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Salvage System
A new LitRPG apocalypse series from Nicholas Sansbury Smith, the New York Times bestselling author of Hell Divers.
Welcome to the Salvage, Slay, Survive.
For Chris Mason, working construction at the pinnacle of New York's skyline feels like being on top of the world—until that world is shattered when an otherworldly portal transforms Manhattan into a deadly fantasy realm.
Chosen as a "salvager" by a mysterious System that has plagued humanity throughout history, Chris must now scavenge the ruins of his city for materials to craft weapons, armor, and shelter while the city continues to transform around him.
With only his sledgehammer for protection and a wise-cracking rat named Bunny as his guide, Chris fights through a nightmarish New York where Central Park has become a mutated forest, subway tunnels hide deadly dungeons, and familiar streets are hunting grounds for monsters.
If Chris has any hope of thriving, he must level-up his salvaging skills to build not just walls and weapons, but a community of salvagers strong enough to reclaim their world from the alien force threatening to consume it. Yet among the survivors, loyalty is scarce, and some are willing to betray humanity itself for the promise of power.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Hell Divers and the Extinction Cycle comes an apocalyptic LitRPG adventure where humanity’s last hope lies in the rubble of a fallen city. Perfect for fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl, System Apocalypse, and Defiance of the Fall!
Welcome to the Salvage, Slay, Survive.
For Chris Mason, working construction at the pinnacle of New York's skyline feels like being on top of the world—until that world is shattered when an otherworldly portal transforms Manhattan into a deadly fantasy realm.
Chosen as a "salvager" by a mysterious System that has plagued humanity throughout history, Chris must now scavenge the ruins of his city for materials to craft weapons, armor, and shelter while the city continues to transform around him.
With only his sledgehammer for protection and a wise-cracking rat named Bunny as his guide, Chris fights through a nightmarish New York where Central Park has become a mutated forest, subway tunnels hide deadly dungeons, and familiar streets are hunting grounds for monsters.
If Chris has any hope of thriving, he must level-up his salvaging skills to build not just walls and weapons, but a community of salvagers strong enough to reclaim their world from the alien force threatening to consume it. Yet among the survivors, loyalty is scarce, and some are willing to betray humanity itself for the promise of power.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Hell Divers and the Extinction Cycle comes an apocalyptic LitRPG adventure where humanity’s last hope lies in the rubble of a fallen city. Perfect for fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl, System Apocalypse, and Defiance of the Fall!
- GenresAudiobookUnfinished
647 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2025
443 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Sansbury Smith
103 books2,384 followersNicholas Sansbury Smith is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels with two million copies sold. Before his writing career, he served at Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a background that inspired many of his story concepts. A two time Ironman triathlete, he enjoys running, biking, and hiking. Nicholas also loves traveling, especially to his cabin in Northern Minnesota where he weaves his tales. He lives in Iowa with his wonderful wife and their son and daughter.
Note: Nicholas is no longer an active user on Goodreads and does not use the platform. If you want to connect with him on social media here are some links. He would love to hear from you.
Facebook Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NSSFa...
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/nicholassans...
Website: nicholassansburysmith.com
Instagram: instagram.com/author_sansbury/
Note: Nicholas is no longer an active user on Goodreads and does not use the platform. If you want to connect with him on social media here are some links. He would love to hear from you.
Facebook Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NSSFa...
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/nicholassans...
Website: nicholassansburysmith.com
Instagram: instagram.com/author_sansbury/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 30, 2025
This has an interesting premise. But there's no real continuity and the motivation and focus shift around kind of randomly. And don't get me started on the annoying little helper rat. Way too many of the main character's actions seemed like someone rolling dice and then consequences seemed to be based on someone rolling dice more often than not as well. If I wanted a random story, with random events and random payoff I'd find a five year-old to entertain me...
October 23, 2025
DNF at 20%.
Could not connect to the MC, cringe worthy rat guide, and could not care less about the MCs friends. The guide gets turned into talking feces, then later gets a weirdly specific raging red rocket for a squirrel? yeah, I'm out.
Could not connect to the MC, cringe worthy rat guide, and could not care less about the MCs friends. The guide gets turned into talking feces, then later gets a weirdly specific raging red rocket for a squirrel? yeah, I'm out.
November 8, 2025
After 2 weeks of trying to get past 15% of the book, I’m out and this joins the very small list of books I did not finish.
Main issue is that the book doesn’t put out the mechanics that it falls under, and the ones that are shared aren’t stuck to.
That just breaks it for me.
Main issue is that the book doesn’t put out the mechanics that it falls under, and the ones that are shared aren’t stuck to.
That just breaks it for me.
October 19, 2025
Nicolas Sansbury Smith does what he has been able to do in all of his books, which is set a scene that is so imaginative and vivid that you forget that you are reading or listening to a book, and feel like you're in the moment seeing it happen.
Salvage System is an awesome system apocalypse litrpg with tons of fun characters, interesting situations, and hard hitting action.
Just looking at the cover art, you know that you're in for a fun time.
I would say if you like Dungeon Crawler Carl you'll probably like this book. Definitely a little more serious than DCC, but they share some elements that make them comparable without it at all being a copy (and from what I hear, Nick and Matt Dinnimin are buddies.)
I 100% recommend this book and although I've already read it, I've got the Kindle and Audible versions preordered too!
Don't miss out on such a fun adventure!
Salvage System is an awesome system apocalypse litrpg with tons of fun characters, interesting situations, and hard hitting action.
Just looking at the cover art, you know that you're in for a fun time.
I would say if you like Dungeon Crawler Carl you'll probably like this book. Definitely a little more serious than DCC, but they share some elements that make them comparable without it at all being a copy (and from what I hear, Nick and Matt Dinnimin are buddies.)
I 100% recommend this book and although I've already read it, I've got the Kindle and Audible versions preordered too!
Don't miss out on such a fun adventure!
November 26, 2025
Nothing about the plot or setting make a lick of sense.
Souls are real, no one even questions it. Humanity is fighting against the System, but the System is the one that provides all the resources and tools. The architecture of every building is a mishmash of ancient, modern, and futuristic. The System showing up has happened before, many times throughout history, but it takes 8 million souls to run the game the size of New York City for 5000 people and a couple weeks. Half the survivors dead after 3 days and the game updates, buildings get bulldozed and rebuilt. Guide has been around the block a few times and apparently was a normal bunny prior to his first time. No mention of what he does or where he's been when the System isn't "active" which means Bunny is like a thousand years old, this fact is never questioned. Other players (sorry, Salvagers) have their own guide companions, a mix of talking (old) and not-talking (new), with no explanation as to why. MC seems to run into (and kill) bosses double his level more often than he runs into on-level mooks (and the mooks actually give him more trouble, if they aren't just a speed bump).
Even at one point the main character , an utter contradiction of why the System exists and what its purpose is. Actually happens twice, really.
Humanity has always fought off the System in the past and what happens if humanity loses is only a hypothesized "Earth is destroyed." But sure, lets assume that's true: why do the aliens keep coming back if we've fought off their invasion before? Why is the System balanced against the tech level of humans? Why are humans at such a disadvantage this time around by not being given a tutorial and all the System magic requires stupidly clunky voice commands and half of the survivors aren't given talking companions?
Mere hours after the half-way point update the System initiates the "we've won" celebratory parade as a show of force against the remaining survivors that aren't already killed or captured. MC plans on freeing all the prisoners that are in the parade and gets a message from the System saying "this is why we chose you." What. Who's side is the System on?
Actually scratch that and back up a step. All the things that the monsters are and the operational logic of the game itself is collectively referred to by the characters as "the System." But there's also an intelligence that sends messages to the MC, etc. that I've been calling "the System" in this review, but I don't actually know that those two entities are the same thing. Because if they are, then it's schizophrenic. But if they aren't, then how does the second one even operate? It clearly violates the rules of the former when its convenient (and the former is definitely trying to kill everyone).
And the worst part is, no one even mentions this fact. Not even the MC in his own head.
This reads like a bunch of random bullshit made up to explain the prior bullshit just well enough to move the plot forward. But there is no plot. Its just a series of events that are occurring in chronological order under a thing veneer of "survive" and "fight back" but there's not even a clear "win condition" to work towards, just the characters saying "we can win" and so they resolve their immediate problem (or find a new one), repeat, throw in the occasional made up bullshit or deus ex machina. There are lampshades hanging off lampshades, here.
Souls are real, no one even questions it. Humanity is fighting against the System, but the System is the one that provides all the resources and tools. The architecture of every building is a mishmash of ancient, modern, and futuristic. The System showing up has happened before, many times throughout history, but it takes 8 million souls to run the game the size of New York City for 5000 people and a couple weeks. Half the survivors dead after 3 days and the game updates, buildings get bulldozed and rebuilt. Guide has been around the block a few times and apparently was a normal bunny prior to his first time. No mention of what he does or where he's been when the System isn't "active" which means Bunny is like a thousand years old, this fact is never questioned. Other players (sorry, Salvagers) have their own guide companions, a mix of talking (old) and not-talking (new), with no explanation as to why. MC seems to run into (and kill) bosses double his level more often than he runs into on-level mooks (and the mooks actually give him more trouble, if they aren't just a speed bump).
Even at one point the main character , an utter contradiction of why the System exists and what its purpose is. Actually happens twice, really.
Humanity has always fought off the System in the past and what happens if humanity loses is only a hypothesized "Earth is destroyed." But sure, lets assume that's true: why do the aliens keep coming back if we've fought off their invasion before? Why is the System balanced against the tech level of humans? Why are humans at such a disadvantage this time around by not being given a tutorial and all the System magic requires stupidly clunky voice commands and half of the survivors aren't given talking companions?
Mere hours after the half-way point update the System initiates the "we've won" celebratory parade as a show of force against the remaining survivors that aren't already killed or captured. MC plans on freeing all the prisoners that are in the parade and gets a message from the System saying "this is why we chose you." What. Who's side is the System on?
Actually scratch that and back up a step. All the things that the monsters are and the operational logic of the game itself is collectively referred to by the characters as "the System." But there's also an intelligence that sends messages to the MC, etc. that I've been calling "the System" in this review, but I don't actually know that those two entities are the same thing. Because if they are, then it's schizophrenic. But if they aren't, then how does the second one even operate? It clearly violates the rules of the former when its convenient (and the former is definitely trying to kill everyone).
And the worst part is, no one even mentions this fact. Not even the MC in his own head.
This reads like a bunch of random bullshit made up to explain the prior bullshit just well enough to move the plot forward. But there is no plot. Its just a series of events that are occurring in chronological order under a thing veneer of "survive" and "fight back" but there's not even a clear "win condition" to work towards, just the characters saying "we can win" and so they resolve their immediate problem (or find a new one), repeat, throw in the occasional made up bullshit or deus ex machina. There are lampshades hanging off lampshades, here.
November 25, 2025
Prepare to salvage! A nearly familiar world to role play!
Chris Mason and the other two men of his three man crew were working on the 99th floor of New York City's soon to be tallest skyscraper. A really intense storm is barreling in from the east and the wind is threatening to blow them off the building. Lightning strobes through the purplish clouds and suddenly an immense rectangular portal opens in the sky above Central Park. A booming voice coming from everywhere announces “Prepare for the Salvage System.”
With the floor rippling, the building warping and twisting, Chris felt a strange force lift him toward the portal. The city below him transforming into medieval structures, Central Park changes into trees colored with fall colors, the buildings became stone castles. The force holding Chris rolled him over so that he was facing the portal, looking into another world covered in liquid metal. An odd green light flashed above him and scanned him head to toe several times then disappeared. The force holding him released and Chris plummeted to the street below. He stopped and floated a few feet in the air, slowly sinking to the transformed city. A window appeared in front of him. Words appeared in the window reading,
[Chris Mason—Class Unassigned—Level 1]
55 of 5000 Salvagers
Salvagers? Class? What? The transformed city blurred and everything went black, consciousness dimming until Chris and the world around him was gone.
Chris jerked awake with a terrible headache, a horrible dream fading as he looked around. The transformed city was still changed as the same voice intoned
“Salvage System Activated.”
Looking around Chris called for his friends, "Max! Rusty! Anybody?!" Silence was his only answer. The HUD screen was still there with a map in the corner and letters showing information. The map was dark except for an area in the middle displaying what he could see around him. The words appeared:
[Chris Mason—Level 1]
55 of 4995 Salvagers
Class: [Unassigned]
.Skills: [Builder Level 1]
Health: 41/50
That explained his aching head.
Endurance: 20/50
Stamina: 35/50
Strength: 48/50
Agility: 40/50
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 0
A squeaky voice below him belonged to a hugely muscled rat wearing a black biker vest and a gold chain. His name was Bunny, he learned - his guide in the altered world. "A talking rat named Bunny. I'm dead already!," Chris thought. He wasn't far from right.
This is my first experience with LitRPG and I'm hooked! Loosely based on D&D style role playing games, LitRPG characters earn points as they fight and experience the dungeons or zones. Salvage Systems uses salvage tokens as currency, advancing experience and building stats. Salvaging weapons and supplies to level up and win battles.
Chris has a long way to go and limited time. Hopefully his talking rat guide will help him locate his friends and advance through this strange world before he is eliminated!
Great characters and an amazing storyline have converted me to a fan! Combining the world of D&D with literary role playing is an awesome platform. This storyline, mixed with role playing architecture, have converted me to a believer and a fan! This is a great read! Can't wait for book 2!
Chris Mason and the other two men of his three man crew were working on the 99th floor of New York City's soon to be tallest skyscraper. A really intense storm is barreling in from the east and the wind is threatening to blow them off the building. Lightning strobes through the purplish clouds and suddenly an immense rectangular portal opens in the sky above Central Park. A booming voice coming from everywhere announces “Prepare for the Salvage System.”
With the floor rippling, the building warping and twisting, Chris felt a strange force lift him toward the portal. The city below him transforming into medieval structures, Central Park changes into trees colored with fall colors, the buildings became stone castles. The force holding Chris rolled him over so that he was facing the portal, looking into another world covered in liquid metal. An odd green light flashed above him and scanned him head to toe several times then disappeared. The force holding him released and Chris plummeted to the street below. He stopped and floated a few feet in the air, slowly sinking to the transformed city. A window appeared in front of him. Words appeared in the window reading,
[Chris Mason—Class Unassigned—Level 1]
55 of 5000 Salvagers
Salvagers? Class? What? The transformed city blurred and everything went black, consciousness dimming until Chris and the world around him was gone.
Chris jerked awake with a terrible headache, a horrible dream fading as he looked around. The transformed city was still changed as the same voice intoned
“Salvage System Activated.”
Looking around Chris called for his friends, "Max! Rusty! Anybody?!" Silence was his only answer. The HUD screen was still there with a map in the corner and letters showing information. The map was dark except for an area in the middle displaying what he could see around him. The words appeared:
[Chris Mason—Level 1]
55 of 4995 Salvagers
Class: [Unassigned]
.Skills: [Builder Level 1]
Health: 41/50
That explained his aching head.
Endurance: 20/50
Stamina: 35/50
Strength: 48/50
Agility: 40/50
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 0
A squeaky voice below him belonged to a hugely muscled rat wearing a black biker vest and a gold chain. His name was Bunny, he learned - his guide in the altered world. "A talking rat named Bunny. I'm dead already!," Chris thought. He wasn't far from right.
This is my first experience with LitRPG and I'm hooked! Loosely based on D&D style role playing games, LitRPG characters earn points as they fight and experience the dungeons or zones. Salvage Systems uses salvage tokens as currency, advancing experience and building stats. Salvaging weapons and supplies to level up and win battles.
Chris has a long way to go and limited time. Hopefully his talking rat guide will help him locate his friends and advance through this strange world before he is eliminated!
Great characters and an amazing storyline have converted me to a fan! Combining the world of D&D with literary role playing is an awesome platform. This storyline, mixed with role playing architecture, have converted me to a believer and a fan! This is a great read! Can't wait for book 2!
November 24, 2025
My review is actually one star, but in order to write anything from an opinion POV, you must rate at least two stars. So, one star, firmly and forever. Regardless of what I was forced to add.
From a literary POV, this is gutter snipe trash. If it's supposed to be science fiction, it is NOT good Sci-fi. It's simple-minded and disjointed, and when it began to flood with erotic images of a rat's erection, I had to check out.
The action is entirely BS. From what universe do these aliens just pop up and begin to either create, assist or destroy existing society? Are they vastly superior to human or are they merely discontent humans bent of destroying what little of society seems to remain after centuries of development and continuity? I found most of it just full of BS descriptions of things that might have been developed and implemented in actual societies, but the genuine storyline of aliens augmenting what might have been to make it more easily subservient to themselves is never quite put into the story. It isn't as though there's some precious and limited source of knowledge or some fragment of mineral, vegetable, or other life form has suddenly become precious and scarce, as a matter of fact, we go from a bored and unassuming construction worker who suddenly becomes the sole survivor of a cataclysmic event-that apparently wipes out all life forms and sources of intellect other than their own alien source? Really? How would that work, exactly?
I rarely leave books sitting around collecting dust, but this one is an absolute "no-brainer" for me. If you require some thought and substance in your entertainment reading, this is the penny-saver version of the decades old, left behind magazines from a 1980's era barbershop. I thought it was trash. And that's me, being nice.
How this ever became a published work is beyond intellect. I think this guy must have some vivid dreams. Perhaps a stint on the couch of a good therapist might help iron out some of his issues. Because surely, his writing is not helping him resolve anything.
This is a one star POS.
From a literary POV, this is gutter snipe trash. If it's supposed to be science fiction, it is NOT good Sci-fi. It's simple-minded and disjointed, and when it began to flood with erotic images of a rat's erection, I had to check out.
The action is entirely BS. From what universe do these aliens just pop up and begin to either create, assist or destroy existing society? Are they vastly superior to human or are they merely discontent humans bent of destroying what little of society seems to remain after centuries of development and continuity? I found most of it just full of BS descriptions of things that might have been developed and implemented in actual societies, but the genuine storyline of aliens augmenting what might have been to make it more easily subservient to themselves is never quite put into the story. It isn't as though there's some precious and limited source of knowledge or some fragment of mineral, vegetable, or other life form has suddenly become precious and scarce, as a matter of fact, we go from a bored and unassuming construction worker who suddenly becomes the sole survivor of a cataclysmic event-that apparently wipes out all life forms and sources of intellect other than their own alien source? Really? How would that work, exactly?
I rarely leave books sitting around collecting dust, but this one is an absolute "no-brainer" for me. If you require some thought and substance in your entertainment reading, this is the penny-saver version of the decades old, left behind magazines from a 1980's era barbershop. I thought it was trash. And that's me, being nice.
How this ever became a published work is beyond intellect. I think this guy must have some vivid dreams. Perhaps a stint on the couch of a good therapist might help iron out some of his issues. Because surely, his writing is not helping him resolve anything.
This is a one star POS.
October 24, 2025
Book one DNF!
I did not finish this book.
It's not well thought out at all.
Your main character is A moron. His companion is a rat. A lot of time is spent talking about Piss, poop, I get that animals do that But it adds nothing to the story. Into a pile of talking But it adds nothing to the story. Into a pile of talking But it adds nothing to the story. Oh and then the rat got turned into a pile of talking turds But I quit reading when it was started talking about the rats erection. Yes the rat got an erection from looking at a squirrel's butt. We are told that don't know why we needed to know that don't care to know that.
Other problems with the story include the fact that this is supposedly happened many times in the past But we've always succeeded yet There is no knowledge of this because the aliens won't allow us to know. But they did help the Egyptians build the pyramids. See it doesn't make any sense.
It doesn't seem very well thought out I've read 187 pages And I'm not impressed. The magic is lack luster, For a salvager he doesn't salvage much. His safe zone came equipped with Food medicine water pots pans All the stuff he hasn't salvaged. So it's pulled out of thin air. The rat is crude, Rude and if he spoke to me like that I would have killed him in the 1st 5 minutes. He's supposed to be the MC's guide yet he gives him very little actual usable information. He waits till he's doing his 1st salvage quest or whatever it was to tell him how to do it and uses up some of the time since it was a timed event. Couldn't actually be bothered to explain things in detail before starting the event.
This is not well thought out , bunch of ideas just slapped together and called a book with no rationale. I don't recommend it. I think it's pretty bad.
.001/10 I just don't care or need to know about a rat's erection.
I did not finish this book.
It's not well thought out at all.
Your main character is A moron. His companion is a rat. A lot of time is spent talking about Piss, poop, I get that animals do that But it adds nothing to the story. Into a pile of talking But it adds nothing to the story. Into a pile of talking But it adds nothing to the story. Oh and then the rat got turned into a pile of talking turds But I quit reading when it was started talking about the rats erection. Yes the rat got an erection from looking at a squirrel's butt. We are told that don't know why we needed to know that don't care to know that.
Other problems with the story include the fact that this is supposedly happened many times in the past But we've always succeeded yet There is no knowledge of this because the aliens won't allow us to know. But they did help the Egyptians build the pyramids. See it doesn't make any sense.
It doesn't seem very well thought out I've read 187 pages And I'm not impressed. The magic is lack luster, For a salvager he doesn't salvage much. His safe zone came equipped with Food medicine water pots pans All the stuff he hasn't salvaged. So it's pulled out of thin air. The rat is crude, Rude and if he spoke to me like that I would have killed him in the 1st 5 minutes. He's supposed to be the MC's guide yet he gives him very little actual usable information. He waits till he's doing his 1st salvage quest or whatever it was to tell him how to do it and uses up some of the time since it was a timed event. Couldn't actually be bothered to explain things in detail before starting the event.
This is not well thought out , bunch of ideas just slapped together and called a book with no rationale. I don't recommend it. I think it's pretty bad.
.001/10 I just don't care or need to know about a rat's erection.
November 4, 2025
Fortnite in NYC Alien Invasion Season
I think the best platform for this book would be a graphic novel instead of an audiobook. Choosing to use this simpler writing style keeps the focus on the momentum of the action rather than developing deeper characters. The creative backdrop of New York City transformed into skewed recreations of various time period architecture plus the ever present NSS monsters would make gorgeous illustrations. The writing would flow better from frame to frame in a GN, too. Although there are a few moments of explicit humor, those could easily be edited and the story would be perfect for middle grade to young adult reader groups. I'm thinking marketing to grades 6-12. The characters are all adults but the storyline is basically Guardians of the Galaxy playing a magical version of Fortnite in New York during the alien invasion season.
I love Hell Divers and have to be clear that this is not a similar story. Nick seems to have a million different universes in his brain and this is just one of the wonderful, weird things he's been able to bring across with words. It's full of NSS motifs like the monsters, of course, underdog survivors led by a strong compassionate male, a loyal dog plus other intelligent animals, an apocalypse setting, going up against the big bad, slaves kept for food, creepy holes in the ground, round sucker mouths with lots of teeth, and so on. I recommend reading it yourself over listening because the voice didn't match for me and I kept tuning out. The one character whose voice I loved was Echo the dog, and Chuck the Ogre sounded good, too.
I think the best platform for this book would be a graphic novel instead of an audiobook. Choosing to use this simpler writing style keeps the focus on the momentum of the action rather than developing deeper characters. The creative backdrop of New York City transformed into skewed recreations of various time period architecture plus the ever present NSS monsters would make gorgeous illustrations. The writing would flow better from frame to frame in a GN, too. Although there are a few moments of explicit humor, those could easily be edited and the story would be perfect for middle grade to young adult reader groups. I'm thinking marketing to grades 6-12. The characters are all adults but the storyline is basically Guardians of the Galaxy playing a magical version of Fortnite in New York during the alien invasion season.
I love Hell Divers and have to be clear that this is not a similar story. Nick seems to have a million different universes in his brain and this is just one of the wonderful, weird things he's been able to bring across with words. It's full of NSS motifs like the monsters, of course, underdog survivors led by a strong compassionate male, a loyal dog plus other intelligent animals, an apocalypse setting, going up against the big bad, slaves kept for food, creepy holes in the ground, round sucker mouths with lots of teeth, and so on. I recommend reading it yourself over listening because the voice didn't match for me and I kept tuning out. The one character whose voice I loved was Echo the dog, and Chuck the Ogre sounded good, too.
December 16, 2025
3 stars is pushing it for me.
I went into Salvage System with fairly high expectations because of Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s reputation, but unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me.
My biggest issue was Bunny, the rat. He started out with a terrible, vulgar mouth and was not very likable as a character in general. To be clear, my dislike had nothing to do with the fact that he was a rat—he’s an animal, and that didn’t bother me at all. It was his personality and constant crudeness that made it difficult for me to connect with him. While I will admit that Bunny redeemed himself somewhat by the end of the story, he still never became a character I actually liked.
Overall, the story itself wasn’t as strong as I expected from this author. That said, I did appreciate the character development of the main character, Chris. Over the course of the book, Chris clearly grows as a person and learns how to step into a leadership role, which was the strongest part of the story for me.
In the end, this book just didn’t hold my interest enough to make me want to continue the series. Between not enjoying the story overall and having so many other books to read and listen to, I won’t be picking up the remaining books.
While this novel may still appeal to fans of sci-fi survival stories, it ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me.
I went into Salvage System with fairly high expectations because of Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s reputation, but unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me.
My biggest issue was Bunny, the rat. He started out with a terrible, vulgar mouth and was not very likable as a character in general. To be clear, my dislike had nothing to do with the fact that he was a rat—he’s an animal, and that didn’t bother me at all. It was his personality and constant crudeness that made it difficult for me to connect with him. While I will admit that Bunny redeemed himself somewhat by the end of the story, he still never became a character I actually liked.
Overall, the story itself wasn’t as strong as I expected from this author. That said, I did appreciate the character development of the main character, Chris. Over the course of the book, Chris clearly grows as a person and learns how to step into a leadership role, which was the strongest part of the story for me.
In the end, this book just didn’t hold my interest enough to make me want to continue the series. Between not enjoying the story overall and having so many other books to read and listen to, I won’t be picking up the remaining books.
While this novel may still appeal to fans of sci-fi survival stories, it ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me.
November 4, 2025
DNF at 19%
I really struggled with this book as for days always found something better to do than to continue reading. I found it hard to care about the simple minded and his sassy rat companion. The rat got ever more vulgar. I stopped reading when the rat got an erection after seeing a squirrel..
This book is not for me!
Criticism and comments
How does the rat have that much knowledge about contemporary culture? Did it watch the Internet a lot?
"Did you think the Egyptians built the pyramids? Fuck no, they didn’t. They had help. It was a gift after defeating that system," So the Egyptians supposedly wished for 3 well made and a lot of shoddily made giant stone sacrophagi(not to mention the unfinished ones) for to be dead kings of the future from the aliens? One would assume that the desert, floods, child death rate, threats from outside and diseases would have had more priority for the survivors.
Forge Plate Armor ìs supposed to be light weight? I wonder what the author considers heavy and burdensome armor then..
"no sweat off my sack.”
Bunny frowned and then jerked, a grin on his face as his erection returned.
I really struggled with this book as for days always found something better to do than to continue reading. I found it hard to care about the simple minded and his sassy rat companion. The rat got ever more vulgar. I stopped reading when the rat got an erection after seeing a squirrel..
This book is not for me!
Criticism and comments
How does the rat have that much knowledge about contemporary culture? Did it watch the Internet a lot?
"Did you think the Egyptians built the pyramids? Fuck no, they didn’t. They had help. It was a gift after defeating that system," So the Egyptians supposedly wished for 3 well made and a lot of shoddily made giant stone sacrophagi(not to mention the unfinished ones) for to be dead kings of the future from the aliens? One would assume that the desert, floods, child death rate, threats from outside and diseases would have had more priority for the survivors.
Forge Plate Armor ìs supposed to be light weight? I wonder what the author considers heavy and burdensome armor then..
"no sweat off my sack.”
Bunny frowned and then jerked, a grin on his face as his erection returned.
October 29, 2025
NSS releases Salvage System, a post apocalyptic war games thriller set in a newly transformed America. A mysterious power reshapes the terrain and introduces classes to a small fraction of survivors.
From the start we see the author’s focus on a quick pace and characters we’ll root for to endure. Be ready for a sweet new class where salvaging turns into power and building on the go. Plenty of twists and skill development will lead toward an epic series of battles and expansion on who exactly is turning Earth into a tournament of gladiatorial combat.
As a fan of the author’s previous books, Salvage System impressed me with how he’s able to consistently produce such high quality books. His standard does not fade with this new series; it has evolved. I haven’t enjoyed a post apocalyptic LitRPG as much as this, and it’s only the first book!
From the start we see the author’s focus on a quick pace and characters we’ll root for to endure. Be ready for a sweet new class where salvaging turns into power and building on the go. Plenty of twists and skill development will lead toward an epic series of battles and expansion on who exactly is turning Earth into a tournament of gladiatorial combat.
As a fan of the author’s previous books, Salvage System impressed me with how he’s able to consistently produce such high quality books. His standard does not fade with this new series; it has evolved. I haven’t enjoyed a post apocalyptic LitRPG as much as this, and it’s only the first book!
December 3, 2025
I wanted to enjoy this but just couldn't. the characters weren't interesting, the comic relief sidekick wasn't funny, the system was weird, the magic system worse.
it seemed to jump all over the place and go nowhere at the same time.
Too many uses of weird sentences that the author used to describe things. I get that they're aliens and not humanoid but using descriptions like "
At its center hovered the core that defied three-dimensional space"
it means nothing. how does it defy three dimensional space? we'll never know. But there are 8 uses of the word defied in the book and all of them are to describe something defying physics, earthly engineering and natural geometry. Might be a small thing to some but it irritated me.
I wish I hadn't read this book.
it seemed to jump all over the place and go nowhere at the same time.
Too many uses of weird sentences that the author used to describe things. I get that they're aliens and not humanoid but using descriptions like "
At its center hovered the core that defied three-dimensional space"
it means nothing. how does it defy three dimensional space? we'll never know. But there are 8 uses of the word defied in the book and all of them are to describe something defying physics, earthly engineering and natural geometry. Might be a small thing to some but it irritated me.
I wish I hadn't read this book.
October 29, 2025
What a fun ride! Any book that this author writes I'll definitely buy. So when he came out with a new book I got it , and wasnt disappointed. I'm new to the LITRPG and have stalled reading any because I thought the stats would take away from the story, but it didn't. I actualy started understanding and liked that they came up. Im not a gamer at all, so this was very new to me.The world building is creative and a new concept to me. The characters were well thought out, easy to relate to with humor and lots of snark. I enjoyed this throughly and can't wait for book 2
November 4, 2025
Salvage System is like no System on Earth, really!
'Salvage System' is a series starter. It is an excellent, quirky story that could only come from one of the most creative sci-fi writers of this generation, Nicholas Sansbury Smith. This book resembles the 'Galaxy In Flames' series more than 'Hell Divers'. So, open your imagination and enjoy the adventure. The audible book is performed by the. talented and versatile Michael Kramer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next System change. -Mr. Bill
'Salvage System' is a series starter. It is an excellent, quirky story that could only come from one of the most creative sci-fi writers of this generation, Nicholas Sansbury Smith. This book resembles the 'Galaxy In Flames' series more than 'Hell Divers'. So, open your imagination and enjoy the adventure. The audible book is performed by the. talented and versatile Michael Kramer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next System change. -Mr. Bill
October 25, 2025
I expected more
While this isn't a bad book I had no interest in it, at least not enough to continue reading after 30%. Dull characters, a 'comic' relief sidekick (pro tip: a comic relief sidekick needs to be funny.) The 'System' isn't particularly interesting, and the less said about the magic system the better.
The premise sounded good, but the execution was shoddy. Tom out
While this isn't a bad book I had no interest in it, at least not enough to continue reading after 30%. Dull characters, a 'comic' relief sidekick (pro tip: a comic relief sidekick needs to be funny.) The 'System' isn't particularly interesting, and the less said about the magic system the better.
The premise sounded good, but the execution was shoddy. Tom out
November 4, 2025
I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t develop any liking for any of the characters and several just bugged me. I struggled to get through it and it was just rough.
On a positive note, the editing was well done and I didn’t see any glaring issues.
I enjoyed the author’s post Apoc stuff, but this was a no for me and I’ll not continue the series
On a positive note, the editing was well done and I didn’t see any glaring issues.
I enjoyed the author’s post Apoc stuff, but this was a no for me and I’ll not continue the series
December 29, 2025
Beyond expectations
Be prepared to suspend your disbelief! This is a book that is very different from anything else I have read. This is not your regular LitRPG. Mr. Smith builds the characters into a family, which he does so well in all of his books. I enjoyed each of the main characters and the interesting changes in the setting. Highly recommend it!
Be prepared to suspend your disbelief! This is a book that is very different from anything else I have read. This is not your regular LitRPG. Mr. Smith builds the characters into a family, which he does so well in all of his books. I enjoyed each of the main characters and the interesting changes in the setting. Highly recommend it!
October 24, 2025
I really tried with this book but in the end I couldn't get past chapter 19, so DNF. It may be someone else's cup of tea but for a book that should be an easy home run for me it didn't even manage to make it on the plate.
October 30, 2025
Not my cup of tea. LitRpg but more as a side character not really an adventure really it was ok but got board with it finished about 75%. Currently reading HwfWm series too. So maybe spoiled. may re try at a later date.
October 30, 2025
Bunny!
Excellent, amazing and so much fun. Thoroughly enjoyed this story, it's characters and tongue in cheek dialogue. It's got everything that makes LitRPG a great read. Action, twists and turns, noobs and bad guys. Im looking forward to book two.
Highly recommend.
Excellent, amazing and so much fun. Thoroughly enjoyed this story, it's characters and tongue in cheek dialogue. It's got everything that makes LitRPG a great read. Action, twists and turns, noobs and bad guys. Im looking forward to book two.
Highly recommend.
November 1, 2025
Okay Read
It was well written, and interesting. I found the system leveling and aliens interesting. But some of the characters weren't that interesting, and not trusting anyone because there can be only one; but suprise and shock when one of them turns wasn't so believable.
It was well written, and interesting. I found the system leveling and aliens interesting. But some of the characters weren't that interesting, and not trusting anyone because there can be only one; but suprise and shock when one of them turns wasn't so believable.
November 7, 2025
You did it again
Another great read, kept me turning the pages wanting more. What an adventure, you took us on a journey, as Mason leveled up, so did we. Can't wait for the next one to see where it leads, to the void.
Another great read, kept me turning the pages wanting more. What an adventure, you took us on a journey, as Mason leveled up, so did we. Can't wait for the next one to see where it leads, to the void.
December 12, 2025
Novel Concept and a Fun Read
The use of a literal role playing game for the story was novel. I questioned why aliens would do this but whatever. It was a fun read. I am looking forward to the next book and how it advances the story.
The use of a literal role playing game for the story was novel. I questioned why aliens would do this but whatever. It was a fun read. I am looking forward to the next book and how it advances the story.
didn-t-like-it
October 28, 2025Note to self: nope, not liking it.
Read
October 29, 2025DNF
October 29, 2025
I’m really enjoying Salvage System. Love the characters, stir, and the RPG element! Bunny is awesome 🙂
November 1, 2025
Great book
A solid entry from Nicolas Sansbury Smith! Lots of action and adventure, magic and monsters. Looking forward to the next one.
A solid entry from Nicolas Sansbury Smith! Lots of action and adventure, magic and monsters. Looking forward to the next one.
November 1, 2025
Really loved NSS take on this genre. The comedy is well placed. The action is breathtaking and edge of your seat fun. Bunny by far was my favorite character. Next to Dario lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2025
Far too long. I'll give number 2 a miss I think.
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