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Red Mage #2
Temper
A haven for humanity. Factions forming and fracturing. The seeds of a new empire.
Drew and his team are racing to create a system-recognized ‘Habitat’. To make this happen, they must conquer more nodes, deal with an antagonistic superior officer, and possibly worst of all: their own fear.
Freeing the troll’s sacrificial captives was only the beginning. Now the remnants of humanity must find a safe place to call home. But Nat's Park isn't the safe haven he was promised it would be. Not only do internal politics threaten to rip the survivors apart, an unknown danger haunts the stadium.
Drew and his allies will struggle to survive in the changed world after the Advent as fate works to temper them.
Drew and his team are racing to create a system-recognized ‘Habitat’. To make this happen, they must conquer more nodes, deal with an antagonistic superior officer, and possibly worst of all: their own fear.
Freeing the troll’s sacrificial captives was only the beginning. Now the remnants of humanity must find a safe place to call home. But Nat's Park isn't the safe haven he was promised it would be. Not only do internal politics threaten to rip the survivors apart, an unknown danger haunts the stadium.
Drew and his allies will struggle to survive in the changed world after the Advent as fate works to temper them.
441 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
March 28, 2023
This is second in a System Apocalypse LitRPG series and picks up right where the first left off. I recommend reading in order.
I made it about a third before frustrations pushed me out. Drew has goals given by Drew-1 and he’s puttering around with self-aggrandizing idiots playing politics. Also, I hate the hints of secret manipulations that everybody is helpless against. By the point I stopped, he’d frittered away days for no reason beyond letting others feel important for bossing him around. This is not how I like my power-fantasy served.
I’m going to give this two stars on the strength of the relationship with Katie. That was sweet. But she’s letting herself be bossed around pointlessly, too, so only two stars.
I made it about a third before frustrations pushed me out. Drew has goals given by Drew-1 and he’s puttering around with self-aggrandizing idiots playing politics. Also, I hate the hints of secret manipulations that everybody is helpless against. By the point I stopped, he’d frittered away days for no reason beyond letting others feel important for bossing him around. This is not how I like my power-fantasy served.
I’m going to give this two stars on the strength of the relationship with Katie. That was sweet. But she’s letting herself be bossed around pointlessly, too, so only two stars.
March 9, 2020
Lord of the Nodes
As the series continues, Drew and his magical development are still at the center of the story. That’s definitely a good thing, as the magical system Drew commands is interesting and complex. And building on the first book, more aspects of the “game” system are revealed through his unique “Chosen One” status. While the magical system is not number intensive, there’s a lot to remember and a “character sheet” and quick summary of all the associated colors and grades would have been beneficial. I had to go back to the first book to get a refresher.
So, the great hope of humanity rests on the shoulders of a naive and absent-minded hero who clings to old hierarchies and ideas of democracy. Even after he is told gaining personal power is vital to the survival of Earth-3, he defers to group distribution of Xatherite to be fair instead of efficient. It’s also likely that Drew is on the spectrum based on his bizarre social interactions and awkward attempts at comforting others. This might be why Drew’s mind continues to wander in the midsts of dangerous situations, getting him caught flat-footed while he constantly forgets routine tasks like refreshing his defenses. And regardless of his status as a “Red Mage” he is a born follower, willing to allow those who abuse authority to be in charge rather than taking leadership or even defending himself.
And while Drew has some challenging traits, the big problem with this book is that it’s an apocalypse with training wheels on. Despite the ever present monsters, there are no real threats to Drew and everything always works out for the best. People are unrealistically friendly, reasonable, and predictable. Greed, reticence, and stupidity are minimized while malicious betrayal and outright sadism are absent. I like stories that focus on the triumphs of people working together, but the author has an overly optimistic view of human nature. It makes me think of how Piggy from Lord of the Flies must have viewed the world - highly logical, faithful to established norms, and largely ignorant of our potential for self destruction.
Another annoying story element is the sappy romance with Katie. Such a relationship can add depth to the story, but it can also drag it down. Having Katie’s character go from tough and competent to clingy and protective is a great example of the latter. Also, Drew hardly needs another leash to jerk him around. Never mind that the fate of trillions demands he become a war leader, he would roll over and show his belly if she commanded it. Katie has great value to the story, even with the low system potential the author gave her, but she would have been a much better character without these lame romance dynamics.
While I still enjoyed reading this book, it was a lot harder to finish than the first one. I’m sure many readers couldn’t care less about psychological realism in a fantasy story, but I think it’s pretty important in a survival/apocalypse setting. At any rate, this is a decent continuation of the series and probably a hit for most fans of the first book.
As the series continues, Drew and his magical development are still at the center of the story. That’s definitely a good thing, as the magical system Drew commands is interesting and complex. And building on the first book, more aspects of the “game” system are revealed through his unique “Chosen One” status. While the magical system is not number intensive, there’s a lot to remember and a “character sheet” and quick summary of all the associated colors and grades would have been beneficial. I had to go back to the first book to get a refresher.
So, the great hope of humanity rests on the shoulders of a naive and absent-minded hero who clings to old hierarchies and ideas of democracy. Even after he is told gaining personal power is vital to the survival of Earth-3, he defers to group distribution of Xatherite to be fair instead of efficient. It’s also likely that Drew is on the spectrum based on his bizarre social interactions and awkward attempts at comforting others. This might be why Drew’s mind continues to wander in the midsts of dangerous situations, getting him caught flat-footed while he constantly forgets routine tasks like refreshing his defenses. And regardless of his status as a “Red Mage” he is a born follower, willing to allow those who abuse authority to be in charge rather than taking leadership or even defending himself.
And while Drew has some challenging traits, the big problem with this book is that it’s an apocalypse with training wheels on. Despite the ever present monsters, there are no real threats to Drew and everything always works out for the best. People are unrealistically friendly, reasonable, and predictable. Greed, reticence, and stupidity are minimized while malicious betrayal and outright sadism are absent. I like stories that focus on the triumphs of people working together, but the author has an overly optimistic view of human nature. It makes me think of how Piggy from Lord of the Flies must have viewed the world - highly logical, faithful to established norms, and largely ignorant of our potential for self destruction.
Another annoying story element is the sappy romance with Katie. Such a relationship can add depth to the story, but it can also drag it down. Having Katie’s character go from tough and competent to clingy and protective is a great example of the latter. Also, Drew hardly needs another leash to jerk him around. Never mind that the fate of trillions demands he become a war leader, he would roll over and show his belly if she commanded it. Katie has great value to the story, even with the low system potential the author gave her, but she would have been a much better character without these lame romance dynamics.
While I still enjoyed reading this book, it was a lot harder to finish than the first one. I’m sure many readers couldn’t care less about psychological realism in a fantasy story, but I think it’s pretty important in a survival/apocalypse setting. At any rate, this is a decent continuation of the series and probably a hit for most fans of the first book.
March 2, 2020
A great second entrant ii not the series, this book starts right where the first one ends.
At the same time, the level of crisis seems to be diminished, as the MC is able to power through everything that gets in his way.
The second half of the story feels like a setup for the third book, where the pressure shouls be cranked up (one hopes). Nonetheless, a very enjoyable and fun book to read.
At the same time, the level of crisis seems to be diminished, as the MC is able to power through everything that gets in his way.
The second half of the story feels like a setup for the third book, where the pressure shouls be cranked up (one hopes). Nonetheless, a very enjoyable and fun book to read.
March 1, 2020
Great story
I don't know what it is about this series, but it is becoming one of my favorites. The MC, while slightly OP, is highly relatable, and the plotline is simply outstanding. Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading more.
I don't know what it is about this series, but it is becoming one of my favorites. The MC, while slightly OP, is highly relatable, and the plotline is simply outstanding. Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading more.
April 30, 2020
I'm not sure about this one. The story was ok, and someone who really really enjoyed the first one might get more out of this one than I did. To me, this one seemed more about stats and skills than actual story advancement. Sure, the story advanced a little, but it was more about locking things down than actually offering any insights/plot lines to advance the story very much. I'm hesitantly giving this one 3 stars, though a 2.5 rating would be more appropriate for me I think, mostly because this one didn't really strike me as all that great of a story as it stands. Perhaps as it combines with further books in the series it will seem better, having filled in some back story that was necessary for future installments.
December 23, 2023
12/22/23 Notes:
I had to give myself a mental shake & shift my reader mode to appreciate RM2. This book is a great transition piece. Setting, core characters, system interface and overall story arc have been fleshed out. Handful of interesting ideas thrown out to tease readers.
In a way, Temper was the slice of life piece for the series. First book was a chaotic mess of lives blown up and finding stable footing in the unknown. A lot of reacting to events. Now, the readers are presented with the crew being proactive and building a path forward.
I had to give myself a mental shake & shift my reader mode to appreciate RM2. This book is a great transition piece. Setting, core characters, system interface and overall story arc have been fleshed out. Handful of interesting ideas thrown out to tease readers.
In a way, Temper was the slice of life piece for the series. First book was a chaotic mess of lives blown up and finding stable footing in the unknown. A lot of reacting to events. Now, the readers are presented with the crew being proactive and building a path forward.
March 22, 2020
Disappointing.
Took a strong story and moored it down in convoluted nonsense. All the talk of nodes took precedence from the characters that made the first book so much fun. Found myself speed reading through section because I just did not care what was happening. Can honestly say I would not be able to finish a third book written in a similar manner, if I even bothered to try it.
Took a strong story and moored it down in convoluted nonsense. All the talk of nodes took precedence from the characters that made the first book so much fun. Found myself speed reading through section because I just did not care what was happening. Can honestly say I would not be able to finish a third book written in a similar manner, if I even bothered to try it.
April 4, 2020
Still very good! Wasn’t much progression until the Diablo third of the book which was annoying. Even then he only upgrades a small percentage of his skills which was honestly infuriating.
Was cool to have another order member around to explain and introduce more of the universe to us. Not quite enthused with some of the choices for this book but it’s setting up the third for something big. Hoping that one is longer.
8/10
Was cool to have another order member around to explain and introduce more of the universe to us. Not quite enthused with some of the choices for this book but it’s setting up the third for something big. Hoping that one is longer.
8/10
March 23, 2021
Such a fantastic story! Read it...
March 30, 2020
Fun book
Enjoyed the first one. The second was just as fun. Fun to see some USCG jokes in a book as well. Rare to see them featured. Anyways, worth your time. Cant wait for book 3.
Enjoyed the first one. The second was just as fun. Fun to see some USCG jokes in a book as well. Rare to see them featured. Anyways, worth your time. Cant wait for book 3.
March 3, 2020
Loved this book.
The story was good with lots of action and the characters are continuing to develop and be interesting. The MC was good and I enjoyed how the supporting characters are interesting and important to the story.
The story was good with lots of action and the characters are continuing to develop and be interesting. The MC was good and I enjoyed how the supporting characters are interesting and important to the story.
May 26, 2020
That is just about this whole book, a big ole side quest for nodes and being carried by one of Aries troopers. Oh and this ridiculous CW romance thing that is going on from the very needed and dependent Cati, I get that the author has a hard on to have military acronyms every place in the book and to try and make this rank and file. But he was going for that, then Cati needs to removed from the party because she is a huge distraction, like questioning his decision making in front of people. Hence why that is NOT aloud in the military, at least not in the same unit.
April 10, 2020
Rating 4.0 stars
A good second installment. Drew is still OP and just keeps getting stronger, but he is bringing the group around him with him and they are becoming fierce. There are so many different powers and ways to use them. They spend the entire book looking for new nodes to claim. They have to deal with a bunch of new monsters. Then there are practical situations do deal with like food, shelter and command. I liked this book a little better than the first one.
A good second installment. Drew is still OP and just keeps getting stronger, but he is bringing the group around him with him and they are becoming fierce. There are so many different powers and ways to use them. They spend the entire book looking for new nodes to claim. They have to deal with a bunch of new monsters. Then there are practical situations do deal with like food, shelter and command. I liked this book a little better than the first one.
June 27, 2020
Maybe it has just been too long since I've read the first book, but this one fell a little short. Maybe my expectations were too high... Idk. I love LitRPG. I love Apocalyptic LitRPG. Temper just missed the mark. I was not into the story as much as I remember. There wasn't as much progression in the story or characters. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next installment, in hopes that it picked up again.
July 12, 2020
I listened to books 1 & 2 together so I am just going to give them the same review.
This is superior litRPG. The vast majority of authors working in this area are not professionals and it appears this can be said of Mr. Boyce as well since his characters are bit blunt. Still, he is a significantly better author than the vast majority of litRPG authors, many of whom cannot even tell a decent story. In particular Mr. Boyce keeps the focus on the MC's journey rather than the destination. This is important because otherwise the first book in a series lacks resolution and serves only as introduction to whatever comes next. Here, Mr. Boyce has essentially really overthought his story, which is way better that under-thinking, but leads to a large amount of background details getting story time. Still, Mr. Boyce makes good use of these details so this is just a note for the consideration of potential readers more than a true criticism.
In book 1 the earth suddenly turns into an RPG type environment with dungeons, orcs, trolls and no electronics. The MC, Drew, was working at his Coast Guard Information Specialist job in DC when the change happened. This placed Drew next to the highly dangerous "primary nexus" area and as a result got him a tutorial and additional spells other humans didn't. Good thing too since Drew's office also become a dungeon.
Drew fights his way out of the Dungeon, picking up other survivors along the way. However, almost immediately after exiting the dungeon Drew is drawn into freeing a large number of humans taken captive by trolls next door. Fortunately Drew has leveled up and gained some allies with highly useful abilities, like invisibility for scouting and conjuring walls for security, along the way. Drew also encounters a couple of former policemen who claim to come from a safe place set up in a nearby stadium and that the stadium will welcome any survivors of the trolls.
[SKIP A PARAGRAPH TO AVOID SPOILERS]
The climax of book one is the attack on the trolls to rescue the humans during which Drew does something incredible stupid- having witnessed the troll shaman burning human sacrifices at the stake Drew stops attacking him to talk which was just a delaying tactic by the troll to allow other trolls to kill more human prisoners. Granted the author justifies this by emphasizing Drew's newness to leadership but this just seemed too stupid. There was no wily "let's negotiate before we fight" approach by the troll. Instead, Drew is fighting the troll and stops because the troll suggests it. Still, Drew succeeds in rescuing many humans and also in taking control of the dungeon nexus the trolls were excavating. Upon taking control of the nexus Drew is told that he can create a safe place for humans once he controls 5 nexuses/dungeons.
Drew is also contacted by the ancient outer space humans who inform him that earth was set up as a training ground for the human military. It turns out space is full of warring species and so humanity is only safe when strong enough to take and hold large areas of space. The outer space humans are very old and powerful and bits of the bigger picture came to be known on earth. As a result the most powerful outer space humans have the same names as Greek, Norse and Egyptian gods. Specifically Drew is taken on as a squire by one of the Greek gods and told to watch out for Hades, Pan, Isis and the like.
In book 2 Drew & co. help about 230 survivors to the stadium. Once there Drew & co. discover the stadium is a nexus/dungeon, but one that seems to be farming the people for their emotions. In other words, the dungeon protects people in the stadium to feed off of their emotions. Drew attempts to take control of the stadium nexus but the boss monster is submerged and inaccessible. Drew & Co. move on to taking control of other nearby nexuses in the hope that the levels and abilities gained will allow them to defeat the stadium boss monster. They also rescue a bunch of marines close to being overrun by monsters.
In book 2 is where my comments about over-thinking and somewhat shallow characters really comes out. Essentially the author adds a human from outer space character with no foreshadowing just to have someone that can explain things. Also an entire group of dissenters who wanted to join Drew apparently attacked him for no reason and then disappears, none of which was adequately explained by the author. In truth it felt like the author just didn't know where to take those characters so they died but, to be fair, this is such a minor part of the story it didn't really matter.
[SKIP A PARAGRAPH TO AVOID SPOILERS]
So Drew & co. capture four nexuses before they finally devise a way to fight the stadium boss mob under water. However, when Drew & co. arrive at the stadium boss' lair they find the military captain who has been hostile and manipulative towards Drew already there chumming it up with the guards. Drew ignores this highly suspicious situation and, of course, gets shot in the back. Drew & co. prevail and create a safe habitat for humans just in time to see the an enemy spaceship enter the atmosphere.
Bottom line: Worth the read.
This is superior litRPG. The vast majority of authors working in this area are not professionals and it appears this can be said of Mr. Boyce as well since his characters are bit blunt. Still, he is a significantly better author than the vast majority of litRPG authors, many of whom cannot even tell a decent story. In particular Mr. Boyce keeps the focus on the MC's journey rather than the destination. This is important because otherwise the first book in a series lacks resolution and serves only as introduction to whatever comes next. Here, Mr. Boyce has essentially really overthought his story, which is way better that under-thinking, but leads to a large amount of background details getting story time. Still, Mr. Boyce makes good use of these details so this is just a note for the consideration of potential readers more than a true criticism.
In book 1 the earth suddenly turns into an RPG type environment with dungeons, orcs, trolls and no electronics. The MC, Drew, was working at his Coast Guard Information Specialist job in DC when the change happened. This placed Drew next to the highly dangerous "primary nexus" area and as a result got him a tutorial and additional spells other humans didn't. Good thing too since Drew's office also become a dungeon.
Drew fights his way out of the Dungeon, picking up other survivors along the way. However, almost immediately after exiting the dungeon Drew is drawn into freeing a large number of humans taken captive by trolls next door. Fortunately Drew has leveled up and gained some allies with highly useful abilities, like invisibility for scouting and conjuring walls for security, along the way. Drew also encounters a couple of former policemen who claim to come from a safe place set up in a nearby stadium and that the stadium will welcome any survivors of the trolls.
[SKIP A PARAGRAPH TO AVOID SPOILERS]
The climax of book one is the attack on the trolls to rescue the humans during which Drew does something incredible stupid- having witnessed the troll shaman burning human sacrifices at the stake Drew stops attacking him to talk which was just a delaying tactic by the troll to allow other trolls to kill more human prisoners. Granted the author justifies this by emphasizing Drew's newness to leadership but this just seemed too stupid. There was no wily "let's negotiate before we fight" approach by the troll. Instead, Drew is fighting the troll and stops because the troll suggests it. Still, Drew succeeds in rescuing many humans and also in taking control of the dungeon nexus the trolls were excavating. Upon taking control of the nexus Drew is told that he can create a safe place for humans once he controls 5 nexuses/dungeons.
Drew is also contacted by the ancient outer space humans who inform him that earth was set up as a training ground for the human military. It turns out space is full of warring species and so humanity is only safe when strong enough to take and hold large areas of space. The outer space humans are very old and powerful and bits of the bigger picture came to be known on earth. As a result the most powerful outer space humans have the same names as Greek, Norse and Egyptian gods. Specifically Drew is taken on as a squire by one of the Greek gods and told to watch out for Hades, Pan, Isis and the like.
In book 2 Drew & co. help about 230 survivors to the stadium. Once there Drew & co. discover the stadium is a nexus/dungeon, but one that seems to be farming the people for their emotions. In other words, the dungeon protects people in the stadium to feed off of their emotions. Drew attempts to take control of the stadium nexus but the boss monster is submerged and inaccessible. Drew & Co. move on to taking control of other nearby nexuses in the hope that the levels and abilities gained will allow them to defeat the stadium boss monster. They also rescue a bunch of marines close to being overrun by monsters.
In book 2 is where my comments about over-thinking and somewhat shallow characters really comes out. Essentially the author adds a human from outer space character with no foreshadowing just to have someone that can explain things. Also an entire group of dissenters who wanted to join Drew apparently attacked him for no reason and then disappears, none of which was adequately explained by the author. In truth it felt like the author just didn't know where to take those characters so they died but, to be fair, this is such a minor part of the story it didn't really matter.
[SKIP A PARAGRAPH TO AVOID SPOILERS]
So Drew & co. capture four nexuses before they finally devise a way to fight the stadium boss mob under water. However, when Drew & co. arrive at the stadium boss' lair they find the military captain who has been hostile and manipulative towards Drew already there chumming it up with the guards. Drew ignores this highly suspicious situation and, of course, gets shot in the back. Drew & co. prevail and create a safe habitat for humans just in time to see the an enemy spaceship enter the atmosphere.
Bottom line: Worth the read.
March 6, 2020
Alert
I hate trying to write reviews because there are really only pass/fail results for me. Did I make it all the way through? Yes? 5 stars. No? There would be nothing here to read. In all fairness, if an author holds my attention from page one to the end, they’ve done their job. Anything less than 5 stars is petty criticism from someone incapable of even doing the job let alone doing a better one.
So in respect for the author and their work, I am going to start pasting this along with a generic review I found somewhere. “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Now, since I have to keep explaining myself to people who don't like my reviews, I guess some clarification is in order.
1. I am 100% against criticism for works of art. Art is subjective, meaning reviews are irrelevant. The observer's opinion is only relevant to the observer. It is my belief that regardless of what others might say, I have to experience the art for myself.
2. I read upwards of 20 books a month. The $10/month I spend on K U, feels like I am cheating the authors. But since I can't afford 20 books a month if I were to purchase them directly, all I can offer is a positive review. That leads us to the final point.
3. If I get to the end of a book, then it was worth my time. I give those books 5 stars because it helps the author get exposure. That is the only reason I write reviews at all.
I understand that people are people and they are going to do what they do regardless of my stance. I know the way that I review books upsets some people. I am sorry they feel that way but as many have said, they will just ignore my review going forward. In fact, if you made it this far through my review, you should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews here. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
I hate trying to write reviews because there are really only pass/fail results for me. Did I make it all the way through? Yes? 5 stars. No? There would be nothing here to read. In all fairness, if an author holds my attention from page one to the end, they’ve done their job. Anything less than 5 stars is petty criticism from someone incapable of even doing the job let alone doing a better one.
So in respect for the author and their work, I am going to start pasting this along with a generic review I found somewhere. “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Now, since I have to keep explaining myself to people who don't like my reviews, I guess some clarification is in order.
1. I am 100% against criticism for works of art. Art is subjective, meaning reviews are irrelevant. The observer's opinion is only relevant to the observer. It is my belief that regardless of what others might say, I have to experience the art for myself.
2. I read upwards of 20 books a month. The $10/month I spend on K U, feels like I am cheating the authors. But since I can't afford 20 books a month if I were to purchase them directly, all I can offer is a positive review. That leads us to the final point.
3. If I get to the end of a book, then it was worth my time. I give those books 5 stars because it helps the author get exposure. That is the only reason I write reviews at all.
I understand that people are people and they are going to do what they do regardless of my stance. I know the way that I review books upsets some people. I am sorry they feel that way but as many have said, they will just ignore my review going forward. In fact, if you made it this far through my review, you should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews here. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
June 2, 2020
The story continues with Drew and his team conquering more dungeon nodes to create a habitat. Drew finds something of a base of operations in Nat's Park, but something's not quite right in the stadium. Drew and crew find more Xatherite that can alter reality, but this time around they have to think of a community to equip them to.
I jumped right into this book as soon as I had seen it available on Audible since I really liking the first book and wanted. I'm noticing a trend with Mountaindale press in that they are putting out great stories in the LitRPG genre. As complicated as the Xatherite system may be I found that it was a very cool game element. Drew having to decide who gets what Xatherite in the community seems like it could cause problems as well as benefiting the community to grow. The larger scale part of the series story involving a galactic conflict is still in motion in the background. Some of my favorite parts of this book were some of the dungeons, meeting Chomp/Luke, and finding a way to fight the real boss of the main node.
Where I do not believe this is Luke Daniels best performance, he does do a great job here. Daniels tries some new things with females voices which is good because I feel it is expanding his ability to make female voices. I personally like seeing a narrator improving their craft.
I jumped right into this book as soon as I had seen it available on Audible since I really liking the first book and wanted. I'm noticing a trend with Mountaindale press in that they are putting out great stories in the LitRPG genre. As complicated as the Xatherite system may be I found that it was a very cool game element. Drew having to decide who gets what Xatherite in the community seems like it could cause problems as well as benefiting the community to grow. The larger scale part of the series story involving a galactic conflict is still in motion in the background. Some of my favorite parts of this book were some of the dungeons, meeting Chomp/Luke, and finding a way to fight the real boss of the main node.
Where I do not believe this is Luke Daniels best performance, he does do a great job here. Daniels tries some new things with females voices which is good because I feel it is expanding his ability to make female voices. I personally like seeing a narrator improving their craft.
February 29, 2020
After what feels like forever but was really a little over a year we get the much awaited sequel to Advent and it doesn't disappoint. This book focuses mostly on expansion and almost back to back action scenes and has a much quicker pacing than the first book without the survival build up, even the dungeon diving while described as being a slow processes from the readers perspective is done very quickly. It's written in a way that after the first few monsters of a type the characters clearly know how to handle them so we aren't bogged down with rinse and repeat and instead get to move past that with the exceptions of boss monsters. Even puzzles are represented more by "It was this type of puzzle so it was solved like this" rather than the actual drawn out process. There were more pop culture references in this one than the first one and more humor as well though the humor is going to be very hit or miss. If you enjoyed the first one you will most likely enjoy the second one, I certainly did, finishing it in one day. Highly recommend this series.
March 4, 2020
This is an amazing LITRPG book, definitely one of my favorites. I like the unique "magic" system and the way it works. It reminds me of path of exile, with colored spell gems you socket and the passive constellation map.
This book has a great combination of action and world building as well as character development. The side characters are not all one dimensional like in some books, it feels like a real world that exists outside of the main character.
The main character is definitely overpowered, but still has struggles and he has a reason for being overpowered. While he was definitely given an extreme advantage, the decisions he has made as well as his lack of fear and desire to help others has made him even stronger.
I have also read book 2 which is 5 stars as well and is just as good as the first.
My rating system:
1 star: Utter Trash
2 star: Did not finish
3 star: Ok book, but will not read next in series.
4 star: Good book, will read next in series
5 star: Amazing book, can't wait till next book is out!
This book has a great combination of action and world building as well as character development. The side characters are not all one dimensional like in some books, it feels like a real world that exists outside of the main character.
The main character is definitely overpowered, but still has struggles and he has a reason for being overpowered. While he was definitely given an extreme advantage, the decisions he has made as well as his lack of fear and desire to help others has made him even stronger.
I have also read book 2 which is 5 stars as well and is just as good as the first.
My rating system:
1 star: Utter Trash
2 star: Did not finish
3 star: Ok book, but will not read next in series.
4 star: Good book, will read next in series
5 star: Amazing book, can't wait till next book is out!
March 26, 2020
One of the best GameLit sci-fi fantasy books out there
Excellent story with a great plot and likeable characters. I'd highly recommend this series, it's much much better than any other GameLit that I've read in the past and is significantly better all around than Aleron Kongs the land.
With that said, mechanically it's pretty sound. I found no spelling errors or any of the major things that can throw a reader off or make them put the book down. Xander could use a developmental editor however as there were a few minor issues with it being difficult to track what character was speaking during dialog in a few spots that bordered on head hunting. As well as a few times ability names didn't quite follow as they were upgraded for a few pages after said upgrade. Nothing huge, but could use some small polish.
Regardless of my critique, this is the real deal and do not hesitate to purchase!
Excellent story with a great plot and likeable characters. I'd highly recommend this series, it's much much better than any other GameLit that I've read in the past and is significantly better all around than Aleron Kongs the land.
With that said, mechanically it's pretty sound. I found no spelling errors or any of the major things that can throw a reader off or make them put the book down. Xander could use a developmental editor however as there were a few minor issues with it being difficult to track what character was speaking during dialog in a few spots that bordered on head hunting. As well as a few times ability names didn't quite follow as they were upgraded for a few pages after said upgrade. Nothing huge, but could use some small polish.
Regardless of my critique, this is the real deal and do not hesitate to purchase!
March 7, 2020
Red Mage, Coastie, future general and leader? Only if he survives
Well worth the wait! I really enjoyed the continuation of the Red Mage series and the MC building a strong team, while still supporting the non-combatants and less powerful survivors. Food is a serious problem, if only they knew why it rotted every night in the stadium...
The world is no longer safe for anyone, and the pre Advent change world was a utopia of safety compared to the world now. Throughout DC, Drew works to secure a safe zone for the survivors, few as they are.
Meanwhile, finding more xantherite to gain power or increase others power is as important as finding fresh food.
The scariest part is the unknown, and discovering that will take away one more later of imagined safety...
Well worth the wait! I really enjoyed the continuation of the Red Mage series and the MC building a strong team, while still supporting the non-combatants and less powerful survivors. Food is a serious problem, if only they knew why it rotted every night in the stadium...
The world is no longer safe for anyone, and the pre Advent change world was a utopia of safety compared to the world now. Throughout DC, Drew works to secure a safe zone for the survivors, few as they are.
Meanwhile, finding more xantherite to gain power or increase others power is as important as finding fresh food.
The scariest part is the unknown, and discovering that will take away one more later of imagined safety...
March 8, 2020
What an awesome story
So this series is awesome. I enjoyed this book as much as the first. The book takes up right where the first ended and the action continues from there. The author is slowly rolling out the larger story arc and showing the devastation of earth was just the beginning of the survivors trials. The new Red Mage must power up fast as the enemies are on them quick and hard. This book had a small amount of management and hinted this may be something bigger later as the mana nodes are the key resource for survival. I hope he finds more survivors and build an empire. He will need a strong army and power base to fend of earth invaders. I look forward to the next. Hope there is less delay between books.
So this series is awesome. I enjoyed this book as much as the first. The book takes up right where the first ended and the action continues from there. The author is slowly rolling out the larger story arc and showing the devastation of earth was just the beginning of the survivors trials. The new Red Mage must power up fast as the enemies are on them quick and hard. This book had a small amount of management and hinted this may be something bigger later as the mana nodes are the key resource for survival. I hope he finds more survivors and build an empire. He will need a strong army and power base to fend of earth invaders. I look forward to the next. Hope there is less delay between books.
March 12, 2020
A stellar read
Xander Bryce has done it once again. His books appeal to the masses both in and out of the service by recreating nostalgia as well as showcasing the adaptability of the military in a post apocalyptic sci-GI world.
Throughout the second book in the series, we see a lot of personal growth from each of the characters and get a glimpse to their interior motives - each of which possess a uncanny semblance of realness. Furthermore, Xander’s creative spin on certain historic figures such as Chesty brought an added element of humor.
I was slightly saddened by the fact that the star maps didn’t appear towards the end of the book - just because I enjoyed the visualized growth and personification of each person. However it doesn’t impact the overall quality of the book. I look forward to the unveiling of the 3rd book in the series.
Xander Bryce has done it once again. His books appeal to the masses both in and out of the service by recreating nostalgia as well as showcasing the adaptability of the military in a post apocalyptic sci-GI world.
Throughout the second book in the series, we see a lot of personal growth from each of the characters and get a glimpse to their interior motives - each of which possess a uncanny semblance of realness. Furthermore, Xander’s creative spin on certain historic figures such as Chesty brought an added element of humor.
I was slightly saddened by the fact that the star maps didn’t appear towards the end of the book - just because I enjoyed the visualized growth and personification of each person. However it doesn’t impact the overall quality of the book. I look forward to the unveiling of the 3rd book in the series.
May 13, 2022
An excellent sequel to the first in this series, picking up exactly where the first left off. The main character, Drew, seems to be learning his place in the new world and the responsibilities that come with it. The relationship between Drew and Katie seems forced at times, but still reasonable. The many references to the military lifestyle are a bit much, and there’s more than a few spots where the editing seems to be lacking, which can be distracting. Overall, I quite enjoyed this book and started the third installment the very next day. I’m looking forward to the many different paths this series could take and there’s potential for a number of spin-offs. Xander has written a world that many nerds may hope would someday become a reality, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store.
March 7, 2020
While i enjoy the story in itself and the rather unique system, my complains are the same i had with the previous books mostly:
To understand a majority of this books surrounding, you need to be well adversed in US-Military Structure (especially Navy) and the general surroundings of Washington where the MC currently is.
The Author uses many Landmarks and many Military-Terms to descibe the world and the characters and i simply have not a clue in what relationship everything is or how it looks like because it will not get explained.
And this puts a massive dampener in my immersion and experience.
To understand a majority of this books surrounding, you need to be well adversed in US-Military Structure (especially Navy) and the general surroundings of Washington where the MC currently is.
The Author uses many Landmarks and many Military-Terms to descibe the world and the characters and i simply have not a clue in what relationship everything is or how it looks like because it will not get explained.
And this puts a massive dampener in my immersion and experience.
February 2, 2023
Enjoyable but disjointed
I have to say that the historical fanatic passages at the beginning of these books drain a lot of enjoyment out of them for me. The story is pretty interesting, and it's nice to see Drew's team solidifying and taking some of the pressure off of him. So far I like the new guard, but I still have reservations on any characters with outside knowledge and impact. For whatever reason, context clues show that this dimensional version of Drew and Earth are being targeted possibly more heavily than others. Interesting read, but I'm not sure if I'll read more yet.
I have to say that the historical fanatic passages at the beginning of these books drain a lot of enjoyment out of them for me. The story is pretty interesting, and it's nice to see Drew's team solidifying and taking some of the pressure off of him. So far I like the new guard, but I still have reservations on any characters with outside knowledge and impact. For whatever reason, context clues show that this dimensional version of Drew and Earth are being targeted possibly more heavily than others. Interesting read, but I'm not sure if I'll read more yet.
October 29, 2023
"It's been a while since I got yelled at for being a straight white guy" - Drew (the main character). What an unnecessary line to include. Then the person he was talking to says she wishes they could have gotten away from all the politics because of the Advent and everything going on, which is ironic since that initial statement was literally introducing politics themselves for no reason (Drew was not actually yelled at for the reason he mentioned). Only happened once but was still annoying. In general though I don't really like the whole mystical intergalactic aspect of this book, nor the military rankings. It's also somewhat boring and hard to pay attention to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2020
He’s to become a god?
Drew, the main character, continues to figure out what new world he inhabits and how his powers will work. Will he become the leader “the system” seems to think he will become? Several key battles - and some over-eager mistakes - take him to new places with his team.
The RPG part of this story is a little less “crunchy” than other books of this type. As a result, I am a bit confused - the xantherite grading system, and how different people will get different results.
Drew, the main character, continues to figure out what new world he inhabits and how his powers will work. Will he become the leader “the system” seems to think he will become? Several key battles - and some over-eager mistakes - take him to new places with his team.
The RPG part of this story is a little less “crunchy” than other books of this type. As a result, I am a bit confused - the xantherite grading system, and how different people will get different results.
March 8, 2020
Excellent, a new benchmark for post-apocalyptic litrpg
Very much enjoyed Xander Boyce's vision of a post-apocalyptic litrpg. The threads of military jargon and routine were a nice touch and seemed fitting and practical and never once overburdened the plot or prose. Hell of a cliffhanger, but the worldbuilding is just one of the many aspects of this series that has been steadily accumulating into something truly engrossing. goes without saying that ill be eagerly awaiting the next installment and will likely buy everything written by Mr. Boyce henceforth.
Very much enjoyed Xander Boyce's vision of a post-apocalyptic litrpg. The threads of military jargon and routine were a nice touch and seemed fitting and practical and never once overburdened the plot or prose. Hell of a cliffhanger, but the worldbuilding is just one of the many aspects of this series that has been steadily accumulating into something truly engrossing. goes without saying that ill be eagerly awaiting the next installment and will likely buy everything written by Mr. Boyce henceforth.
March 17, 2020
Better than average
Overall, this feels like a solid entry into the lit RPG genre. There���s not very much character interactions so it’s hard to really like the characters, but everything else is reasonably interesting. I’d love to see the story move along a little bit faster and for the conflict to be a little bit bigger or more personal. Meaning, sometimes it’s nice for the protagonist to know the villain and have to really struggle against them instead of having it be random boss mobs that gets nuked.
Overall, this feels like a solid entry into the lit RPG genre. There���s not very much character interactions so it’s hard to really like the characters, but everything else is reasonably interesting. I’d love to see the story move along a little bit faster and for the conflict to be a little bit bigger or more personal. Meaning, sometimes it’s nice for the protagonist to know the villain and have to really struggle against them instead of having it be random boss mobs that gets nuked.
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