LitRPG Podcast - SoundSage

LitRPG Podcast 271 - Battleborne Book 2, The Good Guys Book 12, War Core, Expansion Pack, Defiance of the Fall 2, Enter System, Dungeon House

Aug. 27th, 2021

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 271 of the LitRPG podcast. I’m Ramon Mejia.

I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews. We have 7 new reviews just for you.

For the full show notes visit us at: https://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-podcast-271

New Releases and Reviews:

Battleborne Book 2: Wrack and Ruin (13:00)

Lots of action

Score: 7.7 out of 101

https://amzn.to/3iT3Tqd

Wild Wild Quest: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure (The Good Guys Book 12) (16:25)

Some Quests get completed, finally

Score: 7.7 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2W4kQ7Y

War Core, Book 1: Hold the Line (A LitRPG, RTS, Dungeon Core Adventure) (20:38)

Not really dungeon core, Felt like watching a RTS match

Score: 5 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2VYYnKd

Expansion Pack: A litRPG Anthology (The Rogue Dungeon) (25:33)

Good variety of short stories

Score: 7.3 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2XWoHoF

Defiance of the Fall 2: A LitRPG Adventure (29:07)

Continues to be great

Score: 8 out of 10

https://amzn.to/3z72P7K

Enter System (Natural Laws Apocalypse Book 1) (31:51)

Town Building Good, Apocalypse part lacking

Score: 7.2 out of 10

https://amzn.to/3zoghEn

Dungeon House (Manga) (38:17)

Clear the dungeon or Die

Score: 7.4 out of 10

https://reaperscans.com/series/dungeon-house/

(Play Music 2)

LitRPG News

Dave Willmarth has let us know that Shadow Sun Book 1 is an Amazon Prime Deal until November 11th.

Just a quick reminder that the graphic novel Kickstarter project for Tao Wong’s System Apocalypse is ending in a few days. If you want to back the fully funded project, now is the time. There are lots of neat little rewards for backing it.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1291219509/the-system-apocalypse-hardcover-graphic-novel

Also, Pirateaba, author of the Wandering Inn series has a Kickstarter for a connected graphic novel for that story univers. Already funded at $38K.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloudscape/the-last-tide-an-innverse-graphic-novel-from-pirateaba

Out Now!

Reincarnation Trials: A LitRPG Apocalypse (Systems of Salvation Book 1)

https://amzn.to/3jTwY47

Questing for Titles: A System Apocalypse short story (The System Apocalypse Short Stories)

https://amzn.to/3ervgVA

Blessed Time: A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/2UEnot0

Viridian Gate Online: Schism: A litRPG Adventure (The Heartfire Healer Series Book 2)

https://amzn.to/37HCAJ6

Skurfaifer (Alpha Rome Book 2): LitRPG Series

https://amzn.to/3hFRg1a

Neverstone: A LitRPG Adventure (The Mad Elf Book 1)

https://amzn.to/3vf7dyP

The Crew (Captains & Cannons Book 2)

https://amzn.to/3vf79z5

Towers of Acalia: The Reincarnated Core Volume IV

https://amzn.to/3AB4tPe

Path to the Glory. Dragon Heart (A LitRPG Wuxia series): Book 12

https://amzn.to/2URD3FH

Seven Heroes - Book 3 of Main Character hides his Strength (A Dark Fantasy LitRPG Adventure)

https://amzn.to/3myUOoR

Dungeon Core Online: Remastered Edition - Book One

https://amzn.to/3ymRRtM

The Shadow Labyrinth: A LitRPG Adventure (Kingmaker Saga Book 5)

https://amzn.to/3zi6n7g

This Guild is Batty! (This Trilogy is Broken (A Comedy Litrpg Adventure) Book 3)

https://amzn.to/3BmC7sJ

CivCEO 7: A 4x Lit Series (The Accidental Champion)

https://amzn.to/38l4zyB

Extra Credit

https://amzn.to/3BihrSp

New LitRPG Audiobooks

Watcher's Repose: A LitRPG Saga - Life in Exile Book 4

https://amzn.to/3jn1Yu4

The Path of the Strongest Mortal The Heavenly Throne, Book 5

https://amzn.to/3kvbk6p

The Mad Elf - A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/2UPSXQT

Lichbane: A Deckbuilding LitRPG - Goblin Summoner Book 2

https://amzn.to/3jlmStD

Rise of the Deathstalkers - A GameLit Post-Apocalyptic Adventure (Deathstalker Demigods Book 1)

https://amzn.to/3gC4j2u

Origin - Land of the Elementals Book 3

https://amzn.to/3mzI4y3

Broken Council - System Apocalypse Book 10 (The System Apocalypse)

https://amzn.to/3gEWetY

Titan - UnderVerse Series Book 4

https://amzn.to/3zpQN9C

Blessed Time - A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/3mK1mRk

Date - A LitRPG Adventure (Monsters, Maces, and Magic, Book 6)

https://amzn.to/3Dlldwi

Bio Dungeon: Hemostasis - The Body's Dungeon Book 3

https://amzn.to/3jgK2kV

The Corrupted Core - The Dungeon of Stories Book 1

https://amzn.to/3mBrttP

Daemonorg Prison-Lab - Overtaken Online, Book 1

https://amzn.to/3kqFc48

The Wastes of Keldora - Factory of the Gods Book 1

https://amzn.to/2WysiJ8

Upcoming LitRPG:

The Entropic Core (The Dungeon of Stories Book 2) (Aug. 31st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3BivZCD

The Dungeon Fairy: Four Days: A Dungeon Core Escapade (The Hapless Dungeon Fairy Book 4) (Sept. 1st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3myulYt

Forbidden Zone: An Apocalyptic Space Opera LitRPG (The System Apocalypse Book 11) (Sept. 1st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3ffNOIP

Immortal (Titan Online #2) - A Superhero LitRPG Story (Sept. 2nd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2WpIyMg

Original Enchantment (True Calling LitRPG Book 1) (Sept. 2nd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3lWEpKy

Level Up, Kaiju!: A LitRPG Adventure (Sept. 3rd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3kw1i54

Biomancer (New Era Online: Biomancer Book 1) (Sept. 6th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3zlIZFW

Frostworld 2: Honor & Iron: A LitRPG/GameLit Viking Adventure (Sept. 7th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3fYS540

He Who Fights with Monsters 3: A LitRPG Adventure (Sept. 7th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3iaPp3o

Transformed: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Arcana Unlocked Book 3) (Sept. 8th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3jnyuMZ

Back to One: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure (The Bad Guys Book 7) (Sept. 11th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/379UfZD

Manipulating Magic: An Epic LitRPG Series (Jeff the Game Master Book 2) (Sept. 14th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3yXVIxY

Cinnamon Bun (Volume Three): A Wholesome LitRPG (Sept. 14th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2URCnjD

Undeath: An Epic LitRPG Progression Fantasy Novel (Apocosmos Book 4) (Sept. 17th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/38ocY45

An Agonizing Day and A Dread Knight: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Bone Knight Book 6) (Sept. 17th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2VSTphS

Immersion Online: The Zealot : Book 2 - A LitRPG Novel (Immersion Online: Lit RPG) (Sept. 19th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/37Na74p

Kingdom of Sails: A LitRPG/GameLit Series (World of Magic Book 2) (Sept. 21st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2VSjE7A

Soulstream (Rise To Omniscience Book 10) (Sept. 23rd, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3iFMXTX

Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones (Book #8): LitRPG Series (Sept. 27th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3rfXY1a

Resurrection: A LitRPG Adventure (Epiphany Realms Book 1) (Sept. 28th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3epmFD0

Empire Ascendant: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 6) (Sept. 28th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3kpM8jh

Phinean & Jaleal's Unsanctioned Adventure (A LitRPG Novel) (Sept. 30th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3AB23A8

Cat Core, Book 2, Lich's Bargain (A Dungeon Core, LitRPG Adventure) (Sept. 30th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3C2K1bU

Arbiter (Underdog Book #7): LitRPG Series (Sept. 30th, 2020)

https://amzn.to/3eoJPsZ

Rival Crowns (Challenger's Call Book 7) (Sept. 30th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3jjmsE3

Order: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure (VR Hero Book 4) (Oct. 1st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3iGViXE

Betrayal of the Arcani: Beginnings (A Real LitRPG series) (Oct. 1st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3fX91rx

Idea (Starting Point Book #1): LitRPG Series (Oct. 1st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3CKgBzx

They Called Me Maddest: A LitRPG Apocalypse Series (Oct. 5th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3jTab8v

Collapse (The Weight Of It All): A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Oct. 8th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3zpieAtc

The Archon (Project Stellar Book 5): LitRPG Series (Oct. 11th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3AD5hDt

Defending Earth (In the System Book #3): LitRPG Series (Oct. 14th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3xMxXYC

Legion's Fifth Vault: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 5) (Oct. 15th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3DkADkr

Daemonorg Colossus: A Dark LitRPG / LitFPS SciFi-Shooter (Overtaken Online Book 4) (Oct. 15th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3yLOHAK

Infinite Dark: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG Fantasy: (Cowboy Necromancer Book Two) (Oct. 15th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3g1xaNG

Drakon Prince: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (Oct. 19th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/3CO4AZZ

Player Reached the Top. LitRPG Series. Book VII (Oct. 21st, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2XvoqZT

The Nemesis of the Living (An NPC's Path Book #5): LitRPG Series (Oct. 26th, 2021)

https://amzn.to/2Uk0ibk

Onto New Releases and Reviews

(Play Music 3)

New Releases and Reviews

(Picture 1)

Battleborne Book 2: Wrack and Ruin

Maximilian Storm has embraced his new life as a Battleborne. Reincarnated on a strange world in a powerful chimera body, he has gathered friends, made enemies, and developed wondrous new magical and physical abilities. He’s even discovered that a couple of his men, Smitty and Dylan, have chosen to join him on this world.

Max is on a mission to secure and expand his newly conquered kingdom, Stormhaven. But War Chief An’zalor wants his mine back. When he sends a small army of orcs to capture it, Max’s party, along with his dwarven and orc allies, must help him defend his new territory.

An epic quest is discovered, sending Max and his core party into the wilds to track down and retrieve a powerful artifact. New friends are discovered, and new challenges met along the way. When Max ventures off on his own, he discovers a lost territory, and an ancient dwarven secret that may change the lives of everyone. A secret that might also end his own life, and his reign.

My Opinion: 392 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

The action RPG adventure continues for our main character (MC). There’s a bit more base building and city management than last time but plenty of action still. The MC mostly explores the world around his settlement and accrues resources, items, and new citizens but fights for those resources. There’s also a new parallel side story of another transported human and I enjoyed the more evil perspective that broke up the main narrative.

Overall, good stuff and an easy read.

Score: 7.7 out of 10

Battleborne Book 2: Wrack and Ruin

https://amzn.to/3iT3Tqd

Wild Wild Quest: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure (The Good Guys Book 12)

Straight out of the West (or, you know, somewhere through a gloom portal), in a thunder of hooves (but they’re kinda like giant turtle hooves, if you can picture it?), comes Montana Coggeshall, gun (sword) slinger.

Sure, he’s survived Fiends’ Night and an all-out goblin war. But for his people in Coggeshall to truly be safe, Montana needs to go out and find the source of all these crazy attacks.

Along the way, Montana will be tested by feuding families, money-hungry miners, hookers with hearts of gold, and more than a few idiot tour guides. Turns out everything Montana’s been through up until now wasn’t hell. It was practice.

Wild, Wild Quest is rabble rousin’ LitRPG like you’ve never read before. If you like genre-twisting plots full of mind-bending battles, pick up this page turner today.

Forget going to 11. This book goes to 12.

My Opinion: 426 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

Lots of action and finally a few quests completed

Finally some actual progress on a questline and not some old one everyone has forgotten about but stuff related to the last book. The story is still action focused and there is some really nice action here. The story is a little front loaded with town management stuff that doesn’t mean much in this entry but I was just so glad to see several quests given and actually completed in the same book. There are some complaints about no progress on big series storylines or real RPG progression and while that’s true, this is a serial slice of life series so I hadn’t expected much advancement there.

Score: 7.7 out of 10

Wild Wild Quest: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure (The Good Guys Book 12)

https://amzn.to/2W4kQ7Y

War Core, Book 1: Hold the Line (A LitRPG, RTS, Dungeon Core Adventure)

Earth is under siege.

For decades, the governments of our world have been fighting a desperate and secret battle to keep hordes of alien invaders away from our planet.

When the guardian of the United States falls, a new champion must be chosen. Sadly, the choice of a champion isn’t ours to make, and the Galactic Conflict Authority selects a human, seemingly at random, to lead the United States of America’s efforts at holding back the tide.

Hugh Logan is in the middle of teaching a class when he is taken against his will and informed that he is now the newest member of Earth’s defense against alien invasion. He must give up everything to become our champion. He must give up everything to prevent our destruction. He must become… a War Core.

War Core is a Dungeon Core series with LitRPG and RTS elements.

My Opinion: 260 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

The novel has a unique premise to justify the RTS base building, that aliens and humans are secretly fighting each other over parts of the universe. It almost sets earth leaders as the bad guys since they basically murder the main character to get him in the War Core and completely unneeded, but it is unique. The story doesn’t really feel like a dungeon core novel at all as it has more in common with an RTS game where the player appears over predetermined terrain and from a simple base gathers resources, builds units, and expands and fights. Still the story sticks faithfully to the RTS elements but there lies the problem. I thought the fights were kinda boring. The MC is removed from any sense of danger or tension since he’s a disembodied being looking out over the battlefield and frankly I never had a good time watching RTS matches. Not to say that there aren’t some interesting strategies that the MC employs to win the fights, it just wasn’t engaging for me.

But that’s me. If you love watching resource gathering and sometimes dry descriptions of units being built, then you may like the story more than me. But for me, I found the majority of it rather boring.

Score: 5 out of 10

War Core, Book 1: Hold the Line (A LitRPG, RTS, Dungeon Core Adventure)

https://amzn.to/2VYYnKd

Expansion Pack: A litRPG Anthology (The Rogue Dungeon)

Monsters rise. Heroes fall. Worlds Collide. Welcome to the Dungeon…

Hearthworld Online is a futuristic fantasy RPG brimming with monsters and magic and valiant heroes, but now it has become so much more than just a game. When Roark von Graf—a magical freedom fighter from another world—suddenly finds himself in the body of a lowly Dungeon Troll, Hearthworld becomes the last bastion against an arcane tyrant from beyond the stars. The fates of three worlds hang in the balance as countless lives are caught up in the interdimensional war Roark has inadvertently sparked. Who knew one little online troll could cause so much trouble?

Eight amazing authors. Eight incredible new tales. All set in the best-selling Rogue Dungeon Universe. Rogue Dungeon: Expansion Pack is an anthology for fans, by the fans!

My Opinion: 194 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

The variety of short stories introduces readers to several Shadow Alley authors, gives backstory to popular characters, or creates one off stories that may develop into full novels later.

My favorite story is Candyland, a kind of a candy playland themed dungeon. It has just enough backstory as a defunct G rated location abandoned once the game was rated Pg13 that it was unique. But it still had all the good dungeon core stuff as teenagers decide to farm the denizens there.

Overall, the short stories range from fine to good and your enjoyment may vary depending on if you like a particular character or type of story.

Score: 7.3 out of 10

Expansion Pack: A litRPG Anthology (The Rogue Dungeon)

https://amzn.to/2XWoHoF

Defiance of the Fall 2: A LitRPG Adventure

Earth is crumbling from the pressures of not only the invaders, but from nature itself...

Zac has managed to secure his island for the time being, growing into a true powerhouse through his endless struggles. However, becoming the strongest man in the world does not come without complications.

A target has been placed on his back. Natives, aliens—everyone has their eye on the throne. Even the System itself seems intent on forcing him into one desperate situation after another.

Zac knows he is running against the clock in his mission to find his family, prompting him to set out to New Washington in search of answers. Meanwhile, powerful beings from a long-forgotten cult gather in the dark, their goal unknown.

My Opinion: 638 pages, $5.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

A great addition to the series. The story keeps up the action from book 1, but adds more types of conflict as the main character (MC) and his faction finally meet up with the world government, a group of old world officials trying to create a dominating alliance. I really liked the opportunity for different types of conflict and scheming created in the story. The author really used the more worldly alien characters well to instigate and give the MC an advantage.

Game mechanics expand to include more town building and social quests but there’s still all the progression that comes with the action as waves of monsters continue to try to overcome the MCs town.

Overall, the story was great. The expanded conflicts kept things from getting predictable.

Score: 8 out of 10

Defiance of the Fall 2: A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/3z72P7K

Enter System (Natural Laws Apocalypse Book 1)

What do you do when the world as you know it changes dramatically with little notice? When the Natural Laws no longer apply in all cases and the only thing to explain why is a “System” that seems to have access to everyone in the world?

Marc's home from college on break, spending his time laughing about some of the crazy news stories he's found online, and gaming. When a message appears in his line of sight, blocking out absolutely everything else, he nearly freaks out. The message warns that the world has been in a variant Natural Laws beta test for millennia and that it's about to revert to the norms.

Deciding that even if he is insane, it's not going to hurt anything to try to prepare, he settles in to do so. Despite the atrocious lack of skill the System has with the English language, he manages to work his way through enough help files to get a clue of what's coming. After sharing his discovery with a few friends, they all start to prepare together.

Once the change begins, the small group races to create a Safe Zone, an area where monsters will not spawn and where they can gather other survivors in an attempt to rescue as much of the town as possible. Along the way they discover that the new System can award classes that resemble those of the games the group has played, as well as magic for those capable of grasping it.

With monsters spawning throughout the town, everyday animals being mutated into dangerous creatures, and a System that desperately needs English language lessons, they'll do their best to save as many of the local residents as they can.

My Opinion: 544 pages, $3.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited

A fairly standard RPG Apocalypse story. It has regular action, an RPG system that gives levels, loot, classes and there is base building. The characters honestly succeed a little easily early on considering none of them are trained fighters but gamers. The young adults also get their base up and running within a day or so without being high level. The apocalypse aspect is the least interesting as besides one jerk that gets killed it's not that dark or apocalyptic.

The action is fine, the base building is thorough and is used well and becomes a big part of the story. There are plenty of RPG aspects, in personal class development, and particularly base building. The MC also has a couple of unique classes and it’s neat to see how he develops it. The romance aspect felt a little forced and unnecessarily drawn out, but it wasn’t terribly off putting.

Overall not a bad story, just nothing too surprising. If you’re a big fan of base building you’ll like that aspect of the story alot.

Score: 7.2 out of 10

Enter System (Natural Laws Apocalypse Book 1)

https://amzn.to/3zoghEn

Dungeon House

One day, my house got connected to a dungeon. It's dangerous outside because of the monsters, but in order to survive, I have to clear the dungeon within the time limit! "I don't want to die. I want to survive." Kim HyunBok has to try and clear the dungeon by himself now that all the other explorers have died. Having awakened his powers, he starts taming monsters. With the skeletons Chris, Kai, and Kessle who have regained their memories, our protagonist's life-risking adventure to clear the dungeon starts now!

My Opinion: 23 ch, FREE, Fan Translation

This is a dungeon dive manhwa that has the main character (MC) trapped in his apartment until he or someone else clears the dungeon that connected to his house. He sits, rightfully scared, instead of working through the dungeon until all the other potential clearers are kills. Only then does he dare fight through the dungeon finding magic, monsters, and the power to clear the dungeon by himself. It’s a slice of life dungeon crawl that has a few unique aspects, like monster taming, necromancy, and magic cast via cards as well as use of a system store and trading system to make some coin that is used to power up and accomplish the goals set before the MC.

Overall, good stuff that I binge read through in a single day.

Score: 7.4 out of 10

Dungeon House

https://reaperscans.com/series/dungeon-house/

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