Devon Walker loves taking a break from her life and playing games. She loves playing the immersion game (?), but it has now closed after five years of success. She doesn’t know what to do anymore, as the game was giving her extra money on top of her crappy job. When a developer of the new immersion game offers her a salaried job to just play the game, she jumps at the chance. All she has to do is push the game’s creator, which is AI, to its limits. She was told that the game would be unique, but she doesn’t understand how unique it will be until she is dropped into a ruined city with no skills, armor, inventory space, or items. She was told that her pain sensors would be dulled but hers don’t seem to be. She must work her way up through the ranks of the game, but she starts to realize that this game might be more than she originally signed up for.
This was the first LitRPG novel that I had ever read, and so I had no expectations. I do like to play games, and so I was expecting the overall experience to be a bit cringy. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try, and boy was I glad that I did!
This story was unique, exciting, mysterious, and addictive. I had previously read a 300 e-page book right before it, and that book took me nearly 3 hours to complete. After starting this 400+ e-page book in the car, I was finished with it by the time the 1.5 hour ride was over.
Devon was a relatable character. She had been living on her wons since high school and had only gotten her GED, and so she is struggling to make ends meet. Most people in her situation would take advantage of being able to escape and live happy lives in the VR worlds.
The game’s systems in this novel were very thought out and well-executed. It felt almost realistic, walking with Devon through the jungle and slowly becoming more skilled at certain tasks. I also enjoyed how the NPCs were portrayed. Even though it was slightly creepy to see them acting so human-like, it added to the idea that this game was supposed to be above-average in realistic-ness. It also showed the realistic struggle of having to become a hero. One does not wake up with the ability to swing a sword and fight gigantic monsters. Devon had to learn everything from scratch. The battles were addicting and intense, and I loved every single one of them.
I really don’t have any complaints about this book! It was just an overall fun read, and it ended on such a cliffhanger that I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new fantasy/adventure read, whether or not they are fans of the LitRPG genre.
I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Overall Rating: 6/5