The Island Tastes Like Chicken (A LitRPG)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Raccoons are the worst. Not because they get into your trash, but because they cause plane crashes. At least that's how Ben felt as he washed up on the shores of Killjoy Island.

Armed with hundreds of hours of Role-Playing Games, Ben must brave the chicken flavoured wilderness, uncover the secrets of the system, and face off against mutated monsters from his childhood, all while balancing the basic necessities of survival.

Nothing is sacred on Killjoy Island, and as always, Happy Dying.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2022
Author: James Tadhg

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 330
Views: 54,287

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

nerdy_asian27Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Raccons? Chickens? Bears? All of these animals are out for blood, and our protagonist must find many ways to cope against these furry (and feathery) b***ards. Stuck in an island full of bizarre occurances, how will our protagonist survive?
Style 5/5: The story flows so smoothly and the inner monologues are a treat. There is good variance between paragraphs and I never tire of wanting to read more.
Grammar 5/5: Also a strong point. Not once has the grammar in any way threw off my immersion. Most sentences were very well written and delivered to perfection.
Story 4.5/5: The story has just started out, and we have gotten a glimpse at the bizarre Killjoy Island. So far, we've been introduced to the most terrifying creature yet: Big Bird. However, the author does well to show the protagonist's progression in overcoming this harrowing obstacle. The island is also shrouded in a lot of mystery, so I'm curious as to see where the story goes.
Character 4.5/5: Ben Quayle is a man who has recently gone through a break-up (curse you raccoons). This occurrance still takes an emotional toll on him, but he must push that aside as he fights for survival on Killjoy Island. The character is quite dynamic and very charming. He's a protagonist that I'm willing to bet will grow as the story progresses.
Anyways, this story gets a good chicken out of 5. It's been executed very well so far, and I highly recommend it those who like the litRPG genre.
Casille_VRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm having a lot of fun with this story; the writing is really good, and the pacing hits that sweet spot where things move quickly without feeling rushed. There are a lot of unanswered questions at the point to which I've read so far, concerning the why and how of his situation, but I'm looking forward to discovering the answers alongside Ben :) Little hints keep being revealed, and I have a feel the author's knows what they're doing.
Ben himself is clever and creative, but also very human in his abilities and thinking. He hasn't made many mistakes so far, but he's very far away from overpowered in any sense of the word. The best he's got at the moment is a plain bow he's not very proficient with, and a recently gained skill that lets him
move more quietly.
Useful with the right application, but not a lot of good against other people or creatures. Unless you add a bit of ingenuity and planning to the mix, which does seem to be his strong suit. We'll see how far it gets him.
Daniel J HullRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm loving the quirkiness... I think the humor really comes through well and gives a good sense of the character and how he processes the crazy situation he's put into. This was really a pleasure to read. The spelling and grammar were top-notch. Was it perfect? Maybe, maybe not, but I don't have any real constructive criticisms to make about anything in particular. It was a solid read. Even your odd word choices at certain points actually seem to improve the narration rather than take away from it. That's one of the benefits of being quirky and fun. Of course, it can be easy to overdo it and confuse the reader, but I didn't hit any places where that happened to me. I did have to re-read one small part, but that could have been on me and not you. I guess on tiny criticism may be that you could provide a little more detail about the surroundings, i.e the inside of the plane, the island, etc... I'm thinking like a sentence or two, just to provide context, or in other words, to establish the scene for the reader. I loved your description of the old man's hair, black hair doing battle against the encroaching grey. Nice touch! And the Slipknot piece, very nice. I made a similar reference in one of my stories, though I think I mentioned Disturbed. I'm not sure about copyrights, but it is fun to use those kinds of cultural references to ground the reader to the writer's world. It also tells us a bit about the protagonist. Overall, everything seemed polished and well thought out. Very nice story!
Dylan KingRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The Island Tastes Like Chicken is a LitRPG/Isekai story that seamlessly melds comedy with genuinely tense action and struggle. For full disclosure, I am not usually a reader of these genres, so this review may be influenced by how poorly read I am in them.
Story:
This story follows Ben, a normal-seeming human with a dislike of racoons, as he is killed in a plane crash and reborn/revived/trapped within a survival based rpg game.
On the surface, this is a pretty standard opening for the genre, but once the layers begin to peel back, something fresh begins to reveal itself.
Firstly, comedy is weaved seamlessly into the narrative via strong authorial voice and some really tight character writing. The early revelation that the island's early creatures were, in fact, pop culture references was hilaruous and as a result, I'll never look at Big Bird in the same way again (furbies, on the other hand, have always been terrifying).
Added to this, was the real sense of struggle the author has worked hard to maintain. Every inch of progression is paid for in blood, sweat and even more blood, and that makes for an inredibly compelling narrative.
Style:
Prose is generally excellent. The author has a smooth style and a strong voice, which makes this work incredibly easy to read
Grammar:
This is a well-edited work. I see no real issues.
Character:
Ben is a well realised protagonist, and his internal monologue is a real highlight of the work. I'm looking forward to learning more about him, though preferably through his exposure and subsequent reactions to new situations on the island, rather than via flashbacks.
Overall, this is an excellently crafted work, and was a hugely enjoyable read even for someone not usually a fan of the genre itself.
GyodedRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I don't recommend big bird hunting. Or troll hunting, even if there is a guide for dummies on it. However, I highly recommend this story, and Ben seems to be getting the hang of all the crazy creatures running around.
Style: Author has a very engaging style flowing from his hands, and this story is an absolute joy to read. Pacing is well done, action and info-dumps well balanced along with the system messages from the scared-of-copyright overseer. The dialogue flows great in this story, seamlessly merging with the prose. More of a personal opinion, but sometimes the use of onomatopoeias felt a little out of place, especially when they were a little more frequent in the earlier chapters. Felt like sometimes they could be changed to just descriptions. Sometimes they weren't italicized and sometimes were, so I suggest some consistency unless it's a stylistic choice.
Story: Yes, this is a litrpg, but no, it is definitely original. The isekai at the beginning felt unique and new, and for some reason, poor raccoons are being blamed. Island survival is always very fun to read, and when it's accompanied by killer birds and axe bears that are contrastingly peaceful, it creates a unique story that the author is skillfully weaving together and keeping me wanting more.
Grammar: Saw some comma splices (very few), but author is quick to fix mistakes pointed out and otherwise the grammar is very solid. In no way did it break my immersion.
Character: Even from the first chapter, characterization greatly shines. A character that only appears in the first chapter is unique and fleshed out. The mc's own voice clearly comes out through the writing, and the system even has its own delightful (air quotes) personality. Very well done. Don't think I could praise characters enough, so I'll stop here.
The island does taste like chicken, and so do the birds. Don't yet know why, though, and I can't wait to follow this story and find out.
Ismail AkstonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Just wow!!! This story just got me clicking next chapter all day long. I thoroughly enjoyed the start of this story and it only continues to keep me intrigued and expecting more. Authors sense of humor is amazing.
Style - The entire story (that I have read so far) is very well written and easy to follow. The writing style is impeccable and obviously polished. The pacing was fast and very fitting. The author has a good grasp of the language. It really helps along with the imagination with vivid scenes.
Storytelling - The author does it beautifully, and the pacing is perfect. The plot itself seems well thought out so far!
Grammar - No noticeable issues other than the very occasional typo.
Characters - I'm new to this genre but I truly enjoyed this! The author skillfully crafted a fantastic world with characters. Only issue I had with mc is that he had almost no long-term incompatibility with the environment where he “appeared”, or with the creators of that place. He acts as a well-prepared pro gamer who forgets everything when he turns on the game. So it seems a bit unrealistic from the point of view of human psychology.
Overall, I’ve never read such genre and style and I’m greatly enjoying it.
JwbenjaminRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I admit, I didn't know quite what to expect when I first clicked on "Tastes Like Chicken". But what I have received is a fast-paced, well-written action-adventure satire with delicious amounts of absurdist humor and a main character I find truly enjoyable. This serial is a delight to read, and made me laugh out loud more than once.
Style: 5/5
James Tadhg has a wonderful grasp of his authorial voice and of the tone of the story itself. It flows quite well from slower moments of preparation and contemplation into frenetic action and has more than your doctor's daily recommended dose of puns sprinkled liberally throughout. His style sucks you in and carries you along almost effortlessly. I understand he edits these drafts before and after posting, and his work definitely shows in the final product. Top marks!
Grammar: 4/5: Probably the weakest point (and it's not very weak at all), there are some errors here and there that were little things -- word choices that didn't work for me, mostly, and the occasional choppy sentence or mis-spelling--but since this is an in-progress draft they're certainly nothing that will jar you out of the story. Just needs a polishing pass or two once the book is finished, and it'll shine just fine.
Character: 4.5/5
Ben is an enjoyable MC (And I'm not just saying that because he has excellent taste in naming conventions) who reacts mostly believably to the insane situation he's found himself in. I enjoy the quiet moments we get with him, remembering certain things from his past life. I personally wish we could get more of those to flesh his character out more. I would dearly love to know more about the man, to get a deeper sense of who he is and what makes him tick, but I understand we're still in early days yet and James is still explaining the system and the world to us. So I can wait.
Which brings us to:
Story: 5/5
I'm just gonna say it, I love the way Tadhg has set up this world. I love the mechanics he's introducing -- a hilarious 'you
Little RacoonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I came here for the mc's hatred towards raccoons, I stayed for the humor that brings a smile if not a laugh to my face every time I came back to it.
Style: 5 stars. There's very little I can nitpick about. The irony and sarcasm that comes with the humor creates some kind of dark comedy that I can imagine the mc laughing in pain every time those notifications pop up. Although a LitRPG, the numbers aren't shoved down my throat and are more like a supporting tool to everything that's going on.
Story: 4.5 stars. The worldbuilding isn't dumped all in one, but revealed through the mc's interactions with other characters. The plot is moving on pretty well with its share of action and breaks, and it seems that an exciting development is coming very soon. However, I did find the mc recovering a little too well from dangers, which slightly dampened the "realism".
Grammar: 4.5 stars. There are some typos and grammatical inconsistencies here and there, but didn't break the flow much and isn't very frequent. I suggest doing a quick scan every once in a while to catch those pesky oopsies.
Character: 5 stars. The banter between the current cast is extremely entertaining and fun to read, and I like how the mc also has his more serious moments. Gnome is definitely my favorite, however.
Overall, please don't bully the raccoons :(
BellwetherRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A story that aroused my curiosity by its name, art and description but instead of letting me go, pulled me in even deeper as pages went by.
An overall humorous, lighthearted read with references and allusions galore. A bit of foreshadowing here and there allows reader to try imaginining how would events unfold without knowing the results for sure.
The author has many detailed descriptions which add the story a nice flavor. Chicken flavor. Well done. Though personally I prefer medium rare.
The story has a lot of survival vibe as the description implies, a bit of GameLit with all the necessary tables prepared. The protagonist isn't especially gifted power-wise but author seems to have an intent to make him stronger. We have yet to see interactions with other humans aside of the first chapter, but we had other even more important kind. Between the protagonist and his soon-to-be dinner.
Grammar is on the upside thanks to the author's exuberant vocabulary. Clunky sentences seldom appear but most of the gibberish gets rooted out by the keen-eyed readers.
The protagonist of the story seems to be intent on changing - his desire to change something is the very reason he got into the mess in the first place. We have yet to see but perhaps he as well as his story will mold into something spectacular.
NuclearTurtleRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I liked it, but I don't know why.
I liked a lot of it. The writing style flows, the main character has enough quirk yet remains relatable, the world pushes numerous questions and always hints that answers are on the way!
I’m glad it doesn’t hang on to the past events too much, keeps me, as the read, firmly placed in the present, where the action is happening.
It's colourful, painting images in my mind bathed in clear light that fit the tone of the chapters, even when things get brutal.
I also enjoy the pacing that comes with sentence length, it can be punchy and fast, abrupt, or very flowery (I mean this in a good way) a la Shakespeare.
Ok maybe I do know why I liked it.
Look, I gotta run this advanced review to 200 words, pretty arbitrary if you ask me, and I don’t want to bore you, the reader of this review, with explanations that overstays their welcome. So, I’m going to say that you should most definitely get your eyes on this here story cause it’ll make you chuckle quite a bit!
Is that 200 words? I think it is. Now Fuck Off.