Elsewhere: A Book Series by Dough Lohse

I want to take a minute to plug the Elsewhere book series by Doug Lohse.

Without giving away any spoilers, the series follows the story of Duke, a cocky Air Force pilot who is transported from Earth to a fantastical world of magic, in the storybook genre of LitRPG.  If you imagine yourself pulled from your current existence to a world of Dungeons and Dragons, complete with the realization that you're in a Role Playing Game, you have the right idea.

As I read the first book, I found myself kind of under-appreciating the story, because Duke advanced in levels and abilities so quickly that I almost had a hard time suspending disbelief and letting myself just get immersed in the story.  Almost.

Fortunately, I picked up book two, and I experienced a glimpse of the larger story that Lohse had in mind.  Again, I don't want to spoil the story, but over the course of his subsequent books, the author takes Duke from Dungeons and Dragons to Science Fiction, complete with mechs, lasers, and interstellar travel.  The series features a Battle Royale, an evil business empire, and gods who have to follow rules.

I was introduced to the series by James Cheatham, a personal friend of mine who does a fantastic job of narrating the story.  When James shared the initial audiobook with me, I found myself hooked by the tale, and I can't wait to see how the next part unfolds.

The overarching story does a great job of injecting pop culture humor, through the use of current euphemisms that the otherworlders couldn't possibly understand, and by subtlely tapping the fourth wall with allusions to popular fantasy and sci-fi movies that will leave readers smiling and thinking I see what you did there.

If you're looking for a fun read, or an engaging audiobook series, I encourage you to check this one out!  Additionally, you are supporting an independent author, and a small business voice actor.