drops, this was great. No stats at all. Of course, it wasn't the typical story.
I really loved the pov from the NPC, and that she was actually an NPC throughout the book. The hero was hilarious, and I wish we got more of him, but at least that increased as the book progressed (as did the censored swearing 🤬😂).
I wouldn't say it was perfect. It had some slow bits. But I already know I'm going to read this again.
I really loved the pov from the NPC, and that she was actually an NPC throughout the book. The hero was hilarious, and I wish we got more of him, but at least that increased as the book progressed (as did the censored swearing 🤬😂).
I wouldn't say it was perfect. It had some slow bits. But I already know I'm going to read this again.
March 2, 2025
fantasy gameLit meta-filled nonsensical debauchery viewed from the stater-area-NPC-helper-character viewpoint.
This story is turning the game-of-gods trope on its head and even if it's not the first nor the last to do so, it depicts in a very nice way the interaction between a hero that looks to be omniscient and his companions that are slowly catching up.
Too much nonsense and meta for me to follow-up. Decent read though.
This story is turning the game-of-gods trope on its head and even if it's not the first nor the last to do so, it depicts in a very nice way the interaction between a hero that looks to be omniscient and his companions that are slowly catching up.
Too much nonsense and meta for me to follow-up. Decent read though.
October 6, 2022
So much potential.
The idea is fun, but the execution is where it shines. Keeping the point of view tied to the Healer is amazing. Leaving enough crumbs to have a good idea to the entirety of what is happening is just as awesome. This gets bogged down in details from time to time, but overall it is a wonderful ride.
The idea is fun, but the execution is where it shines. Keeping the point of view tied to the Healer is amazing. Leaving enough crumbs to have a good idea to the entirety of what is happening is just as awesome. This gets bogged down in details from time to time, but overall it is a wonderful ride.
October 18, 2022
Ai sentience
What happens when ai npc characters start to become sentient? Hilarity that's what. Plus the rumbles of change and some very upset people. I actually tried to drop this book a few times and ended up coming back each time and now I really want to see what happens next.
What happens when ai npc characters start to become sentient? Hilarity that's what. Plus the rumbles of change and some very upset people. I actually tried to drop this book a few times and ended up coming back each time and now I really want to see what happens next.
January 11, 2024
Made me laugh a lot and think about all the shenanigans I've gotten up to while gaming. The characters are also great and seeing their growth throughout the book was very entertaining. Made me think about AI and it's implications as well to some extent. Overall the book is very fun and worth reading!
January 9, 2025
DNF
Dropped after getting annoyed during the first 10% of the book. Premise sounds nice, but I got bored of the "Chosen One" being an irritating person, trying to find bugs in the system. It wasn't even funny to read, which I'd expected. Our MC is just a poor tag-along, trying to kinda make sense of things. Not a book for me.
Dropped after getting annoyed during the first 10% of the book. Premise sounds nice, but I got bored of the "Chosen One" being an irritating person, trying to find bugs in the system. It wasn't even funny to read, which I'd expected. Our MC is just a poor tag-along, trying to kinda make sense of things. Not a book for me.
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