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swiff's review against another edition
5.0
I was lucky enough to read a beta version of this trilogy, so thank you to Phil Tucker for providing me with early access.
This was first foray into the LitRPG (literary role-playing-game) subgenre, and I'm glad I waited. Phil's books are a pleasure to read because they're written in a "blockbuster" style: they're very cinematic, they move at a wonderful pace, the characters are fun to root for and against, and the battle scenes are creative and engaging. All these elements are on display in full force throughout “Death March,” and it led to one of the most addictive trilogies I've read in quite some time.
Exploring the world of Euphoria through the protagonist Chris is like experiencing a shiny and massive open world video game. Whenever I started playing games like The Witcher or World of Warcraft, all I wanted to do was sink dozens of hours into it, level up, discover new secrets, play with new weapons, and gain awesome powers on my quest. That feeling of excitement and discovery is captured perfectly in this story, with an added tension of knowing that Chris only has one life to live in the game: his own. Game Over is permanent. Phil does an admirable job explaining why Chris chooses which classes and abilities will help keep him alive the longest, and I kept nodding my head at the strategies employed. It made me think of what I'd do in the situation: how differently would I approach a game if I couldn't die even once?
The LitRPG elements and statistics are present throughout the story, but they're presented in a simple manner, so it never felt like I was getting bogged down with too many rules or things to remember. Even if you're not a fan of video games or RPGs, the system that Phil created is very straightforward and easy to follow. If you do happen to enjoy fantasy-based gaming, then you’ll have plenty of easter eggs and references to sift through.
The motivations, quests, and characters that Chris interacts with along the way help to flesh out an impressive and engaging world-building experience, both inside and outside of the game. There's a good balance of action and mystery, a bit of humor and perhaps a bit of romance. It all meshes together so well that the pages just flew by. The gaming world is made up of the usual classical fantasy races: goblins, ogres, undead, and the like. But Phil puts his own twist on these tropes to create fun and fresh ideas.
There’s also an overarching plot thread that revolves around Alberto, the AI that has created and maintains the Euphoria game system. The present state of near-future Earth in the book has crumbling economies, environment disasters, and toppling governments. Alberto was designed to help usher in a solution for the human race, and somehow Euphoria is the key. There are tantalizing hints of something larger at play as the story develops beyond Chris’ Death March journey…
If you're a fan of Phil's previous works, The Chronicles of the Black Gate series, of the in-progress Godsblood trilogy, then reading this new series is a no-brainer. If you're on the fence, then I encourage you to check out this fast-emerging LitRPG fantasy subgenre that seems to have exploded over the past couple of years. Highly addictive, imaginative, and entertaining, this series is level 50 awesome.
This was first foray into the LitRPG (literary role-playing-game) subgenre, and I'm glad I waited. Phil's books are a pleasure to read because they're written in a "blockbuster" style: they're very cinematic, they move at a wonderful pace, the characters are fun to root for and against, and the battle scenes are creative and engaging. All these elements are on display in full force throughout “Death March,” and it led to one of the most addictive trilogies I've read in quite some time.
Exploring the world of Euphoria through the protagonist Chris is like experiencing a shiny and massive open world video game. Whenever I started playing games like The Witcher or World of Warcraft, all I wanted to do was sink dozens of hours into it, level up, discover new secrets, play with new weapons, and gain awesome powers on my quest. That feeling of excitement and discovery is captured perfectly in this story, with an added tension of knowing that Chris only has one life to live in the game: his own. Game Over is permanent. Phil does an admirable job explaining why Chris chooses which classes and abilities will help keep him alive the longest, and I kept nodding my head at the strategies employed. It made me think of what I'd do in the situation: how differently would I approach a game if I couldn't die even once?
The LitRPG elements and statistics are present throughout the story, but they're presented in a simple manner, so it never felt like I was getting bogged down with too many rules or things to remember. Even if you're not a fan of video games or RPGs, the system that Phil created is very straightforward and easy to follow. If you do happen to enjoy fantasy-based gaming, then you’ll have plenty of easter eggs and references to sift through.
The motivations, quests, and characters that Chris interacts with along the way help to flesh out an impressive and engaging world-building experience, both inside and outside of the game. There's a good balance of action and mystery, a bit of humor and perhaps a bit of romance. It all meshes together so well that the pages just flew by. The gaming world is made up of the usual classical fantasy races: goblins, ogres, undead, and the like. But Phil puts his own twist on these tropes to create fun and fresh ideas.
There’s also an overarching plot thread that revolves around Alberto, the AI that has created and maintains the Euphoria game system. The present state of near-future Earth in the book has crumbling economies, environment disasters, and toppling governments. Alberto was designed to help usher in a solution for the human race, and somehow Euphoria is the key. There are tantalizing hints of something larger at play as the story develops beyond Chris’ Death March journey…
If you're a fan of Phil's previous works, The Chronicles of the Black Gate series, of the in-progress Godsblood trilogy, then reading this new series is a no-brainer. If you're on the fence, then I encourage you to check out this fast-emerging LitRPG fantasy subgenre that seems to have exploded over the past couple of years. Highly addictive, imaginative, and entertaining, this series is level 50 awesome.
tctippens's review against another edition
5.0
Tucker never fails to deliver a wild ride. Death March was my introduction to the LitRPG genre, and what a fantastic introduction it was.
Awesome World: +1!
Fist-Pumping Action: +1!
Lovable Characters: +1!
The story has very little fluff. We hit the ground running on page one with Chris being invited to play Euphoria Online for free. He's skeptical of the invitation at first—after all, a weekend pass costs $3,000!—but it comes from his rich gamer ex-girlfriend Brianna.
Chris jumps at the opportunity, since his brother Justin may be facing the death penalty for looting the flooded shores of a future United States of America. If Chris survives six months of Euphoria Online in death march mode, he can ask a boon of the artificial intelligence that rules the world.
Note: That's six months in-game, which is only about a weekend of real-world time. The time dilation aspect of the game is pretty cool and used in some creative ways.
The book reminded me of my days playing World of Warcraft. The fun of new discovery, teaming up with online friends, and strategically trying to optimize your skillset are all here. And even though the constant threat of death looms over Chris, there's quite a bit of humor to balance out the bleakness. I can think of about seventeen reasons why the green liver goblins were amazing.
It's worth noting that I listened to the audio book, narrated by the wonderful Vikas Adam. He enhances an already incredible story and I can't recommend listening to this book enough. I only wish that I could have enjoyed the lovely artwork that comes with physical copies of the book.
Awesome World: +1!
Fist-Pumping Action: +1!
Lovable Characters: +1!
The story has very little fluff. We hit the ground running on page one with Chris being invited to play Euphoria Online for free. He's skeptical of the invitation at first—after all, a weekend pass costs $3,000!—but it comes from his rich gamer ex-girlfriend Brianna.
Chris jumps at the opportunity, since his brother Justin may be facing the death penalty for looting the flooded shores of a future United States of America. If Chris survives six months of Euphoria Online in death march mode, he can ask a boon of the artificial intelligence that rules the world.
Note: That's six months in-game, which is only about a weekend of real-world time. The time dilation aspect of the game is pretty cool and used in some creative ways.
The book reminded me of my days playing World of Warcraft. The fun of new discovery, teaming up with online friends, and strategically trying to optimize your skillset are all here. And even though the constant threat of death looms over Chris, there's quite a bit of humor to balance out the bleakness. I can think of about seventeen reasons why the green liver goblins were amazing.
It's worth noting that I listened to the audio book, narrated by the wonderful Vikas Adam. He enhances an already incredible story and I can't recommend listening to this book enough. I only wish that I could have enjoyed the lovely artwork that comes with physical copies of the book.
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