Review: Cinnamon Bun

 

 

Cinnamon Bun by Ravens Dagger is described as "A Wholesome LitRPG" and that's really what it is. I don't think I've read any other LitRPG, but I found it a good introduction to the genre, so don't be afraid of that subtitle if you've never tried the genre or aren't much of a gamer. It's basically an adventure story where a young girl (high schooler, I think) is sitting in class when a little magical message pops up in front of her inviting her to accept a mission to purge the world of a great evil. When she accepts, she is transported to a different world, a fantasy videogame world. 

She explores the world, excited for adventure, and discovers that she can gain skills (like you would in a videogame). But instead of being a warrior or mage or something her "class" is Cinnamon Bun and she gets skills like cleaning and friend-making. She also definitely doesn't want to kill anything, and I love the way that her morals were incorporated into the story at every turn and the way she always sought to find non-violent solutions to the problems she ran into. She's not thrilled about killing anything, even if it's a ghost in a world that feels very much like a videogame. 

I also really appreciated that survival was a big aspect of the story. She had to worry about every aspect of her survival including food, shelter, etc, as she explored the world. For those who enjoy travel in stories there's interesting travel through this fantasy world as she explores it. At first, she's on her own, but she eventually meets other people as the scope of her adventure widens. 

Since it is a LitRPG I'll make a comparison. I'm not much of a gamer, but just to give you an idea of the atmosphere and feel of the world I liken it to games like Rayman and Ori (bright, fun, cute) with a dash of the survival like Don't Starve (but it's not as dark as Don't Starve's cutscenes!). Don't know if that helps anyway, but yes, it's a bright, fun, cute adventure LitRPG. 

Finally, I just want to say that I looked forward to the time when I would be able to read it each day and found myself trying to squeeze in a chapter at lunch time and constantly trying to find time to read it each evening. I would highly recommend it, especially if you're looking for something light and not dark to read and relax.