Attempted Adventuring

The Attempted Vampirism #2

by L.G. Estrella

A vampire noble’s work is never done – just ask Jonathan.

Once upon a time, Jonathan lived a life as a scholar. He had his own wonderful castle with a wonderful library. Well, the library had been wonderful. The castle had kind of been a wreck. Still, it had been his castle, and he’d liked it. Alas, a run in with the Blood Alliance Department of Taxation left him without a castle and with little to his name except some fuzzy bunny slippers and a dressing gown.

Yet with the help of his faithful servant Miles, Jonathan was able to join an intrepid group of adventurers. With their help, he would earn his fortune and get his castle back! At least, that was the plan. Their first mission was rather more dangerous than he’d like. It involved numerous near-death experiences, eldritch horrors, and the spirit of a long-dead vampire emperor. On the upside, they got paid.

Of course, one mission won’t be enough, and there’s nothing scarier than vampire tax collectors. If Jonathan wants to get his castle back, he’ll have to go on more missions. Tougher missions. Scarier missions. Missions that make him question the sanity of dwarf architecture. And their newest mission is a doozy. But if he and the others can survive sea monsters, ancient evils, and an unlikely pair of allies, they might just strike it rich.

With the help of his loyal butler, a wandering werewolf, a merman who enjoys dry land, a shape-shifter who can’t change back to her original form, and a former paladin who has managed to survive four accusations of heresy, Jonathan might just stand a chance.

One way or another, Jonathan is getting his castle back.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Audiobook, Humor, Fiction, Adventure, Action

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2020

About the author

I'm a reader and writer with a keen interest in psychology, history, physics, and economics. I'm especially interested in the intersection of these different areas (e.g., the psychology behind the sub-prime mortgage collapse).

In terms of fiction, I enjoy reading horror, fantasy, science fiction, Westerns, and thrillers. I believe that every genre has its good points, and I want to be able to incorporate all of these strengths into my own writing.

I currently live in Australia. When I'm not writing, I'm busy trying to fend off all of the deadly wildlife.

If you're interested in my fiction, you can find it on Amazon here.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am now officially addicted to this series and can't wait for a third book.

I'm also somewhat in love with L.G. Estrella's brain. So many interesting ideas must live in there.

Plus, Joel Froomkin is an absolute star. What a versatile treasure of a narrator.

I really liked the additions to the cast in this book. The part of me that adores Rocket Raccoon was especially amused, however I enjoy all of the characters. They are many, but well-defined and each in their own way quite loveable. This is quite a feat, I think.

The longer adventure in this book felt like one giant wink to Lord of the Rings and I utterly enjoyed the adventurers' quest through Moria, filled with necromancer killer crabs and other things.

So. Much. Fun.

More, please!

[Panda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 of our DnD Campaign.

Oddly enough this one has a slower pace mostly because of all the info dumps. The tale stops, literally stops, to dump game mechanics or background lore on you.

I'm pretty sure that anyone reading this kind of book knows the very basic mechanics of "hey always use your fighter for his strength, that means spellcasters should be in the back casting spells not in the frontline waving a dagger." ... you don't say. I'm being literal by the way, this is an actual chapter in here.

Again for a world full of back stabbers they are all nice and keep to their word. Everything works out like a fun road trip with a group of friends. I just wish there was more interaction between the characters with highs and lows.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining paranormal listening 🎶🔰

Another will written paranormal fantasy world 🌎 adventure thriller novel by L. G. Estrella ( The Attempted Vamprirism book two). I could not connect with the second book in the series. Give it a try it may work for you. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa reads books 📚. 2023

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s nothing quite like talking about a successful venture over a hot mug of fresh blood.

Giant badgers! Lake monsters! Magic weapons and enchanted treasure! Ghost armies! Cursed islands! Cursed tunnels! Big crabs! Even bigger crabs! Holy crap, enormously gigantic crabs! Drakes (not ducks, the dragon-y kind)! Dragons! Storm dragons (rare indeed!)! Draco-hydras! Blood a'plenty! Virgin blood! Words and magic galore! Unpredictable weather! Tearful reunions! New friends and more! That's right, our crazy crew of humans, monsters, and perhaps even all-of-the-above return in L.G.Estrella's 2nd "Attempted Vampirism" book, namely, "Attempted Adventuring." And yet, somehow, by the end of it all, poor Jonathan still hasn't paid off his back taxes (the true horror and bane of existence for so many of us throughout the multiverse)!

Almost, my friend. We almost died. And in our line of work, almost dying is nearly the same as getting away without a scratch.

Yes, we're back for the latest adventure featuring everyone's favorite chaste but gifted paladin, a cheerful shape-shifter infested with shadow imps, a towering merman, a snarky werewolf, a combat-ready butler, and yes, a vampire noble. Our fantastical version of the Avengers continue to make their way through the lands of… this place, facing impossible odds against all manner of beasties, legends, and even smarmy fellow adventurers. It's enough to make a vampire of good-standing frequently want to scream his bloody (double entendre intended) head off! Luckily though, he is not killed (or re-killed technically) and is thereby able to continue to fill in most of our plot holes and other questions with his encyclopedic knowledge of all things! Plus: Fluffy is back! Surely you haven't forgetten Fluffy, no?

It’s better to be alive and moderately wealthy than to be rich and in the belly of a monster.

Oh and this time, our motley slew of do-gooders (more or less) are joined by none other than an amazingly gifted huntress with an interesting heritage (that I suspect will get even more interesting in the next chapter since we're working to get the "old gang" of leaders back together) and a war wizard from the Raccoon Empire called Roger, who is, um, a raccoon! If that doesn't shout "Disney Licensing" at you, then I don't know what else is missing! All kidding aside, the addition of Susannah, the aforementioned skilled fighter that carries a magic, elf-made fishing rod and Roger, her diminuative but extremely deadly partner is a big plus in this chapter! Roger, at very least, garners sympathy as his best friend Susannah thinks using him as bait is the best way to lure out giant monsters. With friends like that, well…

So… a raccoon, a merman, and a werewolf walk into a bunch of ancient ruins…

What remains with me though beyond all this is Estrella's continuing - how to put this? - dichotomic plotting and formulations. On one hand, we are treated to a number of INCREDIBLE battle scenes where all of our players contribute in amazing ways. Seriously, these were awesomely presented and structured and would rival even what I consider to be two of the best at writing same, namely, Nicholas Sansbury Smith (e.g. from "Hell Divers") or Anthony Melchiorri (see "The Tide" and more!). Yet on the other hand, there's a tone of innocence in the book that feels like it borders on Young Adult formulations. For example, there's one scene I don't think I'll forget for quite a while: as happens far too often, Jonathan finds himself in mortal danger but is granted a slight reprieve when Blue Scales fires a lightning bolt at the current monster du jour. However, instead of saying something like "I owe that big fish guy a few bottles of mead and a night at the local brothel on me!", our noble vampire's thoughts are "I need to get him something nice when we get back to civilisation. Perhaps some tuna buns. After all, the merman did like pastries as well as tuna." Not exactly then what would be running through my head at the threat of being crushed to death and/or burned alive by acid! Still, if the buns were really fresh…

You’re just mad we used you as bait.

Another issue I had with this chapter was the tendency to be a bit repetitive in terms of underlining short-comings or even strengths our team have. Yes, we get it: Jonathan is NOT a warrior. He is not good at combat. He's working on it but his current status = not good! Another example: Roger is small and yes, that would, by definition in tales of this ilk mean that he is "squishy". However, I find it taxing to have to read multiple times about him being so damn squishy. There are other examples - will Jonathan ever have the confidence to not always be so nervous? Could Blue Scales hold back so much water that was sure to come in repeated circumstances? Are these heroes really all that good at what they do if "being lucky" is so often mentioned (seriously, count 'em)! And will Eric ever feel the need to put on pants even when we - thankfully, thrillingly, etc. - finally see him turn back and forth into his werewolf form? The world may never know!

Vampires could regenerate, but being turned into a puddle of goo would definitely be fatal.

Look, that may be somewhat too much like picking nits out of the powerful procyonid's fur, but things like that do become a bit distracting! I just feel like the fact that I have so hungrily devoured these first couple of books that I AM paying attention and as such don't need quite as many reviews about strengths, weaknesses, and all manner of doom scenarios! It doesn't make the writing bad per se - Estrella's prose and the editing all remain very, very good - but it is noticeable. But alas, I have no more time to sit here and continue on with this random cavillation (huh?), I am off to check out Book 3 forthwith and ride, um, forth with what I'm sure will be the exciting conclusion to this trilogy! May the spectral dwarves of Mordrath guard your passage!

[David Provan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfinished



Estrella has a nasty habit of abandoning series part way through. Maybe he expects readers to see where they are going unassisted. Certainly the progression of this series can be seen. But, it's cheating to not let us see Jonathon get his castle back. Or, as a prolific author with many ideas, maybe he just abandons series that aren't generating enough income. Either way, he's unfair to his followers. I won't be buying any more Estrellas until I see a complete series.

[Mike Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another home run for me. This story continues the tale of a destitute vampire just trying to earn enough money to get his castle back from the tax collectors. This time we have more insight into the team and their backgrounds as well as the introduction of some amazing new characters including our roger, a raccoon with volcano powers, and Susannah just made this team that much more enjoyable. I especially love the longer adventure into the dwarf ruins and the fight with the necro-crabs.

[Karen Byington · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors

This is the second series from this author I have bought so I can read it again and again.

The characters are very important to me and I like them all. Story keeps my interest and it is a world I enjoy visiting.

Look forward to the next in this series and seeing what else is out there.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hilarious sequel to Attempted Vampirism. I loved how much I smiled and laughed and how attached to the story I have gotten. I'm sincerely hoping for more in this series to be able to continue this story. There's so much still to know!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

another nice light read. kinda reminds me of several D&D games I've been in.
Absolutely no romance so it makes a change from some of the other stuff I've been reading lots of.

[Joseph Hurwitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun!

This is a strong second book in what looks to be an awesome series. I have been enjoying several series by this author and can’t wait for more books.

[Gareth Otton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 5-star rating system rescued the score for this book. This one had some issues that I'd be tempted to mark it lower for, but when taken as a whole, I don't think it was a 3-star read.

Overall, this was a fun sequel to the previous book with many of the same strengths. If you enjoyed that book, you will more than likely enjoy this one as well.

There is one issue for me, though, one that is partially subjective; this book felt like filler.

It felt like this because the majority of this book is a side quest that does little to advance the overarching story beyond giving us more time with each of the characters and introducing some new ones. It's an enjoyable enough adventure on its own, but it did feel like we were treading water, which is a shame so early in the series.

Speaking of those new characters, that was another issue of mine. One of my criticisms of the last novel was that there were too many POV characters. Adding in some more main characters, even if they aren't quite POV characters, just crowds out an already crowded book. This wasn't the longest book in the world, and with every new character added, there's less time to interact with characters we already know.

As I mentioned, though, there is an element of subjectivity to my criticism here. So, in the name of being fair, I think that this book deserves its 4th star.

[begemot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was filled to the brim with action sequences, which really aren’t my thing (I struggle to stay focused when listening to or reading them), but I get that the story is about a group of adventurers going on, well, adventures, so it comes with the territory. I do like the inventive ways the author has come up with to introduce some sort of device or magic spell (“word”, “sign”, etc.), which is then used in some shape or form during one of the battles. She’s also good at describing how the whole group works together, each member playing to their strengths, when fighting in different situations.

I expected the Blood Emperor to play a bigger role here, but he mostly stayed in the background. I do like the addition of Roger, the squishy Raccoon War Wizard, and Susanna with her versatile fishing rod. The dynamic between the two and between Roger and Eric was really enjoyable to observe. My only complaint is that Susanna is basically indestructible and perfect at everything she does. And there isn’t much of a reason given for why that would be the case for members of her clan, considering they’re mainly human, and for her specifically, even if her crazy werewolf grandpa is Alaric (that part isn’t a spoiler, is it? Seemed heavily implied).

[Chetana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

Having read the Unconventional Heroes series and the previous book in this series. I held out hope I would start to like this book, but alas my hopes have remained unfulfilled. Like its predecessor, this story relies heavily on being action focused. By that I mean the fight scenes are heavily detailed or long or both, to the detriment of my enjoyment. The story also has not held my attention like the other series and neither do I find it humorous. The camaraderie that was between the members of Team Timmy was written so well and the way they started trusting each other was beautiful to watch unfold, even in the first 2 installments which had the combined page count of this book. I have not been invested in the stakes of this story so I am not sure I will read the next book. That sucks as I am consciously trying to complete series or at least keep up to date with recent releases. Oh well, it is always better to read what I like and enjoy rather than slog through something I do not.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Rollicking Good Time

Attempted Adventuring is yet another book from Estrella that could succeed on the strength of the characters alone and yet has a great story behind it. The one minor complaint that I have is that the raccoon being squishy seems to be pointed out rather frequently, although it just might be me. Overall this is wonderful romp through a flooded, cursed dungeon (of sorts) that captures the essence of an adventure series. The story is easy to follow and the characters are, frankly, lovable. If you're looking for something that's just plain fun to read then you can't go wrong with this series.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another charming adventure with our mismatched party of heroes. Other reviews have pointed out that this series reads like the novelization of a role playing game session. The other reviewers are right. That’s exactly how it reads, complete with discussions of where to place the squishier party members so they will be safer when the battle starts. As a novel, it shouldn‘t work. But it does. This isn’t great literature, but it’s a light, fun read. You know our heroes are going to be okay. And you know that quests will be fulfilled, contracts will be honored, and bad guys will be vanquished. Don’t worry about it too much. It’s just a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

[Ed A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun stuff

I really enjoyed this continuation of Jonathan’s story. It had the right amount of humor, camaraderie, and mayhem which made for a fun evening read. The addition of two new characters helps round out the central group of characters. I’ve pretty much read everything the author has written, and this is a great addition. I try not to give out five star ratings, but IMHO this books deserves one.

[Natalie Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Bit As Good As The Last One

Sweet and funny and tense by turns (or all at once in places), this book plays around in gleeful irreverence with a wonderful world that follows tabletop-style adventure logic. The characters are lovable, the action is great, and the enemies are simultaneously genuinely alarming and hilariously weird. Come to think of it, so are some of our characters...

A fun read full of good laughs, good companions, and exciting adventure.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off on a more engaging note than book 1, but never fully leaves that note - melee fighting - for the rest of the book, so it felt like reading about people playing a dungeon crawl kind of d&d game. While I didn't love it, it was a nice book to have around on work nights when I didn't want to think too hard and could put it down and pick it up mid paragraph and be totally OK.

So far absolutely no romance, but lots of found family vibes.

[HaZyBLuE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done, very entertaining series!

I loved the lack of errors in this series! The author is a talented writer, and does a good job building out the cast of characters and world building. I'm waiting to get book three until I can also buy the Audible version so that I may listen while I read along (my poor vision allows little else). I definitely recommend the Audible version as well as the Kindle!

[John E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Susana but she won't cry

The strange party grows and take on a bigger quest and bigger monsters. It this was a D&D module, it has a great cast of characters. All the personalities are interesting with great back stories. I always enjoy a book that balances humor and fantasy and this series is doing it well. The classes, politics, words of power, just and more make this am epic quest.

[Sabion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we see the gang out on another adventure to find the lost mcguffin. TBH I'm fine with this formula. The characters are what make this story. Everyone is given their time to shine and the two new members of the team are very fun. The world is interesting in an RPG sort of way and the adventures are exciting but I'm here for the buddy buddy stuff between a vampire his butler an ex-Paladin a shapeshifter a werewolf a merman a wizard and his "pet" ranger.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed book one. I liked the ad-hoc adventuring team of mixed races. My issues with book 2 lie with these extended flashbacks with a book 200 pages long. Both times it happened in this very quick read I felt that it disrupted the flow to the story and didn't really add much.

Book Cover: 3/5

Narration: n/a

Favorite Line: n/a

[Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly an epic tale

This book was a lot of fun! I'm still trying to get over the author's use of the word "truly" at least once a page, but it was a fun adventure! The only thing I'm afraid of is that the characters might have powered up too quickly. Nevertheless, I'm excited for the next book in the series!

[Richard C Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Characters and a fun read.

Starts off a bit strange. Once the main characters start showing up,it become a fun read. I am wondering if there will be a third book. I would definitely pick it up.

[Foxxy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful sequel to Attempted Vampirism.
Jonathan and his team are at it again. Another vampire noble has request them for a seriously dangerous mission and the possible reward is too much to ignore.

[Bookcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoping for a book three soon. This was so much fun to listen to and my fave character has to be the OP glass cannon war wizard raccoon, Roger, and his little wizard hat 🥰 TBH, all the characters are great!

[Mykl Roventine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great followup

Just as entertaining, if not more so now that we know the characters better, than the first book in the series.

I'm struck by how well the author writes action sequences. Easily followed but thrilling at the same time.

I'm hooked.

[Natasha Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the neck out of it

New characters, a deeper plot, the same quirky crew of weirdos thrust into great deeds of heroism. It is such a rambling wonderful adventure.

[Soima Traian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first one

A very good book, even better than the first one, with plenty of action, magic, humor, and a very nice pace

[Caroline Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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