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antonism's review against another edition
4.0
4 / 5
Dominion of Blades, by Matt Dinniman, is novel apparently belonging to a fantasy/SF subgenre called LitRPG. Now, I had never before heard or read anything LitRPG so I came into this with low expectations, not knowing what to expect. The idea behind LitRPG is that the novel is somehow connected to a RPG game being played by the characters. The writer admits that it is a game, the reader accepts it and there's 4th-wall breaking in the sense that there are game rules governing the story and the actions of the characters.
If Dominion of Blades (DoB from now on) is a typical example of LitRPG then I think I have another favorite subgenre. In DoB, there's a perfect mix of action, story, characterization, humor and plot-twists to make reading this a thoroughly entertaining experience! Dinniman's writing is simple but effective; this is not supposed to be a literary monumental masterwork after all. But it works perfectly for what it wants to be: descriptions are concise, to the point and never overly verbose, dialogue is very fluid and feels natural, and the pacing is just right, kinda like an experienced jog - rarely sprinting or walking.
If I have to find something to complain about, I would say that I felt the two ship segments felt a bit too much. I find anything ship-related in my fantasy reads quite boring so it's a personal taste thing but I still think that having those parts on ground would give greater opportunities for action, plot points and character interaction.
Also, I think the antagonist was weak and badly thought. At the end, I'm not really sure about the whats and whys of his actions.
In conclusion, I can easily recommend this book, especially to fantasy fans who have dabbled in MMORPGs in the past. It is a true page-turner that is great fun and easily read. It is also a great introduction to the LitRPG subgenre, which I definitely intend to explore much more now.
4 / 5
Dominion of Blades, by Matt Dinniman, is novel apparently belonging to a fantasy/SF subgenre called LitRPG. Now, I had never before heard or read anything LitRPG so I came into this with low expectations, not knowing what to expect. The idea behind LitRPG is that the novel is somehow connected to a RPG game being played by the characters. The writer admits that it is a game, the reader accepts it and there's 4th-wall breaking in the sense that there are game rules governing the story and the actions of the characters.
If Dominion of Blades (DoB from now on) is a typical example of LitRPG then I think I have another favorite subgenre. In DoB, there's a perfect mix of action, story, characterization, humor and plot-twists to make reading this a thoroughly entertaining experience! Dinniman's writing is simple but effective; this is not supposed to be a literary monumental masterwork after all. But it works perfectly for what it wants to be: descriptions are concise, to the point and never overly verbose, dialogue is very fluid and feels natural, and the pacing is just right, kinda like an experienced jog - rarely sprinting or walking.
If I have to find something to complain about, I would say that I felt the two ship segments felt a bit too much. I find anything ship-related in my fantasy reads quite boring so it's a personal taste thing but I still think that having those parts on ground would give greater opportunities for action, plot points and character interaction.
Also, I think the antagonist was weak and badly thought. At the end, I'm not really sure about the whats and whys of his actions.
In conclusion, I can easily recommend this book, especially to fantasy fans who have dabbled in MMORPGs in the past. It is a true page-turner that is great fun and easily read. It is also a great introduction to the LitRPG subgenre, which I definitely intend to explore much more now.
4 / 5
thelauramay's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as Dungeon Crawler Carl, but still great. Brilliant narration, too. 4.5⭐
forsonny's review against another edition
5.0
I don't normally leave reviews as I am just so bad at giving them and have low standard. This leads me to liking almost every book I read.
With that said, This is a breath of fresh air for this genra. It takes what we want to see in a LitRPG (leveling, gear, NPC, VR) and builds a true world around it. Most LitRPG books have very little world or charactor building in them, focusing too much on the RPG systems.
I think that even if you have not read a LitRPG bok before or are just looking for a good fanstay book, then you can really enjoy this book.
*Book was read via audiobook format
With that said, This is a breath of fresh air for this genra. It takes what we want to see in a LitRPG (leveling, gear, NPC, VR) and builds a true world around it. Most LitRPG books have very little world or charactor building in them, focusing too much on the RPG systems.
I think that even if you have not read a LitRPG bok before or are just looking for a good fanstay book, then you can really enjoy this book.
*Book was read via audiobook format
readerxxx's review against another edition
3.0
I fought my way to 50% and just quit caring. on to another book
solakai's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
squishies's review against another edition
4.0
I couldn't help but draw comparisons with Dinniman's other LitRPG series, though mostly for the mechanics of the UI - the storyline itself is completely different to Dungeon Crawler Carl and was pretty fascinating to watch it slowly unfold.
jasonabbott's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
wimerek's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
moosmoo's review against another edition
5.0
After reading Matt Dinniman’s other novel Kaiju:Battlefield surgeon and absolutely loving it I was super excited when he sent me this! Thanks @matt!
We are thrown into this novel as Jonah and Gretchen are broken out of the loop they’ve been in for years, possibly decades. When one of the characters they speak to every day disappears in front of them, they start to question their existence.
They decide to try and get free from the RPG they are stuck in and this sets them off on a long journey with their new found friend Popper.
The world building in these novels is just phenomenal and you can imagine yourself there with the characters, I love the style of writing too. As someone who loves RPG’s it’s really awesome to read books like this, like I’m living through the game
We are thrown into this novel as Jonah and Gretchen are broken out of the loop they’ve been in for years, possibly decades. When one of the characters they speak to every day disappears in front of them, they start to question their existence.
They decide to try and get free from the RPG they are stuck in and this sets them off on a long journey with their new found friend Popper.
The world building in these novels is just phenomenal and you can imagine yourself there with the characters, I love the style of writing too. As someone who loves RPG’s it’s really awesome to read books like this, like I’m living through the game