*No Major Spoilers*
Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large corporation 60-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of some mysterious perks in the distant future?
You’d refuse point blank, wouldn’t you?
But what if the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was the only thing you’re really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone really special to you – and this person already lives a virtual life?
After thoroughly enjoying the Mirror World series, I thought I could continue to follow the virtual-reality genre. Though similar in theme, both series are different in their own rights.
My opinion on the two series is that whichever series you start first is going to be your favorite. Whether you start with The Dark Herbalist or Mirror World series, both are great in their own rights.
Now, my opinion on this book in particular. I enjoyed this book, the thought of a goblin herbalist is a very interesting character. In Boundless Realm, the virtual reality game, Goblins are disliked by most species. However, being an herbalist means you can learn alchemy and make potions to better your chance of survival.
In Boundless Realm, people can kill NPCs as well as fellow players (this causes a criminal marker to be next to their name). This book shows that the NPCs aren’t just complex codes and have cardboard personalities.
The main job description, as the title implies, is to test unusual character/job combinations in order to draw new players to the game. Instead of your typical combinations of characters and jobs, for instance, an Orc Warrior, or an Elf Mage, you can choose unlikely combinations for a unique playing experience.
One of the scenes I found to be most memorable was when the main character, Timothy, found a swamp home to wyverns while exploring and on a quest to kill the queen of the wyverns. The prize he was to claim from completing this quest was very unique, a wyvern egg which allows for one to hatch and raise the creature to become a usable mount in the game later.
In conclusion, I found this book to be overall well enjoyable, it was action-packed and held my attention quite well. There’s a lot more to the story that I haven’t said here, but it’s a fun read for sure.
Elisha's Book Reviews 
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