Guild: A LitRPG Novella

Monsters, Maces and Magic, Book 3

By: Terry W. Ervin II

Narrated by: Jonathan Waters

Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

You can’t hide in an RPG forever.

Eighteen years ago, Tom, a barber college student, got trapped in the Monsters, Maces and Magic game world as Josiah the thief.

The first two adventures saw all of Tom’s party members, also trapped within the game world, perish within the fetid depths of the Dark Heart Swamp. His subsequent stint adventuring with NPCs proved short lived. He preferred survival.

Over time, Tom became Josiah, adopting a life blending in with the game world’s NPCs. He gave up advancing as a thief, trained as a lay healer, and works as a barber, cutting hair, pulling teeth, lancing boils, and functioning as a low-level operative within the local thieves’ guild.

But life, even one lived as a faux NPC, can get interesting. Such happens when a young half-goblin thief named Gurk shows up in Josiah’s shop, looking for information. Little did the pair know that the unobtrusive barber shop would become a focal point in a brewing guild war.

©2018 Terry W. Ervin II (P)2018 Gryphonwood Press

A good book for LitRPG fans

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. I feel a little lost, but I think it's a good book over all. I'll definitely check out the first two in the series.

Enjoyable.

This is a brief novella. The premise was interesting enough to keep reading and the novella gives an incling into what to expect from the author. The book contains a magic based system along with hit points for strength... it reads like the old adventure quest stories l used to read and enjoy.... This was an interesting introduction to the genre...as such l heartily recommend this novella.

Nice audiobook

Not my typical genre but very enjoyable! Character & story development are pretty good as it's the narration. Definitely worth a listen!

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

He's Done It Before?

That's all I could think about throughout this whole book, is how ticked off I was to find out that that stupid game moderator had trapped people as characters in this insane world before. I wanted to scream at Tom/Josiah to wake up and realize that the main characters from the previous two books aren't NPC's at all. I wanted them to join together so that they could all get the hell out of this world. Even though they cross paths in this book it doesn't seem to occur to either party that the other might be their ticket out of here. Aghh. I want to know what happens next.

A tie in novella that stands on its own.

Normally when you read/listen to a novella that belongs to a series you are lost as to the characters their back stories and such thereby diminishing the impact of the story (if you haven’t read said series). The nice part about this story is it’s standalone. Mind you I have listened to and immensely enjoyed this series, there are a few references that better enhance the story if you have full knowledge of he series but they are minor. This is the tale of a gamer turned barber and thief. His interactions with our known heroes and the battle between the current thieves guild and a band attempting to assert their power. Great example of LITRPG in an encapsulated form. Well written and well read. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

Join The Guild

This is a short novella set in the Monsters, Maces and Magic world. It is mostly a departure from the previous plot line so, strictly speaking, you do not need to read the other two books in the series to follow the story. However I believe it would help. James, another character from the "real" world", is introduced. He has been trapped in the game for eighteen years. The novella gives you a more in-depth look at the town, some of it's inhabitants and the current politics. Trouble is brewing. If you enjoy gaming or LitRPG stories I think you might like this one.
Jonathan Waters made the book come alive.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

smart

I really enjoyed this one, smart writing almost fell like listening to a Sherlock Holmes book.

A great little sidequest for our group.

The time spent in town was filled with action, and seems to set up events that will be taking place down the road.

The characters, writing, and narration remain strong throughout, and I look forward to what is to come.

Fantastic

This was a great Litrpg title. The author did a fantastic job bringing the characters and world to life. The Narrator was spot on when it came to each individual character and kept me involved the whole time. The biggest telling point is that I had to go back and pick up the first two books just to follow the whole story. I received a free copy of this audio in return for an unbiased review.