• Dominion of Blades

  • A LitRPG Adventure
  • By: Matt Dinniman
  • Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
  • Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,732 ratings)

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Dominion of Blades  By  cover art

Dominion of Blades

By: Matt Dinniman
Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
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Publisher's summary

For over 30 years, Dominion of Blades has been the hottest online role-playing game in the world. Any gamer with an immersion rig can enter the world of sword and sorcery, of goblins and dragons, and they can hack and slash their way to glory. But the game is too real for some, and after an epidemic of real-life fatalities, public use of the immersion technology has been banned, causing the game to be shut down.

Jonah wakes to find himself in-game, level one, with no memory of how he arrived and no way to eject. With only two companions, trapped in a world that once hosted millions, Jonah must battle his way across a treacherous landscape, fighting virtual monsters, all too real pain, and a very human enemy in a desperate bid to survive.

©2017 Matt Dinniman (P)2017 Matt Dinniman

Featured Article: Level up with 25+ awesome litRPGs


LitRPG means Literary Role Playing Game. Simply put, it’s the book version of watching someone play a video game, usually one that’s set up like an MMO (massively multiplayer online) RPG. It’s a blend of sci-fi and fantasy, depending on how it comes to be that our main character ends up living inside a virtual reality. the point of LitRPG is not how we get there, but that we get to be in this virtual reality period, living life as a badass video-game character. Beat the grind and submerse yourself in these addictive LitRPGs.

What listeners say about Dominion of Blades

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,185
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great LitRPG, ignore the negative reviews...

As a rule, I try not to comment on other reviewers' opinions for reasons that should be obvious. I only break this rule when I feel that a number of reviewers have grossly misrepresented a book on factual grounds, not on personal opinion or subjective taste. So...

Several people have said they didn't like the "proselytizing" of LGBT issues in this book. To be clear, at no point in this book is there anything even resembling propaganda or preaching about LGBT issues or lifestyles. That is, unless you believe that just having an LGBT character exist in the book qualifies. In fact, though the coming of age experiences of an LGBT person are discussed, it is only a tiny part of the book and done with no hyperbole nor with any more drama or detail than would be given to someone who struggles with social anxiety about interacting with the opposite sex. In fact for a fantasy novel the discussion of these issues is so tame as to be little more than a tiny subplot when taking in the scope of the book as a whole.

In conclusion, this is a well-written, far above average, LitRPG novel, and I would hate for people to skip it based on the reviews of some people who's intolerance appears to be so sensitive that the mere idea of LGBT people is offensive.

P.S. Though it shouldn't matter, I'm a straight male, and I'm leaving this review because I love books, not because I'm trying push a socio-political agenda.

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190 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Original

Most original and well written litrpg I've read in a while. I returned the last two or three litrpg audiobooks I bought because the clichés and bad writing was getting to be overwhelming. I'm happy to finally find a book in this genre that takes the writing as seriously as it does the litrpg conventions.

I look forward to the next book.

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32 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Something extremely special and promising

Truly I can't espouse the positives of this book enough. Don't judge this by the authors previous works, this is the start of an opus. There is just enough actual tension, comedy, action and character growth to fill your soul here. The twists are smart enough to not be obvious but if your observant you can figure them out just as they get confirmed or disproven..... all the way to the last sentence.
This is not LitRPG like you know it.
It's a thriller, a mystery, a few other genre I won't go into. This is a true novel that brilliantly incorporates the traits of the LitRPG genre into the basic fiction structure we know today. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the genre as a whole but you get used to the tropes and cliches that are starting to show up.
This is not like that (very much at least)
On top of a unbelievable engaging story, I was EXTREMELY skeptical of a female narrator covering a male MC. I almost feel kinda bad even thinking it now, it also fits in a way you'll start understanding throughout the novel. This is truly a book above any sort of labeling or stereotype.
DESPITE my hesitation, Andrea is unbelievably wonderful. Her range is amazing, various nuances, accents, even deep gruff voices are well done. She truly made this brilliant story come alive, especially poppy and Alice. I am truly happy she narrated this novel.

This book is wonderful, though it will show some flaws like most books do. I do not claim it to be perfect. It may not fit your style. But I think this is worth more than a credit, it's worth buying outright. I truly had a wonderful riveting time listening and I cannot tell you how much I crave more of this world, even if the perspective is to shift in book 2 as reports suggest. May you enjoy this book, and if my review helps you decide to try it I hope you come to enjoy and love this book as much as I did.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Cutting edge

Ok, in all honesty, there are a few moments where the story doesn't quite flow as well as I would have liked, and game mechanics are an issue. I always ask myself if I can see that game being as popular as the author says if it was in the real world, or if I would play it myself. Quest completion and leveling would make that difficult. I can understand the memory loss and gender switching though, how many dudes play a female character? So having gender changes happen is not out of line. Wouldn't forgetting about who you are make the game feel more real? I think so. These are just hiccups.

The story is fun, and bops along at a great pace. Characters are interesting, and I like how playing too much might make a person lose their mind. It could be a bit crunchier in the game stuff, but then I find a repeat of stats in an audiobook can be repetitive.

As RPGLit, this hits every nail right on the head. As a fun read it keeps you going and gets better as you move ahead (like I said, flow is a little wonky in spots). The narration is spot on, and keeps you going. Andrea Parsneau is my favorite female narrator. She just elevates the books she reads to a new unforseen level. Much better than the voice I hear when I read, and I use Morgan Freeman's voice when I read!

I can't wait for the next book, so you shouldn't wait for this one one, get it today.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Wasn't my cup of tea

Any additional comments?

I honestly didn't like the story. The main character's constant whining and the partners that they were paired up with just didn't work for me. I don't want to drop any spoilers but the fact that game mechanics were not fully explained at some points, ie opps moments made me angry. Both of the companions were supposed to be experience players but did actual little to help out the main character in my opinion.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A good book but not great.

The male main protagonist turns out to be a girl IRL and a transvestite. If that is a deal breaker you should look for something else and not bash the book unfairly. Besides that there is also an older guy who is stuck in a little girls body which is also a bit weird. The book itself was good but I found myself reading other books in the mean time while I read this one. I finally finished it and thought about why I didn't get hooked on this book like others of the genre. I would have to say there is very little humor in this book for one. Think of all the LITRPG novels and you have to admit there is a lot of humor in them. This one tries to take a more serious approach and it's not to say that is wrong I just feel it missed. Another thing was the super powerful abilities. They wake up with leveled stats that are out of this world and give thm huge abilities. I like it when the story builds the character up from rock bottom. Most importently was the stories with in a story within a story within a story. There are so many threads branching off the main one that you don't feel like it is a clever plot twist or raising the stakes; It's just crowded. Overall I thought it was an ok read. Not planing on getting the next book though.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Far more interesting than the name suggests

To summarize, I am very happy that I decided to spend my credit on this one. After a string of disappointments, this was what I needed. It was a healthy serving of the familiar LitRPG romp, but with an honest, intimate perspective. There's a sense of closeness to the protagonist's struggles, and it channels something that many of us struggle with - the concept of our own identity.

Personally, I don't read the genre for the stats or the grind, nor for the levelling or the quests. I've always felt that quests in these kinds of books seem like a form of exposition - they don't need any kind of believable motivation, because hey - it's a game. That's the way they are designed. I read LitRPG because I feel the genre provides a fantastic backdrop for the interactions between the characters. Usually the player characters, but even those particularly well written NPCs. That, combined with the speculations on virtual reality and AI has made for quite a few exceptional stories that have really brightened my day.

Dominion of Blades, despite its uninspired title, certainly did just that. It gave me characters to connect with, with problems I cared about. It gave me a strikingly beautiful world with all kinds of interesting little quirks. It somehow made me fear death, in a world where it is only temporary - and I don't even mean the particular case of the protagonist. I mean for all of them. Whenever death came, it did so with a moment of panic. It was thrilling.

Lastly, unlike too many LitRPG titles these days, this one tied up all of its major loose ends, and felt complete. There's certainly room for a sequel, and I'd be glad to listen to it, but this ending left me quite satisfied.

Story aside, the narration was also superb. Andrea Parsneau's range brought each character to life, and kept me engaged throughout.

Long story short: you should probably buy this. It's not my favourite LitRPG book (which may be odd considering how I have only positive things to say about it), but it's definitely up there.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

meh

The narration was good. The story was okay until propaganda. MC complains about almost everything.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

wtf?

what is this? A bunch of whining from the start. Really really good beginning, not.. Refund please

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best book in the LitRPG Genre

Most LitRPG novels are little more than a pleasant, formulaic diversion, and I love them for what they are. I purchased Dominion of Blades on Audible expecting more of the same.

I was wrong.

Dominion of Blades is the best LitRPG book I have ever read. It stands out in its genre in many ways - quality writing, fresh and complex characters, humor, inversion of tropes - the list goes on. I would absolutely recommend the book on those grounds alone, but Matt Dinniman has done even more. As far as I can tell, he's the first LitRPG author to employ the genre to talk about bigger issues. What better genre to use to discuss identity?

I truly hope that this novel will be expanded into a series - I will be first in line if it is. To the author: keep up the great work, and don't let criticism of your themes or subject matter deter you. If I could give more than five stars, I would.

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7 people found this helpful