The Feel:
I won’t waste your time by repeating the summary. This story is an interesting blend of HFY/humans are space orcs, tabletop RPG, and isekai/transported to a fantasy world.
Disclaimer:
I have listened to books 1-3 at this point, and some of the points I discuss are fleshed out more in later volumes. While I only rate this volume as 4 stars, I rate the following volumes as 5.
The Characters:
Well realized. Tropes used lightly and often subverted. Have and form realistic relationships that I not only care about, but are also very believable and relatable. Good banter. Distinct voices, both in the text and by the narrator. Excellent narration all around. Took a note from Robert Jordan in the way culture affects the way a character sees the world and speaks. Interesting primary antagonist. Even many of the minor antagonists get short POVs, so they rarely seem evil for the sake of evil. Yes, the protagonists are OP, and yes, you will always expect them to win, but they are also allowed to fail due to ignorance or character flaws.
The World:
Excellent. Distinct, but mutually influencing, cultures that are complex and realistic enough to never seem like “planets of the hats.” Thought has been put into the economy, travel, and society and the ways in which magic and the other non-earthy elements of the world would realistically influence them (think ATLA). Some of the best subtle humor comes from the way languages are magically translated. Info-dumping bothers me less than the average reader, but, for what it’s worth, I didn’t notice anything particularly dense. Doesn’t handwave things like the game-like elements. Honestly the best justification for said elements I’ve seen in a litrpg story.
The Plot:
Nothing groundbreaking. This is the element of the story that is supposed to be the comfortable, expected part that keeps the reader feeling grounded amidst the strangeness of some of the other elements. In the form “Take A but with B!” the plot is definitely the “A.”
Other Notes:
The protagonists’ strongest power is their creativity. The more racy scenes don’t fade to black quite as soon as I am used to seeing, but also don’t truly stray into smut. There is also a fair bit of swearing. Polygamy is the expected practice in the world, and the expectation is justified by the way the world is constructed. Initially this worried me, as I was afraid it portended haremy indulgence. So far I have been plesantly surprised, as with many potentially frustrating aspects of this story, with the maturity with which it has been handled. This story involves many difficult and/or contentious topics and approaches them with surprising directness, tact, and nuance including LGBT+ characters, religion, PTSD, depression, predjudice, and others.
Bottom Line:
I strongly recommend this series to anyone not afraid of a little fantasy and whom the more mature themes and language won’t offend.