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mellhay's review
4.0
I like the need of balance along with the creation of Game Master (GM). GM is neither good or bad, but the one that works to keep things on an even keel in the world. This feels to go hand in hand with the theme of what's evil. I found there is much you can play with on this type of board and feel to a character.
In the end, I found I really liked the world created and how the game is also life for the characters. I will gladly listen to future installments of books in this world.
****FULL REVIEW****
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Hector Savage is on death row, for a bombing he's framed for. He's received his last request and ready to game on the laptop for his last twelve hours of life. As he readies to log in, time stops and a demon visits who claims to have business to conduct with Hector. Play as a character in the world of Thera. This is a live action game that keeps many universes from warring. Hector has a choice - die via lethal injection in less than twelve hours or play the ultimate, coolest game there is...and maybe live.
Jeff shines again with a multitude of characters and voices to match. It's great to see Mr. Null in 3 forms when we meet him, and the voice in each form matches, making it feel real and fitting. Jeff never lets me down in his performances. He entertains me while I'm drawn into the story, listening to what feels like a live show. Thank you for another amazing voice action performance!
I found I was drawn into the creation of the realm of Thera. The way Hector is drawn to it, it's like a game but oh so real. You live or die here, but it's the adventure and action that everyone who's played video games could ever want.
I love the early on irony that appears in Hector's life here. The Hector's reason for being in prison and what the last choice to save those in a village in Thera is. The one thing he didn't do in life, he'll have to do in Thera. Then when we get the secrets behind all that's happened with Hector. Wow. I loved how things panned out.
There was a few moments the direction of the character felt to get a little distorted for me. When we start we know exactly what he wants, and still wants, and where things are going with the trial. We then know he does not want to be a fighter for the clan he's in (demons, that's not good), so he figures out how to adjust for that. After that... I'm a little fuzzy on what his new drive and direction is. There was a lot of details given at one time here with the Game Master so it could be tucked in there and I missed it. I'm thinking his new direction is to stay alive on Thera, and prevent the Abyssal Lords from coming after him. But there felt like there should be more. He has a huge secret that NO ONE can know of, and that's something that's got to stay that way. When things calmed in the story, after I thought this, we got Hector listing things out and this is clarified.
I got the feel of a theme that asked and had me wondering, what really is evil. There are things people do in their lives that's not good, but it's to survive. There are those who just do mean things. But which is worse than the other? This got my mind spinning on the idea and thinking.
I do enjoy the world of Thera. It's a fantasy world with rifts. Rather cool. Sort of like many fantasy worlds we've seen or read about in the way of creatures and living. And rifts that connect to other worlds. Hector has to live here in Thera, but he has an overlay that he can tap into to see his health and skills along with a virtual carrying system. It's real life with a game overlay for him and any other players here.
I like the need of balance along with the creation of Game Master (GM). GM is neither good or bad, but the one that works to keep things on an even keel in the world. This feels to go hand in hand with the theme of what's evil. I found there is much you can play with on this type of board and feel to a character.
In the end, I found I really liked the world created and how the game is also life for the characters. I will gladly listen to future installments of books in this world.
In the end, I found I really liked the world created and how the game is also life for the characters. I will gladly listen to future installments of books in this world.
****FULL REVIEW****
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Hector Savage is on death row, for a bombing he's framed for. He's received his last request and ready to game on the laptop for his last twelve hours of life. As he readies to log in, time stops and a demon visits who claims to have business to conduct with Hector. Play as a character in the world of Thera. This is a live action game that keeps many universes from warring. Hector has a choice - die via lethal injection in less than twelve hours or play the ultimate, coolest game there is...and maybe live.
Jeff shines again with a multitude of characters and voices to match. It's great to see Mr. Null in 3 forms when we meet him, and the voice in each form matches, making it feel real and fitting. Jeff never lets me down in his performances. He entertains me while I'm drawn into the story, listening to what feels like a live show. Thank you for another amazing voice action performance!
I found I was drawn into the creation of the realm of Thera. The way Hector is drawn to it, it's like a game but oh so real. You live or die here, but it's the adventure and action that everyone who's played video games could ever want.
I love the early on irony that appears in Hector's life here. The Hector's reason for being in prison and what the last choice to save those in a village in Thera is. The one thing he didn't do in life, he'll have to do in Thera. Then when we get the secrets behind all that's happened with Hector. Wow. I loved how things panned out.
There was a few moments the direction of the character felt to get a little distorted for me. When we start we know exactly what he wants, and still wants, and where things are going with the trial. We then know he does not want to be a fighter for the clan he's in (demons, that's not good), so he figures out how to adjust for that. After that... I'm a little fuzzy on what his new drive and direction is. There was a lot of details given at one time here with the Game Master so it could be tucked in there and I missed it. I'm thinking his new direction is to stay alive on Thera, and prevent the Abyssal Lords from coming after him. But there felt like there should be more. He has a huge secret that NO ONE can know of, and that's something that's got to stay that way. When things calmed in the story, after I thought this, we got Hector listing things out and this is clarified.
I got the feel of a theme that asked and had me wondering, what really is evil. There are things people do in their lives that's not good, but it's to survive. There are those who just do mean things. But which is worse than the other? This got my mind spinning on the idea and thinking.
I do enjoy the world of Thera. It's a fantasy world with rifts. Rather cool. Sort of like many fantasy worlds we've seen or read about in the way of creatures and living. And rifts that connect to other worlds. Hector has to live here in Thera, but he has an overlay that he can tap into to see his health and skills along with a virtual carrying system. It's real life with a game overlay for him and any other players here.
I like the need of balance along with the creation of Game Master (GM). GM is neither good or bad, but the one that works to keep things on an even keel in the world. This feels to go hand in hand with the theme of what's evil. I found there is much you can play with on this type of board and feel to a character.
In the end, I found I really liked the world created and how the game is also life for the characters. I will gladly listen to future installments of books in this world.
lundos's review
3.0
I've liked Eric S. Nylund since Signal to Noise from 1998, and while it's an okay LitRPG book, it's nothing special which is a bit disappointing.
The main character, Hector, is described multiple times a min-max'er, who loves deep diving rules and making up his own combinations, but besides explaining this he never does any of this himself. In fact when he gets to second level (out of a really low level cap of 30 pr class) he puts more points into his beginning skills... If beginner skills are that powerful, either the class is severely under powered (his beginning powers are not in any way potent), or the author haven't looked a the POE skill tree/gem setup to see how complex min-max'ing can be.
Also, the big reveal was so easy to spot that the hint given was completely unnecessary and only made sure you knew how the book would end.
The pacing is okay, the prose good, and the overall world Game is a nice idea.
The main character, Hector, is described multiple times a min-max'er, who loves deep diving rules and making up his own combinations, but besides explaining this he never does any of this himself. In fact when he gets to second level (out of a really low level cap of 30 pr class) he puts more points into his beginning skills... If beginner skills are that powerful, either the class is severely under powered (his beginning powers are not in any way potent), or the author haven't looked a the POE skill tree/gem setup to see how complex min-max'ing can be.
Also, the big reveal was so easy to spot that the hint given was completely unnecessary and only made sure you knew how the book would end.
The pacing is okay, the prose good, and the overall world Game is a nice idea.
wolkenfels's review
3.0
Very classical litRPG with the addon that several "gods" play the "game" against each other. The MC is not a fan of his first "clan chef" and can get out of his claws. Nice one!
kestrapingree's review
5.0
LitRPGs! I've read a couple by this point and so far they've all been really solid. Lucky me!
Now, Eric Nylund is the name I look for when I'm reading Halo novels. From the ones I've read, he writes my favorite. I just love this man's writing. He gets stories. He gets characters. It's good stuff. When I learned Eric Nylund had a LitRPG novel, I had to read it of course. I'm happy to report, Hero of Thera was another solid novel. I enjoyed it.
I gotta say, from the very beginning, Hector made me laugh. I loved his character voice. I've never read first person by Eric Nylund before, but man, did I enjoy it. Hector was funny. There was a healthy helping of humor, but there was plenty of seriousness as well. The book had a good balance that kept me hooked the whole way through. Solid characters? Check.
The world, the whole preface to this story, was quite interesting. To sum it up quickly, various gods from fiction, mythology, all that goodness, all exist in this story world and they are fighting over all of Creation. At certain points in time, different gods had more or less say over our earth, the parallel earth to that, and all other numerous worlds and dimensions. Fun right? And how these gods go about claiming Creation is by playing a game. They get people from these different worlds to be their players and represent them in, basically, an RPG. The ultimate RPG.
Come on, that's cool. Yay fantasy worlds!
So the game is played in Thera, the heart of everything. It's not much of a game though since everyone there is alive and breathing. There are no NPCs. They're all real people (or elves, dwarves, whatever the case may be) so the stakes are high. I mean, if gods looking to control all of Creation wasn't a high enough stake. A lot rests on Hector's shoulders. What role will he play and what god will he represent? You'll have to read to find out. So do yourself a favor and check out Hero of Thera. If you like fantasy novels and video games, I see no reason why you wouldn't fall in love with this book.
Now, Eric Nylund is the name I look for when I'm reading Halo novels. From the ones I've read, he writes my favorite. I just love this man's writing. He gets stories. He gets characters. It's good stuff. When I learned Eric Nylund had a LitRPG novel, I had to read it of course. I'm happy to report, Hero of Thera was another solid novel. I enjoyed it.
I gotta say, from the very beginning, Hector made me laugh. I loved his character voice. I've never read first person by Eric Nylund before, but man, did I enjoy it. Hector was funny. There was a healthy helping of humor, but there was plenty of seriousness as well. The book had a good balance that kept me hooked the whole way through. Solid characters? Check.
The world, the whole preface to this story, was quite interesting. To sum it up quickly, various gods from fiction, mythology, all that goodness, all exist in this story world and they are fighting over all of Creation. At certain points in time, different gods had more or less say over our earth, the parallel earth to that, and all other numerous worlds and dimensions. Fun right? And how these gods go about claiming Creation is by playing a game. They get people from these different worlds to be their players and represent them in, basically, an RPG. The ultimate RPG.
Come on, that's cool. Yay fantasy worlds!
So the game is played in Thera, the heart of everything. It's not much of a game though since everyone there is alive and breathing. There are no NPCs. They're all real people (or elves, dwarves, whatever the case may be) so the stakes are high. I mean, if gods looking to control all of Creation wasn't a high enough stake. A lot rests on Hector's shoulders. What role will he play and what god will he represent? You'll have to read to find out. So do yourself a favor and check out Hero of Thera. If you like fantasy novels and video games, I see no reason why you wouldn't fall in love with this book.
cliff_meister's review
4.0
Above the average litrpg
A delight to read, well paced with engaging characters and the 1st 4 star review I have given this year.
I wish I had been able to read a little slower.
Highly recommended
A delight to read, well paced with engaging characters and the 1st 4 star review I have given this year.
I wish I had been able to read a little slower.
Highly recommended
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