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The Transcendent Green #1
The Transcendent Green
Earth has ascended…
Magic tears through an unsuspecting planet of humans, bringing mythology and monsters to life—and providing humanity a chance to prove their mettle.
Old grudges die hard…
All Calum Green wants is to reach what remains of his family. Ninety miles of the Scottish Highlands stand between Calum and his family home in coastal Oban. He does not want to make that trek with his cheating ex-girlfriend’s bestie at his side.
Eilidh MacIntosh has always disliked Calum, and now she’s armed with a bloody claymore on top of her haughty disdain. But the ascension directive is clear: humans cannot survive this new world alone—and this pair makes an annoyingly good team.
With Calum’s magic and their combined bad luck, the unlikely duo accidentally trigger a rare ascension quest: to find the perpetrator of a dangerous, corrupt magic that could make all of humanity into an endangered species.
Contains strong language in the face of the end of the world. You've been warned.
Magic tears through an unsuspecting planet of humans, bringing mythology and monsters to life—and providing humanity a chance to prove their mettle.
Old grudges die hard…
All Calum Green wants is to reach what remains of his family. Ninety miles of the Scottish Highlands stand between Calum and his family home in coastal Oban. He does not want to make that trek with his cheating ex-girlfriend’s bestie at his side.
Eilidh MacIntosh has always disliked Calum, and now she’s armed with a bloody claymore on top of her haughty disdain. But the ascension directive is clear: humans cannot survive this new world alone—and this pair makes an annoyingly good team.
With Calum’s magic and their combined bad luck, the unlikely duo accidentally trigger a rare ascension quest: to find the perpetrator of a dangerous, corrupt magic that could make all of humanity into an endangered species.
Contains strong language in the face of the end of the world. You've been warned.
505 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
February 26, 2023
I kind of loved the concept for this. Scottish-themed system apocalypse featuring powers with lots and lots of Gaelic that felt more than just flavor. Ocha does an outstanding job making Gaelic Scotts present without being impenetrable. Also, who doesn't want a red-haired woman slinging a claymore like a boss? Is that just me?
Unfortunately, my interest has dribbled away at nearly three-quarters through when it became clear that Lord Unlikely is going to be the series big-bad instead of the one-note joke he truly is. The only thing missing on this guy is a mustache to twirl. And this isn't helped by the scene where they had him and didn't bother killing him for stupid authorial reasons that made no sense (some fearsome beastie comes from miles away but so fast that they have to scramble to escape in time!)
And I might have continued if there had been some dimension to Eilidh and even more so if there had been any hint of her softening towards Cal. But no. She's an inarticulate one-note fuming pillar of anger. And nothing else. I loved that Cal had the guts to ask her outright what the deal was and why she hated him so much. When she just froze up and walked away, I was pretty much done with shipping that tattered dinghy.
I'm giving this a second star because the story in my head was so fine. I know that's completely unfair, but at least it's unfair on the generous side; the alternative being the single, lonely star it likely deserves.
Unfortunately, my interest has dribbled away at nearly three-quarters through when it became clear that Lord Unlikely is going to be the series big-bad instead of the one-note joke he truly is. The only thing missing on this guy is a mustache to twirl. And this isn't helped by the scene where they had him and didn't bother killing him for stupid authorial reasons that made no sense (some fearsome beastie comes from miles away but so fast that they have to scramble to escape in time!)
And I might have continued if there had been some dimension to Eilidh and even more so if there had been any hint of her softening towards Cal. But no. She's an inarticulate one-note fuming pillar of anger. And nothing else. I loved that Cal had the guts to ask her outright what the deal was and why she hated him so much. When she just froze up and walked away, I was pretty much done with shipping that tattered dinghy.
I'm giving this a second star because the story in my head was so fine. I know that's completely unfair, but at least it's unfair on the generous side; the alternative being the single, lonely star it likely deserves.
December 6, 2022
I found this by accident and then left it on my Kindle app waiting to be read for a month or two. Nothing personal, just had other books to read.
Callum is living in Glasgow when the apocalypse hits, or as it's called in the book, the ascension. Except the ascension people screwed up and had Earth start earlier than expected. Not wanting to stay in a large city, he takes off for his family in Oban ninety miles away by hopping on his bike and riding off into the sunset.
Not really. Along the way he fights giant voles, rats, seagulls and other much larger and more vicious than normal beasties. He also mismanages his inventory in a way that has him walking to Oban.
Along the way he meets Eilidh (I have no idea how to pronounce her name) and Rhona. The bad guy antagonist lives in a mansion nearby.
The author takes the standard apocalyptic LitRPG formula and tweaks it slightly. A lot of the skill names are in Gaelic, although they are mostly explained in the text. Instead of horror and PVP, we have the ascension, where people are supposed to work together to get things done which reminded me a lot of the Haley and Nana novellas.
There's still plenty of action, and I can now say with certainty that the Scottish mind thinks differently than the rest of us. That's probably a good thing. I don't have any negatives, but I will note that the skill descriptions (there is a skill tree which is very similar to what we see in RPG games) are long. After a while they start to blend together, and I stopped worrying about remembering them all. Especially since they had Gaelic names, which I knew I wouldn't remember.
All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book and have already picked up book two. It might take a while to read it (the Primal Hunter #4 just came out) but I'll get there. Recommended. 5/5*
Callum is living in Glasgow when the apocalypse hits, or as it's called in the book, the ascension. Except the ascension people screwed up and had Earth start earlier than expected. Not wanting to stay in a large city, he takes off for his family in Oban ninety miles away by hopping on his bike and riding off into the sunset.
Not really. Along the way he fights giant voles, rats, seagulls and other much larger and more vicious than normal beasties. He also mismanages his inventory in a way that has him walking to Oban.
Along the way he meets Eilidh (I have no idea how to pronounce her name) and Rhona. The bad guy antagonist lives in a mansion nearby.
The author takes the standard apocalyptic LitRPG formula and tweaks it slightly. A lot of the skill names are in Gaelic, although they are mostly explained in the text. Instead of horror and PVP, we have the ascension, where people are supposed to work together to get things done which reminded me a lot of the Haley and Nana novellas.
There's still plenty of action, and I can now say with certainty that the Scottish mind thinks differently than the rest of us. That's probably a good thing. I don't have any negatives, but I will note that the skill descriptions (there is a skill tree which is very similar to what we see in RPG games) are long. After a while they start to blend together, and I stopped worrying about remembering them all. Especially since they had Gaelic names, which I knew I wouldn't remember.
All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book and have already picked up book two. It might take a while to read it (the Primal Hunter #4 just came out) but I'll get there. Recommended. 5/5*
November 30, 2022
book one
I am very glad to see yet another country joining in on the litrpg. I’ve read ones from Russia, America, China, and other Asian countries have even seen a couple from Australia.
This was incredibly well written. It was a lot of fun. I am appreciative of the fact that the Gaelic was translated into English, the best that it could be.
The action was a lot of fun. The MC has a lot of depth to him. I like the fact that he learns more about himself as it goes a long.
If there’s anything that I didn’t like about this book, it’s the quasi, cliffhanger ending. I’ll be looking forward to book two.
There is a warning about the cursing at the start of this book. Personally, I did not find the cursing to be overdone like in some books. I found it flowed naturally with the feelings and the situation is that they were in.
I read this book at 9 out of 10
I am very glad to see yet another country joining in on the litrpg. I’ve read ones from Russia, America, China, and other Asian countries have even seen a couple from Australia.
This was incredibly well written. It was a lot of fun. I am appreciative of the fact that the Gaelic was translated into English, the best that it could be.
The action was a lot of fun. The MC has a lot of depth to him. I like the fact that he learns more about himself as it goes a long.
If there’s anything that I didn’t like about this book, it’s the quasi, cliffhanger ending. I’ll be looking forward to book two.
There is a warning about the cursing at the start of this book. Personally, I did not find the cursing to be overdone like in some books. I found it flowed naturally with the feelings and the situation is that they were in.
I read this book at 9 out of 10
January 31, 2023
Good. Well written for the most part. Light on the emotional beats but there are some.
I’d like it if the author included footnotes with translations of the Gaelic rather than putting the onus on the reader to google stuff as it rather breaks the flow of reading.
The passion the author has for his culture is great. Footnotes would help the reader connect to the info.
I’d like it if the author included footnotes with translations of the Gaelic rather than putting the onus on the reader to google stuff as it rather breaks the flow of reading.
The passion the author has for his culture is great. Footnotes would help the reader connect to the info.
April 6, 2023
Tired of lone heroes? This is something different
Well written apocalyptic LitRPG that focuses on more than the lone hero dynamic. Well written, well conceived and with an interesting system
Well written apocalyptic LitRPG that focuses on more than the lone hero dynamic. Well written, well conceived and with an interesting system
May 8, 2023
This book was recommended to me by Goodreads (an Amazon company since 2013). I did not like this book. The action is slow and there is no main plot arcs or subsequent plot arcs to support the main theme. This is yet another hell-like apocalyptic urban fantasy book with RPG characteristics. The thing is the apocalypse is barely described. There seem to be aliens involved, but the author never really gets to them, explains or describes them. The RPG (Role-playing-game-like features) are okay, but again, the author never really describes the system, just throws random skills like pulling them out of a hat, no real affinity to the main characters, not really worked for them (deserved or merit system to get them). Then, main characters are barely described. We don't know their age, how they are dressed, personality, emotional, character traits that would help the reader become invested in a new book series like this one.
The author places a profanity warning at the beginning (that supposedly excuses the main characters excessive use of bad words). Usually bad words are used by people either to highlight experiences or for lack of vocabulary and elaborate language. As if profanity was attractive or something that people would like to read about...
Not much else, the author goes day to day moment to moment in the life of the protagonist, without really going anywhere and having a real purpose after the world supposedly hit the fan.
I do not recommend this book.
The author places a profanity warning at the beginning (that supposedly excuses the main characters excessive use of bad words). Usually bad words are used by people either to highlight experiences or for lack of vocabulary and elaborate language. As if profanity was attractive or something that people would like to read about...
Not much else, the author goes day to day moment to moment in the life of the protagonist, without really going anywhere and having a real purpose after the world supposedly hit the fan.
I do not recommend this book.
November 28, 2022
KU Review
This one was great. After reading the forward I even started reading the rest in a Scottish accent. So much fun. Great characters and dynamics.
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
This one was great. After reading the forward I even started reading the rest in a Scottish accent. So much fun. Great characters and dynamics.
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
November 11, 2022
not Aussie or US? weird…
Seriously, it’s nice to have the occasional apocalypse that *doesn’t* involve North America. Not even a random misplaced Yankee to add guns-go-boom. Entirely local to Scotland, with a few mentions of other countries (again, not US). It brings a whole new flavor to the genre, including the oddities of language specific to the locale.
Speaking of the language, this leans *really hard* on Gaelic. And there is a good bit of foul language, even in English.
The ‘system’ tends towards verbose…and repetitive. It may work better in that respect as an audio book. Not awful, just noticeable.
Strongly cultivation adjacent, but definitely constructed as LitRPG.
Looking forward to the next one.
Seriously, it’s nice to have the occasional apocalypse that *doesn’t* involve North America. Not even a random misplaced Yankee to add guns-go-boom. Entirely local to Scotland, with a few mentions of other countries (again, not US). It brings a whole new flavor to the genre, including the oddities of language specific to the locale.
Speaking of the language, this leans *really hard* on Gaelic. And there is a good bit of foul language, even in English.
The ‘system’ tends towards verbose…and repetitive. It may work better in that respect as an audio book. Not awful, just noticeable.
Strongly cultivation adjacent, but definitely constructed as LitRPG.
Looking forward to the next one.
November 22, 2022
This is honestly one of the best progression fantasy books that I have ever read. It brings something new to the world rather than just relying on clichés of the genre. Here are some key features that stood out for me:
The writing is well executed. This is not a poorly edited book with numerous typos or plot holes. The story moves along at a good pace and doesn't drag. I also never felt bogged down in the technical details of the progression system. (I think that people who don't necessarily enjoy litrpg/gamelit/progression fantasy could still enjoy this story.)
The characters come across as real people in an abnormal situation. It could be argued that the antagonist and his team are a little flat, but they are, at least at this point, largely background characters.
This story's progression system encourages collaboration amongst people, rather than encouraging individualistic psychopaths like some other systems do. I think that this was one of the features that really appealed to me the most.
The story is set in Scotland and is written by someone who clearly knows this part of the world. It provides a fresh side to progression and urban fantasy without relying on Scottish stereotypes. The story features quite a bit of Gaelic. I suppose that whether that's good or not is up to you, but I really enjoyed it. There were times where I wasn't quite sure what things meant, but they were generally explained quite well.
I strongly recommend this book for people who enjoy progression fantasy or urban fantasy, and I can't wait for the next book in the series to be published.
The writing is well executed. This is not a poorly edited book with numerous typos or plot holes. The story moves along at a good pace and doesn't drag. I also never felt bogged down in the technical details of the progression system. (I think that people who don't necessarily enjoy litrpg/gamelit/progression fantasy could still enjoy this story.)
The characters come across as real people in an abnormal situation. It could be argued that the antagonist and his team are a little flat, but they are, at least at this point, largely background characters.
This story's progression system encourages collaboration amongst people, rather than encouraging individualistic psychopaths like some other systems do. I think that this was one of the features that really appealed to me the most.
The story is set in Scotland and is written by someone who clearly knows this part of the world. It provides a fresh side to progression and urban fantasy without relying on Scottish stereotypes. The story features quite a bit of Gaelic. I suppose that whether that's good or not is up to you, but I really enjoyed it. There were times where I wasn't quite sure what things meant, but they were generally explained quite well.
I strongly recommend this book for people who enjoy progression fantasy or urban fantasy, and I can't wait for the next book in the series to be published.
May 16, 2023
A huge mistake is made, and Earth is forced into an early Ascension. The world is unprepared, but many people still try to do the right thing.
Calum is an ordinary Scottish guy fresh out of a breakup. Eilidh is his ex-girlfrind's bestie. Neither thought they'd be stuck with each other as they travel to Oban to meet up with their friends and family.
First, I thoroughly enjoyed the setting. This is the first LitRPG book that I've read that takes place in Scotland, and it was a refreshing change. The different towns and cities, the flora and fauna, and the people were all so interesting, and the way Calum's heritage connected to the system kept me glued to the page. Mythology was used in a cool way.
I also like the system itself. It got a bit wordy, with a bit too much repetition (I ended up skimming some of it) but it had a distinct flavor all its own. I liked the different skills, and even how they were described. Calum also used his skills in creative ways.
Eilidh was a grumpy one, but I kind of knew where that was headed, so I didn't mind. I liked that she had her own set of skills, that balanced nicely with Calum's. They made a good team!
Finally, the Scottish slang was fun, and different. I figured out a couple of words from context, but I had to look up bampot. :-)
Had a good time with this one!
Calum is an ordinary Scottish guy fresh out of a breakup. Eilidh is his ex-girlfrind's bestie. Neither thought they'd be stuck with each other as they travel to Oban to meet up with their friends and family.
First, I thoroughly enjoyed the setting. This is the first LitRPG book that I've read that takes place in Scotland, and it was a refreshing change. The different towns and cities, the flora and fauna, and the people were all so interesting, and the way Calum's heritage connected to the system kept me glued to the page. Mythology was used in a cool way.
I also like the system itself. It got a bit wordy, with a bit too much repetition (I ended up skimming some of it) but it had a distinct flavor all its own. I liked the different skills, and even how they were described. Calum also used his skills in creative ways.
Eilidh was a grumpy one, but I kind of knew where that was headed, so I didn't mind. I liked that she had her own set of skills, that balanced nicely with Calum's. They made a good team!
Finally, the Scottish slang was fun, and different. I figured out a couple of words from context, but I had to look up bampot. :-)
Had a good time with this one!
October 3, 2023
Earth. Magic apocalypse. System grants magic powers. Leveling up. Yadda yadda yadda.
This one sticks out because the "system" is actually run by a fairly benevolent interstellar consortium, only Earth was accidentally absorbed before it was ready. The system rewards positive actions and communities working together. Instead of the usual system messages from other litRPG like "World Message: Marty Stu is the first player to kill ten thousand goblins" there are instead more along the lines of "World Message: the Lake Tanganyika community has cleared all pollution from their water ways" or "World Message: the Valparaíso community has constructed a work of art commemorating their cultural heritage."
Not to say this is peaceful. There is definitely the normal magically mutated overgrown wildlife and also many formerly important humans leveraging their mundane wealth and power to attempt to recreate their positions as petty tyrants.
The main community here is based in the Scottish Highlands and the local magic tends to merge into druid archetypes. They spend time speaking and teaching Scottish Gaelic. It isn't a "cozy" fantasy but it does have a deep positivity that is rare in this sub-genre.
This one sticks out because the "system" is actually run by a fairly benevolent interstellar consortium, only Earth was accidentally absorbed before it was ready. The system rewards positive actions and communities working together. Instead of the usual system messages from other litRPG like "World Message: Marty Stu is the first player to kill ten thousand goblins" there are instead more along the lines of "World Message: the Lake Tanganyika community has cleared all pollution from their water ways" or "World Message: the Valparaíso community has constructed a work of art commemorating their cultural heritage."
Not to say this is peaceful. There is definitely the normal magically mutated overgrown wildlife and also many formerly important humans leveraging their mundane wealth and power to attempt to recreate their positions as petty tyrants.
The main community here is based in the Scottish Highlands and the local magic tends to merge into druid archetypes. They spend time speaking and teaching Scottish Gaelic. It isn't a "cozy" fantasy but it does have a deep positivity that is rare in this sub-genre.
January 16, 2023
At its core, The Transcendent Green is an exemplar of the system apocalypse genre, but it also interrogates and challenges many of the core tropes, like the preeminence of the individual, or the necessity of adapting to a dog-eat-dog world. It achieves this by reimagining the system apocalypse as a potentially benevolent thing that has gone wrong, essentially like giving power tools to a toddler. One of the really neat side effects is that the protagonists can see beauty in what's going on, it's not just purely trauma after trauma.
One of the many ways that the Transcendent Green is innovative is that it exploits the RPG mechanics to delve into the protagonist's emotional growth. Magic is tied to your emotional strength/maturity, and the protagonist limited by how much he has repressed his emotions. Not only does he grow and start allowing himself to feel his feelings, but the story also has a natural way of calling attention to it and it's pivotal to the plot.
It also has a delicious Gaelic flavor that I couldn't get enough of. I highly recommend it if you're into progression fantasy.
One of the many ways that the Transcendent Green is innovative is that it exploits the RPG mechanics to delve into the protagonist's emotional growth. Magic is tied to your emotional strength/maturity, and the protagonist limited by how much he has repressed his emotions. Not only does he grow and start allowing himself to feel his feelings, but the story also has a natural way of calling attention to it and it's pivotal to the plot.
It also has a delicious Gaelic flavor that I couldn't get enough of. I highly recommend it if you're into progression fantasy.
Read
February 19, 2023I’ve been in a LitRPG mood lately, and so tried out several in the subgenre. This one really hit the spot for me. I think it was largely due to the Scottish setting, and protagonist/narrator Calum being adult rather than a teenager. He was thoughtful in his planning and decision-making. Not always “right”, I suppose, but not careless or trusting overmuch to luck. I enjoyed seeing how he and his friends (and even enemies!) got to grips with the new powers bestowed upon the whole world.
The prose was tidy, and I noticed just a couple of typos. I enjoyed the touches of humour. The major characters were distinct and consistent, and nobody ended up playing Party Idiot just for the sake of drama.
The story progression is fairly linear. The book ends with a pause rather than a resolution. I didn’t find this as dissatisfying as I would with a more conventional book because of the nature of the quest/storyline.
The prose was tidy, and I noticed just a couple of typos. I enjoyed the touches of humour. The major characters were distinct and consistent, and nobody ended up playing Party Idiot just for the sake of drama.
The story progression is fairly linear. The book ends with a pause rather than a resolution. I didn’t find this as dissatisfying as I would with a more conventional book because of the nature of the quest/storyline.
January 16, 2023
Ohhh his is a fun one
Interesting lit RPG. A lot of fun a lot of comic humor. The main Characters are very unique and have some Interpersonal quirks that lend to the depth of their story. The regional difference in this case Scotland and The Gaelic. Certainly adds a new twist to the genre. I liked it. Always good to learn a little culture than I'm less familiar with while reading books that I enjoy. The Manner of speech the For the area can be a bit cumbersome at times. And I noticed it got heavier as the book went on.. That said I enjoy the local flavor to the genre. I recommended this book if you're a fan of the litRPG. And I certainly can't wait to get my hands on the second book.
Interesting lit RPG. A lot of fun a lot of comic humor. The main Characters are very unique and have some Interpersonal quirks that lend to the depth of their story. The regional difference in this case Scotland and The Gaelic. Certainly adds a new twist to the genre. I liked it. Always good to learn a little culture than I'm less familiar with while reading books that I enjoy. The Manner of speech the For the area can be a bit cumbersome at times. And I noticed it got heavier as the book went on.. That said I enjoy the local flavor to the genre. I recommended this book if you're a fan of the litRPG. And I certainly can't wait to get my hands on the second book.
September 12, 2025
I read this entire series in like, 3 days. I'm not sure when. It was shockingly fantastic. I started it because I had just sped through the first 3 books of Dungeon Crawler Carl and was worried I was reading them "too fast" and would run out. I had randomly seen a positive review of this from Felicia Day? And thought, sure why not - it was on Kindle Unlimited. But I was really blown away by how much I loved this. It was moving, and emotional, but uplifting, and contained so much hope for humanity. I was able to overlook the occasional very 14-year-old boy humor, and it made me honestly cry a few times (maybe not this book in particular, but others in the series). I also really loved all of the cultural inclusion stuff, and the Scottish culture especially - so interesting.
February 7, 2023
The most deeply improbable and enjoyable progression fantasy. Basically "what if Kropotkin wrote a Mutual Aid: the LitRPG and set it in Scotland?"
A bit heavier on "stattiness" than I prefer, but well written, likeable characters, and absolutely skewers the typical individualistic power fantasy tropes of the subgenre, to the point that some of the middling/negative review on the ‘zon are hilariously LitRPG bros going “ok but needs moar individualistic power fantasy and less anarcho-communism”. Bonus points for casually queer supporting characters and the truly Scottish levels of swearing.
A bit heavier on "stattiness" than I prefer, but well written, likeable characters, and absolutely skewers the typical individualistic power fantasy tropes of the subgenre, to the point that some of the middling/negative review on the ‘zon are hilariously LitRPG bros going “ok but needs moar individualistic power fantasy and less anarcho-communism”. Bonus points for casually queer supporting characters and the truly Scottish levels of swearing.
December 4, 2022
Good book. Held my attention.
Good story and characters that I liked. Good villain who wasn't totally stupid. Only bad part was the wore out old trope of the Stupid Male without a clue that the girl is in love with him. That Trope Needs To Die Choking On Shite! Freaking Edgar Rice Burroughs wore out that damn trope in every one of his books back in the 1900's, for F's sake! Like the damn Norwegian Blue let it Rest In Peace!
Other than that I highly recommend this book and will read the rest of the series.
Good story and characters that I liked. Good villain who wasn't totally stupid. Only bad part was the wore out old trope of the Stupid Male without a clue that the girl is in love with him. That Trope Needs To Die Choking On Shite! Freaking Edgar Rice Burroughs wore out that damn trope in every one of his books back in the 1900's, for F's sake! Like the damn Norwegian Blue let it Rest In Peace!
Other than that I highly recommend this book and will read the rest of the series.
January 7, 2023
Once again, I wish goodreads had a 10-point scale or at least logged 1/2 stars. This is another book I enjoyed, but in a top 10% of the year way, not an all-time classic. As the new year turns it occurs to me that I should stop my rating inflation, and I'll stop here.
On the 5-point scale, I "really liked it", but I doubt I'd re-read it. Re-reading is the mark of a book that deserves a 5, so from this point on only books I like that much will get 5s. I did like it and the characters enough to pick up book 2, which is what a 4 means.
On the 5-point scale, I "really liked it", but I doubt I'd re-read it. Re-reading is the mark of a book that deserves a 5, so from this point on only books I like that much will get 5s. I did like it and the characters enough to pick up book 2, which is what a 4 means.
January 30, 2023
Fragging Amazing
Wow, what an amazing story! Was not expecting to fall as deeply in love with it as I did! I actually highly appreciated that the author didn’t attempt word-for-word translations from Gaelic - you could literally feel his reverence for the history and language through the carefully cultivated implications- everything WAS translated as beautifully as it could be into a far younger language. Honestly, I can’t help but feel honored to read something like this - way to blaze your own trail in literature and I can only hope the journey continues on!
Wow, what an amazing story! Was not expecting to fall as deeply in love with it as I did! I actually highly appreciated that the author didn’t attempt word-for-word translations from Gaelic - you could literally feel his reverence for the history and language through the carefully cultivated implications- everything WAS translated as beautifully as it could be into a far younger language. Honestly, I can’t help but feel honored to read something like this - way to blaze your own trail in literature and I can only hope the journey continues on!
June 3, 2026
A nice LitRPG where the character isn't thrown into another world, but rather our world experiences an apocalypse and Earth "Ascends". Everyone gains levels, magic, classes, and our merits are tested to the extreme.
I really enjoyed this story. My only issue... where are the pets? There's plenty of mention of wildlife and some livestock but not domesticated pets like dogs, cats, or hamsters. With the interesting development to the seagulls and sheep, I would like to know what happened to the neighbor's dog, please.
I really enjoyed this story. My only issue... where are the pets? There's plenty of mention of wildlife and some livestock but not domesticated pets like dogs, cats, or hamsters. With the interesting development to the seagulls and sheep, I would like to know what happened to the neighbor's dog, please.
December 29, 2022
Enjoyable but with a few issues
The book itself is pretty well-written, with a magic system that is different from the standard elemental system. The Gaelic themes also serve to make it more unique and interesting. However, there are some grammatical and tense issues. The author somewhat frequently uses past tense where past perfect tense or past continuous tense might be more appropriate, leading to awkward and stilted sentences.
The book itself is pretty well-written, with a magic system that is different from the standard elemental system. The Gaelic themes also serve to make it more unique and interesting. However, there are some grammatical and tense issues. The author somewhat frequently uses past tense where past perfect tense or past continuous tense might be more appropriate, leading to awkward and stilted sentences.
January 21, 2023
A great system apocalypse litrpg book. I will read the rest of the series when it is fully released.
The only negative I have for this is the fact that he is not anything special in the Apocalypse. He is one of the strong, but nowhere near the strongest. I personally like my MC to be exceptional, not just pretty good. That, however, could change in the next few books. I guess I will see when the series concludes.
The only negative I have for this is the fact that he is not anything special in the Apocalypse. He is one of the strong, but nowhere near the strongest. I personally like my MC to be exceptional, not just pretty good. That, however, could change in the next few books. I guess I will see when the series concludes.
March 22, 2023
Best GameLit Apocalypse Book
This is a seriously great book. It starts off like a normal GameLit system apocalypse book but quickly out paces the others. Great storytelling and wonderful editing. The description of places, people, and skills is enough to paint the picture perfectly without going to detailed and the use of Gaelic further enhances the storytelling. This is a must read if you read GameLit.
This is a seriously great book. It starts off like a normal GameLit system apocalypse book but quickly out paces the others. Great storytelling and wonderful editing. The description of places, people, and skills is enough to paint the picture perfectly without going to detailed and the use of Gaelic further enhances the storytelling. This is a must read if you read GameLit.
July 6, 2024
Too much Gaelic
I can see being proud of his heritage, but the constant Gaelic distract from the story. Every time I was getting into the flow of the characters I would have to stop for Gaelic translation! A little Gaelic was appreciated , A lot of Gaelic gets annoying.
I liked this book and will read the sequel. Maybe the author should write a Gaelic to English dictionary rather than slipping it into the book.
I can see being proud of his heritage, but the constant Gaelic distract from the story. Every time I was getting into the flow of the characters I would have to stop for Gaelic translation! A little Gaelic was appreciated , A lot of Gaelic gets annoying.
I liked this book and will read the sequel. Maybe the author should write a Gaelic to English dictionary rather than slipping it into the book.
February 5, 2025
LOVE this book!
This 60 year old non-gamer enjoys reading LitEPG books, and this one is outstanding. The writing and dialog are fantastic, and I love the characters, the action, and
the setting in Scotland. The premise, of an unprepared and overwhelmed earth being sort of victims of an alien's mistake is not exactly new, but the approach the author takes is refreshing. Can't wait to start the sequel.
This 60 year old non-gamer enjoys reading LitEPG books, and this one is outstanding. The writing and dialog are fantastic, and I love the characters, the action, and
the setting in Scotland. The premise, of an unprepared and overwhelmed earth being sort of victims of an alien's mistake is not exactly new, but the approach the author takes is refreshing. Can't wait to start the sequel.
November 12, 2022
Great book, VERY abrupt ending
I loved this book. It was very engaging. Some of the slang is a bit of a slog to figure out, but that is an extremely minor quibble.
That said. The ending was very abrupt. I really hope there will be a follow up, but it was unsatisfying (to say the least.)
It's worth the read. I just wish the ending would have been more fleshed out.
I loved this book. It was very engaging. Some of the slang is a bit of a slog to figure out, but that is an extremely minor quibble.
That said. The ending was very abrupt. I really hope there will be a follow up, but it was unsatisfying (to say the least.)
It's worth the read. I just wish the ending would have been more fleshed out.
November 16, 2022
Worthwhile
Gave this rating as the book is easy to read, suit young teens or elderly readers like myself, would like there to be a next one in the series. Not too many problems, grammar is good for a change, and spelling, had a little trouble with the Gaelic words so in the end I skipped over that area.
Gave this rating as the book is easy to read, suit young teens or elderly readers like myself, would like there to be a next one in the series. Not too many problems, grammar is good for a change, and spelling, had a little trouble with the Gaelic words so in the end I skipped over that area.
November 26, 2022
Awesome Scottish LITRPG
This is exactly an example of what makes the genre so great. It's a slow burn, with Stats and classes galore and great worldbuilding. What distinguishes a, is that it is indigenous to Scotland, With a native setting and Completely drawn from Scottish myth and the Gaelic language. I was outrage when it ended. Because I want more
This is exactly an example of what makes the genre so great. It's a slow burn, with Stats and classes galore and great worldbuilding. What distinguishes a, is that it is indigenous to Scotland, With a native setting and Completely drawn from Scottish myth and the Gaelic language. I was outrage when it ended. Because I want more
December 5, 2022
Druid RPG apocalypse
I don’t usually read litRPG but my husband said I’d like this and he was right. Modern day Glasgow gets turned into an apocalypse and we follow the transformation of our reluctant hero and his friends as they seek to stay alive and save others. Exceptionally well done.
I don’t usually read litRPG but my husband said I’d like this and he was right. Modern day Glasgow gets turned into an apocalypse and we follow the transformation of our reluctant hero and his friends as they seek to stay alive and save others. Exceptionally well done.
January 1, 2023
A little bit different than most LitRPG because there is a focus on the importance of working together as a community as the only way to survive. Sure, there are evil people out there killing others for their experience and power but the main directive is to have humanity live up to their best not their worst. Overall, an interesting read. I enjoyed it.
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