Veridian Gate Online:Cataclysm
By J. A. Hunter
Review by: Michael Evan
I’m not a gamer. In fact the last RPG I played was probably Final Fantasy on 8 Bit NES. With this in mind I had very little interest in reading a Lit RPG.
With that said, I am a huge fan of epic fantasy and an even bigger fan of James Hunter’s Yancy Lazarus series of Urban Fantasy novels, so my “In James I Trust” mandate ultimately led me to Cataclysm, the first novel in the Veridian Gate Online series
Without spoiling much, the novel centres on Jack, or Grim Jack (his handle in the game) as he begins a new life in the massive virtual world of VGO. During his tenure in the game he “levels up” , earns “EXP points”, collects loot from his enemies, and checks his inventory. But this is really well explained and all one really needs to know to accept that first and foremost , Grim Jack, his Thief companion Cutter (who I read throughout the book as Russell Brand), and his old real life friend Abby (a major character with many secrets and motives) are working their way through a Fantasy adventure of epic proportions.
With awesome villains and battle sequences , amazing character moments, and the heart and warmth that always permeates a James Hunter novel, VGO is a must read for Fantasy fans, RPG fans, and those looking for a fantastic cinematic style adventure. Yes, this series screams for the big screen!
I can’t say enough about Cataclysm, but I will say, having now read a couple of books in the series that it only gets better.