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Second Chance Swordsman #1
Second Chance Swordsman, Book 1
One warrior. One mission. A second chance at stopping the apocalypse.
Sam watches the demonic forces of darkness as they engulf and destroy the land of Westria.
The final battle is over.
Or so Sam thinks.
In the last moments before the world’s end, Sam is given a second shot to save everything he holds dear.
He’ll be sent back in time.
Reincarnated into his younger self and armed with knowledge of the future, Sam will have the power to undo past mistakes and give the people of Westria a fighting chance against the impending apocalypse.
Can one swordsman change history for the better?
Sam watches the demonic forces of darkness as they engulf and destroy the land of Westria.
The final battle is over.
Or so Sam thinks.
In the last moments before the world’s end, Sam is given a second shot to save everything he holds dear.
He’ll be sent back in time.
Reincarnated into his younger self and armed with knowledge of the future, Sam will have the power to undo past mistakes and give the people of Westria a fighting chance against the impending apocalypse.
Can one swordsman change history for the better?
660 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2022
1150 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Jakob Tanner
20 books175 followersJakob Tanner is the author of three LitRPG series: Arcane Kingdom Online, Tower Climber, and Second Chance Swordsman. His books were inspired by the Final Fantasy video game series, Dungeons and Dragons, and all the MMORPGs that have taken over his life at one point or another.
He likes playing board games, binging anime, and eating yummy food. To keep up to date with his shenanigans (as well as the status of his next book) consider signing up to his mailing list here:
https://www.jakobtanner.com/dungeondi...
Beyond that, Jakob can be found at all the usual places:
Facebook (Reader Group):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19953...
Facebook (Author Page): @jakobtannerwriter
Twitter: @jakobtanner
Website: www.jakobtanner.com
He likes playing board games, binging anime, and eating yummy food. To keep up to date with his shenanigans (as well as the status of his next book) consider signing up to his mailing list here:
https://www.jakobtanner.com/dungeondi...
Beyond that, Jakob can be found at all the usual places:
Facebook (Reader Group):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19953...
Facebook (Author Page): @jakobtannerwriter
Twitter: @jakobtanner
Website: www.jakobtanner.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
September 10, 2022
I attempted to read a book by this author a couple of years ago and ended up dropping it without too many positives to say. But I gave this a shot, hoping the author had improved. Alas, I dropped this at the 80% mark.
Character - 3/10, Plot - 5/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 4/10, Writing - 3/10, Enjoyment - 4/10
I didn't really like any of the characters here. The MC was pretty generic and an idiot. The side characters were all one-dimensional, but with a single quirk to help you remember who they are. One is the female friend (I guess being female is a quirk), the other friend is paranoid about everything, and the guild leader has a sore back and enjoys looking at softcore porn magazines that evidently exist. All the villains are laughably stereotypical and shallow, often smiling and laughing to themselves while eagerly thinking about killing children. They are like the old-school villains who tie damsels to train tracks and twirl their mustaches.
The plot was pretty basic but ok. Believe it or not, this is probably the strongest aspect of the story.
The setting and game mechanics were pretty bad, especially the world-building. Everything was lazy with things from our world ported over to this fantasy one. April Fool's Day? Sure, but we'll call it Aspril Fool's or whatever it was. Same with all the calendar months. There were lots of anachronisms that made no sense, like having a dwarf pull out a flask of alcohol and mention that he doesn't bring Hate-orade to a party. Oh yeah, and there's a guy later with a magic sniper rifle, cause why not? The game mechanics were ok early on even though they were mostly just copying things like Solo Leveling, but the item drops were too convenient and overpowered and things gradually got too dumb for me.
The writing wasn't great for someone who has written around a dozen books. It reminded me of writing I saw back in junior high with lots of repetition, redundancy, passive voice, and clumsy grammar. There were a ton of proofreading errors too. It even seemed that previous drafts of some chapters were present since there were strike-through marks across some words. Just purchasing and using some basic grammar software like Grammarly or ProWritingAid would improve the writing tenfold.
The author's favorite word seems to be "bristled", so I guess if you get bored with the story you can turn it into a drinking game every time a character bristles at something.
If you have previously read this author and enjoyed their work, this might be fine for you. You are ok with it and know what you're getting into. But if you read outside the litrpg and gamelit genre much, you will probably struggle with the amateur writing.
It took longer for me to give up on this book than the previous one I tried, but if the author has barely improved over multiple books and years, then I don't think I will read any more of their works.
Character - 3/10, Plot - 5/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 4/10, Writing - 3/10, Enjoyment - 4/10
I didn't really like any of the characters here. The MC was pretty generic and an idiot. The side characters were all one-dimensional, but with a single quirk to help you remember who they are. One is the female friend (I guess being female is a quirk), the other friend is paranoid about everything, and the guild leader has a sore back and enjoys looking at softcore porn magazines that evidently exist. All the villains are laughably stereotypical and shallow, often smiling and laughing to themselves while eagerly thinking about killing children. They are like the old-school villains who tie damsels to train tracks and twirl their mustaches.
The plot was pretty basic but ok. Believe it or not, this is probably the strongest aspect of the story.
The setting and game mechanics were pretty bad, especially the world-building. Everything was lazy with things from our world ported over to this fantasy one. April Fool's Day? Sure, but we'll call it Aspril Fool's or whatever it was. Same with all the calendar months. There were lots of anachronisms that made no sense, like having a dwarf pull out a flask of alcohol and mention that he doesn't bring Hate-orade to a party. Oh yeah, and there's a guy later with a magic sniper rifle, cause why not? The game mechanics were ok early on even though they were mostly just copying things like Solo Leveling, but the item drops were too convenient and overpowered and things gradually got too dumb for me.
The writing wasn't great for someone who has written around a dozen books. It reminded me of writing I saw back in junior high with lots of repetition, redundancy, passive voice, and clumsy grammar. There were a ton of proofreading errors too. It even seemed that previous drafts of some chapters were present since there were strike-through marks across some words. Just purchasing and using some basic grammar software like Grammarly or ProWritingAid would improve the writing tenfold.
The author's favorite word seems to be "bristled", so I guess if you get bored with the story you can turn it into a drinking game every time a character bristles at something.
If you have previously read this author and enjoyed their work, this might be fine for you. You are ok with it and know what you're getting into. But if you read outside the litrpg and gamelit genre much, you will probably struggle with the amateur writing.
It took longer for me to give up on this book than the previous one I tried, but if the author has barely improved over multiple books and years, then I don't think I will read any more of their works.
September 30, 2022
Interesting idea, but the writing is too childish
Don't usually write reviews, but for this one I will. My rating is 3.5. Got through to the end but it was quite a struggle. My main issue was with the writing style, which was way too childish for me.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
There is quite a bit of description of how the monsters/enemies are being killed, with blood and gore, but, at the same time, the author uses "grown-ups" to describe a bunch of agressive men (this was how the main character, who had just come back in time from his older, war hardened, self, described a group of men that had just shouted someting close to: "kill those kids!!!!")... its way too jarring.
My second issue is the exposition. Feels like i'm reading from a translated wuxia novel. Characters either shout out what they are thinking or the story is paused for one of the characters to explain what is going on. This happens multiple times.
Overall: interesting idea but, in my opinion, poorly executed.
Don't usually write reviews, but for this one I will. My rating is 3.5. Got through to the end but it was quite a struggle. My main issue was with the writing style, which was way too childish for me.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
There is quite a bit of description of how the monsters/enemies are being killed, with blood and gore, but, at the same time, the author uses "grown-ups" to describe a bunch of agressive men (this was how the main character, who had just come back in time from his older, war hardened, self, described a group of men that had just shouted someting close to: "kill those kids!!!!")... its way too jarring.
My second issue is the exposition. Feels like i'm reading from a translated wuxia novel. Characters either shout out what they are thinking or the story is paused for one of the characters to explain what is going on. This happens multiple times.
Overall: interesting idea but, in my opinion, poorly executed.
September 30, 2022
Second Chance Swordsman is a decent LitRPG with a storyline somewhat similar to The Beginning After the End. It has all the trademarks of Jakob Tanner's other books, with their accompanying pros and cons. The characters development is good, and the plot is reasonably filled with twists and turns. But I think the book would be better served if the pacing were reduced a little bit and we get to spend some quality time with each character, instead of rushing from scene to scene. It is a bit like the last two Thor movies from Taika Waititi where things just keep happening, without giving the characters or the audience enough time to digest what has happened.
I still recommend this for readers, especially those new to LitRPG. It is a reasonably engrossing read, especially if you are on a short flight/train ride.
I still recommend this for readers, especially those new to LitRPG. It is a reasonably engrossing read, especially if you are on a short flight/train ride.
September 11, 2022
Badly written power fantasy
This is pretty bad. The main character is obviously op as this is a do over story, but the world isn't interesting. The villains are mustache twirling pure evil mooks, the characters other than the MC exist for the sole purpose of either praising the MC or making the protagonist look good. Speaking of the characters they are all two dimensional. None have their own voice really, they might have a single attribute that stands out like Toby is cowardly, and Klara is tough but other than that single characteristic they all feel very similar.
Honestly I am not a fan of this at all and was not able to finish the book.
This is pretty bad. The main character is obviously op as this is a do over story, but the world isn't interesting. The villains are mustache twirling pure evil mooks, the characters other than the MC exist for the sole purpose of either praising the MC or making the protagonist look good. Speaking of the characters they are all two dimensional. None have their own voice really, they might have a single attribute that stands out like Toby is cowardly, and Klara is tough but other than that single characteristic they all feel very similar.
Honestly I am not a fan of this at all and was not able to finish the book.
December 17, 2022
I got to 60% and gave up.
I'm a known sucker for groundhog Day scenario. That's why I stuck with this for so long.
The "idea" of the book is interesting, but the execution is at the level of a high schooler fanfic.
I'm a known sucker for groundhog Day scenario. That's why I stuck with this for so long.
The "idea" of the book is interesting, but the execution is at the level of a high schooler fanfic.
September 8, 2022
nope couldn’t do it
The book is overly simple. The characters are simple, the world seemed simple, and the plot is overdone. There are plenty of plot holes and a few inconsistencies. And my god is Toby annoying. Too many time I found my self saying “that doesn’t make sense” or “really come on”. To add Toby’s continual annoyance I just couldn’t continue past 30%. I know quite a few people on the litrpg subreddit recommend their book, but I cannot understand why.
It’s college level grammar (which is better than a lot of books in this genre), written by a high schooler, for a junior high school reader.
The book is overly simple. The characters are simple, the world seemed simple, and the plot is overdone. There are plenty of plot holes and a few inconsistencies. And my god is Toby annoying. Too many time I found my self saying “that doesn’t make sense” or “really come on”. To add Toby’s continual annoyance I just couldn’t continue past 30%. I know quite a few people on the litrpg subreddit recommend their book, but I cannot understand why.
It’s college level grammar (which is better than a lot of books in this genre), written by a high schooler, for a junior high school reader.
September 9, 2022
Quit halfway through.
This is an outline for a book that is poorly filled in. The lack of any planning. The outrageous item drops. The useless side characters that are just placeholders. The story beats that WILL happen even if it makes no narrative sense. This is just a mess from start to finish. Or from start to halfway through, can't really comment on the second half.
This is an outline for a book that is poorly filled in. The lack of any planning. The outrageous item drops. The useless side characters that are just placeholders. The story beats that WILL happen even if it makes no narrative sense. This is just a mess from start to finish. Or from start to halfway through, can't really comment on the second half.
October 28, 2024
Solid book about Sam our main character regressing 5 years to the past to stop the end of humanity, cliche sure, but I'm a sucker for it. SCS kept me entertained throughout, and while the MC is definitely strong, he's not as overpowered as most regressors are in this type of setting and really I only had few minor complaints while reading.
Usually I'm all for the main character in dungeon leveling type books having friends or a relationship, but I think the friend Toby brought this book down a bit with his incessant whining, I'm guessing he's the comic relief but he just made the story feel a bit juvenile; I also don't really get why Clara, Sam's other childhood friend who's been crushing on the Sam for years suddenly changes her mind and starts fixating on Toby near the end, he's just so whiny and nervous all the time I can't fathom this change of heart and honestly it's just really awkward to read, and felt unnecessary.
My only other real complaint is that the system itself was a bit random, you could get loot and stat points and gain classes, but it feels a bit random how you acquire said stat points that are needed to level up your class and gain new abilities. I just wish it was a bit more fleshed out.
Other than those two gripes, I enjoyed book 1 of this series and look forward to the next, so 3.75/5 for me. Remove Toby and it would be a 4.5 to me.
Usually I'm all for the main character in dungeon leveling type books having friends or a relationship, but I think the friend Toby brought this book down a bit with his incessant whining, I'm guessing he's the comic relief but he just made the story feel a bit juvenile; I also don't really get why Clara, Sam's other childhood friend who's been crushing on the Sam for years suddenly changes her mind and starts fixating on Toby near the end, he's just so whiny and nervous all the time I can't fathom this change of heart and honestly it's just really awkward to read, and felt unnecessary.
My only other real complaint is that the system itself was a bit random, you could get loot and stat points and gain classes, but it feels a bit random how you acquire said stat points that are needed to level up your class and gain new abilities. I just wish it was a bit more fleshed out.
Other than those two gripes, I enjoyed book 1 of this series and look forward to the next, so 3.75/5 for me. Remove Toby and it would be a 4.5 to me.
September 22, 2022
Superficial and boring
Even though there is a lot of action, everything always ends the same so that ends up being boring. MC is a gary stu type that bounces from "lucky" encounter to "lucky" encounter. There is an annoying character who's purpose is to be comic relief, but in written form is just irritating. I almost stopped at 30%, but skimmed the rest to see if the story stays generic all the way through and it does.
The only good thing would be if you want to read a story with no angst and and is very uncomplicated then this works.
Author also repeats himself a lot, so if you have a short attention span, and like to be told the same thing every couple of pages, this works as well.
Even though there is a lot of action, everything always ends the same so that ends up being boring. MC is a gary stu type that bounces from "lucky" encounter to "lucky" encounter. There is an annoying character who's purpose is to be comic relief, but in written form is just irritating. I almost stopped at 30%, but skimmed the rest to see if the story stays generic all the way through and it does.
The only good thing would be if you want to read a story with no angst and and is very uncomplicated then this works.
Author also repeats himself a lot, so if you have a short attention span, and like to be told the same thing every couple of pages, this works as well.
October 21, 2022
Painful
It's a mess. A guard general who break dances in a fantasy setting? Sniper rifles weilding assassin when everyone else uses swords and bows? Don't ask about the dialog it's all cringe worthy. I just can't.
It's a mess. A guard general who break dances in a fantasy setting? Sniper rifles weilding assassin when everyone else uses swords and bows? Don't ask about the dialog it's all cringe worthy. I just can't.
October 4, 2022
A good story.
The story was entertaining and I like the unique setting of book on how Travelers get their power and classes.
The story was entertaining and I like the unique setting of book on how Travelers get their power and classes.
October 2, 2022
glimmers of interest, but ultimately disappoints
"First from the sheer strength and power of its blow, and if that weren’t enough to kill the human warriors in front of it, the sharp bones along its arm finished the job, stabbing the humans all over." (from "Second Chance Swordsman (A LitRPG Adventure, Book 1)" by Jakob Tanner)
Not strong writing style . Similar writing to the above sentence through out the book. Needs better sentence construction and variety.
A simplistic plot with black and white characters and several plot crutches put this book my not recommended list.
"First from the sheer strength and power of its blow, and if that weren’t enough to kill the human warriors in front of it, the sharp bones along its arm finished the job, stabbing the humans all over." (from "Second Chance Swordsman (A LitRPG Adventure, Book 1)" by Jakob Tanner)
Not strong writing style . Similar writing to the above sentence through out the book. Needs better sentence construction and variety.
A simplistic plot with black and white characters and several plot crutches put this book my not recommended list.
March 1, 2023
I give this a 3.5 star rating. I usually love "redo" stories where the MC uses futures knowledge to become powerful and save the world. However, not only can I not handle the writing style the author uses, but the "system" is extremely simple as well.
The MC is essentially special because he gets 2 *gasp* abilities instead of one. Yes, all other "travelers" get a single ability until they get their 4 stats above 31, and then they get a second.
The MC also makes, to my mind, a bunch of dumb decisions yet ends up saving the day anyway due to plot armor.
This is the second book I've read from this author, I was not a fan of either.
The MC is essentially special because he gets 2 *gasp* abilities instead of one. Yes, all other "travelers" get a single ability until they get their 4 stats above 31, and then they get a second.
The MC also makes, to my mind, a bunch of dumb decisions yet ends up saving the day anyway due to plot armor.
This is the second book I've read from this author, I was not a fan of either.
September 18, 2022
horrible characters, story telling and continuity
I normally don't write reviews, but this book just hit me the wrong way. The main characters and supporting cast just don't make sense. It's told early on how they are all orphans, yet they are talking about matters unknown to their world (science) or at the very best someone who would have had years of schooling... orphans who only did manual labour or thriving... doesn't make sense.
Battles and world building also were a let down.
I normally don't write reviews, but this book just hit me the wrong way. The main characters and supporting cast just don't make sense. It's told early on how they are all orphans, yet they are talking about matters unknown to their world (science) or at the very best someone who would have had years of schooling... orphans who only did manual labour or thriving... doesn't make sense.
Battles and world building also were a let down.
October 11, 2022
I gave it a second chance, but it failed again
I liked Mr. Tanner’s Tower Climber series. This book is like a reskinned version of that . The dialogue is super simplistic, everything is very main story line oriented. There are little to no dimensions to the characters, I quit about 23% of the way through. Sorry Mr. Tanner, but I was hoping for more this time around.
I liked Mr. Tanner’s Tower Climber series. This book is like a reskinned version of that . The dialogue is super simplistic, everything is very main story line oriented. There are little to no dimensions to the characters, I quit about 23% of the way through. Sorry Mr. Tanner, but I was hoping for more this time around.
September 1, 2022
I had fallen in love with Tanner’s series Tower Climber, however I do believe that the first book in this new series is going to really get me hooked. Sam is a soldier who gets chosen by the goddess and sent on a quest to save his friends, his princess, and their world from the coming apocalypse and the invasion by dark forces, by being given a 2nd chance in life. He had been killed during the battle, but he finds himself once again in the orphanage on his 16th birthday with the friends he had seen killed right before his very eyes, and with a chance to save them this time around. Sam is granted the chance to do good, he is permitted to retain his past experiences and memories and he sets out to do his best to serve the goddess. He trains very hard to become stronger in every way, knowing the difficulties which lie ahead for him and his friends, as the day looms ever closer when the priests who are meant to protect them, shove them through the white gate as an experiment, hoping none of them will survive. Sam was going to make sure they all would do as the death of his friends in their previous life still haunted him till today. Sam and his friends go on to do their best to ensure the safety of their city and though Toby and Klara have no idea about Sam’s return to them, they too try to become stronger and to overcome their fears. I love that this book is so full of adventure, the chance to do good in the face of so much evil and greed for power, and that our heroes are young orphans with nothing to their name, yet who prove to be the biggest of heroes, dauntless in the face of danger and ready to protect those they care for. I am really looking forward to the next books in what I envisage will be another awesome series. Well done Jakob Tanner.
August 30, 2022
Another fun start to series by Jakob. I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes this series.
November 7, 2022
Meh. It just didn't have any depth or drama to the plot. Things just happen and people just react in a very flimsy way and none of their thoughts or background to add weight to the decisions are present. It's like "Sam went to forest killed beasts and got stronger" type narrative that just makes for a uninspiring read. Also a "super rare" class is one of the most cringe classifications I've read in this genre. DNF at 25%.
October 11, 2022
a Mary-Sue story, but well done for what it is.
The Author takes some Japanese Manga tropes and packages it with Western styles and in a LitRPG context. A lot of effort went into the book, and the Author has a future in writing, but it’s still a Mary-Sue. What if there was no convenient UniCow in a convenient dungeon he gets off stage to provide milk for the starving orphans and instead he organizes them into a massive food theft ring that brings him and the orphans into conflict with the local police? Or got them all working for inns throughout the city stealing a little food from each district and laying the blame on others starting a massive gang war by accident that interferes with his plans to save the princess? Every plan he has works, every piece of highly specialized equipment he needs he accidentally finds in a dungeon, what if instead he only found things that supported his friends? He was the brains behind everything but was weaker in equipment to all of his companions and had to outsmart his enemies instead of having the perfect weapon that attacks the weakness of his foes? It is more interesting when the hero has to struggle against misfortune, when his plans don’t quite work out, and when the six major characters don’t have a golden path to the Happily Ever After already laid out for them with each other that’s not nearly as interesting as a love triangle with and unexpected pregnancy leading to a tragic death saving the princess….. we cheer for when the hero struggles against adversity from without like them all being orphans and the evil priests, but also struggle against adversity from within,but he has no flaws, he is not short tempered, or wants to bed every woman, or greedy, he is Perfect and Noble, and thus has no internal conflict and difficulties to overcome, and so, like Superman, his only challenge is can he rescue people fast enough because they are weak where he is strong, so his only weakness is the people he cares about. This is why a Mary Sue main character does not do well with audiences in general. To be fair “The Shinegami Detective” is a Mary Sue in a “Fish out of Water” story, and that series has done well, but the cultural adjustment breaks up the perfection of the protagonist. Give your characters flaws, then play with the flaws, for example in “Blood Heir” one of the side characters is a magical queen trying to call the heroine, but magic damages electronics, so the queen has a minion hold the phone up across the room and the queen screams at the phone, funny and uncomfortable for everyone.
Good first effort. Don’t be afraid of letting your characters fail, struggle, and suffer, then their ultimate success is all the sweeter.
The Author takes some Japanese Manga tropes and packages it with Western styles and in a LitRPG context. A lot of effort went into the book, and the Author has a future in writing, but it’s still a Mary-Sue. What if there was no convenient UniCow in a convenient dungeon he gets off stage to provide milk for the starving orphans and instead he organizes them into a massive food theft ring that brings him and the orphans into conflict with the local police? Or got them all working for inns throughout the city stealing a little food from each district and laying the blame on others starting a massive gang war by accident that interferes with his plans to save the princess? Every plan he has works, every piece of highly specialized equipment he needs he accidentally finds in a dungeon, what if instead he only found things that supported his friends? He was the brains behind everything but was weaker in equipment to all of his companions and had to outsmart his enemies instead of having the perfect weapon that attacks the weakness of his foes? It is more interesting when the hero has to struggle against misfortune, when his plans don’t quite work out, and when the six major characters don’t have a golden path to the Happily Ever After already laid out for them with each other that’s not nearly as interesting as a love triangle with and unexpected pregnancy leading to a tragic death saving the princess….. we cheer for when the hero struggles against adversity from without like them all being orphans and the evil priests, but also struggle against adversity from within,but he has no flaws, he is not short tempered, or wants to bed every woman, or greedy, he is Perfect and Noble, and thus has no internal conflict and difficulties to overcome, and so, like Superman, his only challenge is can he rescue people fast enough because they are weak where he is strong, so his only weakness is the people he cares about. This is why a Mary Sue main character does not do well with audiences in general. To be fair “The Shinegami Detective” is a Mary Sue in a “Fish out of Water” story, and that series has done well, but the cultural adjustment breaks up the perfection of the protagonist. Give your characters flaws, then play with the flaws, for example in “Blood Heir” one of the side characters is a magical queen trying to call the heroine, but magic damages electronics, so the queen has a minion hold the phone up across the room and the queen screams at the phone, funny and uncomfortable for everyone.
Good first effort. Don’t be afraid of letting your characters fail, struggle, and suffer, then their ultimate success is all the sweeter.
July 27, 2024
An extremely juvenile story written by a novice writer. Don’t know why I bothered to read it other than to see how weak it was.
A goddesses intervention after an apocalypse caused the MC to jump back in time. He regressed to the orphanage he grew up in at age 16. He did retain his future memory and class.
There are so many inconsistencies in this weak story. The orphanage is managed by a cult who is responsible for their well being, but uses them as trainees for enslavement. Yet they seem to supervise themselves as there are apparently no adults actively in the orphanage where they live, stealing to survive.
The MC goes out alone into the forrest to level and after a few kills, closes his eyes and sits down in the dangerous forrest to meditate. Same thing again in his first dungeon. How stupid and unrealistic is that?
The MC soon tells the other orphans that he’s had a vision in a dream that in a month they will be cast into a high risk white-dungeon so they must train to survive. Meanwhile, the local cult leader thinks the orphans look too happy and well fed so he cuts off their supply of gruel. So 2 days later, the MC walks a magic milking cow into the orphanage, which they then hide in a closet. Really?
The orphans start training daily, but theres no mention of the work they’re supposed to be doing for the cult. Meanwhile, the cult leader is daydreaming about their demise for the sin of being alive. What a unidimensional wanker.
The excuse for fighting is completely unrealistic. The worst example is when the pessimist Toby kills a wolf with a single sword thrust, but with his eyes closed cause he’s afraid. Now there is such a thing as luck, but really? All through the book this pessimistic hypochondriac is wailing about things that can end him from drinking dirty water to monsters eating his guts. All while pining for their friend Klara, but not having the courage to tell her.
Another inconsistency is that while in the killing dungeon, everyone is transported together, to the same location in the next level of the dungeon. This happens 3 times. So how did the MC survive the presence of the merc killer in the original timeline for 2 teleports?
It really doesn’t get much better. Although this had to be written for an undiscerning juvenile audience it mentions catch-22, which is a reference that few younger people would be aware of.
There are an unbelievable number of inconsistencies, logic gaps and just idiocy in this incredibly weak book. In the words of Monty Python… “run away, run away”!
Ugggg!
A goddesses intervention after an apocalypse caused the MC to jump back in time. He regressed to the orphanage he grew up in at age 16. He did retain his future memory and class.
There are so many inconsistencies in this weak story. The orphanage is managed by a cult who is responsible for their well being, but uses them as trainees for enslavement. Yet they seem to supervise themselves as there are apparently no adults actively in the orphanage where they live, stealing to survive.
The MC goes out alone into the forrest to level and after a few kills, closes his eyes and sits down in the dangerous forrest to meditate. Same thing again in his first dungeon. How stupid and unrealistic is that?
The MC soon tells the other orphans that he’s had a vision in a dream that in a month they will be cast into a high risk white-dungeon so they must train to survive. Meanwhile, the local cult leader thinks the orphans look too happy and well fed so he cuts off their supply of gruel. So 2 days later, the MC walks a magic milking cow into the orphanage, which they then hide in a closet. Really?
The orphans start training daily, but theres no mention of the work they’re supposed to be doing for the cult. Meanwhile, the cult leader is daydreaming about their demise for the sin of being alive. What a unidimensional wanker.
The excuse for fighting is completely unrealistic. The worst example is when the pessimist Toby kills a wolf with a single sword thrust, but with his eyes closed cause he’s afraid. Now there is such a thing as luck, but really? All through the book this pessimistic hypochondriac is wailing about things that can end him from drinking dirty water to monsters eating his guts. All while pining for their friend Klara, but not having the courage to tell her.
Another inconsistency is that while in the killing dungeon, everyone is transported together, to the same location in the next level of the dungeon. This happens 3 times. So how did the MC survive the presence of the merc killer in the original timeline for 2 teleports?
It really doesn’t get much better. Although this had to be written for an undiscerning juvenile audience it mentions catch-22, which is a reference that few younger people would be aware of.
There are an unbelievable number of inconsistencies, logic gaps and just idiocy in this incredibly weak book. In the words of Monty Python… “run away, run away”!
Ugggg!
December 3, 2022
If I could I would give this Zero stars. (Audiobook review)
I cannot being to tell you how terrible this was to listen. The only way to describe my experience was that "Second Chance Swordsman" was a total ham. Not only were the main and side characters were ridiculous; the antagonist were worse. The archbishop, for example, who for some reason is responsible for for a single orphanage in city (which is called "Orphanage H") just HATES kids without parents. Enough so, that he plans to kill all the kids by sending them to a dungeon as test subject. I imagined the character twirling his mustache, while he planned his dastraticy deeds. JUST WHY? what is the character's motivation. I felt like this story was written by middle schooler. Don't get me started with the side characters; especially the other orphans (who are the MC's "friends"). They sound like bad hanna barbera cartoon side characters from the 80s. You know, bumbling fools that follow the protagonist getting into trouble and foiling the plans of the evil child hating bishop; who sells the kids to slavery.
Ignore the 4-5 star reviews; I think they are fake or bought out. Trust me when i say this; Jakob Tanner is hack of a writer and should take professional story writing courses at the local community college.
I cannot being to tell you how terrible this was to listen. The only way to describe my experience was that "Second Chance Swordsman" was a total ham. Not only were the main and side characters were ridiculous; the antagonist were worse. The archbishop, for example, who for some reason is responsible for for a single orphanage in city (which is called "Orphanage H") just HATES kids without parents. Enough so, that he plans to kill all the kids by sending them to a dungeon as test subject. I imagined the character twirling his mustache, while he planned his dastraticy deeds. JUST WHY? what is the character's motivation. I felt like this story was written by middle schooler. Don't get me started with the side characters; especially the other orphans (who are the MC's "friends"). They sound like bad hanna barbera cartoon side characters from the 80s. You know, bumbling fools that follow the protagonist getting into trouble and foiling the plans of the evil child hating bishop; who sells the kids to slavery.
Ignore the 4-5 star reviews; I think they are fake or bought out. Trust me when i say this; Jakob Tanner is hack of a writer and should take professional story writing courses at the local community college.
November 2, 2022
At my request I received a copy of this audiobook in order to give a fair and unbiased review
Genre: LitRPG fantasy
LitRPG system: Class and stat based. Classes have special abilities that rank up independent from stats.
Explicit/adult material: None.
Summary:
The world is ending. Sam watches it end powerless to save it, when he is suddenly sent back in town to remake his choices to help save his world from its terrible fate.
He is now once again an orphan at the bottom of society, but blessed with his memories and his class already unlocked (though once again level 1), he must figure out a way to leverage his knowledge to make the difference and save everyone.
Narrator
Voice diversity: Good, but dual narration would have allowed for even better diversity. Especially female voices become a bit similar.
Pacing and intonation: Extremely good. The atmosphere of the scenes are masterfully conveyed.
Overall: 4.5 / 5 stars.
The book’s strengths.
- Great narration
- The way the book deals with MC defeating enemies beyond his own power level works really well and doesn't feel forced.
- I like the way the story is told from changing perspectives.
The book’s weaknesses.
- Two characters, Toby and Alice are both quite annoying and play important roles. I hope and think that they both will grow into likeable and important characters. But the bad starting point feels too bad.
Overall: 4/5 stars
A good start to a new series and definitely also a book that can stand on its own.
Genre: LitRPG fantasy
LitRPG system: Class and stat based. Classes have special abilities that rank up independent from stats.
Explicit/adult material: None.
Summary:
The world is ending. Sam watches it end powerless to save it, when he is suddenly sent back in town to remake his choices to help save his world from its terrible fate.
He is now once again an orphan at the bottom of society, but blessed with his memories and his class already unlocked (though once again level 1), he must figure out a way to leverage his knowledge to make the difference and save everyone.
Narrator
Voice diversity: Good, but dual narration would have allowed for even better diversity. Especially female voices become a bit similar.
Pacing and intonation: Extremely good. The atmosphere of the scenes are masterfully conveyed.
Overall: 4.5 / 5 stars.
The book’s strengths.
- Great narration
- The way the book deals with MC defeating enemies beyond his own power level works really well and doesn't feel forced.
- I like the way the story is told from changing perspectives.
The book’s weaknesses.
- Two characters, Toby and Alice are both quite annoying and play important roles. I hope and think that they both will grow into likeable and important characters. But the bad starting point feels too bad.
Overall: 4/5 stars
A good start to a new series and definitely also a book that can stand on its own.
October 24, 2022
Deeply amateurish from beginning to end. Even if you ignore the basic grammar and spelling mistakes sprinkled throughout, the world-building is barely skin-deep, and the plot often hinges on a bafflingly childish understanding of politics and warfare. The progression and LitRPG elements are serviceable, but that's about it.
September 23, 2022
Inconsistent RPG elements
There is no consistency in the RPG elements.
- Trained stats from 3 to 11 (10 being average) from a few days in the woods.
- Strong boss monster did minimal damage despite repeatedly beating on the protagonist.
Plenty more examples to pull from.
There is no consistency in the RPG elements.
- Trained stats from 3 to 11 (10 being average) from a few days in the woods.
- Strong boss monster did minimal damage despite repeatedly beating on the protagonist.
Plenty more examples to pull from.
August 31, 2022
This book has the intellectual range of a scooby doo film. The ‘Orphans’ are completely unbelievable.
July 5, 2024
Wrong age demographic?
Second Chance Swordsman was a novel I refused to DNF on because I wanted there to be something I could attach to... but the author let me down. I wondered whether or not I was in the intended audience by the time I reached the end, was the novel targetted for a middle school audience? I could not fathom how such a shallow book could exist otherwise with this author's experience. I was there, willing to forgive the author with the thought that perhaps this author was new, testing the waters a little but boy was I wrong. I have to the conclusion then, that I must not have been the targetted audience of the author.
The world, the plot, the characters, the magic... it was all some of the most shallow I have seen in a while to the point where half the world does not make sense. If the church held so many evil characters, how did it continue to exist and gain various support in its institution? The advisor was such a mustache-twirling villain that I am surprised the monarchy had not caught on to him sooner. The characters were so downright evil that it became hilarious. I was looking to see if someone would kick a puppy next to showcase how awful they were next.
None of the characters had a sense of depth to them. You knew them by one or two character traits and that was enough for them to maintain a presence in the world. I wanted an exploration of the main character's trauma from his past life throughout the book but he remained this stoic cardboard that existed for the sole purpose of obtaining loot and killing monsters.
I could continue but the whole experience has just left me wanting... it's like the author left me there to starve.
Second Chance Swordsman was a novel I refused to DNF on because I wanted there to be something I could attach to... but the author let me down. I wondered whether or not I was in the intended audience by the time I reached the end, was the novel targetted for a middle school audience? I could not fathom how such a shallow book could exist otherwise with this author's experience. I was there, willing to forgive the author with the thought that perhaps this author was new, testing the waters a little but boy was I wrong. I have to the conclusion then, that I must not have been the targetted audience of the author.
The world, the plot, the characters, the magic... it was all some of the most shallow I have seen in a while to the point where half the world does not make sense. If the church held so many evil characters, how did it continue to exist and gain various support in its institution? The advisor was such a mustache-twirling villain that I am surprised the monarchy had not caught on to him sooner. The characters were so downright evil that it became hilarious. I was looking to see if someone would kick a puppy next to showcase how awful they were next.
None of the characters had a sense of depth to them. You knew them by one or two character traits and that was enough for them to maintain a presence in the world. I wanted an exploration of the main character's trauma from his past life throughout the book but he remained this stoic cardboard that existed for the sole purpose of obtaining loot and killing monsters.
I could continue but the whole experience has just left me wanting... it's like the author left me there to starve.
November 5, 2024
I LIKE the premise of the book, but how it was written that just rubs me the wrong way.
- Somehow every time (or near enough) that the MC or his people showed up it was a "last minute arrival" moment, and it made it lose all meaning.
- Toby annoyed the crap out of me.
- It felt like there were too many moments that could have been followed by "and then everyone clapped for me" in one of those kinds of posts you might see on social media that FOR SURE happened. Each one of those felt cringey.
- EVERY evil guy is just absolutely cartoonishly evil. They just want to hurt people "just because", or something like that.
- EVERY time the bad guy dies it's too quick. When each bad guy is simply killed off, and each one is SUPER evil, you really want to see them suffer, or hell, at least show some regret. Instead, they have a chance for a last gasp and then dead.
- Group fights seemed to last just long enough for everyone to get a moment of "story spotlight" before just being a mop-up. You can only see that happen so often before it gets an eye-roll each time.
- The romance. Dear God, I LIKED the pairings, but not how it was done. It felt cringe just reading about it. Like a classic case of "good idea, terrible execution"
- I dunno how best to put it, but some of the narrator's "voices" just felt like nails on a chalkboard to me.
I was originally going to give this a 2 star rating, but as I was writing out my review I somehow was convinced to lower it down to 1. THAT is how annoyed I still am after finishing both this and the sequel.
- Somehow every time (or near enough) that the MC or his people showed up it was a "last minute arrival" moment, and it made it lose all meaning.
- Toby annoyed the crap out of me.
- It felt like there were too many moments that could have been followed by "and then everyone clapped for me" in one of those kinds of posts you might see on social media that FOR SURE happened. Each one of those felt cringey.
- EVERY evil guy is just absolutely cartoonishly evil. They just want to hurt people "just because", or something like that.
- EVERY time the bad guy dies it's too quick. When each bad guy is simply killed off, and each one is SUPER evil, you really want to see them suffer, or hell, at least show some regret. Instead, they have a chance for a last gasp and then dead.
- Group fights seemed to last just long enough for everyone to get a moment of "story spotlight" before just being a mop-up. You can only see that happen so often before it gets an eye-roll each time.
- The romance. Dear God, I LIKED the pairings, but not how it was done. It felt cringe just reading about it. Like a classic case of "good idea, terrible execution"
- I dunno how best to put it, but some of the narrator's "voices" just felt like nails on a chalkboard to me.
I was originally going to give this a 2 star rating, but as I was writing out my review I somehow was convinced to lower it down to 1. THAT is how annoyed I still am after finishing both this and the sequel.
December 5, 2024
Previously, I swore that I would never read another novel by this author.
He wrote something (I no longer remember what...) that offended my sensibilities BADLY.
However, I am a junkie for returner/regressor fiction, so I reluctantly gave this book a read.
Pros: This book is not nearly as bad as the first book that I read by this writer. The story structure is actually enjoyable (he grudgingly admits).
Cons: The emotional, touchy-feely, Kumbaya in this story is killing me! I am still reading this (34% through) and the paladin like altruism, righteousness and virtue of the protagonist is cloying and nauseating. *Gags/Chokes* The book will probably end with the "Hero" riding off into the sunset on a white horse, with a little boy chasing after him yelling: "Shane, Shane, don't leave!" :-)
The year is currently 2024. Please authors, start writing pragmatic characters who are motivated by self interest (like most humans), so that modern audiences can relate to them better. :-)
UPDATE: I am 58% of the way through the story. It is not the worst thing that I have read. The story is simplistic and appears to to written for children ages 9 to 13 YOA. Silly, is the best description that comes to mind. I wonder if author Tanner writes his works as bedtime stories for his own children.
FINAL UPDATE: I can't read this anymore. The author apparently forgets what he wrote one chapter ago or what the character was doing just a day before. And, the dialog is nonsensical. I made it 64% of the way through the book before I could tolerate no more. *sigh*
He wrote something (I no longer remember what...) that offended my sensibilities BADLY.
However, I am a junkie for returner/regressor fiction, so I reluctantly gave this book a read.
Pros: This book is not nearly as bad as the first book that I read by this writer. The story structure is actually enjoyable (he grudgingly admits).
Cons: The emotional, touchy-feely, Kumbaya in this story is killing me! I am still reading this (34% through) and the paladin like altruism, righteousness and virtue of the protagonist is cloying and nauseating. *Gags/Chokes* The book will probably end with the "Hero" riding off into the sunset on a white horse, with a little boy chasing after him yelling: "Shane, Shane, don't leave!" :-)
The year is currently 2024. Please authors, start writing pragmatic characters who are motivated by self interest (like most humans), so that modern audiences can relate to them better. :-)
UPDATE: I am 58% of the way through the story. It is not the worst thing that I have read. The story is simplistic and appears to to written for children ages 9 to 13 YOA. Silly, is the best description that comes to mind. I wonder if author Tanner writes his works as bedtime stories for his own children.
FINAL UPDATE: I can't read this anymore. The author apparently forgets what he wrote one chapter ago or what the character was doing just a day before. And, the dialog is nonsensical. I made it 64% of the way through the book before I could tolerate no more. *sigh*
November 24, 2022
Surprisingly childish
The first few chapters were fairly polished and promising. After that, the logic and decision making in this book really started making my brain hurt. Then I realized it was written like a cartoon with little effort to base anything in reality. I was able to have some fun with the ridiculousness of the story, but still found it a very annoying experience.
To be clear, I'm not talking about fantasy magic being the problem, but how people behave and how things work. A perfect example (minor spoiler, pun intended) is when the main character trains children to fight for a few hours then sets them loose to spar with real weapons. He watches from a distance offering no additional instruction and is surprised when the children aren't competent. I was equally surprised none of them were seriously injured or dead.
I honestly wonder if this book was co-written by an actual kid, which would explain a lot... the simplistic game system, the cheesy child army, the cartoonish villains and plot, etc.
I'm a sucker for regression stories and veteran of poorly written LitRPG, but this was a struggle for even me to get through. Maybe after reading this review you’ll have better expectations and be able to enjoy this story more than I did.
The first few chapters were fairly polished and promising. After that, the logic and decision making in this book really started making my brain hurt. Then I realized it was written like a cartoon with little effort to base anything in reality. I was able to have some fun with the ridiculousness of the story, but still found it a very annoying experience.
To be clear, I'm not talking about fantasy magic being the problem, but how people behave and how things work. A perfect example (minor spoiler, pun intended) is when the main character trains children to fight for a few hours then sets them loose to spar with real weapons. He watches from a distance offering no additional instruction and is surprised when the children aren't competent. I was equally surprised none of them were seriously injured or dead.
I honestly wonder if this book was co-written by an actual kid, which would explain a lot... the simplistic game system, the cheesy child army, the cartoonish villains and plot, etc.
I'm a sucker for regression stories and veteran of poorly written LitRPG, but this was a struggle for even me to get through. Maybe after reading this review you’ll have better expectations and be able to enjoy this story more than I did.
June 30, 2023
This is such a weird book. The plot isn't bad, even if it's a bit trite, but the writing is poor. The characters are flat, and the villains are cartoonish. Any time it looks like the heroes may experience a defeat, the main character has an inner monologue detailing how he predicted exactly this scenario and has planned the perfect counter. It's lazy and boring.
I feel like the author has just learned what a thesaurus is. Awkward word choices abound, making for ambiguous statements and descriptions. For example, what exactly is a ribbed blade? There are other instances, but I've tried to purge them from my mind.
Sometime the author just tramples on his own credibility, ruining suspension of disbelief through anachronisms and stupidity. For example, the main character can somehow use a torch to light bronze arrows on fire, thus creating flaming arrows. (Just writing that makes me feel stupid.) The anachronisms are just as bad and include modern colloquialisms, and celebrating slightly renamed holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, and April Fools' Day. Additionally, there are some irritating LitRPG tropes, such as writing out a skill description only to have the character immediately describe the skill via internal monologue.
I feel like the author has just learned what a thesaurus is. Awkward word choices abound, making for ambiguous statements and descriptions. For example, what exactly is a ribbed blade? There are other instances, but I've tried to purge them from my mind.
Sometime the author just tramples on his own credibility, ruining suspension of disbelief through anachronisms and stupidity. For example, the main character can somehow use a torch to light bronze arrows on fire, thus creating flaming arrows. (Just writing that makes me feel stupid.) The anachronisms are just as bad and include modern colloquialisms, and celebrating slightly renamed holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, and April Fools' Day. Additionally, there are some irritating LitRPG tropes, such as writing out a skill description only to have the character immediately describe the skill via internal monologue.
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