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Father of Constructs #1
Father of Constructs
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B0CDK3MQTF
Lorith's magic is fading. Centuries ago, heroic adventurers stopped the World Boss’ cycle of rebirth by reducing the creature to one hit point and sealing it away so no one would ever find it. But, by ending one calamity, they halted the natural flow of magic within the world and brought about the Havoc Plague.
With all civilization now on the brink of collapse, humanity's only hope is to find and kill the World Boss in order to restart the monster's rebirth cycle and bring back magic. When the Plagued janitor Harvey stumbles into a mysterious wreckage and accidentally kills the missing World Boss, he gains a million experience points, making him the target of almost all the would-be adventurers of the world. Burdened with ancient knowledge, and hunted by countless rivals, he must join with unlikely allies to do the find the reincarnated World Boss and defeat it again, before it can ravage the world anew.
Lorith's magic is fading. Centuries ago, heroic adventurers stopped the World Boss’ cycle of rebirth by reducing the creature to one hit point and sealing it away so no one would ever find it. But, by ending one calamity, they halted the natural flow of magic within the world and brought about the Havoc Plague.
With all civilization now on the brink of collapse, humanity's only hope is to find and kill the World Boss in order to restart the monster's rebirth cycle and bring back magic. When the Plagued janitor Harvey stumbles into a mysterious wreckage and accidentally kills the missing World Boss, he gains a million experience points, making him the target of almost all the would-be adventurers of the world. Burdened with ancient knowledge, and hunted by countless rivals, he must join with unlikely allies to do the find the reincarnated World Boss and defeat it again, before it can ravage the world anew.
- GenresFantasy
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2023
506 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 21, 2024
A challenging read, with some odd choices made 2 & 1/2 stars
Aaron Renfroe made some strange choices here that sucked at least 2 stars out of my rating, and soured what might have otherwise been unalloyed enjoyment.
First off, it's not cool at all to refer to any mentally handicapped man who does odd jobs and day labor as a Janitor. You can get a pass if you are under 12 and nobody has had "the Talk" with you about how you need to treat other people, or if the publisher tacked on the name without the authors consent.
Second, Making the MC mentally handicapped was a questionable choice at best. Making him sick, elderly, and singing clapping child-man was not handled with the delicacy that it might have been.
There were several other times in this book where the author wallows in crass sentimentality on the level of the "Freezing mother & child" video game AD. It was more vulgar than empathetic and kept tripping up what enjoyment I could find here.
Additionally the world building is convoluted. YES, It was original, but in so much as I'm not sure at all how the system works or how it's meant to work.
Having listed the worst of the negatives, these was some good here too. Enough good that I'm going to go ahead and give book two a chance. Just after that start I'm gonna' DNF book two the first time I say "WTF" out loud.
Aaron Renfroe made some strange choices here that sucked at least 2 stars out of my rating, and soured what might have otherwise been unalloyed enjoyment.
First off, it's not cool at all to refer to any mentally handicapped man who does odd jobs and day labor as a Janitor. You can get a pass if you are under 12 and nobody has had "the Talk" with you about how you need to treat other people, or if the publisher tacked on the name without the authors consent.
Second, Making the MC mentally handicapped was a questionable choice at best. Making him sick, elderly, and singing clapping child-man was not handled with the delicacy that it might have been.
There were several other times in this book where the author wallows in crass sentimentality on the level of the "Freezing mother & child" video game AD. It was more vulgar than empathetic and kept tripping up what enjoyment I could find here.
Additionally the world building is convoluted. YES, It was original, but in so much as I'm not sure at all how the system works or how it's meant to work.
Having listed the worst of the negatives, these was some good here too. Enough good that I'm going to go ahead and give book two a chance. Just after that start I'm gonna' DNF book two the first time I say "WTF" out loud.
December 20, 2024
Oh, Harvey… you beautiful man you.
Old man Harvey’s a kind almost childlike soul. With all that he went through in his life, the change he experiences after killing the World Boss is truly a blessing. If anyone else had obtained his ‘power’ so to speak, I think the world would have ended.
This was such a great read. I ended the book with a smile on my face. I look forward to seeing what other constructs Harvey and his apprentice/adopted daughter, Tabitha come up with.
Old man Harvey’s a kind almost childlike soul. With all that he went through in his life, the change he experiences after killing the World Boss is truly a blessing. If anyone else had obtained his ‘power’ so to speak, I think the world would have ended.
This was such a great read. I ended the book with a smile on my face. I look forward to seeing what other constructs Harvey and his apprentice/adopted daughter, Tabitha come up with.
December 11, 2023
Book one
I started reading this story on Royalroad, however I took a break so chapters could build up and the next thing I knew it was published. The story is no longer up on Royalroad as far as I can tell.
I posted a couple of mistakes on Goodreads.
This is a good story about a good man that is really sweet and rather child like.
His sense of wonder and joy are what made the book special.
Doesn't mean that he is weak willed though.
Some parts can be a little boring.
8/10
I started reading this story on Royalroad, however I took a break so chapters could build up and the next thing I knew it was published. The story is no longer up on Royalroad as far as I can tell.
I posted a couple of mistakes on Goodreads.
This is a good story about a good man that is really sweet and rather child like.
His sense of wonder and joy are what made the book special.
Doesn't mean that he is weak willed though.
Some parts can be a little boring.
8/10
Read
July 10, 2024I received a complementary copy of FATHER OF CONSTRUCTS: THE JANITOR KILLED THE WORLD BOSS by Aaron Renfroe for the purpose of reviewing it for #SPFBOX team created by Cassidy @coverswithcassidy.
FATHER OF CONSTRUCTS is the first book in a planned five book LitRPG series of the same name. Centuries ago the World Boss used to regenerate each time it was killed. A group came up with a plan to reduce this menace to one hit point and then seal it away where no one could find it again, therefore removing its danger and also removing its ability to respawn. Unfortunately, this came with a serious side effect and their world’s magic has been breaking down ever since.
Harvey is a man who has been greatly impacted by the Havoc Plague which came from this breakdown in the flow of magic. He’s been living with this all of his life, being developmentally delayed and physically impaired by both his age and his condition. He makes ends meet as a janitor, doing nice things for people. When he hears about an old train outside of town, he goes to check it out. Without even realizing what he’s doing, he winds up encountering and killing the World Boss. This gains him a ton of experience points and a big target on his back while also beginning once again the flow of magic in this world.
Firstly, I need to give a caveat here that this was my first time reading a LitRPG novel so I feel a little bit out of my depth in terms of knowing the fantasy subgenre’s standard hallmarks. I do know that the genre blends fantasy with a role-playing game setup and that is about all I knew going into this.
I found it really easy to get into this book and it stayed very readable and bingeable throughout. For a 440 page book, I read the full thing in just over 24 hours which is always a good sign. I am not sure if LitRPG is necessarily a genre I would go out of my way to pick up in general, but I would definitely be up for reading more!
I thought that this was well crafted and well written as a whole. I enjoyed a lot of the descriptive language the author used. There were a few times where I thought things were perhaps a bit over explained when it came to updating on everyone’s wardrobes and such, but this wasn’t a frequent occurrence. I thought the inclusion of the character statistics was done well in a way to deliver useful and interesting information while not feeling too repetitive.
In terms of plot, this is the first book in a five book arc and I think that a lot of this novel really revolved around setup. Harvey’s sudden wealth of experience points lands him in the crosshairs of those who would want to kill him to take that experience for himself. I went into the book expecting the story to revolve more on how Harvey defeated the world boss, but instead that was accomplished very quickly in the first ten percent of the book.
We are soon introduced to a secondary POV in Lucas who who has come specifically for Harvey. It isn’t initially fully known what his interest is in Harvey and there’s some intrigue to the idea of who he’s working with and whether their interests are for Harvey’s good or not. From here we wind up on a pretty quest oriented journey between destinations, adding more to the traveling party over time. All the while we have assassins seeking to find and kill Harvey. The book leaves off pretty abruptly, essentially putting the game on pause until book two (which is already out).
There were a few plot threads that I felt weren’t full followed through. In the beginning of the book, Harvey finds the world boss because of the train he was told he could look for, but also he is being pushed along by a whisper. He says that his mother called it his Havoc Blessing, something that made him special. As he goes along this sense or whisper becomes a full fledged (and not very nice) voice pushing him to where he needs to be to defeat the world boss. After the opening sequence, I feel like this intuitive sense or whisper is something that was dropped.
I really liked Harvey as our central character. He’s set up as such a pure soul. His character is initially very childlike with his love of stories and trains. He’s someone who can easily fall prey to those looking to take advantage, but he’s also a character who is a magnet for good people. I think this made him a great center for the start of a found family dynamic that I could see developing even more as the story continues in future installments. I think the author did an excellent job of setting Harvey’s character up very quickly at the outset of the book.
As the book progresses and his character gains all of these experience points for defeating a world boss, it was interesting to see what about him changed (and didn’t). As someone who is peaceful and who seeks to do good in the world, he is guided into learning to make things. In some ways this made me think a bit of cozy fantasy, though there were certainly higher stakes and more bloodshed than I’d consider “cozy”.
I really liked that there wasn’t an immediate “fix” to his perceived weaknesses. His age of 62 consistently leaves him labeled as vulnerable and more susceptible to danger. That said, he is newly able to afford many enhancements and skill classes to improve his abilities. There were a few times where I got a bit confused as to what those classes could and couldn’t do in terms of his physical and mental abilities. He generally keeps what I called his pure soul, but he loses some of his childlike nature as the book goes on.
Lucas was another character that I felt that I got to know pretty well. He had his own thoughts and feelings about Harvey and about the mission he was on in seeking Harvey out and we got to know more about him and his backstory as the book went on. Some of the other secondary characters that get added to the band of travelers weren’t as well fleshed out for me, but I could see the potential for more in future books. The assassins felt more about adding danger and stakes to the story than actually having a lot of development themselves.
There is a character that is created by Harvey in this book and I think that ultimately was maybe my favorite! I loved the arc of this character’s development and the way the very nature of this construct changes over time. I compared this character to an animal companion when vlogging this book and that is something that I really enjoy in fantasy.
One thing that I found myself wanting with the characters was a bit more emotion. As assassins are coming after them and as they are having to fight them off, I didn’t get the sense that the characters were worried. It made sense for some not to have a lot of concern over killing given their natures and their pasts. Some of this may be part of the LitRPG nature where battles and such are more about hit points and health bar than emotion. Still, Harvey’s peaceful nature and his desire to help people gave me some pause when he had little reaction to the slaughter of hosts of assassins. The battle scenes were also pretty quick so there wasn’t a lot of time to feel invested.
The world-building in this book was really interesting and I enjoyed much of it. As we get to know more about the classes and unique skills these characters develop, I found that all very interesting. I mentioned the construct that Harvey created which became a companion and I really enjoyed the way magic was used in that way as well.
I do think that seeing a bit more of the world that came before would have helped my understanding of the world overall. We get a very quick prologue in which the world boss is drained and locked away, but we don’t see a lot of the world’s condition that brought them to that decision. With the present day, I felt like we are definitely more focused in on Harvey. We do get to see ways in which the world changes with his defeat of the world boss, returning magic and monsters to the land. That said, I am a very world-driven reader and I would have loved to have a more complete feeling picture of the world and magic’s impact.
In the end, I had a good time with my first LitPRG experience. This was an easy book to get into and I really enjoyed following Harvey on his journey!
FATHER OF CONSTRUCTS (books one and two!) are available on KU!
Using the rubric set up by Cassidy:
Characters: 6.5
Plot: 6
World-Building: 6
Writing: 7
Enjoyment: 7
Average: 6.58
For more spoiler-free thoughts on this book and three other entries, check out my first SPFBOX reading vlog
FATHER OF CONSTRUCTS is the first book in a planned five book LitRPG series of the same name. Centuries ago the World Boss used to regenerate each time it was killed. A group came up with a plan to reduce this menace to one hit point and then seal it away where no one could find it again, therefore removing its danger and also removing its ability to respawn. Unfortunately, this came with a serious side effect and their world’s magic has been breaking down ever since.
Harvey is a man who has been greatly impacted by the Havoc Plague which came from this breakdown in the flow of magic. He’s been living with this all of his life, being developmentally delayed and physically impaired by both his age and his condition. He makes ends meet as a janitor, doing nice things for people. When he hears about an old train outside of town, he goes to check it out. Without even realizing what he’s doing, he winds up encountering and killing the World Boss. This gains him a ton of experience points and a big target on his back while also beginning once again the flow of magic in this world.
Firstly, I need to give a caveat here that this was my first time reading a LitRPG novel so I feel a little bit out of my depth in terms of knowing the fantasy subgenre’s standard hallmarks. I do know that the genre blends fantasy with a role-playing game setup and that is about all I knew going into this.
I found it really easy to get into this book and it stayed very readable and bingeable throughout. For a 440 page book, I read the full thing in just over 24 hours which is always a good sign. I am not sure if LitRPG is necessarily a genre I would go out of my way to pick up in general, but I would definitely be up for reading more!
I thought that this was well crafted and well written as a whole. I enjoyed a lot of the descriptive language the author used. There were a few times where I thought things were perhaps a bit over explained when it came to updating on everyone’s wardrobes and such, but this wasn’t a frequent occurrence. I thought the inclusion of the character statistics was done well in a way to deliver useful and interesting information while not feeling too repetitive.
In terms of plot, this is the first book in a five book arc and I think that a lot of this novel really revolved around setup. Harvey’s sudden wealth of experience points lands him in the crosshairs of those who would want to kill him to take that experience for himself. I went into the book expecting the story to revolve more on how Harvey defeated the world boss, but instead that was accomplished very quickly in the first ten percent of the book.
We are soon introduced to a secondary POV in Lucas who who has come specifically for Harvey. It isn’t initially fully known what his interest is in Harvey and there’s some intrigue to the idea of who he’s working with and whether their interests are for Harvey’s good or not. From here we wind up on a pretty quest oriented journey between destinations, adding more to the traveling party over time. All the while we have assassins seeking to find and kill Harvey. The book leaves off pretty abruptly, essentially putting the game on pause until book two (which is already out).
There were a few plot threads that I felt weren’t full followed through. In the beginning of the book, Harvey finds the world boss because of the train he was told he could look for, but also he is being pushed along by a whisper. He says that his mother called it his Havoc Blessing, something that made him special. As he goes along this sense or whisper becomes a full fledged (and not very nice) voice pushing him to where he needs to be to defeat the world boss. After the opening sequence, I feel like this intuitive sense or whisper is something that was dropped.
I really liked Harvey as our central character. He’s set up as such a pure soul. His character is initially very childlike with his love of stories and trains. He’s someone who can easily fall prey to those looking to take advantage, but he’s also a character who is a magnet for good people. I think this made him a great center for the start of a found family dynamic that I could see developing even more as the story continues in future installments. I think the author did an excellent job of setting Harvey’s character up very quickly at the outset of the book.
As the book progresses and his character gains all of these experience points for defeating a world boss, it was interesting to see what about him changed (and didn’t). As someone who is peaceful and who seeks to do good in the world, he is guided into learning to make things. In some ways this made me think a bit of cozy fantasy, though there were certainly higher stakes and more bloodshed than I’d consider “cozy”.
I really liked that there wasn’t an immediate “fix” to his perceived weaknesses. His age of 62 consistently leaves him labeled as vulnerable and more susceptible to danger. That said, he is newly able to afford many enhancements and skill classes to improve his abilities. There were a few times where I got a bit confused as to what those classes could and couldn’t do in terms of his physical and mental abilities. He generally keeps what I called his pure soul, but he loses some of his childlike nature as the book goes on.
Lucas was another character that I felt that I got to know pretty well. He had his own thoughts and feelings about Harvey and about the mission he was on in seeking Harvey out and we got to know more about him and his backstory as the book went on. Some of the other secondary characters that get added to the band of travelers weren’t as well fleshed out for me, but I could see the potential for more in future books. The assassins felt more about adding danger and stakes to the story than actually having a lot of development themselves.
There is a character that is created by Harvey in this book and I think that ultimately was maybe my favorite! I loved the arc of this character’s development and the way the very nature of this construct changes over time. I compared this character to an animal companion when vlogging this book and that is something that I really enjoy in fantasy.
One thing that I found myself wanting with the characters was a bit more emotion. As assassins are coming after them and as they are having to fight them off, I didn’t get the sense that the characters were worried. It made sense for some not to have a lot of concern over killing given their natures and their pasts. Some of this may be part of the LitRPG nature where battles and such are more about hit points and health bar than emotion. Still, Harvey’s peaceful nature and his desire to help people gave me some pause when he had little reaction to the slaughter of hosts of assassins. The battle scenes were also pretty quick so there wasn’t a lot of time to feel invested.
The world-building in this book was really interesting and I enjoyed much of it. As we get to know more about the classes and unique skills these characters develop, I found that all very interesting. I mentioned the construct that Harvey created which became a companion and I really enjoyed the way magic was used in that way as well.
I do think that seeing a bit more of the world that came before would have helped my understanding of the world overall. We get a very quick prologue in which the world boss is drained and locked away, but we don’t see a lot of the world’s condition that brought them to that decision. With the present day, I felt like we are definitely more focused in on Harvey. We do get to see ways in which the world changes with his defeat of the world boss, returning magic and monsters to the land. That said, I am a very world-driven reader and I would have loved to have a more complete feeling picture of the world and magic’s impact.
In the end, I had a good time with my first LitPRG experience. This was an easy book to get into and I really enjoyed following Harvey on his journey!
FATHER OF CONSTRUCTS (books one and two!) are available on KU!
Using the rubric set up by Cassidy:
Characters: 6.5
Plot: 6
World-Building: 6
Writing: 7
Enjoyment: 7
Average: 6.58
For more spoiler-free thoughts on this book and three other entries, check out my first SPFBOX reading vlog
May 7, 2024
Contrived.
An incredibly vague and broad system that for a lot of railroading from the author. One dimensional characters that are incredibly obvious. The basis for the story is flimsy at best.
An incredibly vague and broad system that for a lot of railroading from the author. One dimensional characters that are incredibly obvious. The basis for the story is flimsy at best.
January 5, 2025
2025/01/05 Notes:
Narration by Michael Hopfer & Christin Woods was good. It's a dual narration where the male & female voices are split between the two narrators. I like this style of narration, but I feel that the sound production for this book was not the best. The audiobook was better to listen to on headphones than speaker.
The Audible title for the book is the Janitor Killed the World Boss. Catchy title! For anyone that enjoys LitRPG and video games. I got the ebook for the story on KU to buy the audio at a discounted rate. Glad I gave it a try!
This book was a solid setup to stage the rest of the series. The characters were well-developed, just enough details + backstory to flesh out the world and consecutive story events to tie it all together with a mini-arc completed by the end of the book.
Here's the thing. If you're looking for an immediately likeable character or super strong MC, this is not it. Maybe Harvey will become a Gary Stu, but he was not one in this book. This is a story about an old man, that was doomed to die of the plague and yet still had a warm heart that believes in the good of people and want to help others whenever he can. If you take that into consideration, the plot progress and actions within the story are true to character, and I enjoyed going on the ride to see it all unfold.
I look forward to reading the next book. I haven't decided yet if I'll make time to read the ebook on KU or buy the audio. XD
Narration by Michael Hopfer & Christin Woods was good. It's a dual narration where the male & female voices are split between the two narrators. I like this style of narration, but I feel that the sound production for this book was not the best. The audiobook was better to listen to on headphones than speaker.
The Audible title for the book is the Janitor Killed the World Boss. Catchy title! For anyone that enjoys LitRPG and video games. I got the ebook for the story on KU to buy the audio at a discounted rate. Glad I gave it a try!
This book was a solid setup to stage the rest of the series. The characters were well-developed, just enough details + backstory to flesh out the world and consecutive story events to tie it all together with a mini-arc completed by the end of the book.
Here's the thing. If you're looking for an immediately likeable character or super strong MC, this is not it. Maybe Harvey will become a Gary Stu, but he was not one in this book. This is a story about an old man, that was doomed to die of the plague and yet still had a warm heart that believes in the good of people and want to help others whenever he can. If you take that into consideration, the plot progress and actions within the story are true to character, and I enjoyed going on the ride to see it all unfold.
I look forward to reading the next book. I haven't decided yet if I'll make time to read the ebook on KU or buy the audio. XD
January 27, 2025
While this book contains some interesting world building, what makes it shine is the caring and upbeat protagonist. It's wholesome without becoming unrealistic.
We've all seen MCs that vow to become stronger to protect the weak... or some minor variation. Harvey is content to be himself. When he sees ways he can clean-up or improve the world, he takes them, but he's not driven to become a god. He focuses on being a good man, rather than some far off goal.
I also like how the history of the world, the artificial levelling system, and the magical toxic waste intertwine to create a large-scale mystery that is likely to take several books to uncover completely. Smart stuff.
We've all seen MCs that vow to become stronger to protect the weak... or some minor variation. Harvey is content to be himself. When he sees ways he can clean-up or improve the world, he takes them, but he's not driven to become a god. He focuses on being a good man, rather than some far off goal.
I also like how the history of the world, the artificial levelling system, and the magical toxic waste intertwine to create a large-scale mystery that is likely to take several books to uncover completely. Smart stuff.
July 1, 2024
Great introductory book into the LitRPG genre. It lacks the, some times superfluous, bookends of a digital game that most other LitRPG books have, which makes the story cleaner and less complicated.
I really like that everyone has autonomy and, like the title says, anyone can be important with no PC/NPC distinction.
I really like that everyone has autonomy and, like the title says, anyone can be important with no PC/NPC distinction.
December 15, 2023
I liked this one. The MC stuggles as his simple worldview encounters reality (as will a lot of the current generation of university students, eventually) even moreso as that reality changes by the day as magic comes back, thanks to him. I've already finished book 2 as I write this, so more there.
August 23, 2024
Your enjoyment of this book rests entirely on how much you like the protagonist. That might seem obvious because, to some extent, that is true for every book. Here, though, the protagonist is so central to the story that if you don't gel with him and the story being told around him, I don't see you getting on with the rest of this book.
Harvey is a 62-year-old man who got a magical sickness as a child that left him mentally disabled to the point where he struggles to even hold a conversation with another person. He has survived so long with this infirmity despite being abandoned by his family because he is a conscientious worker (a janitor) and because his core belief is that people should always try to do good. His child-like innocence, mixed with his desire to be a good person, has created a tragic character you can't help but love.
Early in his story, Harvey accidentally kills the "World Boss" and gains 1,000,000,000 experience points for doing so solo and because there is such a high disparity between the world boss and himself. In doing so, he gains access to magic that will heal his mind and give him access to magical abilities, but it will also make him a target for all of the magic-starved people worldwide who want to kill him to take his experience for themselves.
Where this story shines is that even after Harvey gets this gift, the author makes the decision to stay true to the core of who Harvey was before he got this magic. He continues to be the same kind-hearted man who views the world through innocent eyes, and he is not being trained to be some kind of action hero. That's not to say he never faces danger, far from it, but he will deal with it in his own special way, and the story is all the stronger for it.
I personally loved how this book played out. Not only is the protagonist reasonably unique, but the way in which the story plays out is pretty fresh as well. There's plenty of originality in this book, but most important to me is that the originality is not just in the world-building and the premise but also in how the story progresses. Every time a normal LitRPG story would go left, this one goes right, making it hard to predict in a pleasant way.
So, if you think you can enjoy a story about a kind-hearted but naive old man who just wants to make the world a better place, then you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. He is an unlikely hero figure, and you might have to ignore some moments that make you cringe as his good nature wins through a situation that we all know he wouldn't have in real life. But this book is trying to walk the tightrope between telling an exciting story with plenty of danger and a wholesome tale about a kind old man given a second chance.
It's five stars for me, and I can't wait to see what Harvey gets up to next.
Harvey is a 62-year-old man who got a magical sickness as a child that left him mentally disabled to the point where he struggles to even hold a conversation with another person. He has survived so long with this infirmity despite being abandoned by his family because he is a conscientious worker (a janitor) and because his core belief is that people should always try to do good. His child-like innocence, mixed with his desire to be a good person, has created a tragic character you can't help but love.
Early in his story, Harvey accidentally kills the "World Boss" and gains 1,000,000,000 experience points for doing so solo and because there is such a high disparity between the world boss and himself. In doing so, he gains access to magic that will heal his mind and give him access to magical abilities, but it will also make him a target for all of the magic-starved people worldwide who want to kill him to take his experience for themselves.
Where this story shines is that even after Harvey gets this gift, the author makes the decision to stay true to the core of who Harvey was before he got this magic. He continues to be the same kind-hearted man who views the world through innocent eyes, and he is not being trained to be some kind of action hero. That's not to say he never faces danger, far from it, but he will deal with it in his own special way, and the story is all the stronger for it.
I personally loved how this book played out. Not only is the protagonist reasonably unique, but the way in which the story plays out is pretty fresh as well. There's plenty of originality in this book, but most important to me is that the originality is not just in the world-building and the premise but also in how the story progresses. Every time a normal LitRPG story would go left, this one goes right, making it hard to predict in a pleasant way.
So, if you think you can enjoy a story about a kind-hearted but naive old man who just wants to make the world a better place, then you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. He is an unlikely hero figure, and you might have to ignore some moments that make you cringe as his good nature wins through a situation that we all know he wouldn't have in real life. But this book is trying to walk the tightrope between telling an exciting story with plenty of danger and a wholesome tale about a kind old man given a second chance.
It's five stars for me, and I can't wait to see what Harvey gets up to next.
August 15, 2024
Alright, so first thing is that I'm listening to the audiobook, not reading the book.
Second thing, is that I'm almost 3/4ths of the way through currently, so not yet 100% done.
As a general assessment, it's a decent enough story. The author hasn't bombarded me with too much litRPG info at once, which is appreciated. Some others make you sit through 5 minutes or more of stats, abilities, traits, and so on which is so damn tedious.
There are interesting characters, reasonable compulsions for at least most of the choices characters make, and I'm not entirely bothered by a 60-year-old man being incredibly naive about how dangerous humans are, despite growing up in a small village where there was a thug who took advantage of people.
My big dislike is due to the narrator.
Michael Hopfer (the narrator) looks to be relatively new on the scene, and that's not a bad thing. He will need to earn some credits to his name. Fully understandable.
He can do a variety of voices relatively well, and that's all good, though I keep expecting Harvey to break out with a "That's okay Mr. T. I still have my tuna cherry pop tarts." (IYKYK)
The biggest issue with Michael Hopfer's narration is that he speaks so sedately that I'm wondering if his goal is actually to put me to sleep. It's like Mr. Rogers trying to narrate the end of the world, and it takes sooooo much away from the story when listening to it (partially because half of the time I actually am nodding off listening to this guy).
So, do with what you will, just understand I don't dislike the story, but unless I can find time to read the rest of the books, I might not be able to finish the series. :S
Second thing, is that I'm almost 3/4ths of the way through currently, so not yet 100% done.
As a general assessment, it's a decent enough story. The author hasn't bombarded me with too much litRPG info at once, which is appreciated. Some others make you sit through 5 minutes or more of stats, abilities, traits, and so on which is so damn tedious.
There are interesting characters, reasonable compulsions for at least most of the choices characters make, and I'm not entirely bothered by a 60-year-old man being incredibly naive about how dangerous humans are, despite growing up in a small village where there was a thug who took advantage of people.
My big dislike is due to the narrator.
Michael Hopfer (the narrator) looks to be relatively new on the scene, and that's not a bad thing. He will need to earn some credits to his name. Fully understandable.
He can do a variety of voices relatively well, and that's all good, though I keep expecting Harvey to break out with a "That's okay Mr. T. I still have my tuna cherry pop tarts." (IYKYK)
The biggest issue with Michael Hopfer's narration is that he speaks so sedately that I'm wondering if his goal is actually to put me to sleep. It's like Mr. Rogers trying to narrate the end of the world, and it takes sooooo much away from the story when listening to it (partially because half of the time I actually am nodding off listening to this guy).
So, do with what you will, just understand I don't dislike the story, but unless I can find time to read the rest of the books, I might not be able to finish the series. :S
April 15, 2024
Received a Review code as a promotion for the newly released Audiobook free of charge.
After much consideration I feel that while Harvey’s condition could have been handled differently that it was handled with care and respect and what could have easily turned into something disrespectful managed to add a depth of character that was unexpected from the humour plus original premise.
I like that by the end the fact that Harvey had suffered and was no stranger to loss, fear or pain and that made him fight more for what he had gained and those he cared about. This also gave more credence to his positive outlook on life, despite what he had suffered he was still choosing to have an optimistic outlook on life and willing to trust and take a chance on people that equally leads to success and danger.
The premise and world building are interesting and has been set up in such a way to provide a lot of potential growth both for characters as well as the world and system.
I will very likely be continuing with the series if the audiobook adaptation continues
After much consideration I feel that while Harvey’s condition could have been handled differently that it was handled with care and respect and what could have easily turned into something disrespectful managed to add a depth of character that was unexpected from the humour plus original premise.
I like that by the end the fact that Harvey had suffered and was no stranger to loss, fear or pain and that made him fight more for what he had gained and those he cared about. This also gave more credence to his positive outlook on life, despite what he had suffered he was still choosing to have an optimistic outlook on life and willing to trust and take a chance on people that equally leads to success and danger.
The premise and world building are interesting and has been set up in such a way to provide a lot of potential growth both for characters as well as the world and system.
I will very likely be continuing with the series if the audiobook adaptation continues
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2023
I read a lot of progression fantasy books these days. So, when I came across this book, the title caught my attention - I love crafting stories and a Janitor accidentally becoming powerful had a good appeal as well.
After the starting few chapters set up the plot, it was an enjoyable read and the pacing was good as well. The Janitor's good nature, past problems and an easy going attitude despite his old age makes you feel as if he earned his legendary class instead of getting lucky. Add a bunch of well meaning side characters coming to his aid and a wonderful robot-like character, and you get a heartwarming experience. Given the epic nature of the plot, there are fights and villainous characters as well, but overall this book was a lighthearted read. The stat sheets were a bit too dense for me to parse, but thankfully most of the details could be skimmed.
Thumbs-up from me (you'll understand the reference after reading the book).
After the starting few chapters set up the plot, it was an enjoyable read and the pacing was good as well. The Janitor's good nature, past problems and an easy going attitude despite his old age makes you feel as if he earned his legendary class instead of getting lucky. Add a bunch of well meaning side characters coming to his aid and a wonderful robot-like character, and you get a heartwarming experience. Given the epic nature of the plot, there are fights and villainous characters as well, but overall this book was a lighthearted read. The stat sheets were a bit too dense for me to parse, but thankfully most of the details could be skimmed.
Thumbs-up from me (you'll understand the reference after reading the book).
August 17, 2024
Audio: 4 Stars - A bit too boring, missing emphasis and feelings. In addition, I did not like the voice chosen for the MC. It sounds more like a youth instead of an adult.
Story: Overall ok. There are some segments that are a bit too boring. I did expect slow development since it is a day to day description but sometimes is a bit too much. I did appreciated that the author didn't bombard the reader with repetition of starts over and over which is a BIG issue with litRPG. The stats were shared only when needed as an "update", which is appreciated. Some other authors make you sit through stats, abilities, traits, and so on over and over which turns to be boring and tedious. It is SLOW, there are bits of action but most of the book is crafting and development, so for readers who are looking for fast paced adventure, this is not the book for you. Getting started on the second book soon. Onto another adventure, Happy Readings!!!
Story: Overall ok. There are some segments that are a bit too boring. I did expect slow development since it is a day to day description but sometimes is a bit too much. I did appreciated that the author didn't bombard the reader with repetition of starts over and over which is a BIG issue with litRPG. The stats were shared only when needed as an "update", which is appreciated. Some other authors make you sit through stats, abilities, traits, and so on over and over which turns to be boring and tedious. It is SLOW, there are bits of action but most of the book is crafting and development, so for readers who are looking for fast paced adventure, this is not the book for you. Getting started on the second book soon. Onto another adventure, Happy Readings!!!
April 19, 2024
Interesting Stuff
This is the slowest progression story I’ve ever read. This story of a mentally disabled disease man that kills a in stasis one hit point World Boss that gives him a million experience points was a fascinating read. The system here has a quirky thing that you’re supposed to go to Stations that can only grant one level up at, and are hundreds of miles apart was weird.
This is the slowest progression story I’ve ever read. This story of a mentally disabled disease man that kills a in stasis one hit point World Boss that gives him a million experience points was a fascinating read. The system here has a quirky thing that you’re supposed to go to Stations that can only grant one level up at, and are hundreds of miles apart was weird.
May 1, 2024
I adored this book. It's not too often that I have such a passion to protect a lead character. I wish to hide him and keep him safe from the Author.
This book is a slow leveling RPG by the end of this book he is only level 2. That can make it feel a little slow at times. However realizing it's not a fast leveling helped me slow my expectations and immerse myself into the story. Can't wait for book 2 got it half way through this one!
This book is a slow leveling RPG by the end of this book he is only level 2. That can make it feel a little slow at times. However realizing it's not a fast leveling helped me slow my expectations and immerse myself into the story. Can't wait for book 2 got it half way through this one!
August 26, 2024
Mostly positive
The book was a good read and enjoyable enough to read the next. I do get a little weary of "the entire world, except for the MC and associates, is a cesspool of humanity". It just makes it less fun to read imo. I mean, if the entire world is out to get you and you are mostly a weakling, they only have to get lucky once while you have to be lucky every single time. Here's hoping it improves going forward.
The book was a good read and enjoyable enough to read the next. I do get a little weary of "the entire world, except for the MC and associates, is a cesspool of humanity". It just makes it less fun to read imo. I mean, if the entire world is out to get you and you are mostly a weakling, they only have to get lucky once while you have to be lucky every single time. Here's hoping it improves going forward.
Read
September 4, 2024I read this book as a part of SPFBOX on Covers with Cassidy's team, check out my full vlog of my 10 books here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irDBq...
Aaa! I love a RPG novel and I loved seeing the different stats etc about the different people/creatures we met. I love "leveling" up a main character, just the way it was done in this story did not match with me and I ended up not enjoying it as much.
Aaa! I love a RPG novel and I loved seeing the different stats etc about the different people/creatures we met. I love "leveling" up a main character, just the way it was done in this story did not match with me and I ended up not enjoying it as much.
April 30, 2024
Great book
Enjoyed this more unique take on the LitRPG genre. Was nice to have a likable MC who is all about creating to help others and get stronger rather than the usual stabby stab I’m a strong silent man with communication issues stereotype common to these books. Do recommend.
Enjoyed this more unique take on the LitRPG genre. Was nice to have a likable MC who is all about creating to help others and get stronger rather than the usual stabby stab I’m a strong silent man with communication issues stereotype common to these books. Do recommend.
May 17, 2024
Story is ok 3/5.
Not part of my rating, but wanted to note:
Audiobook narration is also OK, mostly. Main issue is production quality of the narration. There are sections where the volume of the female narrator is very poorly matched to the male narrator, almost at a whisper in comparison. I could barely hear her.
Not part of my rating, but wanted to note:
Audiobook narration is also OK, mostly. Main issue is production quality of the narration. There are sections where the volume of the female narrator is very poorly matched to the male narrator, almost at a whisper in comparison. I could barely hear her.
June 6, 2024
an interesting take on progression
Give an old, mistreated, sick and, against all odds, good man the tools to grow into a powerful figure and watch how he takes on a corrupt world and a system bent on creating a strong population at all costs.
Add in fleshed out companions and an adorable killer robot to the set-up and you get this book.
Give an old, mistreated, sick and, against all odds, good man the tools to grow into a powerful figure and watch how he takes on a corrupt world and a system bent on creating a strong population at all costs.
Add in fleshed out companions and an adorable killer robot to the set-up and you get this book.
August 20, 2024
Can't tell you if the book is good or not, but if you're listening to the audiobook save yourself and don't do it.
The narrator doesn't have a bad voice, but his narration style is like he's reading the book next to a baby he doesn't want to wake up. So slow and almost apathetic, it's not a fun listen.
Tried speeding it up 25%, and all it was was faster.
Best of luck to y'all, I'm out.
The narrator doesn't have a bad voice, but his narration style is like he's reading the book next to a baby he doesn't want to wake up. So slow and almost apathetic, it's not a fun listen.
Tried speeding it up 25%, and all it was was faster.
Best of luck to y'all, I'm out.
March 23, 2025
A cozy(ish) story with lots of heart
Story begins with a good twist on a litRPG trope, and then carries forward with the after effects. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I’m really enjoying having a good hearted protagonist that wants to protect and save, because that is what’s right. Good mix of characters, and I’m looking forward to book number two!
Story begins with a good twist on a litRPG trope, and then carries forward with the after effects. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I’m really enjoying having a good hearted protagonist that wants to protect and save, because that is what’s right. Good mix of characters, and I’m looking forward to book number two!
September 25, 2023
Great series start
Enjoyed the story start, and where it went with it. A vibrant world that is filled with ancient ruins, alongside an industrializing world coping with the return of magic.
Makes for a great setting, and the main character has a certain charm to him that I enjoy.
Enjoyed the story start, and where it went with it. A vibrant world that is filled with ancient ruins, alongside an industrializing world coping with the return of magic.
Makes for a great setting, and the main character has a certain charm to him that I enjoy.
October 20, 2023
Love it!
I love this new series by Aaron Renfroe! Harvey really grabbed my interest and I am really interested in the character and world building that is taking place. I can’t wait to read book 2!
I love this new series by Aaron Renfroe! Harvey really grabbed my interest and I am really interested in the character and world building that is taking place. I can’t wait to read book 2!
December 10, 2023
Very enjoyable book!
I was a little hesitant to pick this one up, but that was a mistake. I really enjoyed reading this one. The writing is good, the world is interesting, qnd the MC is... different, but in a good way.
I fully recommend this book!
I was a little hesitant to pick this one up, but that was a mistake. I really enjoyed reading this one. The writing is good, the world is interesting, qnd the MC is... different, but in a good way.
I fully recommend this book!
December 28, 2023
I have to admit I wasn't sure about this book at the beginning. The MC was too simple minded. Once it got going though I really enjoyed it. The world is interesting and the main characters have personality. For those who care, it doesn't get deep into stat blocks and such, though they do exist. Highly recommend.
January 7, 2024
Interesting book
Awesome story line. I loved how it started as slice of life and then ratcheted up. The slice of life ending was fantastic as well. And the epilogue was well written. In an age of cliff hangers this was perfect.
Awesome story line. I loved how it started as slice of life and then ratcheted up. The slice of life ending was fantastic as well. And the epilogue was well written. In an age of cliff hangers this was perfect.
April 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. The main MC is great, and the other characters are also fun. The book is very well written, and I love the way the stats chapters were done and I can't wait until the next one.
August 3, 2024
Impressive beginning
This book has a lot about it that impressed me, and I appreciate the choices the author made, they feel unique. Great characters, amazing world building, just 10/10 all around.
Definitely going to pick up the rest of the series.
This book has a lot about it that impressed me, and I appreciate the choices the author made, they feel unique. Great characters, amazing world building, just 10/10 all around.
Definitely going to pick up the rest of the series.
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