Dodge Tank

Crystal Shards Online, Book 1

"There's only one rule … don't get hit."

Ryan's life sucks.

His brother is a jerk, his mom is sick, and his legs are next to useless thanks to a neurological disorder. Plus the world ended two centuries ago from nuclear war. Now, what's left of humanity live below ground, with the only escape from reality being the massive VR world of Crystal Shards Online.

But even in the game, Ryan's life sucks. Unable to play a combat class due to his condition, he works as a miner, earning barely enough to get by and not nearly enough to afford the operation that will save his mom's life.

When Ryan discovers an item that grants the ability to dodge any attack, however, he has the chance to become one of the game world's most elite and sought after players: a Dodge Tank.

But for someone who's never played a combat class, success isn't so easily had.

To save his mom, Ryan will have to overcome his disability and level his way to the top. But the real-world consequences are more far reaching than he ever could have imagined and the fate of not just his mother, but humanity itself, may be resting in his hands.

©2018 Rick Scott (P)2018 Podium Audio

get it

One of the best LitRPG books I've listened to. Good characters good story and a twist at the end. I will be getting book two.

4/5 as a litrpg series

I play mmo for a great portion of my life and really interested in the litrpg series

The premise of the book is quite interesting (spoiler warning ahead; you have been warned) but I do think it's very fit for YA.

The story starts off with the MC (16-17 of age) as a gimp in the physical world and even online. Due to this, the MC pretty much avoids combat and stuck to mining as a primary source of income and a way to level in the beginning stages of the game that must have existed over 10yrs+. With the MC mother diagnosed with about 6 months to live, several astronomical payment treatment options exist for the MC family to consider. However, they could afford none due to their low-income family situation.

While as a low-lvl newb, he was exploring in a mid-lvl zone to mine ores to at the very least cover rent/food. The story then goes to the MC looting a super rare skill scroll (that was once worth 8 million credits) while mining. Due to the OPness of the skill, the dev's made the scroll non-tradable several years back. Due to his real body condition, he could neither use the scroll (as there was a class restriction that requires the MC to actually level some of the other combat classes) nor sell/trade the scroll to cover the MC mother's treatment.

Due to certain happenstance, he was offered a choice to either risk a 50/50 chance to save the MC mother or restore his body. Following his promise for the restoration of his body, he started his journey as a "dodge tank" (I figured as much, given the title), and fixates his goal in tanking a Legendary Boss "LM" to gain $40 million credits (divvy up between the party members) to save his mother.

The ending throws the readers into quite a heavy cliffhanger but should you (enjoy this book) and maybe read the synopsis of the 2nd book, you would get some more details as I did.

Overall, I like "Ritualist" LITrpg series a bit more as that seems to be a vrmmorpg game that just started where everyone is new and finding things out about the game/class/whatever note. This book (or game world) has existed for 10yrs+ and guides can be found on wiki/internet (or whatever they want to call it), but the MC seems to be quite dumb or lacks the willpower to do his own research.

As for me, if the game has been out for a long, there are bounds to guide/wiki (which there are, even if it is old or outdated). I would still have done my own research rather than relying on people around him (maybe this goes into the low-income situation to afford the internet fees that the MC faces but who knows) seems to agitate me just a bit.

It is quite entertaining and the narrator does a stellar job in applying some variations to the characters' voices.

awesome book

I'm going to say for a narrator I've never heard of this guy does a really good job. the storyline is really well-thought-out to it's not a lot like a lot of other books you know and I know this cuz I have over 250 my library. it's got action gaming a little bit of romance family problems and hierarchy what's really keeps things intriguing definitely worth the money check it out and I say this as someone that owns the complete collection of all the god touched books and all the MHI books.

amazing book

great book love the story can not wait for book 2
definitely would recommend if you have ever played video games

excellent books!!

I was really blown away by how great this books is. It drew me in so fast. Outstanding work!!