The Mayor of Noobtown is a total blast! Ryan Rimmel has created such a fun, self-aware story that poked fun at all the usual gaming tropes while still building a character you actually want to root for. Jim is a great lead, just a regular guy, who ends up in a glitchy fantasy world with a "broken" character sheet, and watching him try to survive while literally reinventing how the world works is hilarious and super engaging.

The absolute star of the show has to be Shart, the sarcastic demon companion who is bound to Jim. Their constant bickering and Shart’s ego kept me laughing out loud throughout the whole book. The world-building is actually surprisingly deep for a comedy, and the way Jim has to manage a village and deal with game mechanics like "encumbrance" and "skill points" feels very nostalgic for anyone who has ever spent too much time playing RPGs. It’s the perfect mix of "number-crunching" stats and genuine adventure.

The only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five is that the humour can be a bit "dad-joke" heavy at times, and the pacing slows down just a little bit when the book gets deep into the technicalities of the game menus. However, once the village-building kicks into high gear and the stakes get higher, it becomes impossible to put down. It’s a lighthearted, clever, and genuinely funny start to a series that any gamer or fantasy fan will absolutely love.

Thank you very much for the ARC, I will definitely be keeping an eye out on Rimmel!