Mogworld is an interesting concept in many ways. First of all, this book was written by Benjamin "Yahtzee" Croshaw, popular video game critic known for his fast-paced, well-edited, and tear-jerkingly funny video reviews at
theescapistmagazine.com. Second, this book is set inside of a MMORPG, with the main character being a self-aware, undead NPC called Jim. But is MogWorld an uninteresting slog of a novel, or does Yahtzee deliver an exciting read? The latter is definitely the close answer. Yahtzee has delivered here, and surprised on all levels- creating a novel that has relatable characters, intense action, and, most of all, a story that doesn't totally rely on Yahtzee's, I'm sure vast, array of video game knowledge, but allows a sprinkling of video game references to move it along.
The story is extremely original and enticing. Jim, a lowly mage at a sub-par mage school, is killed in a war with another magic school- only to be resurrected by dark necromancer Lord Deagrave, along with a multitude of other dead from the graveyard in which he was buried. Jim instantly becomed part of a legion of zombies working from Deadgrave- although not mindless slaves. In one of the most entertaining dialogues I've read in a long while, the zombies negotiate their benefits with Deagrave. Jim, however, is unhappy with his new life after seeing the peace and quiet that "heaven" has to offer. He immediately attempts to jump off of Deadgrave's tower- an action which does little to the undead (instead of dying, his body is just destroyed). Luckily, another undead, Meryl, is there (and continues to be there throughout the story) to help him out, and Jim starts to like life as a pillaging, torturing (not raping- although a sheep is mentioned) zombie minion. However, his happiness doesn't last for long, as Deadgrave's fortress, along with all the undead, gets "deleted" by angel-like beings- leaving only Jim, Meryl, and Thaddeus- an Undead-hating priest who is undead, to escape. And so begins the trio's journey to discover their purpose of Deadgrave's "Deletion". I won't delve too deep into the rest of the plot as to refrain from spoilers, but the gist of the story is that, while the zombies are undead and they just decay and don't die, everyone else is immortal, gaining new bodies when they die from "The Infusion". Most of the other characters are "Adventurers"- people who do quests for points- and some of them have "The Syndrome"- meaning they don't communicate- just "adventure". There is also a priest, Barry, who is working with the deleter angels to eradicate Jim and his undead friends. Barry is arguably the best character.
Other involved characters are Slippery John- s third-person talking adventurer in love with a syndrome victim, Mr. Wonderful, a bounty hunter (or a con-man, I'm confused as to his character, but he is a cannibal who eats his own old corpses, and is vital to the plot), his partner Bowg, a king who helps Jim but not really his kingdom, and various other fun characters like female pirate Captain Scar. What I love about Mogworld's characters is that they are extremely realistic and relatable- Yahtzee's dialogue writing is impecable. Jim himself is one of the most (at least mentally) realistic heroes (hmm... protagonist is a better word, as you'll find) of all modern fiction. The novel wonderfully shows that no one is ever really fully prepared for any situation- and while everything is done comically since it's a comedy, it could not have been more spot-on. And as far as pacing goes, the book keeps you guessing as the "suspensful" parts and zaps you through the intense action scenes. While it is a fantasy, everything is easy to visualize (likely due to it being based on World of Warcraft), and the moment when Jim sees the "Hud Menu" above every characters head is awesome. Yahtzee also includes emails between the creators of the MogWorld game. These are excellently done and help move the plot along nicely and add to the reader's questions. Finally, this book has a terrific epilogue- a written review of the MogWorld game.
Overall- MogWorld will never be a classic due to it's small amount of readers and complicated story. However, to fans of science fiction, comedy, fantasy, and, of course, gaming, MogWorld is a must-read, a truly fantastic piece of literature that entertains throughout.
