Path to Villainy: An NPC Kobold’s Tale by S.L. Roland- Self-published Authors Appreciation Week

Surprise! It’s Self-published Authors Appreciation Week! I’m starting off with a review of Path to Villainy: An NPC Kobold’s Tale by S.L. Rowland.

This book was a delight. At the beginning, it seemed a little like Groundhog Day, showing the loop that our kobold friend is stuck in. Witt, our main character (and the kobold in question), spends his day singing his songs to buff the adventurers that come his way, making them stronger in battle. He goes home, goes to sleep, then repeats the day again. One day something happens that jogs his memory: often these adventurers kill NPCs such as himself just for giggles. He respawns the next day and repeats the same situation, over and over. With this revelation, Witt decides to get revenge. Thus, the path to villainy begins, as the once NPC becomes a full-blown character, and master of his own destiny.

Path to Villainy could have been simply a goofy little tale, good for a laugh and not much else. There’s nothing wrong with that, but this book took the concept of a revenge-hungry character and turned it into something new and different. I have to say, the fact that the main character is a kobold added a little something to the tale. Witt is a wonderful character, and watching him slowly turn from helpful little plot device to an angry, violent little soon-to-be master villain was so much fun!

This is LitRPG at its finest. The length was perfect: short enough that the concept didn’t get old, but long enough to make it a complete story. Path to Villainy was immensely entertaining, and a great book for both fans of LitRPG and online games such as WoW.