This book felt like a wonderfully whimsical RPG game, or for any fellow anime lovers, a mix of Solo Leveling and Frieren!

From the very first page readers are introduced to a world filled with danger, chaos and a lot of magic. The writing is simple to read, comedic and very deadpan- on numerous occasions I found myself huffing a laugh at the names, lore and conversations between the characters.

Speaking of, I really liked the main protagonist, Liam. Despite having a habit of repeatedly dying then respawning he's resilient, selfless and determined to escape this strange game-like world and return to Earth. In order to do that, Liam needs to level up. A lot. Alongside Liam is Mia, a fiery, confident and knowledgeable pyromancer. I really loved seeing Liam and Mia's bond grow, from being forced together to then learning to care and work together was well written, and whilst not explicitly shown, I think there's hints of romance too.

The story is very much like any typical fantasy game/ story, the adventurers must complete quests to level up, gain items and earn some coin. I thoroughly enjoyed the first quest with the mace, and found the second quest with aiding the beavers very sweet yet a little long winded, especially towards the end of the book. The author blends mystery, action and comedy very well, and I think this is their debut novel, so hats off for being able to pull it off so fantastically. I did find a few minor editing mistakes, so I would just recommend for the author to have another read through.

The ending leaves off at a good place, but definitely gives lots of leeway for a sequel, it's obvious Liam and Mia still have a lot of levelling up to do together before they reach the maximum (?) level of 60 and find a way home, if that's even what they want by the end of it all. I'm hoping for the sequel to have more characters to join Liam and Mia's party, but regardless, I can't wait to see what other mayhem they get up to!

4/5 🌟

I really enjoyed Leveling With Liam, even though I’m not usually familiar with the LitRPG genre. The story is lighthearted and humorous, and Liam, the hapless level 3 warrior, is a character it’s easy to root for. His repeated misadventures and his developing friendship with Mia, the fire mage, kept me engaged and often made me smile.

That said, I did find some aspects of the genre challenging at times, particularly the game mechanics and terminology, which slowed my reading a little. Despite that, the character development and the warmth of the story made it very enjoyable.

Overall, it’s a charming and fun adventure, and I appreciated the humour and heart woven throughout the book. For that reason, I’m giving it four stars. I would recommend it to anyone curious about LitRPG or looking for a light, uplifting read.