Thank you Netgalley for the arc. This is basically Pick Your Own Adventure and a D&D campaign. Such a fun premise. I really liked this and recommend it to anyone who was thinking about doing a campaign for the first time as a little taster. Absolutely recommend as a physical book and not an ebook.

Ruin of the dead by Lee Brown was an absolutely great fantasy read that I couldn’t put down for days

OMG I'm so happy there are others who write books like this , because it reminded me of my favorite books I use to love and read ,the ones where you choose your own adventure, which ment you had no idea of the out come until the end of the book.

4.25/5 stars! This book is SO FUN! It reminded me of the choose your own adventures books from childhood meets simplistic Dungeons and Dragons. I loved it. However, this is one of those books that HAS to be a physical book to make sense. It doesn't work as an ebook. But this would be such a fun physical book to get middle-grade readers interested in reading again or as a fun game night adventure for adults.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I grew up on choose your own adventure books, so I had to give this a try. What’s good: it’s fast paced and interesting. The action starts right away. The author seems to have really thought through many different scenarios. What’s not so good: the sections in this are super short, I felt like I spent more time trying find the right section than actually reading anything. Much of this is more of a problem of format. A physical book is better for when you have to roll dice and go back and forth so much within the text. That said, I did find myself slightly annoyed by just how much I was having to move around (read 3 sentences, flip to back portion of book, read two sentences - roll dice - do some math, flip to beginning of book.) Because of this my mind never really held on to much story because I had to keep reacting so fast.

In short: if you’re interest in this a physical copy is likely to do you better than an ebook, but even disregarding the ebook format I feel the sections were too short to really draw you into a coherent story.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

I attempted to play this choose your own adventure-solo RPG several times, and failed too many times to count on both hands. I even spent almost an hour going back to the beginning to try a different path, only to be met with a failed ending over and over again. While I had fun at first, I found that the ebook format was definitely not ideal to game with. I kept going in circles, so I admit I ended up more frustrated than expected, especially in that castle. I didn't even get to appreciate most of the illustrations because any number I took would lead me to a swift death. Luckily, I don't think this is the case for everyone, but it personally didn't work for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this eCopy to review.

I really struggled to read this book, the pages of instructions about rolling dice and recording the results was very complicated so I did not get much further past this

Choose Your Own Adventure meets Dungeons & Dragons? Yes, please! This may be geared towards tweens and teens, but it brought back fond memories of playing those games for me, and this is exactly the CYOA scenario I want to read. The fact that you play it semi- like a solo D&D module made for the perfect adventure. My only issues were, probably because this was an ARC copy, but some of the entries weren't labeled with the correct numbers (or any numbers at all) and not having hyperlink anchors to navigate an ebook is problematic. Hopefully in the regular ebook you can bounce back and forth by tapping direction links. I also got stuck in a loop where I just kept exploring the same areas over and over, but that may partially be due to my lack of great mapping skills. I'll have to try again and be more thorough with my maps and room notes.

I found this book a lot of fun. I even went through it twice using different options to change my story.
I will admit that it took a little bit to understand, though this is due to it being my first time reading/playing this kind of book.
If this is your first role playing type book/game I recommend that you go slowly and not try to rush though it. It’s well worth it. I also think it would be fun to compare your stories with your friends and family!

I've never played DnD before, though that is not due to a lack of interest. In fact, the concept really intrigues me and I really want to try it, but it does intimidate me. The same goes for this book, the intimidating factor I mean. You need to keep track and write things down since that is the nature of the book, but once you figure everything out it becomes quite fun.

I would honestly buy this book because the possibilities are endless. You can read this over and over again and never (probably) get the same result since each move takes you in a different direction. Sadly for me, my first attempt was rather pitiful seeing as I made bad decisions that lead me straight to a swift death. But, again, that is what makes something like this so fun, you can try again and again and again.

Thank you for allowing me to review this!

An exciting and immersive adventure book that combines the best of both worlds: a thrilling story and the power to make your own decisions. The book's fantasy setting is richly detailed and full of surprises, and readers will find themselves fully absorbed in the challenges and obstacles that lie ahead. What makes this book truly special is the power it gives readers to become the hero of their own story, and to shape the course of the adventure with every decision. With its simple requirements of just paper, pencil, and a six-sided die, Ruin of the Dead is the perfect way to unplug from screens and embark on an unforgettable journey of adventure and imagination.

An immersive and thrilling adventure book that combines the excitement of a role-playing game with the creativity and imagination of a story.

This book invites readers to embark on a journey to retrieve a stolen holy relic, facing various obstacles and enemies along the way. With the power to make vital decisions that shape the course of the adventure, readers become the hero of their own story. Perfect for fans of fantasy and adventure, Ruin of the Dead is a great way to encourage children and adults to unplug from screens and immerse themselves in a captivating and interactive world of their own creation.

This book is a mash-up of Choose Your Own Adventure and Dungeons and Dragons.
It's a lot of fun. I enjoyed it very much. The story has many twists and turns depending on your choices. I feel like this would be something we could introduce at family game night. I feel like the experience would have been even better if I had read the physical copy as opposed to a digital one. This book will require a 6-sided dice to "play" but there are many apps for that so you don't have to purchase one just to play this game.
I look forward to many more books in this series from this author.

Ruin of the Dead is a novel that combines a classic book with a dungeons and dragons-style campaign. The novel is written in a choose-your-own-adventure style and allows the reader to make choices that effect the outcome, often leading to wildly different endings.

This book one of the Cleric trilogy and I can wait for the other books to be released. This book combines both the gaming world and the fantasy/science fiction universe while telling the story of a great evil trying to control all of creation. The story has mystery and intrigue built into it from the beginning as you are left in the dark about many aspects of the story and discover them along the way.

Throughout the story, there are twists and turns that change the dynamic of the novel and lead to different endings based on the decisions the reader makes throughout the story. The story is quite interesting and it keeps your attention throughout the whole book. First of all, it is well-written and entertaining. Second of all, it has an interesting plot that keeps your attention all the way through the story.

The book does require a 6-sided dice, but if you don't own just google it or download an app. almost everyone owns a smartphone or tablet these days so don't let the lack of physical dice hold you back from taking part in this.

I enjoyed this so much I hope to buy a physical copy for my Partner as a gift if I am able to find it in stores. Overall I highly recommend this book to fans of both fantasy books and tabletop role-playing games.


5/5 from me

***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.***

I didn't realize what kind of book this was when I originally picked it up,but the premise here is pretty cool. It's like choose your own adventure meets dungeons and dragons. It's not particularly my cup of tea, but there's a large group of people this will appeal to, for sure. The illustrations are awesome and the storyline for my attempts was pretty good!