This book reads like a 14 year old boy wrote it. You are reminded over and over (and over) about how sad and tragic the main characters are. The need to empathize with them is shoved down your throat and after the third or fourth mention of their tragic history you just stop caring. They are constantly comparing themselves to their other friend and being painted with every “stoic hero” stereotype there is.
The storyline with a god that simultaneously doesnt care & hates the characters, but seems to lavish them with more attention than any other beings makes so little sense. It just seemed like a Mary Sue set up. New characters are kinda just jammed into the story when the narrative needs an extra body for the storyline, you end up not givng two shits about them.
The women are one dimensional and the hyper focus of describing their physical attributes just ripped me out of the story. I mean, did the reader really need to be told the woman was “sexy” multiple times; especially after you finished describing her nipples and phat ass? The women barely have an internal thoughts that dont revolve around a shitty mangas version of “oh i hope senpai loves me too”. And even when in danger, stereotypes of women being distracted by pretty things and shopping get poorly written into the story.
All the R rated violence and themes of rape and hyper violence against women; including detailed sexual deaths; just felt like the author was trying to force “mature/edgy” content into his story and instead it came off as creepy voyeristic fetish fullfillment.
Lastly why are there shitty special effects in the audible? if you need an echoing effect to get the listeners to know a character is thinking something instead of saying it, write the inner monologue more distinctly I had high hopes for this LitRPG, but I think book 1 is where i stop with this series.