He Who Fights with Monsters 2

A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)

By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell

Narrated by: Heath Miller

Length: 22 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

The path from retail middle management to inter-dimensional wizard adventurer wasn’t easy.

But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. 

While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before. Friends and foes made along the way will lead him to cross it again. Inevitable conflict looms....

©2021 Shirtaloon (P)2021 Podium Audio

Contrary to common reviews

First: I loved this book. The narrator is seriously epic, really brings the characters personalities to life. I listened to the whole book in 3 days and the ending is an amazing yet infuriating having me loving and hating the author, while begging for the next book to know what happens next.

Second: I find that when I read reviews more often than not its the people who don’t have anything nice to say that shouts the loudest - Thadwick Mercer being a good example 😂

So when I give my review I want to address what I have seen from negative remarks as well as my own opinion.

I loved this book, it drags you in and there is always something going on keeping you entertained, I love Jason, the character had a refreshing not the perfect good guy hero attitude despite being the main character- “i am who i am, take it or leave it”

There is one comment you see a lot in reviews “everyone becomes Jason” and i find both exaggeration and understanding in this comment. The reason i do somewhat are to the statement os a spoiler I wont say, but if people or powers become to similar it can be somewhat annoying since how the different character work together to use their different skills as a team is the entire point. No they don’t all become Jason, I find that to be a somewhat exaggerated comment.

Sure there may be a similarity to a power here or there like Sophie and Jason’s fighting style, but the characters have their own personalities. They may learn to joke with him like friends grow from spending time together that is not the same thing as becoming the same person.

My conclusion is it was definitely worthwhile to read and i listened to the audiobook which I have to say is absolutely amazingly narrated. I finished the whole book in 3 days listening to it until 2am every night before forcing myself to put it down.

Good Book Horrible Cliffhanger

loved the book not cool with the cliffhanger. Wish I would have waited for book 3 before I started this one.

Please read a real review.

Ok so I do a lot of Audible. This particular series has had me from the beginning. In fact recently towards the end of book 2 my wife almost died because of it!!!!! Yes really!! Let me paint a picture of a man out side the back door but still in the door frame . I had 1 AirPods in my ear. I was so into what was going on I didn’t hear my wife choking behind me. My kids yelled for me to help but to no avail. I was only worried about what was happening at that time in the book. But I turn around at the exact moment it clears her throat passages and she breaths..... of course the rest was not pretty but I no longer listen to it at home. I preordered book 3. A week after book 2 dropped. I have since then had my wife listen to the books and thank God she got it. When the baby wrote all over the wall!!!! I thank you for this adventure so far can’t wait for 3!!!

Who is the real Main character, Jason or Mary Sue?

Seriously, Throughout the beginning of the book replace Jason's name with one of the other female characters in his interactions with Sophie and suddenly you see her in a totally different light. This is a person who got handed to them for free something like 10 times the reward that 3 high ranking adventurers with a gold ranker for a backer viewed as adequate payment for saving their lives. Remember Farra only gave Jason 1 stone as thanks and he gave Sophie something like 8 because? At first it seemed reasonable but as the gifts to her kept stacking up it just became stupid. I'm only 1/3rd through the book and I'm not sure I can finish. How much of everything is adequate to give this woman? At first he spoke about her paying him back but then that went away as he kindly plays banker for her. Why doesn't the heads of the great houses come down and just give everything to her? On and on the story goes about how much of a human trash Jason is at times yet he keeps having to sacrifice for her because......? He has already given her the same treatment that the highest ranking nobles have given their children. The same treatment that the lower rich go into debt to do for their children. Yet he gives it to her and more and she gets one? scolding for not being nice. Im sorry but if someone got that kind of gift from a friend of mine and treated them like garbage afterwards I wouldn't put up with it.
The only reason I have got this far is because I really like the first one but as the story twists to, "Everything for Sophie" mode it just makes me want to put it down.

Amazing so far... Don't listen to bad reviews.

This book stays true to the feel of the first. The character development is deep and meaningful and the politics are rich and complex. The main character is witty as usual with his antics racking up more and more trouble. I can't wait to see what will happen next!

meh

I will update when I am done but this might be the last book of the series I read. The performance I enjoy but I have been listening for over an hour and a half and I can only compare it to when you write an essay and need to get up to the word count. I have spent the whole time listening to people explain abilities or leveling up which was done in the first book and how the attack does or doesn't do something. Instead of saying he stabs her and dodges and stabs her again causing bleed to he stabs her slicing damage does not take affect slices again and slice damage takes affect and stacks one affect of something has been applied. I did enjoy the first book but having a really hard time finishing this one I would save the credit alot of great books out there.

He who sometimes fights with Monsters -

So-- the books are okay. They are well written and the dialogue can be fun and witty. The narrator is solid and has lots of varied voices and inflections.

Its a solid 3 stars - and I mean FIRMLY 3 stars because it is clunky and trips over itself. The author spends far too much time preaching about his philosophy on how EARTH works. This isn't Earth so the interdimensional traveling Aussie just comes across as a know-it-all douche bag. He has a firm sense of himself - far too much for someone whose body was recently destroyed and remade in another dimension and was (by his own account) practically an inexperienced loser in his old life.. He preaches to those who have been alive hundreds of years. He catches gods and near immortals off guard and dances circles around them because the author is too in love with his young star to make him a bit more realistic. Nothing from the story suggests that he was granted some insight into the world by being remade in this new land so ... how is he the most mysterious being ever? *shrug*

I came for the LITRPG aspect and the monster fighting. The two books have a fair amount of those elements but mostly its Asano monologuing to goddesses and preaching his atheism to actual gods or trying to show up people left and right. Its off-putting. It makes him less likable. He is a 23/24 year old kid with little to no actual life experiences yet he preaches like he knows it all and for some reason people actually listen.

If you enjoy 40% city politics. 25% LiTRPG Power Upgrading and about 35% actual monster fighting. This is your book. If not - maybe pass.

All of that said - I'll be buying the 3rd book. Its entertaining and you get a lot of audio book for your buck.

Step down from book 1

This was a big step down from the first book for me. Here’s why:

1) my favorite part of the first book was the adventure and action. I enjoyed the battles and monster hunts. There is very little of that in this book. There is literally zero action until chapter 19, and that’s over 10 hours into the audio book.

2) the social justice speeches of the MC are turned way down, but he’s still pretty insufferable in that he knows exponentially more about the world he’s just arrived in than anyone who lives there. He comes off as unendingly patronizing.

3) this book is all about politics and the fantasy science of astral spaces. The first 10 chapters are character dialogue laying out the politics of the adventurers guild, magic guild, rich family and church. After that, there is a lot of explaining about astral spaces. None of it is badly done. If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s probably a strength.

4) the number of characters in this book is huge. They also start to sound similar before too long.

5) there is no ending to this book. It’s a complete stop mid-stream.

On the up side, the limited action that is in this book is really good, and the leveling system is still very creative and unique. If the next book ends the series, I’ll pick it up. If it’s another cliff hanger like this, I’ll probably pass.

Amazing

After listening to book 1, and loving it, I had a lot of expectations going into this one and it met everyone of them. This book delivered on everything, and more, that I was hoping for. Just saw that book 3 is in pre-order for Kindle and plan on paying it. Can't wait for it to come on audible, though I know it'll be sometime before that.

Writing this a couple hours in

It’s really good so far and and looking forward for the third book just hope he keeps up the good quality.

Entertaining pulp fiction.

This is not a great work of art. It is however very entertaining. It is ideal to listen to while doing chores. The overall tone is light and funny. Heath's performance is spot on apart from a few mispronunciations, which had me thinking for a while. (Atrium, Invigilator, reconnoitre). Overall a nice long book and well worth the money. I am looking forward to the next one.

Gaming Fun Without The Stress

After reading some of the reviews I was in two minds as to whether I'd enjoy this book. I'm so glad I gave it a try. Yes the writing can be a bit clunky at times, but it doesn't ruin the storyline or immersion in the world building.
Many of the reviews said that their problem was how snarky Jason was and many of the other characters just became versions of Jason. I wonder if this is a cultural thing. in the UK this kind of sarcastic banter is an essential skill!

I really enjoyed the story and the narrator. The only reason it didn't get 5stars is because The Wandering Inn set the bar unbelievably high!

Great book

And as always excellent narration by Heath Miller only problem is that I have to wait another 3 months for the next one

the MC the worst thing about the story

a deeply unlikeable MC who thinks he's great while be a horrible person. I'm happy when he off screen and wany to drop the book every time he opens his mouth to go on another rant.

Great Litrpg series

Entertaining story with extremely likeable characters and great voice acting. Can't wait for book 3.

Probably my favourite ever audiobook series

This book is as good as the first. Really can’t wait for the next one!! Writing is great and so is the performance.
5 stars!

Fantastic book

Loved it! if you liked the first then you will absolutely like the second. So don't put it off and do yourself a favour by listening to this fantastic book.

Absolutely awesome

loved it from start to finish. breezed through this 2nd book & cannot wait to start the third.

buying more credits just to purchase the next few in the saga!

I'd like to thank Shirtaloon for such an amazing start to the saga, I know the 10th book is yet to be released in writing this review & hope you stay inspired & determined to continue your writing for many years to come! you have gained a fan for life.

kind regards a happy fan.

Slow speed listener

I usually listen to my audiobooks at a slower speed (often 0.9x) as I find it easier to understand, especially when working and driving. This audio book sounded great even at 0.85x.

First lets talk about the narrator as no matter how good the story is, if the narrator isnt up to scratch I find it difficult to keep focused on the actual goings on. At first, I was a little aprehensive about starting this as the last few audiobooks, I had listened to were from soundbooth audio which impressed me with multiple voice actors, music and sound effects. However, my apprehensiveness was unfounded as Heath Miller did an outstanding job at making each character distinctive and genuine.

Now, onto the story. As an big consumer of fantasy literature in all its forms, especially of the isekai niche, I cant help but have a certain level of expectation. But Travis Deverell delivered and ticked all of my boxes. Both the writing and the plot was gripping. A good level of humour, emotion, action and social interactions. I felt that it had just the right amount of exposition that didnt make it contrived nor did it overload me as a listener. Excelent writing throughout.

Love it!

Love the story. Good fun, very well delivered performance 👍🏼
Looking forward to book number 3