The Crafting of Chess by Kit Falbo

Blurb:

Nate wants more to life than moving from town to town, hustling chess with his con-man grandfather or wagering pick-up games online. A new immersive game opens up the chance to bring in a steady paycheck. Maybe enough to convince his grandfather to stay straight. Little does he know how his actions will change his life. A GameLit coming of age story.

Review:

Like many folks during the lockdown, I too started following chess, and there hasn’t been a single day in the last five years that I haven’t played at least one chess puzzle and/or game. So, when I saw this LitRPG novel listed as r/Fantasy’s Resident Authors Book Club’s Book of the Month in May, I didn’t have to think twice before grabbing a copy. 

To my disappointment, the book barely featured chess. Ironic, because the protagonist’s in-game name is Chess. However, I still finished the book, because the lack of chess (game) was more than made up for by Chess (the protagonist). Okay, I promise the rest of the review is not going to be this confusing. 

SPOILERS AHEAD!

What I liked:

Chess (the protagonist) was undoubtedly my favorite part of the book. He’s a sixteen-year-old kid who goes by the name Jay. His real name is Nate, and he lives with his Grandpa. While we don’t know much about either, we find out that Grandpa is into some shady conman activities that force the duo to keep moving around. As an orphan, Nate’s only family is Grandpa, and his primary skill set is craftiness.

Nate is a hustler who makes quick money through online games and chess in the park. The opening scene really had me instantly connect with the character. He’s hustling against a formidable chess player who instantly notices that Nate is cheating. However, instead of calling him out, the player offers to represent Nate if he is willing to play competitive chess. I really thought we were headed in this direction, but Nate refused because he and his Grandpa cannot afford to be found by the authorities (and the wrong people whom they’ve crossed).

From here, we learn about Fair Quest, an AR immersive MMORPG that Nate plans on using as a platform to earn money. The game itself isn’t anything unique. It’s your run-of-the-mill classic fantasy world with guilds and quests and everything you’d expect in such a setting. Nate’s navigation of the world, however, is what really takes the cake. Nate chooses the name ‘Chess’ and builds his character as a smith/artificer who can enchant his items. The more his skills grow, the better-quality items he’s able to produce. He then begins to sell all his crafts in online auctions, a system that earns him better bucks than hustling in the park. 

What follows is a very cozy adventure that features very little action and a whole lot of crafting. It’s not the warm hug of a Legends and Lattes, but rather the familiarity of a classic fantasy setting with the LitRPG that made reading The Crafting of Chess so easy and sweet. The stats and numbers might feel overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to keep track of them to enjoy this story. The plot is pretty straightforward, albeit a bit all over the place at times. However, the simplicity of it makes the journey more pleasant. 

While the in-game world was cozy and familiar, it was the real-life conflicts in Nate’s life that really stood out to me. I won’t say much, but the twists in the end are easy to spot. Despite that, Nate’s hustling outside the game, his relationship with his grandfather, as well as the trouble brewing in the background thanks to his grandfather’s hustling, all made up for a very compelling setting. 

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was cozy and it was sweet. 

What I didn’t like:

Right off the bat, the lack of chess or even the possibility of Nate entering professional chess, which was teased in the beginning, really disappointed me. The title of the book was a tad misleading in that regard. 

The characters didn’t stand out to me, except for Chess/Nate and David (a gamer who’s paralyzed in real life, but is an expert assassin in the game). Overall, I had mixd feelings for the characters, both real people as well the NPCs. Casey Ellis’ chapters were fun to read, giving insights into the backend of the FairQuest gaming company. The in-game quests weren’t really great, but the way they highlighted Chess/Nate’s craftiness made me want to keep reading. Seriously, I was rooting for this kid throughout. 

Other than that, the lack of editing is quite evident throughout the book. There were far too many typos and grammatical errors to ignore, especially in the latter half. In addition to those, the plot meanders quite a bit in the middle. A noticeable lack of focus in terms of what quest and arc we’re following makes the read feel directionless, stealing away the emotional catharsis of the ending. 

Lastly, I did not like the emotional cliffhanger that the book ends on. The twist isn’t all that surprising, but considering this book is directed towards younger audiences, it makes sense. However, the ending comes just at the narrative point where emotions are high, the Kingmaker quest is completed, and Nate’s personal life is about to unravel. We get a brief conclusion, but only narratively. I wish we had a few more chapters dealing with the consequences of the same. I wasn’t a fan of the Kingmaker quest, but I would like to see the implications of that achievement on Chess/Nate and his position in Fair Quest. Plus, I would like to have received the emotional conclusion of his personal arc, which left me feeling incomplete.

In Conclusion:

Not so much chess as there is item crafting, this LitRPG novel by Kit Falbo is a cozy adventure that follows a hustling teen in an immersive MMORPG fantasy game. If you like crafting games like Minecraft or the likes, this one might be right up your alley. 

TL;DR: 

What I liked: The protagonist, crafting, cozy vibes, simple plot

What I didn’t like: Lack of focus in the plot, lack of chess (game), cliffhanger ending