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War Core #1
Hold the Line
Earth is under siege.
For decades, the governments of our world have been fighting a desperate and secret battle to keep hordes of alien invaders away from our planet.
When the guardian of the United States falls, a new champion must be chosen. Sadly, the choice of a champion isn’t ours to make, and the Galactic Conflict Authority selects a human, seemingly at random, to lead the United States of America’s efforts at holding back the tide.
Hugh Logan is in the middle of teaching a class when he is taken against his will and informed that he is now the newest member of Earth’s defense against alien invasion. He must give up everything to become our champion. He must give up everything to prevent our destruction. He must become… a War Core.
War Core is a Dungeon Core series with LitRPG and RTS elements.
For decades, the governments of our world have been fighting a desperate and secret battle to keep hordes of alien invaders away from our planet.
When the guardian of the United States falls, a new champion must be chosen. Sadly, the choice of a champion isn’t ours to make, and the Galactic Conflict Authority selects a human, seemingly at random, to lead the United States of America’s efforts at holding back the tide.
Hugh Logan is in the middle of teaching a class when he is taken against his will and informed that he is now the newest member of Earth’s defense against alien invasion. He must give up everything to become our champion. He must give up everything to prevent our destruction. He must become… a War Core.
War Core is a Dungeon Core series with LitRPG and RTS elements.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2021
332 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 16, 2021
I loved Limitless Lands when it came out, and I'm waiting for book 2 of Limitless Seas.
War Core is something different. This isn't a former vet being put into a pod to heal while playing a VR game. There's no love story, no big objective (we have a very, very long term one near the end), just battles.
We don't see many real time strategy games in LitRPG. War Core is pretty stark. We have Hugh (the MC) who's pulled from Earth at the direction of the GTA to act as Earth's war core, and someone who will lead and oversea the battles against other aliens.
The first battles don't go well, and because Hugh doesn't have access to the generals back on Earth, he stumbles and then falls.
It's only temporary. The next battle he finds his footing, and while his strategies so far aren't overly complex, they are consistent as he pulls one win after another.
The race he's battling doesn't matter, and they do provide a good challenge. It's heavily implied but never seen that the race that's running the show is using these battles for entertainment, and there are observer stats that point to this being the case.
Either way, Hugh won't be going on any shows like in other series we know and love.
The book dragged for me at the 50% mark, as the battles early on tend to be very straightforward. Both sides have equal resources, and while the builds may be different, it isn't until the end that we see Hugh deviate from what he'd been doing early on.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and am interested in seeing where book 2 goes. This isn't a book for everyone, as it's pretty much military sci-fi all the way through.
That didn't bother me. 5/5*
War Core is something different. This isn't a former vet being put into a pod to heal while playing a VR game. There's no love story, no big objective (we have a very, very long term one near the end), just battles.
We don't see many real time strategy games in LitRPG. War Core is pretty stark. We have Hugh (the MC) who's pulled from Earth at the direction of the GTA to act as Earth's war core, and someone who will lead and oversea the battles against other aliens.
The first battles don't go well, and because Hugh doesn't have access to the generals back on Earth, he stumbles and then falls.
It's only temporary. The next battle he finds his footing, and while his strategies so far aren't overly complex, they are consistent as he pulls one win after another.
The race he's battling doesn't matter, and they do provide a good challenge. It's heavily implied but never seen that the race that's running the show is using these battles for entertainment, and there are observer stats that point to this being the case.
Either way, Hugh won't be going on any shows like in other series we know and love.
The book dragged for me at the 50% mark, as the battles early on tend to be very straightforward. Both sides have equal resources, and while the builds may be different, it isn't until the end that we see Hugh deviate from what he'd been doing early on.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and am interested in seeing where book 2 goes. This isn't a book for everyone, as it's pretty much military sci-fi all the way through.
That didn't bother me. 5/5*
February 8, 2025
I am not sure what to think of this book. It felt like there is room to build a decent story on, but this book was mostly just going from battle to battle. I don't really enjoy battles in books that much. They can help the story move forward and provide some important details, but battles alone aren't really much in the way of story. There was a little bit of stuff outside of the battles, but it did not feel like much. Given that this is LitRPG, I was expecting the protagonist to be getting stronger and leveling up over time, and although they do to some degree, things they built from one battle do not move forward to the next. The battles are like what is in an RTS game, and the protagonist moves from one location to another. I was going into this book knowing it was supposed to be more like an RTS, but given that it is LitRPG, I was thinking it might be like a dungeon core sort of book where the core stays in one place and expands out with RTS elements, rather than going from place to place. Even though Core is in the book title, don't think of this as a dungeon core. Those books generally have the dungeon core stay in one place unless the dungeon they build moves with them, meaning what they build stays with them. This book is not that. There is not a lot of story in this book, and it seems like the protagonist is in a helpless situation. There is some galactic counsel going around and making different places fight each other in a game-like environment. They have the power to just stop the fighting and make people get along, but they don't. Because of that, it seems like the galactic counsel just like to watch people fight each other, and they are too powerful to stand up against. I am curious to see if and how the protagonist can manage to stand up to the galactic counsel, while surviving the attacks from other species. What little story there is manages to actually be compelling. If you like RTS battles, protagonists having to go from place to place with nothing other than themselves, and situations that seem hopeless, there is a good chance that you will love this book. Otherwise, I think there are far better book options out there.
October 5, 2021
If You Would Have Peace, Prepare For War -- Translation of a Latin Adage
When we demonstrated the ability to launch space craft, humanity was secretly inducted into a Galactic organization which oversees wars between space-faring species. Ostensibly this organization keeps conflicts from destroying habitable worlds in wars between the space-faring species. Though Hugh, Earth's newest War Core, comes to think that the constant battles between the various species is maintained as entertainment for whoever backs the GCA. Regardless of the GCA's true motivations, Hugh will have plenty of time to seek answers; as his "body" is now a massive machine which never eats nor sleeps and Hugh has some goals: first, get his human body back and second, make the other space-faring species fear challenging humanity.
This is a LitRPG/Dungeon Core novel, which the title states clearly, but this novel may appeal to fans of the more traditional military fiction genre as well.
When we demonstrated the ability to launch space craft, humanity was secretly inducted into a Galactic organization which oversees wars between space-faring species. Ostensibly this organization keeps conflicts from destroying habitable worlds in wars between the space-faring species. Though Hugh, Earth's newest War Core, comes to think that the constant battles between the various species is maintained as entertainment for whoever backs the GCA. Regardless of the GCA's true motivations, Hugh will have plenty of time to seek answers; as his "body" is now a massive machine which never eats nor sleeps and Hugh has some goals: first, get his human body back and second, make the other space-faring species fear challenging humanity.
This is a LitRPG/Dungeon Core novel, which the title states clearly, but this novel may appeal to fans of the more traditional military fiction genre as well.
November 14, 2021
Great blend of RTS with a dungeon core!
I really enjoyed this story and appreciate the blending of real time strategy conflicts, with varying missions in different locations, with a dungeon core.
I really enjoyed playing the old World of Warcraft RTS game and, while I definitely enjoyed playing WoW online, I always wished there'd been a way to replicate the original somehow in a first person MMO. There are already people who help coordinate large conflicts, why not enable large scale battles with something similar to the combat pod concept in this book? I'd definitely enjoy playing as either a core or a mech. :-D
I really enjoyed this story and appreciate the blending of real time strategy conflicts, with varying missions in different locations, with a dungeon core.
I really enjoyed playing the old World of Warcraft RTS game and, while I definitely enjoyed playing WoW online, I always wished there'd been a way to replicate the original somehow in a first person MMO. There are already people who help coordinate large conflicts, why not enable large scale battles with something similar to the combat pod concept in this book? I'd definitely enjoy playing as either a core or a mech. :-D
January 27, 2022
Good Strategy Action
A good start for this series ,would have preferred this to be a little longer so we get a bit more of a feel for things and see some cooler upgrades but this looks to be put into book 2 more. Well written and great for those who like the levelling up for battle warfare strategy games.
A good start for this series ,would have preferred this to be a little longer so we get a bit more of a feel for things and see some cooler upgrades but this looks to be put into book 2 more. Well written and great for those who like the levelling up for battle warfare strategy games.
August 12, 2021
Great book and great story.
I really loved the idea and concept of the story. I read the whole book in one sitting. I could not put it down . please get this book as you will not be disappointed.
I really loved the idea and concept of the story. I read the whole book in one sitting. I could not put it down . please get this book as you will not be disappointed.
August 16, 2021
Really good start
Start of s new series , have read Deans Limitless Lands series which by the way is excellent, so thought to give this a try. Great start to a new series,illustrated to see how this series grows and develops.
Start of s new series , have read Deans Limitless Lands series which by the way is excellent, so thought to give this a try. Great start to a new series,illustrated to see how this series grows and develops.
September 22, 2021
Interesting start
I liked the first installment of 'War Core'. It is my first me cup based LitRPG, and I am looking forward to more. almost Starcraft like. I recommend this to any fan of the genre.
I liked the first installment of 'War Core'. It is my first me cup based LitRPG, and I am looking forward to more. almost Starcraft like. I recommend this to any fan of the genre.
December 6, 2021
This book is misleading this is more Red alert then dungeon core
October 14, 2023
Most of LitRPGs focus on adventure games of one sort or the other in which the reader follows a player developing a class. This one tackles another great staple of the videogame world—the resource gatherer and manager games. I loved games like Dune 2 and Warcraft and found the idea of a LitRPG exploring this to be fascinating. And I'm glad it read it, but the type of game does not easily lend itself to gripping storytelling. Perhaps that is because it is principally about resource gathering. Yes, there is combat, but the opportunities for genuine character interaction were limited. The author tried to address this problem by giving his hero—a man chosen seemingly at random to be ripped out of his body and copied into a computer to run earth's defenses in a scifi war—a bunch of subordinate task managers to help him, but it didn't quite work. The idea is great, but it just didn't play out as well as I was expecting.
August 13, 2021
Competent
It’s reasonably well written. Clean prose, solid-ish worldbuilding, consistent pace. An acceptable read.
Now for the bad news: it’s basically watching someone play an RTS game with color commentary. The military portion is not strongly written, as ranks are almost irrelevant and secondary characters are not well developed. The MC is supposed to be an inactive officer but seems to lack any knowledge of the military (I would expect an officer to know that his commission can in fact be reactivated). He seems more like a former enlisted.
I am unlikely to continue this series. Nothing really compelling in the prose or narrative.
It’s reasonably well written. Clean prose, solid-ish worldbuilding, consistent pace. An acceptable read.
Now for the bad news: it’s basically watching someone play an RTS game with color commentary. The military portion is not strongly written, as ranks are almost irrelevant and secondary characters are not well developed. The MC is supposed to be an inactive officer but seems to lack any knowledge of the military (I would expect an officer to know that his commission can in fact be reactivated). He seems more like a former enlisted.
I am unlikely to continue this series. Nothing really compelling in the prose or narrative.
November 22, 2023
Good read fun
This is the second time I've read this book i enjoyed it the 1st time and i didn't leave a review. however the second time i read the book i enjoyed it just as much and i feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda unique. however the second time i read the book i enjoyed it just as much and i feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda . however the second time i read the book i enjoyed it just as much and i feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda . however the second time I read the book I enjoyed it just as much and I feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda unique
This is the second time I've read this book i enjoyed it the 1st time and i didn't leave a review. however the second time i read the book i enjoyed it just as much and i feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda unique. however the second time i read the book i enjoyed it just as much and i feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda . however the second time i read the book i enjoyed it just as much and i feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda . however the second time I read the book I enjoyed it just as much and I feel that it is a fun read the story line is kinda unique
October 25, 2025
Really dislike how this story starts. MC gets murdered by his country then is told to get over it and is forced into a war that's not his. Gets told he's a "major" and a "young man" and a "officer" and "solider". Yet they murdered him without consent. He's not a major, a young man, officer or a soldier anymore. Just an AI in a war core. The general also questions his balls. The ones he took from him without consent when they murdered him.
August 28, 2021
Okay
Decently written, but more of a juvenile. A big portion comes from the fact that unlike LITRPG, RTS doesn't translate well into prose form. Unlike the author, I did well with RTS games, but being older, my APMs dropped with age after 40 and I couldn't keep up in online games enough to stay on leader boards. I still enjoy them, but only solo or LAN games with my son.
Decently written, but more of a juvenile. A big portion comes from the fact that unlike LITRPG, RTS doesn't translate well into prose form. Unlike the author, I did well with RTS games, but being older, my APMs dropped with age after 40 and I couldn't keep up in online games enough to stay on leader boards. I still enjoy them, but only solo or LAN games with my son.
August 25, 2024
This book has an interesting idea of humans being uploaded to becoming a weapon core to protect the human race. I liked that he was able to be given a chance to live again, but it would take a lot of hard work and time. I loved his men his band of brothers fighting for him, and doing well. I will definitely keep listening to this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: I didn't notice anything wrong with this book, but I wasn't really looking as I was wrapped up in the story.
Plot: Good sci-fi mech litrpg. Decent battles.
Characters: Have no depth to them.
7/10 Felt like a short read.
Mistakes: I didn't notice anything wrong with this book, but I wasn't really looking as I was wrapped up in the story.
Plot: Good sci-fi mech litrpg. Decent battles.
Characters: Have no depth to them.
7/10 Felt like a short read.
September 1, 2021
Competently executed, but a bit dry. It's partly the nature of writing about RTS "games", but I found my attention wandering. Those more enamoured of this sort of book than I may find it more interesting.
July 8, 2023
This is an okay book with cool concepts and a solid foundation for a series. The MC showed way too little rage for my personal tastes. No need to be a violent psychopath, but being pissed at awful situation after terrible situation is fine. 👍🏽
April 23, 2024
It's a good book but not for me
I like the story, but I quickly became bored of the battle descriptions. If you don't mind the extended time spent on the battles then I could recommend this book. For me personally though, I think I will end the series here.
I like the story, but I quickly became bored of the battle descriptions. If you don't mind the extended time spent on the battles then I could recommend this book. For me personally though, I think I will end the series here.
April 26, 2024
I really enjoyed this core book very fast-paced but still very interesting. The only thing I would like to see in the next book that we did not g we t much of is a little bit more backstory on the individual people. other than that, I loved the book. I will definitely be checking out book 2.
August 17, 2021
Awesome.
Great story, heroic main character, plausible world, engaging writing, promise of more, and they skipped the sjw slogans etc!! Bonus!
Great story, heroic main character, plausible world, engaging writing, promise of more, and they skipped the sjw slogans etc!! Bonus!
Read
August 23, 2021Good first book
I enjoyed this book and the series has a lot of potential. I can't wait for the next book in the series
I enjoyed this book and the series has a lot of potential. I can't wait for the next book in the series
Read
August 28, 2021Great book
Stellar work once again from Dean Henegar! Lots of action and adventure, mechs and aliens! Looking forward to the next one!
Stellar work once again from Dean Henegar! Lots of action and adventure, mechs and aliens! Looking forward to the next one!
August 31, 2021
Great read!
What another great read by Mr. Henegar! This is a really unique take on the dungeon core genre and I absolutely loved it!
What another great read by Mr. Henegar! This is a really unique take on the dungeon core genre and I absolutely loved it!
September 2, 2021
I loved this at first because it reminded me of command and conquer. The further I got into it, the more bored I got. There's little story to this. Lots of fighting and strategizing but no real story
September 7, 2021
Loved it!
The drama of this is amazing, I was wondering what would happen the whole time. Please don't stop writing this series!
The drama of this is amazing, I was wondering what would happen the whole time. Please don't stop writing this series!
November 1, 2021
Decent!
Good characters, people put in tough conditions and pulling through. Good action and interesting weapons. The "bad" guys are interesting.
Good characters, people put in tough conditions and pulling through. Good action and interesting weapons. The "bad" guys are interesting.
December 29, 2021
It would make a great game, but as a book I didn't enjoy it as much as the author's previous ones.
January 8, 2022
good mecha war story
War cores are very interesting, I’d like to play an eye with conditions and a skill tree like this one.
War cores are very interesting, I’d like to play an eye with conditions and a skill tree like this one.
May 12, 2022
Selected, drafted and.in charge of humanity's fate, he must master the war games of the universe if humanity has a chance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews