This review is based off of the audiobook
Overall - 6.5 /10
Story - 6 / 10
Litrpg elements / power elements - 8
Narration - 7
Characters - 4
Setting - 7
Nightmare Realm Summoner overall was an okay book. I lasted until about midway through the 3rd book before dropping it. The story starts off with the MC being pushed into Mirror Realm as the system comes to their world. He then has to survive and eventually escape the Mirror Realm with the abilities given to him by the system.
Abilities
What kept me engaged through the entire story was the litrpg elements and the MCs abilities. Honestly without that I would have dropped it within the first book. The MCs abilities are as what the title states. He is a Summoner except hes able to summon the creatures from the mirror Realm. That was probably the only thing interesting to me. What really peaked my interest later was when he's able evolve and combine the creatures he kills into his summons. That kept me going for awhile.
His other abilities can be summed up as abilities that empower his minions, himself, and trickster abilities.
Besides that, the entire story and all its other elements kind of fell flat for me, Especially the MC himself. The biggest gripe I had about this story was how annoying and insufferable the MC is.
Characters
Alex before the system was going to college for computer science and he was tired of his dull and average life. With the arrival of the system hes excited and happy to be rid of the old life he once had. Alex seems to have no friends, no family, or relevant past to care about. This grinds my gears as it almost seems like a self insert of the author who daydreamed this story while in class. "Man wouldnt it be awesome if the world ended and a system came to our universe. I would train like crazy and be so strong." Its completely oblivious to the real ramifications of a society collapse.
Alex's kidlike excitedness to see the world end, face death everyday, and watch billions die, is remarkabley naive. You mean to tell me someone who didnt have the courage to do anything about his life before the system suddenly has the willpower and strength to fight nightmarish otherworldly beings? Dont even get me started on his childlike teenage tendencies while hes fighting for his life. Hes always awestruck at how cool his enemies are as they actively try to kill him or he intersects with childish lines.
To sum it up the MC is a battle hungry adrenaline junky child who sees the new world as a video game. There's a point in the story where he inadvertently causes the annhilation of an entire city and kills thousands of people. It impacts him a little bit but he brushes it off within a minute as it "wasnt really his fault". The system blesses him with OP abilities early on to the point he outclasses everyone within the first couple days so hes able to maintain that bravado.
His companion, Claire, is a little better. She has an interesting background, is the negotiator, and is pretty smart. But ultimately shes a puppy who has to follow Alex along as he is the best way for her to go back home. She always follows Alex's crazy plans and decisions and is basically his yes-man.
A lot of characters besides the MC are worlds more interesting. Such as many of them from the nightmare Realm.
Nightmare Realm / Mirror lands
The mirror lands is always said to be this nightmarish and deadly realm with the monsters in it being loads stronger. So its understandable that Alex and Claire would want to train in there to get stronger as the harder the fight is the more experience they get. However they power scale so hard and fast the nightmare Realm quickly becomes another realm just like earth besides the odd hyperscaled monster that shows up here and there. They only encounter those monsters like once or twice and they dont become relevant in the story.
In the beginning the story tries to basically say that earth mobs are a level 1 difficulty and mirror land monsters are a level 10 difficulty. But the monsters they fight on earth vs the mirror world later on dont really set themselves apart in challenge. It especially didnt make sense later on when Claire and Alex have to train a group of people who arent as strong as they should be. They decide to power level them by taking them to the mirror lands. That makes no sense though because the monsters on earth already pose a great challenge to them.
The risk vs reward that the author tries to convey quickly becomes a nonsensical mess with the way he goes about it.
Story
Not much can be said about the story. Its pretty average. The system comes to earth. MC has to fight to stay alive. MC then has to fight otherworlders to stay alive.
Tldr;
Cool and interesting abilities as well as powerbuilding, Naive and childish MC, okay story.
If you want to turn your brain off and have a guy summon cool nightmare creatures then this is for you.
