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Apocalypse Parenting #4
Breaking Rules
Meghan, Pointy, and the kids have conquered Challenges, gathered allies, and bought themselves a little breathing room.
Pointy thinks she has a way to contact the artificial intelligence controlling the contest. She wants to convince it to give her information. Maybe she can get it to tweak the rules!
If she can, it could be critical to humanity's survival.
…But how will the aliens running the contest react?
Pointy thinks she has a way to contact the artificial intelligence controlling the contest. She wants to convince it to give her information. Maybe she can get it to tweak the rules!
If she can, it could be critical to humanity's survival.
…But how will the aliens running the contest react?
Audible Audio
Published August 26, 2025
About the author
Erin Ampersand
6 books95 followersI'm going to start putting reviews up on Goodreads! A note about my reviews: I object to the star system for books. I don't think it's helpful, and would prefer a simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down system. Since that's not offered, I'm just going to be giving 5 stars to any book I'd give a thumbs-up. If I wouldn't give it at least a thumbs-up, I'm not going to review it at all!
To help differentiate between different books, I'll also post tiny review for each stating why a book might particularly draw someone in, and what kind of person might want to avoid it, since no book is for everyone.
You can browse more of my posts and reviews on my Instagram or Bluesky:
https://www.instagram.com/erinampersand/
https://bsky.app/hashtag/%26microrevi...
...
Erin Ampersand is from a lesser-known branch of the Punctuation Peerage. Neither as elegant as the noble Parentheses, nor as well-regarded as the heroic Dashes, the Ampersands are instead considered little better than the scurrilous Interrobangs.
In addition to writing and reading, Erin loves games of all sorts, from tabletop RPGs to videogames, although she is rather bad at platformers and hopeless at first-person shooters. She and her husband own enough board games to capsize a standard canoe.
To help differentiate between different books, I'll also post tiny review for each stating why a book might particularly draw someone in, and what kind of person might want to avoid it, since no book is for everyone.
You can browse more of my posts and reviews on my Instagram or Bluesky:
https://www.instagram.com/erinampersand/
https://bsky.app/hashtag/%26microrevi...
...
Erin Ampersand is from a lesser-known branch of the Punctuation Peerage. Neither as elegant as the noble Parentheses, nor as well-regarded as the heroic Dashes, the Ampersands are instead considered little better than the scurrilous Interrobangs.
In addition to writing and reading, Erin loves games of all sorts, from tabletop RPGs to videogames, although she is rather bad at platformers and hopeless at first-person shooters. She and her husband own enough board games to capsize a standard canoe.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 23, 2026
Note: This book should be read after "Engineer's Odyssey", which follows Megan's husband's return from his business trip. It's not shown as a part of the Apocalypse Parenting series, but in continuity, it ends before this book begins.
The conflict between the humans and the alien race running the "game" is escalating quickly, and this is abetted by the desire of AI "slaves" wanting to survive the contest, which complicates their reactions to events.
Unlike many LitRPG series, this series is showing significant progress with each volume. While the first book is about survival in apocalypse, this book shows the beginning of the human's fight back against the aliens.
The plotting is solid, presenting major challenges, but providing commensurate rewards for success (in narrative terms, not necessarily in game terms). There are costs that make sense in the dangerous environment of the game, and some of those costs are painful. Character development is significant and handled well by the author, with none of the characters seeming to act outside their established personalities, but all growing as the challenges continue. And it seems that there might be some effect from the "lawyers'" efforts against the worst abuses of the system.
This series has better characters and a better story than nearly every LitRPG series I've read. With that said, I have come to care enough about the characters that I actually want this series to finish its story. This need not happen in the very short term, but I really want a conclusion eventually, not just the usual grind from threat to escalating threat that we see so often.
This series has my highest recommendation.
The conflict between the humans and the alien race running the "game" is escalating quickly, and this is abetted by the desire of AI "slaves" wanting to survive the contest, which complicates their reactions to events.
Unlike many LitRPG series, this series is showing significant progress with each volume. While the first book is about survival in apocalypse, this book shows the beginning of the human's fight back against the aliens.
The plotting is solid, presenting major challenges, but providing commensurate rewards for success (in narrative terms, not necessarily in game terms). There are costs that make sense in the dangerous environment of the game, and some of those costs are painful. Character development is significant and handled well by the author, with none of the characters seeming to act outside their established personalities, but all growing as the challenges continue. And it seems that there might be some effect from the "lawyers'" efforts against the worst abuses of the system.
This series has better characters and a better story than nearly every LitRPG series I've read. With that said, I have come to care enough about the characters that I actually want this series to finish its story. This need not happen in the very short term, but I really want a conclusion eventually, not just the usual grind from threat to escalating threat that we see so often.
This series has my highest recommendation.
August 28, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up.
Another great story in the Apocalypse Parenting universe.
It was so fun revisiting with the family and seeing all of the progress being made by humans, and not just in one neighborhood in Alabama. It's rare (at least in the post apocalyptic LitRPG series I've read so far,) for the characters to have made significant progress against the system with each volume. The first book is a story of the actual Apocalypse and one family's survival. The second and third books are expansions ever outward with the neighborhood and finally the military getting involved. In this book we see the start of a global human movement, to fight back and against the aliens behind the system.
I love this series.
Another great story in the Apocalypse Parenting universe.
It was so fun revisiting with the family and seeing all of the progress being made by humans, and not just in one neighborhood in Alabama. It's rare (at least in the post apocalyptic LitRPG series I've read so far,) for the characters to have made significant progress against the system with each volume. The first book is a story of the actual Apocalypse and one family's survival. The second and third books are expansions ever outward with the neighborhood and finally the military getting involved. In this book we see the start of a global human movement, to fight back and against the aliens behind the system.
I love this series.
June 26, 2026
I adore this series.
Megan is the perfect protagonist. I love her loyalty, her fierceness, her overall vibe. And I love her children. I love the pacing of this series as well. Book two was slightly underwhelming but books three and four were fantastic. I can't say too much for fear of spoilers. But this book definitely sets up the next one to be the final one, which I believe it will be.
I do recommend reading Engineer's Odyssey as an "Apocalypse Parenting book 3.5" before reading this one. That's Vince's story and it is also AMAZING.
I'm so excited to continue with this series and see how it concludes!
(Reposting because somehow I lost my goodreads review of this book??!?!?)
Megan is the perfect protagonist. I love her loyalty, her fierceness, her overall vibe. And I love her children. I love the pacing of this series as well. Book two was slightly underwhelming but books three and four were fantastic. I can't say too much for fear of spoilers. But this book definitely sets up the next one to be the final one, which I believe it will be.
I do recommend reading Engineer's Odyssey as an "Apocalypse Parenting book 3.5" before reading this one. That's Vince's story and it is also AMAZING.
I'm so excited to continue with this series and see how it concludes!
(Reposting because somehow I lost my goodreads review of this book??!?!?)
June 16, 2026
“Well, no weaknesses if you didn’t have a Super Soaker full of pain oil”
Wow! I am not sure I can write a review for this without spoilers, so I’ll just be quick. This was the best of the series for me. There were multiple parts where I was crying actual tears. I can’t wait to see how the series ends
Wow! I am not sure I can write a review for this without spoilers, so I’ll just be quick. This was the best of the series for me. There were multiple parts where I was crying actual tears. I can’t wait to see how the series ends
July 6, 2026
Halfway through the book, it got a little slow for me, i still liked it, but I had to get through it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews