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Shyft #1
Defender of Gallowind
When's the last time a game started with a real-life gunfight?
The original version of this book was, unfortunately, riddled with bugs in the stat sheets that we've since squashed in this, v2.0.
In the industrial wasteland of future America, Solomon Herrick spends his day wandering the streets and getting into trouble. Staying one step ahead of the local PD, his life is mostly spent immersed in history or aimless exploring -- until Shyft comes along.
Whether that's a good thing or not is still up in the air...
Shyft 2.0, an immersive open-world RPG, just entered beta, and though Solomon Herrick wasn't on the list, his friends knew a guy who could get them in. A chase and a gunfight later and Sol is deposited into the world with nothing but a few rags on his back and a nearby stick to defend himself.
With his friends gone, no knowledge of the game world and zero guidance available, Solomon will have to rely on his ability to learn fast if he wants to not only figure out how to play the game, but figure out how to get out - if he even can.
Shyft is a new Gamelit / LitRPG series created by Mike Kraus and Justin Bell, writing under the M Kraus and J Donald pen names. Defenders of Gallowind is the first in a 3-book crunchy LitRPG series in the world, though two more shorts (available for free through signing up for the Shyft newsletter at www.shyft.gg) exist and a range of soft and crunchy stories are already planned for this vast, varied and complex universe.
The original version of this book was, unfortunately, riddled with bugs in the stat sheets that we've since squashed in this, v2.0.
In the industrial wasteland of future America, Solomon Herrick spends his day wandering the streets and getting into trouble. Staying one step ahead of the local PD, his life is mostly spent immersed in history or aimless exploring -- until Shyft comes along.
Whether that's a good thing or not is still up in the air...
Shyft 2.0, an immersive open-world RPG, just entered beta, and though Solomon Herrick wasn't on the list, his friends knew a guy who could get them in. A chase and a gunfight later and Sol is deposited into the world with nothing but a few rags on his back and a nearby stick to defend himself.
With his friends gone, no knowledge of the game world and zero guidance available, Solomon will have to rely on his ability to learn fast if he wants to not only figure out how to play the game, but figure out how to get out - if he even can.
Shyft is a new Gamelit / LitRPG series created by Mike Kraus and Justin Bell, writing under the M Kraus and J Donald pen names. Defenders of Gallowind is the first in a 3-book crunchy LitRPG series in the world, though two more shorts (available for free through signing up for the Shyft newsletter at www.shyft.gg) exist and a range of soft and crunchy stories are already planned for this vast, varied and complex universe.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2019
289 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 12, 2019
Audible
Nice new entry to the litRPG genre with hints of a larger story at play.
Nice new entry to the litRPG genre with hints of a larger story at play.
May 6, 2019
Getting sucked into an MMO world.
A dystopian city.
A teenager getting brutally gunned down with automatic fire.
These are all things I like - but the author somehow made them boring as heck.
I made it through one hour and twenty minutes (audio) before giving up.
(Youth is wasted on the young, particularly if someone else machine guns them down.)
A dystopian city.
A teenager getting brutally gunned down with automatic fire.
These are all things I like - but the author somehow made them boring as heck.
I made it through one hour and twenty minutes (audio) before giving up.
(Youth is wasted on the young, particularly if someone else machine guns them down.)
April 25, 2020
Solomon is a bit of a moron, but that also seems appropriate for the character. Apparently I like my protagonists a bit more immersed into their game.
I'm calling it now - not a game. They're on a different planet / universe / plane / whatever. It's all real. The dystopian gov't came up with it to winnow the population / gain resources / expand and conquer / eat more cheese.
I'm calling it now - not a game. They're on a different planet / universe / plane / whatever. It's all real. The dystopian gov't came up with it to winnow the population / gain resources / expand and conquer / eat more cheese.
April 1, 2019
Problems
The book was a decent read overall. One which I almost didn't finish.
To start with whoever edited and proofread this book should of been fired after the way this book started. The glaring and I mean glaring errors between what was written in the story and shown on attribute screens shown were not even close to matching.
There were times when the forest was called a jungle and other errors that were easy and plain to see.
I had problems also with the fact that the author chose to use attribute screen pictures and then repeated all the information word for word after the picture, which wasted a ton of page space.
Hopefully the sequel will address these issues, I can understand small errors here and there since these things happen, but not the huge ones shown in this book.
The book was a decent read overall. One which I almost didn't finish.
To start with whoever edited and proofread this book should of been fired after the way this book started. The glaring and I mean glaring errors between what was written in the story and shown on attribute screens shown were not even close to matching.
There were times when the forest was called a jungle and other errors that were easy and plain to see.
I had problems also with the fact that the author chose to use attribute screen pictures and then repeated all the information word for word after the picture, which wasted a ton of page space.
Hopefully the sequel will address these issues, I can understand small errors here and there since these things happen, but not the huge ones shown in this book.
April 22, 2019
Missing something
This story is about a young boy/teen who along with a few friends try to sneak into a virtual game. When apprehended they are inadvertently catapulted into the game during the struggle. The story, characters and world-building is two dimensional thereby making it difficult to identify with the book. Rather juvenile in tone. Overall, the story was not bad, it just felt as though something was missing from the story...
This story is about a young boy/teen who along with a few friends try to sneak into a virtual game. When apprehended they are inadvertently catapulted into the game during the struggle. The story, characters and world-building is two dimensional thereby making it difficult to identify with the book. Rather juvenile in tone. Overall, the story was not bad, it just felt as though something was missing from the story...
April 13, 2023
Not much to say about this book. A group of teenager break into the work office of their dad because he has the newest VR stuff there. When they load into the game someting goes wrong.
The group comes together and fight the evil that spreads and threats the wood and his dryad.
It is not a bad book - but it is also not a good book. The relations between the characters seems artificial.
My guess is, that this is the first book of the author and he just lacks experience in writing.
The group comes together and fight the evil that spreads and threats the wood and his dryad.
It is not a bad book - but it is also not a good book. The relations between the characters seems artificial.
My guess is, that this is the first book of the author and he just lacks experience in writing.
June 6, 2019
Very entertaining
The only real negative thing I might say; is that, something is missing. Not sure what It is; but, it is like something needs fleshed out. Just like the main character, Solomon, I'm not sure if the NPC's know they are in a game world. Something is slightly off. Maybe they are not all NPC's? Well, I guess I'll just have to read book 2, to satisfy my curiosity! 😁
The only real negative thing I might say; is that, something is missing. Not sure what It is; but, it is like something needs fleshed out. Just like the main character, Solomon, I'm not sure if the NPC's know they are in a game world. Something is slightly off. Maybe they are not all NPC's? Well, I guess I'll just have to read book 2, to satisfy my curiosity! 😁
November 11, 2020
It's... Alright
The story was pretty standard litrpg fare. A protagonist that felt bland and action beats that felt like they were done by a novice GM who really wanted you to feel it. I do think there are plenty of people who read this genre that would love this book, I am not one of them.
The story was pretty standard litrpg fare. A protagonist that felt bland and action beats that felt like they were done by a novice GM who really wanted you to feel it. I do think there are plenty of people who read this genre that would love this book, I am not one of them.
August 20, 2019
Wanted to enjoy this... but mc is just useless, they all seem ok with being stuck in a game, no explanation. Really the mc at one point stats that he felt like he was flaying about and then i thought ok he is going to use his head or do something to show why he is the mc. Just a big nope
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2019
the opening act is really dumb, the later part (inside game) is decent. the Mc is a little too dumb for my taste so in conclusion decent, could have been better.. true it lacked something! what exactly? no idea finished this awhile back and didn't stick in my memories.
February 13, 2020
I enjoyed the story line.
I enjoyed the story line. If the author happens to read this, may I suggest that you hire a new proofreader? It is amazing how many spelling errors there are in this series.
I enjoyed the story line. If the author happens to read this, may I suggest that you hire a new proofreader? It is amazing how many spelling errors there are in this series.
April 24, 2019
Short chapters, minor plot holes, and some errors kept me from getting really involved with the plot enough to say that I liked it, but it was a alright.
October 13, 2020
Rpglit just keeps getting better.
And this book is proof. It also proves it can be PG and still be engaging. Written as a YA novel it is deep enough a read to be enjoyable.
And this book is proof. It also proves it can be PG and still be engaging. Written as a YA novel it is deep enough a read to be enjoyable.
March 16, 2021
Very good read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that likes litRPG type of books.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that likes litRPG type of books.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews