-
Opening Moves
- The Gam3, Book 1
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $31.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Earth's Gambit
- The Gam3, Book 2
- By: Cosimo Yap
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Earth has changed. War is now fought in an alien virtual reality - the Game - where many of the players are anything but human. Now part of the Black Rose guild, Alan heads to the Academy to level up and get stronger. He hopes to make allies and learn skills to win the battles to come. But with everyone pursuing their own agendas, what can one gamer do in a universe he still doesn't fully understand?
-
-
MC needs to communicate
- By A. Coop on 05-14-19
By: Cosimo Yap
-
Armada
- A Novel
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom - if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer.
-
-
Don’t let the other reviews comparing Armada to RP1 deter you from downloading this audiobook.
- By Bud on 06-21-19
By: Ernest Cline
-
Video Game Plotline Tester
- Dark Herbalist Series, Book 1
- By: Michael Atamanov
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large corporation 60-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of some mysterious perks in the distant future? You'd refuse point blank, wouldn't you? But what if the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was the only thing you're really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone really special to you - and this person already lives a virtual life?
-
-
Different and Good LitRPG
- By Don Gilbert on 06-15-18
By: Michael Atamanov
-
He Who Fights with Monsters: A LitRPG Adventure
- He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 1
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 28 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil. He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.
-
-
Great!
- By tb3 on 03-10-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
Unsouled
- By: Will Wight
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path.
-
-
Buy Then Binge! Worth every penny
- By John on 10-28-19
By: Will Wight
-
Dungeon Crawler Carl
- A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure
- By: Matt Dinniman
- Narrated by: Jeff Hays
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible. In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth - from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds - collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground. The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot.
-
-
A refreshing take on apocalyptical LITRPG
- By Jason Baisden on 03-01-21
By: Matt Dinniman
-
Earth's Gambit
- The Gam3, Book 2
- By: Cosimo Yap
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Earth has changed. War is now fought in an alien virtual reality - the Game - where many of the players are anything but human. Now part of the Black Rose guild, Alan heads to the Academy to level up and get stronger. He hopes to make allies and learn skills to win the battles to come. But with everyone pursuing their own agendas, what can one gamer do in a universe he still doesn't fully understand?
-
-
MC needs to communicate
- By A. Coop on 05-14-19
By: Cosimo Yap
-
Armada
- A Novel
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom - if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer.
-
-
Don’t let the other reviews comparing Armada to RP1 deter you from downloading this audiobook.
- By Bud on 06-21-19
By: Ernest Cline
-
Video Game Plotline Tester
- Dark Herbalist Series, Book 1
- By: Michael Atamanov
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large corporation 60-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of some mysterious perks in the distant future? You'd refuse point blank, wouldn't you? But what if the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was the only thing you're really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone really special to you - and this person already lives a virtual life?
-
-
Different and Good LitRPG
- By Don Gilbert on 06-15-18
By: Michael Atamanov
-
He Who Fights with Monsters: A LitRPG Adventure
- He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 1
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 28 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil. He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.
-
-
Great!
- By tb3 on 03-10-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
Unsouled
- By: Will Wight
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path.
-
-
Buy Then Binge! Worth every penny
- By John on 10-28-19
By: Will Wight
-
Dungeon Crawler Carl
- A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure
- By: Matt Dinniman
- Narrated by: Jeff Hays
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible. In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth - from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds - collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground. The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot.
-
-
A refreshing take on apocalyptical LITRPG
- By Jason Baisden on 03-01-21
By: Matt Dinniman
-
Ritualist
- Completionist Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Dakota Krout
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The decision to start a new life is never an easy one, but for Joe the transition was far from figurative. Becoming a permanent addition to a game world, it doesn't take long to learn that people with his abilities are actively hunted. In fact, if the wrong people gained knowledge of what he was capable of, assassins would appear in droves.
-
-
Why Elon Musk?
- By Amazon Customer on 06-29-19
By: Dakota Krout
-
Defiance of the Fall
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: TheFirstDefier, JF Brink
- Narrated by: Pavi Proczko
- Length: 23 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The whole planet was introduced to the multiverse by an unfeeling System...or God. A universe where an endless number of races and civilizations fought for power and dominion. Zac finds himself stuck in the wilderness surrounded by deadly beasts, demons, and worse. Alone, lost and without answers, he must find the means to survive and get stronger in this new cut-throat reality. With only a hatchet for his weapon, he'll have to seek out his family before the world collapses...or die trying.
-
-
Stick with it, you won’t be disappointed
- By Clay on 06-14-21
By: TheFirstDefier, and others
-
The Primal Hunter 2
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: Zogarth
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jake has finally found a personal goal of his own as he gains a quest to defeat three more Beast Lords before he can face the final opponent of the Tutorial: The King of the Forest. Something he happily does, fully immersing himself in grasping power and gaining levels as he hunts through Dungeons to kill stronger and stronger foes. In another region of the Tutorial, turmoil amongst the humans quickly died down after a disastrous battle leaves nearly everyone except the Metal Mage William dead.
-
-
Stick with Jake
- By Kindle Customer on 06-16-22
By: Zogarth
-
Manufacturing Magic: A LitRPG Adventure
- Jeff the Game Master, Book 1
- By: Jaime Castle, Troy Osgood
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Infinite Worlds is the most popular VRMMORPG on the market. Its maps are so vast, developer Hard Rock Data utilizes a network of highly advanced artificial intelligences to control it. But it’s not without problems. That’s why Game Masters like Jeff Driscoll have jobs. The downside? He’s not allowed to play the game. Something about conflicts of interest and favoritism. His very boring and tedious job is to help players deal with the occasional bug that slips through the cracks and ensure they enjoy their time playing enough to give a five-star rating.
-
-
Together, they’re better!
- By Willis Burns on 05-04-21
By: Jaime Castle, and others
-
Jake's Magical Market
- By: J.R. Mathews
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 20 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jake is working at the neighborhood market under his apartment when the world ends. He expected nuclear war, a computer virus, or even climate change burning everyone to a crisp to bring about the downfall of civilization. But cruel and arbitrary gods from another world? Who would have guessed that? When these cruel gods shuffled Earth like a deck of cards, nothing was in the same place anymore. Monsters, dungeons, and magical items appear scattered across the globe. And suddenly, everyone has access to a new, strange magical card system that gives them magical powers.
-
-
Lots of 5 star reviews
- By Noah M on 01-09-22
By: J.R. Mathews
-
The Land: Founding: A LitRPG Saga
- Chaos Seeds, Book 1
- By: Aleron Kong
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tricked into a world of banished gods, demons, goblins, sprites and magic, Richter must learn to meet the perils of The Land and begin to forge his own kingdom. Actions have consequences across The Land, with powerful creatures and factions now hell-bent on Richter's destruction. Can Richter forge allegiances to survive this harsh and unforgiving world or will he fall to the dark denizens of this ancient and unforgiving realm? A tale to shake "The Land" itself, measuring 10/10 on the Richter scale, how will Richter's choices shape the future of The Land and all who reside in it?
-
-
For The Mist!
- By Christian Gilmore on 07-11-19
By: Aleron Kong
-
Paranoid Mage
- By: Inadvisably Compelled
- Narrated by: Jeremy Frazier
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Callum had seen things all his life. There are monsters and beasts living among people, but he learned very early not to admit such things, not if he didn’t want people to think him crazy. It turns out that the supernatural is real, but at 30, Callum has no desire to be part of that secret. Not that he has a choice when it turns out he is a mage, albeit one that hasn’t cast any spells in all his life. There are requirements, duties, and education that the powers that be insist he be subject to. To hell with that.
-
-
IC does it again!
- By MelasDelta on 06-22-22
-
Savage Dominion
- Savage Dominion Series, Book 1
- By: Luke Chmilenko, G.D. Penman
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maulkin didn't know dying would mean a new eternity of dungeon delving, monster slaying, and glory hunting. If he had, he wouldn't have been so worried about kicking the bucket on a date gone even more wrong than usual. Reborn in the wild world of Amaranth, Maulkin finds himself in a hulking demi-human body with a sword of a size to match. Marked as an Eternal, a fledging immortal of boundless potential, Maulkin soon discovers he's been given a mission by the elder pantheon of this new realm.
-
-
Combat, comedy and Cow man!
- By Mitchard Apides on 05-29-21
By: Luke Chmilenko, and others
-
Oh, Great! I Was Reincarnated as a Farmer
- By: Benjamin Kerei
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Accidentally murdered by a cleric in another universe during a botched resurrection, Arnold, a semi-pro gamer, wakes upon an altar to find himself incarnated into the overweight body of a farmer who could have been his fatter twin. He’s not the hero. He’s not the villain. He’s certainly not the chosen one who is there to save the world. He’s a clerical error. It could be a bad joke, but apparently, it happens so often that they have a standard procedure for returning you.
-
-
Not bad, but not as good as the hype suggests.
- By Christopher on 09-20-21
By: Benjamin Kerei
-
Ascend Online
- Ascend Online, Book 1
- By: Luke Chmilenko
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Diving into a revolutionary new video game, Marcus and his friends escape a stagnant society, entering into a world that defies their wildest imaginations. But from the moment that he logs in, Marcus finds himself separated from his friends and thrown into a remote village under attack by a horde of goblins. Forced into battle, Marcus rallies the beleaguered villagers and, with their help, manages to drive off the invading creatures. With the village in ruins and their supplies spoiled, the villagers turn to Marcus for help in rebuilding the village.
-
-
An interesting attempt that mostly fell flat
- By Keith R. Dercole on 06-20-18
By: Luke Chmilenko
-
Dissonance
- A LitRPG Adventure (Unbound Book 1)
- By: Nicoli Gonnella
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 26 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Felix's life on Earth had become a series of dead-end jobs, ruined relationships, and rotating apartments smaller than most postage stamps. By all accounts, even his own, he was a coward. Too afraid to move forward, to take risks. Yet when given the chance to choose between risking his life or walking away from a deadly encounter, he didn't hesitate. Moments before his untimely demise, Felix was snatched from earth and thrust into a magical world known only as "The Continent". Empowered by the "System", he learns that he can strengthen himself through combat and dedication.
-
-
I don't think my words can do this justice
- By Joseph on 05-09-22
By: Nicoli Gonnella
-
Ready Player One
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.
-
-
Thanks, But No Thanks
- By Joshua Simpson on 01-27-19
By: Ernest Cline
Publisher's Summary
The Earth is changing. The alien invasion brought social upheaval, advanced technology, and an armada of peacekeeping robots. But Alan, a college student pursuing a now-useless degree, cares little about all of this. He has only one thing on his mind: the Game.
A fully immersive virtual reality, the Game appears to be a major part of the invading civilization. Alan can't wait to play, recklessly diving into the digital universe. Soon though, Alan realizes the Game is anything but simple, and the stakes are higher than he ever imagined.
More from the same
What listeners say about Opening Moves
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- White Rabbit
- 01-29-19
LitRPG with a real story
Summary:
This is one of the best world building and story boarding books I've ever read. I find it very hard to believe this is Yap's first book, unless Brandon Sanderson edited it. I'll be very interested to see if he can keep up this level of quality. You see a lot of LitRPG books get 4/5-5 star ratings because fans love the genre. But this one is getting a 5 star rating from me for the clean story arc, the excellent character development, and the world-class world building.
What kind of LitPRG is it?
Bagwell <__*_______> Kong
On the LitRPG spectrum, on one side there is Travis Bagwell with Awaken Online. It is character-driven and focuses on story and people. Statistics are there, but what really matters is the people and what they are going through. On the other end of the spectrum is Aleron Kong and The Land. It's much more of a wish-fulfillment (author wrote a story that he'd like to live, and likely based on his own personality) RPG with hours of stats and skill collection. So let's call this the Bagwell-Kong scale. Where Bagwell is 1 and Kong is 10, I think Yap and The Gam3 is around 3 on the scale. He doesn't draw out the emotions of each character as artfully as Bagwell does. But he's much more of a traditional narrative storyteller than Kong is.
Strengths:
1.) World Building - a visualizing reader can see the world in great detail. This is 5/5
2.) Storytelling - It took me 1 chapter to get into the book. But after that, I was well and truly hooked.
3.) Characters - I remember the names and roles of the characters in the book. This is because they are written in a way that they matter and are interesting.
4.) Story Arc - sorry for the pun, but the story arc was textbook. And it is so big and complex that the series could go on forever. Certain story lines will obviously get wrapped up. But it's a huge concept and a practically infinite universe.
Conclusion: This isn't just LitRPG for LitRPG fans. This is galaxy-spanning sci-fi written in the LitRPG format. And it is well worth your time.
89 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ray Johnson
- 02-05-19
A classic opening move by a master
While I liked Opening moves there were some things that bothered me a little. First, though, the set up. One promising feature is that this is strictly as sci-fi story and we really don’t get enough of those in Litrpg today. I’m not complaining about the fantasy stuff, but a huge portion of Litrpg has heavy fantasy elements to it. Sci-fi is almost the purview of our Russian comrades, of course it is odd to say that a genre that features game entry via computers, A.I. elements, and game mechanics is more fantasy based, but you understand my point.
Anyway, (you’ll get that reference once you listen to the book) the game is how aliens conduct their warfare. Humans have been inducted to play the “game” and are granted some leniency from outright attacks until they kind of get their game legs. The MC sort of buys his way into the game by having some money fronted to him. Alan, the MC becomes a machine lord, and has AI that he basically uses as a cheat throughout the book.
That was my biggest problem. Alan isn’t a very deep character, I would almost say that he belongs in flat land because he is a tad one dimensional. There is no character development or growth, he ends the way he starts, so yay for consistency. Also, he comes in with an AI that pretty much helps him route every thing he encounters. The book, however, is action heavy and very fun, and I can easily forgo character development in favor of some good ole butt kickin.
The story does draw you in, and I was pretty much kept on the edge of my seat as the story progressed. I can’t say that the story slowed down or didn’t keep me engaged, because I rode this story like a broken mechanical bull. I couldn’t ride a working one, I’d break my neck. The point is that this was a fun ride.
Surprise, Nick Pohdel narrates this book and does a wonderful job, I have pretty much accepted that he is a master class narrator, but that he still has issues doing women’s voices. That has been, and will be my biggest complaint when it comes to his work. Otherwise, he manages to make the story fun and really picks up the pace when it comes to the battle scenes.
The story has a ton of things going on, like an attempted capture/assassination attempt and some ancient beings offering to assist in the Gam3 if he can prove himself. Again, awesome book, not much in the way of characterization. Also, I will say that Allen’s growth as a player may have felt a little stunted when compared to other similar books. That’s ok, not every player should be OP, and he does have his AI to make up for his limitations.
Overall score is an 8. I thought it was fast paced, full of action, and had a good premise, but the lack of character growth really took it down a peg or two.
As seen on the Litrpg Audiobook Podcast.
25 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mike Wiz
- 08-26-20
"Uummm..." <--thats a spoiler for most of the book
...There CANT possibly be this many "uummmm"'s written down... Can there??
I'm going to have to read the physical book just to find out because this is ridiculous...
Now, I will say this story and world building is fun and vast. Seems like a ton of room to play around in the story itself and in the imagination you take with you beyond the story beats. In this LitRPG genre, this book is less focused on the stats and loot but heavier on the world(s), people, and politics. I happen to love this particular mix of the two
In just about EVERY other audio book I have gotten with Nick Podehl is amazing BECAUSE of him. His talent is undeniable and he easily brings such vivid life to every book he reads, I have started at least 4 different series simply because he was the narrator... That being said...
This particular story, I found his reading of the main character to be bordering on unbearable... He starts damn near every sentence to another person with "Ummmm" for the entire book... Really!, like even in between a single thought with natural breaks for breathing or whatever.
MC: "ummm I know where we are..."
Other character: "You do?"
MC: "ummm, yes"
...That was a literal example...
He's constantly bordering on stammering which makes it seem like he's a half beaten dog crouching down, expecting another hit.
(If this is how the author intended all of this and actually wrote all the "Ummm" that the MC starts almost every statement with and all this perceived skiddishness, then my issue is with Cosimo and not Nick)
Beyond that specific personal tick... I found the MC absurdly unlikable. Aside from the god-tier luck he seems to keep falling into and the A.I. he made to help him, this is the type of guy I couldn't be around for more than 10 min. He's selfish, not that smart, rash with the temperament of a spoiled 13 yr old, and refuses to accept that most everything bad up to this point is from his own doing.
Again... love the world, the story building, and even all the (other) characters and Nick's reading of them. However I am finding it mostly impossible to want ANYTHING good for our MC.
Will return. Seriously TRASH MC. Just not a single redeeming quality.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- david whitehead
- 10-10-19
another mc with little growth
mc showed very little growth during first book only saving grace was the ai that he built based on advanced info given to him
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Doug
- 01-05-17
Refreshing LITRPG
I love the LITRPG genre, having read Ready Player One, Alterworld, Awaken Online, and all are very good. But The Gam3 is a bit different. First and most obvious is the setting, more sci-fi in nature than fantasy based. There are still some fantasy based aspects but the sci-fi inclusion opens up some very interesting story lines and abilities for the characters. It works. Secondly is the massiveness of the RPG world, it's big.....really big. I'll let you find that out on your own.
The back story of the alien rpg world, the politics and interactions of the different alien races is unique and fascinating. It really adds a nice touch to the genre. This is a very good start to what I expect will be an epic tale.
The characters are well written and interesting while Nick Podehl does an excellent job bringing them to life. I finished this book in 2 days, easily wanting more when finished.
Nice job Mr. Yap, I look forward to more.
Hope you enjoy as much as I did.
33 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joshua
- 09-14-20
Terrible writing. Just awful.
I was cringing from the start. The author jumps right in with the most ridiculous, heavy-handed exposition, and it just doesn't stop.
Every line of dialog in the prologue is one character explaining things to another character that there is NO WAY they wouldn't already know.
Then chapter one suffers from a similar problem with our main character spewing exposition from his thoughts, or the AI doing it for him.
Then he narrowly avoideds a battle by running away... but don't worry, because characters that LITERALLY DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS "ARBITRARY" are there in the next scene to provide more exposition and tell us exactly what we missed when he ran away.
That was it for me. I don't care how good this plot might have turned out to be. This writing is amateur hour... Painfully bad.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 03-25-19
Yep I was skeptical but it’s well worth
I put off buying this series due to some trash raters. Well when I did cave and buy it I ended up buying all on audible and even preordering the next audible. :)
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Devon
- 09-17-20
GFG
I've read a lot of cringey characters in my trawling efforts across LITRPG, but good fucking god, this guy... He is weak and weasely and the source of easily 95% of his own problems, which do not get solved by any of his actions, thus redeeming himself. If this is supposed to connect with readers by being like the author imagines his target audience to be, his opinion of his target audience is shit. At least I got it on a 5$ sale...
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jonathan
- 07-10-17
Main character is lacking
I like the game itself and the worlds around. I think the author did a great job of creating his universe.
My problem is with Alan/Adam. (Some spoilers ahead)
I don't know who the main character should be Alan or Eve.
Alan has no strength, skills, or redeeming factors. He has the emotional maturity of a 13 yr old at times and not that of an adult.
If it wasn't for Eve he would never have been able to do anything.
The only reason he was able to get Eve was because of a universal conspiracy (so basically he has done nothing).
And then there is Eve, she often gets him in the most trouble. She is suppose to be so smart and can compute anything but gets the big ones wrong.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andromeda
- 01-28-17
Just a prequel
What did you like best about Opening Moves? What did you like least?
There were parts of this book I really enjoyed and parts that drove me nuts. Here is this guy that was selected for a super AI, that has an investment made on his behalf, that can accomplish anything, yet he is so obtuse that he can't make basic decisions. He has no friends. He has no relationship with his family. He agrees to everything people ask him to do. This book is more about an AI and it's human servant than a human with an intelligent virtual assistant. It did improve by the end (thank the Bunny Overlords for that!)
My biggest gripe about this book is that it's just a prequel. I invested money and time in a book that sets up a world and a game but never gets past the beginning. It's like buying a video game and realizing all you got was a tutorial.
Any additional comments?
33 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dave Hoggan
- 01-11-17
Experience Online Role Playing - Without Playing
As an ex-MMORPGer (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) this book caught my attention by its somewhat novel concept; aliens invade Earth and give us peace and a virtual realty game the whole galaxy is playing. Not the usual outcome of such a scenario that you've probably come to expect. I gave up MMORPGs as I no longer have the time, but miss the fun, challenges and character building. So bear that in mind as it will colour my views.
The author has obviously has played MMORPGs. A lot. The book delights in the player's experience of building a character and is heavy on game mechanics. Heavy yes, but not to the point of being distracting. With an engaging and novel story concept, the reader experiences all the major aspects of what a player has to contend with when playing a MMORPG: character creation; chosing skills; chosing a moral standpoint; decision making - the list goes on.
But before all this sounds somewhat dull, it is presented against the backdrop of a very interesting story concept. Aliens "invade" Earth and stop humanity from tearing itself apart with war, famine, bigotry and the rest. They give us technology. They give us The Game, a virtual reality simulation where players from cross the galaxy interact, trade, do business, fall in love, and go to war. For the game is the only place where war is now fought. Our protagonist, Alan, is a newbie only equiped with an seemingly overpowered AI assistant Eve. He enters this virtual world only to find that there is a lot more to it than he ever inagined and that the actions in the game will have far reaching and devastating consequences back in the real world.
For the first published book by unknown Cosimo Yap, this really was a pleasant and engaging surprise. So much so that I went looking for the print version only to disappointingly discover there is none. It was also disappointing to discover that volume two is not yet available on Audible, simply as it is still being written.
My Audible reading list is already set for the next few months, but when book two arrives - and I really hope it does - it will be bumped to the head of the queue.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- JONAH8208
- 02-25-17
Very Good
Bit like the classic Ready Player One but more complex. Dunno how the author is going to get through this story in less than 20 books but looking forward to more
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rich L
- 02-20-17
Straight onto the next thank you!
Extremely accessible (not really a gamer), well paced, expanding the richly fabricated world minute by minute. I've seen comparisons to Ready Player One, I enjoyed this a lot more and it is quite different. I'm in for the series, thank you.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Thomas West
- 02-19-17
Very interesting book. Looking forward to the rest
This is one of the better books I have listened to with regards to the performance of the narrator.
The book itself is interesting, having listened to ready player one and we are legion, we are bob recently I would say it's right up my ally. My problem is that it seems just like it is the beginning of a much larger story. There is little to no middle or end. That being said it was still a good listen and I will definately get the next
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Chris
- 02-23-17
Probably better as a book
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
The idea of entering a virtual world and levelling up yourself to become more powerful whilst gaining new weapons and armour etc.. was an addictive storyline for any RPG gamer. Entering the Gam3 and meeting multiple races battling over various things brought great depth to the story.
Nick Podehl is fast becoming my favourite narrator, but even he couldn't make the, seemingly endless at times, list of the main character's abilities when he 'levelled up', which was fairly regularly. There ws one chapter towards the end where I think the list took more than 10 minutes to get through. For example: Health +10 points, Armour +5 points, Dexterity + 3points, Agility +20 points. You think this is too much, you wait for when it gets to the sub categories of the specific class of the character like the "ability to communicate with an unidentified artificial intelligence +30". It was so ridiculous it made me laugh,
I enjoyed this book, and will listen to the next if it is released, but if you're also a reader I think this book is best read so that you can skim read the long list of attributes following a level up.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mr. Richard Furr
- 03-27-17
Fantastic!
I'm an avid RPGer, but life seems to get in the way these days meaning I don't get to play anywhere near as much as I'd like.
I stumbled across this book by accident as I'd not heard anything about it and it really was brilliant.
The story was exciting and interesting and the narration was by far the best is heard on any audio book so far.
Really looking forward to the next part!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Darren
- 03-22-17
Newbie to LitRPG
Picked this up because love the VR constructed world in Ready Player One and synopsis sounded interesting. Wow, if all LitRPG is like this, I'm a new genre fan. Beautifully paced, feels epic with likeable characters. Narrated well with each character feeling well defined. Can't wait to see how this unfolds..
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- arron hardiman
- 03-21-17
great scifi
great story hope the author gets the support to continue the story. good scifi writing which is a different take than most litres which tend toward being in a fantasy world.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 03-20-18
great
great book and narration already purvhased the next book in the series a a a
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Liam I.
- 03-07-18
Can't wait for more. Loved it, great performance
Gripped me from the start, can't wait for the next episode next month. Loved it
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Craig
- 11-19-17
Ready Player 1 meets Expeditionary Force
After reading Ready Player 1 and a few other books like it (Off to be the Wizard and Mog World) I wasn't sure anything would be able to hold my interest anything even close to the way Ready Player 1 did. So I was pleasantly surprised that withing the first day I had already listened to half the book.
The A.I. Eve reminded me a little of Skippy from the Expeditionary Force novels by Craig Alanson. But maybe that's just me
Nick Podehl does a great job at narrating and I liked how he was able to perform a range of passable accents and voices for each character. While his voice is not as pleasant as some narrators I have previously listened to I enjoyed his reading.
So if you liked Ready Player 1 and have been looking for another adventure then this is the book for you. Happy listening
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dean
- 02-05-17
Fresh and unique from typical sword and sorcery
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I enjoyed the world/universe that was built and described. Its easy to get wrapped up in the story. Good pace and development of information, but it seems to be a bit of a rushed story that takes for granted all the usual things that most gamer's enjoy, and just has the decisions made for the MC and overpowered things handed to him on a platter - rather than actually trying and having the possibility of failure and growth.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Well, I don't know if i would pick the MC. He is pretty much a flesh puppet for his AI and is constantly told what to do and when he does interact or make decisions they are juvenile and have no thought go into them. I would guess around 60% of his verbal communications are "umm....ok"
What does Nick Podehl bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Excellent narrator as usual. The book would probably be considerably worse if read by another person or one of your usual fantasy narrators like Derek Perkins for example.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Not particularly, the decisions and though process that all other main characters in other books of any kind that help you get more invested and appreciate the story more are completely taken away with the AI doing all the thinking for him.
Any additional comments?
Would be a lot better if the author put some effort into the character development rather than having an AI to make quick fixes to his seemingly random additions of challenges that would - if actually meet by the MC be more interesting and making him seem less OP - are simply foot notes towards...... more of the same?
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Slamashizz
- 12-25-21
Perfect for me
This was my first book in the style (although I had read Ready Player One, but that's just a general sci fi story really), and after reading the reviews sounded like this would be one of the best options, and I'm so glad I did! I'm a gamer and especially love RPGs, so the leveling up element I found really enjoyable. It really makes you want to be able to explore the world in the book. The characters and story were really enjoyable, and the voice acting was top notch! I'm literally buying the second book now to continue the story.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 04-21-21
great story great narrator
if you like ready player one but also like litrpg then you're going to enjoy this book. nick podehl is fantastic as always. this is my first cosimo yap and I'm a fan of his writing style and will read the sequels
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Chris
- 03-08-21
awesome
one of the best books I have had the pleasure of listening too.
great story
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- V
- 08-30-20
Binged this! Love it!!!
This book immediately drew me in. i couldn't put it down. even though i just finished, i could not wait to start the next book (legit started already, listening while typing this review)
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Daniel
- 07-22-19
A mix of lit RPG, Sci fi and ready player one
A review requires 15 words at a minimum to be a viable review. 0 remaining.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 06-07-19
Very intriguing
Like title say very intriguing story despite the MC’s being a block head most of the time
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jacob
- 04-21-18
ready player One mixed with...expeditionary force?
great story, I could barely put it down. felt very much like ready player one but less complete... I guess that's what you get from the first book in a series. The narrator almost sounded like Timon from the lion king but I liked it haha. now onto the next book!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tarcha
- 07-13-17
Fantastic
I loved this book.
So much so I stayed up and finished it in a day.
I went looking for the next book -- it's written but not published, or an audio book... I started reading within 1min of the audiobook finishing...
I can't wait for the second book to be published ... and for the audiobook version. I'll definitely buy it!!!