
Proving Grounds
Annals of the Runeguard, Book 1 (The Annals of the Runeguard)
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Narrated by:
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Giancarlo Herrera
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Hannah Schooner
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By:
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Tom Elliot
About this listen
A heroic epic of one man and his fight for survival.
Dace Tolman’s life has been overturned. One moment he was in his apartment and the next, he and the rest of humanity find themselves in a strange world of monsters and magic.
A new world.
There is nothing benign about mankind’s new home. The Proving Grounds is a world seemingly designed to enhance those worthy of its gifts—and to kill off the rest. Every day is a struggle against the System and its creatures. Can Dace survive its challenges?
Endless opportunities for advancement and power.
Join Dace on his epic journey as he is forced to deal not only with the System, but humanity’s own internal conflicts.
The start of an exciting new epic portal fantasy!
This is a story not only of monsters and dungeons, but also of factional struggles, guild politics, and human foibles.
©2024 Tom Elliot (P)2025 Royal Guard Publishing LLCListeners also enjoyed...
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Eric Thornfield’s life is about to get a lot more complicated. After losing his high-level character in his favorite MMORPG, Major Online, he thinks he’s done with gaming for good. But when a mysterious coin from a street vendor opens a portal to a new world, he’s thrust into a reality that combines magic, monsters, and the most intense leveling grind he’s ever experienced.
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Juvenile...
- By Antuan Jackson on 03-07-25
By: D. Levesque
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Mage Tank
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: Cornman
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski
- Length: 20 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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After being killed by a high-velocity tree-hug, Arlo is transported to a new world where those brave and talented enough to conquer ancient Delves are rewarded with incredible power and abilities. Unfortunately for Arlo, there is no tutorial. He is immediately forced to tackle a Delve set to the highest difficulty with a party of adventurers who are not only strangers to him, but strangers to each other as well.
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Wow! And with a snarky, really snarky gaming system you'll have a blast
- By Lonnie-The GreatNorthernTroll-Moore on 03-11-25
By: Cornman
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Neodymium Exodus
- The Neodymium Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Jen Finelli
- Narrated by: Brenda McGinnis
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Lem’s a mace-wielding teen space-ninja in a universe of sentient insectoids, purple jungles, and insane electromagnetic fields. She solves most problems by hitting harder, and never plays by her enemy's rules - until Jared Diebol captures her. Diebol is the rising leader of an army uniting the galaxy by force. He believes that the violent energy being Njande has “contaminated” Lem and her friends from another dimension to conquer the matter-based universe. Diebol’s army usually kills contaminated people - but he vows to cure Lem.
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Character and Story driven Sci-Fi Adventure!!!
- By Anonymous User on 05-17-24
By: Jen Finelli
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Awakener
- A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG
- By: Persimmon
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Eleven years after the Mana Apocalypse, nineteen-year-old James Summers has more on his mind than just the flailing economy and a country full of monsters. Orphaned and living with his grandparents, he's given up on college in favor of working at the Coney Island Home Depot while pining for Sally, his cool, beautiful colleague.
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Dropped this opus halfway despite the long flight ahead
- By Dimtry on 03-28-25
By: Persimmon
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Starbreaker: Volume 1
- Starbreaker
- By: Luke Chmilenko
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Sylvas Vail is a big fish in a small pond, the most powerful mage on his planet. But when the doors to the cosmos come crashing open and all the untold wonders and terrors of the universe come pouring in, he is left with only two options: Ascend or die.
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Most organic intro to a progression fantasy ever!!
- By CDM860 on 04-07-25
By: Luke Chmilenko
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Cosmic Ascension, Book 1
- By: Adam King
- Narrated by: Charlie West, Rose Trailings
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Noah was once a Mecha pilot leading the defense of Earth against the invading Parasites. Now he is just one lone man stranded on a strange planet, with nothing to do but endlessly fight and devour beasts to increase his strength in the hope of leaving that forsaken place. A new opportunity arose the day a spaceship crashed on the planet. Follow Noah as he escapes, enters the wider universe, and discovers the truth about what happened to Earth.
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This is a must listen if you like
- By Paul Bolton on 03-10-25
By: Adam King
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Portal to Power 1
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: D. Levesque
- Narrated by: Brad Derry
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Eric Thornfield’s life is about to get a lot more complicated. After losing his high-level character in his favorite MMORPG, Major Online, he thinks he’s done with gaming for good. But when a mysterious coin from a street vendor opens a portal to a new world, he’s thrust into a reality that combines magic, monsters, and the most intense leveling grind he’s ever experienced.
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Juvenile...
- By Antuan Jackson on 03-07-25
By: D. Levesque
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Mage Tank
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: Cornman
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski
- Length: 20 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
After being killed by a high-velocity tree-hug, Arlo is transported to a new world where those brave and talented enough to conquer ancient Delves are rewarded with incredible power and abilities. Unfortunately for Arlo, there is no tutorial. He is immediately forced to tackle a Delve set to the highest difficulty with a party of adventurers who are not only strangers to him, but strangers to each other as well.
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Wow! And with a snarky, really snarky gaming system you'll have a blast
- By Lonnie-The GreatNorthernTroll-Moore on 03-11-25
By: Cornman
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Neodymium Exodus
- The Neodymium Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Jen Finelli
- Narrated by: Brenda McGinnis
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Lem’s a mace-wielding teen space-ninja in a universe of sentient insectoids, purple jungles, and insane electromagnetic fields. She solves most problems by hitting harder, and never plays by her enemy's rules - until Jared Diebol captures her. Diebol is the rising leader of an army uniting the galaxy by force. He believes that the violent energy being Njande has “contaminated” Lem and her friends from another dimension to conquer the matter-based universe. Diebol’s army usually kills contaminated people - but he vows to cure Lem.
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Character and Story driven Sci-Fi Adventure!!!
- By Anonymous User on 05-17-24
By: Jen Finelli
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Awakener
- A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG
- By: Persimmon
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Eleven years after the Mana Apocalypse, nineteen-year-old James Summers has more on his mind than just the flailing economy and a country full of monsters. Orphaned and living with his grandparents, he's given up on college in favor of working at the Coney Island Home Depot while pining for Sally, his cool, beautiful colleague.
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Dropped this opus halfway despite the long flight ahead
- By Dimtry on 03-28-25
By: Persimmon
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Starbreaker: Volume 1
- Starbreaker
- By: Luke Chmilenko
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Sylvas Vail is a big fish in a small pond, the most powerful mage on his planet. But when the doors to the cosmos come crashing open and all the untold wonders and terrors of the universe come pouring in, he is left with only two options: Ascend or die.
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Most organic intro to a progression fantasy ever!!
- By CDM860 on 04-07-25
By: Luke Chmilenko
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Lia Dàn: Stone of Destiny
- Dàn Cycle, Book 2
- By: James Raquepau
- Narrated by: Erica Hazelton
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Ćroí Dàn claims Breanna Ban Morna as Erin’s Hero after she frees her Chief but fails to slay her Norse father. The Heart of Destiny leads Erin’s Hero to seek out Lia Dàn while evading the Dreadlord’s pursuit. Having acquired the Stone of Destiny, Breanna must wield the magic of the Triple Dàns to remove her father and his ilk from her land, a feat that will warp the Emerald Isle’s fabric of time—and claim Breanna’s soul!
By: James Raquepau
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Celestial Ascension
- Path of Celestial Ascension, Book 1
- By: David J. VanBergen Jr., K. L. Reinhart
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Earth is gone, and humanity has been scattered across a multiverse they didn't even know existed. The only way to survive is to become powerful enough to fight back against the god-like forces that seek to control everything in the universe. Finn and his sister spent their lives fighting to survive, and just when it looks like he's finally getting somewhere, the world comes to an end. Now, he finds himself in the biggest battle of his life... for himself, his sister, and the entire human race.
By: David J. VanBergen Jr., and others
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Immortal Drunkard: Volume 1
- Immortal Drunkard, Book 1
- By: Mortykay
- Narrated by: Adam James Conner
- Length: 22 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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In a world ravaged by endless battles and wars, the life of an ordinary person is as fleeting as a moment. Kai, a young orphan raised in a remote shelter, struggles daily for mere survival. But when he faces the brutal realities of his world, his fate takes an unexpected turn. Mysterious circumstances lead him to the mystical Sphere, an artifact that unlocks untapped powers. From that moment on, Kai gains abilities beyond his wildest dreams.
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cultivation love
- By Richard on 02-28-25
By: Mortykay
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Beta-Testing the Apocalypse
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: JG Spaulding
- Narrated by: Ryan H. Reid
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Dex is just your average, everyday I.T. Professional. Eyes tired from working late, the strange glowing gem floating in the middle of his apartment didn’t exactly grab his attention. Until it opens into a portal and starts counting down to his death. In a life-or-death situation, an autistic quality assurance engineer probably isn’t your first choice for a hero. But he has a certain set of skills that catches the attention of the Daemon System as it implements a secret beta-test on Earth.
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pay to ask
- By Morgan Ansolabehere on 03-07-25
By: JG Spaulding
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The Hero Game
- A LitRPG Superhero Adventure: Volume One: Tutorial
- By: August Aird
- Narrated by: Hannah Trusty
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Jack Jenkins is a normal college student living in a world filled with super powered beings. Until one fateful day in the library throws his whole life into chaos. An ancient and beguiling cosmic visitor bonds with him, granting him extraordinary abilities. The only catch: he has to earn his powers like he was in a video game. And he has to learn on the fly.
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He should have gone with the hero name “The Player”
- By Randy Smith on 12-10-24
By: August Aird
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Obelisk: System Integration: A LitRPG Adventure
- Obelisk: System Integration, Book 1
- By: Conor Malachi
- Narrated by: Pavi Proczko
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Ominous obelisks land on Earth with a single message: Join the games to give humanity a fighting chance to survive... Or roll over and die. Too bad for them, Warren isn't the rolling-over type. Cancer may be kicking Warren's a$$, but he's not about to let aliens destroy his home and everything he loves (which is mostly just his dog, Buck). Besides, what does he have to lose? Better to die with sword in hand, bleeding out from a head wound than in some hospital bed...
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Inconsistent story
- By Benjamin Samuel Woodson-Kenon on 03-01-25
By: Conor Malachi
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Trials of Dominion
- Soulweaver, Book 1
- By: Vowron Prime
- Narrated by: Christian J. Gilliland
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Greg walked into a bar hoping to wash away the sour taste of a bad day at work. What he got instead was a bartender offering him the opportunity of his dreams—with a catch. A ticket to purchase a class that could make him the strongest being alive. If he can afford the asking price. Thrust into a world he knows nothing about, Greg will need power on another level entirely. To get ahead, he'll need the kind of power only deities possess.
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Great magic system
- By Anonymous User on 03-17-25
By: Vowron Prime
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Advent
- The Exlian Syndrome Series, Book 1
- By: Seth Ring
- Narrated by: Pavi Proczko
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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All his life, Mark Fields has dreamed of joining the Defense Force to fight the vicious, alien Exlian, just like the rest of his renowned family. But so far, he’s … a dishwasher, trapped in a dead-end job with no powers, no money, and even fewer friends. But an encounter with a dying woman changes everything—granting him the abilities he needs to join the training camps—and his life finally feels like it’s turning around, faster than a movie martial-arts montage (just ignore the weird cat).
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Loved this new story line.
- By Karen on 04-02-25
By: Seth Ring
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Oath of Vengeance
- Scion's Journey, Book 1
- By: Dave Willmarth
- Narrated by: Jessica Threet, Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Finn was living a good life as a blacksmith's apprentice, training hard to earn the right to become one of the Kingsguard, the elite force of one hundred knights that serve and protect the King. He worked hard, trained hard, and often got into trouble with his best friend, Prince Galen. The two of them had been almost inseparable since they were toddlers. For Finn, life couldn't be better. Until a force of assassins and mercenaries attacked the palace! Prince Galen and the entire royal family were murdered, along with Finn's father.
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Fun story
- By Anonymous User on 03-30-25
By: Dave Willmarth
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The Dragon's Gambit
- Underkeeper, Book 1
- By: Hankthemoose
- Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Bernt might have graduated from the Mage Academy, but not everyone has the money or connections to launch a prestigious career as a mage. Bernt finds himself working in the city sewers as an Underkeeper among the other rejects of Halfbridge's magery. He may spend more time unclogging pipes than fighting monsters, but hey, it's a stable job, and that's what counts. With the help of his unregistered soul-devouring demonic familiar, he'll save enough to launch his career as an adventurer—just as soon as he can afford some proper gear.
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Bernts a moron
- By Alex on 03-21-25
By: Hankthemoose
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Steel Foundations
- Will of the Immortals, Book 1
- By: Jay Krauss
- Narrated by: Armen Taylor
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Leon Jäger, a stoic and unyielding knight, lives by a simple code: repay kindness with a river of ambrosia, and slights with total destruction. When an unexplainable force pulls him into a foreign world where magic flows and monsters roam, his creed will be tested like never before. Struggling to comprehend powers beyond his imagination, Leon must master the mystical art of Qi cultivation while hiding his abilities from those who might exploit them.
By: Jay Krauss
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Oath of the Survivor
- A LitRPG Apocalypse
- By: James Meyer
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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When the apocalypse strikes the world Kyle Mayhew calls home, he is thrust into a struggle for survival. Alongside his Central Health Autonomous Diagnostic Drone (C.H.A.D.D.), he will have to overcome mutated creatures, ruthless marauders, and his grandfather’s legacy to carve out a new home.
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Issues with
- By John on 03-12-25
By: James Meyer
What listeners say about Proving Grounds
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Bigt983
- 03-07-25
interesting first entry
if you liked The Grand Game, also by Tom, then you should also enjoy this series. This novel basically entirely takes place in the "noobie zone" and is a good introduction to this new system. MC can be a little overly aloof and frustrating but I can already tell he's going to be a beast
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- Anonymous User
- 03-29-25
Group interactions
Combat was good. Having a male and female voice was great for dynamic as well. Definitely a great mission faction is on.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-06-25
Meh
Story was very mediocre in every sense the only really bad thing is the author falls into the trap of making the main guy unable to put 1 and 1 together
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- ROD
- 03-01-25
Very good story
I didn’t care for his dependence on others specifically that asshole guild leader i assumed he would be a soloist given class. If ur going to make him have to party with a guild why not the moral one that was trying to help improve the lives of the townspeople instead of the selfish asshole guild leader?Any still good listen and I would recommend
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- Joshua Adams
- 03-04-25
Great Start
I really love the grand game, and this has a similar feel. The different narrators do the story justice and I actually look forward to the rest of the story when normally I’m hesitant to read other stories from a writer until they finish the ones that catch my attention. I’m glad this is an exception.
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- Gabe
- 03-05-25
Great for Litrpg
By the standards I have for litrpg this book is excellent. If you really care about pacing or proper world building, this isn’t for you.
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- Snafu Family
- 03-19-25
Not Mage, Not Crafter: A Guardian Build Rises
This book is better than it appears. It portrays a world abruptly dragged into an intergalactic war, where inhabitants must endure the training grounds with scant guidance. Among those who pick combat builds, most opt for mage classes, while many others choose crafter roles. Defying the mage heavy combat trend, the protagonist goes for a fighter build, evolving into a protector like figure with abilities reminiscent of a paladin. He’s dominant in some scenarios yet exposed in others, setting the stage for compelling growth in future books.
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- Stormingsmoke
- 03-19-25
Pushover
Midway and I'm frustrated and how much of a pushover the character is in regards to a certain party, or how much he seeks them out even though he's generally treated like dirt.
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- David W Nicholson
- 03-27-25
idiot mc
The m c is fairly stupid almost completely unable to see the blatantly obvious.
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- JCEB
- 03-17-25
Not as good as The Grand Game
I gave this series a shot because I’m really enjoying The Grand Game so far. Unfortunately, this isn’t nearly as good.
I can’t get behind the protagonist, he has the personality and mannerisms of a knight (which I assume is what the author was going for) but it doesn’t make sense given he’s from the modern era. Nobody in this day and age talks this way. He’s annoying from chapter 1 and a bit of a crybaby.
That being said, I do enjoy the fact that he’s not afraid to do what needs to be done. And takes care of fights without wallowing for half a chapter. Nothing infuriates me more than a decent protagonist crying about having to take a life. So, bonus points for that.
The narration is also not for me, the system messages are a bit too grating and I find myself tempted to skip through them just to get past those parts.
All that aside, the world building has potential, I might continue with the kindle version, but the audible bit isn’t for me.
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