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Heretical Fishing #4
Heretical Fishing 4
An empire has fallen, another blooms in its wake, and one man—
who would rather be fishing, thank you very much
—has finally accepted his role as its leader.
Thanks to overwhelming might, a cadre of violent animals, and a weaponized fish or two, Tropica has wiped Gormona's royal forces from the map. Now at the helm of his own Church, Fischer finally has some time to relax. But life in Tropica is much like fishing from a rocky it's only a matter of time before you hook a snag.
It seems chi has returned to the area, the Church of Fischer and the village of Tropica have grown, and at least one of Fischer's animal pals has experienced a breakthrough that defies metaphysical understanding. Furthermore, these developments send out waves of essence, their echoes spanning oceans and reaching distant shores.
And unfortunately for everyone involved, they haven't gone unnoticed . . .
The fourth volume of the laugh-out-loud LitRPG adventure series—a #1 Rising Star on Royal Road with more than three million views—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
Thanks to overwhelming might, a cadre of violent animals, and a weaponized fish or two, Tropica has wiped Gormona's royal forces from the map. Now at the helm of his own Church, Fischer finally has some time to relax. But life in Tropica is much like fishing from a rocky it's only a matter of time before you hook a snag.
It seems chi has returned to the area, the Church of Fischer and the village of Tropica have grown, and at least one of Fischer's animal pals has experienced a breakthrough that defies metaphysical understanding. Furthermore, these developments send out waves of essence, their echoes spanning oceans and reaching distant shores.
And unfortunately for everyone involved, they haven't gone unnoticed . . .
The fourth volume of the laugh-out-loud LitRPG adventure series—a #1 Rising Star on Royal Road with more than three million views—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
460 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2025
712 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 31, 2025
I really enjoyed the first three books, but the series has taken a disappointing turn. The protagonist is starting to feel less like a compelling character and more like Jason from HWFWM—a preachy, self-righteous figure who seems convinced of his own moral superiority over everyone else. On top of that, Jobson has begun slipping personal political viewpoints into the narrative, and it weighs the story down. For me, that shift broke the immersion. I’ll be passing on the rest of the series.
December 1, 2025
I love this series, but book 4 felt like mostly filler.
September 3, 2025
I’m sad to see this series decline so fast after the first two books. But here we are. There is still humor that hits occasionally, but that’s really the only good thing I can say.
This book lacks any forward momentum. All of the original problems have been solved and any new problems are made up (claws) or fixed within an hour of coming up. I need some sort of drama in my reads, and since there’s no one with power to fool anymore I just can’t force myself to care about any of this.
I saw it happening in the last book and didn’t think I’d continue, but I wanted to give the series one more shot and it just fell flat.
I’ll just have to be content with my memories of the early books in this series and move on
This book lacks any forward momentum. All of the original problems have been solved and any new problems are made up (claws) or fixed within an hour of coming up. I need some sort of drama in my reads, and since there’s no one with power to fool anymore I just can’t force myself to care about any of this.
I saw it happening in the last book and didn’t think I’d continue, but I wanted to give the series one more shot and it just fell flat.
I’ll just have to be content with my memories of the early books in this series and move on
December 14, 2025
Just as with anything in life, timing matters. When I started this series, it was the right book for how I was feeling at the time. Why have I started my review of this book with sharing my personal mindset? Because I want anyone who might come across this review to know that their experience may be better than mine. You see, I have been struggling with how I feel about this book given how I feel about the series to date. And if I am honest with myself, this book just didn't really do it for me. It is a tough sentence to write about a series that blew me away in its first three books. But this fourth book is not only a dramatic change from its predecessors, but also seemed too disorganized and scattershot.
I would say about 15% of the book is filled with all the things that made me love this series. Endearing moments, comical situations, the continuation of nautical themed curses, and giving us some insights into the greater world-building and overarching plot. But the vast majority of the book was focused on various individuals finding their moments of inspiration that allowed them to ascend to a higher level. I understand the need, and ultimately, I'm not sure how Jobson could have done it differently, but this book boils down to following one character as they work on their feelings, ascend, then go to the next character who focuses on their feelings, ascendents, rinse/repeat.
The final encounter near the end of the book did mark a nice change and I started to become interested again. The problem was, again, personal to me. I think because the book did not grab my attention for the great majority, by the time we got to the parts that were interesting, I wasn't following a lot of it. While I will admit that missing or failing to follow some of the narrative is largely my fault, I don't think I am the entire problem. I think that even those good moments at the end suffered from the same disorganized mess the entire book suffered from in general.
I hope your experience is better than mine and that I will ultimately chalk this one up to an aberration in an otherwise excellent series. The other issue I am dealing with is that I became totally obsessed with another book series and my self-imposed moratorium from reading more likely influenced my enjoyment of this book. I will always try to call out potential bias in my reviews. That is definitely one of them. I just don't think that explains the rest of my feelings about this particular book.
Book 5 will come out in the near future and I will return. I'll just try my best to remember the positives of this book and forget the rest.
I would say about 15% of the book is filled with all the things that made me love this series. Endearing moments, comical situations, the continuation of nautical themed curses, and giving us some insights into the greater world-building and overarching plot. But the vast majority of the book was focused on various individuals finding their moments of inspiration that allowed them to ascend to a higher level. I understand the need, and ultimately, I'm not sure how Jobson could have done it differently, but this book boils down to following one character as they work on their feelings, ascend, then go to the next character who focuses on their feelings, ascendents, rinse/repeat.
The final encounter near the end of the book did mark a nice change and I started to become interested again. The problem was, again, personal to me. I think because the book did not grab my attention for the great majority, by the time we got to the parts that were interesting, I wasn't following a lot of it. While I will admit that missing or failing to follow some of the narrative is largely my fault, I don't think I am the entire problem. I think that even those good moments at the end suffered from the same disorganized mess the entire book suffered from in general.
I hope your experience is better than mine and that I will ultimately chalk this one up to an aberration in an otherwise excellent series. The other issue I am dealing with is that I became totally obsessed with another book series and my self-imposed moratorium from reading more likely influenced my enjoyment of this book. I will always try to call out potential bias in my reviews. That is definitely one of them. I just don't think that explains the rest of my feelings about this particular book.
Book 5 will come out in the near future and I will return. I'll just try my best to remember the positives of this book and forget the rest.
November 21, 2025
I did not finish this. Quit halfway through. The power imbalance makes the day to day boring and pointless. The attemp at a story is weak and drawn out. If this is meant to have an overall series story, it should have started a lot sooner.
August 27, 2025
I just got bored
It’s not *bad*. It just drags along with cutesy scenes and there is barely a point. Everybody is having breakthroughs and hugs all around and COFFEE.
I know it’s lazy, slice-of-life, but there is nothing really driving the plot. There isn’t a seasonal change that makes for ‘new’ opportunities.
I might come back and read more, but this just isn’t *holding* my interest.
It’s not *bad*. It just drags along with cutesy scenes and there is barely a point. Everybody is having breakthroughs and hugs all around and COFFEE.
I know it’s lazy, slice-of-life, but there is nothing really driving the plot. There isn’t a seasonal change that makes for ‘new’ opportunities.
I might come back and read more, but this just isn’t *holding* my interest.
October 4, 2025
The finish date is wrong. I did not finish, I gave up about 43% of the way through.
You know how in a video game you get an overpowered character that destroys everything and the game is no longer fun? That’s what happened here.
Fisher’s only worry is being so over powered that he won’t be able to have a normal relationship with his friends. Which I understand, that makes sense. So instead he spends the book playing the fool. And that was no fun reading.
There is some foreshadowing of an upcoming adversary but you know what? I just didn’t care. After three, or more perhaps, I lost count, chapters on them cooking a yummy fish I just had to throw in the towel.
Which is a shame, I had truly enjoyed the first three books.
If you manage to finish this book and think I am wrong please feel free to drop me a line and set me straight.
Read every day!
Cheers!
You know how in a video game you get an overpowered character that destroys everything and the game is no longer fun? That’s what happened here.
Fisher’s only worry is being so over powered that he won’t be able to have a normal relationship with his friends. Which I understand, that makes sense. So instead he spends the book playing the fool. And that was no fun reading.
There is some foreshadowing of an upcoming adversary but you know what? I just didn’t care. After three, or more perhaps, I lost count, chapters on them cooking a yummy fish I just had to throw in the towel.
Which is a shame, I had truly enjoyed the first three books.
If you manage to finish this book and think I am wrong please feel free to drop me a line and set me straight.
Read every day!
Cheers!
September 5, 2025
As much as I enjoy the humor and animal sidekicks, I felt that this was mostly a filler book following everyone's breakthroughs plus random new grand antagonists introduced and resolved by the end of the book.
September 4, 2025
I gave book three 4 stars so this is very sad but it honestly doesn't deserve more than 2. The characters no longer act like in the previous books (or they act so much like that they turn into caricatures of the previous books), there are way too many new characters that have no role except to use up page space and the entire plot - if I can call it that - devolved into vague in-jokes. It is just too much of the same, proving that you can have too much of a good thing if the author and/or editor do not manage to keep the narrative on the rails. In this book I have trouble even finding the rails.
February 27, 2025
DNF
So take this review with a grain of salt as I only got half way through before giving up.
I can't stand the MC. At first he was fine but more and more he keeps hiding from responsibility. He's like a whiny manchild who judges all the nobles and everyone else but he himself won't life a finger if it makes him responsible. The only time he acts is when he can pawn off the weight of those choices on Barry or his church.
He acts like a spoiled entitled brat who failed once and now is scared to ever try again. Which is what he is. Now it would be fine if the author made him take action and then deal with negative consequences as an adult. Instead the author is feeding the characters habit of never trying as a 'good thing' .
Making it also so when he does take responsibility it's only outcome will be good, so he doesn't have to suffer his ptsd trauma of one time failing and not being good at business. Fine for the first book, let the character be a whiny entitled rich boy who would rather fish than do anything. Four books in and he's still shoving responsibility off on everyone around him and running at the even thought of negative consequences and it's getting tiresome.
It's like the author is pushing the idea of some basement dweller 40s something living off mom so he doesn't have to work or grow up. Just do his hobbies all day. That's this character. Fearful to the thought of actually having his actions impact others that he has nightmares and literally 'runs' when they come about like in the meeting in book 3 where he literally had a melt down and tried to run away physically from the meeting.
Then you have hypocritical stuff like the cultivators. YOUR FREE! If you believe in our god and support us...otherwise we lock you up. That ...sounds like cult slavery to me, not freedom. That's middle- east terrorist mentality there. Believe in our god or you're locked away? If they were free, they'd be free to leave even if they don't support your god.
Honestly this is literally what cults do in america to get college students and the like to believe in their way of life. Segregate them from society and then make them believe what they believe or lock them up in solitude until they are ready to embrace their ways.
The book is quite fully supporting cult mentality.
So, do I want to read a book that empowers cult behavior, not taking responsibility and constant repression of one's desires with that whole not releasing chi inside him thing?
Nope. Done.
This message of these books are just horrible or if they are setting up to show how horrible they are and will fix them, is taking way to long to do it. I'm done with this series sadly.
So take this review with a grain of salt as I only got half way through before giving up.
I can't stand the MC. At first he was fine but more and more he keeps hiding from responsibility. He's like a whiny manchild who judges all the nobles and everyone else but he himself won't life a finger if it makes him responsible. The only time he acts is when he can pawn off the weight of those choices on Barry or his church.
He acts like a spoiled entitled brat who failed once and now is scared to ever try again. Which is what he is. Now it would be fine if the author made him take action and then deal with negative consequences as an adult. Instead the author is feeding the characters habit of never trying as a 'good thing' .
Making it also so when he does take responsibility it's only outcome will be good, so he doesn't have to suffer his ptsd trauma of one time failing and not being good at business. Fine for the first book, let the character be a whiny entitled rich boy who would rather fish than do anything. Four books in and he's still shoving responsibility off on everyone around him and running at the even thought of negative consequences and it's getting tiresome.
It's like the author is pushing the idea of some basement dweller 40s something living off mom so he doesn't have to work or grow up. Just do his hobbies all day. That's this character. Fearful to the thought of actually having his actions impact others that he has nightmares and literally 'runs' when they come about like in the meeting in book 3 where he literally had a melt down and tried to run away physically from the meeting.
Then you have hypocritical stuff like the cultivators. YOUR FREE! If you believe in our god and support us...otherwise we lock you up. That ...sounds like cult slavery to me, not freedom. That's middle- east terrorist mentality there. Believe in our god or you're locked away? If they were free, they'd be free to leave even if they don't support your god.
Honestly this is literally what cults do in america to get college students and the like to believe in their way of life. Segregate them from society and then make them believe what they believe or lock them up in solitude until they are ready to embrace their ways.
The book is quite fully supporting cult mentality.
So, do I want to read a book that empowers cult behavior, not taking responsibility and constant repression of one's desires with that whole not releasing chi inside him thing?
Nope. Done.
This message of these books are just horrible or if they are setting up to show how horrible they are and will fix them, is taking way to long to do it. I'm done with this series sadly.
November 3, 2025
Why did you read this book?
I liked the series and wanted to catch up on the latest book.
What format did you read this book in?
Listened to the audiobook on Audible.
Is this an educational book or a book for entertainment?
I read this book for pure entertainment purposes.
What genres do you think this book belongs to?
Fantasy, Humor and Comedy, Romance
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when they created their “Edgelord”-style fishing ship.
Who would you suggest this book to?
Anyone who likes RPGLits, light-hearted fantasy, and powerful animals will like this book.
What is your general opinion/ rating of this book?
Sadly, this was my least favorite book in the series. I think the first two books were the best so far. After that… I think the story went a little downhill for me. There are too many characters to keep track of, and the animal friends I do like barely got any spotlight in this one. Familiars having familiars is a bit much. Also… I really didn’t care much for Maria’s slime (it was annoying tbh). There were a few parts of the book where things were sweet and cozy. I didn’t care much for how claws dominated the book. I miss Snips and Rocky (I am also sad that their personalities have changed so much. I miss the old, belligerent Rocky and the aggressive Snips.) It seems like the drama is leaning toward Fisher having to face another country and the gods in the next book. I am still going to continue the series, but it won’t be one of my priority reads anymore. Overall, I still liked the vibes the book is going for, but I think the execution in this book could have used a bit of work.
Any trigger warnings?
Racial and Religious: Prejudice
LGBTQ+: Forced Outing of Character
Mental Health: Romanticized Mental Illness
Violence and Death: Death, Mass Death, Escalating Violence, Graphic Violence
Other: Bullying, Classism
I liked the series and wanted to catch up on the latest book.
What format did you read this book in?
Listened to the audiobook on Audible.
Is this an educational book or a book for entertainment?
I read this book for pure entertainment purposes.
What genres do you think this book belongs to?
Fantasy, Humor and Comedy, Romance
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when they created their “Edgelord”-style fishing ship.
Who would you suggest this book to?
Anyone who likes RPGLits, light-hearted fantasy, and powerful animals will like this book.
What is your general opinion/ rating of this book?
Sadly, this was my least favorite book in the series. I think the first two books were the best so far. After that… I think the story went a little downhill for me. There are too many characters to keep track of, and the animal friends I do like barely got any spotlight in this one. Familiars having familiars is a bit much. Also… I really didn’t care much for Maria’s slime (it was annoying tbh). There were a few parts of the book where things were sweet and cozy. I didn’t care much for how claws dominated the book. I miss Snips and Rocky (I am also sad that their personalities have changed so much. I miss the old, belligerent Rocky and the aggressive Snips.) It seems like the drama is leaning toward Fisher having to face another country and the gods in the next book. I am still going to continue the series, but it won’t be one of my priority reads anymore. Overall, I still liked the vibes the book is going for, but I think the execution in this book could have used a bit of work.
Any trigger warnings?
Racial and Religious: Prejudice
LGBTQ+: Forced Outing of Character
Mental Health: Romanticized Mental Illness
Violence and Death: Death, Mass Death, Escalating Violence, Graphic Violence
Other: Bullying, Classism
September 25, 2025
I think I can understand why some people got filler vibes from this book, it's definitely a bit of a transition from the previous, but that's to expected when such a bit plot atc was wrapped up in the last book. Not my favorite of the series, but it served me the slice-of-life/cozy vibes I wanted with the dash of insane whimsy this series always brings to the table. I wasn't bored, but a large contribution to that fact was likely that I listened to the audiobook, meaning I was able to do other things while enjoying the story. There's a lot of things that happen early on in the book that may make you question certain characters behavior, and I was worried some would cross the fine line from silly/sassy to obnoxious, but there were a lot of layers peeled back towards the end that really made everything go together and make you say "ohhhhhhh, that's why."
I think the only thing that may have really bugged me is the timeline of the book, there would be so many things happening on top of another and then they would reveal that it's been like 2 days. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure that the time from where the last book ended and where this one did, less than 2 weeks passed. That's kind of insane.
Still I honestly can't judge this book like I would others because I didn't read it for logic , I picked it up to enjoy a way overpowered, his animal pal friends, and all the chaos that they cause. There's definitely a life lesson type undertone to all these books as Haylock emphasizes certain morals and values, but themes like being true to yourself have been prominent since book 1 so you can't really be surprised at this point.
I think the only thing that may have really bugged me is the timeline of the book, there would be so many things happening on top of another and then they would reveal that it's been like 2 days. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure that the time from where the last book ended and where this one did, less than 2 weeks passed. That's kind of insane.
Still I honestly can't judge this book like I would others because I didn't read it for logic , I picked it up to enjoy a way overpowered, his animal pal friends, and all the chaos that they cause. There's definitely a life lesson type undertone to all these books as Haylock emphasizes certain morals and values, but themes like being true to yourself have been prominent since book 1 so you can't really be surprised at this point.
August 30, 2025
Ohhhh fun! Fun! FUN! I love Heretical Fishing soooooooo much! It's absodamnlutely magical! And one of my favorite books! I not only love the MC Fischer, the first heretical fisher, and Marie his chosen life mate, but all the others too! Fischer's animal pals, and all his mates living in Tropica, as they're all family to him! And I swear everyone, and I mean everyone has their moment to shine brighter than the sun in this ✨ fantastical story! Plus Calamari is on the menu folks! I thought for sure that this was the end of one of the best series evarrr... but I'm mistaken, I found that book 5 will be released February 2026! And there's no telling where Haylock Jobson is gonna take it! But wherever he does Fischer and his Cadre will be ready!
So grab this action-driven audiobook 'cause Heath Miller's performance is extra Buttery AwesomeSauce!!!
Hey here's some quotes for ya:
“Aphrodite’s bohemian breasts...” the woman swore."
"A wave of relief washed over me. “Looks like we’re not gonna run out of coffee anytime soon..."
"The things were ugly cute. Like a pug. Or those weird dogs that look like someone bred a shih tzu with a naked mole rat then washed them on a four-hour spin cycle."
"Ellis’s need for knowledge was a Sisyphean task, and never before had his metaphorical boulder seemed so heavy as he stared up at the silent barista."
"We called this aluminium foil where I come from—or aluminum foil if you’re American.” I gave an exaggerated shiver. “And you guys call me heretical. The things that country has done to the English language...”
"...the eldritch creature bellowed, its guttural voice about as enjoyable as a garbage
So grab this action-driven audiobook 'cause Heath Miller's performance is extra Buttery AwesomeSauce!!!
Hey here's some quotes for ya:
“Aphrodite’s bohemian breasts...” the woman swore."
"A wave of relief washed over me. “Looks like we’re not gonna run out of coffee anytime soon..."
"The things were ugly cute. Like a pug. Or those weird dogs that look like someone bred a shih tzu with a naked mole rat then washed them on a four-hour spin cycle."
"Ellis’s need for knowledge was a Sisyphean task, and never before had his metaphorical boulder seemed so heavy as he stared up at the silent barista."
"We called this aluminium foil where I come from—or aluminum foil if you’re American.” I gave an exaggerated shiver. “And you guys call me heretical. The things that country has done to the English language...”
"...the eldritch creature bellowed, its guttural voice about as enjoyable as a garbage
September 8, 2025
What is odd about my rating is that I gave five stars to volume 1 and four stars to the next two. And I was very excited to learn that volume four was being issued. I was disappointed. Some call this genre "comfy fantasy" in that these books tend to celebrate domesticity and love, such as enjoying a nice cup of coffee with someone you love most in the world. Who doesn't like that? (Well, yes, many do not, but I am a fan.) My favorites are the Becky Chambers's Wayfarers series and Delemhach's House Witch series. But there is a danger in this style as well, which is to have the plot be taken over by the wonders of the mundane that nothing really happens and the narrative becomes boring, which was what happened with Becky Chambers's next series, Monk & Robot. In this case, by the end of volume three, the main character, Fischer, has taken on god-like powers, as had his fiance; even his menagerie of "spirit beast" friends had become over powered. So what could possibly happen next? Nothing, it turns out. I kept waiting for the book to begin. Instead, all I read about were silly jokes, pranks, and descriptions of the beauty of coffee. In other words, the plot was reduced to humor and sentimentality. Even the rise of some "bad guys" in the second half became mostly a fearless side adventure. I am not sure the series can recover. These books still need some tension, some danger, some true intrigue to keep us interested. Comfy is not enough by itself.
December 10, 2025
3.5-3.75.
Was I happy to read this book/ see it arrive in Kindle Unlimited? Yep. Did it spark joy? Yep. Does this push me to write because if he can write, so can't I? Also yep.
But like a certain secondary character, this book is near to pure chaos. I'm all gor happy endings, twists, and Chechovs Guns ( which literally gets a shout out in the book...) but it was just so much. Double crosses, " evil", Evil, somehow the very concept of aybssanal darkness as an affinity- there is a lot going on here. Maybe its just the latent ADHDression but it was at the end a book to finish for the year count. I enjoyed seeing Maria develop and Fischer be Fischer but it almost set up a have and have nots, of cultivators and non cultivators. There had to be like three plots... wait... four -boat, healer, kraken, and shenanigans.
Some characters felt written off, and as I said, sucker for a happy ending, and by design no truely bad guys or bad consequences but it felt anticlimactic. We literally kill/ absorb/ nullify two Greek God tier level gods in like.... two pages, out of a 447 page book. A lot more description is made to the 'splosions and chaos caused.
I'll still read the others though
Was I happy to read this book/ see it arrive in Kindle Unlimited? Yep. Did it spark joy? Yep. Does this push me to write because if he can write, so can't I? Also yep.
But like a certain secondary character, this book is near to pure chaos. I'm all gor happy endings, twists, and Chechovs Guns ( which literally gets a shout out in the book...) but it was just so much. Double crosses, " evil", Evil, somehow the very concept of aybssanal darkness as an affinity- there is a lot going on here. Maybe its just the latent ADHDression but it was at the end a book to finish for the year count. I enjoyed seeing Maria develop and Fischer be Fischer but it almost set up a have and have nots, of cultivators and non cultivators. There had to be like three plots... wait... four -boat, healer, kraken, and shenanigans.
Some characters felt written off, and as I said, sucker for a happy ending, and by design no truely bad guys or bad consequences but it felt anticlimactic. We literally kill/ absorb/ nullify two Greek God tier level gods in like.... two pages, out of a 447 page book. A lot more description is made to the 'splosions and chaos caused.
I'll still read the others though
August 29, 2025
Excellent addition to the series
The whole series is tons of fun, and this installment is no exception. The blurb already has a nice synopsis so I won't be going over the plot. Too much, anyway.
What I will say is that Fischer is up to his usual shenanigans and Corporal Claws has too much fun. We get to meet seven (no, eight) new characters. I forgot the raccoon. A couple of them are leftover deities. Our favorite little she-crab has undergone some transformational changes. Her leadership ability has really blossomed and she is now truly leading those from the Church of Carcinization.
There is no real cussing, very little violence, and physical affection is only hinted at, except for cuddle puddles. Fischer is aware of all the kids present in the village, and keeps his speech rated G. Actions, too.
This book (& series) are suitable for all ages. Excellent world-building, great character development, System interface downplayed. 9/10 Unicorns.
🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄
Highly recommend to buy or borrow.
The whole series is tons of fun, and this installment is no exception. The blurb already has a nice synopsis so I won't be going over the plot. Too much, anyway.
What I will say is that Fischer is up to his usual shenanigans and Corporal Claws has too much fun. We get to meet seven (no, eight) new characters. I forgot the raccoon. A couple of them are leftover deities. Our favorite little she-crab has undergone some transformational changes. Her leadership ability has really blossomed and she is now truly leading those from the Church of Carcinization.
There is no real cussing, very little violence, and physical affection is only hinted at, except for cuddle puddles. Fischer is aware of all the kids present in the village, and keeps his speech rated G. Actions, too.
This book (& series) are suitable for all ages. Excellent world-building, great character development, System interface downplayed. 9/10 Unicorns.
🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄
Highly recommend to buy or borrow.
November 16, 2025
Not as good as the first few, the cozi-ness for 75% of the book is getting a little repetitive. I was hoping by this book we would be in the crux of the story but this only really happened in the last 30%.
I feel like we are also getting way too many characters introduced, it's a lot to keep track of and its becoming quite convoluted.
I do like the plot, but I feel like some of the coziness needs to be stripped away. There's only so many times I can read about how food tastes, or smells, or how much Fischer loves fishing. I also feel like a lot of the references throughout are going to date this book and make it age poorly.
Will I read the next book? Yes, because I need to know what happens. Am I happy about it? No.
I feel like we are also getting way too many characters introduced, it's a lot to keep track of and its becoming quite convoluted.
I do like the plot, but I feel like some of the coziness needs to be stripped away. There's only so many times I can read about how food tastes, or smells, or how much Fischer loves fishing. I also feel like a lot of the references throughout are going to date this book and make it age poorly.
Will I read the next book? Yes, because I need to know what happens. Am I happy about it? No.
August 30, 2025
A slapstick feel-good romp
A little goofy and over the top, the writing is intentionally tongue in cheek. The humor is fast, with great subtle and not so subtle references, all couched in a story of love and acceptance of found family. The characters all have moments of doubt or guilt, only for it to be absolved away immediately with emotionally intelligent and mature communication. You may have to squint to
see it but in a tight knit crew where 50-70 percent of the conversation is sharing emotions, the part we get to see can get a bit ridiculous, especially when you are doing everything you can to dissuade your town from falling over themselves to worship you.
A little goofy and over the top, the writing is intentionally tongue in cheek. The humor is fast, with great subtle and not so subtle references, all couched in a story of love and acceptance of found family. The characters all have moments of doubt or guilt, only for it to be absolved away immediately with emotionally intelligent and mature communication. You may have to squint to
see it but in a tight knit crew where 50-70 percent of the conversation is sharing emotions, the part we get to see can get a bit ridiculous, especially when you are doing everything you can to dissuade your town from falling over themselves to worship you.
September 5, 2025
There are two things this book does very well. OP power coupled to "love everyone" fishing energy and the pure fantasy wish of being surrounded by never ending friends, jokes, and mutual care.
Wait. Isn't this supposed to be a LitRPG with power progression and big battles, etc?
Yeah, it has all that, but mostly it's just fishing, boat building, giving an abyssal kraken a hug, and dealing with evil otters. Details.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.
Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
Arctunn.com
Wait. Isn't this supposed to be a LitRPG with power progression and big battles, etc?
Yeah, it has all that, but mostly it's just fishing, boat building, giving an abyssal kraken a hug, and dealing with evil otters. Details.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.
Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
Arctunn.com
November 1, 2025
This is a fun series with plenty of silly humor and shenanigans, all wrapped in a love story - love of fishing and love of friends.
Unfortunately, for me this installment seemed to drag. There were a lot of moving parts and some of the discoveries and actions of the main character, Fisher, seemed to come out of left field. There was a threat described in the previous book(s), which I figured might be the big bad for this entry, but it was locked up in a page or two. And the climax was against enemies(?) that were too powerful for Fisher to be able to contend with, but he managed it after all. Turns out being a Traveller is relevant.
Unfortunately, for me this installment seemed to drag. There were a lot of moving parts and some of the discoveries and actions of the main character, Fisher, seemed to come out of left field. There was a threat described in the previous book(s), which I figured might be the big bad for this entry, but it was locked up in a page or two. And the climax was against enemies(?) that were too powerful for Fisher to be able to contend with, but he managed it after all. Turns out being a Traveller is relevant.
January 16, 2026
Like so many others, I absolutely LOVED books 1-3 and find that Book 4 just isn't keeping my interest. Fisher is always sarcastic and jovial. Add that to Maria's lack of depth, just following Fisher and playing along with all the pranks and sarcastic bits. I'm just not that amused anymore - they don't seem relatable anymore. The fun and cuteness of the animal pals has worn off.
I may reread books 1-3 some day but I don't feel like there's a point to this one. Fisher can literally snap his fingers and make things appear - what's the point?
I may reread books 1-3 some day but I don't feel like there's a point to this one. Fisher can literally snap his fingers and make things appear - what's the point?
September 21, 2025
I didn't finish this book to be honest.
I loved the first three in the series, but this was a slog to get through and I only made it halfway. At best, it's a caricature of what made the series great. It's very repetitive and the same thing happens over and over with characters falling hard into patterns and tropes, but not even in an entertaining way.
I might try to finish this another time, but I can't recommend it.
I loved the first three in the series, but this was a slog to get through and I only made it halfway. At best, it's a caricature of what made the series great. It's very repetitive and the same thing happens over and over with characters falling hard into patterns and tropes, but not even in an entertaining way.
I might try to finish this another time, but I can't recommend it.
October 8, 2025
I found this volume a bit underwhelming, i love cozy fantasy, but this was a bit too cozy. There was only a small plot, and only after the first 20% of the book.
Also, i admit this is my personal bias, but i found the mischief a bit too over the top, too much prank, and fake prank and so on, in reality is very difficult to stay friend with someone that put mischief above even something that is dear to you, like stealing a very difficult to won fish.
Also, i admit this is my personal bias, but i found the mischief a bit too over the top, too much prank, and fake prank and so on, in reality is very difficult to stay friend with someone that put mischief above even something that is dear to you, like stealing a very difficult to won fish.
October 16, 2025
Decent, maybe I shouldn't have binged the four audio books near back to back (I broke up 3 and 4 with a book I didn't like and one I kinda liked) so by the time I got to this one I wasn't into the story and didn't quite enjoy it nearly as much as the first two books. I actually started tuning out during the final battle as everything just seemed to drag on and on... Oh well, it's still better than the majority of books I've been listening to so it's just a single star deduction.
October 31, 2025
Oof. I DNF'd this book due to a rather severe personality change in one of the characters: Claws. What was the author thinking? Why is she an asshole now? She's not even a trickster anymore. Almost every single one of her actions in this book just makes me want to put it down.
I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way. Her behavior is straight-up frustrating. I didn't want to see her on the page at all. I got about halfway through before I decided to give up.
I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way. Her behavior is straight-up frustrating. I didn't want to see her on the page at all. I got about halfway through before I decided to give up.
December 25, 2025
swing and a miss
The first three books in the series were very enjoyable and fun reads. This book was repetitive, boring and didn’t really move the story forward until the last few chapters. This book was a chore to finish and I would seriously hesitate to read the next one. To be frank this is one of the few books I’ve read in my life where I would like a refund as it has no redeeming value.
The first three books in the series were very enjoyable and fun reads. This book was repetitive, boring and didn’t really move the story forward until the last few chapters. This book was a chore to finish and I would seriously hesitate to read the next one. To be frank this is one of the few books I’ve read in my life where I would like a refund as it has no redeeming value.
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August 31, 2025Brilliantly Insane!
A wonderful fast paced if not a bit jarring tale that keeps you turning pages. This is an amazing story story of friendship and adventure. I won't bother attempting to describe it as I couldn't do it justice. Fisher has outdone himself with hid amazing animals and friends but one hint, A kraken!
A wonderful fast paced if not a bit jarring tale that keeps you turning pages. This is an amazing story story of friendship and adventure. I won't bother attempting to describe it as I couldn't do it justice. Fisher has outdone himself with hid amazing animals and friends but one hint, A kraken!
August 31, 2025
They’re all so fun and the found family aspect is the best thing in this book. All the animal pals and the cosiness of it makes it a fun read.
But I found myself zoning out of many scenes this time around. So much happened yet so little. The breakthrough and changing got a bit much
I’m going to continue the series for sure
But I found myself zoning out of many scenes this time around. So much happened yet so little. The breakthrough and changing got a bit much
I’m going to continue the series for sure
September 3, 2025
I loved the first two books of this series. The 3rd was still pretty good, but this one was not nearly as fun as the others. There was too much technical talk about breakthroughs and upgrading and not enough actual dialogue and plot. The parts with the monster were really confusing to me and I had to keep going back because I felt like I missed something.
October 3, 2025
fun
Yeah, um … okay so they cure the crazy cultivators. Make more animal companions. Build a boat. Go fishing. Learn about gods. And make jokes.
Steady pacing. World building. No character growth, but characters seem to become uniform in humor and personality. Still a great story. Awesome narrator! Please enjoy
Yeah, um … okay so they cure the crazy cultivators. Make more animal companions. Build a boat. Go fishing. Learn about gods. And make jokes.
Steady pacing. World building. No character growth, but characters seem to become uniform in humor and personality. Still a great story. Awesome narrator! Please enjoy
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