Surprisingly Refreshing LitRPG
580962
For a more thorough review of the series, please see my review under the same heading for The Land: Founding.

I enjoyed reading The Land: Alliances! I like the direction Mr. Kong is going with the series thus far. The characters are progressing much the way I think they would in an actual RPG which, to me, is pretty cool! I like the progression of the village as well!
1259100
actually, i think a previous review (by Michael S Antonelli) has already said it all, but i just can't help sharing my enthusiasm...
normally, i'm not what u'd call a hardcore player, and i play quite  "moderately", only once in a while, never neglecting the daily  routine of real life on account of pc games, and so on & so forth.  but  the minute i installed "planescape torment" on my computer i  suddenly seemed to fall hopelessly into a trance and all i could do was  keep at it day and night and--when somehow i wasn't playing it--thought  about it during all my waking hours, only hitting the hay--very  unwillingly--when i could no longer keep my eyes open and my head from  spinning.
this is really rpg at its most outstanding and ideal, the rpg  of ur dream: the landscape--no, the planescape--beautifully rendered, the  storyline original and fascinating, the characters unique and, hmm, can i  say endearing?  really, the dialogue is so  well written that i almost feel  that they r ppl i actually know (especially morte's abrupt quips often  makes me laugh out loud).
well, to sum up, if u play rpg and haven't  bought this one--i really don't know what u r waiting for!
3974315
This was quite the interesting book. More of the 'Transferred to another World' type of LitRPG, but still very good. Well written characters, some decent world-building and a fun read. I would easily recommend it. I am moving on to the second book, even now.
2875220
LitRPG?  I wasn't really sure what to expect when I received an advance review copy of this book, but I liked it so much I bought a copy as soon as it was officially released.  Great characters and character development, plenty of action, suspense and a little bit of anxiety for Sam, wondering how she was going to survive cause she wasn't listening to the suggestions I was trying to send her.  I loved the story and did not put this down until I was at the end.  And then I said, Aw, I'm at the end, I want more.
4795256
Looks like another strong addition to the list of worthwhile new litrpg series.  There aren't many proofreading errors, and the ones that made it through didn't disrupt the flow of the read.  It felt a little like the author is still getting into his groove, but that point doesn't seem far off if that impression isn't just in my head.  I found the characters to be likeable, the world believable, and nothing jumping out as too overdone.  In terms of content, there are relatively few traditional fantasy races, although so far the "monster" races are written so that they are more complex and have actual cultures, as opposed to just being a device to give the protagonists something to fight.  All in all, this should be an enjoyable series, and even if the author doesn't improve at all I'd still happily keep reading new releases.
4744036
A very good LitRPG book, with some "Kingdom building" on it. A MC that take the Dark patch but on a good approach on it. Really good. Looking forward to the second book.
361301
Tons of Underdark Goodies
This book really makes the Underdark come alive. Unique locations, weird and interesting creatures and personalities, exciting encounters - and all with a very consistent and cohesive wrapping. I think the designers did a great job with the presentation and the material, and the amount of energy invested in the book leaps out of the pages.

For Experienced DMs
Tyranny of Dragons and Princess of the Apocalypse felt like massive adventures, but I can see an inexperienced DM running Tyranny of Dragons, or even Princess of the Apocalypse. Out of the Abyss will stress out an inexperienced DM, and might prove to be a challenge even for an experienced one. The very first encounter has a dozen well detailed NPCs, each with an agenda of its own - and the PCs are going to interact with them all. From there, it's a sandbox. Non-linear, and very open. The amount of information the DM needs to digest before the game is truly immense. That said - the book is very well written, and the setting screams to be read, enjoyed, and played. The Underdark is a dangerous place for 1st level PCs, so you can expect a lot of roleplaying moments, as well as tense combat situations - and a good DM is needed to make sure a TPK doesn't happen 15 minutes into the session.

A Sea of Madness
The book makes use of many special rules presented in the Player's Handbook, like madness, getting lost, foraging, crafting and more. The Underdark is portrayed like never before, with alien landscapes, bizarre personalities and unearthly locations. The book provides great advice on how to narrate travel in such locations - and how to bring the Underdark to life while traveling days from one location to another. And don't forget - the demons are Out of the Abyss, so this dark, evil place have become even scarier than before. Players can expect to interact with creatures considered natural enemies of the surface-dwellers if they want to survive, and the constant threat of a knife in the back is ever present. Role-players will have tons of opportunities to shine, and combat encounters will require a lot of cooperation and thought to escape death, imprisonment or both...

All in all - I was very excited to get my hands on this book, and even more excited to see the great material to be found inside. The quality of adventures is constantly improving, with a positive slope from Tyranny of Dragons to Princes of the Apocalypse - to Out of the Abyss. I think Wizards are finally doing it right - and I really hope their Aboleth Overlords have even greater plans for the future!
4589177
I wanted to give the litRPG genre a try despite being skeptical about whether it would be something I would enjoy. I love fantasy but am not big into MMOs. I was quite surprised by what I found in this book. It totally hooked me and I found it hard to put it down. I immediately purchased the next book in the series and will start reading it as soon as I hit the submit button on this review. Only complaint was a lot of typos and poor grammar in places.
218166
Ok Ive been reading fantasy  since the original iteration of bell bottoms. Not since " The Rift War Saga" have I enjoyed a genre so much. That being said "The Viridian Gate Online: Cataclysm" is a Litrpg gem. The storytelling is way above the other series in this genre. J.A. Hunter has created a rich, deep fantasy world with visceral disgusting detail that really draws you in. The real world even has a fantastical conflict in the form of the days away asteroid Astrea about to collide with earth, forcing our hero Jack to decide to join a VR online game permanently in order to have a form of a future. Grim Jack as he calls himself finds himself starting in a cell which is a small part of a torture chamber. As he continues through his story we meet up with several standard mmporpg monsters each slightly different than we're used to. We are inroduced to a demon intent on taking over Eldgard, The Osmark Technologies execs using real world influence to take over Eldgard also. There is so much packed into this first installment, I already bought the next 2 books.

I only have one minor criticism. The accounting of in game items needs more attention. Jack shows up with extra potions in his pack with no explanation. Portal travel could use some better description. Minor details yes but with Hunters incredible attention to storytelling details are important.

Don't miss this series!
4751650
The book is a good example of a litRPG. It has the right amount of game mechanics to make it feel like a proper litRPG, without bogging you down. There's also some references to the author's other series that is fun to catch.
345576
How much fun can I have without logging into a VRMMORPG?  Well, the answer is clearly though Dr. Kong's contribution to LitRPG!  He has magically transported us to The Land, and keeps us wanting more.  His characters leap off the page and occupy a non-stop background process when I am not reading it, and a dynamic literary symphony while I am turning every page.  I even think about it as I am actually logged into my real MMORPG.  How crazy-cool is that?
Thank you Aleron!!!  My Affinity for your books is at 100% and your Scribing Ability has reached MasterClass!
/bow
333569
Okay, So I love this particular genre. Although this is only tangentially related to LITRPG, it is built around many similar principles such as character and skill progression. This author introduces us to this character in such a rich way that when we learn, much later, about other aspects of his character that might challenge our ability to accept him; I was able to realize that I appreciated this character and was able to accept him as he was. It was an exhilarating experience. The writer is simply brilliant. And I would like to personally thank you for this work. /salute
4941037
I came across this series as a kindle recomondation, and I finished the first 6 books that week and have been eagerly awaiting book 7 for 2 and half months. Reread the series twice in that time(it stays fantastic) and picked up book 7 today...damn is it cram packed with everything I could want. I am half way through my first reading and don't plan on sleep till I finish, it is that good.

Do yourselves a favour and check this series out, it is the cream of the Litrpg genre
1749757
Great RPG mixing some of the best elements of old-school and new school. Achieves being very lite on the rules while offering a lot of build choices as characters progress. Great grimdark setting.
4722181
Great litrpg! I think it's my new litrpg of the summer. Too notch. Can't wait for the next one in this series. The author does a excellent job creating a great world ?with great mcs.
1715208
I am not usually into the role playing games books that have inundated the fantasy genre lately and I am not sure why I picked this one but I am glad I did.  It was fun and fresh.  The ranking system, as with all of these types of books, was a little contrived but didn't take away from the plot. Who knew that a dungeon could be the main character in a book? Read it. You will likely enjoy it.
390150
I don't typically like rpg'lit...but i like well written stories that interest me and this one rang that bell for me. I was bored and couldn't sleep so i picked this up on a whim which on occasion pays off for me, i'm glad i found it. As a kid i spent summer evenings at the local university cafeteria playing D&D during the 1980's and when i left that behind i never found the time to get back into it, i skirted the edges of rpg's for decades but there was no community for it where i lived...it grew beyond my experience and ability to keep up with its evolution though i knew that it did or was evolving. I tried reading to keep my scifi fantasy bug fed and it was enough but the rpg lit genre tries to replace story and character development with statistics...for example, a mage killing 12 monsters gains experience points...but in fiction the character needs to be written so that his experience made him wiser and more confident and capable, it makes more sense as a story that way than describing it like baseball stats after a week of games....i digress, this story well written and the world building was great, i didn't care that it was rpg-lit, it wasn't really central to the story in a way that made it less than good fiction, the concepts are there but they don't interfere too much...there's still chunks of story missing or replaced with statistical accounting but it didn't bother me enough to stop reading nor will it keep me from reading book 2 should i find it when it's published.