LitRPG is always so interesting to read! This was interesting, albeit a bit forgettable unfortunately.

This book was a delightful book. I listened to this narrator and I was engrossed in the story almost immediately. I enjoy the interplay of a child that was kidnapped at school and forced to play a game against her will in order to save her family's lives and her own. She made friends along the way and watch them one by one be involved in the game to good and bad ends. It's a heartwarming story and a fun read.

Eve wasn’t expecting to become part of The Game – in fact, she’d never even heard of it. But after being mugged in a dark alley and injected with a virtual reality chip, she finds herself embroiled as a Player in a secret game, one that results in her needing to level up and fight alien creatures on another planet. The Players can die in this game, but death isn’t the most terrifying option. As Eve struggles to find the truth behind what’s going on, she learns of secrets and plots that go beyond her wildest imaginings.

I liked the concept of this book and was interested to see how the author made this somewhat familiar plot unique and new. The fact that it’s a LitRPG read was part of what drew me in. The idea of The Game and using VR was fascinating, but it wasn’t executed as well as it could’ve been. The worldbuilding needed more development and incorporation. Aside from the game and trials, there was minimal inclusion of the world and setting. This made the game/trials feel disconnected from the setting, which led to the story feeling disjointed and like it was lacking an important element. Similarly, as the focus was on the game and trials, the work became repetitive without adding much more to the plot, setting, or knowledge we had of what was going on. I found myself losing interest whenever it was time for a trial; while they did often show off the monsters of the other world, they were combat heavy, repetitive, and didn’t move much forward.

Each chapter started with a quote from an author, some from classical literature and some from modern works. I liked this as it often set the tone for the coming chapter. The writing style was approachable and easy to read though somewhat simple. There was an instance where the word “retarded” was casually used and the author compared non-white characters’ skin to food (e.g., “latte”), two things that are generally frowned upon these days. The characters were generally one-dimensional as well, making it difficult to really care what happened to them or to find them engaging.

I started off quite interested in this read but found it didn’t maintain my interest or leave me interested in the sequel. If you enjoy YA combat-heavy reads that are dystopian and lightly sci-fi with angsty MCs, then you might enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Well played, Ellis (and Narrator Natalie Duke) well played. I’m hooked. I literally finished and downloaded the next book. Gods of Blood and Bone is a New Adult Epic Science Fiction series (with some Fantasy). In this alternative Dystopian Earth, Eve Redding is thrust into a life-and-death “game” with violence, moral dilemmas, friendships, and choices. The story’s mystery hooked me; something unknown has been pressuring the “games.” Why are the aliens doing this? This sense of a greater picture keeps you wondering as Eve pieces together more information and learns to thrive.

Ellis created a rich setting with intense plots and characters. Some improvement could be made in the middle of the story with pacing since it lulled. It could easily bump up this series to a 5-star with some work. Listening to this as an Audiobook greatly enhanced and sped up the experience. Natalie Duke’s performance created another level of immersion, 5/5 stars for her performance.

4.3 Stars for the Book

Listen, this is a great book. When I received this ARC, I approached it with extreme trepidation. I’m typically not a fan of video game-esque storylines and the cover + description weren’t particularly compelling. HOWEVER, I find that my initial impression was so wrong.

“Gods of Blood and Bone” includes:
- death games/challenges with forced participation
- found family
- morally gray main character
- intense action sequences
- secrets and lies
- epic battle training

This was a total page turner (figuratively because I listen to it in audiobook). The protagonist, Eve, is clever, conniving, and remains utterly unbreakable against impossible odds. I surprisingly loved the video game elements that were included in this book, and felt that each of the death challenges captivated my attention and kept me on the edge of my seat. I also loved the found family aspects that brought Eve into a team with several other “players.” Each of the characters were expertly flawed and felt it like each of them genuinely brought something unique to the storyline.

I won’t spoil anything, but there were a few elements related to the “gods” which I found a bit odd. But I’m confident they will be fleshed out in later books. The final twist also felt like a bit of a letdown since the rest of the book was such a high. But, again, I’m eager to see how it unravels in the next book.

Eve is a badass. The way she refused to be ashamed of her selfishness was so refreshing to read, and it was so enthralling to read from the perspective of someone who 1. Isn’t a typical hero and 2. Isn’t interested in being a hero.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of “The Fourth Wing” and “The Serpent and the Wings of Night.”

I received this audiobook as an ARC. Thank you to the publisher.