Review: Newt and Demon

Newt and Demon: A Low-Stakes Cozy Fantasy LitRPG by E.M. Griffiths
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An RPG sandbox with a cozy, slow burn

The Newt and Demon is equal parts relaxing and frustrating. I’m not usually a fan of cozy fantasy or heavy LitRPG mechanics, so this one wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. And yet... I finished it. That says something.

The book follows Theo, a former soldier who reincarnates in a peaceful, gamified world where he ditches all violence and becomes a town-building alchemist. His sudden shift from battle-hardened to community-loving was a bit jarring, and his relentless do-gooder attitude started to wear thin. Still, the whole leveling system and progression-based world scratched the same itch as a good RPG or crafting sim. Watching the town improve and systems unlock had that low-grade dopamine pull—not as good as actually playing a game, but enough to keep me reading for the next level up.

There are some likeable side characters (a few NPC-types that felt grounded and fun), but the titular newt and the whole terahek bonding plot? Weird. Especially when that newt speaks in a whiny, high-pitched voice that made me want to fast-forward. The narrator did a great job otherwise, but that particular voice choice was hard to sit through.

Mechanics are front and center here—skill boosts, system messages, and sudden knowledge downloads when leveling up. If that’s your thing, this book goes all in. Still, the book’s biggest limitation is how much it leans on those systems at the expense of deeper character drama or organic growth. It’s a chill read with decent pacing, good world-building, and just enough hook to maybe, maybe get me to try the sequel if it were handed to me. But it’s not at the top of my list. The writing is well done, but it's just not for me.

I'd give it 3.5 stars—round up if you are a die-hard cozy LitRPG fan who enjoys crafting life sims and slow, low-stakes progression. For everyone else, it's a 3-star book—especially if you’re here for action or character-driven drama—you might want to look elsewhere.

Special thanks to Aethon Books, who provided me with this book at my request.

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Review: First Command

First Command by Michael Simon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Military Sci-Fi, Exploding Consoles, and a Rookie
First Command is the kind of book that plants you firmly in the captain's chair of a half-dead starship and says, "Good luck, kid." And while there’s a fair amount of eyerolling required to stay buckled in for the ride, it’s still an enjoyable journey through war-torn space with a cast you can’t help but root for.

Michael Simon’s military sci-fi debut gives us Ensign Cole Jackson—an inexperienced but well-meaning Academy grad who gets tossed into the deep end when his small savage crew gets stranded on a drifting, disabled ship. With only a skeleton crew, Cole has to lead a desperate effort to restore the derelict vessel and rejoin the fight against the aggressive Coven Empire. As a setup, it’s solid. As a plot, it’s fast-paced, cliche-heavy, and just improbable enough to give you whiplash if you think too hard about the logistics—it works. Mostly.

There’s plenty of action, tight pacing, and a well-balanced rotation of POVs that keep the story dynamic. Sure, you’ll have to suspend disbelief for things like starship bridges with exploding control panels (seriously, who’s still designing these death traps?), and a miraculous repair montage that takes a shattered hulk of a ship and turns it combat-ready in just a few days. And yes, enemies keep magically showing up in the same sector over and over, but if you can look past that, there’s something compelling about this underdog story.

It has heart. I got to like the original salvage crew and not to go into too many spoilers, but I felt bad when bad things happened to them (even when it felt a bit too conveniently plotted). Cole’s character arc is satisfying; he’s inexperienced enough to think outside the box and human enough to feel the weight of every choice. He’s the protagonist you want to see succeed, if only because he hasn’t been ground down by military bureaucracy.

Unexpectedly, Simon also does a nice job fleshing out the alien enemies, giving them depth and culture rather than leaving them as faceless villains. It’s not groundbreaking, but it adds a welcome layer of complexity to the conflict.

As for the audiobook, Ryan Kennard Burke delivers a clean, professional performance. His character voices are distinct, his pacing is on point, and his tone matches the narrative. It’s not a performance that will stick with you long after it’s over, but it does the job without distraction. Think of it as steady hands on the helm—not flashy, but precisely what the mission needs.

In short, First Command is a fun, fast listen with some emotional punches and a decent payoff. It’s not perfect, and if you are a stickler for logic and hard sci-fi, you may not like it. But if you like military sci-fi with underdog heroes, some tactical action, and just enough character depth to pull at your heartstrings, this might be worth queuing up next.

Special thanks to Aethon Books for providing this book at my request.

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