Shade's First Rule

📕Book Review: Shade’s First Rule
Genre:  LitRPG

“Assumptions lead to the temple tub.”

Synopsis:  Ruwen’s big dream is to be a mage, and he's been preparing his whole life. Ascension Day arrives and he takes the paralytic before submerging himself in the drowning pool.  Before he dies, the officiant reveals that he holds a grudge against Ruwen's parents and he'll get revenge by forcing Ruwen into the lowest class possible: Workers.  Ruwen dies, and a goddess appears.  She offers a way out.  He accepts.  Anything is better than being a worker, right?

First Impression:  I was pleasantly surprised.  The story was fast-paced from the start. I was intrigued by the Ascension Ceremony, and horrified when Ruwen is betrayed.  I felt an emotional connection with him.  The writing style is pleasant.  I like that the author makes efforts to upgrade this story from robotic game-play to something more human.  Ruwen experiences headaches, hunger, pain and other physical feedback, while also having emotions.  The story still has all the feeling of litRPG, while feeling more realistic.

|| Blapy.  Hands down, Blapy, is my favorite character in this book.  Blapy stands for mBlack Pyramid, and she’s really the sentient presence of a labyrinth.

|| The Loot.  This writer does a bang up job of making loot interesting.  Of course, it’s all down to Blapy and her snarky sense of humor.  Best part:  There are so many books laying around just begging to be saved.

|| Sift Running Around Nekkid.   When any situation becomes critical, there he is, saving the day, and losing all his material possessions.   

Last Impression: I’m a squirrel at heart, and this book pressed all the right buttons for me.  I really enjoyed the fast-paced action, adventure and quirky moments.  The character gets to explore some pretty cool and dangerous places, while learning about himself and the universe.  What’s his purpose?  I think I’ll have to read the next book to find out more.

Badges:  || Language: Mild || Violence / Gore: Mod || Fear: Low || Pace: Fast || Mood: Light || Spice: Bland || Corn: Low || Drama: Low

Recommend?  Yes
Top Shelf? No
Re-Read?  Maybe
Read Next?  Yes