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Arcane Kingdom Online #1
The Chosen
Log-in or die.
Those are the only choices left for Clay Hopewell. Infected with the ZERO virus, he has less than twenty-four hours before he bites the dust. With no cure available, there’s only one option left: digitally reincarnate himself in the most advanced virtual reality game ever, the mysterious and newly released Arcane Kingdom Online.
But cheating death and gaining immortality isn’t that easy. If Clay survives the risky cognitive upload process, he’ll still have to contend with a fantasy world teetering on the brink of crisis. Worse, a quarter of the in-game population hates his starting race, he can’t unlock the mage class he wants, and a malevolent glitch threatens to upend the very existence of his new reality.
If Clay doesn’t learn the rules of his new surroundings quickly, his second chance at life will be a lot worse than his first.
Press play to start.
Those are the only choices left for Clay Hopewell. Infected with the ZERO virus, he has less than twenty-four hours before he bites the dust. With no cure available, there’s only one option left: digitally reincarnate himself in the most advanced virtual reality game ever, the mysterious and newly released Arcane Kingdom Online.
But cheating death and gaining immortality isn’t that easy. If Clay survives the risky cognitive upload process, he’ll still have to contend with a fantasy world teetering on the brink of crisis. Worse, a quarter of the in-game population hates his starting race, he can’t unlock the mage class he wants, and a malevolent glitch threatens to upend the very existence of his new reality.
If Clay doesn’t learn the rules of his new surroundings quickly, his second chance at life will be a lot worse than his first.
Press play to start.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2018
1118 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Jakob Tanner
20 books175 followersJakob Tanner is the author of three LitRPG series: Arcane Kingdom Online, Tower Climber, and Second Chance Swordsman. His books were inspired by the Final Fantasy video game series, Dungeons and Dragons, and all the MMORPGs that have taken over his life at one point or another.
He likes playing board games, binging anime, and eating yummy food. To keep up to date with his shenanigans (as well as the status of his next book) consider signing up to his mailing list here:
https://www.jakobtanner.com/dungeondi...
Beyond that, Jakob can be found at all the usual places:
Facebook (Reader Group):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19953...
Facebook (Author Page): @jakobtannerwriter
Twitter: @jakobtanner
Website: www.jakobtanner.com
He likes playing board games, binging anime, and eating yummy food. To keep up to date with his shenanigans (as well as the status of his next book) consider signing up to his mailing list here:
https://www.jakobtanner.com/dungeondi...
Beyond that, Jakob can be found at all the usual places:
Facebook (Reader Group):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19953...
Facebook (Author Page): @jakobtannerwriter
Twitter: @jakobtanner
Website: www.jakobtanner.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
October 20, 2018
I got a copy of the ARC from the author for a honest review.
tl;dr: I really like Arcane Kingdom Online: The Chosen (AKO:TC) but it is not without its faults
longer version -
I approached AKO:TC with some trepidation since most ARCs I get to read are quite bad, except for those by authors that I know well. And this was my first interaction with Jakob Tanner.
But, the good news is that I was immediately hooked on to the story right from the start. I am not kidding. I started reading and within a page or two, I knew I had to finish the book. There is something about the writing style that drew me in and refused to let go. It could be the easy style of reading or it could be the vivid imagery that the author managed to conjure up. Nevertheless, the book was never once a drag. I think I finished it in a couple of sittings.
Now, that brings a gripe along with it. One reason why I finished so fast is that the book was good. But, the other reason is that the book is small. Many elements of the plots, scenes & characters felt a bit rushed and I think these could have been fleshed out a lot more.
Now, the LitRPG elements of the book. First off, I have not read a LitRPG where the characters interact so much with the game elements. What I mean by this is that every hit, every action leads to an explanation which is almost like reading a console log. This is not as bad as it sounds because I think it adds a unique element to this book. That said, there are some glaring inconsistencies which seasoned video gamers will find jarring. Clay Hopewell regularly defeats higher leveled monsters even though in a real game, he would get his ass handed to him. Well, the author tries to explain this through the critical hit mechanism. But you know, you need to have high luck points for that in almost every RPG I have played and Clay is not one with high luck. But, on the whole, I liked the setting as well as the reasonably original variations on your standard RPG tropes.
The plot is a bit simplistic and most of it is given away in the blurb. I think AKO:TC suffers from having to set the context for a series and so this can be forgiven. In any case, I found that the plot was adequate enough to maintain my interest throughout. The pacing is one of the strongest points of this book. It is fast and never gets boring.
In conclusion, I liked AKO:TC and will look forward to the next installment.
tl;dr: I really like Arcane Kingdom Online: The Chosen (AKO:TC) but it is not without its faults
longer version -
I approached AKO:TC with some trepidation since most ARCs I get to read are quite bad, except for those by authors that I know well. And this was my first interaction with Jakob Tanner.
But, the good news is that I was immediately hooked on to the story right from the start. I am not kidding. I started reading and within a page or two, I knew I had to finish the book. There is something about the writing style that drew me in and refused to let go. It could be the easy style of reading or it could be the vivid imagery that the author managed to conjure up. Nevertheless, the book was never once a drag. I think I finished it in a couple of sittings.
Now, that brings a gripe along with it. One reason why I finished so fast is that the book was good. But, the other reason is that the book is small. Many elements of the plots, scenes & characters felt a bit rushed and I think these could have been fleshed out a lot more.
Now, the LitRPG elements of the book. First off, I have not read a LitRPG where the characters interact so much with the game elements. What I mean by this is that every hit, every action leads to an explanation which is almost like reading a console log. This is not as bad as it sounds because I think it adds a unique element to this book. That said, there are some glaring inconsistencies which seasoned video gamers will find jarring. Clay Hopewell regularly defeats higher leveled monsters even though in a real game, he would get his ass handed to him. Well, the author tries to explain this through the critical hit mechanism. But you know, you need to have high luck points for that in almost every RPG I have played and Clay is not one with high luck. But, on the whole, I liked the setting as well as the reasonably original variations on your standard RPG tropes.
The plot is a bit simplistic and most of it is given away in the blurb. I think AKO:TC suffers from having to set the context for a series and so this can be forgiven. In any case, I found that the plot was adequate enough to maintain my interest throughout. The pacing is one of the strongest points of this book. It is fast and never gets boring.
In conclusion, I liked AKO:TC and will look forward to the next installment.
June 3, 2021
Notes:
The audio is only a little over 6 hrs. At 2x speed, it's 3hrs to read for me. It took me multiple tries and a full day to listen to 3 little hours. Decent intro, but that was it. I was bored for most of the book. Not for me.
The audio is only a little over 6 hrs. At 2x speed, it's 3hrs to read for me. It took me multiple tries and a full day to listen to 3 little hours. Decent intro, but that was it. I was bored for most of the book. Not for me.
May 13, 2020
I received a copy of Arcane Kingdom:Online from the author Jakob Tanner, in exchange for a review --Thank you Jakob Tanner! Read for Bingo 2019
***
With no cure for the Zero virus in sight, Clay’s only option after contracting the virus- is the online game Arcane Kingdom. If he can survive the fast-acting disease and the upload process long enough, his consciousness he will become a part of the game, saving his being into this new world.
***
This was a super short and fast litrpg, which admittedly I have read very few of, and though I had an idea what to expect this was more barebones then even what I thought it would be.
If you’re wondering about litrpg- in the case of this book, it was like the book version of playing a game and everything- the talking, the quests, menus, the battles, is basically a novelized version of the whole kit and caboodle.
It even feels like a game when the little window pop-ups to tell us different things, while our mc is exploring, for instance; if he joins a party, is poisoned, loses HP, or even get a splinter… it’s there to give him a status effect- which I thought was a nice touch.
Of course, this wouldn’t be much of a story if there wasn’t a bigger something going on behind the scenes and we start getting hints of that something almost immediately, as Clay, gets settled into his new world, gains alliances and powers up his equipment and status. Though a lot of the hints of something bigger, are just that – hints. It’s pretty obvious this bigger story is going to take a few books to complete but these are small page counts, and fast reads- not hard to digest the whole series in a short time.
This was really fast-paced, it’s entertaining and the pov character, Clay has a likeable voice which makes him easy to root for. I enjoyed how fun it was and all the nice touches that made it feel like an actual game.
The drawback for me was that I would have liked a little more character growth and background. Or maybe this isn’t a thing in ltrpg? I’m not sure. My previous reads were more in the progression fantasy area and were very character orientated.
There wasn't a lot to round out this character or anything to do with the outside world for that matter (other than a mention of his brother and a little about his past working in Paris) but there are possibilities of more character growth in the next book, as one of the other characters happens to be an acquaintance from school- this book was a lot of learning how the game worked and setting things up.
Other notes-
I skipped over all the stats (I know blasphemy for all die-hard gamers) a smart person could probably tally all the scores as you go, to get an idea where our boy Clay is as the game progresses.
I got some HAL (the computer from 2001) vibes at times, when the game world of Arcane Kingdom, felt like it was learning right a long along with Clay.
Total fun, all the hallmarks of playing an RPG- including stumbling upon monsters that are way harder than you and your level abilities.
3.5
***
With no cure for the Zero virus in sight, Clay’s only option after contracting the virus- is the online game Arcane Kingdom. If he can survive the fast-acting disease and the upload process long enough, his consciousness he will become a part of the game, saving his being into this new world.
***
This was a super short and fast litrpg, which admittedly I have read very few of, and though I had an idea what to expect this was more barebones then even what I thought it would be.
If you’re wondering about litrpg- in the case of this book, it was like the book version of playing a game and everything- the talking, the quests, menus, the battles, is basically a novelized version of the whole kit and caboodle.
It even feels like a game when the little window pop-ups to tell us different things, while our mc is exploring, for instance; if he joins a party, is poisoned, loses HP, or even get a splinter… it’s there to give him a status effect- which I thought was a nice touch.
Of course, this wouldn’t be much of a story if there wasn’t a bigger something going on behind the scenes and we start getting hints of that something almost immediately, as Clay, gets settled into his new world, gains alliances and powers up his equipment and status. Though a lot of the hints of something bigger, are just that – hints. It’s pretty obvious this bigger story is going to take a few books to complete but these are small page counts, and fast reads- not hard to digest the whole series in a short time.
This was really fast-paced, it’s entertaining and the pov character, Clay has a likeable voice which makes him easy to root for. I enjoyed how fun it was and all the nice touches that made it feel like an actual game.
The drawback for me was that I would have liked a little more character growth and background. Or maybe this isn’t a thing in ltrpg? I’m not sure. My previous reads were more in the progression fantasy area and were very character orientated.
There wasn't a lot to round out this character or anything to do with the outside world for that matter (other than a mention of his brother and a little about his past working in Paris) but there are possibilities of more character growth in the next book, as one of the other characters happens to be an acquaintance from school- this book was a lot of learning how the game worked and setting things up.
Other notes-
I skipped over all the stats (I know blasphemy for all die-hard gamers) a smart person could probably tally all the scores as you go, to get an idea where our boy Clay is as the game progresses.
I got some HAL (the computer from 2001) vibes at times, when the game world of Arcane Kingdom, felt like it was learning right a long along with Clay.
Total fun, all the hallmarks of playing an RPG- including stumbling upon monsters that are way harder than you and your level abilities.
3.5
December 26, 2018
* * *
3 / 5
~mini review~
Not much to say about this one - classic LitRPG. Clay fully uploads his consciousness to an MMO when he becomes infected with a deadly plague in the real world. But all is not as it seems in the digital world either, shock horror! Tossed into an area that is clearly not a starter area and is way above his level, Clay struggles to survive. He teams up with an NPC thief, a human girl he knew from back home, and meets a few other strange characters along the way. Arcane Kingdom Online is decently written with perfectly good spelling and grammar, but isn't anything particularly new.
Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
3 / 5
~mini review~
Not much to say about this one - classic LitRPG. Clay fully uploads his consciousness to an MMO when he becomes infected with a deadly plague in the real world. But all is not as it seems in the digital world either, shock horror! Tossed into an area that is clearly not a starter area and is way above his level, Clay struggles to survive. He teams up with an NPC thief, a human girl he knew from back home, and meets a few other strange characters along the way. Arcane Kingdom Online is decently written with perfectly good spelling and grammar, but isn't anything particularly new.
Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
December 20, 2018
Quit at 6%
This author has no clue how to write.
He was "paralyzed" by a wrist lock?
A guard says "I'll exterminate you"?
No.
This author has no clue how to write.
He was "paralyzed" by a wrist lock?
A guard says "I'll exterminate you"?
No.
March 13, 2020
3.75 stars!
This was so good!
This was so good!
October 21, 2018
Could be better
The story premise is interesting, the execution is less so. This feels like a rip off of VGO. From escaping imprisonment with a rogue-like character to the best female friend/love interest. The crafting was undeveloped, the MC regularly fights and beats monsters way above his level which makes the RPG system kind of irrelevant.
The story premise is interesting, the execution is less so. This feels like a rip off of VGO. From escaping imprisonment with a rogue-like character to the best female friend/love interest. The crafting was undeveloped, the MC regularly fights and beats monsters way above his level which makes the RPG system kind of irrelevant.
November 23, 2018
I guess if I was to sum up my thoughts on this book, I would describe it as a decent rough draft. Not so much from the perspective of grammar, that aspect was ok in that there were only a small number of semantic and such mistakes. What this book really needed was a content editor because it is very messy and inconsistent.
The first 15% of the book is spent on some fairly dramatic real-world events, but then barely references them again. Arguably, this info will be more prominent in future books...or at least they gave that impression more toward the end. It was a very awkward transition from the real world to the game where the main character simply just hopped into game mindset and ignored the residuals that I would have expected a person to have in their head after such experiences.
The main character is also quite an idiot unfortunately. Though it is hard to truly judge because the author himself really just doesn't seem to know how to write an action scene with any consistency or obedience to anything that even resembles game mechanics. It really seemed that the author doesn't know anything about fighting or violence from a real-world perspective and also didn't clearly think out any game mechanics ahead of time either. So the reader is left following this character just kinda doing things as if it makes sense with no previous indicators and fights being resolved in weird ways. Gaming terminology is sometimes explained as in the case with "mob" but then not in the case of "JRPG". Enemies are sometimes described and other times not. Health bar changes are sometimes described and sometimes not.
The author sure loves describing food though. I guess if you are into that then you will perk up as the book frequently dives into lengthy tangents on various snacks and the eating of them. The main character also basically drools at the idea of any random-ass item in the world potentially being a food ingredient.
The story increases in scale to a ludicrous extent with the main character engaging in game plot events that, to me, are inappropriate for his level and then also inappropriate for a first book in a series. But this just fits with the rest of the inconsistencies in the story and my impression that the overall game world and mechanics weren't thought upon too long or hard before putting hands to the keyboard.
If you are looking for a generic version of Adventures on Terra mixed with the Avatar and Matrix movies then be my guest, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend this. There was a seed of a good story in there, but unfortunately I didn't see much growth. Maybe a good authors' group or content editor can help Mr. Tanner with his next endeavor and it will grow into the nice sturdy oak of a story he was hoping for.
The first 15% of the book is spent on some fairly dramatic real-world events, but then barely references them again. Arguably, this info will be more prominent in future books...or at least they gave that impression more toward the end. It was a very awkward transition from the real world to the game where the main character simply just hopped into game mindset and ignored the residuals that I would have expected a person to have in their head after such experiences.
The main character is also quite an idiot unfortunately. Though it is hard to truly judge because the author himself really just doesn't seem to know how to write an action scene with any consistency or obedience to anything that even resembles game mechanics. It really seemed that the author doesn't know anything about fighting or violence from a real-world perspective and also didn't clearly think out any game mechanics ahead of time either. So the reader is left following this character just kinda doing things as if it makes sense with no previous indicators and fights being resolved in weird ways. Gaming terminology is sometimes explained as in the case with "mob" but then not in the case of "JRPG". Enemies are sometimes described and other times not. Health bar changes are sometimes described and sometimes not.
The author sure loves describing food though. I guess if you are into that then you will perk up as the book frequently dives into lengthy tangents on various snacks and the eating of them. The main character also basically drools at the idea of any random-ass item in the world potentially being a food ingredient.
The story increases in scale to a ludicrous extent with the main character engaging in game plot events that, to me, are inappropriate for his level and then also inappropriate for a first book in a series. But this just fits with the rest of the inconsistencies in the story and my impression that the overall game world and mechanics weren't thought upon too long or hard before putting hands to the keyboard.
If you are looking for a generic version of Adventures on Terra mixed with the Avatar and Matrix movies then be my guest, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend this. There was a seed of a good story in there, but unfortunately I didn't see much growth. Maybe a good authors' group or content editor can help Mr. Tanner with his next endeavor and it will grow into the nice sturdy oak of a story he was hoping for.
August 15, 2019
I received an ecopy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Chosen is a pretty fantastic LitRPG series opener. I haven't read many books in the genre, but I know I'm going to have to read more. I'm glad I decided to give it a try when the author offered me the opportunity to read it for review. Clay's story drew me in immediately and I found myself hooked. I especially enjoyed getting to know his thought process while he's creating his character. Essentially the story is this: Clay is dying of a disease in the real world and he has no choice but to undergo the risky procedure to have his consciousness uploaded into the fantasy RPG game called Arcane Kingdom Online if he wants to survive (and become practically immortal at that). There's a glitch in his new world that just might do him in once and for all. Clay will have to learn the rules of his new reality if he wants to survive. The novel isn't without its flaws as it could do with another round of edits, but it was still a lot of fun to explore the world of the Arcane Kingdom Online alongside Clay. If you enjoyed Radioactive Evolution by Richard Hummel and Aaru by David Meredith, I have a feeling you'll want to read The Chosen (Arcane Kingdom Online #1) by Jakob Tanner. I'm looking forward to continuing the series with Dark Magic.
The Chosen is a pretty fantastic LitRPG series opener. I haven't read many books in the genre, but I know I'm going to have to read more. I'm glad I decided to give it a try when the author offered me the opportunity to read it for review. Clay's story drew me in immediately and I found myself hooked. I especially enjoyed getting to know his thought process while he's creating his character. Essentially the story is this: Clay is dying of a disease in the real world and he has no choice but to undergo the risky procedure to have his consciousness uploaded into the fantasy RPG game called Arcane Kingdom Online if he wants to survive (and become practically immortal at that). There's a glitch in his new world that just might do him in once and for all. Clay will have to learn the rules of his new reality if he wants to survive. The novel isn't without its flaws as it could do with another round of edits, but it was still a lot of fun to explore the world of the Arcane Kingdom Online alongside Clay. If you enjoyed Radioactive Evolution by Richard Hummel and Aaru by David Meredith, I have a feeling you'll want to read The Chosen (Arcane Kingdom Online #1) by Jakob Tanner. I'm looking forward to continuing the series with Dark Magic.
April 10, 2019
I am heavily divided on this book. I like the overall concept but I REALLY dislike the main character. The main character just seems to radiate victim mentality. Sure he pushes on and survives but he keeps this victim like attitude that pisses me off. He's in a video game, he can respawn, and he keeps up this weak attitude. Every fight, the way he fights and makes decisions that simply make me want to cringe.
Even when he arrives at new places, the descriptions are written in a way that make him seem more scared and intimidated than anything else. It makes me want to stand up and yell: Get a move on!
Then there's this stuff about people giving him shade and him bullshitting. No shit? Who wouldn't? His entire character and attitude just invites it. The Narrator for the audiobook simply hammers it home perfectly. The main character is the guy that your guild always has to come and bail out of trouble because he messes up and he doesn't make up for it at all! His growth is simply that of level but his strength of character does not improve noticeably if any at all.
Half way throughout the book, I'm still cringing at his incompetence, forgetfulness and decision making. The character is simply too cringe worthy to ever like. It's a mental struggle to even keep the book playing because of him... His constant panicking, worrying and being surprised doesn't help either... It's like someone had the bright idea to have a 6 year old kid play F.E.A.R. or some other horror game in VR and ensuring the kid cant get them off as they enter full blown panic mode, only for the kid to then pretend not having been scared at all until the next thing happens...
The dialog and events seem to contrast this. He gets through a tutorial quest and suddenly gains the respect and romantic interest of a badass ranger captain chick... The dialog as a result, and as well as it's content feel like someone with unrealistic expectations of other people, like how Sheldon from big bang theory expects people to bend to his logic and fantasies. The dialog and interactions appear to be like that. Examples: Ranger Captain, Serina.
The concept of the story however, is cool, its fun to discover new peoples and cultures as well the idea that people need to actually work for getting their classes thought. The racial skills are also interesting, as well as the many options. The pacing is a bit too slow for my liking. Especially since at 50% of the book you're still experiencing the character in what is basically a tutorial after his skyrim like insert into the world.
Time flows very wonkily in the book as well. I suggest the author times himself doing some day to day things, such as going to a store, making a stew and even going through the books dialogs. The amount of things the character does in 1 day in the book, is what most people do in several irl. Assuming then that things go as fast as in most computer games, then things still rarely add up. Thus it's better for the author to not mention exact times or time left before needing to go somewhere or time it. Else it gets that: The character just build a spaceship and conquered the universe in half a millisecond feel.
Concept wise, I look forward to the next book in the series. Content wise, I can't imagine it being something, anything other than a desperate move to look it up if I run out of books again. That's the problem... The overall idea is AWESOME but the character and weird character interactions... I cringe just thinking about it.
Even when he arrives at new places, the descriptions are written in a way that make him seem more scared and intimidated than anything else. It makes me want to stand up and yell: Get a move on!
Then there's this stuff about people giving him shade and him bullshitting. No shit? Who wouldn't? His entire character and attitude just invites it. The Narrator for the audiobook simply hammers it home perfectly. The main character is the guy that your guild always has to come and bail out of trouble because he messes up and he doesn't make up for it at all! His growth is simply that of level but his strength of character does not improve noticeably if any at all.
Half way throughout the book, I'm still cringing at his incompetence, forgetfulness and decision making. The character is simply too cringe worthy to ever like. It's a mental struggle to even keep the book playing because of him... His constant panicking, worrying and being surprised doesn't help either... It's like someone had the bright idea to have a 6 year old kid play F.E.A.R. or some other horror game in VR and ensuring the kid cant get them off as they enter full blown panic mode, only for the kid to then pretend not having been scared at all until the next thing happens...
The dialog and events seem to contrast this. He gets through a tutorial quest and suddenly gains the respect and romantic interest of a badass ranger captain chick... The dialog as a result, and as well as it's content feel like someone with unrealistic expectations of other people, like how Sheldon from big bang theory expects people to bend to his logic and fantasies. The dialog and interactions appear to be like that. Examples: Ranger Captain, Serina.
The concept of the story however, is cool, its fun to discover new peoples and cultures as well the idea that people need to actually work for getting their classes thought. The racial skills are also interesting, as well as the many options. The pacing is a bit too slow for my liking. Especially since at 50% of the book you're still experiencing the character in what is basically a tutorial after his skyrim like insert into the world.
Time flows very wonkily in the book as well. I suggest the author times himself doing some day to day things, such as going to a store, making a stew and even going through the books dialogs. The amount of things the character does in 1 day in the book, is what most people do in several irl. Assuming then that things go as fast as in most computer games, then things still rarely add up. Thus it's better for the author to not mention exact times or time left before needing to go somewhere or time it. Else it gets that: The character just build a spaceship and conquered the universe in half a millisecond feel.
Concept wise, I look forward to the next book in the series. Content wise, I can't imagine it being something, anything other than a desperate move to look it up if I run out of books again. That's the problem... The overall idea is AWESOME but the character and weird character interactions... I cringe just thinking about it.
June 23, 2025
The story follows Clay Hopewell, who’s dying from a virus in the real world and gets a one-shot chance to survive by uploading his consciousness into a fully immersive VRMMO. Sounds cool, right? Except the game is broken. Glitchy UI, missing Game Master, strange NPC behavior—it’s survival of the fittest in more ways than one.
What really worked for me:
The sense of urgency from the real-world virus gave the whole game setting extra tension.
Clay as a character is likable and resourceful—he’s not OP, and the game really makes him work for every level-up.
The game mechanics felt believable and not too crunchy—just enough stats and loot to keep LitRPG fans happy without drowning in spreadsheets.
Loved the mystery elements: where is the Creator? What’s up with the glitches? And that tease of the ZERO virus possibly infecting more than just Earth… 👀
This was a fast-paced read with some great moments of action and solid progression. I especially enjoyed how the stakes kept building both inside and outside the game. Definitely continuing the series—there’s way too much left hanging to stop now.
What really worked for me:
The sense of urgency from the real-world virus gave the whole game setting extra tension.
Clay as a character is likable and resourceful—he’s not OP, and the game really makes him work for every level-up.
The game mechanics felt believable and not too crunchy—just enough stats and loot to keep LitRPG fans happy without drowning in spreadsheets.
Loved the mystery elements: where is the Creator? What’s up with the glitches? And that tease of the ZERO virus possibly infecting more than just Earth… 👀
This was a fast-paced read with some great moments of action and solid progression. I especially enjoyed how the stakes kept building both inside and outside the game. Definitely continuing the series—there’s way too much left hanging to stop now.
August 6, 2020
It was ok. It's pretty standard LitRPG fare, but was pretty light on content - by the end of the book it felt like nothing had really happened - not surprising as the entire in game portion of the book takes place over the course of two days (and the entire book over the course of ~3). All sorts of major plot points have been hinted at, but nothing's been resolved by the end of the book. It's not so much that book one finished, as the author just stopped writing half-way through the novel and called it done. Even in a series I expect each book to have some sort of complete plot and resolution even if all of the plot threads are not resolved.
As other reviewers noted, combat is all over the place, and I found it really hard to empathise with the main character - he has just been through all sorts of major trauma, but doesn't really spend any time thinking about it, his family, or the issues he's left behind. It came across as even more unrealistic than I expect a standard LitRPG to be.
The series is also incredibly similar to James Osiris Baldwin's Archemi Online Chronicles series [book:Archemi Online Chronicles Boxset: Books 1-3: A LitRPG Epic Fantasy Series. Right down to the virus infected population forcing the MC into a game world, , and . Given the publication dates I think this is just a case of two authors having similar ideas around the same time, but although they have their issues, Baldwin's books are far better written, with more believable characters and world building.
Finally, at the end of novel This may be resolved in future books, but I'm not certain if I'll bother to find out.
As other reviewers noted, combat is all over the place, and I found it really hard to empathise with the main character - he has just been through all sorts of major trauma, but doesn't really spend any time thinking about it, his family, or the issues he's left behind. It came across as even more unrealistic than I expect a standard LitRPG to be.
The series is also incredibly similar to James Osiris Baldwin's Archemi Online Chronicles series [book:Archemi Online Chronicles Boxset: Books 1-3: A LitRPG Epic Fantasy Series. Right down to the virus infected population forcing the MC into a game world, , and . Given the publication dates I think this is just a case of two authors having similar ideas around the same time, but although they have their issues, Baldwin's books are far better written, with more believable characters and world building.
Finally, at the end of novel This may be resolved in future books, but I'm not certain if I'll bother to find out.
October 27, 2018
Book one
Mistakes: I found two.
Plot: This book while well written, isn't well thought out. The MC starts out in a slaved camp in some caves. He soon gets killed by a buggy boss monster. Apon respawning he finds everyone in the cave complex has been slaughtered. He doesn't stop to loot anything. The economy is a joke as everything cost gold and is overpriced. For being stuck in the game FOREVER leveling is way to quick.
Characters: nothing to draw me to any of them.
4.5/10
Mistakes: I found two.
Plot: This book while well written, isn't well thought out. The MC starts out in a slaved camp in some caves. He soon gets killed by a buggy boss monster. Apon respawning he finds everyone in the cave complex has been slaughtered. He doesn't stop to loot anything. The economy is a joke as everything cost gold and is overpriced. For being stuck in the game FOREVER leveling is way to quick.
Characters: nothing to draw me to any of them.
4.5/10
April 11, 2019
Not a fan
Didnt really enjoy this book. Its not particularly well written and the litrpg mechanics are not as interesting as other similar works
Didnt really enjoy this book. Its not particularly well written and the litrpg mechanics are not as interesting as other similar works
April 24, 2020
Loses excitement due to poor characterization
I stumbled over the writing - characters making poor transitions. Bouncing across the plot. The plot was decent. I couldn't enjoy it.
I stumbled over the writing - characters making poor transitions. Bouncing across the plot. The plot was decent. I couldn't enjoy it.
October 17, 2018
I was given a free advanced reader copy ebook in exchange for my honest review. This is going to be a difficult one to really dig into, but there will be no spoilers beyond what can be found in the store description of the book.
First, I received this book a couple days before it became available for purchase. My biggest issue with the book is that it felt unfinished, and while I hope that the version I received was not the final edit, I have to assume it was. I'll return to this in a moment, but I really want to make sure everyone understands that everything else I have to say is colored by that impression.
My first impression of the book was the cover (I can't stress enough how much a good cover matters), and while this one is definitely well illustrated, I was shocked later to discover this was supposed to be an elf?! (Am I the only one who can't remember ever seeing an elf with a beard?) Next was the store blurb claiming this was yet another LitRPG about a guy who escapes a lethal disease by entering a virtual world. As a hook to get readers invested in the character, it certainly works well enough, although in this case I felt it needed more depth. This is a bit of a trend with this book, and a bit of a double-edged sword. One the one hand, the story is always moving quickly and interest is held because of it, but on the other I'm frequently asking, "But why?" Because of this, many opportunities are missed to expand on the world or explain things that I have trouble believing the main character would accept at face value. On the other hand, there is a nice chunk set aside to mention in a general way the landscape of the virtual world, as well as a bit about the playable races. I greatly appreciate those moments where the pace slows for a moment to fit in a bit of world building, and I suppose, to be fair, I'd much rather have a small amount of world building rather than far too much. I also need to mention that it was odd to see a LitRPG in which specific sorts of physical damage don't seem to matter beyond critical hits, at least when it comes to damaging an enemy. This frequently led to some pretty absurd combat throughout the story. Anyway, these are impressions which you can take as a positive or negative depending on your preference, and personally, I thought there was a lot in this book that worked well and kept the pages turning.
Now for the big "However". Yes, the story at its core is great and I'd love to recommend it, however, it's just not at a point where I feel it is ready to be on a store shelf, digital or otherwise. Thankfully, ebooks can be updated, and I really hope that this one does, as it's in great need of editing. I frequently ran into at least one obvious mistake per page. To bring in a fitting PC gaming analogy, this truly felt like an "Early Access" title. I think I only noticed one misspelling, but there were punctuation mistakes, awkward phrasing, many redundant adjectives, and (believe it or not) I counted at least five wildly different errors involving the word "shadow". While the intended meaning was always clear, even if the actual sentence out of context might now be, these frequent mistakes went a long way to impair my enjoyment of the story.
I give the story four stars to be a bit generous, in hopes that the editing will get done and that it will truly deserve a solid four stars afterward.
First, I received this book a couple days before it became available for purchase. My biggest issue with the book is that it felt unfinished, and while I hope that the version I received was not the final edit, I have to assume it was. I'll return to this in a moment, but I really want to make sure everyone understands that everything else I have to say is colored by that impression.
My first impression of the book was the cover (I can't stress enough how much a good cover matters), and while this one is definitely well illustrated, I was shocked later to discover this was supposed to be an elf?! (Am I the only one who can't remember ever seeing an elf with a beard?) Next was the store blurb claiming this was yet another LitRPG about a guy who escapes a lethal disease by entering a virtual world. As a hook to get readers invested in the character, it certainly works well enough, although in this case I felt it needed more depth. This is a bit of a trend with this book, and a bit of a double-edged sword. One the one hand, the story is always moving quickly and interest is held because of it, but on the other I'm frequently asking, "But why?" Because of this, many opportunities are missed to expand on the world or explain things that I have trouble believing the main character would accept at face value. On the other hand, there is a nice chunk set aside to mention in a general way the landscape of the virtual world, as well as a bit about the playable races. I greatly appreciate those moments where the pace slows for a moment to fit in a bit of world building, and I suppose, to be fair, I'd much rather have a small amount of world building rather than far too much. I also need to mention that it was odd to see a LitRPG in which specific sorts of physical damage don't seem to matter beyond critical hits, at least when it comes to damaging an enemy. This frequently led to some pretty absurd combat throughout the story. Anyway, these are impressions which you can take as a positive or negative depending on your preference, and personally, I thought there was a lot in this book that worked well and kept the pages turning.
Now for the big "However". Yes, the story at its core is great and I'd love to recommend it, however, it's just not at a point where I feel it is ready to be on a store shelf, digital or otherwise. Thankfully, ebooks can be updated, and I really hope that this one does, as it's in great need of editing. I frequently ran into at least one obvious mistake per page. To bring in a fitting PC gaming analogy, this truly felt like an "Early Access" title. I think I only noticed one misspelling, but there were punctuation mistakes, awkward phrasing, many redundant adjectives, and (believe it or not) I counted at least five wildly different errors involving the word "shadow". While the intended meaning was always clear, even if the actual sentence out of context might now be, these frequent mistakes went a long way to impair my enjoyment of the story.
I give the story four stars to be a bit generous, in hopes that the editing will get done and that it will truly deserve a solid four stars afterward.
September 10, 2024
I reactivated my GoodReads account just to say that this book is not good. It's not bad, certainly not offensive, but not good.
Arcane Kingdom Online is an admirable debut but it simultaneously felt like there was too much on the page (learning how to barter) and not enough (Oh, the guy has a little crush on the girl but he's shy, never seen that before!). There were several instances where I thought, Why is that sentence here? Do we need this? Not everything has to advance the plot, sometimes showing a life lived is enough, but if it doesn't even feel like a life. There have been several moments in video games in the past few years, namely in those first few months of the pandemic, where I marveled at how close we've come to digitally manufacturing real world beauty. Arcane Kingdom Online never feel likes a wonder.
Clay's consciousness has been uploaded into a video game and yet it's the least exciting video game I've ever heard of. There are no pleasant surprises, the mechanics are confusing and unlike anything I've seen in real games. I know little about the author but I wonder if maybe he should've played more games before setting this down to print. Despite a plague of bad executive decisions, the last few years has shown us some of the greatest games of all time. They're not real, we know if we die in them we don't die in real life, but the threat is always there. I know this novel was written years before Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate 3, and the ubiquity of Fortnite but it doesn't get anywhere near the fun and delight of even early Xbox and Playstation titles. I get that it's a novel, not a game, but since it focuses so little on the aspects that make a good novel (tension, character growth, compelling dialogue), it should do better at tapping into what makes a good game. There is so much emotion in winning and losing a game, a rush of relief or a wave of rage and this novel doesn't even reach for any of those feelings for even a moment. We have time to pause for apples and honey but don't bother spending time building to the big battle and apparent zombie invasion?
I'm going to keep reading the series both because I'm fascinated to see how Tanner improves between novels and because he seems to be very successful. He's on his third series with something like twelve books under his belt. It's impressive! I want to drink the punch, I want to see what people like so much about these novels.
Arcane Kingdom Online is an admirable debut but it simultaneously felt like there was too much on the page (learning how to barter) and not enough (Oh, the guy has a little crush on the girl but he's shy, never seen that before!). There were several instances where I thought, Why is that sentence here? Do we need this? Not everything has to advance the plot, sometimes showing a life lived is enough, but if it doesn't even feel like a life. There have been several moments in video games in the past few years, namely in those first few months of the pandemic, where I marveled at how close we've come to digitally manufacturing real world beauty. Arcane Kingdom Online never feel likes a wonder.
Clay's consciousness has been uploaded into a video game and yet it's the least exciting video game I've ever heard of. There are no pleasant surprises, the mechanics are confusing and unlike anything I've seen in real games. I know little about the author but I wonder if maybe he should've played more games before setting this down to print. Despite a plague of bad executive decisions, the last few years has shown us some of the greatest games of all time. They're not real, we know if we die in them we don't die in real life, but the threat is always there. I know this novel was written years before Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate 3, and the ubiquity of Fortnite but it doesn't get anywhere near the fun and delight of even early Xbox and Playstation titles. I get that it's a novel, not a game, but since it focuses so little on the aspects that make a good novel (tension, character growth, compelling dialogue), it should do better at tapping into what makes a good game. There is so much emotion in winning and losing a game, a rush of relief or a wave of rage and this novel doesn't even reach for any of those feelings for even a moment. We have time to pause for apples and honey but don't bother spending time building to the big battle and apparent zombie invasion?
I'm going to keep reading the series both because I'm fascinated to see how Tanner improves between novels and because he seems to be very successful. He's on his third series with something like twelve books under his belt. It's impressive! I want to drink the punch, I want to see what people like so much about these novels.
March 14, 2019
A copy of The Chosen (Arcane Kingdom Online) was provided by the author in exchange for a review.
The Chosen is a LitRPG by first-time author Jakob Tanner.
Clay is a college drop-out that contracts a deadly virus. The only way he can continue to exist is to upload his consciousness to Arcane Kingdom Online, an immersive videogame.
I'll be frank: it's a mixed bag. The 'first-time author' bit shines through a little too much. There are some evocative descriptions at times, but for the most part, the prose sits somewhere between serviceable and awkward. The moments of quality are there though, so I can't help but feel that there just wasn't enough effort taking the initial draft and really working on the shine.
The plot structure is weak. There is a thread that links the first in-game scene with some of the others, but for the most part it is just a sequence of linear set-pieces that do little to raise any tension. Clay just doesn't fail enough, and he is too passive. He is underdeveloped as a character and he doesn't change. His accompanying cast are cut-outs, perhaps with the exception of his NPC companion Shade, who raises a few moments of interest.
The game mechanics are there and seem ok, but they also don't seem to matter too much. It also suffers from one of my pet peeves: where the main character is the only one that seems to have figured out certain mechanics (in this it is hitting a weak-point to get a critical hit). At a certain point near the end it even (indirectly) asks us to believe that a developer in control of a high level character still hasn't figured this out. That, or there is something hinky going on with the whole shebang, and in that case there is a lack of foreshadowing.
I've focused a lot on the negative, but it runs middle of the pack. There are better books in this sub-genre for sure, but there are also a lot that are worse. I'm currently torn on whether I will continue with book 2. I didn't love it (and at a few points I didn't even like it), but there is enough there to make me think the quality will improve. I guess time will tell.
The Chosen is a LitRPG by first-time author Jakob Tanner.
Clay is a college drop-out that contracts a deadly virus. The only way he can continue to exist is to upload his consciousness to Arcane Kingdom Online, an immersive videogame.
I'll be frank: it's a mixed bag. The 'first-time author' bit shines through a little too much. There are some evocative descriptions at times, but for the most part, the prose sits somewhere between serviceable and awkward. The moments of quality are there though, so I can't help but feel that there just wasn't enough effort taking the initial draft and really working on the shine.
The plot structure is weak. There is a thread that links the first in-game scene with some of the others, but for the most part it is just a sequence of linear set-pieces that do little to raise any tension. Clay just doesn't fail enough, and he is too passive. He is underdeveloped as a character and he doesn't change. His accompanying cast are cut-outs, perhaps with the exception of his NPC companion Shade, who raises a few moments of interest.
The game mechanics are there and seem ok, but they also don't seem to matter too much. It also suffers from one of my pet peeves: where the main character is the only one that seems to have figured out certain mechanics (in this it is hitting a weak-point to get a critical hit). At a certain point near the end it even (indirectly) asks us to believe that a developer in control of a high level character still hasn't figured this out. That, or there is something hinky going on with the whole shebang, and in that case there is a lack of foreshadowing.
I've focused a lot on the negative, but it runs middle of the pack. There are better books in this sub-genre for sure, but there are also a lot that are worse. I'm currently torn on whether I will continue with book 2. I didn't love it (and at a few points I didn't even like it), but there is enough there to make me think the quality will improve. I guess time will tell.
August 11, 2025
This book is really horribly written but you don't really notice it until you get towards the middle of it. The writing and plot feels like the author has either never played a game in his life or only played the end game of RPGs. Leveling makes no sense as the main character repeatedly fights things way above their level and just never seems to be above level 10. For anyone who has played any RPG before they know getting to level 10 is usually a few monsters your level or slightly above and maybe a hours worth of time, probably more like 20 minutes. For this guy killing things 8-10x his level he doesn't seem to hit it for over 2 days.
All the characters that aren't players act like real NPCs where they won't do anything or solve a simple problem without the player's or main character's help. This is interesting but makes the story extremely dull since none of the characters have real personalities.
The main character is just dumb. This would be fine if the author wanted a dumb character but I do not get the impression that was the intention. The character mentions multiple times they played games but yet seems to have no awareness of what low level monsters are going to do. He is in this world with monsters that can kill him and he knows this but gets zero information on anything when he travels around.
I'll talk briefly on the love interest which does appear in this book. This was absolutely horrid to read. This man hasn't seen this woman in years and suddenly they are madly in love. The explanation we get about this woman is she worked in the student library that he studied at and they went out to grab food every once in awhile. They clearly talked but not once is it implied that there was romance there.
All the characters that aren't players act like real NPCs where they won't do anything or solve a simple problem without the player's or main character's help. This is interesting but makes the story extremely dull since none of the characters have real personalities.
The main character is just dumb. This would be fine if the author wanted a dumb character but I do not get the impression that was the intention. The character mentions multiple times they played games but yet seems to have no awareness of what low level monsters are going to do. He is in this world with monsters that can kill him and he knows this but gets zero information on anything when he travels around.
I'll talk briefly on the love interest which does appear in this book. This was absolutely horrid to read. This man hasn't seen this woman in years and suddenly they are madly in love. The explanation we get about this woman is she worked in the student library that he studied at and they went out to grab food every once in awhile. They clearly talked but not once is it implied that there was romance there.
November 13, 2019
ONE UNBELIEVABLE THRILL!!!
Buckle up! This bad boy hit the ground running with such breathtaking speed, blazing a new path as this jaw dropping dynamo skyrockets to whole new realm. Jakob displays every scheme, close call, snags, trips, dips, mishaps and mayhem calling the shots with constant forward progress, leveling the field blasting this chart topping, page flipping bombshell to life spectacularly. This action packed, hard hitting, heart pounding, pulse racing, nail-biting delight delivers all the frills and spills keeping you riveted on a razors edge. Intense drama, thrilling danger and electrifying suspense increases as tension spirals. Add uncertainty, distress and turmoil and you have the recipe for disaster. Pushing on-ward, coping with the trials and tribulations along with a bounty of plot twists, sharp corners and sleek lines that hook you from the start and reels you in for the duration. Amazing scenario's that punch dead center with such intensity and unnerving precision, catapulting this gem with unforseen impacts, blowing this baby wide open. The characters are authentic, genuine and realistic with depth and qualities that blend into diverse personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions you have no problem picturing each scenario creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Fantastic job Jakob, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
Buckle up! This bad boy hit the ground running with such breathtaking speed, blazing a new path as this jaw dropping dynamo skyrockets to whole new realm. Jakob displays every scheme, close call, snags, trips, dips, mishaps and mayhem calling the shots with constant forward progress, leveling the field blasting this chart topping, page flipping bombshell to life spectacularly. This action packed, hard hitting, heart pounding, pulse racing, nail-biting delight delivers all the frills and spills keeping you riveted on a razors edge. Intense drama, thrilling danger and electrifying suspense increases as tension spirals. Add uncertainty, distress and turmoil and you have the recipe for disaster. Pushing on-ward, coping with the trials and tribulations along with a bounty of plot twists, sharp corners and sleek lines that hook you from the start and reels you in for the duration. Amazing scenario's that punch dead center with such intensity and unnerving precision, catapulting this gem with unforseen impacts, blowing this baby wide open. The characters are authentic, genuine and realistic with depth and qualities that blend into diverse personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions you have no problem picturing each scenario creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Fantastic job Jakob, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
August 4, 2020
Has potential but some flaws. It's a overall interesting story and the main character isn't bad.
It gets awkward in places such as switching 'tense' of 'the beetles splits the ground in front of us' present tense randomly then going back to past tense of 'we hacked our way through them' ect.
It also has a odd XP system of getting say 200XP for killing things double the MC level when he was in a group but when he was solo getting nearly the same from things only level 8 when he was level 5. Perhaps that was because he was in a party with a level 30 and only killing level 20 things which all sounds good but then quest rewards for major quests are only 100xp? Felt odd since usually in games like this XP from quests are the biggest rewards vs grinding.
Also the end felt a little rushed like the dungeon, fought 3 beetles and 3 spirits and he was already to the end of the dungeon at the boss room. It didn't really go into how they found tons of empty rooms with already beaten mobs so it felt like it was a dungeon with literally 6 enemies in it.
The story though is interesting so far and characters aren't bad. Some choices are odd like having 'jump' platforms be a innate ability rather than say..a mana shield , if imbue weapon, mana bolt are the other two, one would think shield would be the third?
Hope the rest of the series is good and it doesn't become too write by numbers.
It gets awkward in places such as switching 'tense' of 'the beetles splits the ground in front of us' present tense randomly then going back to past tense of 'we hacked our way through them' ect.
It also has a odd XP system of getting say 200XP for killing things double the MC level when he was in a group but when he was solo getting nearly the same from things only level 8 when he was level 5. Perhaps that was because he was in a party with a level 30 and only killing level 20 things which all sounds good but then quest rewards for major quests are only 100xp? Felt odd since usually in games like this XP from quests are the biggest rewards vs grinding.
Also the end felt a little rushed like the dungeon, fought 3 beetles and 3 spirits and he was already to the end of the dungeon at the boss room. It didn't really go into how they found tons of empty rooms with already beaten mobs so it felt like it was a dungeon with literally 6 enemies in it.
The story though is interesting so far and characters aren't bad. Some choices are odd like having 'jump' platforms be a innate ability rather than say..a mana shield , if imbue weapon, mana bolt are the other two, one would think shield would be the third?
Hope the rest of the series is good and it doesn't become too write by numbers.
February 22, 2022
This book reads exactly like a video game, which… is not actually interesting or fun when you’re not the one playing. I started to think that this book was maybe aimed at middle schoolers who needed a gaming-hook to get them to read, but the f bombs and sexual comments soon made me realize that this was indeed for older audiences.
The author set up a pretty compelling premise, allowing me to hope that the book would explore some interesting concepts, like:
1. What kind of existential crisis might you have if you were just a “cognitive upload” and no longer had a body?
2. How do you decide whether to pursue a video game afterlife or the possibility of a natural one?
3. What is it like for marginalized people to pick a new race/class/body and have different experiences in the game world?
4. What are the implications of living in a man-made, rapidly constructed world, which can’t be nearly as complex as the real world?
5. What are the politics surrounding an entire world of cognitive uploads being governed by some corporate dudebros on the outside?
Instead, this book offered:
1. What if a white, cis, straight, able-bodied man got a second chance at life because his brother was rich, and got to pick a cool persona with magic powers?
2. What if that man happened to be chosen to be super special and get extra special powers?
Um, okay? I wanted to like the book, I kept waiting for things to be explored or explained, but alas. Not great.
The author set up a pretty compelling premise, allowing me to hope that the book would explore some interesting concepts, like:
1. What kind of existential crisis might you have if you were just a “cognitive upload” and no longer had a body?
2. How do you decide whether to pursue a video game afterlife or the possibility of a natural one?
3. What is it like for marginalized people to pick a new race/class/body and have different experiences in the game world?
4. What are the implications of living in a man-made, rapidly constructed world, which can’t be nearly as complex as the real world?
5. What are the politics surrounding an entire world of cognitive uploads being governed by some corporate dudebros on the outside?
Instead, this book offered:
1. What if a white, cis, straight, able-bodied man got a second chance at life because his brother was rich, and got to pick a cool persona with magic powers?
2. What if that man happened to be chosen to be super special and get extra special powers?
Um, okay? I wanted to like the book, I kept waiting for things to be explored or explained, but alas. Not great.
May 30, 2019
A good story
There are times when this story shines, but there are also times when the character sheet charts were just a bit too much for me. There was also a horror element to the book, it’s very small and only really shows up at the beginning and a little bit in combat and at then end - but I am not a fan of horror so I found myself skipping over those extra gross details. I disliked that the zero virus is never explained or how Clay contracted it. I also dislike A story that is about a malfunctioning game and the real world gets destroyed or cut off from the gamers so this book wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.
Having disclosed my own bias I would like to say that the author shows great imagination, doesn’t use excessive cursing or sex and there is no harem here, so those are all pluses in my opinion. The repetitive use of the game’s racial names for humans and elves bothered me a lot, because I lost track of which was which and was frustrated having to look back to earlier chapters for clarification.
I have actually started reading the second book, but I am not sure I will finish. This author’s world is a little too much zombie and steampunk for me. Flying air ships and mana guns doesn’t really go with magic and swords for me. But that’s just my personal taste. Anyone who enjoys that take on litrpg will enjoy this book.
There are times when this story shines, but there are also times when the character sheet charts were just a bit too much for me. There was also a horror element to the book, it’s very small and only really shows up at the beginning and a little bit in combat and at then end - but I am not a fan of horror so I found myself skipping over those extra gross details. I disliked that the zero virus is never explained or how Clay contracted it. I also dislike A story that is about a malfunctioning game and the real world gets destroyed or cut off from the gamers so this book wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.
Having disclosed my own bias I would like to say that the author shows great imagination, doesn’t use excessive cursing or sex and there is no harem here, so those are all pluses in my opinion. The repetitive use of the game’s racial names for humans and elves bothered me a lot, because I lost track of which was which and was frustrated having to look back to earlier chapters for clarification.
I have actually started reading the second book, but I am not sure I will finish. This author’s world is a little too much zombie and steampunk for me. Flying air ships and mana guns doesn’t really go with magic and swords for me. But that’s just my personal taste. Anyone who enjoys that take on litrpg will enjoy this book.
November 25, 2019
Interesting....
Arcane Kingdom Online: The Chosen is a nice appetizer to a larger world of adventure where you really feel like this is an VR final fantasy game (which is my fav aspect of it). I like the characters, the original world and the story. It takes pinches of every genre that I like: zombies, videogames, magic and friendship.
Clay is a great character, your everyday protagonist that is trying to see the brighter out of a bad situation and enjoy his new existence. I love mage-types and if I was stuck in a world, I wouldn't be human and I would be able to use magic.
Shade is by far the comic relief that you love to be around. He's silly but not defenseless, he actually is useful. There is a lot to his character than !we're the eye.
Serena is so far regular love interest that loves to read, but becomes almost freaking Xena the Warrior Princess. I hope we get to know who she is later on and build on her character.
I love the world they are surrounded by, the mix of manatech and swashbuckling that would be fun to get lost in if it was a real game. I mean, I would play this!
What I hope in the future of the series is that we get to explore the larger world, see some PvP action and maybe see chosen band together.
I'm gonna read the next book and I'm eager too!
Arcane Kingdom Online: The Chosen is a nice appetizer to a larger world of adventure where you really feel like this is an VR final fantasy game (which is my fav aspect of it). I like the characters, the original world and the story. It takes pinches of every genre that I like: zombies, videogames, magic and friendship.
Clay is a great character, your everyday protagonist that is trying to see the brighter out of a bad situation and enjoy his new existence. I love mage-types and if I was stuck in a world, I wouldn't be human and I would be able to use magic.
Shade is by far the comic relief that you love to be around. He's silly but not defenseless, he actually is useful. There is a lot to his character than !we're the eye.
Serena is so far regular love interest that loves to read, but becomes almost freaking Xena the Warrior Princess. I hope we get to know who she is later on and build on her character.
I love the world they are surrounded by, the mix of manatech and swashbuckling that would be fun to get lost in if it was a real game. I mean, I would play this!
What I hope in the future of the series is that we get to explore the larger world, see some PvP action and maybe see chosen band together.
I'm gonna read the next book and I'm eager too!
December 31, 2019
Clay Hopewell has been infected with the deadly virus Zero, which was attacking Earth and his only way to survive this was to log into the game Arcane Kingdom Online and live out his life as a digitally reincarnated self. Since it was this option or die he chose to log in but, when he did so he realised this life was not so plain sailing and that it had it's own difficulties which he would have to face, foremost of these was surviving the integrating process, then getting a grip and learning fast how to survive in this new alien world, full of monsters who wanted to tear him apart, and trying to solve a glitch in the game which if left unresolved could mean the end of this life too. Clay felt he had messed up in his life on Earth when he became a uni drop out and vowed he would do better given this 2nd chance at life. So together with Serena, an old friend from back home, Shade a new friend he made online and Theobald the Rorn wizard who helped him attain his mage apprentice class, he vowed to fight the darkness which was threatening the only life they had left. I absolutely loved this story, became really engrossed in it and am looking forward to Book 2, hoping that more adventures will follow, maybe a bit of romance and a fight of the light against the dark forces threatening Arcane Kingdom!
February 5, 2019
Not the typical litrpg
I mean if you have read other books in this genre you know how it typically goes. For whatever reason the MC gets sent into world with game mechanics and has to survive and level up. Most times there is a harem element, excessive cursing and an op main character. This one goes a bit differently. Now while the main character i think does have the potential to become op at some point , right now he is just as lost as everyone else is, there are also hints of a possible harem situation in development. But the focus tends to be more on the programming side. Sort of like a ghost in the machine bit. Very fascinating. I read this book in one sitting. I will be reading the rest of the series. I am kind of upset with myself actually, i had been skipping over this series for some time now, and the only reason i tried it today was because im in that limbo state where im waiting for new favorite authors to put out more books. This book turned out to be rare gem. I suggest you give it a try.
I mean if you have read other books in this genre you know how it typically goes. For whatever reason the MC gets sent into world with game mechanics and has to survive and level up. Most times there is a harem element, excessive cursing and an op main character. This one goes a bit differently. Now while the main character i think does have the potential to become op at some point , right now he is just as lost as everyone else is, there are also hints of a possible harem situation in development. But the focus tends to be more on the programming side. Sort of like a ghost in the machine bit. Very fascinating. I read this book in one sitting. I will be reading the rest of the series. I am kind of upset with myself actually, i had been skipping over this series for some time now, and the only reason i tried it today was because im in that limbo state where im waiting for new favorite authors to put out more books. This book turned out to be rare gem. I suggest you give it a try.
January 20, 2021
This is a fairly generic litRPG. The MC is one of the last humans on the planet during an I Am Legend style viral apocalypse to duck into a virtual world (because de-evolving into a rabid dog thing sucks). Beyond that, nothing really matters, and the author doesn't really care to make it matter.
The world itself is based on old school RPGs with very basic stats (atk/spirit) and class systems (mage/knight) and a rock-paper-scisors approach to diplomacy that doesn't really do much for the genre. (That being said, I'm not sure whether that is intended, or whether the author/mc just got lazy half way through because supposedly "super advanced AI, blah, blah, blah, amazingly detailed/complex character creation/lore/etc") There's only really one cool little tweak on the old mary-sue-with-plot-armor formula that you see everywhere these days, and I'm not telling you that because even with the spoilers tag, it would take most of the mystery out of the book. Try not to think about it too much, though. Different doesn't stir the pot.
Still, it's well written, if well trod and predictable.
The world itself is based on old school RPGs with very basic stats (atk/spirit) and class systems (mage/knight) and a rock-paper-scisors approach to diplomacy that doesn't really do much for the genre. (That being said, I'm not sure whether that is intended, or whether the author/mc just got lazy half way through because supposedly "super advanced AI, blah, blah, blah, amazingly detailed/complex character creation/lore/etc") There's only really one cool little tweak on the old mary-sue-with-plot-armor formula that you see everywhere these days, and I'm not telling you that because even with the spoilers tag, it would take most of the mystery out of the book. Try not to think about it too much, though. Different doesn't stir the pot.
Still, it's well written, if well trod and predictable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2018
This book was the perfect combination of elements to make a captivating and engaging LitRPG experience.
Clay, our main character, has been infected with the mysterious ZERO virus and his family arranges, at the last minute, for him to be uploaded into the Arcane Kingdom Online environment. But, from the very first moment that he arrives, something seems off with the AI in the game. As Clay begins his adventures in the game, he has to discover all of the game’s idiosyncrasies without a proper tutorial. He also comes to find out that there are deeper mysteries that just might kill him permanently if he doesn’t figure them out, and fast.
I found this book to be fast paced,, and exciting without being overwhelming. I love the story of both the game, as well as the events in the outside world. I will be anxiously awaiting AKO 2 to find out what happens next with Clay and his party.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Clay, our main character, has been infected with the mysterious ZERO virus and his family arranges, at the last minute, for him to be uploaded into the Arcane Kingdom Online environment. But, from the very first moment that he arrives, something seems off with the AI in the game. As Clay begins his adventures in the game, he has to discover all of the game’s idiosyncrasies without a proper tutorial. He also comes to find out that there are deeper mysteries that just might kill him permanently if he doesn’t figure them out, and fast.
I found this book to be fast paced,, and exciting without being overwhelming. I love the story of both the game, as well as the events in the outside world. I will be anxiously awaiting AKO 2 to find out what happens next with Clay and his party.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
November 30, 2019
This was a fun read. I skimmed the video game lingo, the gimmick got old pretty fast. I'm actually more interested in this book's version of zombies, it's another gimmick but since it's never really discussed how it came about I found the mystery far more alluring the "living in a real life video game" plot. My favorite character so far is Shade, who I envision as the character Husk(er) from the YT animation Hazbin Hotel, though just more sociable and friendly. Before the last 2 pages I wasn't sure if I was gonna continue with the series, but then that mysterious zombie virus was teased and I was interested in what would come of it. "What happened to the MC's family?" (The MC has a pretty average and forgettable personality, so I don't even remember his name. I honestly don't really care about him except that the story is through his POV.) And all the new plot points introduced by Rorn in the last couple pages pull me enough to want all those answers.
May 22, 2021
Who doesn't love a good isekai? Arcane Kingdom provides an interesting twist on it where inevitably main character is stuck inside with crazy powers as readers of the genre have seen time and time again BUT WOW REAL WORLD ISSUES TOO!!
The reviews on Amazon, and here, mention grammatical and spelling errors throughout the novel, but honestly I didn't. Probably because I too suck at it, but also I was really ingorsed in the story so it was easy to see past any I DID see.
The one flaw I have seen, is just how sometimes they'll be a mob of characters somewhere *cough mushrooms cough* and it's said they're sprawling in an area but they find the boss ASAP. Which if thats the one flaw I mean come on that's pretty dope.
--- Overall ---
10 / 10 background story
10 / 10 overall plot
6 / 10 characters sticking to their personality
10 / 10 mechanics for in-game/world
9 / 10 romance (THERE IS HARDLY ANY LOVE THAT)
The reviews on Amazon, and here, mention grammatical and spelling errors throughout the novel, but honestly I didn't. Probably because I too suck at it, but also I was really ingorsed in the story so it was easy to see past any I DID see.
The one flaw I have seen, is just how sometimes they'll be a mob of characters somewhere *cough mushrooms cough* and it's said they're sprawling in an area but they find the boss ASAP. Which if thats the one flaw I mean come on that's pretty dope.
--- Overall ---
10 / 10 background story
10 / 10 overall plot
6 / 10 characters sticking to their personality
10 / 10 mechanics for in-game/world
9 / 10 romance (THERE IS HARDLY ANY LOVE THAT)
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