Thursday, May 13, 2021

Second Age of Retha Series Review

 This my first foray into the world GameLit and I have to say that I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. I honestly thought this genre would be boring. I only gave this a try because A.M. Sohma's other Pen name is K.M. Shea and I have read almost all her work. I should have known better.

So here are the official blurbs: 

Book 1: The Luckless

 Welcome to Retha, the full submersion video game where you can be the hero of your own adventure. Unfortunately for Kit, it only takes one moment to turn the game into a nightmare.

When Chronicles of Retha experiences a software malfunction, Kit—a disenchanted veteran player—is stuck in the game without a way to log off. Even worse, she’s trapped playing as the most defective character possible, an elf dancer that was meant to be a prank.

Thankfully, she receives word that there is a way out. But the only escape route is to defeat the game’s ultimate villain. Kit, in her joke character, must fight her way through some of the worst Retha has to offer. Her only help is a party of low-leveled players just as powerless as she is, and the occasional act of mercy from one of the best players in the game, the taciturn (and aloof) Solus Miles.

Can Kit and her new friends finish the quest, or will Retha be their end?

Book 2:  The Desperate Quest 

 Chronicles of Retha was meant to be a full submersion video game filled with adventure and magic…but it has become a prison.

Kit and her party of misfit players have managed to collect two of the four seals that are required to face Malignus—Retha’s ultimate villain whose defeat may be the only way out of the game. Unfortunately for Kit—who is stuck playing as a defective elf dancer—the quest only grows more difficult.

The remaining seals are hidden in areas of Retha that Kit and her low-leveled party can’t fight through. Even worse, they will need to unite other players and guilds to face Malignus--an unlikely event as riots have spread across the game world.

Unwilling to give up, Kit and her party band together with Solus Miles—one of the best players in the game—and throw everything they have against Malignus.

But is their strength enough, or will Retha be their end?

Book 3: The Revived

 Kit is back. And she’s still stuck playing her ridiculous elf dancer character.

After leading a group out of the full submersion video game, Chronicles of Retha, Kit knew she couldn’t leave the remaining players to suffer their fate alone. So she returned to the game with the goal to get everyone out.

Solus Miles has always preferred solo playing, but Kit’s return changes everything. He vows to partner with her fully, allowing her to use him as her shield and even her mascot.

There’s just one problem.

Forcing a system wide logout requires the defeat of the end game boss character. A boss who hasn’t ever been beaten before.

When the top guilds are still skeptical Kit turns to those whom others overlook: the non-playable characters controlled by the game mechanics.

But Retha has changed.

Monsters, events, and quests have shifted, complicating her task. The journey across an altered Retha tests even Kit’s veteran knowledge and strains her leadership like never before.

Can she leverage her NPC allies and convince the other players to join her? 

This series is full of fun and laughter. I spent last night trying not to laugh so loud and wake everyone up. The dialogue has the same snappy humor that can be found in K.M.Shea's work. If your a fan of GameLit or you're looking for a ne genre to branch out into, I definitely recommend this series. If you have any thoughts whatsoever, please feel free to leave a message below. I really  mean that by the way. I even accept most emoji messages.

No comments:

Post a Comment