Listen free for 30 days
-
Gods of Blood and Bone: A GameLit Novel
- Seeds of Chaos, Volume 1
- Narrated by: Natalie Duke
- Series: Seeds of Chaos, Book 1
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
People who bought this also bought...
-
Battleborne
- By: Dave Willmarth
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski, Jessica Threet
- Length: 17 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Max was a professional soldier, and extremely good at his job. Right up until it killed him. At the moment of his death, he meets Hildi the Valkyrie, and is given three options. Serve Odin in Valhalla as one of the Einherjar, fighting each day and celebrating each night until the battle of Ragnarok. Accept his death as final, and end his existence. Or be reincarnated as a Battleborne on a random unknown world. Max chooses to gamble! To live a new life, whatever that might entail.
-
-
Concrete litrpg
- By Mattytentoes on 02-12-20
-
Shadow Sun Survival
- Shadow Sun, Book 1
- By: Dave Willmarth
- Narrated by: Will M. Watt, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How well would you fare if the apocalypse fell upon you? Could you survive more than a few days? Would you be able to feed yourself? Find clean water? Safe shelter? Heal your wounds? Allistor is a gamer geek who has spent most of his life indoors, playing virtual reality MMORPGS and reading classic LitRPG books. But when Earth is seized by an ancient race wielding incredibly advanced tech, who transport the entire planet to a new location with twin suns, he finds himself fighting to survive in real life.
-
-
Worth a go
- By Ben on 08-09-19
-
Skyclad
- Fate's Anvil, Book 1
- By: Scott Browder
- Narrated by: Laurie Catherine Winkel
- Length: 21 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Morgan Mackenzie had a very bad day. First at work, then at home, and then her bathtub fell through a portal to another world, with her in it. Now she's stuck thousands of miles from any sort of civilization with nothing but the bathtub and a lace puffball scrubby. But she learned magic, so that's sorta nice. Now if only she could find some clothes....
-
-
WAY better than expected
- By Voyager on 18-08-20
-
Equalize: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG
- Ether Collapse, Book 1
- By: Ryan DeBruyn
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rockland Barkclay has had a rough year. On top of everything else, his father has just passed, and Rocky has to go it alone on their annual trip. But his plans for drinking alone in Algonquin Park are rudely interrupted by a sea of cosmic energy that governs the universe...With the awakening of the very planet they reside on, humans are in a desperate fight to survive in an evolving world. If only Gaia hadn’t woken up so very...very...unhinged.
-
-
Annoying kid friendly swearing
- By Stefan on 07-08-19
-
The Two Week Curse
- A Military Portal Fantasy LitRPG Series
- By: Michael Chatfield
- Narrated by: Todd Menesses
- Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Erik knew one thing after dropping in, when he first saw the numbers before his eyes, the rumors about the "cursed" were true. He was in another world. Survival wasn’t assured. Cultivate, get skills, grow abilities, or die. His old life, as a combat medic, had been hard, but he had learned some valuable lessons. And he wasn’t alone. His best friend, a marine recon sniper, like always, was right by his side. Could they figure out this fantasy world? What does it mean to ascend? How will they master the magic of this strange place?
-
-
Sloppy writing, strange narration
- By Mark Gjøl on 07-12-19
-
Brightblade
- A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Series, Book 1)
- By: Jez Cajiao
- Narrated by: Wayne Mitchell
- Length: 20 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jax is a pretty regular guy, has a job he tolerates, a girl he kinda, sorta loves...and he fights creatures from the UnderVerse in his sleep, leaving him covered in horrific scars when he wakes up. When his brother vanishes, and five years later he's kidnapped as well, he's given a stark choice by his asshat of a father: Go to the UnderVerse in reality, travel to the capitol of that ruined realm at the center of reality, and open a portal for the Noble Houses to return home...or die.
-
-
Ok story. Bad lit rpg
- By OB on 30-09-20
-
Battleborne
- By: Dave Willmarth
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski, Jessica Threet
- Length: 17 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Max was a professional soldier, and extremely good at his job. Right up until it killed him. At the moment of his death, he meets Hildi the Valkyrie, and is given three options. Serve Odin in Valhalla as one of the Einherjar, fighting each day and celebrating each night until the battle of Ragnarok. Accept his death as final, and end his existence. Or be reincarnated as a Battleborne on a random unknown world. Max chooses to gamble! To live a new life, whatever that might entail.
-
-
Concrete litrpg
- By Mattytentoes on 02-12-20
-
Shadow Sun Survival
- Shadow Sun, Book 1
- By: Dave Willmarth
- Narrated by: Will M. Watt, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How well would you fare if the apocalypse fell upon you? Could you survive more than a few days? Would you be able to feed yourself? Find clean water? Safe shelter? Heal your wounds? Allistor is a gamer geek who has spent most of his life indoors, playing virtual reality MMORPGS and reading classic LitRPG books. But when Earth is seized by an ancient race wielding incredibly advanced tech, who transport the entire planet to a new location with twin suns, he finds himself fighting to survive in real life.
-
-
Worth a go
- By Ben on 08-09-19
-
Skyclad
- Fate's Anvil, Book 1
- By: Scott Browder
- Narrated by: Laurie Catherine Winkel
- Length: 21 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Morgan Mackenzie had a very bad day. First at work, then at home, and then her bathtub fell through a portal to another world, with her in it. Now she's stuck thousands of miles from any sort of civilization with nothing but the bathtub and a lace puffball scrubby. But she learned magic, so that's sorta nice. Now if only she could find some clothes....
-
-
WAY better than expected
- By Voyager on 18-08-20
-
Equalize: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG
- Ether Collapse, Book 1
- By: Ryan DeBruyn
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rockland Barkclay has had a rough year. On top of everything else, his father has just passed, and Rocky has to go it alone on their annual trip. But his plans for drinking alone in Algonquin Park are rudely interrupted by a sea of cosmic energy that governs the universe...With the awakening of the very planet they reside on, humans are in a desperate fight to survive in an evolving world. If only Gaia hadn’t woken up so very...very...unhinged.
-
-
Annoying kid friendly swearing
- By Stefan on 07-08-19
-
The Two Week Curse
- A Military Portal Fantasy LitRPG Series
- By: Michael Chatfield
- Narrated by: Todd Menesses
- Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Erik knew one thing after dropping in, when he first saw the numbers before his eyes, the rumors about the "cursed" were true. He was in another world. Survival wasn’t assured. Cultivate, get skills, grow abilities, or die. His old life, as a combat medic, had been hard, but he had learned some valuable lessons. And he wasn’t alone. His best friend, a marine recon sniper, like always, was right by his side. Could they figure out this fantasy world? What does it mean to ascend? How will they master the magic of this strange place?
-
-
Sloppy writing, strange narration
- By Mark Gjøl on 07-12-19
-
Brightblade
- A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Series, Book 1)
- By: Jez Cajiao
- Narrated by: Wayne Mitchell
- Length: 20 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jax is a pretty regular guy, has a job he tolerates, a girl he kinda, sorta loves...and he fights creatures from the UnderVerse in his sleep, leaving him covered in horrific scars when he wakes up. When his brother vanishes, and five years later he's kidnapped as well, he's given a stark choice by his asshat of a father: Go to the UnderVerse in reality, travel to the capitol of that ruined realm at the center of reality, and open a portal for the Noble Houses to return home...or die.
-
-
Ok story. Bad lit rpg
- By OB on 30-09-20
-
The Land: Founding: A LitRPG Saga
- Chaos Seeds, Book 1
- By: Aleron Kong
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tricked into a world of banished gods, demons, goblins, sprites and magic, Richter must learn to meet the perils of The Land and begin to forge his own kingdom. Actions have consequences across The Land, with powerful creatures and factions now hell-bent on Richter's destruction. Can Richter forge allegiances to survive this harsh and unforgiving world or will he fall to the dark denizens of this ancient and unforgiving realm? A tale to shake "The Land" itself, measuring 10/10 on the Richter scale, how will Richter's choices shape the future of The Land and all who reside in it?
-
-
just find a way to reduce the dings!
- By Phillcom3 on 04-10-18
-
The Mayor of Noobtown
- By: Ryan Rimmel
- Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After dying and being reborn into a world that's built like a video game, Jim has found himself stuck in a very old-world style new-player zone for low-level adventurers. Unfortunately, the zone fell out of use centuries ago, and no one told the monsters they were supposed to take it easy on the Noobs. Even worse, the only new player around is Jim. Jim has been given an opportunity, and he'll do his best to take advantage of it.
-
-
MC references the "High ground" twice
- By JP OK on 13-05-20
-
Ritualist
- Completionist Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Dakota Krout
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The decision to start a new life is never an easy one, but for Joe the transition was far from figurative. Becoming a permanent addition to a game world, it doesn't take long to learn that people with his abilities are actively hunted. In fact, if the wrong people gained knowledge of what he was capable of, assassins would appear in droves.
-
-
Great story if you like the narrator.
- By The Keyboard on 08-10-19
-
Barrow King: An Epic LitRPG/GameLit Adventure
- The Realms, Book 1
- By: C.M. Carney
- Narrated by: Armen Taylor
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Betrayed by those closest to him, Finn Caldwell thought he’d escaped his life of violence and deception. But when a frantic message from his estranged sister draws him into the Realms, the world’s most advanced holographic reality game, Finn is forced to embrace his deadly skills once more. Armed with a mysterious artifact known as a Godhead, Finn becomes the warrior-mage Gryph. Yet, things are not as they seem and to save his sister, he must escape a sentient dungeon by defeating its master the Barrow King.
-
-
nice book
- By Bugeag Sebastian on 21-05-19
-
Morrigan's Bidding
- Binding Words, Book 1
- By: Daniel Schinhofen
- Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sean was just waiting for his best friend to show up at the bar so they could play some pool. It came as a shock when the tall blonde man accosted Sean and demanded that he change seats. His refusal would change his life. When the fight ended, Sean found himself in the strangest meeting of his life. Odin, Archangel Michael, Lucifer, and Morrigan all vied for his soul, each offering different deals. Sean had to choose, so he chose to go with the goddess of Fate, Death, and Battle.
-
-
decent narration, no story
- By MK on 04-12-19
-
Legend of the Arch Magus: Publisher's Pack
- Legend of the Arch Magus, Book 1-2
- By: Michael Sisa
- Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Contains The Expansion (book one) and The Upheaval (book two) of the Legend of the Arch Magus series. An Arch Magus dies, only to find himself in the body of a young man in a medieval kingdom. He finds out that he is the second son of a Duke, exiled to a desolated town by his own family. Shackled by the notorious reputation of his new shell, he tries his best to develop his domain, implementing new policies and innovations, leading his subjects to prosperity. In this world where magic is undeveloped, he shall once again pave a new path.
-
-
Morally vacuous
- By J R Oliver on 18-05-20
-
The Wandering Inn
- Volume 1
- By: pirateaba
- Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 43 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"No killing Goblins." So reads the sign outside of the Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours. It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.
-
-
Worth the wait
- By Wolf on 10-09-19
-
Cultivating Chaos
- VeilVerse: Cultivating Chaos, Book 2
- By: William D. Arand
- Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 15 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having unlocked his Dantian, Ash has grown in power, grown to the point where he has others who depend on him for that power. In this world of martial arts, only the strong and the ruthless survive. Everyone else is merely a stepping stone on their path of Cultivation, or an obstacle to be overcome, or knock down. Utilizing the Hall, the voice in his head that calls itself Locke, and all the powers available to him, Ash has begun his own journey of Cultivation.
-
-
Getting worse
- By Anonymous User on 22-11-20
-
Lair
- Henchman, Book 1
- By: Carl Stubblefield
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gus is a henchman separated from his friends at his new job, a henchman on an orbiting space base. He's happy with the gig, and has no real delusions of grandeur. Well...small delusions, but he’s seen all too often what happens to minions that get too uppity around their supervillain bosses. His father had pulled a few strings and landed him a henchman position in hopes he could make something of himself. Before he's barely gotten used to the job, Gus narrowly escapes the base's destruction and is chucked at the planet below.
-
-
A good foundation
- By Wayne Knighton on 06-12-20
-
Stone Will
- Dragon Heart Series, Book 1
- By: Kirill Klevanski, Valeria Kornosenko - introduction, J. Kharkova - translator, and others
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He was born anew in a world where martial arts were indistinguishable from magic. He only received a neuronet and meaningless desires from his past life. What lies ahead? He dreamed of adventure and freedom, but those dreams were taken away from him. The same way his mother, father, and sister had been taken away. They took the kingdom, they took his own destiny. But he is willing to wage a war, against the whole world if need be, to bring everything back.
-
-
Some good stuff here but...
- By O. J-kahn on 18-06-20
-
First Login
- Chronicle, Book 1
- By: Kevin Murphy
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Corbin is an adventurer; he just hasn’t realized it. He was born in the wrong age - an era where the world has already grown tame. With the advent of fully immersive virtual reality, however, that’s all going to change. A revolutionary new game - Chronicle - makes much bolder claims than the competition. It offers a perfect simulation in a new world with quests, magic, monsters, and gods - but Chronicle’s biggest draw is something irresistible: While players are logged in, they have extra time to live.
-
-
Chronicle first login
- By scobie on 18-12-18
-
Guild Master
- A LitRPG Adventure (Tower of Power, Book 1)
- By: Ivan Kal
- Narrated by: Ryan Burke
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Morgan used to be a pretty normal guy. He went to college by day and played online games by night, leading his guild into new conquests - until he got hit by a car and a dude wearing a wet suit appeared in front of him. The man offered him a new chance at life in a world he had created, a world with similar rules to the games Morgan loved to play. There is the promise of great rewards and power, he says, if Morgan manages to complete the Tower of Power.
-
-
Brilliant
- By Sky ;) on 22-12-20
Summary
Leveling up would be amazing...
... if it weren't so deadly.
They injected me with a VR chip, a GPS tracker, and my first Seed. They gave me unbelievable powers.
Then they sent me to fight.
The monsters here are alien and vicious. There is a second moon in the sky. I watched a tree start moving and kill someone. And the other Players...?
They're even worse.
I’m alone. I’m weak. And I’m scared. But I will cling to life by the tips of my bloody fingernails.
Who is behind this twisted game? Where are they sending us? Is there anyone I can trust?
If I want to survive, I have to get stronger. But can I do it before the Game kills me?
Gods of Blood and Bone is the first book in a dark and deliciously violent adventure series that combines science fiction, fantasy, and game elements. You'll love Gods of Blood and Bone because of the electrifying action, flawed characters, and kick-ass heroine.
Buy Gods of Blood and Bone and start the series that will keep you up all night listening.
What listeners say about Gods of Blood and Bone: A GameLit Novel
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Norma Miles
- 08-07-19
We grow strong or we die.
On her way to school, teenager Eve Redding responds to an appeal for help from a youth in an alley and is instantly overpowered by a man and a woman, who inject her in the back of her neck and leave her, unconscious, to make her own way home. The school contacts her mother about her non presence that day and Eve is examined by a doctor and put to bed. Three days later, when she fully regains consciousness, Eve discovers that she has been recruited as a player in a game, but must tell no one about it, and she must fulfil certain tasks set by her handler, a male voice in her head calling himself Bunny. Success with these brings attractive prizes. But there is also a downside: periodically group texts are initiated, nasty and brutal. And to fail in them is to die.Sent
Sent in a non specified future time and location, the book has hints of the Hunger Games in the brutality of some of the tasks. And it is not really LitRPG, given that the events are occurring in real life with the appropriate consequences resulting from failure (and success). But there are all of the gaming elements with different attributes and levelling up, etc. As the book develops, the character of the main protagonist, who is also telling the story from her own point of view in first person present, also changes in response to the situations encountered. It is unfortunate that she is an unlikable character from the beginning and most others are giving very little character dspth. The world building for the sets of the trials is good, but that of the home town background is somewhat sparse, leaving big gaps in credibility such as how can numerous children become part of the game without their absence or distress becoming increasingly obvious?
A fascinating beginning which, although remaining exciting, turned into a more conventional fighting and survival gore fest as the novel proceeds, with too much self pitying justification. Shorter would have been better. However, the narration was excellent, with Natalie Duke giving distinctive and separate voice to all of the numerous protagonists as well as infusing the text with emotion, where appropriate. Her reading was clear, well paced and intoned, her voice pleasant to hear. A fine performance that certainly assisted the ongoing of the novel.
I was very fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of Gods of Blood and Bone by the rights holder, after I requested it via Audiobook Boom. Thank you so much. I did enjoy the book, for the most part, and am curious to discover what will happen in book two, Gods of Rust and Ruin. The mix of S.F., fantasy and a small helping of horror made for an intriguing story even if it did seem overly long and characterisation under achievsd. But i would happily recommend this for the young adult audience and think it would also make an exciting film.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 10-01-21
Well written and well performed
This book is not what I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Well written and well performed I would definitely recommend it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 17-06-19
Game lit for Hungar Games Fans
Other reviews complain that it loses its way but I enjoyed this story from start to finish the trails are grueling and help move the plot along in interesting ways but the author manages to balance action mainly, the trails with drama between characters. I enjoyed the main characters struggle between maintaing her family relationships with her new life. I enjoyed the character development of the whole cast and the author doesn't inflict long lists of stats and numbers when a character levels so it's easier to listen to than others of this genre. The narrator makes the story a pleasure to listen to. I cannot recommend this book more for the new girls to the gamelit genre.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Phil K.
- 14-09-18
Teenage TV series in book form.
Seems like the author is hoping for a TV deal, no one can blame them, for it to be made into a series that will run and run.
ok I guess but I'm not from that age group.
Narrator does a fine job.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- BookAddict'sReviews
- 14-10-18
Story fell apart a bit
Ellis’ story had a really good beginning. It was creepy and scary. I felt for the characters and the horrors they were going through. I was never sure what was going to happen and I was honestly scared for them. It seemed like all would be lost! But then about halfway through the novel changed and it became more about the bigger picture/greater unknown person to fear. It was pretty weird how it shifted. I don’t think there was a good transition and there wasn’t enough explanation of all the horrors going on after that point either. The characters themselves were interesting and felt realistic, I just wish I had seen more than been told in the novel. So for me I’m giving it about a 3/5 stars.
The narration by Duke is great! I loved her voice and all the little things she did to distinguish the characters. The bickering between the siblings felt natural as well. She has good pacing and studio production seems to be great as well. It was the narration that kept me hooked into the novel even when I felt the storyline seemed to fall apart a bit. I just really enjoyed listening to her and would definitely listen to another audiobook by her in the future! 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Azalea Ellis. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Danielle Skears
- 14-09-18
Walking the line between litrpg and teen fiction.
The plot's interesting and I enjoyed the quick pace of the storyline, but for a book based on the premise of this alien game, I feel like the stats and level progression of the characters aren't very well explained. That quantifiable measure of a character's strength and personal growth is a keystone for the litrpg genre, and this series definitely under utilizes that aspect. So, while this technically fits the genre, expect something more like the Hunger Games with a UI.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Derek Heard
- 08-11-18
Only Read If You Are a 13 Year Old Girl
This is not a great book. It is filled with teen anxiety and immature characters. The characters are literally more concerned with each others feelings than the horrible things being done to them.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- michael martins
- 30-07-19
Little Bit LitRPG, Little Bit Sci-Fi
Gods of Blood and Bone was a pretty good GameLit novel. I liked the overall premise of a shady organization abducting/forcing random people into a 'game' and forcing them to survive or die by any means. That part was a little bit like hunger games.
The story follows Eve who is just a normal girl, who seems very average and doesn't seem to have many friends or stand out at all. Out of nowhere one day she is snatched off the street and implanted with a Virtual Reality chip and injected with a 'seed' which at first makes her extremely sick as her body tries to adapt to the changes it is making to her. When she recovers from the sickness and wakes up she soon realizes she has been drafted into a top secret game which she has no option of not playing and can't talk about with anybody else who isn't in the game. To top it all off she is being monitored essentially 24/7 and being given quests to complete. The rewards for these quests are experience and the ability to gain more seeds which you can use to level yourself up.
Eve and other gamers are forced into Trials every so often from 10 to 14 days and these trials are terrifying, dangerous and deadly. Every gamer must enter the trials and many will not leave. Eve meets and befriends other gamers and together they try to survive and find a way to escape the game.
The relationships between Eve and her teammates are done pretty well and I liked the different characters and how they interacted with eachother and fed off of eachother. The action and scenarios in the book are quite good and some of it seems pretty fresh if not a bit weird at times. The book really changes in the last quarter or so as more things come to light about the situation they are in and the setup for the future books in the series seems like it will be interesting and may go in a very different direction possibly.
The narration by Natalie Duke was very good and I enjoyed it very much with no real complaints.
I would recommend it for anybody who likes game lit novels or even a young adult/teen novel.
"Please note I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jason
- 05-10-18
Initially Great, Sort of Ran Out of Steam for Me
Small Suggestion: Listen at 1.1x Speed. Seems to flow better, and makes the back and forth seem more natural.
tl;dr: I liked some parts of it, but it began to run out of steam.
So... yeah. Just some impressions, as I have discovered I'm utter rubbish at writing coherently about book. (How /did/ I ever pass High School English?)
-- Minor spoilers. --
The first trials the main character is forced into is actually terrifying. I found myself sitting with baited breath, nervous about what might happen.
The trials themselves (at least initially) really convey the sheer horror of what the MC is going through. They are brutal, bloody things, and this coming from me who was raised on a steady diet of 1980s action movies and horror films. Not to say that they are cinematic or what have you. The better ones have a sort of... dread to them. That sort of 'locked in a leaking box, tossed into the ocean' sort of feeling. The pressure of the situation pushing down on you, unable to breathe, trapped.
I think where the book began to fall apart for me is when the author started to move away from that. The trials became less terrifying and more... just sort of there. Near the end, they began to be skipped entirely ('oh, a trial happened'). When that started, some of the emotional impetus for the attempts to get away sort of fizzled out. However, I can see what the author was trying to do there. The author makes wonderful use of fear of the unknown, but you can't dwell in the mystery box too long. (In his house at R'lyeh dread JJ Abrams waits dreaming.)
However, after the abduction/torture fear stopped, I started to notice some plot holes, or started finding some of the directions the characters took as not understandable. Maybe it was because during the terrifying first part of the book, I was 'in the car', so to speak. "Yep, totally ok to do what you need to, to get out of this situation." After, what the actions they took didn't have the same weight. For me, I think it was the shift in focus from a personal horror to a broader, nebulous threat. Author tried to switch Fear of the Unknown with Fear of the Other, near the end. It didn't quite... work for me.
P.S.: Great interaction between siblings. It felt natural; full of the strange 'I'll pull your hair out but will do anything for you' dynamic a loving brother and sister will sometimes have.
Again, I apologize if this is disjointed. Like I said, I'm horrible at this. Give the book a try, it might work for you much better than it did for me. :)
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michelle Titherington VanDaley
- 30-06-19
Amazing & Original
What a fantastic start of series. This story is original with realistic & likeable characters. The descriptive world building allows the reader to easily visualize the story taking place. The players come into their powers in a natural way - they story flows seamlessly between game and life. The narrator does a great job bringing the story and characters to life. I really enjoyed this fast paced story and look forward to see where the author takes us next.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- keegan
- 22-06-19
Fantastic story!!
I loved this book! It wastes no time getting into the story. There are so many unique characters and personalities. I'm also loving the 2nd book in this series. If you are at all interested in this book from reading the blurb, I highly recommend purchasing this book!! "This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 22-06-19
Spectacular audiobook
This story is engaging and entertaining. Packed with adventure and excitement, the plot is constantly moving and well paced yet unpredictable and surprising. The characters are all unique individuals with well developed personalities and backstories, and all have their own flaws. Eves personality shines through the narration, full of sarcasm and snide comments along with the events of the story. The landscapes and trials are creative and well described, never feeling repetitive.
The narrator of this book does a truly astounding job, breathing life into the characters even when they’re communicating electronically and filling the narration with so much emotion and personality that the characters feel real.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- P. Moody
- 14-06-19
A surprisingly gravitational story
As a simple disclaimer: "This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."
That out of the way, I have to say that the story was very pulling. Almost all of the standard tropes of LitRPG stories were strictly NOT followed, and that is a great thing. TBH I wouldn't put this in the same category, personally, but that's my thought.
What I found, though, is that the story was well mapped. Didn't feel linear in nature and was not as predictable. There are twists in the plot that are more than reasonable and the fluidity of the story made it an enjoyable listen.
Narration was done well, though some of the rolling tones don't fit the moment at times, but not a deal breaker. Just a preference.
ALERT!! -- Spoiler zone --
Eve is a vulnerable and imperfect person, and that is fine. Thankfully not stuck in the standard LitRPG trope of being either a VR gamer stuck in the game and also not being someone that's raised in poverty. Pretty much a standard girl. This stands out to me as many times the MC is instantly to be sympathized for. She's a little more believable.
The environment being an overlay and the "game" being something hidden is a welcome change. Even more welcome is that Eve is an unwitting participant in the whole thing. The only thing truly missing in my mind is the scope and scale of the game. Surely all "players" can't be from one neighborhood. I do hope this gets increased and addressed in future books in the series.
The supporting cast of players is good, but not great. Some eagerness on some and obstinacy on others creates a good dynamic, but the personalities can be a bit grating at times.
The actual story... Well laid out and a fun one to follow. I especially enjoy the fact that the characters aren't invincible. Though cast death is minimal, it still happens, which is more attuned with reality. That and it gives the reader and MC a reason to get a bit pissed.
I will likely follow and finish the series.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Asher
- 11-06-19
Pretty Awesome and Brutal!
I have to say normally I am not a fan of listening to books from a female perspective but this one was excellent. All the characters were interesting. the development of the story is awesome and the MC is really understandable and pragmatic. It literally had me pause a few moments at work to really certain scenes because they were captured so well.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
1 person found this helpful