The basic premise is simple enough: A kid finds a DnD analogue and things transpire which make it clear it’s more than a simple game, he and his friends are sucked in… if that sounds familiar – that’s ok. The premise itself makes a natural combination and it’s a trope that’s hardly been overused. The execution was solid and even as a 38 year old I quite enjoyed it.
This book really shines with the well though out characters. The time and attention paid to the game itself makes it obvious that the author played quite a bit of DnD himself and if you are looking for a faithful portrayal of how a real gaming session and some of teamwork, strategy and imagination that goes into it- you could not do better. The author threw in a nice nod to creator Gary Gygax as well.
Disclaimer: The ability of the game to draw you into itself is a big YMMV. Here it’s a nice way to ratchet up the stakes considerably.
The character dynamics were a joy and the highlight was the 9 year old younger sister of one of the characters. Rather than being the annoying kid sister who tags along and gets in over her head – she’s the min-maxer and really holds her own. the character moments are all earned and I felt a real connection to the play group. I’d read a sequel about their adventures games – mundane or no.
This book is written for the 12 or 13 year old gamer – male or female. It’s an inclusive group. There is some teenage romance and kissing if you are a parent and want to know about that kind of content.
If you like LitRPG, paper and pencil RPGs, YA, or 80’s kids adventure movies you are in the right place.
The narrator did an excellent job. He was friendly and handled the cast well
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.