Rune Waker

Into the Rift, Book 1

De: Jamie Hawke

Narrado por: Alexander Cendese

The company went too far.

What started as a simple sim soon showed signs of crossing over, of opening a rift to the afterlife. But that's not all. Parts of that world are coming our way, and what used to be worlds for the dead are changing...evolving?

This is my story - a journey into the world beyond to find my lost fiancée, in the process changing myself and my understanding of this new reality. An adventure that involves leveling up, forming bonds with demons and spirits, and even going up against a very odd dungeon master.

Includes a bonus story in the Into the Rift series, Tarot Witch!

Warning: This story contains nudity and adult situations. Enjoy!

©2019 Jamie Hawke (P)2019 Podium Publishing

The voice actor sucks

I didn’t even get three chapters in because the voice actor was so bad. He’s way too fast and he puts no emotion into anything. I read a couple chapters of the book and it was pretty good but when he talks it just feels like he’s reading a script.

Rune Waker

Introduction

In the icy realms of HowlStrom, where the frosty winds whisper ancient tales, I, Kiba Snowpaw, an alpha male Ice Wolf with the grace of ice magic, find solace in the mystical worlds unveiled through the art of storytelling. Amidst the eternal winter that graces my world every century, I stumbled upon an audiobook, a tale that promised an escape, a journey into realms unknown - "Rift Wars Origins: Rune Waker" by Jamie Hawke, narrated by Alexander Cendese.
Basic Plot Summary

The story unveils a simulation that promises a reunion with the departed. Ryan Fairbanks, the protagonist, is lured into this digital necromancy in hopes of rekindling moments with his deceased fiancée. However, the company’s ambition breaches the sacred, opening rifts to the afterlife and unleashing an evolution of worlds meant for the departed.
Analysis/Evaluation

In the icy silence of my world, the narrative echoed, a blend of technology and the mystical, a dance of the living and the dead. It was a LitRPG, yet it bore the soul of an ancient saga, where runes weren’t just symbols but keys to powers untold, reminiscent of the icy runes that grace the caverns of HowlStrom.
Characters

Ryan is a warrior, not of the icy realms but of a world where technology and magic intertwine. His love, as eternal as the winters of HowlStrom, drives him into the abyss of the unknown. The women, like the mystical creatures of the icy forests, are alluring yet enigmatic, each a puzzle, a mystery echoing the enigmatic auroras of my icy world.
Structure

The narrative is a dance of the ethereal and the corporeal. It’s a journey where every step is a descent into layers of reality and illusion, akin to the layered icebergs that float in the icy oceans of HowlStrom, each layer echoing a story, a secret.
Impact

In the silent nights where the icy winds howl, the story resonated, a testament to love’s eternal flame amidst the icy embrace of death. It’s a tale that would make the ice sculptures of HowlStrom weep, their tears freezing into icy testimonies of a love that defies death.
Hook and Thesis

Yet, amidst the icy elegance, a fire of critique burns. The narrative, though as enchanting as the northern lights of my world, sometimes stumbles into the abyss of the overtly erotic, a dance too explicit, echoing the dangerous allure of the icy flames that sometimes grace the frozen forests of HowlStrom.
Praise and Critique

The icy runes of praise carve themselves for the narrative’s audacity to breach the sacred, to dance in the realms of the dead. Yet, the frosty breath of critique whispers of characters sometimes as elusive as the icy shadows during the eternal winters.
Evaluation

In the icy silence, the story echoes, a melody of the mystical and the mortal. It’s a dance of runes, each a key to worlds untold, yet sometimes, the dance spirals into realms where the icy elegance of subtlety is lost.
Comparison

In the icy realms of HowlStrom, ancient tales echo of warriors and mages, of icy battles and mystical runes. "Rift Wars Origins" is a distant echo, a tale from realms beyond the icy embrace, yet bearing the soul of the ancient sagas that the icy winds of HowlStrom whisper.
Conclusion

As Kiba Snowpaw, with the icy elegance of an Ice Wolf and the mystical grace of ice magic, I find in "Rift Wars Origins" a journey into realms untold. It’s a dance of the living and the dead, a narrative echoing the eternal dance of the icy winds and the mystical auroras of HowlStrom. It’s a tale that, like the icy winters, is enchanting yet dangerous, a dance of the mystical and the mortal, echoing the eternal ballet of the icy and the ethereal in the frozen realms of HowlStrom.

In the icy silence, the tale resonates, a rune carved in the eternal ice, a story that will echo in the icy winds, amidst the eternal dance of frost and flame, life and death, love and loss.

Confused

Not sure what this was. wasn't sure where the story was going. a lot of unresolved issues and unanswered questions.

power gamer paradise

just can't get behind this one. I really enjoyed the myth protector series, but this one just seems like a power gamer in a book.

Good listen

Enjoyed it. Gave it a shot with no expectations, was entertained for hours. Hopefully the author keeps writing in the series.

Great story

Another audiobook by Jamie that delivers.
The story is enganging and some moments are heartfelt.
The characters feel real and not the perfection of an archetype.
The narrator could be better suited for the story.

Nice story

I have enjoyed this nice wonderful heartfelt story of man wanting to see his dead girlfriend.

I loved it. Great start!

Great start to the book. I wonder how the next installment will go. Jamie Hawke is great. I highly recommend it to anyone.

cool concept but no one is that dumb

who in this day and age who plays games 30 years old just blindly agrees to allow a freaking demon to drain your life essence and then keeps on getting tricked over and over again.., dude was skeptical about his wife but ohh deal with demon shady terms ... yes please

Maybe if I was a guy?

Let me say that I FORCED myself to finish listening to this. The premise seemed like it could have been interesting, but the writing was just so bad. Other reviews said that if they gamed maybe it would be better and… no it was not.
All of the characters were very one dimensional and honestly rather cringey. The main character? A total dude bro from a rich family, an ex mma fighter, a huge dick, rad body, and oh my god such a chick magnet. It’s very obvious that it was written by a guy for guys… all of the female characters exist fully to point out how attractive and amazing Ryan is. It starts off with the female scientist trying to immediately hook up with the guy going as far as to remove her panties. Ryan constantly points out how hot the women fawning over him are and him having to relieve himself because his sex drive is just too big. All of the other male characters exist to talk about how cool of a guy he is.
Overall, it wasn’t a fun or interesting read and I can’t see myself returning for the second installment.