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Elements of Wrath Online #1
Ring of Promise
Unlike real life, Max is pretty good at playing games, so when a new limited time dungeon opens up in the virtual reality game he plays boasting a huge cash prize, Max knows he needs to try and complete it if he wants to be able to pay rent this month.
Fortunately, the only guild strong enough to attempt to take it on before the timer runs out needs a tank.
There’s just one problem, he’s never played with them before, and even if he convinces the Sisters of Artemis to let him join in time to tank the dungeon and collect the prize money, if they wipe, it’s all over.
That would be bad because without that prize money, both he and his baby sister will be sleeping in a cardboard box under a bridge, and Max really hates sleeping in cardboard boxes. Been there, done that, sold the T-shirt.
Fortunately, the only guild strong enough to attempt to take it on before the timer runs out needs a tank.
There’s just one problem, he’s never played with them before, and even if he convinces the Sisters of Artemis to let him join in time to tank the dungeon and collect the prize money, if they wipe, it’s all over.
That would be bad because without that prize money, both he and his baby sister will be sleeping in a cardboard box under a bridge, and Max really hates sleeping in cardboard boxes. Been there, done that, sold the T-shirt.
- GenresFantasy
394 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2017
244 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Garner
22 books65 followersTalented top flight author and editor Jamie Beth "J. B." Garner has written over twenty novels across multiple genres and edited hundreds more. J.B.’s seen and done many things in her life, from honors student to factory worker to garbage collector to construction worker. In addition to doing so many fascinating things, she's lived in the wonderful cities of Baltimore, Atlanta, and Pensacola, before landing in the beautiful city of Chicago.
She's an avid gamer, particularly Pathfinder and Final Fantasy XIV, an enjoyer of comic books, anime, and movies of all stripes. She guests, exhibits, and panels at cons across the U.S., large and small, fueled by a love of fandoms and the desire to connect with readers and fans. Through it all, her true passion has always been the written word.
She writes fantasy, sci-fi, and pro-wrestling epics, among other things, and is always out to entertain and amaze.
She's an avid gamer, particularly Pathfinder and Final Fantasy XIV, an enjoyer of comic books, anime, and movies of all stripes. She guests, exhibits, and panels at cons across the U.S., large and small, fueled by a love of fandoms and the desire to connect with readers and fans. Through it all, her true passion has always been the written word.
She writes fantasy, sci-fi, and pro-wrestling epics, among other things, and is always out to entertain and amaze.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 22, 2017
My original Ring of Promise audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
“Ring of Promise” is a literary Role-Playing Game (LitRPG) novel with a bit of a twist on the genre. It is the first book in the “Elements of Wrath Online” series, and be aware the book does end with a few open storylines. So, you will need to continue the series to complete the story. It is co-authored by J.B. Garner and J.A. Cipriano, who write many other books like this one. The Audio is masterfully narrated by Joe Hempel. If you are a fan of video games or your typical role-playing game such as Dungeons and Dragons, I think you will find this book quite interesting. Unlike many of the other LitRPG book I have listened too, this one felt less storytelling and more like you were watching the events playout on a screen; more like a Twitch stream; which is not a negative thing, only different. If this is of interest to you, I would recommend you pick up a copy and give it a listen. It was quite engaging and entertaining.
The story quickly made me think of watching someone playing Diablo or other action RPG game rather than a deep and complex story. There were gems which could be placed in various sockets allowing characters to augment their weapons and armor. Various gems had different powers and stacking abilities, so one wanted to make sure adding or removing one would not diminish the items power too much. The story contained enough action to keep things moving, however, the author also included aspects of the main character’s backstory. This includes his family upbringing along with a handicap he has lived within the real world keeping him house-bound. Because of his disability, there is a continuous drive to earn real money from the activities and quests completed while in game. One’s universal basic income (UBI) only goes so far, and people are required to augment it to survive. Most of the game’s characters and monsters are recognizable to people familiar with the genre. You have warriors, thieves, magic users, etc. Although the majority of character types seemed similar to other stories, the book contains a number of fairly unique and magical items or components not found elsewhere. I do like how the author works in the book’s title into the story, it is a nice touch.
Even though I enjoyed the book, I felt that it was lacking the depth and complexity I have come to enjoy in other books in its category. We are given some details on the main character’s backstory, but I would have liked to have had more. I understand the reasons requiring the main character to earn money, but I did not feel it was as heavy a weight on his shoulder as it should have been. Most of all, I felt the book lacked that feeling of a character leveling up, which is a key part of any LitRPG story. Sure, we see the character get stronger, but I did not feel the tension or decisions one often faces when leveling up their characters. The responses or conversations made me feel like the book was targeted at the Young Adult (YA) reader, but there were other parts that seemed to be more adult focused. When I sat back and thought about the book prior to my reviewing it, at a high level the book is really a “light vs. dark”, or “good vs. evil” storyline.
Joe Hempel is a great narrator of nearly any genre you give him. I have a few of his other narrated science fiction and fantasy books, and I have never been disappointed by any of his work. This book is no exception. The audio was professionally done and I do not recall any issues during my listening. The volume was consistent and the pacing of the book was spot on for me. If I had one criticism, I would say that I did not prefer the voice he used for the computer. I know this is very subjective and only say it here because I have listened to other narrators that seem to find a good balance between both humans to computer tone.
For parents or younger readers, this book contains a few scenes which may not be appropriate for very young audiences. The violence is what one would expect from an online fantasy role-playing game. The online game in this story contains an obscenity or vulgar word converter that at times is quite funny when a few of the characters desire to express themselves using such words. So, even though there is no vulgar language used in the book, it is implied when the receiving party sees what would be a swear word replaced with a cute and cuddly one. I would say this book is suited for the young adult reader and older.
In summary, even with a few warts or bumps along the way, the story was enjoyable. There were times when the outcome was a bit predictable; including the ending. However, this did not lessen my interest in any way. If you are a fan of LitRPG books and are looking for a bit of a change, this may be a good book to pick up. There is enough here to keep you absorbed that you will want to pick up the other books when they are released in audio format.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
“Ring of Promise” is a literary Role-Playing Game (LitRPG) novel with a bit of a twist on the genre. It is the first book in the “Elements of Wrath Online” series, and be aware the book does end with a few open storylines. So, you will need to continue the series to complete the story. It is co-authored by J.B. Garner and J.A. Cipriano, who write many other books like this one. The Audio is masterfully narrated by Joe Hempel. If you are a fan of video games or your typical role-playing game such as Dungeons and Dragons, I think you will find this book quite interesting. Unlike many of the other LitRPG book I have listened too, this one felt less storytelling and more like you were watching the events playout on a screen; more like a Twitch stream; which is not a negative thing, only different. If this is of interest to you, I would recommend you pick up a copy and give it a listen. It was quite engaging and entertaining.
The story quickly made me think of watching someone playing Diablo or other action RPG game rather than a deep and complex story. There were gems which could be placed in various sockets allowing characters to augment their weapons and armor. Various gems had different powers and stacking abilities, so one wanted to make sure adding or removing one would not diminish the items power too much. The story contained enough action to keep things moving, however, the author also included aspects of the main character’s backstory. This includes his family upbringing along with a handicap he has lived within the real world keeping him house-bound. Because of his disability, there is a continuous drive to earn real money from the activities and quests completed while in game. One’s universal basic income (UBI) only goes so far, and people are required to augment it to survive. Most of the game’s characters and monsters are recognizable to people familiar with the genre. You have warriors, thieves, magic users, etc. Although the majority of character types seemed similar to other stories, the book contains a number of fairly unique and magical items or components not found elsewhere. I do like how the author works in the book’s title into the story, it is a nice touch.
Even though I enjoyed the book, I felt that it was lacking the depth and complexity I have come to enjoy in other books in its category. We are given some details on the main character’s backstory, but I would have liked to have had more. I understand the reasons requiring the main character to earn money, but I did not feel it was as heavy a weight on his shoulder as it should have been. Most of all, I felt the book lacked that feeling of a character leveling up, which is a key part of any LitRPG story. Sure, we see the character get stronger, but I did not feel the tension or decisions one often faces when leveling up their characters. The responses or conversations made me feel like the book was targeted at the Young Adult (YA) reader, but there were other parts that seemed to be more adult focused. When I sat back and thought about the book prior to my reviewing it, at a high level the book is really a “light vs. dark”, or “good vs. evil” storyline.
Joe Hempel is a great narrator of nearly any genre you give him. I have a few of his other narrated science fiction and fantasy books, and I have never been disappointed by any of his work. This book is no exception. The audio was professionally done and I do not recall any issues during my listening. The volume was consistent and the pacing of the book was spot on for me. If I had one criticism, I would say that I did not prefer the voice he used for the computer. I know this is very subjective and only say it here because I have listened to other narrators that seem to find a good balance between both humans to computer tone.
For parents or younger readers, this book contains a few scenes which may not be appropriate for very young audiences. The violence is what one would expect from an online fantasy role-playing game. The online game in this story contains an obscenity or vulgar word converter that at times is quite funny when a few of the characters desire to express themselves using such words. So, even though there is no vulgar language used in the book, it is implied when the receiving party sees what would be a swear word replaced with a cute and cuddly one. I would say this book is suited for the young adult reader and older.
In summary, even with a few warts or bumps along the way, the story was enjoyable. There were times when the outcome was a bit predictable; including the ending. However, this did not lessen my interest in any way. If you are a fan of LitRPG books and are looking for a bit of a change, this may be a good book to pick up. There is enough here to keep you absorbed that you will want to pick up the other books when they are released in audio format.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
May 15, 2017
As far as LitRPGs go, this started rough but ended up being one of my favorites I've found in the genre. It wasn't because it had done too many things differently but because of the fleshing out of the characters and their interactions. It isn't a sucked into the game LitRPG, but more of a story about a guy that plays one and his friends. If you're a fan of streamers and YouTubers, that isn't a problem at all, but know what you are getting as you go in.
RoP is best-compared worldwide to Path of Exile. The gameworld of Elementalis Online is based on base classes and races that get their skills from modifiable, different grade gems which lead to interesting interactions and a high potential for fun and serves as the background for the majority of the novel. On a side note, there is a lot about the game world and engine in the back of the novel.
Max/Shale, our MC, loves the game but treats it like a job when we first meet him. At first for me, this made it harder than most stories to get into, but I can say that it thankfully doesn't stay that way for long. Once we find out his reasoning, you start to relate more to him.
He makes his first friends, he has adventures, and fun things happen. Without spoiling anything, most people will predict where the story goes once you learn the meaning of the titular item of the novel.
However, there are some downsides. Even with the security in place for the characters to stop them from sharing personal information, Kayla, one of the female leads, feels very one dimensional. Burndall, whose name I did find hilarious even out loud, comes off very strangely sometimes considering his main interactions within the novel are as a client paying for help. The final female Crysta seems to balance both. While she isn't as one dimensional as Kayla, the character lacks refinement. Now, whether this was purposeful or not due to the limitations built into the novel, I'm not sure. I wish it had been longer, but with the sequel coming out later this year, I should be ok for now. If you add in the few errors in editing, all this was enough to knock it from a five-star rating.
The novel landed solidly at four stars, not terrible, but there were just enough small pieces that make it seem like the novel could have been a little more fleshed out. I look forward to reading more about the world and J.B. Garner and J.A. Cipriano.
RoP is best-compared worldwide to Path of Exile. The gameworld of Elementalis Online is based on base classes and races that get their skills from modifiable, different grade gems which lead to interesting interactions and a high potential for fun and serves as the background for the majority of the novel. On a side note, there is a lot about the game world and engine in the back of the novel.
Max/Shale, our MC, loves the game but treats it like a job when we first meet him. At first for me, this made it harder than most stories to get into, but I can say that it thankfully doesn't stay that way for long. Once we find out his reasoning, you start to relate more to him.
He makes his first friends, he has adventures, and fun things happen. Without spoiling anything, most people will predict where the story goes once you learn the meaning of the titular item of the novel.
However, there are some downsides. Even with the security in place for the characters to stop them from sharing personal information, Kayla, one of the female leads, feels very one dimensional. Burndall, whose name I did find hilarious even out loud, comes off very strangely sometimes considering his main interactions within the novel are as a client paying for help. The final female Crysta seems to balance both. While she isn't as one dimensional as Kayla, the character lacks refinement. Now, whether this was purposeful or not due to the limitations built into the novel, I'm not sure. I wish it had been longer, but with the sequel coming out later this year, I should be ok for now. If you add in the few errors in editing, all this was enough to knock it from a five-star rating.
The novel landed solidly at four stars, not terrible, but there were just enough small pieces that make it seem like the novel could have been a little more fleshed out. I look forward to reading more about the world and J.B. Garner and J.A. Cipriano.
October 28, 2017
In real life Max is an amputee, confined to a wheelchair with limited use of his right arm. In the virtual reality world of Elementalis, he's Shale, a powerful Craggar Warlord. Max uses his skills as a tank for hire in the game to earn real world money to support himself and his disabled younger sister. It's no wonder he spends every spare moment in the virtual world.
Elementalis Online uses neural technology to fully immerse gamers in the virtual world. Max is especially adept at using the technology since it was originally developed to help rehabilitate people with disabilities. When Elementalis Online releases new game content with real world money as the prize, Max jumps at the chance to earn enough to help his younger sister. He teams up with a young Ember Sorcerer named Burndall and a beautiful Nix Sorceress named Kayla to take a shot at the prize.
This was an awesome LitRPG with a sympathetic and interesting main character. The game world was developed and full of action, the type of game I wish I could jump into myself. The story was the perfect mix of in game and real life. It introduced enough of Max's real world troubles to make me root for him, and the game story line kept me reading to see what happened next. The battle scenes were so detailed I could almost hear the boss music. If you're a fan of stats and hit points, there's plenty here to warm your number crunching little heart.
I thought the AI filter was really original. It introduced some really funny moments, but it also limited the character growth. We can't learn a thing about Kayla, besides that Shale thinks she's beautiful and kind, but I'm hoping to learn more about her in the sequel. And there's enough character development with Max to make up for it.
The narration was great, Joe Hempel had the perfect voice for Max, and lightened his tone perfectly for Kayla. When there were scenes with sound effects, he performed them effortlessly. It was a great story/narrator combo. I've already picked up the sequel!
Elementalis Online uses neural technology to fully immerse gamers in the virtual world. Max is especially adept at using the technology since it was originally developed to help rehabilitate people with disabilities. When Elementalis Online releases new game content with real world money as the prize, Max jumps at the chance to earn enough to help his younger sister. He teams up with a young Ember Sorcerer named Burndall and a beautiful Nix Sorceress named Kayla to take a shot at the prize.
This was an awesome LitRPG with a sympathetic and interesting main character. The game world was developed and full of action, the type of game I wish I could jump into myself. The story was the perfect mix of in game and real life. It introduced enough of Max's real world troubles to make me root for him, and the game story line kept me reading to see what happened next. The battle scenes were so detailed I could almost hear the boss music. If you're a fan of stats and hit points, there's plenty here to warm your number crunching little heart.
I thought the AI filter was really original. It introduced some really funny moments, but it also limited the character growth. We can't learn a thing about Kayla, besides that Shale thinks she's beautiful and kind, but I'm hoping to learn more about her in the sequel. And there's enough character development with Max to make up for it.
The narration was great, Joe Hempel had the perfect voice for Max, and lightened his tone perfectly for Kayla. When there were scenes with sound effects, he performed them effortlessly. It was a great story/narrator combo. I've already picked up the sequel!
May 28, 2017
This is a really enjoyable and exciting audiobook. I'm not a gamer but I found this story made me want to be one. I'm sure if you like teamwork fantasy combat games you will adore this story. The duel tale of immersion in a virtual reality game, where quests can be undertaken, friends made and money gained, and the real word, where the physically disabled are struggling to survive, kept me totally entranced. Max is a great character, confined to a wheelchair and taking care of his equally disabled sister in real life. He needs money in order for them to survive and gaming is the most viable source. In the game he is a excellent tank and team leader, he has built a team that he is starting to consider as friends (some a bit more than just friends) and they are leading the game in newly released quest. The narrator does an excellent job, I think it is some of his best narration work. He draws you into the story and makes both the fantasy and the real life seen alive and captivating. You soon become invested in Max's life both in reality and in the game. I really enjoyed both the story and the narration and I look forward to listening to the next in the series.
February 23, 2018
The game world was a bit too foreign and the game system a bit to difficult for me to get 100%, but it was very interesting. I just wish I would've understod more of what things looked like and things like that. I personally like when the games in litrpgs have AIs controlling the world and people, so I kind of missed life-like NPC's. Instead the world of EoWO was very scripted and very much just a game, which isn't in and of itself a bad thing.
A big plus were the many strong female characters: the nurse, the sister, the scientist, the sad lover, the love interest, the protector and so on. And each woman, even if they only had a few words about them here and there somehow felt more than that first label. The main character starts off in a dark place, but I didn't find the story too dark since we get to see him grow and open up.
Will read book 2 as soon as I get a hold of it!
A big plus were the many strong female characters: the nurse, the sister, the scientist, the sad lover, the love interest, the protector and so on. And each woman, even if they only had a few words about them here and there somehow felt more than that first label. The main character starts off in a dark place, but I didn't find the story too dark since we get to see him grow and open up.
Will read book 2 as soon as I get a hold of it!
July 11, 2018
Ring of Promise is a fun fantasy gamer book with interesting characters and a well developed game world. The main character is particularly like able. Not being a gamer myself, the book gets a bit too involved in the stats of the weapons and damage at times for my personal taste (not easy to skim on an audiobook), but for those who are into the genre, this may be a plus. The book is part of a series, so while it stops at a good ending place, there is a lot left at the end for future stories. I look forward to listening to or reading more books in the series. The narrator on the audiobook does a very good job.
This series is appropriate for YA and adult readers/ listeners.
This series is appropriate for YA and adult readers/ listeners.
March 14, 2018
Love it I can't wait for the next part.
In the last year or so Joe Hempel has fast become a favorite narrator of mine. He's right up there with Barbara Rosenblatt who my favorite.
This Audiobook was given to me at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Funny, Great world building, Happily Ever After, Original, Page-turner, Unpredictable, Wonderful characters.
In the last year or so Joe Hempel has fast become a favorite narrator of mine. He's right up there with Barbara Rosenblatt who my favorite.
This Audiobook was given to me at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Funny, Great world building, Happily Ever After, Original, Page-turner, Unpredictable, Wonderful characters.
January 26, 2018
Very well done. Good story, believable characters, game world and great world building. I already have the rest of the trilogy, so off to read book two, I would very much like to know how this story progresses.
February 9, 2018
My second read from authors J.B. Garner & J.A. Cipriano. Enjoyable read, especially for fans of FRP and so much more. So good I can't wait to delve into the next book in the series. I especially enjoyed the narrative talents of Joe Hempel.
May 13, 2017
Great fun read
Really liked it. Main character was different than the norm. More of a real leader, though almost unintentionally.
When exactly is thee next book?
Really liked it. Main character was different than the norm. More of a real leader, though almost unintentionally.
When exactly is thee next book?
July 10, 2017
Good one. I wish it was a bit longer.... and I'm looking forward to the next books in the series :)
July 27, 2017
Not too impressed by this.
September 3, 2017
I didn't finish. It just wasn't my kind of story going in.
October 15, 2017
Loved this one
December 29, 2017
Excellent
Great read and fixing to start the next ......I have read many books from the author so far I have yet to be disappointed
Great read and fixing to start the next ......I have read many books from the author so far I have yet to be disappointed
January 30, 2018
Good writing, but the Slice of life personal issues under cut the story at every turn. It is so pervasive and interwoven that it is the core of the books for better or worse.
Read
May 31, 2020Lived
Good characters, great story line, and relatable if not characters you can sympathize with, it makes me want to read more
Good characters, great story line, and relatable if not characters you can sympathize with, it makes me want to read more
June 12, 2017
Interesting setup. This is the first "non-stuck in the game" LitRPG I've read and Cipriano has done a very good job balancing the in game time with the out of game time and keeping both important. Also a first, the in game character is not a human, pointy eared human, or short human! :O Finally!
The game world they set up is interesting, but the idea of scaling content is something modern mmo's have tried and it's not the paramecia the story make it out to be. Cipriano also goes a little too over the top on the life is horrible aspect. The main character's tribulations are enough on that front, adding more characters with issues over complicates the story. That would have been better to introduce in the second book if he wanted it.
The game world they set up is interesting, but the idea of scaling content is something modern mmo's have tried and it's not the paramecia the story make it out to be. Cipriano also goes a little too over the top on the life is horrible aspect. The main character's tribulations are enough on that front, adding more characters with issues over complicates the story. That would have been better to introduce in the second book if he wanted it.
March 27, 2017
Nice LitRPG story and the budding relationship drama is cute. The concept of the Filter is a neat one and I'm interested in seeing where the author goes with it. Too many typos and such to really be acceptable in a published book, which does tend to bring me out of it when I notice.
April 10, 2017
Story jumps in with a developed character
I tend to not enjoy lit rpg books when the story starts with a developed character. Always feels like I'm ready book 2 with no chance to read book 1. As such in this case it takes a while to connect with the main character and given the uniqueness of the game system there is a steep and confusing learning curve.
That said, I Connected with the characters towards the end and will probably read book 2
I tend to not enjoy lit rpg books when the story starts with a developed character. Always feels like I'm ready book 2 with no chance to read book 1. As such in this case it takes a while to connect with the main character and given the uniqueness of the game system there is a steep and confusing learning curve.
That said, I Connected with the characters towards the end and will probably read book 2
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews