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Tower of Babel #1
SpeedRunner
Launch day.
That was what they called it. The day when over four million people vanished in an instant from the island of Manhattan. The day earthquakes ravaged the east coast. The day a one hundred and one kilometre tall tower rose from the wreckage of the now empty city. The day every screen, newspaper, and smart phone displayed a single message from an unknown source:
The Great Emperor has issued his challenge.
From the ruins of the Old World rise the Tower. Its doors will soon open, and the great game will begin.
A hundred floors and a hundred challenges await the worthy.
And to the victor? A Wish of Unlimited Power.
Cayden Caros yearned to play that game. His only problem? The Terms and Conditions. A strict set of rules that, among other things, prevented anyone under the age of sixteen from entering the tower.
Forced to wait for over two years, Cayden did the only thing he could do to pass the time. He researched, he practiced and he prepared. It would take a lot to catch up to players with such an enormous head start. Lucky for him, he was a special type of gamer.
A SpeedRunner
That was what they called it. The day when over four million people vanished in an instant from the island of Manhattan. The day earthquakes ravaged the east coast. The day a one hundred and one kilometre tall tower rose from the wreckage of the now empty city. The day every screen, newspaper, and smart phone displayed a single message from an unknown source:
The Great Emperor has issued his challenge.
From the ruins of the Old World rise the Tower. Its doors will soon open, and the great game will begin.
A hundred floors and a hundred challenges await the worthy.
And to the victor? A Wish of Unlimited Power.
Cayden Caros yearned to play that game. His only problem? The Terms and Conditions. A strict set of rules that, among other things, prevented anyone under the age of sixteen from entering the tower.
Forced to wait for over two years, Cayden did the only thing he could do to pass the time. He researched, he practiced and he prepared. It would take a lot to catch up to players with such an enormous head start. Lucky for him, he was a special type of gamer.
A SpeedRunner
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2017
312 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
May 9, 2018
I'm pretty angry at this book at the moment for daring to pretend the MC is a good guy. The guy whose first instinct in a tough situation was to destroy his mentor's 70k book library because someone else wasn't giving him his way. Any remorse there? Anything other than impulsive, selfish decision making? Could we at least pretend the MC thinks he is being a terrible person? Could we at least show that other people think he is a terrible person? Could we at least have the sense to point out that the person he is angry at isn't the one who cares about the books in any way whatsoever?
No?
Well, I suppose that is the author's prerogative, but despite very much wanting to know where the plot goes, I have zero desire to read any books that feature Cayden as a "good guy." This series went from "I'm absolutely reading the next one tomorrow" to "I'm never touching this series again" in about a page, which is pretty impressive, honestly. Terrible actions should have consequences. Relationships should suffer and sometimes be complicated. Is any relationship in this book complicated? Nope. Did I care while Cayden was just a stupid teenager causing only himself real issues? Only a bit. But by the end he has shown such a level of "screw you, I will do what I think is right, despite not thinking, regardless of the pain I cause."
I'm just not interested.
In more technical stuff, this is a LitRPG, so it's right off the table for most of my friends list. This has a decent amount of numbers and stats and general game theory (like video game theory, not mathematical). It has some pop culture references that I didn't even get, despite being into the gaming scene (as it were).
The writing is serviceable, and we get a very quick read. If the game stats stuff is your thing, this is very much popcorn fiction (in a good way). The premise is absolutely insane, but it's interesting and fun. The characters are mostly straightforward, with nothing complex going on in their heads, which isn't a problem for a popcorn book. That is, until our lead starts doing things that are more complex and grey. When our MC is going to do the wrong thing for the right reasons, we stop being so much popcorn and suddenly need the other characters to step up and help us examine the nuance that has been presented.
But they don't. No one else gets any rounding. No one challenges our MC. He just Mary Sue's his way into victory; his arrogance, selfishness, and impulsive actions never having any consequence.
Again, this didn't matter for most of the book. It was a fine popcorn novel. And then the author added some depth to a single scene and the whole thing came tumbling down.
No?
Well, I suppose that is the author's prerogative, but despite very much wanting to know where the plot goes, I have zero desire to read any books that feature Cayden as a "good guy." This series went from "I'm absolutely reading the next one tomorrow" to "I'm never touching this series again" in about a page, which is pretty impressive, honestly. Terrible actions should have consequences. Relationships should suffer and sometimes be complicated. Is any relationship in this book complicated? Nope. Did I care while Cayden was just a stupid teenager causing only himself real issues? Only a bit. But by the end he has shown such a level of "screw you, I will do what I think is right, despite not thinking, regardless of the pain I cause."
I'm just not interested.
In more technical stuff, this is a LitRPG, so it's right off the table for most of my friends list. This has a decent amount of numbers and stats and general game theory (like video game theory, not mathematical). It has some pop culture references that I didn't even get, despite being into the gaming scene (as it were).
The writing is serviceable, and we get a very quick read. If the game stats stuff is your thing, this is very much popcorn fiction (in a good way). The premise is absolutely insane, but it's interesting and fun. The characters are mostly straightforward, with nothing complex going on in their heads, which isn't a problem for a popcorn book. That is, until our lead starts doing things that are more complex and grey. When our MC is going to do the wrong thing for the right reasons, we stop being so much popcorn and suddenly need the other characters to step up and help us examine the nuance that has been presented.
But they don't. No one else gets any rounding. No one challenges our MC. He just Mary Sue's his way into victory; his arrogance, selfishness, and impulsive actions never having any consequence.
Again, this didn't matter for most of the book. It was a fine popcorn novel. And then the author added some depth to a single scene and the whole thing came tumbling down.
March 14, 2018
If you pay attention to my "currently reading" list you may have noticed that there are several books that have been on there waiting for some time. Mostly this is because I've hit a long dry spell. I have started several books only to lay them aside and not get back to them for a while. Even then I just haven't been really enthused about reviewing any of them.
Example...SpeedRunner. This isn't a bad book. It's a LitRPG which is a rather new genre I find I enjoy quite a bit. Here we aren't in typical LitRPG mode. This book takes place in the alternate real world set out in the book. The player then steps into some other world, whether this is some electronic world or the players are actually transported to some alternate world (or even alternate universe) we don't know...at least not yet.
Also this book takes some muscular suspension of belief )or disbelief) muscles. See the "Tower of Babel" has appeared on Manhattan Island...displacing, vanishing or out right killing millions of residents. Oops.
There is a cryptic invitation for people to enter and participate in this "game". However, remember a false step here means you die...and not just in game. You die and then your body turns up back in the "real world".
The book is interesting, the story involving I do like it, thus the 3 star rating. The protagonist is a little shallow but that may change as this is very much just an opening chapter in what promises to be a series built on shorter volumes that frankly work like an old movie serial. I thought this one ended rather abruptly but maybe that's just me. See what you think. I'd say if you like the LitRPG genre you'll probably like these.
Example...SpeedRunner. This isn't a bad book. It's a LitRPG which is a rather new genre I find I enjoy quite a bit. Here we aren't in typical LitRPG mode. This book takes place in the alternate real world set out in the book. The player then steps into some other world, whether this is some electronic world or the players are actually transported to some alternate world (or even alternate universe) we don't know...at least not yet.
Also this book takes some muscular suspension of belief )or disbelief) muscles. See the "Tower of Babel" has appeared on Manhattan Island...displacing, vanishing or out right killing millions of residents. Oops.
There is a cryptic invitation for people to enter and participate in this "game". However, remember a false step here means you die...and not just in game. You die and then your body turns up back in the "real world".
The book is interesting, the story involving I do like it, thus the 3 star rating. The protagonist is a little shallow but that may change as this is very much just an opening chapter in what promises to be a series built on shorter volumes that frankly work like an old movie serial. I thought this one ended rather abruptly but maybe that's just me. See what you think. I'd say if you like the LitRPG genre you'll probably like these.
January 1, 2018
I don't know why I keep reading litrpg's. Its come to the point I can predict what can happen and even the exact words characters will say.
The Idea is interesting, its about a tower that suddenly appears and challenges the world to a rpg like game, government can't stop it and a wish is granted when 100th level is reached. MC is a speed runner who is eager to get started playing the game. The good part of the MC is that he wants to be apart of the game, he has done his research, he does not have a sob story(at first).
Then it the usual stuff comes in. he quickly comes across a party in need or rescuing, its an effective scene because he does save them but one dies. standard but effective and since a girl was not a part of the party the usual preening in front of future love interest does not happen. What does happen is set up a revenge storyline that has been done to death; cause it turns out the first group of people he runs into are millionaires and put a bounty on him, the man blaming him for murder he did not commit.
Then he learns to read Runic language, not a cheat ability, but its becomes the excuse for the MC to be secretive instead of just private, asking for help while burning bridges and lying to allies.
Oh and the White Knight Girl who he feels supernaturally compelled to find, and is able to solo a boss in some berserk state while having a vision. And then his girl-friend gets kidnapped. And he gets saved a girl who is a fan of his livestream...who is the sister of one of the most powerful players and is watched over by another top player.
I am tired of the litrpg trope, that most people MC encounters are what I call "Shortcuts" meaning people MC meets are a shortcut to power."Oh look, girl I encountered is actually a princess, now I'm a noble with infinite resources and everyone treats me well and is jealous". Such relationships are unearned, he doesn't work his way up the ranks, he does not set out to make himself known to such people, he just waltzes into it.
Along with pop culture references, sarcasm for the sake of it, and him being rewarded for jerk behaviors, smartass game instructions etc. drives me nuts.
Other notes. Murder has no consequence in the game, OK. If that's the case who is stopping on strong killer from causing a bloodbath, its mentioned some people hunt them down but not enough to make the game unplayable. Oh and Villainy villain. One normal bargirl is instant friends with him just cause, and its revealed that she is super highleveled.
I could go on. If this is one of your first Litrpgs then its a fine book, it had enough of my interest to read till end. but if this is one of dozens you have read, skip. Look for a book about a down to earth character and simple quests.
The Idea is interesting, its about a tower that suddenly appears and challenges the world to a rpg like game, government can't stop it and a wish is granted when 100th level is reached. MC is a speed runner who is eager to get started playing the game. The good part of the MC is that he wants to be apart of the game, he has done his research, he does not have a sob story(at first).
Then it the usual stuff comes in. he quickly comes across a party in need or rescuing, its an effective scene because he does save them but one dies. standard but effective and since a girl was not a part of the party the usual preening in front of future love interest does not happen. What does happen is set up a revenge storyline that has been done to death; cause it turns out the first group of people he runs into are millionaires and put a bounty on him, the man blaming him for murder he did not commit.
Then he learns to read Runic language, not a cheat ability, but its becomes the excuse for the MC to be secretive instead of just private, asking for help while burning bridges and lying to allies.
Oh and the White Knight Girl who he feels supernaturally compelled to find, and is able to solo a boss in some berserk state while having a vision. And then his girl-friend gets kidnapped. And he gets saved a girl who is a fan of his livestream...who is the sister of one of the most powerful players and is watched over by another top player.
I am tired of the litrpg trope, that most people MC encounters are what I call "Shortcuts" meaning people MC meets are a shortcut to power."Oh look, girl I encountered is actually a princess, now I'm a noble with infinite resources and everyone treats me well and is jealous". Such relationships are unearned, he doesn't work his way up the ranks, he does not set out to make himself known to such people, he just waltzes into it.
Along with pop culture references, sarcasm for the sake of it, and him being rewarded for jerk behaviors, smartass game instructions etc. drives me nuts.
Other notes. Murder has no consequence in the game, OK. If that's the case who is stopping on strong killer from causing a bloodbath, its mentioned some people hunt them down but not enough to make the game unplayable. Oh and Villainy villain. One normal bargirl is instant friends with him just cause, and its revealed that she is super highleveled.
I could go on. If this is one of your first Litrpgs then its a fine book, it had enough of my interest to read till end. but if this is one of dozens you have read, skip. Look for a book about a down to earth character and simple quests.
October 20, 2017
That was a quite brillant attempt on the litRPG genre.
Nothing brand new but nicely woven story and the entanglement of real and virtual is interesting.
The main downside of the book are the many, many typos. It really needs a good editor.
For me it doesn't matter that much, but for those of you hating this typos ..... be warned.
The MC starts very nerdy and has a few characteristics (exspecially in the beginning) which are not that likeable and also he act out of character sometimes. It was a bit annoying in the beginning but it improves over the book.
All in all a really enjoyable read. Can't wait for the next in the series!
Nothing brand new but nicely woven story and the entanglement of real and virtual is interesting.
The main downside of the book are the many, many typos. It really needs a good editor.
For me it doesn't matter that much, but for those of you hating this typos ..... be warned.
The MC starts very nerdy and has a few characteristics (exspecially in the beginning) which are not that likeable and also he act out of character sometimes. It was a bit annoying in the beginning but it improves over the book.
All in all a really enjoyable read. Can't wait for the next in the series!
December 11, 2017
And then this book comes along to renew my faith that LitRPG can be creative. The Tower of Babel reminds me quite a bit of the Tower of Druaga. So, to start off, the premise is kind of weird. At tower appears in the real world and inside the tower is a... game? The way things are presented, it's unclear if this is supposed to be magic, or some kind of super advanced technology, or what. I mean, it seems like magic, but it behaves a lot more like technology most of the time. anyways. Good setup with elements that keep the reader guessing while also having solidly grounded rules and mechanics.
What really helps make this book stand out is the Speed runner aspect. Speed running, for those who haven't watched any, is a wholly unique mind set where the player does their best to utterly break the game. They don't care about being the highest level, having the best stuff, or seeing the story, they use exploits, glitches, and precision actions to skip as much of the game as possible, and rush through what they can't skip. These are the people who find a way to beat The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time in just 17 minutes, a feat that has them battling Ganon as child Link, with nothing but a stick and only 1 heart.
Anyways the point is the mind set here isn't 'how can I get the best stuff' it's 'how can I get, or get to, things I shouldn't be able to'. It gives an excellent new perspective to things I only wish he'd done a little more with.
The characters are all really likable as well and the plot is engaging. Can't wait for the next one.
What really helps make this book stand out is the Speed runner aspect. Speed running, for those who haven't watched any, is a wholly unique mind set where the player does their best to utterly break the game. They don't care about being the highest level, having the best stuff, or seeing the story, they use exploits, glitches, and precision actions to skip as much of the game as possible, and rush through what they can't skip. These are the people who find a way to beat The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time in just 17 minutes, a feat that has them battling Ganon as child Link, with nothing but a stick and only 1 heart.
Anyways the point is the mind set here isn't 'how can I get the best stuff' it's 'how can I get, or get to, things I shouldn't be able to'. It gives an excellent new perspective to things I only wish he'd done a little more with.
The characters are all really likable as well and the plot is engaging. Can't wait for the next one.
November 22, 2017
An interesting take on the classic LitRPG dilemma. Instead of positing complicated and tortuous reasons why people would consider a virtual world important and impacting, and trying to deal with VR capsules, Elliott cuts to the chase and simply puts the game world straight into ours.
The game mechanics are a bit heavy handed, as usual in most litrpg, but the whole thing flows naturally. There's a few gaffes, but the universe is coherent (as much as a completely arbitrary game world can be). My only regret is that the streaming aspect is too quickly relegated to a non-issue and shelved.
The game mechanics are a bit heavy handed, as usual in most litrpg, but the whole thing flows naturally. There's a few gaffes, but the universe is coherent (as much as a completely arbitrary game world can be). My only regret is that the streaming aspect is too quickly relegated to a non-issue and shelved.
March 10, 2018
Pretty good as LitRPG's go. I especially liked the supernatural/sci-fi way the game came to be - and I'm very much looking forward to some explanations in the future books :)
September 21, 2020
The ending was intense.
As usual Vikas Adam narration is amazing!
As usual Vikas Adam narration is amazing!
September 1, 2020
Rating 2.5 stars
I am kind of an enigma. I love fantasy books but then I am also a logic based person. Those two things might seem like they are opposite but they aren't. I base my logic on the structure of the fantasy world. The author comes up with the rules for the fantasy world and I hate it when characters act outside of those rules. The way the characters acted didn't make any sense given the rules of the world written. The Tower of Babel came to this world 2 years ago. More than 4 million people disappeared when the tower arrived on Manhattan. Anyone that could reach the top of the tower would get a wish. People that went into the tower had classes, levels, stats, magic, etc that one would expect from a MMORPG or table top D&D game. So unlike other stories where a player goes into a virtual world to play a game, this is one where the real world has turned into a game like environment. My biggest problem is that everyone still treated the Tower of Babel as a game. The people that went to the tower were called "players" and everyone still called it playing a game. This didn't make any sense to me. People could die in the tower, how could anyone still consider it a game? I understand it having game-like features but how could anyone describe it as a game? There were a bunch of other game/story mechanics that either weren't explained well or I thought were stupid.
The story follows the life of Cayden as he enters the tower for the first time. He has been wanting to go to the tower since it arrived 2 years ago but he wasn't old enough. He is a pro gamer and uses live feeds to his subscribers when he beats other games. He calls himself a speedrunner, because I guess he tries to finish games as quick as possible? From this setup I thought this would be a normal tower climb (which I do enjoy). It turned into something much weirder. Not going to continue with the series.
I am kind of an enigma. I love fantasy books but then I am also a logic based person. Those two things might seem like they are opposite but they aren't. I base my logic on the structure of the fantasy world. The author comes up with the rules for the fantasy world and I hate it when characters act outside of those rules. The way the characters acted didn't make any sense given the rules of the world written. The Tower of Babel came to this world 2 years ago. More than 4 million people disappeared when the tower arrived on Manhattan. Anyone that could reach the top of the tower would get a wish. People that went into the tower had classes, levels, stats, magic, etc that one would expect from a MMORPG or table top D&D game. So unlike other stories where a player goes into a virtual world to play a game, this is one where the real world has turned into a game like environment. My biggest problem is that everyone still treated the Tower of Babel as a game. The people that went to the tower were called "players" and everyone still called it playing a game. This didn't make any sense to me. People could die in the tower, how could anyone still consider it a game? I understand it having game-like features but how could anyone describe it as a game? There were a bunch of other game/story mechanics that either weren't explained well or I thought were stupid.
The story follows the life of Cayden as he enters the tower for the first time. He has been wanting to go to the tower since it arrived 2 years ago but he wasn't old enough. He is a pro gamer and uses live feeds to his subscribers when he beats other games. He calls himself a speedrunner, because I guess he tries to finish games as quick as possible? From this setup I thought this would be a normal tower climb (which I do enjoy). It turned into something much weirder. Not going to continue with the series.
April 19, 2020
Excellent.
I put off reading Speedrunner for a long time due to its unfinished status, but i finally reached it in my library. It's bittersweet knowing that after I finish book two, there may be no more.
Reread - No real changes in thought. I still enjoyed it.
I put off reading Speedrunner for a long time due to its unfinished status, but i finally reached it in my library. It's bittersweet knowing that after I finish book two, there may be no more.
Reread - No real changes in thought. I still enjoyed it.
August 28, 2020
This is a fine addition to the genre and it's been on my radar for quite some time.
I wanted a quick popcorn fiction like book to read over a couple days and this did exactly that. Nothing really "new" about this book but I enjoyed it.
I was almost irrationally angry with a certain part of the book but I need to remember that people's lives are worth more than books... No matter how many.
The MC mentions that he is a product of his time in that he is the "good guy" for no other reason than society raising up our generation to act like that. I think he is a good guy, although with a bit of a chaotic flair. I am interested in where his grand journey will take him; looking forward to the next book.
7/10
I wanted a quick popcorn fiction like book to read over a couple days and this did exactly that. Nothing really "new" about this book but I enjoyed it.
I was almost irrationally angry with a certain part of the book but I need to remember that people's lives are worth more than books... No matter how many.
The MC mentions that he is a product of his time in that he is the "good guy" for no other reason than society raising up our generation to act like that. I think he is a good guy, although with a bit of a chaotic flair. I am interested in where his grand journey will take him; looking forward to the next book.
7/10
July 25, 2021
My guilty pleasure these litrpg books. It was good, I enjoyed it. One of the better litrpg writers I’ve read. With a good editor I think he could produce some decent work. I haven’t looked but I’m guessing there will be like 10 books in the series and I’ll get bored by 3, but that’s ok until then.
March 7, 2018
Why I Think Boys May Enjoy This
LitRPGs are the hot new thing right now and this one is no exception. If you notice, though, I consider this one both a LitRPG and a Cyberpunk story, which is something that sets it apart from other LitRPGs that I’ve read so far. Babel is very much an alternate reality system akin to things like The Matrix or the Oasis from Ready Player One. The difference is that it’s still a “gamer-first� world and not something that the entire world is plugged into. The corporate-level interests and financial/economic issues, though, make it feel more cyberpunk than LitRPG at times.
That being said, SpeedRunner has some very consistent elements with LitRPG and a clever mechanic to put out the exposition about things like class and experience and leveling up that make LitRPG what it is. Since Cayden is a streamer and speed runner (someone who focuses on using glitches and extreme practice to complete games in record times), it adds a unique element. It also allows the author to get away with flat-out exposition dumps in a way that would have otherwise been annoying. As with all LitRPGs, I do find sometimes the “pause to explain a talent or to re-read the character sheet� are sometimes annoying pauses to the narrative. I will say, though, that since I listened on audiobook (because Vikas Adam is my hero), it would probably be something I could just gloss over in print/eBook format.
The story is fun. It has multiple “primary� plot points that loop around and show that Elliott has plenty of story left in the tank for additional volumes. What I found most interesting, I think, were the cyberpunk elements even moreso than the LitRPG ones. Corporate interests farming materials for both in-game and out-of-game wealth is, in a way, satirical of the MMO industry in real life. The way Cayden’s “speed run� efforts were completely derailed between the surprise sub-plot that is wrapped up in this book and the surprise skill/class he learns make me definitely want to see where his story goes.
All in all, for those that want to delve into LitRPG and feel they’re reading a lot of the same book over and over, I definitely recommend the unique spin Elliott has in this book to break up a little of that monotony.
Content/Appropriateness
While there is actual death (if you fully die inside of Babel, you die in real life), it still is very cartoonish/video gamish in nature. At first, I even kind of missed the importance of what happens if you don’t get healed up after you enter “bleed out� inside the game� until it became an important plot point.
Cayden has a couple of potential romantic interests throughout the book but there is no sexual content nor are there any major language concerns either. More than content appropriate for any gamer kid who experiences a little animated violence (with the understanding that it is “real� from a long-term perspective).
Rating
4/5 Giant Cartoon Mallets from Toonopolis, The Blog's Books for Boys Review on 3/5/18:
LitRPGs are the hot new thing right now and this one is no exception. If you notice, though, I consider this one both a LitRPG and a Cyberpunk story, which is something that sets it apart from other LitRPGs that I’ve read so far. Babel is very much an alternate reality system akin to things like The Matrix or the Oasis from Ready Player One. The difference is that it’s still a “gamer-first� world and not something that the entire world is plugged into. The corporate-level interests and financial/economic issues, though, make it feel more cyberpunk than LitRPG at times.
That being said, SpeedRunner has some very consistent elements with LitRPG and a clever mechanic to put out the exposition about things like class and experience and leveling up that make LitRPG what it is. Since Cayden is a streamer and speed runner (someone who focuses on using glitches and extreme practice to complete games in record times), it adds a unique element. It also allows the author to get away with flat-out exposition dumps in a way that would have otherwise been annoying. As with all LitRPGs, I do find sometimes the “pause to explain a talent or to re-read the character sheet� are sometimes annoying pauses to the narrative. I will say, though, that since I listened on audiobook (because Vikas Adam is my hero), it would probably be something I could just gloss over in print/eBook format.
The story is fun. It has multiple “primary� plot points that loop around and show that Elliott has plenty of story left in the tank for additional volumes. What I found most interesting, I think, were the cyberpunk elements even moreso than the LitRPG ones. Corporate interests farming materials for both in-game and out-of-game wealth is, in a way, satirical of the MMO industry in real life. The way Cayden’s “speed run� efforts were completely derailed between the surprise sub-plot that is wrapped up in this book and the surprise skill/class he learns make me definitely want to see where his story goes.
All in all, for those that want to delve into LitRPG and feel they’re reading a lot of the same book over and over, I definitely recommend the unique spin Elliott has in this book to break up a little of that monotony.
Content/Appropriateness
While there is actual death (if you fully die inside of Babel, you die in real life), it still is very cartoonish/video gamish in nature. At first, I even kind of missed the importance of what happens if you don’t get healed up after you enter “bleed out� inside the game� until it became an important plot point.
Cayden has a couple of potential romantic interests throughout the book but there is no sexual content nor are there any major language concerns either. More than content appropriate for any gamer kid who experiences a little animated violence (with the understanding that it is “real� from a long-term perspective).
Rating
4/5 Giant Cartoon Mallets from Toonopolis, The Blog's Books for Boys Review on 3/5/18:
February 5, 2018
Mix of Audio & Print
4.5 Stars for Narration by Vikas Adam, 4 Stars for Story
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. It's a solid LitRPG with likable characters, interesting plot and just enough of a twist to keep you invested. I knocked a star off for editing mistakes I read in the ebook. That kind of thing should be caught before it goes to print.
I've heard Vikas Adam narrate stories as part of a team but never had a chance to listen to him tell a whole story until now. He did a great job! He is one of the few male narrators that can really pull off female voices. Pretty darn awesome! He definitely made the story more interesting and truly did a great job at bringing each character to life.
I've only read a few LitRPG books that I really like. Most of them tend to be cool ideas that dissolve into disinterest due to sloppy writing. This one has a nice balance between the gaming specs and story development.
I like the basic premise and the hints of things to come. If you like LitRPG's, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this one. I already snagged the next book on Kindle to see where the story goes.
4.5 Stars for Narration by Vikas Adam, 4 Stars for Story
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. It's a solid LitRPG with likable characters, interesting plot and just enough of a twist to keep you invested. I knocked a star off for editing mistakes I read in the ebook. That kind of thing should be caught before it goes to print.
I've heard Vikas Adam narrate stories as part of a team but never had a chance to listen to him tell a whole story until now. He did a great job! He is one of the few male narrators that can really pull off female voices. Pretty darn awesome! He definitely made the story more interesting and truly did a great job at bringing each character to life.
I've only read a few LitRPG books that I really like. Most of them tend to be cool ideas that dissolve into disinterest due to sloppy writing. This one has a nice balance between the gaming specs and story development.
I like the basic premise and the hints of things to come. If you like LitRPG's, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this one. I already snagged the next book on Kindle to see where the story goes.
February 5, 2019
Forewarning, I listened to this book (and it's sequel) on audible. I have only "read" (I don't read, I'm an avid audiobook junky trying to get my fix. maybe I can sell a kidney for credits?) one other litRPG Series; Space Knight. This is much better. It's not all "harem-ey." I like when nerdy books don't make the main character some wannaby sex god or attractive to all the female characters but can't make up his mind. In this book there is romantic potential, but the farthest it goes is breakfast and holding hands. That's fine with me. That means there's more action, a lot of light hearted banter and lore. I really loved this book and the second one. I Hope Adam Elliot is well and that he will grace us with the third book soon (and if I'm making wishes I also wish for it to also have an audible edition.
January 16, 2020
It was just okay.
It was weighed down with a pointless villain and bounty plot. More, it couldn't figure out what story it was telling, changing the narrative every few chapters as if the author were just throwing things against the wall to see if they stuck. The best parts were the rune quest and by the end of the book this was in full swing.
However, the next volume (#2) took a hard turn away from the runes, going full tabletop RPG with an inexperienced and poor leader position instead of keeping to the rune mage/tower climber. The second book lost the plot so badly I couldn't finish it and just skimmed.
Author shows promise but nothing hangs together in either book. This one of the two is by far the superior.
It was weighed down with a pointless villain and bounty plot. More, it couldn't figure out what story it was telling, changing the narrative every few chapters as if the author were just throwing things against the wall to see if they stuck. The best parts were the rune quest and by the end of the book this was in full swing.
However, the next volume (#2) took a hard turn away from the runes, going full tabletop RPG with an inexperienced and poor leader position instead of keeping to the rune mage/tower climber. The second book lost the plot so badly I couldn't finish it and just skimmed.
Author shows promise but nothing hangs together in either book. This one of the two is by far the superior.
May 12, 2019
Interesting approach to an LitRPG concept with some behind the scenes elements to the story that definitely improve it. Title is a bit misleading because there's not much of "speedrunning" unless you count the main character calling himself that and that being his goal... Almost from the start he was prevented from actually doing any speedrunning and then the story evolved away from that... but that maybe just me...
Anyway it was intriguing enough that I'll definitely read the second novel in the series, especially with the ending reveal.
Anyway it was intriguing enough that I'll definitely read the second novel in the series, especially with the ending reveal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2017
Edit this story
I honestly thought this was posted to for in offer to get free editing. Doesn't seem to be the case.
While the story is too notch, it is rife with spelling errors and wrong words used.
I was unable to just sink into the story and enjoy it due to all the errors.
I'd still recommended the story for the said of the story itself though.
I honestly thought this was posted to for in offer to get free editing. Doesn't seem to be the case.
While the story is too notch, it is rife with spelling errors and wrong words used.
I was unable to just sink into the story and enjoy it due to all the errors.
I'd still recommended the story for the said of the story itself though.
August 31, 2017
Different
I'm new to the litrpg genre so this was interesting from that perspective. The writing itself was a little rough with its flow, grammar and spelling, but the characters were likable and developed pretty well. I will read the next in series to see if the production values get better and to enjoy the storyline.
I'm new to the litrpg genre so this was interesting from that perspective. The writing itself was a little rough with its flow, grammar and spelling, but the characters were likable and developed pretty well. I will read the next in series to see if the production values get better and to enjoy the storyline.
February 23, 2018
Solid Mechanics, and smart to simply drop the MMO world straight into ours, even allowing trade economies between the worlds in addition to full communication. All sorts of clever and funny references too. But boy do goody-fucking-no-kill-twoshoes piss me off. That cost this a Star. (along with the cop-out that is the Black Dream to allow the 'good' characters to still not be 'killers'.
February 28, 2018
A fun read. Masterpiece? Nope. But a fun read. Lots of refferences to our world, which many authors refrain from. Something I enjoyed.
One thing that made this book really close to my heart was that I wrote a similar story back in college. This book gave me a lot of ideas that I might implement if I ever decide to rewrite that book.
One thing that made this book really close to my heart was that I wrote a similar story back in college. This book gave me a lot of ideas that I might implement if I ever decide to rewrite that book.
April 20, 2020
I enjoyed this. It was a different take on the LitRPG genre. It doesn't stack up against some others, but it was well done with likable characters and some unique abilities and setting. I'll definitely read more.
Read
February 4, 2019Actually a 3.5 star audiobook. I have very mixed feelings about this one at times it was super awesome and at other times it’s sort of drag on. This was the first time I stepped into the Genre and I think my liking of it will branch out significantly. I love the characters and the premise of the story there was no question about that. However, at times the explanation of the game itself and some of the attributes each character has really had me spacing out. Don’t get me wrong I understand this is the start of a series and some explanation of the universe, characters and things within the universe are needed and at most times it was appreciated their was just three or four times throughout the book that really had me wondering. I am moving forward with book to and hopefully they touch more on some of the storylines I felt got a little bit lost within the main storylines of book one. The performance was wonderful and there is a lot to like about it. There is so many different male, female and monster voices throughout this book that it really added value to the listening experience. The performer did a fabulous job of speeding up and slowing down to get more attention to those tight of scenes as well uses a variety of tones that expressed different emotions in each character. He also does a really good robotic/computerized voice that we hear many times throughout this story and I think that is a real talent in itself. I also enjoyed the references to some very famous pop-culture television shows and one pop culture family especially. I hope there is more to come in book to and I hope there are more answers than questions as well.
November 3, 2019
I was recommended this by a guy who has similar tastes to mine, but also has a habit with starting a book and recommending it, then dropping it and telling you it's bad.
I haven't talked to him in a few weeks since I was last recommended this, so hopefully it doesn't turn out to be trash.
This book has two things I don't like, stats, and the protagonist is a "live streaming gamer". Good god the fake persona on camera is too much.
No matter what, at the end of this book I'm dropping the series, there is "banter" and jokes and puns once the protagonist gets into a"party".
Well this book could have been good. There were some serious parts where he took stuff serious, but in the end he went with Simpsons and pop culture references, banter and jokes during life and death fights, then looking to save people who hunted you down to kill you.
All that talk about being a hero showed me exactly where this was going. The author doesn't even stick to his own lore.
Note to self: Do not continue series.
2/5 Stars
I haven't talked to him in a few weeks since I was last recommended this, so hopefully it doesn't turn out to be trash.
This book has two things I don't like, stats, and the protagonist is a "live streaming gamer". Good god the fake persona on camera is too much.
No matter what, at the end of this book I'm dropping the series, there is "banter" and jokes and puns once the protagonist gets into a"party".
Well this book could have been good. There were some serious parts where he took stuff serious, but in the end he went with Simpsons and pop culture references, banter and jokes during life and death fights, then looking to save people who hunted you down to kill you.
All that talk about being a hero showed me exactly where this was going. The author doesn't even stick to his own lore.
Note to self: Do not continue series.
2/5 Stars
June 27, 2018
Not a bad LitRPG. The book I read before this one was "Dodge Tank" by Rick Scott, and while I'd say that this book's quality is roughly equal to that one, the notable difference (in my opinion) is that this one had a more unique setting, and it was that setting that interested me most, whereas in "Dodge Tank" the characters were more interesting while the setting was (in my opinion) way too generic.
That said, both books ended up generally feeling way too much like a "paint by number" LitRPG. I get that this genre has been exploding recently with authors rushing to be the next big thing before the genre becomes over-saturated and reader interest dwindles along with potential profit for the writers. That said, I wish authors would take the time to craft a more intricate and interesting world, or at least spend more time painting in the details of the things that make their story unique. There's only so many stories that I can read about the main character finding something no one else did, and therefore quickly rising through the ranks, before it all just seems like more or less the same book over again with minor differences.
I guess I'm just frustrated with how many samey stories I have to sift through before I find the authors who are crafting something truly spectacular.
That said, both books ended up generally feeling way too much like a "paint by number" LitRPG. I get that this genre has been exploding recently with authors rushing to be the next big thing before the genre becomes over-saturated and reader interest dwindles along with potential profit for the writers. That said, I wish authors would take the time to craft a more intricate and interesting world, or at least spend more time painting in the details of the things that make their story unique. There's only so many stories that I can read about the main character finding something no one else did, and therefore quickly rising through the ranks, before it all just seems like more or less the same book over again with minor differences.
I guess I'm just frustrated with how many samey stories I have to sift through before I find the authors who are crafting something truly spectacular.
May 13, 2018
I love Vikas Adam so there's nothing bad I can say about that. The idea behind the book is interesting. It reminds of that Korean comic Tower of God mixed with your Western Dungeon crawling mixed with your typical Western plot. The game elements are innovative, sorta. The plot is meh. The origin of the "Game" is horrible. The integration between game and reality is also mediocre. I would listen to it because Vikas Adam narrated it and the overall story is not bad. But by no means is it a great book. You got all the shortcuts/cheats and saving the princess tropes that you see everywhere. I don't hate those tropes but it's not being used in an amazing way. Book 2 is in the same range, no real improvements or decay.
October 10, 2020
Ugh. This book started out interesting, I love a good tower book. It has some interesting skills going on until the MC fails to save someone. That someone who just happens to be a millionaire and blames him for murder. The system goes way out of the way to make sure there is no proof. First being rich doesn't do anything for you, you can't bring money into the game from the outside, but you can bring items in and out soooo....yeah, there's that. Not only could a rich and powerful person bring things in to help they could just pay someone to help them. Then the MC is a streamer but the streams magically cut off if someone start dying.
I immediately stopped this book at the press conference where they announced a bounty on the MC.
I immediately stopped this book at the press conference where they announced a bounty on the MC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2024
Meh. I really liked the Speedrunning concept within that book. Since it is called Speedrunner, you would think that it would be a main plot point but nope. Random encounters and lucky occurrences were what guided this story. The author would go out of his way to acknowledge the cliches within his book and then embrace them. For example, the monologuing villain who had to monologue or else the main plot point of the book would be diminished because no one would know what is going on. The plot should have been more of a tower climber, speed running adventure. The story was more a random rich kid trying become richer encounters the MC and derails the story.
May 16, 2018
I listened to the audiobook. I really like the setting. The MC and the narration, not so much.
Anyone willing to burn a freaking library when there were probably a thousand different ways he could have achieved the same result don't deserve my respect. He was okay, not great but okay, up until that point.
The narration has the usual negatives such as the man trying to voice a female. Forgivable mostly, but not the awful attempt at the iconic victorious battle some from Final Fantasy. Horrible.
The world has potential, though. I'm hoping the author build on from this.
Anyone willing to burn a freaking library when there were probably a thousand different ways he could have achieved the same result don't deserve my respect. He was okay, not great but okay, up until that point.
The narration has the usual negatives such as the man trying to voice a female. Forgivable mostly, but not the awful attempt at the iconic victorious battle some from Final Fantasy. Horrible.
The world has potential, though. I'm hoping the author build on from this.
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