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Mycology #1
Prologue to Adventure
An intelligent young man embarks on an epic journey through a virtual world in the first volume of this near-future fantasy/adventure series.
Declan has never cared much for VRMMO games. No matter how many times his best friend, Matt, has urged him to get into the latest craze and escape the monotony of their broken-down reality, he always finds something about the build or the engine that drives him crazy. But when an AI hacks into his Somatic Implant and invites him into a secret virtual world, he can’t resist the chance to explore.
The lush, post-apocalyptic landscape of Gaia is unlike any simulation Declan has ever encountered, and it’s only the gateway to the even grander and more realistic world known as Indiri. Soon, Declan and Matt are going on wild quests as their avatars—Dustin the Magic Myconid and Noam the Tiefling Bard—navigating a world of travelers and fighters to make their way to Indiri’s high-fantasy lands.
But Declan’s journey isn’t always smooth. And as he encounters digital gods, dangerous guilds, and powerful forces attempting to use him as a pawn, he must learn to forge his own path . . . or risk becoming an NPC in his own life.
Prologue to Adventure is an explosive start to an intricately plotted fantasy series filled with heart-pounding adventure and enchanting characters.
Declan has never cared much for VRMMO games. No matter how many times his best friend, Matt, has urged him to get into the latest craze and escape the monotony of their broken-down reality, he always finds something about the build or the engine that drives him crazy. But when an AI hacks into his Somatic Implant and invites him into a secret virtual world, he can’t resist the chance to explore.
The lush, post-apocalyptic landscape of Gaia is unlike any simulation Declan has ever encountered, and it’s only the gateway to the even grander and more realistic world known as Indiri. Soon, Declan and Matt are going on wild quests as their avatars—Dustin the Magic Myconid and Noam the Tiefling Bard—navigating a world of travelers and fighters to make their way to Indiri’s high-fantasy lands.
But Declan’s journey isn’t always smooth. And as he encounters digital gods, dangerous guilds, and powerful forces attempting to use him as a pawn, he must learn to forge his own path . . . or risk becoming an NPC in his own life.
Prologue to Adventure is an explosive start to an intricately plotted fantasy series filled with heart-pounding adventure and enchanting characters.
- GenresFantasy
481 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2022
9 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 11, 2024
Prologue to Adventure (Mycology #1) by Sir Nil:
Prologue to Adventure by Sir Nil introduces readers to a whimsical world of fungi and fantasy, promising an intriguing blend of adventure and exploration. However, while the premise holds potential, the execution falls short, resulting in a story that struggles to fully captivate and engage.
Sir Nil's writing style is whimsical and descriptive, with vivid imagery that brings the fungal world to life.
In this first installment of the Mycology series, readers follow the protagonist as they embark on a journey through a fantastical realm filled with sentient mushrooms and magical creatures. While the concept is imaginative, the plot of Prologue to Adventure feels disjointed and lacks the depth needed to fully immerse readers in the story.
The world-building in this novel is minimal, with little explanation of the rules and mechanics of the fungal world or the larger setting in which the story takes place.
Compared to its contemporaries in the fantasy genre, such as The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Prologue to Adventure falls short in terms of depth and complexity. While these works offer richly detailed worlds and well-developed characters, Sir Nil's novel feels lacking in comparison, relying too heavily on surface-level whimsy rather than meaningful storytelling.
Rating: ⭐ (1/5)
Prologue to Adventure (Mycology #1) falls short in delivering a compelling and cohesive narrative, ultimately lacking the depth and substance needed to fully engage readers. While it may provide some entertainment for casual readers, it struggles to stand out in a crowded genre.
February 7, 2023
Yeah... No. It didn't work after all.
The Good:
Intriguing concept.
The Less Good:
Sketchy to non-existent world-building. We have no sense of the environment. A lot of telling and very little showing.
Flawed VR time paradigm. What is presented as a feature would actually be received as a big drawback.
Incoherent characterisation. The side characters are a collection of clichés.
No stakes. No story.
The Bad:
POV hopscotch. Irritating as hell, and for absolutely zero gain. We just see the same scene from the perspective of the current antagonist. Or we get a few minutes of some random person's POV, in which nothing happens. This is what finally made me drop the book. If it was made with intent I would be willing to play along, but it's clearly done only for the heck of it. I don't like filler.
The Conclusion
I started the book on a positive note, but the red flags just kept piling up until I had no patience left. I'm out. YMMV.
The Good:
Intriguing concept.
The Less Good:
Sketchy to non-existent world-building. We have no sense of the environment. A lot of telling and very little showing.
Flawed VR time paradigm. What is presented as a feature would actually be received as a big drawback.
Incoherent characterisation. The side characters are a collection of clichés.
No stakes. No story.
The Bad:
POV hopscotch. Irritating as hell, and for absolutely zero gain. We just see the same scene from the perspective of the current antagonist. Or we get a few minutes of some random person's POV, in which nothing happens. This is what finally made me drop the book. If it was made with intent I would be willing to play along, but it's clearly done only for the heck of it. I don't like filler.
The Conclusion
I started the book on a positive note, but the red flags just kept piling up until I had no patience left. I'm out. YMMV.
March 22, 2023
Great story, but mediocre writing skills
I'm sorry, I know it's not fair to judge someone who put a lot of effort in writing and developing this interesting world and intriguing plot, but mate this was jumping from good parts to pointless ones too often. Why oh why should we care about the pointless details of a dinner the MC had at his friend's place? Sure, the dinner itself is there to show us about the friend's background, but why do we need to know who likes the meat more raw and who likes lots of soy on it? And don’t even make me start about the word count tricks that are all over the place.
The story was great, I really liked the new aspects of a mushroom mage, the plot is great too, but the writing makes it hard to swallow. I will give book 2 a go I think to see if it's getting better, and I do hope it will.
3.5/5 I don't know let's wait for book two to see if this series is recommended
I'm sorry, I know it's not fair to judge someone who put a lot of effort in writing and developing this interesting world and intriguing plot, but mate this was jumping from good parts to pointless ones too often. Why oh why should we care about the pointless details of a dinner the MC had at his friend's place? Sure, the dinner itself is there to show us about the friend's background, but why do we need to know who likes the meat more raw and who likes lots of soy on it? And don’t even make me start about the word count tricks that are all over the place.
The story was great, I really liked the new aspects of a mushroom mage, the plot is great too, but the writing makes it hard to swallow. I will give book 2 a go I think to see if it's getting better, and I do hope it will.
3.5/5 I don't know let's wait for book two to see if this series is recommended
February 25, 2023
A MC who seems to vacillate between acting 13 and 30, a boring cardboard supporting class, a long mostly dull tutorial that goes on in a mall and uneven writing make this a DNF after gamely slogging through 3 hours and 40 minutes of the audio version.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews