the story itself was good, i liked how you get to see the MC outside of the 'game' as well. the fact that the in game currency can be used to buy real world stocks, blew my mind, especially as someone who loves to grind video games, i would be swimming in stocks and making millions. (one can dream)

my only issue was that the AI in the game/book had more personality than some of the real life people. the NPCs were written well, but then the real life people, like his brother, seemed unnatural, their wording and tone came off as "hey chatgpt write this dialogue for me". not saying that's what the author did, but i had a hard time telling if he was talking to a real person or a NPC and i don't think anyone should have that issue.

This is my first LitRPG, and I was immediately hooked from the first chapter. I saw that this was initially released on Royal Road, and I did immersive reading for the first five chapters. After that, though, my interest in the story plummeted. Yes, it’s litRPG, but for me, for a book to be compelling, it has to have world-building. That’s what this heavily lacked. There didn’t seem to be a plot other than Raine undoing his mistakes (and conveniently winning every single one of the levels lol). There’s no depth in that storyline whatsoever.

I liked his AI, Morty, though. Sure, he was satirical, but the relationship between him and Raine is too shallow to even like?

The whole book was nonstop action as well, with little to no breather at all to explore and flesh out the characters.

Narrator review: I could hear the movements of the narrator in the audio. I’m not sure if that’s edited out in the final copy, but I hope it was. It was distracting. He also voiced Raine and the narrator of the book so similarly that I found it hard to differentiate. I don’t know if it’s something with the intonation, but I noticed he used the same for almost everything lol.

I’m still giving this a fair rating even when the book didn’t work out for me because I know people out there will love this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC! All opinions are my own

Set in 2393 Raine KongRu has just awakened in his old body and now must start the game again, amending all his old mistakes. He will reenter another world and fight to gain skills and weapons. Players are fully immersed in the game and fight for their lives.

Well written and narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good characters in this fantasy gaming world, where groups will be formed and weapons won and sold. Can Raine win against all the odds? Recommend audio version.

5*

When I saw this was a LitRPG, I was so excited. I don’t know what it is about this particular genre, but when I read through these kinds of books with stats and leveling up, it feels like watching someone play a video game (which I also love doing). I did have the audiobook which I feel is the best way to experience it.

Raine awakens to find himself “in the past” in his real body, while he had been in game for quite a long time. The issues arise, when he finds the game, he’s been playing and slaving for are now actually in the future. He has all his memories from his time “in game” so with a few days til the release, he prepares himself better than he did the first time around. It is s though he has been given a real-life chance to change the future, if he can restart the game with his plethora of knowledge and skills no one else has.

There are action-packed fights, and dwindling HP in boss battles. Though he’s doing things “right” this time, it does not minimize the danger he may find himself in. He is just better prepared and far more determined to prevent the future as he knew it, from happening again.

I had so much fun with this book and I was instantly looking for when the next book was planned to release as soon as I finished it. I am crossing my fingers I can get my hands on an ARC because I need to know what happens next and what quest awaits.

Another book that originated over at Royal Road but this time with a heavier emphasis on martial arts in a LitRPG-esque atmosphere; or at least it is so touted. I have a very mixed feeling on the completion of this book. On the one hand it was an interesting premise, but on the other hand also felt very contrived and rushed? Also, I have yet to be so annoyed with a blurb than I have on the completion of this book.

The book follows Raine as he wakes up in his old body a few days before the dawn of what would be the start of a power struggle in an online virtual reality, the repercussions of which would bleed into normal society. Having essentially been transported back in time, Raine proceeds to take advantage of the situation and avoid mistakes made earlier. But as with any time-travel related story, of course things don’t go as exactly as they had before, but that doesn’t seem to deter our protagonist as he is on a mission. There is action, the leveling-up montage, a rush to be the first to achieve quests, which are all well and good, but while the book is entertaining in parts, it just wasn’t enough for me to be excited about it.

The blurb for the book promises a lot, from complex magical systems, minimal plot armour, to an MC who is essentially emotionally mature(?) when it comes to relationships. The only thing complicated about the magic system is the fact that for a world that was dominated by AI, and still is to an extent, the AI were originally defeated by martial artists. Umm what? I understand using the virtual space to hone skills without worrying about injuries etc, but this just felt weird.

Minimal plot armour is a understatement when the MC literally has an idea of how most things will turn out (at least in this first book) so that’s not surprising he isn’t really dealt a difficult hand at any time (outside of his own stupidity that is).

As for the “MC who isn’t afraid of the fairer sex or engaging in meaningful relationships” as the blurb says, eww. There is a character dynamic that we see where the MC engages with someone he’s known to have a relationship with in the previous timeline but to use knowledge of a “trial run” to essentially get a person on your side like that just felt weird. How in the world did they decide to blurb the above I have no idea.

More than the story, this blurb needs to be better. Promise less, and deliver more.

This was such a fun time for like the first half, but I feel like it kinda got rushed towards the mid-end & everything just became a blur. I’m still not sure why he ended up back in time nor what the story was w/ Mel? Like I thought he did all of that to prevent her from selling… But in the end she had to & It was kinda like whatever to him? There were just so many unanswered questions throughout the whole thing, but I do understand it’s the first book, but I feel like it could’ve been executed a bit better. Esp the ending? It was just flat for me. Although, I did enjoy the usernames of his guild mates lol!
Overall, I still enjoyed this listen. It has potential, just a bit choppy. Nick Mondelli did a nice job, but I really cringe when they have to do the female voices 😩