This was an engaging read and a fun take on the LitRPG genre. While there is a lot of focus on the game strategy and the minutia of menus and tech trees, there is a strong focus on character growth, interpersonal friendship and morality, and the meta morality of a game system. This is a long book and it could have been broken up into a few volumes; it can be a bit of a slog in the mid-game narrative. But the story was fun and engaging enough to keep my interest and I liked the twists on the genre norms and the presence of a sympathetic, moral necromancer.

I have read a lot of LitRPG books recently. This is a little bit different than many because the main character is not an adventurer. Instead, he has been summoned to a medieval world where a kingdom on the edge of ruin needs him to replace the king to bring the country to victory. There are quests, battles and campaigns but the focus is on building the country and characters up. There is also friendship, betrayal, challenges, triumphs and tragedies.

I like how the character develops. Things do not go from one triumph to another; there are set backs and losses. This book has all the typical elements of an RPG story with levels and plenty of tables to see how the country and people progress. It is very long though, over a thousand pages. Parts do drag a little. Overall, I did enjoy this book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.