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A review by antonism
Dominion of Blades by Matt Dinniman
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