[Bingo Review] If you are struggling with the LitRPG square, try The Luckless by A. M. Sohma!

The Luckless by A. M. Sohma is a Litrpg with an almost classic setup. Kit logs in to the full-body submersion fantasy game Second Age of Retha. Shortly afterwards a computer error breaks the game, disabling the log out button. Kit—and thousands of other gamers—are now trapped in the simulation. The only way to get out is to beat the end game boss and trigger an automatic logout.

There is just one problem with this plan—Kit is stuck in the body of a joke character. Due to prank gone wrong, she is now a Lv 5 Elf Dancer, widely regarded as the worst class in the game. She must find a way to overcome her near useless character, collect a ragtag bunch of misfits, and take on an end game boss no other player has successfully defeated (and if she’s really lucky, find a shirt that covers her stomach).

This book is nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but where it truly shines is in its humour. This book is pure fun—the author clearly had fun writing this, the characters have fun playing the game, and I found myself giggling every couple of pages at their antics. I can’t remember the last time I read something so laugh-out-loud amusing. This book is the literary equivalent to a really big swing set at the park, with the promise of an ice cream cone before you go home. It’s not a grand adventure or a Shakespearean epic, but it is a fun time. I’m saying ‘fun’ a lot, but honestly, this is just a really fun story.

The world building and characterisation is fairly sparse—the only character who really gets any focus is Kit, and the world is cliche, except when it isn’t (this is actually lampshaded by a character in the third book). But the action is well written. As adventurers, the Kit and her group of misfits are often thrown into combat against a variety of powerful enemies. By utilising her knowledge of video game tactics, Kit must lead (and dance) her party to victory against everything from slimes to dragons, and hopefully not die too many times in the process.

It’s an incredibly fast paced story, with something happening every page. I’m actually reminded of the old pulp fiction novels in how it is structured, only given a fresh coat of paint and the ability to laugh at its own foolishness. The story is very light and easy to read—I burned through all three books in a single afternoon.

The LitRPG elements are also very light—there are no stat blocks or character sheets at all in the story, and common gaming terms and concepts are explained as they crop up, so that no reader is left confused. It’s obvious that the author herself has first hand experience with gaming and gaming culture, and wants to share that experience with others.

There is also a slow burn romance throughout the series—the author writes fantasy romance and fairy tale rewrites under the name K. M. Shea, and it is clear—by the size and popularity of her back catalogue—that she knows what she is doing. I am especially keen to see how this develops over the next few books.

So if you are looking for something fun, light and easy to read, and you want to tick off that pesky LitRPG square, I heartily recommend this book.

Bingo Squares:

• LitRPG (Hard mode)
• Self Published