Hey all, I’m back with another LitRPG from one of the authors I enjoy most, when they can get a book out at least, for this week’s Bookish Wednesday. It’s Lotus Lake: Rise of the Mystic Mage Book 01 by Jay Boyce!

Plot: The plot of this book isn’t too original, but neither is it particularly common when it comes to LitRPG stories. It deals with our main character named Ashlyn. She’s getting sent back in time 5 years to right before the release of her favorite game which is the highly popular VRMMORPG Elysium. She utilizes her rather comprehensive knowledge of the game to get ahead by becoming a hidden class, the Mystic Mage. The plot does go over game mechanics quite a bit, but it never feels like a major infodump or too much. Frankly, I had a very hard time putting down this book once I started it.

Characters: While the game is a main driving point in the story, the other point is Ashlyn using this as another chance to revive her friendships, new and old, now that she’s got another chance. I enjoyed that as it really helps flesh out the cast. The entire cast is great, but I won’t spoil who my favorite of the side characters happens to be. Long time readers of my columns will probably be able to guess who this is once they read the book.

Overall: This is a definite must read for any LitRPG fans out there. While it’s not completely original, there are very few stories that use the core concept of going back to redo the start of a game launch. That is especially true for books that were written originally in English. Lotus Lake is definitely one of the better ones out there.

For those who like: LitRPGs, Excellent Plots and a Fantastic Cast of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.