Bookish Wednesday: Beta by Daniel Schinhofen

This week for Bookish Wednesday I’m back with another LitRPG. It’s Last Horizon: Beta by Daniel Schinhofen!

Plot Synopsis: Advances in technology have led to the creation of ever more realistic virtual reality games but now Full Immersion Virtual Reality is finally coming true.  David and his oldest friends sign up to beta test the first game of it’s kind, Last Horizon. Last Horizon will give these old gamers the chance to live out one last adventure together.

Plot: The plot is pretty interesting, especially considering that the main cast of characters are all old people. It’s a rather unusual take on the genre, where most of the cast is all young people for the most part.

Characters: The entire cast is great, but my favorite might just Thaylen. That being said David is very much the main character, although there are frequent Point of View changes.

Overall: An excellent LitRPG, and a must read for any fans of the genre.

For those who like: LitRPGs, Gaming, Great Plot, Fantastic Cast of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Bookish Wednesday: Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko

This week for Bookish Wednesday I’ve got the first book in another LitRPG series. It’s Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko!

Plot Synopsis: Diving into a revolutionary new video game, Marcus and his friends escape a stagnant society, entering into a world that defies their wildest imaginations. But from the moment that he logs in, Marcus finds himself separated from his friends and thrown into a remote village under attack by a horde of goblins. Forced into battle, Marcus rallies the beleaguered villagers…

Plot: The plot of this LitRPG is pretty good, It’s not the most enthralling or truly original but it was still quite interesting. There are much worse series you could read, like the Unbound Deathlords or Twilight. Honestly I think I’ll place the former in the league of the latter, since it almost reaches the level of that horrendous piece of garbage which eats peoples brain cells like some really dangerous pond scum. There are better series out there, like Awaken Online, but Ascend Online truly isn’t bad. I’d put it above average.

Characters: Marcus is a pretty interesting guy, and I like the class he specializes in. I won’t spoil what it is, but it’s very interesting. The rest of the cast is also pretty interesting as well.

Overall: A good LitRPG, you could a lot worse than Ascend Online.

For those who like: Fantasy, LitRPGs, Action, Adventure, Drama, Good Plot, Excellent Cast of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Bookish Wednesday: New Rules by Justin Miller

Hey all I’m back with the second entry in one of my new favorite LitRPG series for this week’s Bookish Wednesday. It’s the World Seed Series Book 02: New Rules by Justin Miller!

Plot Synopsis: Having discovered that upon returning to reality that he’s turned into his in game character and can use his in game magic from Neo Life, John Hulett also known as Falanel, a failure of a Half-Elf,  is dealing with the ever increasing mana that is now permeating Earth. What new adventures, or misadventures in his case, will he land into after he learns monsters are now spawning in the streets on Earth….

Plot: This is a much more serious entry, and while the comedy is still there, it’s also much more intense in terms of drama. That being said I still enjoyed the hell out of the book.

Characters: We get introduced to a couple new characters in this entry, but for the most part it’s still John, or Falanel, along with Celeste and Yin and Yang’s show. I can’t say who my favorite new character is due to spoilers, but the new additions were pretty awesome. Hopefully they show up in the later books as well.

Overall: If you love LitRPGs, or just laughing your head off and getting weird looks while walking down the street (hey don’t look at me like that), you’ll love this second entry in the World Seed Series.

Bookish Wednesday: Awaken Online Catharsis by Travis Bagwell

Hey all this week for Bookish Wednesday I’m going to cover the first in a LitRPG series that is one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s Awaken Online: Catharsis by Travis Bagwell!

Plot Synopsis: Jason logs into Awaken Online fed-up with reality. He’s in desperate need of an escape, and this game is his ticket to finally feeling the type of power and freedom that are so sorely lacking in his real life.  Awaken Online is a brand new virtual reality game that just hit the market, promising an unprecedented level of immersion. Yet Jason quickly finds himself pushed down a path he didn’t expect. In this game, he isn’t the hero. There are no damsels to save. There are no bad guys to vanquish…

Plot: The plot of this book is really awesome, it also really highlights what people can do when pushed too far. This isn’t a book for children, it’s not full of fun times. It’s quite graphic at times and while there are plenty of laughable moments, it is more dark humor than light.

Characters: Jason is the real star of this book, but of all the side characters I think I like Jerry the most. He’s a roguish fellow who doesn’t take much, if anything, seriously.

Overall: This is a must read for any gamer, and frankly it might just be a must read period. The subject matter that comes up in this book is something a lot of people could do with more insight in. Awaken Online does a great job at providing that.

For those who like: LitRPGs, Fantasy, Magic, Action, Drama, Excellent Plot, Fantastic Cast of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Bookish Wednesday: The Cursed Princedom by G. Akella

This week for Bookish Wednesday I’m back with the sequel to Patch 17! It’s The Cursed Princedom by G. Akella!

Plot Synopsis: An immortal wanderer in an enormous alien world, Krian struggles to survive in a closed plane populated by powerful mobs and hostile NPCs. With bungled stats, inadequate gear and no friends by his side, he is driven by only his willpower… and by his hatred toward the people responsible for his misery. Revenge is his purpose now, his entire reason for being. But his path lies through the cursed princedom of Craedia stretching far to the south….

Plot: The plot is pretty awesome. That being said I really did enjoy the parts where Max is the Point of View instead of Krian. Although their two takes on the game are completely different I enjoyed it immensely.

Characters: We get to meet a bunch of new characters in this entry, like a whole bunch. But my favorite would be Bonbon. Easily. The rest of the newcomers were great as well, but Bonbon is just too awesome.

Overall: An excellent sequel to an already amazing book in what is shaping up to be one of the top LitRPG series out there.