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The Good Guys #13

Flex in the City

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Up until now, Montana’s gotten by pretending he’s a regular guy.

Well, a regular, overpowered, god-defeating guy who maybe just learned his hair is in all the wrong places.

But the big city is calling, and in order to succeed there, Montana must actually prove himself a deserving duke.

If Glaton finds him lacking, Coggeshall could be forced into even further isolation.

But if Glaton falls in love with him, the regular guy from Motor City could end up with limitless power, in charge of it all.

And just like that, the fate of the entire Empire is in Montana’s hands.

407 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2022

About the author

Eric Ugland

62 books839 followers

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5 stars
1,388 (60%)
4 stars
607 (26%)
3 stars
232 (10%)
2 stars
40 (1%)
1 star
22 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
37 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2022
I Love These Books…But

I really hate the stupidity of Montana. The author just seems to keep beating a dead horse trying to drum up laughs or chuckles with the hero getting stuck in ridiculous situations. Situations that no one, not even some of the more epic Darwin Award Winners could accomplish. Read it because of the other books in the series but unless you are really emotionally invested in Montana I would say give it a pass and wait for the next Clyde Hatchett book.
6 reviews
April 11, 2022
Pointless

To think that I actually paid money for this book is upsetting. This whole book could have been summed up in a rocking roller coaster of about a quarter the actual size. We the readers have know about the vote for emperor since book 2 and here we are at book 13 with book 14 coming and the vote is still not done. This story arch is not getting summed up anywhere before book 30 at this rate.

To much pontificating on the MC's behalf. If he was contemplating something new I could get behind it but its the same drivel we've been exposed to every single book. 13 books of I'm not ready for a relationship yet, Why do politics have to be so complicated, Why does everyone keep telling me I need to act a certain way, Why Why, Why?

Why is he letting powerful enemies live that literary kidnapped him, forced him to fight for his life and than killed the other 2 survivors of said kidnapping. This action alone breaks the literal essence of who the MC is and has demonstrated himself to be over the past 13 book.

I loved the other books but this one felt like fluff. Than I got to the author notes and it mad total sense. To many other book commitments, new kid added to the household soon and therefore we need to stretch this universe to its absolute limit for money over time.

Save you time and money and maybe read the next one.
57 reviews
April 10, 2022
62%

Montana does not even get to Glaton for 62% of the book. The first parts is finally concluding the "pick a building" storyline, which lasted a few book too long. Then the sad sack inter thoughts start... No character development, in fact I think the character is actually getting dumber, despite having a high wisdom score. I mmm might give it one more. Worst book of the series.
Profile Image for Johnny.
1,947 reviews62 followers
April 11, 2022
book thirteen

I love these books. They are great to just sink into and enjoy for a few hours.
For me this is a setup book. Some politics and world building.
I enjoyed it and look forward to more.

8/10
Author 27 books314 followers
April 10, 2022
glorious as always!

As with all of these books, it ended too soon! Not because it doesn’t cover enough, but because if it was 10 million pages longer it’d still be too short. Love this series!
Profile Image for Петър Стойков.
Author 2 books316 followers
June 2, 2022
Ох, не че отдавна поредицата не е просто някакъв не особено интересен сапунен сериал, ама след 12 книги се чувствам достатъчно инвестиран в него, за да прочета 13тата...
1 review
November 21, 2022
Why did he leave the 2 fuck was games managers is it some morality shit like 2 seconds later he kills a random thug but not the turd that kidnapped him and made him fight monster like what the fuck it's legit a stupid retard setup for later holy shit u was fine with the book being mostly just getting to glaton but this fucking pissed me off
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Pau.
17 reviews3 followers
August 29, 2023
Looks like from the previous book onwards, the author is trying to bring the story back on track...funny how Montana is Eric's Alter Ego, and we, the readers, are his counselors' ones.

Let's hope he can do the same for The Bad Guys, which, as of book 9, is in dire straits. I remain hopeful as he's clearly listening to the readers' criticisms.

As always, the narrator, Neil Hellegers, is a 10 out of 19
Profile Image for Jed.
Author 3 books7 followers
April 17, 2022
Just a tidbit, not really a story

Looking for a great additional to the story? This is more like a hiccup. Fun, but far to short to really enjoy. The rather abrupt and sudden ending left me disappointed. The climax of the story is the guy going to a ball and having a verbal sparring match with a bad guy, wakes up to “you’ll be wiped out if you don’t do X” the end…

Really? 😣
Profile Image for Terry.
379 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2024
This is the first book to feel pointless. Montana is stupider than ever forgetting everything he has learned up to this point. The story is little and the filler is drastic. All you get are new "foes" and nothing more.
94 reviews
April 8, 2022
More or less the same

This novel is more or less the same as the other books interesting and entertaining in an episodic kind of way but nothing much changes. All the problems of the previous book is still there and our main character makes a bit of progress. I'm a bit disappointed, I was hoping for more but it entertaining enough where I will pick up the next one.
Profile Image for Steve.
1,418 reviews42 followers
April 9, 2022
My first impression of this book was that I was going to punt it right back, as it took 4 chapters for Montana to make a decision on what kind of magical building he was going to build. That's something that could have been handled in a paragraph which led me to think that this was the usual recursive bickering/snark that many of these books descend to.

Fortunately, things actually start to happen after that and the snark reduces in quantity to something that has a better chance of serving the purpose of entertainment. The action scenes are very good, although I don't feel that quite enough forward progress was made in the story. However, "not quite enough" is a quibble compared to some previous efforts where nearly nothing of any consequence happened through an entire book.

The usual cliff-hanger ending, but it wasn't egregious in this case. The upshot is that this was enough to get me (provisionally) reinvested in the series. I suspect that this benefited from the author's pause and mental reset. If so, please follow that model; I'd rather wait a bit longer for a superior product, and Vuldranni deserves proper attention.
Profile Image for Vincent Bernhardt.
Author 15 books5 followers
June 3, 2022
Yeah, love the main character, but his language is pretty bad. That's on me, though. It means that even though I think it is a pretty fun and funny book, I cannot read it to my wife. Actually, I shouldn't read it anywhere near my wife...
And I have to watch my own language after reading it. Re-train myself, so to speak.
So Montana is caught up in intrigue, and Eric Ugland write exceptionally well about all that. Sometimes I actually feel like Montana as the intrigue flow around me and I wonder if I can even figure it out. But it doesn't matter, because something else that Eric does is write action and fight scenes exceptionally well. And I LOVE those.
I'd give it five stars as far as a book goes, except, you know, language...
If you've been reading the Good Guy series, you'll want this one. If you haven't been, then this is NOT the book to start with. Back to the Beginning.
(As an aside, the writing in the Bad Guys series is also excellent, but without the language problem. It also has a fabulous main character. So go read that series, too.)
Profile Image for Nv1000.
24 reviews
November 19, 2022
This book seems to be trying to create future plot by making the main character change in order to allow a "plot devices" to live when he would normally just kill the person and be done with it. It's such a stretch, that I lost all suspension of disbelief. You can literally see the author forcing things for future use. It was annoying and I'm just starting to dislike the main character and his stupidity. It's all just starting to feeling like he's not a real character but a shell to make things happen. If the next book is like this one I guess that will be the end of this series for me.
25 reviews1 follower
April 28, 2022
Keeps going downhill

First I like the bad guy series and the Nadia from this series seemed like a fake version from the bad guy series. She just gets drunk and feely with the moronic mc, just bad writing. Second Montana w still stupid and the only reason I still read this trash is because I like the world. This is the first book where I found nothing fun, closets was Nadia but tat was ruined by the bad writing.
2,213 reviews52 followers
April 9, 2022
Why do I even bother.

I tried this because I was bored and needed something to read. I knew better, I have seen what the series has devolved into. I did this to myself.
24 reviews
April 8, 2022
Average entry in the series that suffers pacing issues

This book has several standout moments in the second half, but the first half felt dragged out. The ending, as is traditional for this series, ends on a cliffhanger in the style of "tune in next week for the continuing adventures of Montana!" It left the impression that this book was mostly set up for the next one.

The fight and action scenes continue to be a delight. The character interactions between the protagonist and their closest friends are frequently entertaining. And this book finally forces the protagonist into some small moments of emotional introspection which I found quite poignant.

What can often prove grating is the other characters berating the protagonist for nothing much. There's even a scene where one character admits they don't even really know why they do it or what they expect to get out of it. If this was one character it might be more understandable, but it seems like everyone close to the protagonist will at one point stop to pointlessly nag him.

This series shares a setting with another of the author's, and this book is the first time there's been overt crossover and easter eggs between the two. Problem is this series is by far the superior of the two so I barely cared about the crossover elements, which seemed largely superfluous anyway. I very much hope that this doesn't turn into a situation where you have to read both to understand either.

Obviously since I'm reading book 13 of this series I'm a fan who's on board for more. But this book, while good, is neither the best nor the worst in it. It is still a fun adventure romp, and a superior example of the GameLit subgenre.
April 9, 2022
I love the book series...

I honestly love this book series, I have been here since the first release. Though just like the first book till now has been overall great. This book to me feels more of a .5 book. It seems like it could have been longer and seems to have lost the flare. Now with book 13 and soon to be 14 out there will be more action to what we have been seriously lacking in the past 2 book series.

For those who have read this far we all know how the books go, and you can understand that this is just one of the books that tends to fall short. It is also ranked one star lower since I pre-ordered this book and the schedule was pushed back by 2 weeks which honestly sucked more then most since it left off on such a cliff hanger.

Book 13 cliff hanger is one thats reasonable and exciting. But book 12 cliff hanger was a pissoff for most since it took, what like 4 books to figure out the solution seems sus. But could have been solved another way. Also kinda weird having the main characters from the bad guys book series mixed in with this one.

Overall I am excited about book 14 and I think we will see a good progression from the story.
29 reviews
April 10, 2022
Another great adventure

I love this series. I hope I'll he alive to read Good Guys 55 in the year 2036.

I don't understand why some reviewers want this series hurried along to some kind of conclusion. This isnt Lord of the Rings.
There is no MacGuffin to take to Mount Doom.

And if you get a little tired of "dumb" Montana (yes, he is dumb) that just means you need to stop marathoning the series.

This is a series I would recommend not reading back to back.

Treat it like an old school TV series like Miami Vice or Cannon. Would you watch all five seasons of Cannon back to back?

I don't think so.

So take a break, read something else as a palate cleanser. Maybe something where the protagonist is really clever and not so much of a Goody Goody.

Then come back to the series and read another yarn or two.

Don't demand an end. Let the rest of us have fun with this character for years to come.
3 reviews
April 11, 2022
A good read but a bit rushed

The misspellings added to the conception of being rushed (there was a caret at the end of a sentence!).
I am really missing the character development, and i feel like that is where the main character excels. Like Montana, the story has been stuck in holding and politics development, which diverges greatly from where the character strengths lie.
I enjoyed the narrative in this book as it brought perspective into the Galton empire, but my favorite book in the series still has to be good guy book one. The story contains character growth and questing, and I really feel like this is where Eric excels at writing. Give us back the quests and less politics! Character growth and an enemy that cannot be defeated without teaming up with another hero (Clyde?). Levels, character skills, training, equipment, and items! Put a proxy in for Montana’s politicking. Give the poor guy some love affairs, I mean, no wonder he had so many rage issues.
Profile Image for Tyler.
68 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2022
Oh hey, some plot movement.

Montana's story continues to be an entertaining read and in this book he finally starts making real moves towards progress in the overarching narrative. Namely heading to the Capitol city to begin the process of electing the Emperor. There are a few 'country bumpkin in the big city' moments that Ugland pulls off well, and of course a fair dose of the gratuitous violence that is this series's staple.

More importantly from a long term reader perspective, Montana is finally evolving past "funny idiot with more brawn than brains" into something that might, in time, be able to tackle challenges that aren't decided entirely with spears. That evolution, in addition to the progress on the big picture narrative, makes this one of the better recent installments in the series.

Definitely worth the read if you've begun to doubt if the story was ever going to go anywhere.
97 reviews
April 11, 2022
Great fun, great worldbuilding, great laughs

I lovereading the good guys, the bad guys are great, but I just love Montana. This is a fun interlude, no world ending battles, no saving the day (well unless your one of the folks being mugged or chased by a monster though the street) but mostly Montana bumbling alo gtrying to figure out Glatton while being a good guy (with obviously hilarious results) I like the growth we see in Montana, he's starting to come out of his protective shell, deal with his trauma, and mature a bit.

I have to say though, the scene where he and Valamar meet is dumb. He has no reason to trust the guy, yet two seconds in he totally revises his opinion of the guy. There needs to be more interaction, and some sort of event to allow Montana to change his mind.
Profile Image for Zachary.
618 reviews13 followers
May 12, 2022
Montana gets grimy again.

Montana is one of those guys who attracts trouble....and then kinda destroys things as he works his way out of it. He, invariably, needs a shower afterwards...because monsters and whatnot usually require more violent forms of killing.

This book continues the can't and violent adventures of Montana, the not-so-good guy who is really trying to do the right thing, but schemers and monsters tend to get in his way. I found myself laughing out loud rather frequently in this volume. Ugland has quite a fun and zany sense of humor in his writing.

Heads up - the book does have a decent amount of cursing, and Montana tends to toss around the f-word when he's angry...which is not infrequent. Probably not the book for you if that sort of thing bothers you.
June 28, 2023
First, the motherfucking inkeep at the first town needed a fucking slap and a scalping, not sympathy or w/e was forced down our throats.

Second, as someone else said "Why is he letting powerful enemies live that literary kidnapped him, forced him to fight for his life and than killed the other 2 survivors of said kidnapping. This action alone breaks the literal essence of who the MC is and has demonstrated himself to be over the past 13 book." The events around the Stranger debacle is fucking unforgivable, and an active fucking insult from the author to humanity, the readers and the characters. That he couldn't even break out of a shitty carriage, and took so long to even try doing anything was just so beyond forced as well that the author really can never recover any credibility.
728 reviews6 followers
May 15, 2022
I have mixed feelings about the book. On the one hand the main plot of the story progresses finally again, if in glacial speed. On the other Montana is still annoyingly stupid, rude and idiotic.

The first half of the book is just a rather unnecessary huge boring book filler. He finally after soooo many books of "thinking" decides which building to pick.

The second half of the book is more interesting but put me off due to the MCs totally moronic and rude way to interact with (important) people. I totally understand why the book of etiquette tries to kill him and root for it!! When i think about it, not really much important happened at all and then the book ends in a cliff hanger..
Profile Image for Andrew B..
29 reviews
May 22, 2022
What can I say?

I started this series about a month ago and since then it has been a Rollercoaster of highs and lows for me. This series is amazballs! I can't get enough of the back and forth jokes and hazing as well as finally seeing Montana start to grow from a violent hardheaded jock into more of a thinking calculated Duke. I cannot wait for the next installment. I know it is going to be a while since the author has some new additions to his life as well! Keep up the great work Eric!
Profile Image for Kevin.
91 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2022
Feels like a pointless side quest.

He didn’t even finish the pit beast quest.

After the last book about being focused, this book was about keeping the morals of being a good guy, ending upsetting a certain someone looking for a dungeon quest, and answering what’s the worst that can happen to a carriage kidnapping in Glaton that was asked in Bad Guys.

The plot in the city felt more focused on syncing up with Bad Guys, and the rest of the book was misadventures. Fun, but with so much at stake it was harder to enjoy.
Profile Image for M.
332 reviews14 followers
November 19, 2022
At this point Ugland is just milking this as cashcow. His audience is going to dry up in a handful of books and then it would be pointless to bring the series around. At best its going to turn into yet another failed series as the author hurriedly tries to conclude the series. This book has followed the pattern, as few before them, is full of diarrhea of words. Montana keeps getting dumber by the minute, and his continued use of earth idioms is infuriating and pointless. The plot just barely moves forward. This book, if it were to be TV show, would barely cover a 30 minute serial.
Profile Image for Jim Phillips.
625 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2022
Fantastic...well almost

Really is a fantastic read, right up until the last page.

May not be a stand alone book but the story rolls along. At the end of the book We've got the main character in a safe place looking at possibly months of meetings and late night heroing and what happens we throw a wrench in. So now were on a cliff facing the end of the world and we're stuck until the next book.

This soooo loses a star for that ending.
Profile Image for Tony Hinde.
1,773 reviews49 followers
May 12, 2022
I enjoyed this more than the last few books in the series. Not only does it feel like we're making progress toward the endpoint, but we get to see Montana in a new setting. I was going to say "out of his element" but that's pretty much everywhere, aside from the stomach of some monster.

It's a staple of LitRPG to see the hero sucker-punch the arrogant nobility... because it's satisfying. It looks like the next book in the series will feature a lot of this. I'm game.
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