I'm a huge litrpg fan. I've read or listened to many books in this genre at this point. My review is based on the audible narration of the book.
Ascend Online does a few things that help swallow the idea of the full immersion fantasy world. Firstly, it's set hundreds of years into the future and sets up a world where technology, specifically nano-technology, has become so far advanced that many today's illnesses like cancer and disease are readily curable. The offset of this is that the population of earth has exploded. Despite that many live in poverty because of this, games have become a major spectator attraction, much like football or any other sport.
The company that premiers Ascend Online is using full immersion capsules coupled with nano technology and iv's to take care of the immersion component and to keep the player supplied with needed nutrients. Because of this, there's no need for a plot device to literally trap or transport players directly into the game itself. In fact, the players are often so surprised by the games realism that they have a hard time remembering it's a game. When NPC's are so convincing that they feel like real, tangible, living breathing souls, the question of how to treat the NPC's causes a great deal of moral conflict and confusion.
That's enough exposition. The story itself is superb. The characters are feel real and have a great deal of depth to them. The NPC's as well. Furthermore, the world story setup for the game is absolutely incredible. The second book expands on fleshing out the world but also has some last minute surprises to connect things.
While the story is LITRPG, I found the stat listings draw a good balance between informative, but not overwhelming. This is the first LITRPG book I've come across where the main character works in tandem with other real-world characters while in the game. I found that to be quite refreshing. The interplay between the main character and his friends is hilarious and paints a picture of a long lived friendship that's spanned across many games together, but none of them close to Ascend Online's level.
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Top reviews from other countries
Michael Flemming
A great place to start reading LitRPG novels!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2020Kindle Customer
One of the best Litrpg novels out there
Reviewed in India on September 26, 2019