About

Eight is written by Samer Rabadi. This is a progression fantasy series.

Eight book cover

Blurb

Life’s tough when you’re trapped in an eight-year-old body on another world.

His name is Eight. Not really, but that’s what the System decided after a slip of the tongue. One moment, he was stepping out the office door on the way home, and the next waking up on a hillside below a town wall. Oh, and the gate guard drove him off, because he thought Eight was a monster.

What’s a boy to do in a world full of magic and so many, many hungry creatures searching for their next meal? Well, there’s an old man inside that body, and he'll use everything he’s learned in his sixty-four years to survive. Starting a fire? Sure. Crafting a spear? Check. Defending the cave he calls home? Also check, a big one.

There are allies too, but not the kind you’d expect.

Eight is a LitRPG novel of magical survival—of discovery, bushcraft, and creatures weird and wonderful.

Review

This book had some of the usual tropes and plot points common in portal fantasy with game like mechanics. What made it interesting was the execution. Right from the first chapter, the author weaved a nice balance between character growth, worldbuilding and tension. Add some slice-of-life moments, loveable side characters and humor to the mix and you get an enjoyable read.

I've read a few litRPGs (and gamelits) before, but this subgenre continues to surprise me in terms of how the system interface and power progression are implemented. Eight, our main character from Earth, was in his fifties before being thrown into a fantasy world with game like mechanics. His experience and knowledge of practical life skills came in handy, especially as his starting stats and physical features were not suited for survival in this world. Plenty of dangerous flora and fauna, which of course served as a means for leveling up.

The magical creatures and spirits were my favorite parts of the worldbuilding. They weren't just info dumped, but organically integrated with the story. The ecosystem felt believable, instead of something like "it's a fantasy world, anything is possible". Apart from magical progression and stuff, it was also nice to see scenes focused on overcoming communication barriers.

There were a few things I don't enjoy reading (zombies for example), but overall I had fun reading this book and looking forward to the sequels.

Eight 2: The Way of the Hunter

September hasn't been a great month for my work goals. I managed to spend a few hours working after completing the first book, and then couldn't resist the temptation of starting the second one. Thankfully, this is an ongoing series and the third one isn't published yet.

The second book started with Eight finally going to the village and joining the hunter's lodge for training and stuff. The plot stakes continued to be personal, though there were hints that it might encompass the world by the end of the series. At first, the change in location was a bit jarring, especially since I had finished the first book just a few hours back and there were plenty of new characters and other details thrown at us. Once I got used to them, I found the book enjoyable and I'd say the author did a good job with the new characters.

The worldbuilding continued to impress me and some of the powerups were really cool. I especially liked befriending magical beasts. If I had to nitpick, it'd be that Eight's path is too unique and powerful. He has lovely companions, and it's great that not all of them are magically special, but doesn't seem that he'll have any human peer who can keep up with him.

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟☆

What others are saying

From Michael's review on goodreads:

A different take on going to another world if you happened to die and be reborn into an eight year old in the middle of the wilds what would you do, it is a journey of discovery no dungeons yet but fights with animals people crafting and magic and cultivating all in one world building book.

From Kili's review on goodreads:

Whimsical and fun and just all around a perfect read for a bit of a smile and some lightening of the soul. Very happy to have stumbled upon the series.

Bingo

/r/Fantasy/ 2022 bingo categories:

  • Weird Ecology (HM)
  • Name in the Title
  • Published in 2022 (HM)
  • Self-Published OR Indie Publisher
  • No Ifs, Ands, or Buts
  • Family Matters