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Full Murderhobo #1
Something
Trapped between worlds. Potentia might be the way out. Time to kill Something.
Luke is an apprentice leather worker, training with his family to one day take over the business. He and his friends Andre, Taylor, and Zed have known each other forever, and swear that nothing will ever tear apart their friendship.
Then the Royal Decree comes. With the Dynasty of Dogs invading, and strange monsters appearing in the Hollow Kingdom, a draft has been implemented. Everyone seventeen or older is required to be tested for ‘Potential’. If they have it, they will join the mysterious and renowned Ascender Corps. If not, they will be drafted into the Legion as a forced recruit.
Three of the friends test as powerful, or dangerous, classes of Ascender. Luke is found to have Potential, barely, but when he steps through the portal to begin his training… he is pulled to a plane that shouldn't exist. With no class trainer, the possibility of survival is low. Luke decides that he wants to live, and keeping his humanity isn't going to help.
His best chance is going Full Murderhobo.
Luke is an apprentice leather worker, training with his family to one day take over the business. He and his friends Andre, Taylor, and Zed have known each other forever, and swear that nothing will ever tear apart their friendship.
Then the Royal Decree comes. With the Dynasty of Dogs invading, and strange monsters appearing in the Hollow Kingdom, a draft has been implemented. Everyone seventeen or older is required to be tested for ‘Potential’. If they have it, they will join the mysterious and renowned Ascender Corps. If not, they will be drafted into the Legion as a forced recruit.
Three of the friends test as powerful, or dangerous, classes of Ascender. Luke is found to have Potential, barely, but when he steps through the portal to begin his training… he is pulled to a plane that shouldn't exist. With no class trainer, the possibility of survival is low. Luke decides that he wants to live, and keeping his humanity isn't going to help.
His best chance is going Full Murderhobo.
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2020
About the author
Dakota Krout
57 books2,750 followersAuthor of the best-selling Divine Dungeon, Completionist Chronicles, and Full Murderhobo series, Dakota Krout was chosen as Audible's top 5 fantasy pick of 2017, has been a top 5 bestseller on Amazon, and a top 6 bestseller on Audible.
He draws on his experience in the military to create vast terrains and intricate systems, and his history in programming and information technology helps him bring a logical aspect to both his writing and his company while giving him a unique perspective for future challenges.
Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far, and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come! -Dakota Krout
He draws on his experience in the military to create vast terrains and intricate systems, and his history in programming and information technology helps him bring a logical aspect to both his writing and his company while giving him a unique perspective for future challenges.
Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far, and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come! -Dakota Krout
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
June 9, 2021
I'm sorry...that I started this disaster.
I am 68 and I suppose might be called a "proto-nerd". I mean I have been married, served in the army, worked all my life. HOWEVER since I read and have for most of my life read fantasy lit. (even back in the 1960s when it could be hard to find outside pulp magazines) AND I have played D&D since around 1978 (when I was the one who bought the books and dice and organized the game) I DMed for years so, many apply the title nerd to me.
Okay, that's cool. I wear it proudly. Really.
So any way I told you that to tell you this. There's a running joke among some gaming groups where parties who seem to only "travel around and kill things" for treasure and experience point are called "murderhobos". Sometimes when we start to "slip" our DM (yes I still play) applies it to us. So, when I saw the title of this book on Audible I had to get it.
And I returned it the same day I started it. First the reader/narrator is...well let's be kind and say, not the best, poor.
My ears felt like they'd bleed.
I really couldn't tell if the story was a poor as it seemed or if most of it was the reader. Was it the reader, or the story??? I don't know but I can't recommend this one. As a matter of fact I'd suggest a wide track around it.
If anyone reads a text version and finds it better maybe let me know but as for this one...
No, just no.
I am 68 and I suppose might be called a "proto-nerd". I mean I have been married, served in the army, worked all my life. HOWEVER since I read and have for most of my life read fantasy lit. (even back in the 1960s when it could be hard to find outside pulp magazines) AND I have played D&D since around 1978 (when I was the one who bought the books and dice and organized the game) I DMed for years so, many apply the title nerd to me.
Okay, that's cool. I wear it proudly. Really.
So any way I told you that to tell you this. There's a running joke among some gaming groups where parties who seem to only "travel around and kill things" for treasure and experience point are called "murderhobos". Sometimes when we start to "slip" our DM (yes I still play) applies it to us. So, when I saw the title of this book on Audible I had to get it.
And I returned it the same day I started it. First the reader/narrator is...well let's be kind and say, not the best, poor.
My ears felt like they'd bleed.
I really couldn't tell if the story was a poor as it seemed or if most of it was the reader. Was it the reader, or the story??? I don't know but I can't recommend this one. As a matter of fact I'd suggest a wide track around it.
If anyone reads a text version and finds it better maybe let me know but as for this one...
No, just no.
April 25, 2021
Why is this book so highly rated??
While some of the story elements are interesting, all the unrealistic characters, spotty world building, and clunky writing drag the book down. I had to double check to make sure this was the same author from the Divine Dungeon series, which is one of my favorites.
For example, there are a couple of mages that act as mentors who are both several hundred years old. Unbelievably, they are highly incompetent at teaching and communicating despite supposedly having superhuman mental stats. One of them has such poor leadership he needs to resort to physical violence and abuse to get an energetic pupil to “respect” him, then acts as if this training style is new and revolutionary. This method of handling important and powerful characters is so incredibly lame that I can only imagine a novice author with little life experience actually using it.
As for the magic system, it’s rather basic and seems to operate more on wish-fulfillment rather than skill or disciple. I’m not simplifying things when I say a character is taught the gesture to “release” her mana and is literally ready to use it one sentence later. Another character is simply told to “open” his mana to “establish a connection” and then expected to accomplish a mystical task. Keep in mind that neither of these characters had worked magic up to this point. And as for the LitRPG system tied to magic and character stats, it is one of the most unnecessarily fiddly I have seen that boils down to a bunch of boring math equations.
However, a bigger issue is how the story reads like a haphazardly edited work in progress rather than a commercial product from an established author. Even the name of the book seems like a silly placeholder while the series name falsely implies focusing on one character. Luke (AKA the Murderhobo) is definitely interesting, but the book jumps between Zed, Taylor, and Andre as well. And hardly a chapter went by where I didn’t have to reread a few sentences to understand what the author intended to convey. Seriously, I’ve read more polished books on Royal Road. I can deal with the occasional spelling error, but awkward sentence structure and poor word choice are far more distracting. Here’s an example of both in a single sentence:
“Animals, made of all sorts of different materials for writing, roamed the moors of the Library’s orderly stacks...”.
And here’s something the author could have gone with instead:
“Animals fashioned from all sorts of writing materials roamed the aisles between the Library’s orderly shelves...”.
There are a lot more examples I could go through, but it isn’t just grammar that’s the problem. There is just something off about the author’s logic that permeates the entire story. A character is exhausted and falls on their face like a cartoon instead of resting. After starving for a month, another character gorges to make up for it in a single meal. Yet another character wears a suit of hides half a foot thick as armor with no mention of restricted mobility or heat exhaustion. It’s like how a child might think things work.
Honestly, all these issues make me very skeptical that the same person associated with the excellent Divine Dungeon series wrote this piece of amateur fiction. If it is the same person then what the heck happened?? Whatever the case, there’s an interesting story here but it is in dire need of heavy editing. Also, it only started to get interesting around the 30% mark with barely any action up to that point. Unless you are desperate, give this one a pass.
While some of the story elements are interesting, all the unrealistic characters, spotty world building, and clunky writing drag the book down. I had to double check to make sure this was the same author from the Divine Dungeon series, which is one of my favorites.
For example, there are a couple of mages that act as mentors who are both several hundred years old. Unbelievably, they are highly incompetent at teaching and communicating despite supposedly having superhuman mental stats. One of them has such poor leadership he needs to resort to physical violence and abuse to get an energetic pupil to “respect” him, then acts as if this training style is new and revolutionary. This method of handling important and powerful characters is so incredibly lame that I can only imagine a novice author with little life experience actually using it.
As for the magic system, it’s rather basic and seems to operate more on wish-fulfillment rather than skill or disciple. I’m not simplifying things when I say a character is taught the gesture to “release” her mana and is literally ready to use it one sentence later. Another character is simply told to “open” his mana to “establish a connection” and then expected to accomplish a mystical task. Keep in mind that neither of these characters had worked magic up to this point. And as for the LitRPG system tied to magic and character stats, it is one of the most unnecessarily fiddly I have seen that boils down to a bunch of boring math equations.
However, a bigger issue is how the story reads like a haphazardly edited work in progress rather than a commercial product from an established author. Even the name of the book seems like a silly placeholder while the series name falsely implies focusing on one character. Luke (AKA the Murderhobo) is definitely interesting, but the book jumps between Zed, Taylor, and Andre as well. And hardly a chapter went by where I didn’t have to reread a few sentences to understand what the author intended to convey. Seriously, I’ve read more polished books on Royal Road. I can deal with the occasional spelling error, but awkward sentence structure and poor word choice are far more distracting. Here’s an example of both in a single sentence:
“Animals, made of all sorts of different materials for writing, roamed the moors of the Library’s orderly stacks...”.
And here’s something the author could have gone with instead:
“Animals fashioned from all sorts of writing materials roamed the aisles between the Library’s orderly shelves...”.
There are a lot more examples I could go through, but it isn’t just grammar that’s the problem. There is just something off about the author’s logic that permeates the entire story. A character is exhausted and falls on their face like a cartoon instead of resting. After starving for a month, another character gorges to make up for it in a single meal. Yet another character wears a suit of hides half a foot thick as armor with no mention of restricted mobility or heat exhaustion. It’s like how a child might think things work.
Honestly, all these issues make me very skeptical that the same person associated with the excellent Divine Dungeon series wrote this piece of amateur fiction. If it is the same person then what the heck happened?? Whatever the case, there’s an interesting story here but it is in dire need of heavy editing. Also, it only started to get interesting around the 30% mark with barely any action up to that point. Unless you are desperate, give this one a pass.
September 22, 2020
This should be tagged as LitRPG. I didn't know it was one before I started, or I wouldn't even have bothered.
So anyway what excellent qualities does it have to deserve such wonderful rating?
- Modern English slang in mediaeval fantasy? Check.
- Characters so deep that they don't spare more than a sentence of thought after a friend supposedly dies? Check.
- Info-dumping? Check.
- Misleading descriptions where you think this book is going to be a chronicle about one person, but turns out to be multi-pov featuring characters you don't really give a hoot about? Check.
So anyway what excellent qualities does it have to deserve such wonderful rating?
- Modern English slang in mediaeval fantasy? Check.
- Characters so deep that they don't spare more than a sentence of thought after a friend supposedly dies? Check.
- Info-dumping? Check.
- Misleading descriptions where you think this book is going to be a chronicle about one person, but turns out to be multi-pov featuring characters you don't really give a hoot about? Check.
September 26, 2020
Just plain bad writing
I was at 17% when I realized the entire book so far was hamfisted exposition dump dialogues, with characters giving university lectures on the mechanics of magic and the world to each other. Skimming ahead, it was clearly not going to change.
Ironically, right before I gave up on this trainwreck there was the following line, where one character explains to the other why he won't tell her too much information at once:
"Too much information at once is like filling a glass with water. If it overflows, you lose whatever is on the ground."
That line is very fitting to the tone and quality of the story: It's trite, it's badly written, and it's promptly followed by more exposition dumps, ad naseum.
This is Mr. Krout's 12th book, so why is that he seems to have regressed in skill? Raze, his latest book before this one was decent, by litrpg standards(which are very low, admittedly). My theory is that making a living off of kindle unlimited royalties requires one to really pump out novels fast, which is not conducive to quality cratsmanship.
I was at 17% when I realized the entire book so far was hamfisted exposition dump dialogues, with characters giving university lectures on the mechanics of magic and the world to each other. Skimming ahead, it was clearly not going to change.
Ironically, right before I gave up on this trainwreck there was the following line, where one character explains to the other why he won't tell her too much information at once:
"Too much information at once is like filling a glass with water. If it overflows, you lose whatever is on the ground."
That line is very fitting to the tone and quality of the story: It's trite, it's badly written, and it's promptly followed by more exposition dumps, ad naseum.
This is Mr. Krout's 12th book, so why is that he seems to have regressed in skill? Raze, his latest book before this one was decent, by litrpg standards(which are very low, admittedly). My theory is that making a living off of kindle unlimited royalties requires one to really pump out novels fast, which is not conducive to quality cratsmanship.
November 10, 2023
I didn't think I could possibly overestimate a book series called Full Murderhobo and yet here I am. I clearly overestimated this series. First and foremost I wish there was more mention of the series being a LitRPG. I'm not overly fond of that genre and Something is no exception. The characters have no personality from what I could discern and over explaining the stats system seems to be the author's favorite thing to do.
I was personally concerned right from the Prologue, as it had no issue mentioning the future of the main character. It seems the protagonists are legendary and the author wants the reader to know that before even meeting them.
Something simply wasn't a book for me.
1.5 out of 5 stars
I was personally concerned right from the Prologue, as it had no issue mentioning the future of the main character. It seems the protagonists are legendary and the author wants the reader to know that before even meeting them.
Something simply wasn't a book for me.
1.5 out of 5 stars
July 3, 2023
You know from the series name of Murderhobo that this isn’t going to be entirely serious. Which didn’t work as well as it should have as it felt like the author had to stretch more than a little to include modern, real-world terms in a place they just don’t fit. Like making “EXP” an actual acronym. Those intrusions felt unnatural and worked against an overall serious tone.
Also, we have three PoV characters that get more-or-less equal page-time so naming the series after only one of them was questionable from the jump. And that might have given the author room to mitigate the tone some, but it really didn’t. I mean, all three of them are deeply abused in their two and a half years of “training”. Luke more than the rest as he’s completely on his own with no guidance in a world he aptly names “Murder World”.
Add that each of their training dimensions have differing time dilation so that they spend literally decades being abused and you have some serious inertia on that serious tone. And did I mention that they’re all subject to a slave brand? I mean, it’s called the Sigil, but it completely controls them in ways that are horrifying, making them completely and irresistibly obedient to the king and all those in authority over them. We don’t see the depths of how this can be abused, but it’s there and occasionally importantly used to control them in desperate ways.
Anyway, the biggest drawback to the story is that I never really connected with any of the core characters. Taylor is high-strung and domineering, Andre is a sap, and Luke becomes a psycho way too attached to his main weapon due to his forty years of isolation on Murder World. There’s just barely enough story and action that I stuck this out still willing to read the next. So I’m comfortable giving this three stars.
A note about Chaste: All our characters are isolated for most of this story and fortunately, none of the slave abuse is sexual in nature. So this is very chaste.
Also, we have three PoV characters that get more-or-less equal page-time so naming the series after only one of them was questionable from the jump. And that might have given the author room to mitigate the tone some, but it really didn’t. I mean, all three of them are deeply abused in their two and a half years of “training”. Luke more than the rest as he’s completely on his own with no guidance in a world he aptly names “Murder World”.
Add that each of their training dimensions have differing time dilation so that they spend literally decades being abused and you have some serious inertia on that serious tone. And did I mention that they’re all subject to a slave brand? I mean, it’s called the Sigil, but it completely controls them in ways that are horrifying, making them completely and irresistibly obedient to the king and all those in authority over them. We don’t see the depths of how this can be abused, but it’s there and occasionally importantly used to control them in desperate ways.
Anyway, the biggest drawback to the story is that I never really connected with any of the core characters. Taylor is high-strung and domineering, Andre is a sap, and Luke becomes a psycho way too attached to his main weapon due to his forty years of isolation on Murder World. There’s just barely enough story and action that I stuck this out still willing to read the next. So I’m comfortable giving this three stars.
A note about Chaste: All our characters are isolated for most of this story and fortunately, none of the slave abuse is sexual in nature. So this is very chaste.
October 14, 2020
Poor book description
The book is supposed to be about Luke, main character. The first 25% of the book is mostly about two supporting characters. I find stories that jump from character to character distracting and unenjoyable. Others may like that style. I do not. I’m giving it one star mostly because the description. If it said this is a story of four friends and their adventures etc. I most likely would not have read the book. Also, spends so much time defining leveling and how the worlds magic system works. It’s like trying to read all The rules before playing a game, but you end up spending more time reading the rules than playing the game. I personally feel that’s a common issue with this genre. I didn’t finish the last 3/4 of the book. I wanted to hear the story about the murderhobo. That’s not what I got and lost interest . Just my experience, I’m glad others enjoyed the book.
The book is supposed to be about Luke, main character. The first 25% of the book is mostly about two supporting characters. I find stories that jump from character to character distracting and unenjoyable. Others may like that style. I do not. I’m giving it one star mostly because the description. If it said this is a story of four friends and their adventures etc. I most likely would not have read the book. Also, spends so much time defining leveling and how the worlds magic system works. It’s like trying to read all The rules before playing a game, but you end up spending more time reading the rules than playing the game. I personally feel that’s a common issue with this genre. I didn’t finish the last 3/4 of the book. I wanted to hear the story about the murderhobo. That’s not what I got and lost interest . Just my experience, I’m glad others enjoyed the book.
October 1, 2020
Meh
An interesting premise and world, 'Something' has a great start, it's a shame that's all it has going for it.
The main focus of the book is three characters; Luke, Andre, and Taylor. Somehow each and every one of them is unlikable at best.
By the halfway point I had to struggle to keep reading, I just couldn't immerse myself in the world anymore, in large part because I no longer sympathize with the three.
What started out as a fantasy world with plenty of potential ended with a resounding meh.
An interesting premise and world, 'Something' has a great start, it's a shame that's all it has going for it.
The main focus of the book is three characters; Luke, Andre, and Taylor. Somehow each and every one of them is unlikable at best.
By the halfway point I had to struggle to keep reading, I just couldn't immerse myself in the world anymore, in large part because I no longer sympathize with the three.
What started out as a fantasy world with plenty of potential ended with a resounding meh.
October 25, 2020
Rating 3.5 stars
I was expecting more from this author. I liked the idea of this story but the actual mechanics of how the world was run didn't make that much sense to me. The story follows a group of 3 friends as they begin their journey as an ascendant. At 17 it is mandatory for everyone to be tested to see if they have the talent for magic and where that talent lies. One has the talent of a druid which the world badly needs. Another is a namer and is thought powerful enough to be the next Archmage. The last is Luke. They know he has power, just not how much or where it lies. As soon as they are tested they have to swear a magically binding owth to the king and the kingdom to do whatever they are told to do. They head off for training and will be gone for about 2 1/2 years. This is where I notice major flaws in the system.
I didn't think the litrpg aspects added anything to the story. It was a little out of place. I am interested to see where this goes so I will continue, but this wasn't my favorite.
I was expecting more from this author. I liked the idea of this story but the actual mechanics of how the world was run didn't make that much sense to me. The story follows a group of 3 friends as they begin their journey as an ascendant. At 17 it is mandatory for everyone to be tested to see if they have the talent for magic and where that talent lies. One has the talent of a druid which the world badly needs. Another is a namer and is thought powerful enough to be the next Archmage. The last is Luke. They know he has power, just not how much or where it lies. As soon as they are tested they have to swear a magically binding owth to the king and the kingdom to do whatever they are told to do. They head off for training and will be gone for about 2 1/2 years. This is where I notice major flaws in the system.
I didn't think the litrpg aspects added anything to the story. It was a little out of place. I am interested to see where this goes so I will continue, but this wasn't my favorite.
September 11, 2020
Fun ride
Something was a fun fast read. Luke (the murder hobo) gets a bum deal regarding his training mission. Cycling through 3 characters for most of the book, everyone comes together for a big battle at the end. Not terribly deep, it has some pretty good moments and some laughs as all the new ascended candidates get their own hard mode beginning on their leveling journey.
Score: 8.7 out of 10
Something was a fun fast read. Luke (the murder hobo) gets a bum deal regarding his training mission. Cycling through 3 characters for most of the book, everyone comes together for a big battle at the end. Not terribly deep, it has some pretty good moments and some laughs as all the new ascended candidates get their own hard mode beginning on their leveling journey.
Score: 8.7 out of 10
September 20, 2021
Notes:
Narration: Christian J. Gililand has a talent for narration & character voices, but he has an odd manner of emphasizing/raising the first part of a word in a manner that annoyed the crap out of me. It's not a consistent vocal habit. Which made it more frustrating because it doesn't need to happen.
I liked the parts that link the different series together within the story world. The intro was nice, but the pacing for the story was lopsided by the four POV's. Each of the four friends are OP as heck and I had fun getting to know them. Murderhobo may be my fav because he's crazy & that comes across in everything he does. Well, maybe not crazy but out of the norm enough to be outlandish fun. Though, I'm not quite sure if I believe in the way he's presented in the tail end of the story.
I thought the book needed a bit more length to establish the four characters and toss them into the frying pan. In that way, it's rather rough but still entertaining.
Narration: Christian J. Gililand has a talent for narration & character voices, but he has an odd manner of emphasizing/raising the first part of a word in a manner that annoyed the crap out of me. It's not a consistent vocal habit. Which made it more frustrating because it doesn't need to happen.
I liked the parts that link the different series together within the story world. The intro was nice, but the pacing for the story was lopsided by the four POV's. Each of the four friends are OP as heck and I had fun getting to know them. Murderhobo may be my fav because he's crazy & that comes across in everything he does. Well, maybe not crazy but out of the norm enough to be outlandish fun. Though, I'm not quite sure if I believe in the way he's presented in the tail end of the story.
I thought the book needed a bit more length to establish the four characters and toss them into the frying pan. In that way, it's rather rough but still entertaining.
September 19, 2020
A few minor missteps
This was very enjoyable. Not quite as over-the-top humorous as you might imagine. Not real sure where the series is headed, but it will be an interesting ride.
The ‘mistakes’ were very minor and likely only matter to me. For instance:
How do people living in a wooded mountain valley know what sharks are? Seafood? An ocean was never mentioned, much less the ability to bring lobsters for food to some out of the way town. And how did the leatherworker’s son and the blacksmith’s son become ‘friends’ with a noble girl?
My issue is that there were concepts and ideas that came up that didn’t have a clear reference in the world. Anachronisms, of a type.
I plan on getting the next book. That’s a really good recommendation.
This was very enjoyable. Not quite as over-the-top humorous as you might imagine. Not real sure where the series is headed, but it will be an interesting ride.
The ‘mistakes’ were very minor and likely only matter to me. For instance:
How do people living in a wooded mountain valley know what sharks are? Seafood? An ocean was never mentioned, much less the ability to bring lobsters for food to some out of the way town. And how did the leatherworker’s son and the blacksmith’s son become ‘friends’ with a noble girl?
My issue is that there were concepts and ideas that came up that didn’t have a clear reference in the world. Anachronisms, of a type.
I plan on getting the next book. That’s a really good recommendation.
March 4, 2023
What a story!
.... Yeah this novel definitely delivered! The writing and characterisation was impactful, unrealistic (well realistic in a fantasy LitRPG setting) and down right entertaining. The murderhobo mentality was tastefully funny and thankfully not overbearing. Overall a great read. Can’t wait for the next instalment.
.... Yeah this novel definitely delivered! The writing and characterisation was impactful, unrealistic (well realistic in a fantasy LitRPG setting) and down right entertaining. The murderhobo mentality was tastefully funny and thankfully not overbearing. Overall a great read. Can’t wait for the next instalment.
October 16, 2020
I think there are strong characters that serve as a backbone to any good story. Characters with needs, desires, obstacles, and self-discoveries that drive the story. It's because of this thought that I cannot call this a good story.
This is basically a novelization of someone's homebrew Dungeons & Dragons game except the character creation/introduction phase takes 70% of the book. Even more unfortunate is the fact that all of the characters are the exact same empty shell. They are no more than their assigned class and the training circumstances during the initiation into said class.
All of the dialogue in the first part of the book was awkward exposition dumps full of modern references that medieval people in a small town wouldn't know anything about. "Mana is to creatures what blood is to sharks" is just one of many examples.
The flippant undertone of comedy and my complete lack of interest in any of the characters undermined any tension I might have had at any point. This was just a disappointingly hollow story. I was a big fan of the first 3 Divine Dungeon books, but I feel like the writing has been getting progressively worse in some ways while also showing a lack of growth.
This book was like someone whipping out a level 20 Caterpie. Sure it's impressive in a way and I can tell you enjoy battling with Caterpie, but it should have evolved many levels ago and you should be using Sleep Powder and Confusion by now instead of just Tackle. It's nice that you got some acclaim from the other bug catchers in Viridian Forest, but it's time to go on an adventure and broaden your horizons.
This is basically a novelization of someone's homebrew Dungeons & Dragons game except the character creation/introduction phase takes 70% of the book. Even more unfortunate is the fact that all of the characters are the exact same empty shell. They are no more than their assigned class and the training circumstances during the initiation into said class.
All of the dialogue in the first part of the book was awkward exposition dumps full of modern references that medieval people in a small town wouldn't know anything about. "Mana is to creatures what blood is to sharks" is just one of many examples.
The flippant undertone of comedy and my complete lack of interest in any of the characters undermined any tension I might have had at any point. This was just a disappointingly hollow story. I was a big fan of the first 3 Divine Dungeon books, but I feel like the writing has been getting progressively worse in some ways while also showing a lack of growth.
This book was like someone whipping out a level 20 Caterpie. Sure it's impressive in a way and I can tell you enjoy battling with Caterpie, but it should have evolved many levels ago and you should be using Sleep Powder and Confusion by now instead of just Tackle. It's nice that you got some acclaim from the other bug catchers in Viridian Forest, but it's time to go on an adventure and broaden your horizons.
February 13, 2023
I had extremely high hopes for this cool concept, funny name, and excellent cover art.
What's inside is so obnoxious and boring as to make me yell aloud, angrily, in my semi-truck, by myself.
This isn't a novel, it's a guy DMing his own RPG and spelling out every single character move, every piece of worldbuilding, every piece of the magic system, every roll of the dice.
The audiobook was 11 hours of NOTHING. Gaaaah. Daddy wants his credits back.
What's inside is so obnoxious and boring as to make me yell aloud, angrily, in my semi-truck, by myself.
This isn't a novel, it's a guy DMing his own RPG and spelling out every single character move, every piece of worldbuilding, every piece of the magic system, every roll of the dice.
The audiobook was 11 hours of NOTHING. Gaaaah. Daddy wants his credits back.
May 6, 2022
3.5/5
A good read but could have been a lot better.
I liked how the MC differed from other progression book's MC in the beginning but he went way too overboard later. I mean from the description I expected him to become a hobo but not the mindless hobo who just kills everything in this way without a second thought.
A good read but could have been a lot better.
I liked how the MC differed from other progression book's MC in the beginning but he went way too overboard later. I mean from the description I expected him to become a hobo but not the mindless hobo who just kills everything in this way without a second thought.
September 16, 2020
Wowza!
That was a gripping rip roaring adventure! There are so many feelings going through me right now, I'm vibrating! The characters, the heartbreak of their experience, shattered youth, I— another great book by Krout. I'm excited to see where this new series takes us.
That was a gripping rip roaring adventure! There are so many feelings going through me right now, I'm vibrating! The characters, the heartbreak of their experience, shattered youth, I— another great book by Krout. I'm excited to see where this new series takes us.
September 7, 2023
Dreadful and I mean DREADFUL writing - Excellent Story
I was excited. So so excited for my Full Murderhobo adventure and you know what I enjoyed this in spite of my instincts to hurl it right out the window. The writing is ..... yeah well it's something else. It's like a pretty face all done up in the worst makeup and then when the make-up is wiped clean - well would you look at that, a real beauty. (Okay so I got caught up watching vids of Korean Women removing the shackles of their makeup on YouTube. Analogy stands though). The story is bloody amazing under the atrocious writing.
Oh let's see just a few examples just from the opening chapters:
“He wouldn’t say. He just had this look like a hunted animal every time
it came up.” hhhm okay nobody talks like this even in high fantasy.
Don growled, his voice layered with power. As the mob was forcefully influenced toward calm,
Taylor garnered droll looks from her friends.
Andre appraised her serious demeanor
she desperately ground out,
And then Taylor became Tay the gateway to the ninth circle of hell opened up. If there is a more annoying nickname out there, I'm still waiting.
Plot/Storyline: The writing was ridiculous but the story was so far out there and entirely captivating that it just muted the train wreck that passed itself off as prose.
Characters: The Murderhobo is pretty dope.
Favorite Quote/Concept/Scene: I love the concept of the "True Bard" being a kind of sorcery - a telepathic mage. It is unique in the world of mages. A delight new concept.
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Fantasy (LITRPG) books
I was excited. So so excited for my Full Murderhobo adventure and you know what I enjoyed this in spite of my instincts to hurl it right out the window. The writing is ..... yeah well it's something else. It's like a pretty face all done up in the worst makeup and then when the make-up is wiped clean - well would you look at that, a real beauty. (Okay so I got caught up watching vids of Korean Women removing the shackles of their makeup on YouTube. Analogy stands though). The story is bloody amazing under the atrocious writing.
Oh let's see just a few examples just from the opening chapters:
“He wouldn’t say. He just had this look like a hunted animal every time
it came up.” hhhm okay nobody talks like this even in high fantasy.
Don growled, his voice layered with power. As the mob was forcefully influenced toward calm,
Taylor garnered droll looks from her friends.
Andre appraised her serious demeanor
she desperately ground out,
And then Taylor became Tay the gateway to the ninth circle of hell opened up. If there is a more annoying nickname out there, I'm still waiting.
Plot/Storyline: The writing was ridiculous but the story was so far out there and entirely captivating that it just muted the train wreck that passed itself off as prose.
Characters: The Murderhobo is pretty dope.
Favorite Quote/Concept/Scene: I love the concept of the "True Bard" being a kind of sorcery - a telepathic mage. It is unique in the world of mages. A delight new concept.
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Fantasy (LITRPG) books
September 12, 2020
Woot! Best book you've put out in awhile!
Nice work Dakota!! This was a really good story and I REALLY enjoyed how you told it!
You are getting to be a dang fine author! The humor is getting better and the puns are (dammit I dont want to encourage the pun...) actually making me laugh! Hard to do in these crazy uncertain times. I was originally irritated that you were starting another series instead of doing more work in some of your other really good series, but man, I have to admit this started out REALLY GOOD. How in the 9 hell's did you write a story titled Murderhobo and make it something that wasn't a steaming pile of garbage?!?!
To any readers who are reading this review, this was a really good (but still too short) book. The characters were real, deep, engaging. The plot was fun and interesting and tragic, but doesn't bring you down by getting to dark. I highly recommend this book if you like books with video game-like mechanics in them. The MC is over-powered, as is all his friends, so you have to enjoy books were the MC is OP.
For those like myself that care about moral type stuff, there was no swearing that I remember, no harems, no perverted sex scenes, and political agenda pushing. Just a really good story that is probably appropriate for teens and up. There is graphic violence if that offends you, but not overdone in a horrific way that you might suspect with a name like murderhobo (seriously Krout, how did you come up with that name *shakes head*).
TL;DR
Great book, heavy game mechanics, no inappropriate contact, highly recommend!
Nice work Dakota!! This was a really good story and I REALLY enjoyed how you told it!
You are getting to be a dang fine author! The humor is getting better and the puns are (dammit I dont want to encourage the pun...) actually making me laugh! Hard to do in these crazy uncertain times. I was originally irritated that you were starting another series instead of doing more work in some of your other really good series, but man, I have to admit this started out REALLY GOOD. How in the 9 hell's did you write a story titled Murderhobo and make it something that wasn't a steaming pile of garbage?!?!
To any readers who are reading this review, this was a really good (but still too short) book. The characters were real, deep, engaging. The plot was fun and interesting and tragic, but doesn't bring you down by getting to dark. I highly recommend this book if you like books with video game-like mechanics in them. The MC is over-powered, as is all his friends, so you have to enjoy books were the MC is OP.
For those like myself that care about moral type stuff, there was no swearing that I remember, no harems, no perverted sex scenes, and political agenda pushing. Just a really good story that is probably appropriate for teens and up. There is graphic violence if that offends you, but not overdone in a horrific way that you might suspect with a name like murderhobo (seriously Krout, how did you come up with that name *shakes head*).
TL;DR
Great book, heavy game mechanics, no inappropriate contact, highly recommend!
October 6, 2020
Thrilling and captivating
I find myself these days only reading in my dead time. But this book just seemed different...there was just "something" about it hehe
Joking aside, it really was a captivating read. It's simply interesting and unlike anything I've ever come across.
Having said that there is a reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5. Firstly I spotted 3 typos which honestly wasn't a big deal. The second reason is that some of the dialogue just felt out of place. *Spoiler warning here. * Andre explains about bringing in a mana clone of his best to Zed mid-battle, explaining why he's only summoned the bear just then. That's just a weird bit of info dump and is unnecessary. The third reason I guess is that Taylor is a bit out a weirdly written character: she's emotional while trying to be appear cold and calm, appears aloof but is willing to sacrifice her life for others. Basically my gripe is that she wasn't explored enough to justify her character.
All of this is just constructive criticism and I hope the author keeps going and writing awesome sequels.
I find myself these days only reading in my dead time. But this book just seemed different...there was just "something" about it hehe
Joking aside, it really was a captivating read. It's simply interesting and unlike anything I've ever come across.
Having said that there is a reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5. Firstly I spotted 3 typos which honestly wasn't a big deal. The second reason is that some of the dialogue just felt out of place. *Spoiler warning here. * Andre explains about bringing in a mana clone of his best to Zed mid-battle, explaining why he's only summoned the bear just then. That's just a weird bit of info dump and is unnecessary. The third reason I guess is that Taylor is a bit out a weirdly written character: she's emotional while trying to be appear cold and calm, appears aloof but is willing to sacrifice her life for others. Basically my gripe is that she wasn't explored enough to justify her character.
All of this is just constructive criticism and I hope the author keeps going and writing awesome sequels.
April 10, 2022
DNF. I made it about 100 pages deep before I couldn’t force myself to keep going. For starters the extremely misleading description made me think I would be reading a book about a murder hobo, which this is not. The book, especially the beginning, focuses on the main characters friends even following their POV. If I had known that I likely wouldn’t have even picked it up to begin with if I’m honest.
Furthermore the writing is clunky and pretentious. It sounds like someone trying to sound smart that doesn’t actually know what they’re talking about. The “teachers” are not only incapable of teaching but also infuriating. One of which spends his time preaching about respect only to disrespect his student at every turn and use physical violence (cough torture cough) as a “teaching” method.
Characters are unrealistic. Dialogue is awkward and unnatural.
I don’t recommend and I can’t figure out why it’s so highly rated. This is bad even for my low LitRPG standards.
Furthermore the writing is clunky and pretentious. It sounds like someone trying to sound smart that doesn’t actually know what they’re talking about. The “teachers” are not only incapable of teaching but also infuriating. One of which spends his time preaching about respect only to disrespect his student at every turn and use physical violence (cough torture cough) as a “teaching” method.
Characters are unrealistic. Dialogue is awkward and unnatural.
I don’t recommend and I can’t figure out why it’s so highly rated. This is bad even for my low LitRPG standards.
October 25, 2020
Brilliant!
This book is excellent! A great first step into a new world which perfectly balances the chaos of the ‘full murderhobo’ trope and more classic fantasy/LitRPG rigidity.
The story is packed with humour, excitement, action and well built characters. The use of time dilation to allow for the powering and development of characters without spanning a full lifetime is an excellent method of allowing the reader to get straight into the excitement while maintaining a believable progression for the characters.
I wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone who has played D&D, reads fantasy regularly or enjoys RPG games with powerful characters. Hell, I wholeheartedly recommend this book for everyone!
This book is excellent! A great first step into a new world which perfectly balances the chaos of the ‘full murderhobo’ trope and more classic fantasy/LitRPG rigidity.
The story is packed with humour, excitement, action and well built characters. The use of time dilation to allow for the powering and development of characters without spanning a full lifetime is an excellent method of allowing the reader to get straight into the excitement while maintaining a believable progression for the characters.
I wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone who has played D&D, reads fantasy regularly or enjoys RPG games with powerful characters. Hell, I wholeheartedly recommend this book for everyone!
November 21, 2021
I have to say. The author is pretty damn smart. That "FULL MURDERHOBO" made me laugh and made me want to check the book out.
Edit.... Finished reading. And i will just say this book was ...... "SOMETHING"
LMAO
MURDERHOBO!!!!
Edit.... Finished reading. And i will just say this book was ...... "SOMETHING"
LMAO
MURDERHOBO!!!!
October 27, 2020
I had a lot of fun reading this. It was like a game of DnD was turned into a book!
January 2, 2024
"Something (Full Murderhobo, #1)" by Dakota Krout
Dakota Krout plunges readers into an exhilarating adventure in "Something," the inaugural book of the Full Murderhobo series. With a blend of fantasy, humor, and immersive storytelling, Krout delivers an engaging and action-packed story that hooks readers from the start.
Plot:
"Something" follows the protagonist, who awakens in a mysterious world with no memory of who they are or how they arrived. As they navigate this strange and dangerous realm, they discover unique abilities and confront a myriad of challenges, including formidable foes and enigmatic puzzles.
Krout's narrative style:
Krout's writing style is captivating, blending humor with thrilling action sequences. The story unfolds with a perfect balance of tension and lighthearted moments, ensuring readers are both on the edge of their seats and amused by the protagonist's wit and resourcefulness.
Character development:
The protagonist's growth and self-discovery throughout the story are brilliantly portrayed. As they encounter various obstacles and allies, they evolve from a bewildered newcomer to a confident and formidable figure, making the journey both compelling and relatable.
World-building:
Krout introduces a vivid and immersive world filled with unique creatures, magic, and mysteries. The intricate details of the setting add depth to the narrative, drawing readers further into the protagonist's quest for understanding and survival.
In Conclusion:
"Something (Full Murderhobo, #1)" is an enthralling introduction to Dakota Krout's new series. With a combination of intriguing plotlines, well-developed characters, and an intriguing fantasy setting, this book sets a promising foundation for an exciting and adventurous series ahead.
September 19, 2021
I really felt that Something had a few pacing issues as it's quite a slow starter! When 4 friends Luke, Andrea, Taylor and Zed were all found with potential (magic abilities) they are conscripted to the Kings army, and trained in their respective "specialties" to fight. Initially, we're following only the first 3 characters, getting a first hand account of their training... only there's so much world building going on at the same time, that it just bogged the story down down for me.
On top of that, there's Cristian J Gilliland's narration, that I was actually enjoying until he pulled out his AI voice and started going over the stats for each one of the players... a voice that was so terribly obnoxious, that I actually seriously considered DNFing the book! Fortunately, Dakota Krout had me hooked by this time, and I needed to know what happened next, so I soldiered on, and happily, during the last half of the book, the action picked up (making my action-lovin heart sing with joy) When the friends joined up again it was finally time for Luke, the MurderHobo to shine! It's at this point in the story that Zed's tale starts to become known, but only just... dammit! I suppose I'll have to wait a bit for the next book! 🤬
So you might want to grab the ebook, thereby avoiding that insufferable game voice! I promise the story is quite fun!
On top of that, there's Cristian J Gilliland's narration, that I was actually enjoying until he pulled out his AI voice and started going over the stats for each one of the players... a voice that was so terribly obnoxious, that I actually seriously considered DNFing the book! Fortunately, Dakota Krout had me hooked by this time, and I needed to know what happened next, so I soldiered on, and happily, during the last half of the book, the action picked up (making my action-lovin heart sing with joy) When the friends joined up again it was finally time for Luke, the MurderHobo to shine! It's at this point in the story that Zed's tale starts to become known, but only just... dammit! I suppose I'll have to wait a bit for the next book! 🤬
So you might want to grab the ebook, thereby avoiding that insufferable game voice! I promise the story is quite fun!
April 24, 2021
This book was something else.
A very enjoyable story told by a narrator close to the action and could very well be unreliable.
A fun MC and system that is explained well through side stories that aren’t enjoying. The puns that Krout loves to throw into his stories aren’t overdone and I actually had some good laughs towards some although the “personality” of the system is always something that doesn’t resonate well with me.
Looking forward to the next book.
A very enjoyable story told by a narrator close to the action and could very well be unreliable.
A fun MC and system that is explained well through side stories that aren’t enjoying. The puns that Krout loves to throw into his stories aren’t overdone and I actually had some good laughs towards some although the “personality” of the system is always something that doesn’t resonate well with me.
Looking forward to the next book.
April 14, 2021
Never tried to be anything but absurd and succeeds. Actually has some potential to be a good trilogy I suppose. If you want something adventurous, but light hearted this isn’t for you. This is absurd humor for sure.
May 14, 2022
Surprisingly fun read
I wasn't sure on the beginning, but the story grew on me and caught me up. Lots of fun, an intriguing magical system, and a kind of off-kilter murderhobo. Wow enjoyable, to be honest.
I wasn't sure on the beginning, but the story grew on me and caught me up. Lots of fun, an intriguing magical system, and a kind of off-kilter murderhobo. Wow enjoyable, to be honest.
September 25, 2020
This book is a good and exciting story, much like Dakota's other work it's full of puns and characters that are so bizarre but hilarious and well written.
The whole review has spoilers for this book and the other books that have been written, so fair warning.
And he does characters who are pretty out there socially really well. Like I never expected I would be invested in a character who's entire story is apparently murdering goats and other stuff by himself for 40 years. Somehow he makes it work. I have no idea how but it's great.
One of my complaints is that I have no idea what was going on with the introduction and the epilogue in the tavern. It felt so out of place in regards to the rest of the story, but as it's apparently part 1 of a multi-part series, I'm sure it will make more sense eventually.
Also, it heavily relies upon the knowledge of his other books, both the ritualist series and divine dungeon because it never really explains how the magic and stats work well or why they do what they do, but it's almost required to know how the system works because it's such a huge part of the plot of this book.
Like a huge plot point is that the murder hobo is on a high mana world and he just straight-up drinks pure mana and it would have killed anyone else immediately if he didn't have broken mana channels, but because he did he lived through it. But it doesn't explain what mana channels are, or why that's important. Or why he had broken mana channels in the first place. I know because some of the information on mana is explained in the divine dungeon series, but I feel if that knowledge is required it should probably be listed as a part of those series.
The entire last part of the book where they are all together and fighting stuff would have been away more confusing if I didn't know how their stats worked, and why someone with higher base stats was better at things even without skills.
Yet even with the pseudo required knowledge from the other books, this also feels so far removed from them that I have to ask why it's even a part of the same universe.
Because there are things that are still never properly explained, and there are only a few references to the other books, like that they are "CAL Scanned" when they look for their status. Oh and the reference to mountain dale. Also, I think he might be Dale reborn or something. IDK I just felt strong dale vibes when he punches stuff to death, and his family knows about him somehow.
Like, what are sigils? Why is everyone on this world forced to be bound to these set of rules that kills them if they don't follow them, and how are there so many worlds that people are just off "ascending" and abandoning their homeworlds?
They're clearly inside of the same universe if you know what happens in the divine dungeon series, but like why?
Why would you write a story in the same universe with almost no seen impact on the other stories in the universe, and yet somehow still required reading from the other series for it to make sense?
I gave it 4/5 because overall it's still a great book, and I enjoyed all the characters and their progress, and personalities so much that it makes up for the other points. but I just wonder where it's going to go from here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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