This is not necessarily a LitRPG. There are no character sheets.
Regardless of not having the typical character sheet and level up system, this book is still one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.
Each character has a clearly defined backstory and we the chance to view each of their sides of the story. Each of the progresses and shows some sort of growth as a person. Each character is unique.
Jeff Hays does an amazing job as always in combination with Soundbooth Theater. His voices always seem real and distinguished from one another. He can do both male and female voices making them go high or low and anywhere in between. It doesnt sound like he is just reading the book. I feel like I am right there beside them at every turn.
The story progression is nice. It skims over most of the training, building, and innovating, moving on to sum it up or actually show the reader through actions.
The romance of the book is nothing to sniff at either. It is quite entertaining and endearing seeing the main characters pair up. The women actually have substance and character to them. I have read books where the women/girlfriend/significant other are often glossed over or given a stereotypical persona. These women feel real to me. They have faults, ambitions, family, and ideas of their own.
Overall, despite this not really being a LitRPG like I had thought, it is an amazing quality book. There are few other books that actually get me to feel like I am next to the characters vs just watching them from a distance.
10/10 I highly recommend this book for all types of readers.