It was the end of the world, and those who didn’t win the survivor lotto were given an 
option, a 100% fatality or an 88.3% chance of surviving by uploading themselves into Viridian Gate Online. Of course to do this, you had to have the gear, fortunately for Jack he had been given the full immersion pod. Jack, a former EMT, decides to roll the dice. with great care he creates his character, adding minimal tweaks and preparing himself for this new life, hoping he is not the one in six who don’t make the transition. What he discovers is a gaming world beyond belief, more real than any he has played. He is overwhelmed by the sights and sounds, and the impact of his choices. This game is now his life and he must play it carefully. But something else is afoot, his IRL friend, the one who sent him the pod, has discovered a darker secret hidden within the coding, just borderline on what the AI beings running the game would detect as cheating. It seems there’s more to this than first meets the eye, after all, for those of means, perhaps simply living is not enough. Those accustomed to a certain lifestyle will want to keep it, and the game designers have found a way to reward its investors. Things don’t bode well for the common folk. Jack must find a way to survive, to beat the system, before it beats him.
By now, I can honestly state I am a fan of litRPG, it’s a genre I haven’t really explored until recently, and several books in I am asking myself why I didn’t start reading them sooner. I can certainly add, Viridian Gate online: Cataclysm, into one of the deciding factors. This book is really well written, the gamers will find familiar mechanics and a great transition from IRL to in game, and fantasy fans are rewarded with great world building, deep characters, and an engrossing plot. For me this book ticks all the boxes for being a good read. It’s one of those books that, once you start, you don’t want to put down. I’ve already added the next instalment to my KU library and I can’t wait to see where
Book link:
K.J's Athenaeum 