The Star Dragon

Dragon Kings of the New World, Book 1

By: Dante Doom

Narrated by: Nik Magill

When the real world is threatened, it's up to the players in a virtual one to save it.

Van Vanyushin doesn't see the point in ever leaving the beautiful digital world of the game he loves - and for good reason. In the industrial wasteland he calls home, it is often the only way people can experience life's simplest pleasures. But his allegiance to the game is tested when an ambitious CIA agent named Sang Ngo calls upon him to help as she goes undercover in the game to investigate Draco - the corporation responsible for creating the massively popular role-playing game Dragon Kings of the New World.

Sang is a gifted hacker who feels nothing but contempt for those who waste their lives in what she sees as a false reality...but when people start dying in the game, she must find out why. Van, a talented gamer, is her guide to navigate the world, level up their newbie characters fast, and get into some of the most dangerous areas of the game. He dreams of becoming a pro gamer sponsored by Draco one day, but his partnership with Sang threatens to expose secrets from his past that could jeopardize those plans.

Now, they will have to put aside their differences to discover whatever - or whoever - is killing players, but the truth they find is darker than either of them imagined....

©2017 Relay Publishing (P)2017 Relay Publishing

Another fun LitRPG

I was hesitant to try this book because the whole CIA aspect is overdone to me. Im glad I tried it. Dante Doom has created a fun series that is completely engulfing and I found myself looking for reasons to listen to what happened next. Was not expecting the alien twist. Nik Magill is the reason I tried the book despite being uncertain on the premise as he is one of my absolute favorite narrorators and he nails it again in this book. I will definitely be checking out the next installment when it releases.
I was given a free review copy of this book by the author or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Gamer Chow

It's so easy to put off gamers as people who do nothing but play video games 24/7 and eat gamer chow... Well, that's Van in a nutshell. He wants nothing more than to be a pro gamer and have people attend to his every need while he plays his VR game. When he's enlisted by the CIA to help Sang explore the world of a video game, his life and hers is turned upside down.

I loved the interaction between the characters and I loved envisioning the worlds created by Dante Doom. There was several twists and turns to this book and I'm excited to see where this series goes. While there is definitely room to grow in this series, the book does end without having a massive cliffhanger (yay because I hate when that happens).

If you enjoy LitRPGs, this is definitely a book to pick up. If you just love fantasy and want to explore a LitRPG, this would be an excellent book to start with.

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge.

Fun, humor, and adventure

I rarely like gamer stories. Loved Ready Player One, but most in this sub genre are difficult to get through. This one, however, is really good. I mean hell (pun intended), with a name like Dante Doom, how could it not be good. I think where this book is better is simple, good characters. Magill is really good and gives the main characters depth and their own voice. Looking forward to another.

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Fun Litrpg with hacker

The outside world is not focused on so take the summary with a grain of salt. The description is otherwise pretty fair, so if it's your cup then you're likely to enjoy it! I found some of it rough and forced like Van and Sang arguing when nothing in the past indicates the argument is ahead. About 3 instances of that that are very clear like in one Sang's frustration at Van for not shutting up. I just didn't see him talk a ton nor did Sang complain before. Of course, I could have just missed it. The gaming was alright and had interesting mechanics. The game has a focus on teamwork so PvP has negative side effects. I am genuinely curious about the future of this series and looking forward to the next installment! I agree with other reviewers that you don't have to be a gamer to enjoy this mystery.

Fun LitRPG

I am a sucker for the LitRPG genre, and this one is a pretty entertaining ride. The main characters get along pretty well, and mesh well considering they are trying to put together two differing aspects. The reason for them being in the game is a pretty unique one, at least by the LitRPG genre standards. It has a lot of great things to offer for those that like sci-fi, fantasy, humor and action.

The narration by Nik Magill is great, and he brings all the characters to life with unique voices and inflections. The pace is nice, and covers many little arcs before hitting the climax. I look forward to the next book, and future adventures for Van and Sang.

A unqiue twist on the LitRPG genre.

The Star Dragon is the first book in the Dragon Kings of the New World series, a brand new LitRPG novel that adds quite a unique spin the genre. Invasion via cyber space?!? While there a few inconsistencies here and there, the story is pretty dang fun and is loaded with likable characters and plenty of action. Also a ton of laughs...making one of the leads a wiseass and having one of his first pranks backfire on him was great. First time I've seen a bard be a lead character! Quite interested to see where the story goes from here.

The book is narrated by Nik Magill, and as always he does a fantastic job of bringing the characters and story to life. He never disappoints.

I received a copy of this audio title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

The star dragon

This was an interesting litrpg.The interaction between the two main characters (FBI cybersleuth Sage Ngo and gamer Van Vanyushin) is mostly entertaining.

Fun LitRPG with a Twist!

Van is a dedicated gamer, spending every spare moment in his favorite virtual reality MMORPG, Dragon Kings of the New World. He dreams of being picked as a pro gamer, sponsored by Draco and paid to play the game he loves. That all ends when he's blackmailed by the CIA to assist their agent, Sang. She's trying to discover the reason behind the recent rash of player deaths and mysterious game glitches. What starts as an in game escort mission becomes a partnership between the gamer and the hacker with life or death on the line.

This was a solid LitRPG that went in an interesting direction! It was a great listen that kept me hooked through the entire book. I liked the contrast between Van and Sang, an ambitious gamer who lives to game, and an aggressive agent who thinks it's a waste of time. They were both likable and their banter cracked me up. I could really relate to Sang as she experienced the game for the first time, and was struck by its beauty. I loved that the female main character was the one who got to kick so much butt!

You don't have to be a gamer to enjoy this book. There were a few stats, but the focus of the story wasn't just the game, it had an interesting plot beyond that. If you do read for the game, the game mechanics were consistent, and Van was definitely not overpowered! Although the world itself was interesting, the setting didn't get too much focus. I did miss the world building you get with fantasy, but there's plenty of room for that later if we get backstories on the two opposing forces. The action kept things moving, and it really felt like actually playing the game.

The narration was well done, Nik Magill did a great job bringing the story to life without overacting. He pulled me right into the story. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review. This book is definitely worth a listen, and I'm really looking forward to the sequels.

role playing educate

being able to look at other peoples stats is not something you usually do in a role-playing game it's like just not done and how whiny he is the main boy character is just sad if anyone wants this book free warning it's not that good

Well Done LitRPG Book!

Well done book with a some great plot lines and potential for a great series. Well worth a credit.

Be interesting to see how the series develops.

This book was provided at no cost for a fair and honest review.