Viridian Gate Online: Nomad Soul

Illusionist Series, Book 1

By: James Hunter, D.J. Bodden

Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

If you had to choose between your life and your dreams, would you ever wake up?

Alan Campbell thought he'd gotten his dream job working on a revolutionary VRMMORPG with Osmark Technologies, until the project was canceled. He has one weekend to dive into an untested world full of intrigue, violence, and corruption to prove that Viridian Gate Online works, but the AIs running the game have their own plans for his soul.

Set a year before the events of Viridian Gate Online: Cataclysm, Viridian Gate Online: Nomad Soul takes you back to when VGO was just a game, or so it seemed.

©2019 James A. Hunter and Shadow Alley Press, Inc. (P)2019 Tantor

Holy doodle!

I was a bit grumpy when this was published: I'm past ready to go back to advancing the main story line. But the book turned out to be full of twists and revelations. It's a more more complex backstory that fills out the world and how it came to be, and how Sandra and Osmark came to be who they are when we meet them. It's totally worth a credit. My interest in the side-quests has also been renewed. Now I want more!

Nice Twist on the LitRPG Genre

"Viridian Gate" introduces a couple neat concepts to LitRPG, which I won't spoil; I found them intriguing. What was most interesting was not the leveling up of the Protagonist, but the ramifications of the scientific possibilities discussed.

This has me looking forward to Book 2, with the hesitation that Book 2 will do what so many series do. Namely, start with an interesting premise, then devolve into filler material.

*Update* - Book 2 devolves into filler material. Disappointing.

Very good book with a spin

I was searching for a new series. I had listened to VGO series and kept by-passing the rest wondering if the could be as good as the other I had listened to. I am so happy I did. I have listened to well over 1000 books and picken is getting slim. But every now and then you find one you overlooked.. I was pleasantly surprised by this one and I listened to it in one day. I am going to get book 2 now and see if it is as good... Thanks to D.J. Bodden and James Hunter for taking the time to help me escape real life. After cancer and chemo there is not a lot I can do but you guys helped jump start my imagination.. Thank you Tim V

vastly superior to the original VG story

wow, way better than the first VG story, wandering if that was more co author doing than original.

worth the credit. great Lit RPG with pleasantly done storyline.

A Solid Addition to the Overall Story

Solid audio performance. The story was a great addition to the overall tale, but now I am curious as to how it will fit in with the present day narrative.

Off to a really great start with this one.

Look...I like Viridian Gate Online, but dare I say this series within the universe is better than the original. I put it up there with The Land, Endless Online, Patch 17, Dodge Tank, The Dark Herbalist, Awaken Online, Dungeon Lord, and a couple other LitRPG series that aren’t quite as long, like Delvers LLC. You’ll notice the majority of those series have one thing in common; they all blend game and IRL together. I prefer that to “Woke up in a game. Whelp this is weird but I’ll just go with it.”

I think Hunter hit his stride with Nomad’s Soul, and if the rest of this series continues to move so well, I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of the Viridian Universe.

Nomad Soul Indeed

Well, I just listened to nomad soul, the first book in Viridian Gate Online’s Illusionist side series by James Hunter and DJ Boddin. This was an interesting start to a new series, providing a fresh new take while still providing more information for the long term reader. Just what a side story is meant to do, really.
Obviously, I can’t say too much, spoilers and all that… but I will say that I enjoyed this book just as much as the main VGO series, perhaps a little more. I don’t think the writing changed, DJ’s addition not being a noticeable dip or rise in quality, which I personally see as a complement as it helps readers go from series to series.
Some of the writing was different I suppose, it felt to me that it was just a symptom of having a different and new MC. I’m not sure how much of that is because of the collaboration and how much is due to deliberately changing things to fall on line with charecter personalities.
I, as a reader, felt more of myself in this charecter than I do Jack. So on one level this was more engaging, though with lower stakes (so far).

don't get me wrong, I love VGO but , an origin sto

I was hoping flashback to the action and then some origin. To much backstory.

Best Viridian Gate DLC to date

The primary Cataclysm series is great and while I have not yet started the Alchemic Weaponeer series, this one is everything Artificer should have been but wasn't. I can't wait to see how the rest of this side quest plays out.

best yet

I have enjoyed the VGO stories so much? I am sad this is the last storyline. This is my favorite so far. Short review, I need to quickly download the next in the series.