Sentinel: A LitRPG Adventure (A Troubled World) Paperback – August 9, 2022

I love discovering new authors, and recently I have started to enjoy LitRPG-style books and stories. This new offering from Stephanne Payne is a heartwarming, engaging, and extremely well-written first novel.From the opening paragraphs of an ordinary person on her way to work when an extraordinary accident happens, we meet Nickole, once an office worker, with the usual concerns we are likely familiar with. Only now, she is Nikole the Outland Fay, and blue. Pointy ears and all. And who does she meet when she opens her eyes in a strange, foggy forest? Tako, the wizard, the healer, and the nonpareil, which in Hadria, where Nikole has arrived, means Elite. Best of the best.Nikole, who is still mourning the loss of her son, which plays a role in her actions in Sentinel Book 1: A Troubled World, is half convinced that she is in a coma lying in a hospital bed and delirious, imagining her adventure. But it is very real indeed, as is the world she finds herself in and the characters that inhabit that world.If you are unfamiliar with LitRPG Adventures or online gaming, fear not! Neither is Nikole in the book, and Tako and her compatriots explain the words, the gaming system, and the acronyms very well throughout the tale. You won't miss any meanings. For those already familiar with such systems, it won't bother you.The world of Hadria is complex and robust, and Stephanne did a great job with the world-building, the characters, and the descriptions in particular. If you want a real treat, get the audiobook version as well, the narrator is superb and captures the characterizations really well.Between the many races of beings, from Ghost Cats to Bennets and from dragons to Gods (goddesses), the Sentinel seems to have something for everyone. The main storyline is Nikole learning about herself as a Fay, what her world does, and how to interact with it. The explanations of concepts such as mana and building the seemingly magical system into the world are very well done, and I really enjoyed the world-building as much as the true-to-life seeming characters.But all is not well in Hadria. Certain factions hate the Dragons and want to wage war on them, as they think the dragons are repressing them, stealing their freedoms, and treating them as less than equals. This enormous problem and brewing rebellion and war in Hadria is the backdrop Nikole finds herself in, and it is a perilous situation indeed.Can Nikole complete her quests? Will she ever be able to go home? Through the course of the book, and Nikole starting out with virtually no skills, no abilities, and no knowledge, to the thrilling climax, we are on a journey. What a ride!Nikole's unique use of colloquialisms and slang expressions that we all know as everyday language utterly befuddle and entertain the Hadrians. That is some of the charms of the storyline. You can really imagine yourself in Nikole's shoes. What would you do if you were suddenly transported to another world, convinced you had either died or were delirious?Like Dorothy, at the end of the day, we find that Nikole has the power (maybe?) to go home. Should she? Will she? Does she?I, for one am completely onboard for the series, and I can't wait for Book 2. I'll be getting that as soon as it's available.My litmus test for rating a book is generally 3-fold: Is it well written with few grammar, language, and typos? Does it entertain me and keep me wanting to turn the pages and read more? Would I read the next book by the author?The answer to all of these questions for me is a definitive yes. I really enjoyed it, and I couldn't wait to keep listening to the audiobook or reading the ebook. I am really thrilled that there is more to come in Nikole and Tako's world, and I am onboard for the whole thrill ride. This is an easy book to recommend highly. Go get it.

I am not normally a gamer but I heard about this book through a friend. I was amazed at how quickly I was transported into a beautifully fantastic new world. The descriptions of how the gaming world actually functions made reading this book an absolute joy. I may even be able to understand what my kids are talking about now! Thanks Stephanne!

A great read, funny, entertaining, and full of emotions. Highly recommend and look forward to the next book in the series.

This book is unusual for a LitRPG story. There is fighting, leveling, etc. but the main focus is on the characters and their interactions. It was an excellent story.

Ok I have to say best I’ve read yet. Love where the story is going. I’m hooked real me in for the next book.

I really enjoyed this book. I normal don’t leave a lot of reviews but I think more people should give it a try.

The author basically copied the entire system from world of warcraft lock, stock, and barrel. Not much original here. The main character is transported to a new world and the first 20% of the book is someone explaining how the system works to her- "pvp" battlegrounds, groups, loot, classes... All straight from WoW. Haven't found much original or unique in the book.

The MC ruins the story. She just doesn't shut up. Constantly spewing references that no one around understands. She constantly, like every other sentence brings up "oh I must be in a coma" and it gets really annoying really fast. The side kick is terrible too. Dull as hell with wooden dialogue. There is nothing redeeming about this story.

The idea behind the story was interesting, but the whole thing just felt rushed somehow. There was a potential world ending catastrophe that was resolved neatly by the end of the book?Everything just fell into place somehow with zero struggle or personal growth - unless you class her crying about her son/family every few pages, but otherwise not thinking about them at all.I really wanted to like this but it just had no depth at all, it's great if all you want is a popcorn read, but don't expect anything more.

The world setting doesn't add anything especially unique to the genre (fantasy isekai), but the characterisation is excellent and the plot interesting. Female protagonist is rare and appreciated, interrelationships between characters were detailed, and characters all got backstories.No spoilers, but the ending didn't quite ring true to me as plausible, but it certainly was dramatic.System info was on the light side, but incredibly common gaming terms (such as NPC, PVP, and loot) were regularly explained to the protagonist throughout the story in a way I found very grating. Someone who knows nothing about gaming might appreciate these explanations but anyone who's gamed at all may find it annoying.I'm not entirely sure why the "villain" of the story was demonised, because it seemed like he had some very good points about the flaws in society. I could see him being the brave rebel leader just as easily as being the dangerous enemy.

An excellent read. Well written with a wonderful mixture of humour and heroism, tradgety and triumph. Bring on book 2