J. R. Wright

A Day in the Life is a LitRPG anthology where you can expect taverns, warriors, quest givers and even a sentient bush. There were some stories in the collection that I felt didn’t really go anywhere, or just weren’t following an NPC type that I was interested in. The first story ‘An Easy Day’ fell into this latter category for me, where the main character is a warrior NPC forced to engage in battle simulations to train new recruits. It was well written, but it naturally had a lot of show more combat, which I don’t typically gravitate towards.

By far my favourite stories were ‘Barry the Bush’ where we follow the aforementioned sentient bush on his quest to learn about the world he’s in and level up. He forms bonds with a party of players and their relationships were really beautiful. I also adored ‘The Garden for a Ghost’. This is such a cosy, tender and heartwarming story that has an element of tragedy to it that I think will stick with me.

Overall I did find that this collection heavily leans into fantasy and I would have liked to see a wider scope. There is sufficient range in the NPC types within the fantasy style though so there’s something for everyone here.

I received an eARC from BookSirens and I am voluntarily leaving this review. show less

I am enjoying a lot of the LitRPG that comes my way and this was a nice anthology of shorts. I thought most of the stories clever and even though some dropped me in with little context, that was okay because they aren’t part of an author’s collection based on a particular world, rather just connected by having NPCs as the main character(s). One story wasn’t for me, but that’s because I am not fond of the point of view used. And I think “Barry the [Bush]” was my favorite of the show more ten. Much appreciation for the publisher making this available through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers Program. show less

Odd collection of short stories in the litRPG subgenre. Most of them didn't quite work for me. Short stories are a unique artform in their own right, and I didn't feel most of these authors are experienced in it. I didn't recognize their litRPG worlds.

The collections was aimed to involve the NPCs in the litRPG worlds - the 'non-player characters' you might interact with during a game, usually to give you a quest - landlords, the city guard you train fighting against etc. One fo the best show more stories features a flower seller looking for seeds. For the most part misunderstood and ignored, they strive against the limitations of the game to live an independent life. However few of the stories managed to bring them to life in this way. show less

This anthology has stories about the lives of NPCs. Imagine doing the same thing every day. Luckily these stories show NPCs escaping the drudgery. A sentient bush, barkeeps, princesses, and more. A great collection for anyone who likes RPGs or fantasy.