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The Way Ahead #1
The Way Ahead
A physics student’s talents are put to the test when he’s transported to a world of magic and alchemical mysteries in the first book of a new fantasy series.
Fact one: Edwin Maxlin has fallen out of the sky and landed in a strange forest. Fact two: messages keep appearing in his line of vision, informing him that he has leveled up in various Skills—including some truly thrilling abilities such as Walking and Breathing. Fact three: this is most definitely not Earth.
Now Edwin, one-time student of material physics, must make his way through an unknown world, collecting Skills, upgrading his Class, embarking on life Paths, and most importantly, staying alive. But surviving in the land of Joriah isn’t as simple as increasing mana and learning how to become a Firestarter.
Edwin soon finds himself going toe-to-toe with an angry clan of dwarves and their even more disgruntled ruler, Lord S’fashkchlil. It will take all of Edwin’s wit, ingenuity, mathematical know-how, and charm to form new alliances, navigate a complicated political landscape, and keep from getting enslaved by Clan Blackstone. Fortunately, his otherworldly expertise is even more valuable than Edwin realizes . . .
Filled with humor, adventure, and unforgettable characters, The Way Ahead is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy, role-playing games, and the scientific method.
Fact one: Edwin Maxlin has fallen out of the sky and landed in a strange forest. Fact two: messages keep appearing in his line of vision, informing him that he has leveled up in various Skills—including some truly thrilling abilities such as Walking and Breathing. Fact three: this is most definitely not Earth.
Now Edwin, one-time student of material physics, must make his way through an unknown world, collecting Skills, upgrading his Class, embarking on life Paths, and most importantly, staying alive. But surviving in the land of Joriah isn’t as simple as increasing mana and learning how to become a Firestarter.
Edwin soon finds himself going toe-to-toe with an angry clan of dwarves and their even more disgruntled ruler, Lord S’fashkchlil. It will take all of Edwin’s wit, ingenuity, mathematical know-how, and charm to form new alliances, navigate a complicated political landscape, and keep from getting enslaved by Clan Blackstone. Fortunately, his otherworldly expertise is even more valuable than Edwin realizes . . .
Filled with humor, adventure, and unforgettable characters, The Way Ahead is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy, role-playing games, and the scientific method.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2022
166 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 25, 2022
Meh
The main character is annoying. He is presented a intelligent and logical and yet makes the most inane choices. Also the book seemed like it would have a interesting magic system but there is very little magic involved. Who wants to read about a magic-less character in a magic world. The combination of a incompetent MC and inconsistent/boring power system made this a difficult read.
The main character is annoying. He is presented a intelligent and logical and yet makes the most inane choices. Also the book seemed like it would have a interesting magic system but there is very little magic involved. Who wants to read about a magic-less character in a magic world. The combination of a incompetent MC and inconsistent/boring power system made this a difficult read.
June 24, 2022
Rating 3.0 stars
In order to describe this book I need to break it down into 3 parts. The first part which lasted about 2 hours on audiobook was very slow. The second part lasted about 4 hours and was the really interesting part. It dealt with alchemy and using the scientific method in his experiments. I really enjoyed this part. Then there was the last part where I felt all the enjoyment I had in the second part came crashing down.
The story is pretty standard. The MC is a physics students and he wakes up on another world with game like systems. He is alone in this new world for a long time and needs to try and survive, find food, water and shelter and learn the system. Overall I am on the fence with this one. If the next book has more of what happened in the middle of this book, then I am sold. If it is more like the ending I would have to give it a hard pass.
In order to describe this book I need to break it down into 3 parts. The first part which lasted about 2 hours on audiobook was very slow. The second part lasted about 4 hours and was the really interesting part. It dealt with alchemy and using the scientific method in his experiments. I really enjoyed this part. Then there was the last part where I felt all the enjoyment I had in the second part came crashing down.
The story is pretty standard. The MC is a physics students and he wakes up on another world with game like systems. He is alone in this new world for a long time and needs to try and survive, find food, water and shelter and learn the system. Overall I am on the fence with this one. If the next book has more of what happened in the middle of this book, then I am sold. If it is more like the ending I would have to give it a hard pass.
September 17, 2022
An "intelligent" scientist who is a complete naive moron; that gets isekai-ed. That is the full extend of "The Way Ahead".
The MC babbles unless scientific theories and hypothesis during battle, surviving a hostile world while talking useless things . This book was not a fun as the MC just blanks off during a conversation thinking about the most useless drivel. A spaz with no real magic while having the class of a mage and just falls for every trick known to man. Even on planet earth, he would be classified as a chump. So, why would anyone want to read about an adventure of a spastic naive chump?
The MC babbles unless scientific theories and hypothesis during battle, surviving a hostile world while talking useless things . This book was not a fun as the MC just blanks off during a conversation thinking about the most useless drivel. A spaz with no real magic while having the class of a mage and just falls for every trick known to man. Even on planet earth, he would be classified as a chump. So, why would anyone want to read about an adventure of a spastic naive chump?
February 6, 2023
Love the fact that the MC is not the smartest, bravest, brawniest, Uber intelligent, mega charismatic, and instantly overpowered superhero as soon as he steos onto a new world. Who hasn't scoffed off at Randidly or Jason or Zac or any number of Gamelit/LitRPG MC.
Here Edwin is a true introvert geek who suffers from real world insecurities. I for one like relatable characters, who have similar experiences and self-doubts. He doesn't come to the new world and autoMagically loved, honored, and cherished by everyone he meets. He has his own sets of hardships and misadventures.
As a kid I read a short story about a guy with sight in a country/city/village of all blinds. He thinks he would soon be the kings of blinds as he's the only one who can see. However, his visions of grandeur are thoroughly trashed. Just imagine if you are transported to a different country without any money or communication skills, or understanding of the geopolitical road map how would you fair? Now imagine it's a different world. I really feel that this series is not getting the ratings it truly deserves.
Here Edwin is a true introvert geek who suffers from real world insecurities. I for one like relatable characters, who have similar experiences and self-doubts. He doesn't come to the new world and autoMagically loved, honored, and cherished by everyone he meets. He has his own sets of hardships and misadventures.
As a kid I read a short story about a guy with sight in a country/city/village of all blinds. He thinks he would soon be the kings of blinds as he's the only one who can see. However, his visions of grandeur are thoroughly trashed. Just imagine if you are transported to a different country without any money or communication skills, or understanding of the geopolitical road map how would you fair? Now imagine it's a different world. I really feel that this series is not getting the ratings it truly deserves.
May 5, 2022
possibilities
A *very* complex ‘system’. Skills take center stage, with a strong crafting subplot centered around alchemy. The governance system based upon skills is really interesting.
MC is somewhat emotionally null, introverted to an unhealthy degree. He gets essentially *no* advantages - no spatial bag, no ability for languages (until he earns it), no amazing power (or at least none with immediate utility). He survives almost in spite of himself.
It does get a bit pedantic at times, especially the fight sequences. They don’t really convey well how much he is scrambling to survive.
I am interested in a sequel.
A *very* complex ‘system’. Skills take center stage, with a strong crafting subplot centered around alchemy. The governance system based upon skills is really interesting.
MC is somewhat emotionally null, introverted to an unhealthy degree. He gets essentially *no* advantages - no spatial bag, no ability for languages (until he earns it), no amazing power (or at least none with immediate utility). He survives almost in spite of himself.
It does get a bit pedantic at times, especially the fight sequences. They don’t really convey well how much he is scrambling to survive.
I am interested in a sequel.
August 3, 2024
I was warned the main character was annoying but he seemed just fine in the first 10% of the book (sample).
So I bought it. 10% later and I had to DNF.
Did the author purposely wait to show the annoying traits of the mc?
So I bought it. 10% later and I had to DNF.
Did the author purposely wait to show the annoying traits of the mc?
September 18, 2022
** I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **
Possible Triggers:
Death | Mild Gore
Summary:
This is the first book in a progression fantasy about a physicist dropped in a random fantasy game world.
Characters:
This book follows one main character (Edwin Maxlin) and is told from predominantly his point of view. Very occasionally it switches to another character but it is in regards to the main.
Positives:
+ Looking for a fun light fantasy that has a bunch of really cool beasties and humanoid (sorta) creatures in it. DONE. You have some that you have absolutely heard of like Dwarves and Halflings (but in a new fun way!) and others that are all brand new. Gotta say i was a really big fan of how the various species in the book are not sparse, this is a continent FULL of varied races.
+ I love how the language barriers are dealt with. Fun detail to add.
Negatives:
- Chapter 6. The whole tweaking of the hud layout and display was confusing and boring. I think this could have been removed entirely as it was described at various points in the book that he was constantly reformatting the HUD. That being said, while I thought it was a very drawn out long winded explanation, I have never read anyone interacting with the hud layout in any other book. As an avid gamer I frequently tweak my HUD to make everything flow for me personally when I play a game pretty early on, so this detail included in the book was fantastic.
-The fighting scene near the end of the book was very confusing as to what was going on. I think it could have been clarified, but I am at a loss as to what exactly made it so hard to follow. All I know is that I found myself rereading repeatedly trying to understand what was going on. Also are we ever going to find out why the feelings behind this fight happened, happened (I AM CURIOUS!).
Final Thoughts:
This book was a bit of a yoyo for me. The very beginning of the story starts at a bit of a snail's pace. I think what bogged it down was the sheer amount of detail in the tedium of everyday adventurey things, as well as Edwin’s personal musings about the science and such behind all those things. No one leaves that first part of the book not knowing that Edwin is a very analytical person. Around the 40% mark, things start getting really interesting. Suddenly you are meeting all kinds of fascinating creatures, clashes of culture, betrayal, magic, politics! Almost every chapter has something exciting going on. You really get to travel right there with Edwin as he unravels curiosity and wonder at every turn. Followed by confusion again in the last few chapters. Why the sudden change? I have a feeling it's probably addressed in the next book with more detail because it FEELS like with all the other explanations in the book for things, that this would also be explained in detail. All in all I enjoyed many aspects of the book and none of the problems with it would stop me from continuing the series.
Possible Triggers:
Death | Mild Gore
Summary:
This is the first book in a progression fantasy about a physicist dropped in a random fantasy game world.
Characters:
This book follows one main character (Edwin Maxlin) and is told from predominantly his point of view. Very occasionally it switches to another character but it is in regards to the main.
Positives:
+ Looking for a fun light fantasy that has a bunch of really cool beasties and humanoid (sorta) creatures in it. DONE. You have some that you have absolutely heard of like Dwarves and Halflings (but in a new fun way!) and others that are all brand new. Gotta say i was a really big fan of how the various species in the book are not sparse, this is a continent FULL of varied races.
+ I love how the language barriers are dealt with. Fun detail to add.
Negatives:
- Chapter 6. The whole tweaking of the hud layout and display was confusing and boring. I think this could have been removed entirely as it was described at various points in the book that he was constantly reformatting the HUD. That being said, while I thought it was a very drawn out long winded explanation, I have never read anyone interacting with the hud layout in any other book. As an avid gamer I frequently tweak my HUD to make everything flow for me personally when I play a game pretty early on, so this detail included in the book was fantastic.
-The fighting scene near the end of the book was very confusing as to what was going on. I think it could have been clarified, but I am at a loss as to what exactly made it so hard to follow. All I know is that I found myself rereading repeatedly trying to understand what was going on. Also are we ever going to find out why the feelings behind this fight happened, happened (I AM CURIOUS!).
Final Thoughts:
This book was a bit of a yoyo for me. The very beginning of the story starts at a bit of a snail's pace. I think what bogged it down was the sheer amount of detail in the tedium of everyday adventurey things, as well as Edwin’s personal musings about the science and such behind all those things. No one leaves that first part of the book not knowing that Edwin is a very analytical person. Around the 40% mark, things start getting really interesting. Suddenly you are meeting all kinds of fascinating creatures, clashes of culture, betrayal, magic, politics! Almost every chapter has something exciting going on. You really get to travel right there with Edwin as he unravels curiosity and wonder at every turn. Followed by confusion again in the last few chapters. Why the sudden change? I have a feeling it's probably addressed in the next book with more detail because it FEELS like with all the other explanations in the book for things, that this would also be explained in detail. All in all I enjoyed many aspects of the book and none of the problems with it would stop me from continuing the series.
Want to read
August 4, 2022this sounds showstopping for me.
December 8, 2022
review
Been awhile since I purchased a book outside of KU. However, the blurb caught my attention and it sounded like fun. Definitely worth the purchase. Isekai without an overpowered mc, more of a bumbling fool getting by on luck. Spends way too much time rambling in his own head. See way too much of myself in there.
Been awhile since I purchased a book outside of KU. However, the blurb caught my attention and it sounded like fun. Definitely worth the purchase. Isekai without an overpowered mc, more of a bumbling fool getting by on luck. Spends way too much time rambling in his own head. See way too much of myself in there.
October 6, 2022
20% read
Just couldn't continue to read irrelevant details that were seemingly random and no solid story.main character is ridiculous and shallow 2 dimensional while the story is just plainly boring.
Just couldn't continue to read irrelevant details that were seemingly random and no solid story.main character is ridiculous and shallow 2 dimensional while the story is just plainly boring.
May 16, 2022
4.5 May The Winds Lift You High Stars
The Way Ahead first book in the series by Kaleb England and NorskDaedalus.
How was this book so tantalizing?? It must be the magic system, and System of this world, and how Edwin works it to interact with Earth science. This weirdly intriguing amalgamation of science, alchemy, and magic that I cannot wait to further explore in the coming books.
Sadly, there's one big detraction from my rating to account for. While, I am glad of all the background, world building, and just general info-dumping that led to the this completed work. There's definitely too much in some places, where it got pretty repetitive. Honestly, for him to reach any true action took a force of will to wait for.
Edwin is both interesting, and frustrating to follow, as a main character. He doesn't remember most people's names or deign to actually listen to the conversations around him. He keeps passing up ridiculously useful Skills. Undoubtedly, I've come to enjoy the journey through his experiences but I still want to hit him sometimes. Also, he needs a friend. Like any traveling companion will do. Even of the furry, not particularly sentient variety will do. Just give this man someone to talk to before he implodes from emotional repression. Finally, can we get an explanation on all of the inferences to his bad experiences on Earth. It's vaguely mentioned, but I'm kind of hoping for some definitive examples to more center my understanding.
It's a little disturbing to have a Dwarf be the bad guy, it seems so counterintuitive for me. The Dwarven characters of my favorite novels tend to be some of the most enjoyable for me. They generally aren't the antagonist. And this Lord of Highpeak is delusional, the way he willfully twists facts to the most ridiculous manifestations is hilarious and annoying.
The Avior is such a cool race. They're portrayed a little poorly and I think they'll end up being the 'Big Bad' later in the series given their connection to the creation of Empire. While judging only surface level I'm sure the Empire seems relatively happy and copacetic. But, honestly it only takes a little digging to truly grasp the potential for nefarious overtones. I mean they made it practically unlawful to not choose a predetermined Path. In a magical world or magical classes, no less! It's so preposterous and stupid to me. They're basically stagnated themselves from actual innovation... The way they treat all who don't conform, Adventurers and the like. While I understand a lot of them turn into Outlaws it's as much the uncompromising situation as their disposition that generates these type of people. It doesn't even seem that they are guaranteed a fair trial, their lack of Citizenship is labeled as willful rejection and simply used to tack on another mark for their list of crimes. Finally, and probably most importantly, there are definite undertones pointing only Aviors being considered the Leaders. (The halflings are straight up creepy...)
The Way Ahead first book in the series by Kaleb England and NorskDaedalus.
How was this book so tantalizing?? It must be the magic system, and System of this world, and how Edwin works it to interact with Earth science. This weirdly intriguing amalgamation of science, alchemy, and magic that I cannot wait to further explore in the coming books.
Sadly, there's one big detraction from my rating to account for. While, I am glad of all the background, world building, and just general info-dumping that led to the this completed work. There's definitely too much in some places, where it got pretty repetitive. Honestly, for him to reach any true action took a force of will to wait for.
Edwin is both interesting, and frustrating to follow, as a main character. He doesn't remember most people's names or deign to actually listen to the conversations around him. He keeps passing up ridiculously useful Skills. Undoubtedly, I've come to enjoy the journey through his experiences but I still want to hit him sometimes. Also, he needs a friend. Like any traveling companion will do. Even of the furry, not particularly sentient variety will do. Just give this man someone to talk to before he implodes from emotional repression. Finally, can we get an explanation on all of the inferences to his bad experiences on Earth. It's vaguely mentioned, but I'm kind of hoping for some definitive examples to more center my understanding.
It's a little disturbing to have a Dwarf be the bad guy, it seems so counterintuitive for me. The Dwarven characters of my favorite novels tend to be some of the most enjoyable for me. They generally aren't the antagonist. And this Lord of Highpeak is delusional, the way he willfully twists facts to the most ridiculous manifestations is hilarious and annoying.
The Avior is such a cool race. They're portrayed a little poorly and I think they'll end up being the 'Big Bad' later in the series given their connection to the creation of Empire. While judging only surface level I'm sure the Empire seems relatively happy and copacetic. But, honestly it only takes a little digging to truly grasp the potential for nefarious overtones. I mean they made it practically unlawful to not choose a predetermined Path. In a magical world or magical classes, no less! It's so preposterous and stupid to me. They're basically stagnated themselves from actual innovation... The way they treat all who don't conform, Adventurers and the like. While I understand a lot of them turn into Outlaws it's as much the uncompromising situation as their disposition that generates these type of people. It doesn't even seem that they are guaranteed a fair trial, their lack of Citizenship is labeled as willful rejection and simply used to tack on another mark for their list of crimes. Finally, and probably most importantly, there are definite undertones pointing only Aviors being considered the Leaders. (The halflings are straight up creepy...)
May 15, 2022
too much thinking
Written in the first person,this story spend the majority of time in the MCs head rather than in progressing a story. The development of the character seems to be the main point but I found it crowded out by large numbers of skills and a verbose system that the MC also complains about.
Happy to leave this story alone.
Written in the first person,this story spend the majority of time in the MCs head rather than in progressing a story. The development of the character seems to be the main point but I found it crowded out by large numbers of skills and a verbose system that the MC also complains about.
Happy to leave this story alone.
October 26, 2023
"The Way Ahead (The Way Ahead #1)" by Kaleb England is a book that presents an intriguing premise but falls short of delivering on its potential. While it hints at an exciting and suspenseful post-apocalyptic narrative, it ultimately leaves the reader wanting more.
The story introduces readers to a world devastated by a mysterious disaster, offering a dystopian backdrop filled with potential for adventure, danger, and exploration. The setting has all the makings of an engaging post-apocalyptic tale, and the promise of uncovering the secrets of the world is enticing.
However, the book's execution leaves much to be desired. The characters lack depth and fail to engage the reader on an emotional level. The protagonist, in particular, feels one-dimensional, and the supporting cast doesn't fare much better. Their actions and motivations often remain unclear, making it difficult for readers to connect with their struggles and triumphs.
The pacing of the narrative is inconsistent, with moments of action and tension interspersed with long stretches of inactivity and monotony. The plot meanders, and it often feels as though it lacks a clear direction or purpose. While some degree of mystery can be compelling, in this case, it leads to confusion rather than intrigue.
The writing style, too, lacks the immersive quality needed to bring a post-apocalyptic world to life. Descriptions are sparse, and the atmosphere is underdeveloped, preventing readers from fully immersing themselves in the story's setting and mood.
In conclusion, "The Way Ahead (The Way Ahead #1)" offers a promising premise but fails to live up to its potential. The lack of character development, uneven pacing, and underwhelming writing prevent the book from fully realizing the captivating post-apocalyptic story it hints at. While it may appeal to some fans of the genre, those seeking a more immersive and engaging post-apocalyptic narrative may find it lacking.
The story introduces readers to a world devastated by a mysterious disaster, offering a dystopian backdrop filled with potential for adventure, danger, and exploration. The setting has all the makings of an engaging post-apocalyptic tale, and the promise of uncovering the secrets of the world is enticing.
However, the book's execution leaves much to be desired. The characters lack depth and fail to engage the reader on an emotional level. The protagonist, in particular, feels one-dimensional, and the supporting cast doesn't fare much better. Their actions and motivations often remain unclear, making it difficult for readers to connect with their struggles and triumphs.
The pacing of the narrative is inconsistent, with moments of action and tension interspersed with long stretches of inactivity and monotony. The plot meanders, and it often feels as though it lacks a clear direction or purpose. While some degree of mystery can be compelling, in this case, it leads to confusion rather than intrigue.
The writing style, too, lacks the immersive quality needed to bring a post-apocalyptic world to life. Descriptions are sparse, and the atmosphere is underdeveloped, preventing readers from fully immersing themselves in the story's setting and mood.
In conclusion, "The Way Ahead (The Way Ahead #1)" offers a promising premise but fails to live up to its potential. The lack of character development, uneven pacing, and underwhelming writing prevent the book from fully realizing the captivating post-apocalyptic story it hints at. While it may appeal to some fans of the genre, those seeking a more immersive and engaging post-apocalyptic narrative may find it lacking.
August 20, 2022
Super slow. Extremely repetitive. Annoyingly superfluous.
The pacing of this is mind boggling slow. The MC is suffused with internal monologues that are about as interesting as someone studying dirt. The insufferable device of this book is to approach litRPG via the scientific method. Which makes about as much sense as approaching gourmet cooking with an Easy Bake Oven and some bread crumbs. The overly done analysis drones on-and-on: The sand had grains and the grains could be considered silica. Or not. Maybe they could be suffused with mana, but if I did that would it still be sand, or silica? I could try to use mana manipulation to see what might happen. More testing is required. Guess I'll keep on walking as maybe more sand, silica, might appear and I can consider whether or not it's back on Earth, but I don't want to think about that right now. Oh! Look! Toast.
We get this for about EVERYTHING! 90% of the book could easily be condensed otherwise.
And for unbearable stupidity? I know!!! Leave your companion in a pout, engage 2 bandits with, "I knew I could take them," and storm a wizard's tower populated by bandits ALL without knowing jack about fighting and being such a noob in the world that he can't even identify what's a plant. But the MC can do it ... all while running that whining internal monologue ... even while fighting.
THEN he beats everyone in the tower (including the alchemist) all while be concerned about killing them ... of course with the intention and result of taking the 'prisoners' to town for them to be executed. This book was bad, but the end was brutally bad.
Blah blah blah. Glad it's over.
The pacing of this is mind boggling slow. The MC is suffused with internal monologues that are about as interesting as someone studying dirt. The insufferable device of this book is to approach litRPG via the scientific method. Which makes about as much sense as approaching gourmet cooking with an Easy Bake Oven and some bread crumbs. The overly done analysis drones on-and-on: The sand had grains and the grains could be considered silica. Or not. Maybe they could be suffused with mana, but if I did that would it still be sand, or silica? I could try to use mana manipulation to see what might happen. More testing is required. Guess I'll keep on walking as maybe more sand, silica, might appear and I can consider whether or not it's back on Earth, but I don't want to think about that right now. Oh! Look! Toast.
We get this for about EVERYTHING! 90% of the book could easily be condensed otherwise.
And for unbearable stupidity? I know!!! Leave your companion in a pout, engage 2 bandits with, "I knew I could take them," and storm a wizard's tower populated by bandits ALL without knowing jack about fighting and being such a noob in the world that he can't even identify what's a plant. But the MC can do it ... all while running that whining internal monologue ... even while fighting.
THEN he beats everyone in the tower (including the alchemist) all while be concerned about killing them ... of course with the intention and result of taking the 'prisoners' to town for them to be executed. This book was bad, but the end was brutally bad.
Blah blah blah. Glad it's over.
June 19, 2022
The start of this book was really slow. I don't know if the author was trying to create a good foundation for his story, but it seemed glacial for things to actually start happening.
I'm fifty percent through the book, and what happened so far gets a "meh" from me. Maybe it's too scientific in it's approach? I think the author is showing too much of the scientific method in his experiments, and he is listing stuff in detail. I don't care for that.
The wander brain / ADHD protagonist is getting annoying. Him being distracted by everything is getting annoying after reading chapter after chapter. Now all of a sudden he got a personality shift and feels he can survive on his own and battle two on one?
I don't know where he got so full of himself. I thought it would be explained that someone /an artifact used some skill on him to shift his personality so, but nothing. I don't know how I feel about this.
The protagonist
I don't know how I feel about this book, or if I will continue (probably not).
3/5 Stars
I'm fifty percent through the book, and what happened so far gets a "meh" from me. Maybe it's too scientific in it's approach? I think the author is showing too much of the scientific method in his experiments, and he is listing stuff in detail. I don't care for that.
The wander brain / ADHD protagonist is getting annoying. Him being distracted by everything is getting annoying after reading chapter after chapter. Now all of a sudden he got a personality shift and feels he can survive on his own and battle two on one?
I don't know where he got so full of himself. I thought it would be explained that someone /an artifact used some skill on him to shift his personality so, but nothing. I don't know how I feel about this.
The protagonist
I don't know how I feel about this book, or if I will continue (probably not).
3/5 Stars
May 23, 2024
I made it through book four before writing this. It reminds me a lot of the millennial mage series. I generally liked it but eventually lossed interest because of a lack of character development. After the dwarf storyline in the first book it looses all external stakes. So it is primarily driven by the MCs curiosity, which I liked because the science was interesting.
The thing that really frustrated me through the whole story was the degree of social anxiety the MC had and held on to like it was righteous. At first I thought it was a interesting take on Buddhist philosophy that you create the world around you through perception. But that's where it stayed, like nothing was wrong. By the end of book 4 he was justifying "testing" his friends with stupid social games to see if they were really his friends. I can't stand when people do that. The author was probably going for a really long arc of character development, like 10 books at least, but I could stick with it.
Overall, well written, but killed by slow character development of a selfish and paranoid MC.
The thing that really frustrated me through the whole story was the degree of social anxiety the MC had and held on to like it was righteous. At first I thought it was a interesting take on Buddhist philosophy that you create the world around you through perception. But that's where it stayed, like nothing was wrong. By the end of book 4 he was justifying "testing" his friends with stupid social games to see if they were really his friends. I can't stand when people do that. The author was probably going for a really long arc of character development, like 10 books at least, but I could stick with it.
Overall, well written, but killed by slow character development of a selfish and paranoid MC.
August 20, 2022
Another one of those litRPGs that lacks an explicit story. Dude with annoyingly bad adhd is transported to a new world where he proceeds to have a nerd gasm, then nearly dies and stuff. The system is extremely abstract for my taste and after making it through the first two books, the MC appears to have little in mind beyond doing his own thing, slice of life style.
It's not bad, but not the best either. You might feel the need to push through the first half of book one because the author goes a little overboard on the nerd-penis trying to live up to this genre choice. (I forget what it's called, but its a litRPG subgenre based around the scientific method.) I suspect that by the end of book 3, the MC might be ready to start having adventures. Maybe. Unless he specifically finds some weird flower that he wants to study for a book and a half. Wouldn't put it past him.
It's not bad, but not the best either. You might feel the need to push through the first half of book one because the author goes a little overboard on the nerd-penis trying to live up to this genre choice. (I forget what it's called, but its a litRPG subgenre based around the scientific method.) I suspect that by the end of book 3, the MC might be ready to start having adventures. Maybe. Unless he specifically finds some weird flower that he wants to study for a book and a half. Wouldn't put it past him.
October 9, 2022
Another of those borderline-sociopath, people-are-objects, ‘rational thinker’ characters. “Maybe I’ll kill people for potion ingredients in the future,” he thinks at one point. You are not right, my friend. To top it off he’s terrible at everything, he never learns how to fight, do any magic, make a potion, make a friend?… He gets interesting skills he never uses. He invents some sort of mud bomb at one point… and that’s it. Sometimes he accidentally sets people on fire. Either he’s going to get some sort of painful awakening - in which case, why torture us with all this psycho stuff? Have him be a good guy from the start! - or he’s going to get worse and call that a win. I don’t really want to find out which. Sorry.
May 25, 2025
So I started out liking this book but, in the end it just had too many unexplained and stupid things happen- to the point where I ended up hating this book for wasting my time. (Spoilers will not be called out as spoiling this book is deemed desirable.)
The MC arrives in the wild on a world with magic. Instead of freaking out he explores and tries to intelligently address his needs. I am a bit of a loner so an intelligent MC exploring and learning on his own is appealing to me. However the author couldn't apparently bear making his MC truly competent having the MC only find food and water because of luck.
Near the water the MC finds a large rock to shelter under but this ends after a couple of days when flying wizards fight above the MCs head. When one of the wizards flings the large rock at the other the MC runs away. Even though the MC was in something like a tropical forest he manages to run into a snow storm. This made no sense to me plus the author provides his MC's reasoning which also made no sense. The MC decides to keep going in a blizzard because behind him is the devastation of a wizard battle, NEVER MIND THAT FREEZING TO DEATH IS THE IMMEDIATE THREAT AND AS FAR AS THE MC KNOWS THERE IS WARMTH, WATER AND FOOD BEHIND HIM.
Through dumb luck the MC falls into a crevice that provides sufficient shelter for him to survive the storm. After the storm the MC, through dumb luck, sees a road in the distance. Upon reaching the road the MC is again lucky in that the road is magically heated and so, warm for the first time in days, the MC falls asleep. Upon waking the MC is confronted by a dwarf who takes the MC to a dwarf city. There the dwarves manipulate the rules of hospitality to essentially enslave the MC. Finally the MC does something smart and uses his experience and intelligence to make grenades in secret that allow him to escape.
This whole escape, however, made no sense to me as the dwarf fighters can withstand the grenades and the MC should have no idea of where the exit is (the author acts as though the MC can figure out where the exit is from being taken back and forth to the throne room but it was never made clear to me how the MC being marched through a cafeteria somehow provided him the knowledge of where the exit is). Further the MC doesn't have anything like a bag of holding and yet the MC is somehow able to fight while carrying two large bags stuffed full of granades??? The escape ends with the MC getting insanely lucky to find a dwarf who, with the barest of threat from the MC, shows the MC the exit. In the epilogue it is disclosed that the local dwarf lord has a mind control effect on his citiizens making this lucky break for the MC even more insane.
The author also doesn't disclose until the epilogue that the local dwarf lord had to send a bunch of troops off to war. This information is intended to explain the lack of an immediate pursuit of the MC but it really doesn't. How did none of the soldiers attempt to chase down the MC on their own initiative? Further, this fails to explain the weeks of delay in ordering the pursuit as the local dwarf lord still had soldiers- the MC fought them during his escape. Why didn't the dwarf lord send two of them after the MC immediately??? Like maybe the same two soldiers the dwarf lord could spare to escort the MC everytime the MC was called in front of the dwarf lord???? The dwarf lord was injured during the MC's escape but in the epilogue we are only told the dwarf lord's throat is "injured and inflamed" (and besides the dwarf lord can write).
Also the local dwarf lord is presented as a completely different character in the epilogue. Earlier the dwarf lord is essentially presented as an evil maniac screaming insults at the MC every couple of days to no purpose. In the epilogue that behavior is ignored and the dwarf lord is presented as conniving and power hungry EXCEPT THAT THE LOCAL DWARF LORD BLURTS OUT THE KEY TO HIS PLAN TO GAIN POWER TO THE DWARF KING FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
Frankly, all that stupid crap I tolerated. What I really got sick of was the MC constantly being put in dangerous positions, deciding to get strong so he wouldn't have to be afraid all the time and then wimping out when it comes time to put up or shut up. While this is repeated several times the worst case is at the end of the book. The MC is an alchemist and somehow (we are never told how) an outlaw alchemist finds this out and sends thugs to grab him. MC fights off thugs 1 and 2 and then tracks down their hideout. Think about how stupid that is . . . The MC knows nothing about the bandits. There could be 50 strong fighters in the hideout. All the MC really knows is that he is not geared for combat and there are signficantly stronger fighters out there. Plus the MC has alreayd encountered a thief with invisability so even if the MC stakes out the hideout (which he doesn't) he can't be certain he's seen all the bandits.
Anyhow, MC, stupid though he is, defeats the bandits taking several unnecessary risks along the way just so he doesn't have to kill the bandits who have killed loads of people and would kill the MC if given the chance. MC proceeds to take the bandits in, all the while complaining about how dangerous it is to take in bandits who could escape and kill him at anytime. Add to that the bandits tell MC they will be hung and that the MC should just kill them so he gets the experiene gains. And yet the MC does none of that.
Bottom line: the MC is essentially worthless and would be dead several times over if weren't for rediculous and unexplained luck.
The MC arrives in the wild on a world with magic. Instead of freaking out he explores and tries to intelligently address his needs. I am a bit of a loner so an intelligent MC exploring and learning on his own is appealing to me. However the author couldn't apparently bear making his MC truly competent having the MC only find food and water because of luck.
Near the water the MC finds a large rock to shelter under but this ends after a couple of days when flying wizards fight above the MCs head. When one of the wizards flings the large rock at the other the MC runs away. Even though the MC was in something like a tropical forest he manages to run into a snow storm. This made no sense to me plus the author provides his MC's reasoning which also made no sense. The MC decides to keep going in a blizzard because behind him is the devastation of a wizard battle, NEVER MIND THAT FREEZING TO DEATH IS THE IMMEDIATE THREAT AND AS FAR AS THE MC KNOWS THERE IS WARMTH, WATER AND FOOD BEHIND HIM.
Through dumb luck the MC falls into a crevice that provides sufficient shelter for him to survive the storm. After the storm the MC, through dumb luck, sees a road in the distance. Upon reaching the road the MC is again lucky in that the road is magically heated and so, warm for the first time in days, the MC falls asleep. Upon waking the MC is confronted by a dwarf who takes the MC to a dwarf city. There the dwarves manipulate the rules of hospitality to essentially enslave the MC. Finally the MC does something smart and uses his experience and intelligence to make grenades in secret that allow him to escape.
This whole escape, however, made no sense to me as the dwarf fighters can withstand the grenades and the MC should have no idea of where the exit is (the author acts as though the MC can figure out where the exit is from being taken back and forth to the throne room but it was never made clear to me how the MC being marched through a cafeteria somehow provided him the knowledge of where the exit is). Further the MC doesn't have anything like a bag of holding and yet the MC is somehow able to fight while carrying two large bags stuffed full of granades??? The escape ends with the MC getting insanely lucky to find a dwarf who, with the barest of threat from the MC, shows the MC the exit. In the epilogue it is disclosed that the local dwarf lord has a mind control effect on his citiizens making this lucky break for the MC even more insane.
The author also doesn't disclose until the epilogue that the local dwarf lord had to send a bunch of troops off to war. This information is intended to explain the lack of an immediate pursuit of the MC but it really doesn't. How did none of the soldiers attempt to chase down the MC on their own initiative? Further, this fails to explain the weeks of delay in ordering the pursuit as the local dwarf lord still had soldiers- the MC fought them during his escape. Why didn't the dwarf lord send two of them after the MC immediately??? Like maybe the same two soldiers the dwarf lord could spare to escort the MC everytime the MC was called in front of the dwarf lord???? The dwarf lord was injured during the MC's escape but in the epilogue we are only told the dwarf lord's throat is "injured and inflamed" (and besides the dwarf lord can write).
Also the local dwarf lord is presented as a completely different character in the epilogue. Earlier the dwarf lord is essentially presented as an evil maniac screaming insults at the MC every couple of days to no purpose. In the epilogue that behavior is ignored and the dwarf lord is presented as conniving and power hungry EXCEPT THAT THE LOCAL DWARF LORD BLURTS OUT THE KEY TO HIS PLAN TO GAIN POWER TO THE DWARF KING FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
Frankly, all that stupid crap I tolerated. What I really got sick of was the MC constantly being put in dangerous positions, deciding to get strong so he wouldn't have to be afraid all the time and then wimping out when it comes time to put up or shut up. While this is repeated several times the worst case is at the end of the book. The MC is an alchemist and somehow (we are never told how) an outlaw alchemist finds this out and sends thugs to grab him. MC fights off thugs 1 and 2 and then tracks down their hideout. Think about how stupid that is . . . The MC knows nothing about the bandits. There could be 50 strong fighters in the hideout. All the MC really knows is that he is not geared for combat and there are signficantly stronger fighters out there. Plus the MC has alreayd encountered a thief with invisability so even if the MC stakes out the hideout (which he doesn't) he can't be certain he's seen all the bandits.
Anyhow, MC, stupid though he is, defeats the bandits taking several unnecessary risks along the way just so he doesn't have to kill the bandits who have killed loads of people and would kill the MC if given the chance. MC proceeds to take the bandits in, all the while complaining about how dangerous it is to take in bandits who could escape and kill him at anytime. Add to that the bandits tell MC they will be hung and that the MC should just kill them so he gets the experiene gains. And yet the MC does none of that.
Bottom line: the MC is essentially worthless and would be dead several times over if weren't for rediculous and unexplained luck.
April 23, 2022
Interesting
A great world building story no harems or buxom females the protagonist is more into his science and research of the arcane to bother with those things just yet.
What we have is a science geek in another world that has no clue about magic mana etc and why is everything trying to kill him and give him skills at random, after reading lots of these kind of books this is an interesting take on the genre no master gungho commando just an average guy dropped into the unknown .
A great world building story no harems or buxom females the protagonist is more into his science and research of the arcane to bother with those things just yet.
What we have is a science geek in another world that has no clue about magic mana etc and why is everything trying to kill him and give him skills at random, after reading lots of these kind of books this is an interesting take on the genre no master gungho commando just an average guy dropped into the unknown .
September 18, 2022
Delightful
I have to wonder, why did the character in the epilogue make the conclusion that he did? Wouldn’t it make more sense to believe that they really did have an Outsider in their midst, given the impossibilities that Edwin came up with?
I liked that Edwin was respectful enough of local wisdom to listen and understand the basis of their view, but that he always retained an analytical perspective of method and experimentation. He will be able to build something unique to this world, but will he be strong enough to face the challenges that will inevitably present?
I have to wonder, why did the character in the epilogue make the conclusion that he did? Wouldn’t it make more sense to believe that they really did have an Outsider in their midst, given the impossibilities that Edwin came up with?
I liked that Edwin was respectful enough of local wisdom to listen and understand the basis of their view, but that he always retained an analytical perspective of method and experimentation. He will be able to build something unique to this world, but will he be strong enough to face the challenges that will inevitably present?
September 30, 2022
Pretty well written litrpg book, leans a bit to heavily on the tropes of the genre. World building was done well, left me wanting to explore the world, societies and powers there. Main character is a physicist/scientist nerd stereotype, hopefully there will be character growth later because there wasn't any in this book. The secondary and tertiary characters were flat with little apparent depth, nearly all interactions served only to fuel the protagonist narrative. There was a fair bit of the litrpg character and skill word vomit which I'm not a fan of.
January 19, 2023
World building with almost no story
This was one of the most boring LitRPG books I have read so far. We have endless talk of skills and paths and almost no story. The protagonist has to be the most insufferable character I have ever read about. He is unable to have a conversation with anyone important without finding them boring and missing half the conversation so in the end he doesn’t really form any meaningful relationships. It’s like someone wanted to write about their ideal fantasy world and forgot to include a story in it.
This was one of the most boring LitRPG books I have read so far. We have endless talk of skills and paths and almost no story. The protagonist has to be the most insufferable character I have ever read about. He is unable to have a conversation with anyone important without finding them boring and missing half the conversation so in the end he doesn’t really form any meaningful relationships. It’s like someone wanted to write about their ideal fantasy world and forgot to include a story in it.
February 28, 2023
Protagonist?
An interesting story with an unusual take on character progression, just one problem:
The main character is the problem. He is not just unlikable, he's also unhateabe, and uninteresting. What kind of catchphrase is 'needs more testing'?
Hemingway and James Joyce would marvel at his ability to spew stream of consciousness non-stop, and bemoan how no one likes him while doing everything in his power to make people not like him. He's just a stunningly unlikable character! I bet he has a very punchable face. Tom out
An interesting story with an unusual take on character progression, just one problem:
The main character is the problem. He is not just unlikable, he's also unhateabe, and uninteresting. What kind of catchphrase is 'needs more testing'?
Hemingway and James Joyce would marvel at his ability to spew stream of consciousness non-stop, and bemoan how no one likes him while doing everything in his power to make people not like him. He's just a stunningly unlikable character! I bet he has a very punchable face. Tom out
November 25, 2024
As a fan of Eastern webnovels, this seemed right up my alley, but I didn't like the MC. It's a nerd fantasy alright but sometimes not in a good way in my opinion. If you're just going to space out when people are talking, of course they won't like you. I still enjoyed the first half, but I really wasn't feeling it in the second half. It's like he's just drifting from one subplot to another. I thought he'd get a training arc, but he just half-asses his way throughout the entire book.
July 18, 2022
Well done! Another winner from royal road
Love it! Main character isnt overpowered. World is interesting, with characters that have some depth and personal motivation. MC has an interesting internal monologue, and the writer does a good job of jumping between action and introspection. Overall great job. More!
Love it! Main character isnt overpowered. World is interesting, with characters that have some depth and personal motivation. MC has an interesting internal monologue, and the writer does a good job of jumping between action and introspection. Overall great job. More!
July 27, 2022
Interesting
Ok....there are parts of the book that I like, ithers that I do not....The universe that the book is se upon is interesting, the way that the character is affected by the skills and path make me think(at times) that he has multiple personalities. I will probably read book two.
Ok....there are parts of the book that I like, ithers that I do not....The universe that the book is se upon is interesting, the way that the character is affected by the skills and path make me think(at times) that he has multiple personalities. I will probably read book two.
September 7, 2022
1st chapter.
Guy with no past wakes in unknown wilderness, doesn't recognize the wildlife, concludes he's in another world. Obviously...
Guy gets a humongous amount of 'notifications', reads 'mana' in the there, and concludes that there are TWO types of magic in this world - elementary, Watson ole chap! And where is my pixie, and my menu, and my skill tree, and my OP kit?
Yeaaah, nope.
Guy with no past wakes in unknown wilderness, doesn't recognize the wildlife, concludes he's in another world. Obviously...
Guy gets a humongous amount of 'notifications', reads 'mana' in the there, and concludes that there are TWO types of magic in this world - elementary, Watson ole chap! And where is my pixie, and my menu, and my skill tree, and my OP kit?
Yeaaah, nope.
May 18, 2022
Glad Accident
Not going to lie I thought this was a book with my subscription, it was not I bought it thinking I just wasted money, and though I did use money when I didn't want to I'm glad I did it was a good book.
Too much detail at times though.
Not going to lie I thought this was a book with my subscription, it was not I bought it thinking I just wasted money, and though I did use money when I didn't want to I'm glad I did it was a good book.
Too much detail at times though.
August 31, 2022
A bit on the slow side, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
My main issue is that the MC acts against his established character at a couple point, seemingly to add more action. However, it really doesn't work.
My main issue is that the MC acts against his established character at a couple point, seemingly to add more action. However, it really doesn't work.
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