Review: Reborn

Title: Reborn (The Jade Phoenix Saga #1) - A Cultivation LitRPG Series

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3L5Y1SR/

Author: D.I. Freed

Rating: 5/5

Comments:

For me, a great story has a challenge that must be overcome, and if it's a challenge that's undeserved and unjust, that makes it better.  I also like stories where the protagonist grows to be powerful enough to turn the tables on their tormentors.  This book has all that and more.  I know some people don't like stories with a female protagonist, but in my opinion, those people are missing out.  This might actually be a 5/5+ but I'm not sure.

Bedroom Activities: None (thank god, that would be icky)

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Review: Oblivion Awaits

Title: Oblivion Awaits - Infinita, Book 1 (Audiobook)

https://www.audible.com/pd/Oblivion-Awaits-Audiobook/B09KNSL9DW

Author: Christopher Hopper

Voice actors: Rebecca Woods, Daniel Wisniewski

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments:  I picked this up because Rebecca and Daniel are two of my favorite voice actors and it looked vaguely like something I would read, and it was fairly long for one credit.  What can I say, I'm frugal.

All in all, a good story, and a great performance.  It has some POV shifts that would absolutely drive me bonkers if I was reading it, but since I was listening to a performance it was tolerable.

Story-wise it's a post-apocalyptic, civilization in recovery setting with some political intrigue and crime drama thrown in.  I hope they do book 2.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: That was Now, This is Then

Title: That was Now, This is Then (Temporal Displacement Series Book 2)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09M931ZJ1/

Author: Michael Z. Williamson

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments:  This is a rare book indeed for my blog, being both traditionally published, and coming seven and a half years after the original (A Long Time Until Now).  Unexpectedly the author responded to my comment expressing surprise at its arrival with the explanation that he had been embroiled with a divorce, moving, new relationships, and attendant drama.  I won't say it was worth the wait, but I'm not sorry I read it.

This is essentially military sci-fi with time travel and a touch of isekai.  Where Williamson really shines is his ability to present military operations in a way that's interesting and create characters that you connect with, even the ones you don't necessarily like.   Anyway, it sucked me in, and made me read the whole 700 pages in 2 days, which is fairly remarkable.  If you like mil-scifi, I highly recommend pretty much anything he has written.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit, very limited

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Review: Battlemage Farmer

Title: Domestication: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Battle Mage Farmer Book 1) 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09T75GYN7

Author: Seth Ring

Rating: 4.8/5

Comments:  I really didn't know what to expect with this book, but I'm glad I picked it up.  The premise of the story as presented is not that intriguing, but as you get into reading the story it draws you in and you find that things are very much not what they first appear.  As a reader, I love it when the author can surprise me like that.  Hoping for a book 2.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Dungeon Walkers 3

Title: Dungeon Walkers 3

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5XZKVXL/

Author: Daniel Schinhofen

Rating: 4/5

Comments:  I'm not going to lie, I'm ambivalent about this series.  It speaks more to the fans of Alpha World and while I read Alpha World, and I liked a lot of it, it's not a series I'm going to revisit.  If you're a fan of Alpha World, and Dungeon Walkers, you will *LOVE* this book.  Full on nerdgasm warning.

For the reasons the big fans will have a nerdgasm, it made me like the book.  Some genuine emotional impact in a few different places.  If Alpha World is in your top 10 favorites, go read this book if you haven't.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: He Who Fights with Monsters 6

Title: He Who Fights with Monsters 6: A LitRPG Adventure

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09VXWGNQH/

Author: Shirtaloon

Rating: 5/5

Comments:  The conclusions of the Earth arc of the tale of everyone's favorite irritating, yet hilarious, Aussie.  I know this arc isn't everyone's favorite, but I thought it was a good arc and the character development of Jason was well done.  

I am looking forward to book 7, and I don't say that often.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Dreadgod

Title: Dreadgod (Cradle Book 11)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4MY8PN8/

Author: Will Wight

Rating: 5/5

Comments: Well it's finally happened, Lindon has grown to the point where he's a match for almost any being on Cradle.  It's only taken him 10 books.  In this book he is no longer anyone's apprentice, he is a Force in his own right.  It's really, really good.  At this point I don't even mind the switches of POV because the other protagonists are just that well developed.

Honestly if you haven't ever read Cradle, and are annoyed by Lindon's weakness in the early books, this one is the payoff.  I think the next one is the end of the Cradle series, and I'm very curious to see how he wraps this up.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Wild Wastes 4

Title: Wild Wastes 4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3BN6L2J/

Author: William Arand, Randi Darren

Rating: 3.8/5

Comments:  This book marks the resurrection of the Randi Darren penname for William Arand and it's pretty much classic Darren.  If you like freaky monstergirl, dryad, elf bedroom frol-licks, this has you covered.

Now that being said, I have been reading the Sovereign-verse for a few years, and I find the change in writing direction to be a little frustrating. After Right of Retribution 3, we were all set for the LEGENDARY conclusion of the first meta arc, and now suddenly we're doing another SSoSH and WW trilogy.

I mean ok, Vince needs to go to Europe for a bit, fine.  But the Euro-trash can't begin to compete with the force from Yosemite, so it feels a little like Andre the Giant smacking around toddlers.  

I guess I didn't find a challenge for Vince, just annoyances to be dealt with.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: The Last Physicist

Title: The Last Physicist: A Gamelit/Portal Fantasy Adventure (The Archon Book 1) 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091P52QPM/

Author: Dominic Stal

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments: I'm always wary of Gamelit books because they frequently get set in "game worlds" where the stakes are minimal, and therefore the drama is minimal.  This fairly effectively avoids all of that.  In fact it subverts a lot of expectations and keeps you guessing as to what the heck is going on for a good portion of the book.

All in all it's very good and I hope it does well enough we get an Archon book 2.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Moonlight Relic

Title: Moonlight Relic (Guardian of Aster Fall Book 3)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09W7BQB41/ 

Author: David North

Rating: 5/5

Comments:  Last month I reviewed the first two books of this series and loved them both.  This being the third book I had high hopes for it, and I'm happy to report it came through and met those expectations.

Lots of stuff happening in this book and well worth the read.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Neural Wraith

Title: Neural Wraith

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3VYN77F/

Author: K.D. Robertson

Rating: 3.5/5

Comments: Ok, I'm not really sure what I want to say about this book.  I finished it,  and I don't regret it, so it's not terrible.  That being said, I found a lot of it just kind of hard to follow.  Some core concepts were never really explained or explored.  The relationship, such as it is, just seems to happen without any real investment by our protagonist.  Then you add on on the nihilistic bucket of corruption city that seems to be the core trope of any cyberpunk novel and I got to the point I just didn't see why I should care about this story.  Allegedly the author wrote it as a passion project just to kind of cleanse his creative palate, and it is certainly a change of pace from his other stuff (her other stuff  I have no idea what the pronouns are).

Anyway, if you like cyberpunk, it's probably worth a read.  If you don't, it won't change your mind.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Outcast in another world 3

Title: An Outcast in Another World 3: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Book 3 - Rising Insanity)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B2433VTD/

Author: KamikazePotato

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments: I had kind of let this series slip to the back of my mind, until someone mentioned on Discord that it was getting another book.

This was as good as the previous ones, with good character growth, and some big reveals on the world.  I will definitely read the next one.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Grace

Title: Grace: Would You Love a Monster Girl?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3N9FGNY/

Author: Cebelius

Rating:  4/5

Comments:  I generally like Cebelius' books.  He writes good characters and engaging storylines.  This book was a bit of a departure for him as it's mostly just a slice of life book that follows the protagonists through their dance of becoming involved with each other.  It was good, but the others had more going on with the meta arc and it gave them a little more punch.

Bedroom Activities: FTB (mostly)

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