Path of Darkness: BlackFlame Online Universe

Glory of Formation Emperor Series, Book 1

By: A. P. Gore, Patricia Jones

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Jon's days are numbered. The mine will consume his life any day. Will this offer to farm inside a game be any better? He wants nothing but to farm in the real world, and he's given that chance in a VRMMORPG. With a new lease on life, he accepts it.

But when he's robbed of his only tool to farm sufficient quota, he has no other option but to enter the deadliest forest of the region and die at the hands of a druid to obtain a skill that will help him reach his goals.

However, death awaits at every step in the forest, and he can't die more than thrice. What will Jon do?

©2019 A. P. Gore and Patricia Jones (P)2020 Tantor

annoying mc

the story and narration are pretty good...but the MC, who is supposed to be a mature grown man with many years of life experience including being married, acts like an unsocialized misogynistic homophobic 14 yr old boy. The side characters all seem pretty one dimensional.
i would love to know the rest of the story, but the MC takes any joy from the book away.

Better than expected

"Path of Darkness" audiobook proved to be a captivating surprise, far exceeding my initial expectations. A.P. Gore skillfully crafts a dark and immersive narrative that delves deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of survival, redemption, and the struggle between good and evil. What sets this audiobook apart is its richly drawn characters and intricate plot, which keep listeners guessing at every turn. The journey through the darkness is both chilling and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impact long after the final chapter. The narrator's performance adds another layer of depth to the story, effectively conveying the tension and emotion inherent in Gore's writing. "Path of Darkness" is a gripping audiobook that deftly explores the depths of the human experience, making it a must-listen for fans of dark fiction.

Good, but...

The MC is kinda stupid. I realize in the storyline he's pretty old and don't really know about the game, but that doesn't excuse his stupidity.

People try to give him advice but he, somehow, does not listen. Even near the ending, someone tells him there will be consequences and yet, he blithely goes ahead. He's, like, the embodiment of 'eff around and find out!'.

So yea, I love base building, but I really don't know about this. I may continue to read, if only to see if the MC gets any smarter.

Acceptable

Okay the main character is really clueless when it comes to video game. Even though he states that he has played before. There are areas in the book where I wanted to screen at the author for making him stupid. Then there are time, I think yes that is what a man would do and then complain about the consequences. I would have given the story 4 stars, but there are instances that were difficult to follow. I am not sure about the next book in the series. I will have to think long and hard about if I want to spend the credit or cash.

Solid LitRPG

I liked the premise of there being a kind of penal colony of real life prisoner being forced to be virtual farmers in game, it added a unique twist and character dynamics that I have not seen before in the litrpg genre. The MC is a novice gamer so you are seeing things through his eyes and sharing in the experience of him learning the game world. All in all the protagonist is likeble and the world is your standard MMORPG Swords and Sorcery fantasy game world.

I enjoyed alot, however I can't say I am hooked 50-50 on whether I move onto next book.

Lowkey OP

Great progression into gaining his powers. Excellent pacing for this prose. Great character development, not too cheesey.

charter is super op

I really like this book looking forward to the next one. I hope some more crazy stuff happens. I like the class as well