Proving Grounds Audiobook By Tom Elliot cover art

Proving Grounds

Annals of the Runeguard, Book 1 (The Annals of the Runeguard)

Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends April 30, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Proving Grounds

By: Tom Elliot
Narrated by: Giancarlo Herrera, Hannah Schooner
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends April 30, 2025 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $33.90

Buy for $33.90

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

A heroic epic of one man and his fight for survival.

Dace Tolman’s life has been overturned. One moment he was in his apartment and the next, he and the rest of humanity find themselves in a strange world of monsters and magic.

A new world.

There is nothing benign about mankind’s new home. The Proving Grounds is a world seemingly designed to enhance those worthy of its gifts—and to kill off the rest. Every day is a struggle against the System and its creatures. Can Dace survive its challenges?

Endless opportunities for advancement and power.

Join Dace on his epic journey as he is forced to deal not only with the System, but humanity’s own internal conflicts.

The start of an exciting new epic portal fantasy!

This is a story not only of monsters and dungeons, but also of factional struggles, guild politics, and human foibles.

©2024 Tom Elliot (P)2025 Royal Guard Publishing LLC
Action & Adventure Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Fantasy

What listeners say about Proving Grounds

Highly rated for:

Compelling Protagonist Engaging Narration Promising Series Enjoyable Story Excellent Litrpg
Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    46
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    42
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    40
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

interesting first entry

if you liked The Grand Game, also by Tom, then you should also enjoy this series. This novel basically entirely takes place in the "noobie zone" and is a good introduction to this new system. MC can be a little overly aloof and frustrating but I can already tell he's going to be a beast

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Group interactions

Combat was good. Having a male and female voice was great for dynamic as well. Definitely a great mission faction is on.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

Story was very mediocre in every sense the only really bad thing is the author falls into the trap of making the main guy unable to put 1 and 1 together

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good story

I didn’t care for his dependence on others specifically that asshole guild leader i assumed he would be a soloist given class. If ur going to make him have to party with a guild why not the moral one that was trying to help improve the lives of the townspeople instead of the selfish asshole guild leader?Any still good listen and I would recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Start

I really love the grand game, and this has a similar feel. The different narrators do the story justice and I actually look forward to the rest of the story when normally I’m hesitant to read other stories from a writer until they finish the ones that catch my attention. I’m glad this is an exception.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great for Litrpg

By the standards I have for litrpg this book is excellent. If you really care about pacing or proper world building, this isn’t for you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not Mage, Not Crafter: A Guardian Build Rises

This book is better than it appears. It portrays a world abruptly dragged into an intergalactic war, where inhabitants must endure the training grounds with scant guidance. Among those who pick combat builds, most opt for mage classes, while many others choose crafter roles. Defying the mage heavy combat trend, the protagonist goes for a fighter build, evolving into a protector like figure with abilities reminiscent of a paladin. He’s dominant in some scenarios yet exposed in others, setting the stage for compelling growth in future books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Pushover

Midway and I'm frustrated and how much of a pushover the character is in regards to a certain party, or how much he seeks them out even though he's generally treated like dirt.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

idiot mc

The m c is fairly stupid almost completely unable to see the blatantly obvious.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not as good as The Grand Game

I gave this series a shot because I’m really enjoying The Grand Game so far. Unfortunately, this isn’t nearly as good.

I can’t get behind the protagonist, he has the personality and mannerisms of a knight (which I assume is what the author was going for) but it doesn’t make sense given he’s from the modern era. Nobody in this day and age talks this way. He’s annoying from chapter 1 and a bit of a crybaby.

That being said, I do enjoy the fact that he’s not afraid to do what needs to be done. And takes care of fights without wallowing for half a chapter. Nothing infuriates me more than a decent protagonist crying about having to take a life. So, bonus points for that.

The narration is also not for me, the system messages are a bit too grating and I find myself tempted to skip through them just to get past those parts.

All that aside, the world building has potential, I might continue with the kindle version, but the audible bit isn’t for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful