I really enjoyed the audio book.

I really enjoyed the audio book. A new spin on magic and the way the system works.. I highly recommended the book. I hope the author is a fast writer...

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Enjoyable but lacking

This book which describes the common gamer fantasy of living within a game world is strangely compelling despite its flaws. Narrated very well by Michael Goldstrom, it suffers from a somewhat two dimensional story that could have been so much more if interactions between the game world and real life could have been expanded. In the end it is almost just a description of someone playing a game. Perhaps later books on the series will expand on the potential.

I also have to note that the casual sexism in this book is very off putting. The male lead picks up a girl who follows him around, doting on him, pleasing him in the bedroom in very teenage-male-fantasy ways and generally just acting as a subsidiary to him rather than being a fully-fledged character in her own right. Another missed opportunity.

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6 people found this helpful

Great RPG story!

If you're even remotely into role playing games, particularly online MMO's this story is right up your street!

It's a great adaptation of everything I love about MMORPGs in a story. Gives me my gaming fix whilst I'm driving for real world stuff!

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1 person found this helpful

A great series opener

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Others are also tackling the game life crossover genre, but this is especially well done. If you like the subject, its sure to have your inner 'geek' purring with pleasure. I purchased the first book, got books 2+3 straight away and books 4 to 7 within a week. Just a slight caution, the first 3 books are solid work, then the care and fresh idea's slow down. Look at the book lengths ... rushing them out? Pressure from the publisher after book 3? I could see a trend there :/ That being said, do I recommend them?
Yes I do. Great fun to be had, but please Mr D. Rus, if you are the type of author that reads poorly written reviews, please take your own sweet time with your next book :)
(Not as long as Patrick Rothfuss though lol)

What did you like best about this story?

Good balance of the geek Vs story. By this I mean it caters for old school gamers and the non gamer sci-fi readership.

What does Michael Goldstrom bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Well narrated by Michael Goldstrom, Michael is no 'Rupert Degas', but who is?

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me smile a few times, from a miserable old git, that's good enough.

Any additional comments?

Additional for readers that remember the late 70's to early 90's - If you like the game immersion theme and haven't yet read 'Ready Player One', give your self a real treat :)

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Great book

It's been a while since I found an other who can write great fantasy, this author is up there with R A Salvatore and the other greats.

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surprise new genre for me mmorpg...

i loved this book, very original and for someone that played warcraft for years , this really took me back. The other books are also well worth the read.
it narrated well and the action just keeps on coming. not a book for kids as there is swaring f words so buyer beware, but for adults its a ripping yarn. highly reccomend

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3 people found this helpful

Not for me

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The immaturity and sexism were niggling. The over-use of unexplained acronyms was annoying. There were some poorly-thought out plot holes.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

An hour from the end, I realised I just didn't want to finish it. Usually, I will persevere, just to make sure I don't miss anything. In this case, I don't care if I did miss something; I couldn't face wasting that final hour.

Did AlterWorld inspire you to do anything?

I was inspired to return it, but it did make me a biit nostalgic for quest adventure games, so I think I might try to find a game to play.

Any additional comments?

The narrator was good, and the book wasn't really dreadful - it was just that by the end the bad bits were niggling at me enough to overwhelm any good bits.

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1 person found this helpful

Great story

I want expecting much, after a slow start I really got into it. Great book if you are an mmo fan or just like this genre

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Going to return this

The sexism in this book is ridiculous, women are viewed as objects and it's a shame because the female lead has such an interesting background. However, I think the sexism came from the fact that this entire book is based on immature teenage boy fantasies, therefore the sexism probably wasn't meant to be offensive.

The main character is far too lucky, I cannot feel the tension in the battles. Also he was supposed to be in his early 30s but I kept thinking he's only in his late teens or early 20s. The author failed to portray his maturity and intelligence, would be better to make him younger.

There are some good aspects, the idea of being in a game world and that his pet became more "alive". The blurred line between the light and dark is a nice touch and so does the gaming experience. The first few hours are quite entertaining but soon the main character became an almost unstoppable player.

The narrator is quite good, made this book easier to listen to.

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5 people found this helpful

Cringe

embarrasing story and character dynamics. It was cringeworthy to listen to.

the relationship with the love interest is unbelievable. the reader is monotone and uninteresting.

the dialogue is flat

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