I Highly Recommend “Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World, Vol 1” – Light Novel Review

Review Summary

  “Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World, Vol 1” is a well-paced and well-written fantasy tale following a man who reincarnated into an unfamiliar world with the ability to customise his new body and abilities like a TRPG (Tabletop Role Playing Game) character.
  With excellent storytelling, colourful prose and playful turns of phrase, this book is a compelling story from start to finish — especially in the final third of the book where we see the main character’s TRPG character come into his own. It elegantly sticks the landing in the climax as disparate parts of the narrative coalesce perfectly to end this volume and set up the second.

Commissioned in death to save a world in peril, a tabletop RPG fanatic is reborn as a humble farm boy with the rulebook for the universe at his fingertips! Young Erich’s quest for an invincible character build will require more than his decades as a number-crunching munchkin, though. Even with power-leveled skills, feudal life is no cakewalk—especially when you keep drawing more attention than you can handle…

Can Erich adapt to his strange new world before his worst impulses take the campaign of a lifetime completely off the rails? Let the dice fall where they may!

Synopsis from the store page on Bookwalker.

Interesting Introduction

  Just as it is in every medium, the hook is of utmost importance in a book.
  Unfortunately, this book does not have a hook beyond what you see in the synopsis, so it may be difficult to stick around if the initial premise does not intrigue you.
  If you are intrigued, however, you will find a story that pulls you along for a ride; a rollercoaster that keeps climbing for that one thrilling drop.

  Though not instantly gripping, a vague overarching goal is quickly established — the trainee god that reincarnated Erich wants him to “do what thou wilt.” Blessed with a TRPG levelling system by said god-in-training, Erich intends to do exactly that.
  Minor conflicts are introduced soon after, each one swaying his decisions with varying results. No matter the consequence, every minor conflict is treated with the same levity promised by the light-hearted introduction.
  In contrast, major conflicts have the gravitas appropriate to what’s at stake. I am uncertain how the author achieves this, but even when dealing with the unpleasant sides of humanity, there is no tonal whiplash. Perhaps this is due to the pragmatic views of many side characters? Maybe the author properly set our expectations?
  I digress.

  Whilst some light novels of the isekai (other world) genre are overly eager to foist all the bullet points detailing their “unique” fantasy world upon you, this book is a little more judicious in its exposition.
  More to the point, it weaves exposition into its narrative and only exposits when it’s immediately relevant. This means that the pacing is never crippled for the sake of bringing the reader up to speed, and something is always happening — even if the only thing that’s happening is Erich deliberating over his plans or agonising over a misstep.

A Compelling Slow-ish Burn

  This book is a slow burn compared to its contemporaries, and yet, it never feels like a crawl. Just like some of the most engaging RPGs, whenever Erich does something, there is clear feedback. An action and a reaction. Evident cause and effect.
  Utilising the TRPG system exclusive to himself, Erich accumulates and spends experience points to obtain a myriad of skills and attributes. The effects are immediate and his excitement is palpable as he vividly describes the new sensations he feels and the ease with which he moves his body.

  This clear feedback — this visible relation between action and reaction — extends beyond just short term gains.
  As the story progresses and more of the world is discovered, the author makes it a point to include key events that don’t just advance character arcs and explore the world, but also illustrate the strength of Erich compared to the rest of the world.
  In videogame terms, these are skill-checks that clarify the level that the main character is currently at.

  It is greatly satisfying to see Erich grow stronger in proportion to his hard work, a satisfaction that is further amplified by the translator’s prose.

Colourful Prose and Playful Turns of Phrase

  Speaking of which, the translation by Mikey N. elevates an already fine story by Schuld into one that is fun simply to read.

  While I do not have the expertise to comment on accuracy, I think his localisation of “Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World, Vol 1” is colourful and creative, enhancing every story beat and scene.
  I was immersed in Erich’s head space as he chatted with other characters, tinkered with his TRPG system, or pondered about the new world he lives in. The two major side characters, Margit and Elisa, are painted in their respective brand of playfulness. Combat is kinetic, lucid and laser-focused.

  Descriptions are suitably succinct for a light novel and little time is spent on the appearance or atmosphere of a scene, instead focusing on the thoughts and emotions of the character we currently inhabit. I like it.

  I would love to quote my favourite sentences but that runs the risk of spoiling the joy of reading them in context. You can read a preview on Bookwalker here for a sample but the best parts are in the second half of the book.
  I hope I have conveyed exactly how much I appreciate the writing.

NPCs for the Player Character

  Perhaps due to the necessity of introductions, few characters aside from Erich get much character development or progression.
  Although every important character has passages dedicated to fleshing out their backgrounds, personalities and outlook, the only ones that get a character arc are: Margit, a playful half-spider demihuman who is Erich’s best friend; Heinz, Erich’s eldest brother who is actually a minor character; and Erich himself.

  Similarly, the relationship that receives the most attention is Erich and Margit’s budding romance, with the asymmetric sibling love between Erich and Elisa coming a close second. (Fret not, my fellow light novel connoisseurs, it does not seem to be the incestous type).

  I want to point out that this did not dampen my enjoyment of the book at all, as I was engrossed in Erich’s starry-eyed exploration of the world and its people. I only noticed this lack of development days after finishing, while drafting up this review.
  Nevertheless, this might be something that affects your experience.

The Climax and The Narrative Device that Paid Off in Spades

  Now comes the best part.

  Something you will quickly notice is that the beginning of every chapter describes some aspect of TRPGs.
  The [Tips] interspersed among the paragraphs work in a similar way, but describe some aspect of the world that is related to the scene you just read.

  [Tips] are short, trivial, and unobtrusive. They actually remind me a lot of the hints or flavour text often found on videogame loading screens. Mildly interesting and kind of silly, I easily dismissed them as unique page dividers.

  Then one Tip punched me when I least expected it.
  In what I can only describe as a stroke of genius — built atop clever foreshadowing — the tensest scene in the book is cast in a different light. You can read my full thoughts here (spoilers), but simply put, I felt that Erich’s worldview and the world itself aligned splendidly to make the scene work. I was moved to tears.

  Well… I didn’t actually shed any, since I was able to blink them back — but it was a lot more moving than it had any right to be.

I Highly Recommend It

  All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, especially towards the end.
  I tried my best to illustrate the best parts of the book without giving away the surprises but words inevitably fail me.

  “Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World, Vol 1” is a well-written book that expertly explores its fantasy setting and regales us with Erich’s tale at the same time, culminating in an exciting finale that pays off what it built up.
  I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading Volume 2.

“Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World, Vol 1” is digitally available for purchase on Bookwalker and Amazon.