This series probably don’t deserve 4 stars, but between the conceit, the world design, and the characters, it was just fun to read.
The ending of this book ran long, but that actually contributed to the very end of the story, so I’m willing to forgive that. It’s definitely not a 5-star experience, and it probably wouldn’t get 4-stars if you’re not a fairly serious LitRPG fan, but for me, it was a lot of fun.