LitRPG_Podcast_275.mp3

LitRPG Podcast 275 -  Bleeding Edge, Jake's Magical Market, APOCALYPSE ONLINE, Leveling with the Gods

Nov. 5th, 2021

 

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 275 of the LitRPG podcast. I’m Ramon Mejia. 

 

I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews.  We have 4 new reviews just for you. 

 

For the full show notes visit us at: https://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-podcast-275

 

New Releases and Reviews:

 

Bleeding Edge (EDGE Force Book 1) (10:51)

Conflicting Fantasy system ruined the game elements for me

Score: 6 out of 10

https://amzn.to/3q6PYRz 

 

Jake's Magical Market (19:20)

RPG apocalypse with card power system

Score: 7.6 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2ZPgzr4 

 

APOCALYPSE ONLINE: An Apocalyptic Litrpg Adventure (25:55)

An Ok RPG Apocalypse story

Score: 7.2 out of 10 

https://amzn.to/3q6LKJu 

 

Leveling with the Gods (Webcomic) (30:26)

Tower Climber Regressor story

Score: 7.5 out of 10

https://readmanganato.com/manga-ml989546 

(Play Music 2)

LitRPG News

 

 

 

The fine folks at Shadow Alley Press have reached their Kickstarter goal and their card game project is fully funded. Go check out their Kickstarter campaign if you are interested in helping them reach their stretch goals. You only have a few hours left.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadowalleypress/gentlemans-war-a-card-game-of-thievery-cheatery-and-fun 

 

 

Atheon, who publishes some LitRPG books, has also started a Kickstarter campaign for their own game. 26 days left for them.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aethongames/dungeons-and-flagons-a-ttrpg-companion-drinking-game 

 

 

Soundbooth Theater and Matt Dinniman collaboration. LitRPG Horror serial that released on Oct. 31st and will release new episodes monthly. 

Sample at https://youtu.be/SiZPjJ4Vq3E 

Download full episode for FREE: https://soundbooththeater.com/shop/audiobooks/kaiju-battlefield-surgeon-episode-one-the-mural/ 

 

Out Now!

 

Old-School (Unfrozen Book #2): LitRPG Series 

https://amzn.to/3hILvzn 

 

 

Drakon Prince: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure 

https://amzn.to/3CO4AZZ 

 

 

Rise to Glory (A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure) 

https://amzn.to/3BQcVv7 

 

 

Bleeding EDGE (EDGE Force Book 1) 

https://amzn.to/2YWTP7S 

 

 

Player Reached the Top. LitRPG Series. Book VII 

https://amzn.to/2XvoqZT 

 

 

The Nemesis of the Living (An NPC's Path Book #5): LitRPG Series 

https://amzn.to/2Uk0ibk 

 

The Centennial Tournament: A LitRPG Cultivation Saga (Infinite Realm Book 3) 

https://amzn.to/3lAVmZ5 

 

 

Empire Ascendant: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 6) 

https://amzn.to/3khJZpC 

 

 

Nova Terra: Stone King: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (The Titan Series Book 8) 

https://amzn.to/3j38LbW 

 

 

Libriohexer: A Completionist Chronicles Series (Wolfman Warlock Book 2) 

https://amzn.to/3vhFDm5 

 

 

Blessed Time 2: Coda: A LitRPG Adventure 

https://amzn.to/3zku3qS 

 

 

Town Under: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (The System Apocalypse: Australia Book 1)  

https://amzn.to/3j6x09l 

 

 

Towers of Acalia: The Reincarnated Core Volume V https://amzn.to/2ZFUnzs 

 

 

Glory to the Dominion! (Disgardium Book #9): LitRPG Series 

https://amzn.to/3Cnqgeb 

 

 

Forest of Skills

https://amzn.to/3GWVV9k 

 

 

The Fantasy Soldier: A LitRPG Adventure (The Sniper series book 1)

https://amzn.to/3EPyAEY 

 

 

The RPG Apocalypse

https://amzn.to/3GY76yW 

 

 

Arena Manager: An Isekai LitRPG Teambuilder (The Fantasy World of Dorbin Book 1)

https://amzn.to/3GSZ3mM 

 

 

CivCEO 8: A 4x Lit Series (The Accidental Champion) 

https://amzn.to/3bIgOa2 

 

 

Critical Failures IX (Caverns and Creatures Book 9)

https://amzn.to/3BPuWJ9 

 

 

A Hero Reborn : A LitRPG Adventure (The Reborn series Book 1)

https://amzn.to/3k9eZYv 

 

 

Community of Fear: A Paranormal LitRPG Dungeon Core (Spirit Core Book 4)

https://amzn.to/3bIvTsn 

New LitRPG Audiobooks

 

 

Death's Favorite Warlock 2 - Death's Favorite Warlock, Book 2

https://amzn.to/3nY7699 

 

Carnival of Fear - A Paranormal LitRPG Dungeon Core (Spirit Core, Book 3)

https://amzn.to/3bFXRoq 

 

 

Monsters and Legends - Infinite Realm, Book 1

https://amzn.to/2ZYSmyM 

 

 

CivCEO 4 - The Accidental Champion, Book 4

https://amzn.to/3k8QnyP  

 

 

Battleborne Book 2: Wrack and Ruin

https://amzn.to/3CNcm5Z 

 

 

Cyber Squad - Level 1

A Gamelit/LitRPG Lite Cyberpunk Adventure

https://amzn.to/3BReQi5 

 

 

Blessed Time 2 - Coda: A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/2ZYGU6s 

 

 

Seventh Realm Part 1 - A LitRPG Fantasy Series (The Ten Realms, Book 8)

https://amzn.to/3GRX2av 

 

 

Sword of the Moon King - A Gamelit/LitRPG Fantasy Adventure

https://amzn.to/3o28Azc 

 

 

Dungeon Walkers 2

https://amzn.to/3EM9W89  

 

 

Level Up, Kaiju! - A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/2YgqBRx 

 

 

Wyrmshard - Savage Dominion Series, Book 2

https://amzn.to/2ZT011V 

 

 

The Dungeon Leader - The Dungeon Slayer, Book 3

https://amzn.to/3k6Fcqx 

 

 

The RPG Apocalypse - The RPG Apocalypse, Book 1

https://amzn.to/3nY2dgy 

 

 

Drakon Prince - A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure

https://amzn.to/3o11knb 

 

 

Clan Dominance - The Sleepless Ones, Book 5

https://amzn.to/3k6FfTf 

Upcoming LitRPG:

 

 

The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound: A LitRPG Adventure (Nov. 9th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3tS6pkd 

 

 

Dungeon Core Online: Remastered Edition - Book Two (Nov. 11th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3GSnDnH 

 

 

Alpha Resplendent (Alpha LitRPG Book 4) (Nov. 11th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3GRSwsB 

 

 

The Guardian of the Verge (The Range Book #3): LitRPG Series (Nov. 11th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/39dvmNP 

 

 

Gates of Thunder (Loner Book #1): LitRPG Series (Nov. 16th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3lzTRKI 

 

 

The Bright Finish This (Nov. 16th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3vv2uel 

 

 

The Houndsman: A Base-Building LitRPG Adventure (Nov. 16th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3zlNvUe 

 

 

Cyber Squad - Level 2: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure (Nov. 17th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/31nvlWI 

 

 

The Warring Core (The Dungeon of Stories Book 3) (Nov. 18th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3q9fRQE 

 

 

Valhalla Online 5: Burn It Down: A LitRPG Adventure (Nov. 18th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3vheShK 

 

 

Isle of Destiny (A Buccaneer's Due Book #1 LitRPG Series) (Nov. 19th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/39XvVvt 

 

 

Alpha Physics! Book 3 - Disquiet: A Post Apocalypse Progression Fantasy (Nov. 19th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3vv2meR 

 

 

Mercenary Manager: A Dark Isekai LitRPG Teambuilder (The Fantasy World of Dorbin Book 2) (Nov. 21st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2YiR9ll 

 

 

Two Boys: A LitRPG Wuxia Series (The King's Soul Book 2) (Nov. 22nd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3BQc1yJ  

 

 

Hero Killer: A LitRPG Adventure (Neverstone Book 2) (Nov. 23rd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3DQhuGx 

 

 

Lich Hollow: An Apocalyptic LitRPG Adventure (Fae Nexus Book 2) (Nov. 23rd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3k8AbxI 

 

 

The Last Light: Book 5 (The Wandering Inn) (Nov. 23rd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3j6ChxI 

 

 

Defiance of the Fall 3: A LitRPG Adventure (Nov. 30th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3tRZTdC 

 

 

Future: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure (VR Hero Book 5) (Dec. 1st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3Bh8ppr 

 

 

Awaken Online: Happy (Dec. 7th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3mMIFfD 

 

 

Cleaver's Edge: A LitRPG Fantasy Cooking Adventure (Morcster Chef Book 1) (Dec. 7th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3tXpWzV 

 

 

An Outcast In Another World (Book 2, Title Pending) (Dec. 9th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3vesn1K 

 

 

Aster Fall: A LitRPG Progression Epic (Guardian of Aster Fall Book 2) (Dec. 10th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3F39WS2 

 

 

Uncontrollable: A LitRPG Adventure (Dec. 14th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3B4D9JR 

 

 

Frostworld 3: Embers & Glory: A LitRPG/GameLit Viking Adventure (Dec. 14th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3mJaxBo 

 

 

Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones (Book #9): LitRPG Series (Dec. 15th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3AXzNIJ 

 

 

Don’t Slip Up (Fantasia Book #2): LitRPG Series (Dec. 16th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2ZTXGn3 

 

 

Evolution: A LitRPG Adventure (Epiphany Realms Book 2) (Dec. 21st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2YiogFN 

 

 

The Frost Ridge. First Circle [RealRPG Wuxia Series The Way] Book #4 (Dec. 22nd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3pfKljc 

 

The Guild's Demands: A Young Adult LitRPG Fantasy (Adventures on Brad Book 7) (Dec. 26th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3ouwnK2 

 

 

Level Zero (Alpha Rome Book 3): LitRPG Series (Dec. 28th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3iqyI4N 

 

 

He Who Fights with Monsters 4: A LitRPG Adventure (Dec. 28th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3A2DJH1 

 

 

Prime War: A GameLit/LitRPG Adventure (Magnus Book 3) (Jan. 4th, 2022)

https://amzn.to/3CMCUnz 

 

 

A Capital's Perils: A New Adult LitRPG Fantasy (Adventures on Brad Book 8) (Jan. 17th, 2022)

https://amzn.to/3wkbzXO 

 

Onto New Releases and Reviews

 

(Play Music 3)

New Releases and Reviews

 

(Picture 1)

Bleeding Edge (EDGE Force Book 1)

 

EDGE Force: A clandestine organisation that leverages the best and brightest humanity has to offer to defend against the threats that can't be fought by normal means.

 

JD Rideout is a washed-up writer with the best years of his career behind him. Nursing the wounds of a marriage breakdown, his kids are the only thing keeping him going.

 

When JD wakes up on a tropical island in the middle of the Whitsundays on Queensland's Central Coast, chained to the ceiling, he knows something is very wrong. He feels like a character in one of his novels.

 

Those who fight for EDGE Force unlock the ability to level up and gain powerful skills to help them fight against threats to our reality.

 

JD is given a pistol and an axe, along with a new callsign: Hatchet. Uprooted from his life and forced to fight for the fate of the world, Hatchet may just be planet Earth’s last line of defence.

 

As Hatchet, he’s tasked with fighting back against a shadowy cult that has reappeared after 15 years in hibernation. But fighting the cult isn’t the only thing that drives Hatchet. These cultists are using the essence of an ancient entity to reshape reality into whatever their twisted imaginations can bring forth. This entity is reaching out to Hatchet too, propelling him towards an epic showdown with the forces of the Fellowship of Cosmic Truth.

 

During the course of his mission Hatchet encounters an unexpected ally - a German Shepherd dog named Kaiser - who might just be smarter than Hatchet. Kaiser has his own reasons for fighting the cult and the two form an unlikely alliance.

 

My Opinion: 379 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

 

The story starts out as an action LitRPG story with horror elements. So, Resident Evil with action RPG skill trees. It has a very efficient opening and it doesn't waste time on a long winded multi chapter explanation about why the main character (MC) is there. The MC is kidnapped, assigned an RPG interface and system and he has a mission to solve. Then a basic run down of skill trees and the MC is off on his adventure. Which mostly amounts to killing off zombies and cultists and fighting towards rescuing some woman as a quest. A rather good start to the story.

 

About 30% the story takes an odd pause as the MC gets some mystical vision that let's him talk to the fictional character he'd written. The section explores a bit about the nature of reality and simulations. It was interesting I guess but it also really felt out of place in the story and was a definite speed bump in the action. It sets up a system that’s developed later to explain just where all the monsters are coming from and a kind of ‘power of the imagination’ magic system that has nothing to do with LitRPG and is more of an urban fantasy element.

 

On the game mechanic side of things, it's an action RPG skill tree system with various branches that can be invested in: Edged weapons, Automatic weapons, Handguns, Stealth, etc. Familiar stuff to any gamer. As the story progresses and the MC levels he can invest points in the trees to unlock better powers that help him take on bigger foes. I'm a crafting fan and while this story does have it, it's a simplistic version. With trash broken down into crafting components then magically used along with some upgrade materials to make new stuff. No real knowledge needed, just button pushing. There are lots of notifications and detailed information throughout the story. However, because of the other story element, the one where the MC gains power rather rapidly and magically because of the ‘power of imagination’, his progression sometimes feels unearned and there are several points in the story where the MC frankly shouldn’t have won, especially when he’s saved by the power ‘plot armor’ that keeps him from truly dying. I mean it’s a funny gamer/writer joke but it did ruin how important the game stuff felt. 

 

Overall, the story has good action and lots of notifications. But for me, the RPG stuff felt like it didn’t matter after about half way through the story. The ‘power of imagination’ element where both the enemy and allies sort of magic their way through conflicts and get powers with no basis in the RPG elements just sort of ruined things for me.

 

Score: 6 out of 10

Bleeding Edge (EDGE Force Book 1)

https://amzn.to/3q6PYRz 

 

Jake’s Magical Market

 

Meddling gods. A magical card system. An apocalypse no one could have predicted.

 

Jake is working at the neighborhood market under his apartment when the world ends. He expected nuclear war, a computer virus, or even climate change burning everyone to a crisp to bring about the downfall of civilization. But cruel and arbitrary gods from another world? Who would have guessed that?

 

When these cruel gods shuffled Earth like a deck of cards, nothing was in the same place anymore. Monsters, dungeons, and magical items appear scattered across the globe. And suddenly, everyone has access to a new, strange magical card system that gives them magical powers.

 

Jake, wasting his day slacking off in the cooler, as he usually did, found himself alone in a completely new and very dangerous world. Can he learn to survive? Can he collect enough cards and create a good enough deck to fight back against the monsters that have overtaken his former home? And why are these strange people that look a lot like elves knocking on the door of the market he is hiding in and asking to buy some of his goods?

 

The gods may have stacked the deck against him, but Jake just might have a few cards up his sleeve that will help him survive.

 

My Opinion: 773 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

 

This is a serial story with several types of progression systems. The setting is the RPG apocalypse where earth is broken up and mixed with dungeons and monsters roam freely. Because the story is a slice of life and a serial, as it's collected it almost feels like two large arcs. 

 

The first 40%, RPG Apocalypse with dungeon diving, card collecting and leveling, minor merchants stuff (the magical market bit), some relationship building to build up the are the main characters (MV) finds himself in and a slower introduction to the new rules of the world. After the 40% mark though, the story shifts as the MC is pushed into a new environment with the benefit of all the work he put into developing his cards. It's here that he has to develop and grow in power without using a more fantasy/cultivation magic system. It's definitely forced, but also provides a change of scenery and expands the world building. Still lots of action adventure and some good world building but I was really disappointed that the RPG progression from the card system takes a big back seat for the majority of the story and ends up feeling more like a currency system and point of power division among classes.

 

On the game mechanic side of things, I really enjoyed the first half of the story. The card system is pretty robust with a huge variety of cards based on people’s fantasy races or what kind of monster they are. Killing monsters or clearing dungeons gets you special magical cards with spells, martial abilities, passive bonuses, and more. The cards can be upgraded/leveled by sacrificing other cards or  combined with their own type to evolve them.This allows for some really good creativity as cards can be swapped out for different synergies and strategies. Later in the story, about 40% in, another system emerges that takes ambient magical energy to cast spell-like abilities, and power carved runes that have a variety of effects. The MC still grows in power, but it's not put in RPG terms like leveling anymore and though the card system still exists it really isn’t used by the MC except to gain access to new magic domains. Much later other power sources emerge but these are the two developed by the main character (MC).

 

Overall, there’s a lot to enjoy in the story. Good action-adventure, good world building, good character and relationship development. There are places the story felt really forced to push the MC in a direction that would change locations or have him start over, but I also understand that comes with a serial story trying to keep things interesting. However, I was disappointed with the loss of the card system that I’d come to enjoy. I mean, it doesn’t disappear but the MCs progression leaves it behind after the 40% mark. Still, good story, though overall its more gamelit than LitRPG.

 

Score: 7.6 out of 10

Jake's Magical Market

https://amzn.to/2ZPgzr4 

 

APOCALYPSE ONLINE: An Apocalyptic Litrpg Adventure

 

At first everyone thought it was a game...

 

But aliens have arrived and they are turning people into fertilizer.

 

Brad and Sam are gamers and when they started playing the hot new game Apocalypse Online they had no idea that the game was a preview of reality! With the help of a benevolent alien AI and nanotechnology, our heroes will have a chance to survive the apocalypse. They just have to survive, level up and find other survivors.

 

Jake is no gamer. But when he finds out aliens have arrived, he'll do anything to protect his little sister Sam.

 

Will they be able to grow strong enough for the second wave or will they become alien plant food?

 

APOCALYPSE ONLINE is a litrpg/gamelit post-apocalypse fantasy series filled with action, adventure, aliens and snarky AIs.

 

My Opinion: 507 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

 

This is an ok RPG apocalypse story. It doesn’t do anything wrong but doesn’t bring anything really new to the table either. It’s very slice of life with the story following three separate main characters (MC) as they deal with the sudden invasion of aliens that mimic a recently popular hard mode MMO. 

 

As far as the story goes, there’s not much plot.The characters just wander, fight a small variety of monsters and some oddly antagonistic anti-RPG pill people, and take some upgrades or level. For much of the story I kinda wondered where it was going or if the main characters would ever get some big quest that would give them direction to solve the apocalypse or fight back. Instead it was some minor side quests to find upgrade stations and save some survivors. It felt more like a tutorial than the main game.

 

On the game mechanic side of things, it's not bad. People that pop the pill they’re sent get an RPG interface and an A.I. that help them understand the system. These folks can take the aether from killing monsters or people and use it to level, get a class, get gene therapy for some bonuses, or use it as a kind of currency to make items at a 3D printer. Nothing really new except for the gene therapy. I was a little disappointed that the characters didn’t level more, only hitting level 1 for the most part, but I guess that’s part of them being on hard mode for the RPG apocalypse.  The alternative to leveling in the story is cultivation, which was disappointing as it’s not developed as much as other cultivation stories I’ve read.

 

Overall, there’s nothing outstanding or negative about the story. I think a more focused plot would have brought together some of the elements of the story better and created some tension. But it’s an ok story.

 

Score: 7.2 out of 10 

APOCALYPSE ONLINE: An Apocalyptic Litrpg Adventure

https://amzn.to/3q6LKJu 

Leveling with the Gods

 

He became stronger, faster than anyone else… but he lost. In the end, there was only despair for Kim YuWon.

 

In his last moments, he was given another chance… Through the sacrifice of his comrade, his fate had not been sealed yet.

 

Returning back to the past, he attempts to climb the Tower again with his unmatched talent.

 

To fight the ancient evils that threatens to destroy the Tower.

 

My Opinion: 30+ Chapters, FREE, No English Publisher

 

A regressor story with tower climbing. The first part of the webcomic is about the tests to get into the tower with the main character (MC) using his foreknowledge about the tests to get a big advantage and power up. It’s an action oriented story that keeps testing just how far the MC can be pushed without him feeling too overpowered. 

 

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Leveling with the Gods

https://readmanganato.com/manga-ml989546 

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Thanks for hanging out with me today. Until we can hangout again, remember to go read some LitRPG!  

 

(Music 4)