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Review: New Rock New Role (Book #1 of the New Rock Series) by Richard Sparks

October 14, 2024 by Frasier Armitage Leave a Comment

Rating: 8.5/10

Synopsis

With millions watching on live stream, Daxx and his teammates Qrysta and Grell win the role-playing Games (RPG) Grand Championship. But winning the game was was a piece of cake compared with what comes next.

Daxx wakes up to find he’s turned into his own avatar and is in the middle of a wilderness he doesn’t recognize. Armed with a crappy sword he has no idea how to use and dressed in beginner-level gear he must figure out how to survive quickly because he can already hear the blood-thirsty howls of wild animals from the jungle that surrounds him.

Thus starts a fantastic epic fantasy adventure. Once the three friends finally find each other they need to puzzle out their new world, gain skills, combat enemies, and make alliances with all kinds of characters and creatures from the different territories of this new world in order to survive.

Review 

Do you love quest fantasy? Good. Because so does the author of New Rock, New Role. There’s so much passion for the genre oozing out of this book, it’s almost impossible not to be inspired by it. 

Richard Sparks has such a solid legacy in comedy, when I found out he was writing a fantasy novel, I fully expected it to be a series of sketches that bordered on spoof. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s so much sincerity and love that’s been poured into this story, I was moved by it in all the best ways. Did it put a smile on my face? Absolutely. But that’s not because it was trying to mock geekdom, it’s because of how great this book is.

Part of what makes the novel so enjoyable is the structure it adheres to. It takes the typical formula for LitRPG and throws it at an epic fantasy world. The heroes of the story are a trio of video game players who have just won an online championship. The protagonist is a former teacher who sits around playing games all day. And suddenly, inexplicably, upon winning the contest, they’re whisked away (portal fantasy style) to a new world where they actually get to become their avatar! Cue the need for some high intensity training and mini-quests in the pursuit of taking down the final boss. I absolutely loved how the framework of LitRPG was applied to the narrative. It made the whole thing easy to follow, allowed for greater world-building, gave each of the characters their own clear arcs, and brilliantly held the book together. It made me feel like I had a foot in this world, and I really loved that I felt grounded in it. 

Just because this book isn’t a spoof, doesn’t mean there isn’t hilarity to be found. I laughed myself silly at the weaponisation of orc farts. I found the banter between characters to be first class. It’s a total blast from beginning to end. Pure fantastical fun. The kind of story you want to indulge in because it makes you happy, and because it’s designed to entertain. 

Slice of life fantasy has been the most recent trend when it comes to cosy, bright, and happy magical tales. But this book shows that there’s a definite future for the fun fantasy sub-genre (let’s call it funtasy) — the books that are serious about the magic and world-building, but not so serious about the tone. It’s a really refreshing read, and it casts a charm spell on you that’s sure to penetrate any shield you can throw up against it. 

You’ll find all the hits here — battles with mythical creatures, wizardry galore, cool samurai-style sword-wielding, ‘orc smash’, and a thief who’ll steal your heart. Also, just the tiniest hint of romance, because why not, eh? 

If you like your fantasy with a pinch of action and a dash of wit, then this is going to be a dish for you. It’s the first in a promising new series, and I really can’t wait to see where the story goes from here. Funtasy at its best.

Filed Under: Action & Adventure, Comic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews Tagged With: Fantasy

About Frasier Armitage

Self-confessed geek and lover of sci-fi. When he’s not reading it, he’s writing it. Partial to time travel and Keanu Reeves movies. Dad. Husband. Part-time robot, full-time nerd.

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