I think this could be a good choice for some people looking check out some LitRPG, but aren’t really that familiar with game mechanics. Lemme explain
Bloodwraith, formally an undead necromancer, switched bodies with the adventurer that almost killed him.Now finds himself reincarnated in the adventurer’s body, starting out in The Forest of Beginnings, where he is plagues by accursed boxes. Rude boxes that ask him all sorts of questions he can’t really answer, like what’s his name and what fighting style he has. Bloodwraith doesn’t know he’s in a game, but he quickly catches on that the box gods are somehow manipulating his world.
He figures out how to work the system, despite it being nonsensical and based on arbitrary EXP points, and throughout the book slowly discovers most of the world’s game characteristics.
For people who are familiar with games, Bloodwraith figuring out he can redo quests and picking all the flowers in the tutorial area to gain a little extra xp, is the most relatable thing ever.
The setting is easy to follow, the world is a typical medieval fantasy world with elves and dwarves and such, the magic works how you’d expect it, the crypt and buried temples they visit have a few interesting creatures and wards. But the main mystery lies in figuring out what these box gods want, set on a familiar background.

The characters are cool, Bloodwraith turns out being a lot more complex than he fancied himself, and struggles to reconcile his evil self image with his moral actions. He’s fair to his companions, and doesn’t like to take advantage of them when the system is rigged in his favor. And in turn they become useful allies and trusted friends. The main side characters start out seeming cookie cutter and predictable, but they each end up having a lot of personality and character growth.
The writing is good. I know a lot of people worry about this with litRPGs, but it’s clever, witty and has snarky humor. It was hilarious when another character kept making fun of his name. I will admit I’m neither a native speaker nor very picky about this, but I really enjoyed it, if you’re worried you can always check out the free sample on amazon. Bloodwraith seems to have a few tics when referring to the accursed nonsensical boxes, but they do interrupt him at the damndest times. I listened to it so obviously couldn’t check for editing errors, but other reviews on goodreads say the book is fine in that regard.
The story was mostly about character development, Bloodwraith’s and his companions. What I mean is that the main plot kind of seemed to take a backseat, partly also because the plot armor was pretty thick, or maybe it was just that knowing it’s a game set up that the hero’s meant to go through, I sorta always expected him to succeed. I thought the parts figuring out the mystery of the box gods and how different characters could make use of these game aspects were really interesting.
Ends well, not a cliffhanger but with an epilogue that hints at the next book’s problem. It’s a hook, but you don’t have to keep reading to get the full story.
I enjoyed it a lot, and I kept making up chores as an excuse to listen more, so thank you Sarah for the great book, and the clean kitchen!