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GameLit

Into the Real – Book Review

October 26, 2022 by hpholo Leave a Comment

I’ve been looking forward to this book since the moment I heard it described as Pokemon Go meets Monster Hunter—and by the standards both properties inspire in my brain, it does not disappoint. 😄

Into the Real Book Cover

In John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer’s Into the Real, Lynn Raven is a shy couch potato of a teen who would rather stay home and play WarMonger 2050 than go be around people. Even her narrow circle of IRL gaming friends—all guys—are generally unappealing, because the alpha nerd of the group is of the “girls can’t play video games” variety and would become insufferable if he knew the truth of her gaming hobby. See, through the power of near-future voice modification technology, a lot of intense forum research, and a lot of practice, she moonlights as the grizzled military veteran Larry Coughlin, an absolute legend in WarMonger’s multiplayer circles, a well-paid in-game mercenary-for-hire, and most importantly, routine kicker of Ronnie’s in-game butt.

So legendary is she as Larry Coughlin that, when Tsunami Entertainment rolls out the invite-only beta for its upcoming augmented reality game, TransDimensional Hunter, she’s invited by the head of the company himself to test this new game. It’s a tremendous honor and testament to her skill … but stepping outside her home, into the real, to conspicuously play this highly-anticipated game means she risks revealing her online identity. It also means she’ll have to deal with, eew, people.

But it also presents an avenue for her to earn more real-world money through gaming, and things haven’t been easy for her and her mother since the death of her police officer father. So Lynn takes on the opportunity—and with it, the challenges of navigating adolescence, competitive gamer boys, savage popular girls … and maybe something even bigger than that.

In recent years, I’ve become a huge fan of the LitRPG/GameLit genre (obviously, since I now write in it), and while Into the Real lacks some of the more iconic qualities associated with indie LitRPG (detailed stat blocks, for example), it’s entirely worth a read for LitRPG fans, especially those looking for something a little more complex than the usual power-fantasy adventure that dominates the genre.

Into the Real stands out for many reasons. The most conspicuous one for me was that it not only follows a female main character—uncommon in LitRPG—but that it depicts the specific experience of being a female gamer in a male-dominated competitive hobby, while also exploring the challenges inherent in simply being a teenager.

There is a definite power fantasy element—Lynn’s masquerading as Larry Coughlin can’t be anything but—but in a clever subversion of the trope, it’s also presented as the mask she wears to cope with her very teenage insecurities. She’s self-conscious about her body and about being a girl gamer amidst a bunch of immature boys, while potentially having a crush on one of those boys. She also has to deal with socially vicious popular girls, even on the gaming front, when the local rich queen bee (and popular streamer) has her father pull some strings to get her into the closed beta-test for TD Hunter … and proceeds to harass Lynn in the process (sometimes violently). Larry Coughlin and WarMonger 2050 are the shields she hides behind when being Lynn Raven becomes too unpleasant—but in playing TD Hunter, she can only be Lynn Raven, and participation in the game itself forces her to face those hurdles and thus grow as a person.

All this to say, while I don’t think it was necessarily written for a YA audience, this is definitely a novel that teen gamer girls in particular can relate to.

And the experience of being a gamer girl is intrinsic to the story. One of Lynn’s greatest social challenges is Ronnie, alpha nerd of her friend group and firm believer that “girls got no game.” When a high-stakes TD Hunter competition is announced—requiring four-player teams—Ronnie begrudgingly lets her fill the fourth spot on the group’s team and then, despite insisting upon being the leader, fails to give her serious consideration when forming the team’s strategies (i.e. completely fails to act like a leader). A non-gamer might look at his character and view him as a stereotype … but anyone who has ever spent time on a gamer girl forum will recognize him instantly. Discussions on these forums are overwhelmingly dominated by girls trying to find other girls to game with, and it’s largely because of the disrespect and sexist harassment they receive in chat from players like Ronnie. It’s a genuine problem in gaming culture at large and Into the Real completely nails it with this storyline. Lynn has to overcome her difficulties with Ronnie if she—and her team—are to succeed in competition, and the way the story handles it is both realistic and wholly appropriate to its coming-of-age theme.

What makes this book succeed, though, is that alongside the strong realization of its themes, it’s a whole lot of fun, and it particularly nails the unique fun of gaming culture, while also presenting a genuinely cool view of what gaming could look like in the near future.

Lynn’s is a future where augmented reality glasses are common and used in daily life even outside gaming contexts, where smart fabrics can mold to fit individual body shapes, and where games as complex as TD Hunter not only have special shape-changing peripheral controllers, but virtual AI assistants to help manage in-game data. TD Hunter itself is a game that I found myself wanting to play as I read, largely because it reminded me so strongly of some of my own favorite games. The AR component of Pokemon Go makes it an obvious comparison, and given the game’s goal, Monster Hunter feels like an obvious comparison, too … but (speaking as someone who takes days off work to play new Monster Hunter games), it’s also wholly appropriate. TD Hunter is a game that understands the pleasure of tracking and discovering new monsters, gathering new data on them with each encounter, and heck, gathering loot in general. For that matter, it’s also not inaccurate to compare it to Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter International series, given that modern-style weaponry is used in the game (and that there’s at least one MHI easter egg for sharp-eyed readers).

Also notable is how seriously the novel takes the physical aspect of the game. Lynn’s mom is a medical professional, and there are moments where she delivers advice that made me go, “Oh, one of those authors definitely played ridiculous amounts of Pokemon Go” (I say as I look at my own dedicated gaming bag of sunscreen, bottled waters, emergency protein snacks, and UV-blocking clothes). TD Hunter, of course, is on a whole other physical level, requiring players to jump around and physically exert themselves as if fighting real monsters, and while Lynn’s mom is cautious about the general safety of Lynn’s endeavor, she’s also refreshingly supportive and offers detailed dietary and general health information to enable her daughter to succeed without overwhelming her body. It’s a nice realistic detail in a genre that usually doesn’t pay attention to such mundane details. (Plus, it’s also great to see a parent in a teen-led story who isn’t an absolute idiot.)

The only place where Into the Real slips for me is the literal last set of paragraphs. These include a twist that sharp-eyed readers will see coming, and serve more to set up the next book in the series, rather than contributing anything significant to this one—but then, ultimately this first novel is about Lynn’s personal struggle, more so than the coming wider struggle that’s implied in the twist. Taking that into account, the book becomes a strong setup for what is sure to be a unique, fun series.

Ultimately, the thing that stands out most about Into the Real?

Many books about gaming get me so pumped to game that I stop mid-read to do just that—but Into the Real was so hypnotic I couldn’t bring myself to put it down, despite wanting to boot up my console for some Monster Hunter every other page. (And y’all know how I feel about Monster Hunter.) That said, it’s a must-read for gamers, but also for anyone who wants a fun, smart story about a shy teen finding her way through an exciting technological future.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: AR Games, Augmented Reality, Game Girl, GameLit, Gamer Girl, gaming, Gaming Fiction, LitRPG, lydia sherrer, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

By the Grace of the Gods, Vol. 1 – Book Review

September 5, 2022 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Sometimes you find a book that, against all odds, ends up being a surprise favorite. For me, By the Grace of the Gods, Volume 1 by Roy is one of those books.

By the Grace of the Gods Book Cover

The novel starts out as a standard isekai/reborn-in-another-world story, with the main character dying and appearing before the gods of a fantasy world, who determine where he’ll be placed in his afterlife. The thing that sets this character, Ryoma, apart from others, is that when he learns he’s died, he’s pretty chill about it. His response is essentially, “Welp, I’m a 40-year-old Japanese salaryman and even younger coworkers have died from the stress of our job, so honestly I’m just glad I made it this long.”

To which the gods say, “OMG That’s sad. We’re going to give you a good life.”

Ryoma is thus reincarnated as a 10-year-old boy who lives out in the woods away from all human contact and just spends his time chilling and researching slime monsters. When he finally does encounter people – by accident – they’re good people, and they take him to the city, where he finds that, by the standards of this world, his slime research is actually pretty revolutionary, such that he’s able to use it to save the city from a pandemic!

The storytelling is very relaxed; even the climax where he saves the city is hilariously chill. There’s no anime-style action here. Ryoma literally realizes the presence of a potential disease by noticing that the disease resistance of his cleaning slimes has risen – a consequence of exposure and adaptation – and saves the city from that illness by using his slimes to clean the public toilets where it’s thriving.

Yes, the whole climax of the book is “Main character cleans toilets.”

And yet, the utter chillness of his book is what makes it so appealing. This was my nighttime before-bed read, and the leisurely pace of the plot and charming positivity of the characters made it one of the most stress-relieving books I’ve ever read.

It’s also absolutely wholesome. General kindness of the entire cast aside, there’s not even a hint of a scantily clad character or sexy thought (in contrast to most other light novels), which makes it a safe recommendation for preteens and younger.

Finally, for those who enjoy LitRPG and stats, its stat system is simple and easy to keep up with, and Ryoma’s slime research is truly interesting to read about. (Different slimes serve different functions, and he uses them to interesting effect.)

All in all, By the Grace of the Gods, Volume 1 is a delightful surprise of a novel, and I recommend it highly to anyone looking for an easy, relaxing read.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Easy Reads, Fantasy, GameLit, light novel, Light Novel Review, LitRPG, Relaxing Reads, Stats

Monster Punk Horizon is a #1 Best Seller! 😀

December 26, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Hey, Holo fans! 😀 I was doodling on Amazon at the ridiculous hours of last night when I came upon this delightful little screen:

Which is to say, as of Christmas night, Monster Punk Horizon is a #1 Best Seller on Amazon’s Steampunk Fiction booklist! 😮 It’s the dream of every author to see that bright orange tag next to their books – and this is the first time it’s ever happened to me – so I have to say, from the bottom of my weird, hyperactive author heart:

THANKS A BUNCH. 😊

Authors don’t become Best Sellers without the support of readers, and it’s because of you all that I was able to achieve one of my lifelong dreams.

And speaking of my new series … if you haven’t tried it out yet, this is the perfect week to do so! 😀

From now through Wednesday, December 29th, the Monster Punk Horizon eBook is just $.99 and Isekai Skies (#2) is just $1.99, so if you’ve been curious to check out this strange little product of an overactive imagination and too many video games, now’s your chance! 😀

Read Monster Punk Horizon Here for $.99
Read Isekai Skies Here for $1.99

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: action comedy, action fantasy, Fantasy, GameLit, GameLit Comedy, GameLit Fantasy, Giant Monsters, Monster Hunt, Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunter World, Monster Hunters, Monster Hunting, Monster Punk Horizon, Monster Rancher, Monsters, Steampunk

It’s Excess’ Launch Week!

December 19, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Another month, another book launch! 🥳 We’re sending 2021 off with a bang, which is to say: the third book in the Monster Punk Horizon series, Excess 😀 – and a collaboration between both Jacob and H.P. – so if you’re a fan of our new GameLit fantasy adventure comedy, read on!

(Or, if you’re totally new to it, peruse our videos for Book 1 and Book 2 to see what it’s all about! 😄)

As always, we’re packing this week with a series of videos that provide a deeper look into Excess and the general world of Monster Punk Horizon, leading up to an official launch party on Thursday, December 23rd, complete with live chatter and prizes galore! Check out the schedule below to see what we have in store this time around, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch to receive notifications when our videos go live! 😀

And of course, don’t forget that you can preorder Excess now on Amazon – or read it starting Thursday on Kindle Unlimited!

Excess Launch Week Events

  • Monday, December 20th @ 8PM EST – H.P. and Jacob Talk Excess
  • Tuesday, December 21st @ 8PM EST – The Art of Monster Punk Horizon
  • Wednesday, December 22nd @ 8PM EST – H.P. and Jacob Read Excess: Chapter 1
  • Thursday, December 23rd @ 8PM EST – Excess Virtual Launch Party ✨ LIVE WITH PRIZES ✨

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Action, action adventure, action comedy, action fantasy, Crafting, Fantasy, Game Lit, GameLit, GamerLit, Monster Hunter, Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunters, Monster Punk Horizon

The Isekai Skies audiobook is out!

December 4, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Another month, another audiobook! 😀 Monster Punk Horizon #2: Isekai Skies is now out on Audible and ready for your enjoyment! 😄

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Tess Irondale once again did a fabulous job bringing all of H.P.’s characters to auditory life, and we’re excited to continue sharing her work with you.

Especially since readers, thus far, seem to be enjoying Book 2 as much as – if not more than – the first one! 😄

Check out what some have had to say:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved the first book with all my heart and the second one has ear wormed right into my very being! Sometimes you worry that a sequel just won’t stand up to the first. Especially when the first book was as amazing as Monster Punk Horizon … but fear not. Isekai Skies has risen to the challenge and surpassed my hopes! New characters to love and new monsters to awaken our imaginations. Jaz, Pix and the Dragon Pig Pirates are kicking ass and taking names once again! Don’t miss an exciting moment! On to book 3!

Frances Cooper

Amazon Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ WOW. This book is unlike any other I have ever read! Being the second book in a series, I was pretty nervous, because I feel like second books tend to be less spectacular than the first. But this sequel did not disappoint one bit! It was so enjoyable to read – there are few books that make me audibly laugh out loud, but I’m so glad that this is one of them!

The way the author ties in these classic nerdy elements is incredible and nostalgic. The character development is outstanding – the characters stay consistently themselves, so you still know and love them while reading, but they also have so much growth throughout the story as well.

I had no idea where the plot was going to go after the first book, and I definitely didn’t expect it to go the way it did, but I have zero qualms about it. And the magic systems and fantasy world building is so awesome – unlike anything I’ve ever read. Literally, just wow. Such a fun read – can’t wait to read the third book!

Melisa Longhurst

Amazon Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ … Imaginative, inventive and light-hearted …

Isekai Skies follows in the same vein as Monster Punk Horizon, where the two main protagonists Jaz and Pix become embroiled in more shenanigans. This time with the aid of Kaito, who has mysteriously been sucked through a portal from a future Earth. Kaito thinks he is in some sort of fantasy adventure, and it is up to Jaz and Pix to keep him in one piece.

I love [this] pair, they are such a refreshing change from the normal, run of the mill heroines. They are so good as a double act, and yet they are as different as chalk and cheese. I find the banter between them clever and full of humour. They are backed up with an array of terrific characters, friends and foes alike. Kaito’s initial naivety does make for interesting reading as he gets to grip with his new surroundings … Isekai Skies is more character-driven than anything, and it is not surprising, considering the talent on show. That does not mean the storyline is lacking because it isn’t. It is packed with action and adventure, and there is never a dull moment.

Isekai Skies is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging read, and I enjoyed every little bit.

John Derek

Goodreads Reviewer

We hope you enjoy it as much as these did! 😄

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: action fantasy, adventure, Audible, audiobook, Comedy, Fantasy, fantasy comedy, GameLit, isekai skies, Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter World, Monster Punk Horizon

It’s Isekai Skies’ Launch Week!

November 14, 2021 by hpholo 1 Comment

Monster Punk Horizon has been out in the wild a little over a month, which means that it’s almost time for Monster Punk Horizon #2: Isekai Skies to make its debut! 😀

Like last time, H.P. has planned a fun week of readings and chats to lead up to its release on Thursday, November 18th. Check out the schedule below to see what she has in store this time around, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch to receive notifications when her videos go live!

And of course, don’t forget that you can preorder Isekai Skies now on Amazon – or read it starting Thursday on Kindle Unlimited! 😄

Isekai Skies Launch Week Events

  • Sunday, November 14th @ 8pm EST – H.P. Talks Isekai Skies
  • Monday, November 15th @ 8pm EST – H.P. Reads Isekai Skies: Chapter 1
  • Tuesday, November 16th @ 8pm EST – H.P. Reads Isekai Skies: Chapter 2
  • Wednesday, November 17th @ 8pm EST – H.P. Reads Isekai Skies: Chapter 3
  • Wednesday, November 17th @ 8:20pm EST – H.P. Reads Isekai Skies: Chapter 4
  • Thursday, November 18th @ 8pm EST – Isekai Skies Virtual Launch Party ✨ LIVE WITH PRIZES! ✨

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: action adventure, action comedy, action fantasy, adventure, Fantasy, fantasy adventure, fantasy comedy, Game Lit, GameLit, GamerLit, isekai, isekai anime, isekai skies, LitRPG, Monster Hunter, Monster Hunters, Monster Punk Horizon, Video Games

The Monster Punk Horizon audiobook is out!

November 7, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Hey, Holo fans! 😀 You’ve been waiting patiently, and now we’re pleased to announce that the Monster Punk Horizon audiobook is now live and loose in the wild! 😄

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

I had such a blast working with Tess Irondale on the Time Reavers audiobook several years ago that there was no question of who I wanted to voice the Monster Punk Horizon series. She’s brought the antics of Pix, Jaz, and company alive with aplomb, and I’ve been eager to share it with you since the moment I heard the very first samples.

Speaking of which, here’s a glimpse:

I’m equally eager to hear what you all think of it! 😄 Reader reactions to the book thus far have been wonderful and wildly beyond what I expected, and it’s been a real delight to meet these new readers, whether through their reviews or on our Facebook Page. Here are some of my favorite responses:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So imagine your gaming console, anime collection, and your box of Steve Jackson’s Munchkin got together for a wild night after you went to bed, and months later gave birth to a book. That book would be called Monster Punk Horizon.

The first few chapters left my ADD-riddled brain scrambling, trying to come to grips with the world I was being presented, and the uber-threat that soon stomps into their world, but as I became comfortable with the knowledge I’d signed on for a wild ride, I just buckled in and got my popcorn ready. MPH is an irreverent good time, loaded with wild, funny and colorful characters.

If you are at all a fan of isekai anime, or Monster Hunter or just a redonkulous good time, pick up Monster Punk Horizon.

Philip K. Booker

Amazon Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ HILARIOUS FUN!!! … I haven’t read many books that make me audibly laugh out loud, so I’m very glad I gave this book a chance, because now I can add it to that list! SO. MANY. FUNNY. MOMENTS. As someone who enjoys nerdy, Dungeons-and-Dragons-inspired adventures, this was an absolute thrill to read. The content was very geared for nerdy fans, but the humor and relatable characters made it easy for any reader to understand and have a good time reading!

Melisa

Goodreads Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had to look twice when I spotted this book. I am a huge Monster Hunter fan. I’ve played for thousands of hours for well over a decade and a half. So to say I was excited to find a book about living that kind of life was an understatement!

This book was an adventure. It was exciting, suspenseful, and I loved the characters. The action kept me flipping those pages as fast as I could … This book brought so much nostalgia and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. 

Nina Diab

Amazon Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Monster Punk Horizon by H.P. Holo is by far the best book I’ve read all year. The writing is top notch with all the witty dialogue and narration. The whole setting is absolutely insane in the best of ways. All the characters are great as well as distinct. … I will definitely reread it again, I just freaking love it!

Read this book, you won’t regret it.

BookDragon

Goodreads Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a good story, silly in all the right places, and not shying away from the ridiculousness built into the worldbuilding of many games … Well done!

Sarah

Amazon Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. The interactions with the main characters, Jaz and Pix, were highly entertaining. Though this book has some flaws, it’s exactly what I wanted it to be. It’s a fun and fast paced read with a memorable cast and great world building. I recommend this to anyone looking for a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously and wants a few laughs out of their books.

David Sherrer

Goodreads Reviewer

I’m delighted that so many have already enjoyed it so much, and look forward to sharing much, much more of the Monster Punk Horizon universe with all of you. 😊

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Action, action adventure, action comedy, action fantasy, adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, GameLit, Humorous Fantasy, Monster Hunter, Monster Hunters, Monster Punk Horizon

Listen to H.P. chat Monster Punk Horizon on the Blasters and Blades Podcast!

October 20, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Hey, Holo fans! 😀 The Blasters and Blades Podcast invited me on to chat Monster Punk Horizon, and it was one of the most fun interviews I’ve ever done.

If you’d like a deeper look into the Monster Punk Horizon universe, or just a general good time, give it a listen! 😄

Also, if you enjoyed what you heard, make sure to follow them on Anchor.fm, Facebook, and Twitter, and if you really enjoyed what you heard, you can support the show here! 😄

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: adventure, Blasters and Blades, Blasters and Blades Podcast, Fantasy, fantasy adventure, fantasy comedy, GameLit, GameLit Comedy, Interview, Monster Hunter, Monster Hunters, Monster Hunting, Monster Punk Horizon, Monsters, Podcast

It’s Monster Punk Horizon’s Launch Week!

October 12, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

It’s almost time for Monster Punk Horizon to be unleashed upon the world, and H.P. has lots of fun stuff planned this week to lead up to and beyond the release day (Thursday, October 14th, BTW)! 😀

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch to keep up with all she has planned! Each weeknight for the next two weeks, she’ll host an online video chat exploring a different corner of the Monster Punk Horizon world, taking reader questions – and sometimes giving out signed prizes! 😮 Check out the schedule below to see what’s in store. (Links below go to YouTube and will be updated as available.)

And of course, don’t forget that you can preorder Monster Punk Horizon now on Amazon – or read it starting Thursday on Kindle Unlimited!

Monster Punk Horizon Launch Week+ Events

  • Tuesday, October 12th @ 8pm EST – H.P. Talks Monster Punk Horizon
  • Wednesday, October 13th @ 8pm EST – H.P. Reads Monster Punk Horizon: Chapter 1
  • Thursday, October 14th @ 8pm EST – Monster Punk Horizon Virtual Launch Party ✨ WITH PRIZES! ✨
  • Friday, October 15th @ 8pm EST – The World of Monster Punk Horizon
  • Tuesday, October 19th @ 8pm EST – H.P. Reads Monster Punk Horizon: Chapter 2, H.P. Reads Monster Punk Horizon: Chapter 3
  • Wednesday, October 20th @ 8pm EST – The Monsters of Monster Punk Horizon
  • Thursday, October 21st @ 8pm EST – The Characters of Monster Punk Horizon

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: action adventure, action comedy, action fantasy, adventure, Fantasy, fantasy adventure, fantasy comedy, Game Lit, GameLit, GamerLit, LitRPG, Monster Hunter, Monster Hunters, Monster Punk Horizon, Video Games

Welcome to the New Website!

October 11, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Hey, Holo fans! Things are looking a little different over here – in a good way!

After 7 years publishing (Has it really been that long? 😲) we decided our website was in need of an upgrade, and now, thanks to ModFarm Design, we’d like to welcome you to this glorious, shiny, new hub for all things Holo Writing.

Here you’ll find complete details on all our books and series – from summaries to audio samples to review snippets – as well as our blog, newsletter signup, swag shop, and an easy-to-use contact page if you just want to say hi. 😊

Also, author pals: If you’re in the market for a website or website glow-up, Rob at ModFarm is amazing. He’s attentive to what authors want from their sites and determined to make it happen, customer service is near-instant, and site-building in general was pretty quick. The whole design experience gets a big thumbs-up from us! 👍

All that said, welcome to the new website! 😄 Drop in and explore a while!

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Author Site, Author Website, Authors, Comedy, Fantasy, GameLit, LitRPG, Modfarm Design, New Website, Sci Fi, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Steampunk, time travel, Website

Excess (Monster Punk Horizon #3) – Cover Reveal!

August 16, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

If you’ve been following us these past two weeks, you’ve seen the first two books in my new series, Monster Punk Horizon, and now Jacob and I are delighted to bring you the cover reveal for Book 3! 😀

Art by Jackson Tjota

Excess (Monster Punk Horizon #3)
by Jacob & H.P. Holo


🌟 GameLit 🌟 Crafting 🌟 Adventure 🌟 Comedy 🌟


✨ Coming December 23rd, 2021 ✨

Audio Release Date TBD


🐉🐉🐉

Loot Like Your Life Depends On It!

Losing a trusty weapon is like losing a close friend, and Pix’s beloved capacitor blade is on its last legs.

Fortunately, she has a plan to craft a new, even better weapon. Unfortunately, her plan involves hunting down a vicious migrating monster that has more teeth than some hunters have brain cells. Even worse, this new creature has riled up the apex monster of Skull Harbor, and both of them are spoiling for a fight.

But Pix has one thing they don’t: a party foolhardy enough to take them both on.

She’ll need all the help she can get, because it’ll take all their combined luck, skill, and oversized weapons to put down these two monsters. But her friends have her back. After all, there’s awesome loot to be had!

If they manage to survive…

Preorder Here!
Or Read a Sample of Book One Here!

Excess is unique from the previous two Monster Punk Horizon books in that it’s a collaboration between me and Jacob!

While I was writing Book 1, Jacob became so fascinated with the world he watched me create that he wanted to write a story in it – and since he was between books in the Gordian Division series at the time, he took the lore I’d already established in Book 1, created a new monster, and churned out the rough draft of Book 3 before I’d even started Book 2! 😄 I then went over it after I’d finished Book 2 and  H.P.-ified the parts Jacob had marked “write whatever here.”

Excess is slightly different in style, too, in that it follows Pix more than Jaz – which is to say, it follows Jacob’s Monster Hunter character instead of my Monster Hunter character. 😉

As you may have guessed from the vibe of the covers, one of Monster Punk Horizon‘s original inspirations came from our nights playing Monster Hunter World together. It’s not quite fanfiction; in fact, my first step when designing the series was to create a world whose basic mechanics and essential history were independent of the various fictions that inspired it, but that still allowed me to pay homage to those fictions and to insert Easter Eggs for fans. 

Even so, our gameplay experience in Monster Hunter World is very much in the DNA of the Monster Punk Horizon series, and particularly in how Pix and Jaz came to be in the first place. Jacob and I have wildly different play styles, his very strategic and mine very … not.  😆 Plus, when I play video games, I have a tendency to invent headcanons totally separate from the lore of whatever game I’m playing – especially in games with stories as simple as Monster Hunter World‘s.

Because of that, Pix and Jaz had personalities and backstories before I even knew I was going to write Monster Punk Horizon, solely because I needed a way to entertain myself during loading screens, and making up stuff about our player characters was a fun way to do it. It’s no coincidence, then, that Jaz is the Leeroy Jenkins of the pair (me), while Pix is the methodical gamer who likes to go in with a plan (Jacob). Stories told from Jaz‘s perspective – that is, Books 1 and 2 – are thus rather more chaotic than stories told from Pix‘s perspective, which I think brings a nice balance to the series as a whole.  After all, even worlds as crazy as this one need a break from the craziness every now and then. 😊

Excess (Monster Punk Horizon #3) is set to release on Kindle Unlimited this December, and is already available for preorder.

And again, if you’d like to be one of the lucky people to read it early, be sure to join the Pug Scouts – our VIP Street Team! 😀 I’ll be sending out eARCs soon, and all you have to do in exchange for your free book is post a review once the book is live!

Join Our Street Team Here!

***

Note: Holo Writing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and, as such, may earn a small commission from any product purchased through an affiliate link on this blog.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Action, action adventure, adventure, Collaborating, Collaboration, Comedy, coming soon, Excess, Fantasy, fantasy comedy, GameLit, gamer, gaming, Kindle Unlimited, Leeroy Jenkins, LitRPG, Loot, Monster Hunt, Monster Hunter, Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter World, Monster Hunting, Video Games

Isekai Skies (Monster Punk Horizon #2) Cover Reveal!

August 9, 2021 by hpholo Leave a Comment

Last week, you saw a peek at Book 1 in my new GameLit adventure comedy series, Monster Punk Horizon. 😀

Now, since the second is going to crash-land soon after its release – a month, to be exact – here’s the cover reveal for Book 2! 😮

Cover art by Jackson Tjota

Isekai Skies (Monster Punk Horizon #2)


🌟 GameLit 🌟 Portal Fantasy 🌟 Adventure 🌟 Comedy 🌟


✨ Coming November 18th, 2021 ✨

Audio Release Date TBA

🐉🐉🐉

I Got Engaged and Ended Up in Another World!

An epic convention. An epic cosplay. An epic engagement. It was the best night of Kaito’s life—until the ground opened up beneath him.

Well, technically, a portal did. Either way, it sucked.

Now, trapped in another world with rampaging monsters, he’ll have to learn to survive. Fortunately, this world is conveniently similar to his favorite video game. And he’s got monster hunting experts (?) Pix and Jaz to show him the ropes.

With their help, he might last long enough to find a way home.

But if not, at least he’ll have fun hunting monsters before he dies!

Preorder Here!
Or Read a Sample of Book One Here!

Last week, you met my series protagonists Pix and Jaz, two girls who just want to hunt monsters and pay off their college loans. They were born and raised in the monster-dominated world under the Dazzling Skies, so named because its sky is taken up by thousands of glittering portals to other worlds, which constantly dump interesting loot and monsters for them to hunt –

And sometimes people for them to save.

Which makes the Dazzling Skies a perfect setting for an isekai story.

If you’re unfamiliar with the word – “isekai” is a Japanese term meaning “different world” and refers specifically to light novels and anime in which a character is transported from their familiar world into a fantasy world, often with distinct video game trappings.

I was indifferent to the isekai genre when I first encountered it several years ago, but as the genre developed and began to play with and parody its own tropes, I grew to love it – especially Overlord, The Rising of the Shield Hero and – I kid you not – Reborn as a Vending Machine, Now I Wander the Dungeon (Review here, btw! 😀).

And, while I hadn’t set out to write isekai stories at the inception of this series, I quickly realized that the basic structure of the world I’d set up lent itself well to such stories. This structure, in turn, would allow me to show the bizarre world of the Dazzling Skies from an outsider’s perspective.

Book 2‘s protagonist, Kaito, is from a strange world himself – a far-future version of our world where everyone has hyper-advanced biotech altering their perception of reality, and where a particularly angry breed of cow changed the course of history – but the world under the Dazzling Skies is far stranger than anything he’s ever encountered. Though, fortunately for him, it does share some similarities with his favorite Immersive Video Game series … 😉

Isekai Skies (Monster Punk Horizon #2) is set to release on Kindle Unlimited this November, and is already available for preorder.

And again, if you’d like to be one of the lucky people to read it early, be sure to join the Pug Scouts – our VIP Street Team! 😀 I’ll be sending out eARCs soon, and all you have to do in exchange for your free book is post a review once the book is live!

Join Our Street Team Here!

In the meantime, keep your eyes on the blog next week for the cover reveal of Monster Punk Horizon #3!  😀

***

Note: Holo Writing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and, as such, may earn a small commission from any product purchased through an affiliate link on this blog.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: adventure, Anime, Another World, coming soon, Different World, fantasy adventure, GameLit, H.P. Holo, isekai, light novels, LitRPG, Monster Hunter, Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter World, Monster Punk Horizon, New Series, Pokemon, Portal Fantasy, Tabletop Games

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