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jacobferrell's review against another edition
2.0
I've really got to stop reading LitRPG books. I know a lot of people love this genre, but it's not for me.
I had a few free months of Kindle Unlimited and a recommendation for this book, so I thought I'd try.
I had a few free months of Kindle Unlimited and a recommendation for this book, so I thought I'd try.
dreamweavermirar's review against another edition
5.0
Top tier litrpg! I got this early due to becoming it on Kickstarter, and have no regrets. Can't wait for the next one!
lundos's review against another edition
3.0
A both common and a little different take on the LitRPG genre. The main character, Chris, takes a risk by joining the Euphoria game in Death March, meaning that if he dies in the game, he will die in real life. The reason is a classic one - to save his brother from the death penalty.
The setup and plot are more or less the same as in other LitRPG books, but in this one Chris is tricked by his ex-gf and start out with no gear, no world knowledge and in a high level area. Luckily for Chris he has a lot of VR gaming experience and good game reflexes and decision making.
The book is well written, easy to read, fast-paced and entertaining without being anything special. Its a good place to start if you are interested in LitRPG.
The setup and plot are more or less the same as in other LitRPG books, but in this one Chris is tricked by his ex-gf and start out with no gear, no world knowledge and in a high level area. Luckily for Chris he has a lot of VR gaming experience and good game reflexes and decision making.
The book is well written, easy to read, fast-paced and entertaining without being anything special. Its a good place to start if you are interested in LitRPG.
gryphin's review
3.0
I was a good book, lost interest around 70% and only just picked it back up to finish it. Might read the next one if nothing on my reading list.
esop's review
4.0
There's a lot that works in Death March, and then some stuff that irked me, though overall I enjoyed the experience.
This is my first book by Tucker, and it's clear he's a skilled writer. The novel's strengths lie in the quick, easy pace, as well as the world-building in both Euphoria and the real world, which has been ravaged by climate change. I was surprised by how much the protagonist Chris's situation was set up by the conditions of our world, and I found it gave an interesting layer to the story.
The world-building of the game was also well thought-out, not only in terms of the environments and creatures and the state of the area Chris spawns in, but also the mechanics of the game. We learn about leveling up, the skillsets of various classes, mana regeneration, and a lot more that shows Tucker really put a lot of thought into how Euphoria operates, and I enjoyed seeing the characters react accordingly within the confines of the game mechanics.
My main problem with the book came from the narrator's voice. The story is told in first person, so we get a lot of Chris's personality, naturally. First of all, I found it disconcerting how he seemed to react to literally life-and-death stakes presented against him--near the end of the book, in a climactic fight scene, he accidentally wastes some mana on a spell that ends up being useless while a creature is rampaging toward him and is 25 levels higher so it can kill him instantly and he literally thinks "That was a waste, but that's how it is sometimes." I would think that someone who's about to be killed would be a little more concerned about the fact that they just eliminated one of their resources for survival.
In addition, a lot of the "gaming" language Chris uses felt very out-of-date and took me right out of the story. He refers to himself as a "noob" constantly, a term which has been outdated since around 2010 I'd estimate, so 8 years ago, and I doubt it's a term that would still be used regularly in the 2050s or 60s when the story takes place. Similarly he non-ironically uses the term "for the win" which I haven't heard anyone say for the past several years, and I play video games very regularly.
Putting aside the personality and language issues that irked me, I do think this was a fairly exciting and engaging story and probably one of the better introductions to the LitRPG genre. The tastes of world-building I got in this book made me want to check out Tucker's other straight fantasy series in the near future.
3.5/5, rounded up for GR
This is my first book by Tucker, and it's clear he's a skilled writer. The novel's strengths lie in the quick, easy pace, as well as the world-building in both Euphoria and the real world, which has been ravaged by climate change. I was surprised by how much the protagonist Chris's situation was set up by the conditions of our world, and I found it gave an interesting layer to the story.
The world-building of the game was also well thought-out, not only in terms of the environments and creatures and the state of the area Chris spawns in, but also the mechanics of the game. We learn about leveling up, the skillsets of various classes, mana regeneration, and a lot more that shows Tucker really put a lot of thought into how Euphoria operates, and I enjoyed seeing the characters react accordingly within the confines of the game mechanics.
My main problem with the book came from the narrator's voice. The story is told in first person, so we get a lot of Chris's personality, naturally. First of all, I found it disconcerting how he seemed to react to literally life-and-death stakes presented against him--near the end of the book, in a climactic fight scene, he accidentally wastes some mana on a spell that ends up being useless while a creature is rampaging toward him and is 25 levels higher so it can kill him instantly and he literally thinks "That was a waste, but that's how it is sometimes." I would think that someone who's about to be killed would be a little more concerned about the fact that they just eliminated one of their resources for survival.
In addition, a lot of the "gaming" language Chris uses felt very out-of-date and took me right out of the story. He refers to himself as a "noob" constantly, a term which has been outdated since around 2010 I'd estimate, so 8 years ago, and I doubt it's a term that would still be used regularly in the 2050s or 60s when the story takes place. Similarly he non-ironically uses the term "for the win" which I haven't heard anyone say for the past several years, and I play video games very regularly.
Putting aside the personality and language issues that irked me, I do think this was a fairly exciting and engaging story and probably one of the better introductions to the LitRPG genre. The tastes of world-building I got in this book made me want to check out Tucker's other straight fantasy series in the near future.
3.5/5, rounded up for GR
thinde's review
3.0
This seems par for the course in the LitRPG genre. I can't think of much that makes it stand out. A solid story though. Above-average writing.
angrywombat's review
4.0
OMG. This was totally out of left field.
Im participating in a "book bingo" and was dreading the LitRPG entry. I used to work for a MMORPG company, and did not want to read about a game... or so I thought. I've read Phil Tucker's "Chronicles of the Black Gate" which was a fantastic epic fantasy, so I thought he might have done a decent job with this "computer game fiction genre" that I was fearing.
Yep.
There is no messing about, just a straight launch into the guts of the story. A gamer with troubles given a chance to play a fantastic new AI created MMORPG. The gamer (Chris) wants to get this AI overlord to help him out - and anyone who survives 6 months ingame (like a weekend realtime) in a "death march mode" where you really die if you die ingame) gets to ask 1 favor.
And so we're dumped into a super-realistic full immersion MMORPG, and our PoV guy Chris is in way over his head, but uses his gaming instincts to play the mechanics and use teamwork to do the (almost) impossible.
The rest of this series needs to be read!
Im participating in a "book bingo" and was dreading the LitRPG entry. I used to work for a MMORPG company, and did not want to read about a game... or so I thought. I've read Phil Tucker's "Chronicles of the Black Gate" which was a fantastic epic fantasy, so I thought he might have done a decent job with this "computer game fiction genre" that I was fearing.
Yep.
There is no messing about, just a straight launch into the guts of the story. A gamer with troubles given a chance to play a fantastic new AI created MMORPG. The gamer (Chris) wants to get this AI overlord to help him out - and anyone who survives 6 months ingame (like a weekend realtime) in a "death march mode" where you really die if you die ingame) gets to ask 1 favor.
And so we're dumped into a super-realistic full immersion MMORPG, and our PoV guy Chris is in way over his head, but uses his gaming instincts to play the mechanics and use teamwork to do the (almost) impossible.
The rest of this series needs to be read!
reaper_hound's review
4.0
4.35 stars
I like the story, setting, characters very much, It's a Single Pov book and from just the first book you'll get to care for our protagonist, what i instantly liked about this book was most of the books written these day's tend to show some kind of toxic relationship within the book that the character's are in or were, this book also have it but it is depicted in a clear cut way that we or at least I could discern the motivation of the abuser.
The other thing I liked about the book was the world-building and the Litrpg elements didn't hinder the story that much, It wasn't all about leveling up the leveling up had a clear cut objective and we don't see the stats and spell descriptions every 5 pages
And most of all I really liked the action in this book,Tucker has a certain rhythm for it , he goes slow spikes it up then go low , then go up and down real fast , what i'm trying to say basically is the action was a ride.
I like the story, setting, characters very much, It's a Single Pov book and from just the first book you'll get to care for our protagonist, what i instantly liked about this book was most of the books written these day's tend to show some kind of toxic relationship within the book that the character's are in or were, this book also have it but it is depicted in a clear cut way that we or at least I could discern the motivation of the abuser.
The other thing I liked about the book was the world-building and the Litrpg elements didn't hinder the story that much, It wasn't all about leveling up the leveling up had a clear cut objective and we don't see the stats and spell descriptions every 5 pages
And most of all I really liked the action in this book,Tucker has a certain rhythm for it , he goes slow spikes it up then go low , then go up and down real fast , what i'm trying to say basically is the action was a ride.
sannos's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
barb4ry1's review
4.0
LitRPG is a genre that's just about to explode. Big publishers seem to overlook the growing popularity of the genre. They'll probably catch up once it skyrockets. At the moment, though, LitRPG is a genre in which indie authors can excel.
It's also a genre I have trouble with. I'm not a gamer. I don't like video games. I don't play them. I have zero interest in them. I prefer sport and reading books.
Despite this, I enjoyed newest Phil Tucker's book and devoured it in one day. It's well written, quick to read and entertaining.
The premise is simple: humanity has failed to fix the problems we've created. The world is in terrible shape, and things seem to go downhill. To salvage humankind, the brightest minds created the first real artificial intelligence. Surprisingly, instead of solving climate and social problems, the AI called Albertus Magnus created an incredibly immersive virtual world called Euphoria Online.
It's not cheap to enter the world. But once you enter, it's unlike anything you've ever played. The most controversial aspect of Euphoria is the inclusion of Death March playing mode. Anybody who survives six months in-game while playing at that difficulty level can ask a favor from AI and get whatever he wants. The tricky part is that when you die in a game, you also die in real life.
Story's protagonist, Chris, is an experienced player who happens to get a chance to play Euphoria. His brother is at risk of being condemned to death, and Chris is prepared to do anything to save him. That includes playing at Death March difficulty level. In order to survive, he'll need to level up fast and become apex predator in this virtual world.
The story is simple and straightforward. Chris needs to level up fast. After each achievement (killing some creature, making friends, athletic feats like running for your life) he unlocks new skills and gains XP "points" that allow him to buy new goodies (skills, weapons, and alike). He examines his character chart multiple times. Along the road, he meets two other players and they form a team. We get a look at other characters stats and follow their adventures.
Regarding plot, it's not particularly complicated novel. They need to run from stronger creatures, grind up their levels, fight stronger monsters, survive, get some points, gain and/or buy new skills and then fight some more and endure some more.
Happily, there's much more to the story than that. There's a meta thread that tries to answer the question why Albertus needed Euphoria to salvage humanity. There's also a sort of cliffhanger that suggests that Albertus isn't the only entity with an agenda.
The characters are wonderful. It's easy and natural to like Chris and his new friends. I found them relatable and nice. They're guys I wouldn't mind getting to know in real life. I understand their motivations and wish them well. Apart from humans, there's also a group of goblins who bring a lot of comic relief to the story. These guys rock.
The LitRPG elements and statistics are present throughout the story. At times I felt tired of the stats and Chris telling which skills he's using at the moment to survive. On the other hand, everything was presented simply and was easy to follow.
I enjoyed this book. It won't work as a standalone. Nothing is resolved, and it should be approached as an introduction to Phil's imaginative world of Euphoria. While I'll never become LitRPG hardcore fan, I plan to read the rest of the series. Mainly for the characters that are easily relatable. But also in the hope of discovering Albertus' master plan.
Death March is the second book I read as part of the TBRind - An Indie Author and Reviewer Matching Service created and maintained by The Weatherwax Report.
It's also a genre I have trouble with. I'm not a gamer. I don't like video games. I don't play them. I have zero interest in them. I prefer sport and reading books.
Despite this, I enjoyed newest Phil Tucker's book and devoured it in one day. It's well written, quick to read and entertaining.
The premise is simple: humanity has failed to fix the problems we've created. The world is in terrible shape, and things seem to go downhill. To salvage humankind, the brightest minds created the first real artificial intelligence. Surprisingly, instead of solving climate and social problems, the AI called Albertus Magnus created an incredibly immersive virtual world called Euphoria Online.
It's not cheap to enter the world. But once you enter, it's unlike anything you've ever played. The most controversial aspect of Euphoria is the inclusion of Death March playing mode. Anybody who survives six months in-game while playing at that difficulty level can ask a favor from AI and get whatever he wants. The tricky part is that when you die in a game, you also die in real life.
Story's protagonist, Chris, is an experienced player who happens to get a chance to play Euphoria. His brother is at risk of being condemned to death, and Chris is prepared to do anything to save him. That includes playing at Death March difficulty level. In order to survive, he'll need to level up fast and become apex predator in this virtual world.
The story is simple and straightforward. Chris needs to level up fast. After each achievement (killing some creature, making friends, athletic feats like running for your life) he unlocks new skills and gains XP "points" that allow him to buy new goodies (skills, weapons, and alike). He examines his character chart multiple times. Along the road, he meets two other players and they form a team. We get a look at other characters stats and follow their adventures.
Regarding plot, it's not particularly complicated novel. They need to run from stronger creatures, grind up their levels, fight stronger monsters, survive, get some points, gain and/or buy new skills and then fight some more and endure some more.
Happily, there's much more to the story than that. There's a meta thread that tries to answer the question why Albertus needed Euphoria to salvage humanity. There's also a sort of cliffhanger that suggests that Albertus isn't the only entity with an agenda.
The characters are wonderful. It's easy and natural to like Chris and his new friends. I found them relatable and nice. They're guys I wouldn't mind getting to know in real life. I understand their motivations and wish them well. Apart from humans, there's also a group of goblins who bring a lot of comic relief to the story. These guys rock.
The LitRPG elements and statistics are present throughout the story. At times I felt tired of the stats and Chris telling which skills he's using at the moment to survive. On the other hand, everything was presented simply and was easy to follow.
I enjoyed this book. It won't work as a standalone. Nothing is resolved, and it should be approached as an introduction to Phil's imaginative world of Euphoria. While I'll never become LitRPG hardcore fan, I plan to read the rest of the series. Mainly for the characters that are easily relatable. But also in the hope of discovering Albertus' master plan.
Death March is the second book I read as part of the TBRind - An Indie Author and Reviewer Matching Service created and maintained by The Weatherwax Report.