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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have never read an RPG-based series before, but it was included with my Audiable subscription and it seemed like an entertaining premise.
+ lots of Stuff going on. Action, exploration, discovery, learning, and of course Leveling Up
+ fun characters
- sometimes the plot gets a bit lost in the Stuff going on, as do the Characters when dealing with and explaining the aformentioned Stuff
- for all the Stuff going on, the forward progress is extremely slow. Human #1, the main character, really needs to learn how to ask for help and not just studder or try to fill every silence with awkward aimless chatter.
- it gets excessivly wordy and repeatative sometimes. I suspect the series? could easily cut out 50k (or more) worth of words, repeat phrases, and rehashed scenes without losing any of the storyline.
+ the emotional bits pack a hell of a punch. I got sniffley more than once
+ it takes 25 freaking hours (i listened to the Audiable version and +++ for the Narrator!), but it gets extra interesting when Human #2 starts to share the narrative. An antisocial cynic after my own heart
+ lots of Stuff going on. Action, exploration, discovery, learning, and of course Leveling Up
+ fun characters
- sometimes the plot gets a bit lost in the Stuff going on, as do the Characters when dealing with and explaining the aformentioned Stuff
- for all the Stuff going on, the forward progress is extremely slow. Human #1, the main character, really needs to learn how to ask for help and not just studder or try to fill every silence with awkward aimless chatter.
- it gets excessivly wordy and repeatative sometimes. I suspect the series? could easily cut out 50k (or more) worth of words, repeat phrases, and rehashed scenes without losing any of the storyline.
+ the emotional bits pack a hell of a punch. I got sniffley more than once
+ it takes 25 freaking hours (i listened to the Audiable version and +++ for the Narrator!), but it gets extra interesting when Human #2 starts to share the narrative. An antisocial cynic after my own heart
I read alot of Fantasy and this is the first time I've read this type of subgenre. Tbh I didn't have high hopes especially because a video game based magic system sounded like a recipe for disaster. I expected those elements to become the main focus of the story to the detriment of the character development and worldbuilding but thankfully that isn't the case. The characters grow and change naturally as the story develops and the magic is used in a way that doesn't make it feel cheap. The most enjoyable aspect is that the plots maintain a feeling of anticipation and mystery while becoming clearer in a way that feels rewarding. So many times a book will have an interesting premise with alot of potential and suddenly the main character uses their new super magic to solve everyones problems and the rest of the story becomes an afterthought. Thats not the case at all with this series, its more comparable to KKC except that we get some conclusions.
The Negatives:
It is a bit verbose at times but this is the authors 1st book and she doesn't continue that trend over the next few books. You can circumvent this by going for the audiobook which I highly recommend - Andrea Parsneau does an excellent job I'm surprised I haven't heard her narrate before.
The main character can be frustrating at times but I've heard the 1st book is being reworked and thats also a trait that drives some of the plotlines. I emailed the author about this and her response offers a reason for this which will likely become clearer in future works. The ditziness is balanced out by the deuteragonist (I had to look that up) who is pretty abrasive but all I'll say is I hated Matt Cauthon in the first few WoT books.
Conclusion:
Basically it's refreshing and on the lighthearted side, there isn't a big bad that needs to be defeated in order to save the world or something along those lines (yet?). I love those types of books but this is an enjoyable change if you're looking for some variety. It's like going for a stroll with short bursts of sprinting out of danger but instead of regretting ever leaving the house you realize going for a run can occasionally be enjoyable.
The Negatives:
It is a bit verbose at times but this is the authors 1st book and she doesn't continue that trend over the next few books. You can circumvent this by going for the audiobook which I highly recommend - Andrea Parsneau does an excellent job I'm surprised I haven't heard her narrate before.
The main character can be frustrating at times but I've heard the 1st book is being reworked and thats also a trait that drives some of the plotlines. I emailed the author about this and her response offers a reason for this which will likely become clearer in future works. The ditziness is balanced out by the deuteragonist (I had to look that up) who is pretty abrasive but all I'll say is I hated Matt Cauthon in the first few WoT books.
Conclusion:
Basically it's refreshing and on the lighthearted side, there isn't a big bad that needs to be defeated in order to save the world or something along those lines (yet?). I love those types of books but this is an enjoyable change if you're looking for some variety. It's like going for a stroll with short bursts of sprinting out of danger but instead of regretting ever leaving the house you realize going for a run can occasionally be enjoyable.