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Level Up or Die!

(Underworld #1)

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4.27  ·  Rating details ·  1,666 ratings  ·  95 reviews
A thousand year old succubus has grown tired of devouring men. With the help of a lich lord, she invents a new spell that will allow her to grow more powerful in a much less distasteful manner.

Elorion is just your average high school student lazing around during summer break and thinking about bacon. After a solid gaming session, he removes his VR headset to find a monst
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Kindle Edition
Published November 6th 2017
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Average rating 4.27  · 
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 ·  1,666 ratings  ·  95 reviews


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GaiusPrimus
Nov 07, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: litrpg
This is an awesome read!

Without giving too much away, this is less GameLit and more AR. The tropes of the genre are there, but what takes place isn't inside a game.

Mr. Thorne does a great job of exposing and growing the characters, showing the inner struggle of someone put in this situation. The nice thing about it is that there's so much room to grow from here.

Looking forward to the next in the series (and the sequel to Mr. Thorne's other series Codename Free
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Kriegen
Nov 06, 2017 rated it really liked it
Fun addition to the gamelit/litRPG genre

First book in a fun new series. The MC is a bit OP, but it plays into the overall story. Looking forward to book two.
Vaitelavicius
May 06, 2019 rated it liked it
I liked it.

But, the humor, those pranks/jokes or whatever they were, I really disliked. Like almost every single dialogue between the (flat) characters had to have some kind of a mocking joke or something like that, didn't they? Plus that fixation/obsession with food...

Anyway, the book was quite simple and definitely not that serious. I don't know if it was supposed to be, but for me, it definitely didn't feel like a serious book. There was mostly a lot of fighting and gr
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David Doenges
Jan 05, 2018 rated it it was amazing
I enjoyed this book very much! The MC is a bit OP but I can understand why the author wrote him that way. I'd like to see some of the supporting cast fleshed out more, but mostly I want the writer to complete the series! A worthwhile read!
David Tomlinson
Jul 22, 2018 rated it it was amazing
Fantastic LitRpg

Amazing. I can't wait for the sequel!!
New and interesting plot development and the potential for non stop character building and development is captivating
Stephen
Jan 02, 2018 rated it it was amazing
I love this.

I think this is one of the best litrpg books I have had the privilege of reading. If you enjoy this genre buy this book.
Alex
May 12, 2018 rated it it was amazing
I really enjoyed this book. Originally when this book was suggested to me by Amazon I set it aside after the first chapter, because it just did not draw me in. I realize I probably did not give it enough of a chance. After reading Apollos Thorne's Code Name: Freedom books 1 and 2 I thought I would go back to it. I was very happy I did.

I thought the author did a great job with the story, developing the characters, and the game mechanics. I think what the author does with the game mech
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K.J. Simmill
Mar 01, 2018 rated it it was amazing
Elorion was a gamer. He was loving the VR experience, little did he know that when he logged off something even more immersive than his favourite MMORPG awaited him. In barely the blink of an eye he was kidnapped, dragged into the Underworld, and deposited in an room of strangers they discover they all had one thing in common, they were gamers. No time was wasted, they were branded and given one very simple instruction. Level up or die. Their new mistress has developed a world that any gamer wou ...more
DJay
Jan 08, 2018 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: litrpg
I can say that I like where this is going. The MC isn't a doof and actually has his mess together. Group of kids from various places on earth were selected to play in an IRL VR game....It's not actually a game though...I mean it could be if EA made it, but I digress. These groups of kids are snatched up from their homes into a real life dungeon and are forced to play in a dungeon where death is permanent. This is a classic LitRPG in the sense that the players (slaves) are able to level up and se ...more
Stephen
Nov 28, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Quite enjoyable

Mild spoilers follow:
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For a LITRpg this book is great. There are a few spelling or grammar errors that I can easily overlook and I'm sure will be fixed later. The story is entertaining and definitely pulls you in right from the beginning. I will say that seeing the MC rapidly raise in levels started to put me off. I thought "he is getting over powered way too fast" then it is delightfully explained t
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Travis
Nov 14, 2017 rated it liked it
This one had more game mechanics, and I like that. It was also not what I expected from the description. I fully expected not to like this book at all, but I was pleasantly surprised in that it had very little to do with the succubus, and a lot to do with plain old hard work from the characters involved. A bit overpowered maybe, but wouldn't you be if you didn't need to sleep and had the ability to learn nearly any spell you wanted provided you could find a source for it? Heck, after a certain l ...more
Eric Cooley
Dec 18, 2017 rated it it was amazing
One of the better litRPG

This is one of the better litRPG books I've read.

Similarly to most in the genre the main character is a solo character. Unlike many the main character isn't an idiot. The battles are pretty interesting and the leveling isn't to heavy handed.

It's interesting to see and based on his age, 17, does suffer from testosterone poisoning. Not too greatly or distracting. More flabbergasted and confused. It is NOT erotica which too many of these books get
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Johnny
Jan 20, 2018 rated it really liked it
Uses to be on Royalroadl

The sad thing is, when he removed the book from Royalroadl he also took down what he had posted of book two.
I found that disappointing as I enjoyed reading as he got the story worked out. As you can see I still got a copy.
Good work should be rewarded.
A few errors where missed, but not to many.
At first I felt the leveling was to easy and to fast, but as I came to understand the type of world being built, it makes sense.
The MC doesn't forget to
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Matt
Oct 04, 2018 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: kindle-unlimited
4.5 stars. Not a masterpiece but much better than I was expecting.

Certain details I either didn't notice or were skipped over (how about some backstory on the merchants?). It could use a little more world building so we understand a little more of the big picture, but its understandable that the 20 humans know basically nothing about the magical world.

I like that it starts off with a group setting, even if the MC is typically special and a little OP. Its OK. The rest become a little
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Barb Folden
Nov 14, 2017 rated it really liked it
Awesome!

This is definitely one of my favorite Lit RPGs. The storyline really captured you. Seriously, I finished this book in one day. I was incredibly impressed. But, I did give it only four stars. There is a very good, but basic, reason for this. The ending SUCKED. Sorry, but it was a total copout. Other than that, though, I loved the book.
Andrew
Nov 07, 2017 rated it it was amazing
A very good grinding novel

A novel based mostly on a person grinding out new levels and spell levels. Learning to shape his spells into other functions. I enjoyed the story very much.
Scott
Nov 20, 2017 rated it it was amazing
One of the best LitRPG’s I’ve read

Very good read. Ramps up quick and stays there. The game element does not override the story but adds a strong foundation. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
Daniel Lawson
Nov 14, 2017 rated it really liked it
Really good

Don't let this book slip pass you! One of the better LITRPGs written recently. No bone headed ND in this book, not that he doesn't make mistakes, but you never feel like pulling your hair out while reading.
E Mats
Nov 13, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Really good

Top notch litrpg. The story was interesting and the plot ran smoothly. My only complaint was how easily the mc accepted being trapped underground which I think most people would not enjoy. Good addition to the genre
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Nick Boyer
Nov 09, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Fantastic Dungeon Delver!

Logical elements of power leveling and skill uses makes this an enjoyable read. This book took most of one sitting to finish.

There are elements of city/dungeon building hinted at for the future, as well as plenty of additional quests to undertake and places to explore.

I'm eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.
Ethan R
Nov 13, 2017 rated it really liked it
Enjoyable

Solid read. The pacing of the plot is a bit erratic and the characters are somewhat flat, but otherwise a very enjoyable read. I expect future installments will only get better.

John Stephens
Nov 06, 2017 rated it really liked it
Great Book

I read this first on royal road, read it again here and will probably raise this to 5 stars after I re-read it.
Interesting magic, fairly normal skills, great world building. Good characters, interesting MC.
Joshua W.
Dec 19, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Great new beginning

An excellent start to a new series. It was easy to appreciate the challenges of the environment and the obstacles the main character has to overcome. Look forward to the second book in the series.
lucas
Nov 08, 2017 rated it it was amazing
1st time wasn't enough

As far as GameLit goes, this is in my top 5! I've read this story since it was on RRL, and it was definitely worth another read through. I honestly can't wait for the next book!
Benjemin
Nov 20, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Review

Interesting read, especially in its genre. As a gamer it was like paying a game or watching someone play one.
Erin Janice Madden
Aug 30, 2018 rated it it was amazing
Great book, fast read.

This book was a fun, fast read. I really enjoyed the character development and the level up system. I am looking forward to the next book.
Bill Scoville
Dec 05, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Another great book

I have to say I like everything I've read from this author but this has to be my favorite and I can't wait for the next one in the series
Kevin Harrison
Aug 26, 2018 rated it really liked it
Read in one sitting

I've been reading RPGLit about a year now. Was surprised I liked them because not a gamer. However grown to like them quite well, but lately been same old same old. There are several authors I enjoy, but it's been hard to find a new one. Start a new author but grow tired and stop half way. Finally glad add a new series to read. Don't now why some grab me and others just seem like cookie cutter, all the same. Another plus is being Kindle Unlimited. Since July half of my autho
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Sergio
Nov 08, 2017 rated it really liked it
Very enjoyable LitRPG. I didn't think I would like the MC at first, but he grew on me. A few minor discrepancies in the book, but over all I was entertained.
Bolajide Adeyoye
Dec 20, 2017 rated it it was amazing
A solid read

It was a solid story with a likeable narrator. There was a bit of lightness when it came to the character interactions and relationships that made it feel like it was all in the air, but the world, the rpg elements, and the brisk pacing more than made up for it.
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LitRPG Forum: [Published Today] Underworld - Level Up or Die! 10 59 Nov 07, 2017 06:24PM  

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“As I slowed, my ethereal state slowly returned over a few seconds. My jaw dropped. This spell was far more powerful than I could have hoped for. There were no countdown timers or having to hide before casting invisibility again. There were few situations I could imagine where this spell wouldn't come in handy. As a basher, fading in and out of invisibility was an amazing advantage. As a spell caster, I could throw a spell and become invisible a few seconds later. As a rogue... Muahahahaha!” 0 likes
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