** This series is dropped, but I'm leaving it up for personal reasons.**
Somewhere out there, in the great expanse of space and time, exist the Fabled Islands. Nobody knows how or why they exist, but only that it is a strange and special place that operates under laws separate from the universe.
The Fabled Islands are made up of vast floating continents. They vary in size, with some ranging from the surface area of a small planet, to a star. If you look at them from afar, you would find that they are placed in a line. Each island is separated by a vast amount of space, so there is only one way to travel from one island to the next; a gateway on the edge of the island.
Each island is governed by strange rules. The only thing they share in common, is that the rules are governed by the System. The rules change vastly from one island to the next, so you must quickly adapt.
Tristan was raised on the first island, Fertility Island, and has finally been allowed to become a Brave; a respected profession throughout the islands. Fertility Island is a peaceful island. There are hardly any monsters, the land is fertile, and the people kind.
This is the complete opposite of what Tristan wants.
Bring on the monsters! Bring on the magical items! I want adventure, loot, and to put my life on the line! Where are the dungeons, caverns, and mountains to be explored? Where is the mythical equipment to be found? The next island? Then the next island I will go!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Fabled Islands is a YA LitRPG adventure. That may tell you exactly what you need to know and if you give the book a chance on that classification, you will not be disappointed. The writing is clean, easy to read and the straightforward plot progression and character goals make it a great title for younger readers.
The characters and world hold a few mysteries that are teased throughout and while we do learn a few vital clears by the end of the first volume, there is a lot of promise for future volumes in the series while building re-reading value for this book.
I largely liked the main characters and found their friendship / partnership to be refreshing. It’s not often you can read an adventure with a teenage boy and girl that does not have romantic overtones. They have clear objectives and support each other. They have different strengths and weaknesses in character and skillset.
I liked this first arc as a satisfying adventure but will happily check out future volumes. I think the history and backstory of several characters could be rich mines to delve into during future adventures.
I liked the card system as a form of currency / stat boosts / powerups and collectible. One of the highlights of the world building.
My one complaint: Unlike most LitRPGs I’ve read this does not appear to be people playing a video game but people living in a world with a video game-like “System.” Killing, death, looting, ageing and respawning and its impact on human and nonhuman creatures is left somewhat unclear. This makes certain scenes both more serious and not serious enough in gravitas. I am hoping that further explanations will come further down the line because it caused a couple head scratching moments but did not detract much from my enjoyment. That would have pushed my 4 star review to 4.5 stars.
The narration was clear and served the story very well. I would be happy to hear more books by Steve Campbell.
Not quite LitRPG I guess - while the character has stats, and levels, they seem to be natives of the environment.
The writing was pretty solid, with only a few typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors. I'm not quite sure I fully understand the main character, as there seems to be some uneveness in their maturity. That may be deliberate though, as their companion comments on the appropriateness of their desired action at one point.
Also, killing people to get what you want just because you want it? Not exactly the definition of a good person. And Tristan was fully ready to murder people to get cards, including the father of some of his only friends. I'll check out the next if I can, when it comes out, but if he keeps going the sociopath route I don't see this maintaining my interest.
Tristan is a fledgling Brave, an adventurer searching for levels, loot, and thrills. He sets out with a new friend, Sophia, to explore the other islands. Tristan has secrets he needs to hide from his new friend, but as each island presents new challenges he finds it harder to hide his own past.
This book definitely fills the need for more Young Adult LitRPG, it's a great introduction to the genre for a younger reader. The writing is solid and uncomplicated, there was no romance and little cursing. The stats aren't complicated or repeated too often. I enjoyed the world building, and following along with the pair, it was a fun journey.
The narration was well done, with different voices and accents for each character. It was a good performance, and pulled me right into the story. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
Admittedly, this was a unique take on litRPGs with the cards dynamic -- seemed pokemon-esque with the 'gotta catch 'em all' premise. However, the book fell short in establishing the context of the story from the beginning and world building. Are these players in a video game? Do they just live in a litRPG setting? Ultimately, I couldn't really get into the story and this book was just not for me.
The narration/performance was solid, no critiques or complaints. The pacing was good, and the voices provided the characters with some personality.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This is a fun novel. I recommend it for everyone, but it reads well for children’s and YA. There are some sporadic grammar issues. The ebook is formatted as one chapter rather than breaking into each individual chapter. And the MC is overpowered and naive. The island reminded me of the anime Hunter X Hunter which has a similar island. All told it was an enjoyable easy read. And I’m only a little disappointed they... (spoiler)... didn’t go back to the dwarves.
This is a book has a lot to love. Game mechanics, Lore building at a entertaining pace. Has a refreshing quick but detailed rpg mechanics. There is stats but always in a needed way. Setting is awesome and has over all good writing. No one weakness over any other trait. I say worth a buy or at a very least a free read through. You will not be disappointed. Also can’t wait for book 2.
The Fabled Islands is fun LitRPG adventure which I would highly recommend for the videogame loving Middle schooler. While adults could read it and still have an enjoyable experience (as I did) they may find it overly simplistic. The characters are fun, the world is imaginative, the story is well-paced and entertaining. this is a kids book that is worth a read.
I enjoyed following along with Tristan as he begins his journey through the islands. I enjoyed how he has a real excitement for adventure and finding out what's next. I loved him meeting up with Sophie and her kind heart. It was awesome following these two through Collection Island and I can't wait to find out what awaits them on Treasure Island.
I thought this was a different storyline than most litrpg I had read. The terminology is more suited to a younger crowd in my opinion, but it was still enough to keep me interested.
It was a well written book. It had a unique system. The author kind of mixed a pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh/rpg element together and had a nice blend. Followed the same Japanese inspired shonen kind of vibe to it throughout which was pleasant. I'd happily read his next installment.
Haven't read a book like this one in a while. Very interesting concept, and one I highly approve of as well. Will be interesting to see more islands in the chain. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more in this series.
The plot was interesting. Didn’t follow any troupes exactly and left some uncertainty for the reader.
My only issues were the dialogue and quick chapters. The author could put more detail into the story and create more conversation between the characters.