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Apocalypse Slayer
Hunt. Craft. Survive.
Rob was having a bad day even before the Integration struck.
A bloodthirsty monster appeared in his living room.
His brother—who should be dead—was suddenly back.
And a strange Victorian butler was trying to kill him.
That all happened before the Tutorial.
Now thrust into a brutal new world, Rob is learning survival isn’t enough—power is everything.
Thankfully, Rob unlocks a special ability that lets him steal the powers of others.
If he wants answers—if he wants his brother back—Rob won’t just have to survive.
He’ll have to take everything.
Apocalypse Slayer is the start of a brand new LitRPG/Progression Fantasy series, by Jakob Tanner, bestselling author of Arcane Kingdom Online, Tower Climber, and Second Chance Swordsman. This book features RPG mechanics, stats, and ranks as a form of power progression.
Pick it up today!
Rob was having a bad day even before the Integration struck.
A bloodthirsty monster appeared in his living room.
His brother—who should be dead—was suddenly back.
And a strange Victorian butler was trying to kill him.
That all happened before the Tutorial.
Now thrust into a brutal new world, Rob is learning survival isn’t enough—power is everything.
Thankfully, Rob unlocks a special ability that lets him steal the powers of others.
If he wants answers—if he wants his brother back—Rob won’t just have to survive.
He’ll have to take everything.
Apocalypse Slayer is the start of a brand new LitRPG/Progression Fantasy series, by Jakob Tanner, bestselling author of Arcane Kingdom Online, Tower Climber, and Second Chance Swordsman. This book features RPG mechanics, stats, and ranks as a form of power progression.
Pick it up today!
510 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2026
About the author
Jakob Tanner
22 books181 followersJakob Tanner is the author of three LitRPG series: Arcane Kingdom Online, Tower Climber, and Second Chance Swordsman. His books were inspired by the Final Fantasy video game series, Dungeons and Dragons, and all the MMORPGs that have taken over his life at one point or another.
He likes playing board games, binging anime, and eating yummy food. To keep up to date with his shenanigans (as well as the status of his next book) consider signing up to his mailing list here:
https://www.jakobtanner.com/dungeondi...
Beyond that, Jakob can be found at all the usual places:
Facebook (Reader Group):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19953...
Facebook (Author Page): @jakobtannerwriter
Twitter: @jakobtanner
Website: www.jakobtanner.com
He likes playing board games, binging anime, and eating yummy food. To keep up to date with his shenanigans (as well as the status of his next book) consider signing up to his mailing list here:
https://www.jakobtanner.com/dungeondi...
Beyond that, Jakob can be found at all the usual places:
Facebook (Reader Group):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19953...
Facebook (Author Page): @jakobtannerwriter
Twitter: @jakobtanner
Website: www.jakobtanner.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 11, 2026
I had suck high hopes but the fell short
The mc goes full murderhobo on everything for about half the book then gets sucked in to a dungeon to get a super rare rune enchanter class and is stuck there the rest of the story with a side plot of some other random survivor 2 groups one the good guys want no violence cuz we are better than that and the typical evil bad guy ans the fight and good guys loose and kill each other to corrupt mr goody 2 shoes to be evil and then mc finally shows up and fights his goodie2shoes (who is now evil) amd book ends they are still in the tutorial no apocalypse on earth has happend other then the mc getting g a rare rune crasting still not much else happens and has no plot progression or any resolution. Boring study/grinding dont waste your time.
The mc goes full murderhobo on everything for about half the book then gets sucked in to a dungeon to get a super rare rune enchanter class and is stuck there the rest of the story with a side plot of some other random survivor 2 groups one the good guys want no violence cuz we are better than that and the typical evil bad guy ans the fight and good guys loose and kill each other to corrupt mr goody 2 shoes to be evil and then mc finally shows up and fights his goodie2shoes (who is now evil) amd book ends they are still in the tutorial no apocalypse on earth has happend other then the mc getting g a rare rune crasting still not much else happens and has no plot progression or any resolution. Boring study/grinding dont waste your time.
June 3, 2026
I love, love, love this progression LitRPG first book in a new series, in which we follow Rob who is transported into a new world where he finds he has to fight tooth and claw in order to survive. Whatsmore upon arriving in the new world the first person he meets is his elder brother who everyone back home had believed to be dead, and Jonathan Fisher only had time to advise his younger brother to leave the choice of a class till later, when he was sure of his options. Turns out Rob took this advice to heart, as he struck out on his own, doing his best to power up, learning that the beasts he killed where not his worst and deadliest of enemies, but the other humans were. It was back to the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, and many people started to form clans to fight together, but Rob still maintained he was doing best on his own. The gods who are the administrators of the system are all pulling the threads, as was fate, and it was all part of the divine order. Total chaos was unleashed during the tutorial phase, who will survive this tutorial? Some believed in peace whilst others in violence, and some changed their tune when what they stood for did not work out whilst Rob faced every problem as needed. So why was the system fearing him? This is yet another very exciting series by Tanner, whose books I really enjoy reading.
July 14, 2026
4.25⭐️/5
I went into Apocalypse Slayer hoping it would scratch the same itch as Dungeon Crawler Carl, and while it’s definitely its own thing, it ended up being a very good alternative to be found in the LitRPG space.
The opening took a little while to fully hook me, but each arc built on the last and the story just kept gathering momentum. By the halfway point I was far more invested than I expected, and the final stretch had me flying through chapters. It feels like an author who becomes more confident as the book progresses, with the world, power system, and stakes all expanding naturally.
The LitRPG mechanics are satisfying without drowning the story in endless stat screens, and the progression feels earned rather than handed to the protagonist. There’s a nice balance between action, character growth, and the constant pressure of surviving an apocalyptic world.
If you’re chasing another Dungeon Crawler Carl, this isn’t a clone, and that’s a good thing. It captures a similar sense of escalating danger and addictive progression while carving out its own identity.
Overall, a really enjoyable read that improved the longer it went. It started as a solid 4-star book for me but finished strong enough to earn 4.25⭐️. I’m definitely interested to see where the series goes next.
I went into Apocalypse Slayer hoping it would scratch the same itch as Dungeon Crawler Carl, and while it’s definitely its own thing, it ended up being a very good alternative to be found in the LitRPG space.
The opening took a little while to fully hook me, but each arc built on the last and the story just kept gathering momentum. By the halfway point I was far more invested than I expected, and the final stretch had me flying through chapters. It feels like an author who becomes more confident as the book progresses, with the world, power system, and stakes all expanding naturally.
The LitRPG mechanics are satisfying without drowning the story in endless stat screens, and the progression feels earned rather than handed to the protagonist. There’s a nice balance between action, character growth, and the constant pressure of surviving an apocalyptic world.
If you’re chasing another Dungeon Crawler Carl, this isn’t a clone, and that’s a good thing. It captures a similar sense of escalating danger and addictive progression while carving out its own identity.
Overall, a really enjoyable read that improved the longer it went. It started as a solid 4-star book for me but finished strong enough to earn 4.25⭐️. I’m definitely interested to see where the series goes next.
September 11, 2026
This isn't the first LitRPG that uses Primal Hunter as a template, and it won't be the last. If you go in expecting that (and also enjoyed PH), you will enjoy this one.
This book is a System Apocalypse where the first two books are a tutorial, with a primarily solo MC who discovers a secret Profession while finding a new leash on life within said apocalypse. Yes, as I said before, very familiar.
The differences are enjoyable enough to keep it moving, primarily the less-edgy MC who enjoys battle but doesn't display the level of aloofness and brashness that turned some people off Primal Hunter. The class is different enough and enjoyable in its own way, though the secondary characters so far are a bit less enjoyable than PH. The Villy character is no Villy.
The question after this (and when the tutorial ends) is where this goes from here and how it differentiates itself from PH. If it can spread its own wings and try to veer off from where that story went I think it has a chance (I say as a fan of PH).
P.S. to the author - this genre has matured a bit from the PH days and we have become more aware of repetitive notifications and skill flavor text. Reduce the amount of notifications and don't put duplicate instances of the same skill flavor text within pages of each other.
This book is a System Apocalypse where the first two books are a tutorial, with a primarily solo MC who discovers a secret Profession while finding a new leash on life within said apocalypse. Yes, as I said before, very familiar.
The differences are enjoyable enough to keep it moving, primarily the less-edgy MC who enjoys battle but doesn't display the level of aloofness and brashness that turned some people off Primal Hunter. The class is different enough and enjoyable in its own way, though the secondary characters so far are a bit less enjoyable than PH. The Villy character is no Villy.
The question after this (and when the tutorial ends) is where this goes from here and how it differentiates itself from PH. If it can spread its own wings and try to veer off from where that story went I think it has a chance (I say as a fan of PH).
P.S. to the author - this genre has matured a bit from the PH days and we have become more aware of repetitive notifications and skill flavor text. Reduce the amount of notifications and don't put duplicate instances of the same skill flavor text within pages of each other.
June 3, 2026
this is a fun book. if you enjoyed Primal Hunter, you will enjoy this story as it follows the exact same plot line. i give it 4 Stars as the book is well written and is a fun read. the book loses a Star for lack of originality. major spoilers below
the MC is dropped into a Tutorial and uses a spear instead of a bow. the MC quickly finds out how useful the Perception stat is. after quickly ranking up and getting some awesome Titles, the MC encounters two people (one is a female Healer!). he escorts them to a group but leaves to solo level. while out on his own, the MC discovers a Vocational Dungeon where he learns Rune Crafting instead of Alchemy. during this time the MC meets a god and out of nowhere refuses to be a follower, only besties. i expect Sylphie to show up in book two. and the Healer the MC met earlier does betray someone (an important character but not Jake/Rob).
i would not be surprised to discover the author of this book is actually Zogarth. that said, there is only room in my heart for one Jake Thayne. i will wait patiently for Book 17 of Primal Hunter, and continue to read other LitRPG novels in the mean time. hopefully some have new stories to discover.
the MC is dropped into a Tutorial and uses a spear instead of a bow. the MC quickly finds out how useful the Perception stat is. after quickly ranking up and getting some awesome Titles, the MC encounters two people (one is a female Healer!). he escorts them to a group but leaves to solo level. while out on his own, the MC discovers a Vocational Dungeon where he learns Rune Crafting instead of Alchemy. during this time the MC meets a god and out of nowhere refuses to be a follower, only besties. i expect Sylphie to show up in book two. and the Healer the MC met earlier does betray someone (an important character but not Jake/Rob).
i would not be surprised to discover the author of this book is actually Zogarth. that said, there is only room in my heart for one Jake Thayne. i will wait patiently for Book 17 of Primal Hunter, and continue to read other LitRPG novels in the mean time. hopefully some have new stories to discover.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2026
A curious, enjoyable, and frustrating journey.
The story overall is incredibly intriguing, the system involved feels somewhat unique. The primary characters are definitely contrasted in strange but interesting ways. I didn't care for the continuous system language that felt mostly pointless. I understand it was a way to keep everything aligned, but mostly it was just irritating.
In my honest opinion that was the story's only flaw, and while I thought there would be another I was wrong. The class system isn't as varied as I would prefer. At the same time, there does appear to be some options to alter or upgrade the classes. I don't know if that will pan out correctly or not but I'm curious to see which it'll be.
I almost stopped reading several times, the continuous system messages really got on my nerves. In the end, I'm happy I didn't stop and that I bore the irritation and annoyance. The most annoying aspect may even get better in the future as levels get further and further apart. At this point I can only hope that aspect stops irritating me or ceases to be an issue anymore.
The story overall is incredibly intriguing, the system involved feels somewhat unique. The primary characters are definitely contrasted in strange but interesting ways. I didn't care for the continuous system language that felt mostly pointless. I understand it was a way to keep everything aligned, but mostly it was just irritating.
In my honest opinion that was the story's only flaw, and while I thought there would be another I was wrong. The class system isn't as varied as I would prefer. At the same time, there does appear to be some options to alter or upgrade the classes. I don't know if that will pan out correctly or not but I'm curious to see which it'll be.
I almost stopped reading several times, the continuous system messages really got on my nerves. In the end, I'm happy I didn't stop and that I bore the irritation and annoyance. The most annoying aspect may even get better in the future as levels get further and further apart. At this point I can only hope that aspect stops irritating me or ceases to be an issue anymore.
July 6, 2026
I absolutely loved this book! Hit all the right spots of crafting, surviving, and fighting that I enjoy. Similar to others starting off in tutorial type beginning, but this is LitRPG, so obviously, there are going to be some similarities between books. However, this one was pretty action-packed from the beginning, and I couldn't have been happier with this. Sad that the book is over and next one isn't out yet (this just came out last month, so jk) I wanted to jump right into the next one and see where our story of Rob goes from here. I want to know what happens with Rob but also some others. I basically ran through this book quickly as any free time I had I needed to know what was going on. I was addicted to this, kinda like how Rob is to leveling, improving himself. Highly recommend this book if you like Primal Hunter, Battle Royals, and just overall good leveling and progression! Look forward to book 2 and the rest of the series!
July 4, 2026
My reviews are my own. If you enjoyed this book, I'm glad you did. If not, I respect your opinion, so please respect mine. This is simply my perspective, so let's keep the discussion courteous. My review is honest and voluntary. As a reader, I read to escape the world and its issues, and my reviews reflect that.
I'm conflicted about this one. There were parts I really enjoyed, especially the growing aspect and the “magic.” However, other elements didn’t work for me, particularly the “himbo” moments. The constant POV changes gave me whiplash, and the story felt far too repetitive. Overall, there wasn’t anything particularly innovative, and the plot felt meandering, as though there was no clear direction or destination in mind. Unfortunately, I won’t be continuing the series.
Onward and forward to my next adventure. Happy reading!
I'm conflicted about this one. There were parts I really enjoyed, especially the growing aspect and the “magic.” However, other elements didn’t work for me, particularly the “himbo” moments. The constant POV changes gave me whiplash, and the story felt far too repetitive. Overall, there wasn’t anything particularly innovative, and the plot felt meandering, as though there was no clear direction or destination in mind. Unfortunately, I won’t be continuing the series.
Onward and forward to my next adventure. Happy reading!
August 24, 2026
An interesting take
A fun and enjoyable story on the litrpg genre. Seemed to have almost two different premises starting off. The spearman and then this rune occupation. I didn’t really love it, they didn’t seem to mesh very well. I suppose book two would help coalesce things better. It did remind me a lot of primal hunter. I feel as the author took a lot of direction from primal hunter book one. And sorry primal hunter did it better. Still had fun, and I’ll most like check out book two but I really enjoyed things up until the occupation and gods aspect. Just felt too alike other books. Would have been more interesting to delve into the survival aspect. But that just me.
A fun and enjoyable story on the litrpg genre. Seemed to have almost two different premises starting off. The spearman and then this rune occupation. I didn’t really love it, they didn’t seem to mesh very well. I suppose book two would help coalesce things better. It did remind me a lot of primal hunter. I feel as the author took a lot of direction from primal hunter book one. And sorry primal hunter did it better. Still had fun, and I’ll most like check out book two but I really enjoyed things up until the occupation and gods aspect. Just felt too alike other books. Would have been more interesting to delve into the survival aspect. But that just me.
August 5, 2026
It's decent.
Strongly inspired by primal hunter.
We get a taste for the multiverse but the system itself is very basic. Its not fleshed out and I want to see more unique classes.
The MC is fine but he's getting OP very easily. I love an OPMC so im not mad, but I want the stuff to not just fall in his lap so easily.
The other characters are decent and not 1 dimensional.
Overall, its a fine read if you're between books. I'll read book 2 but won't be waiting for it.
Strongly inspired by primal hunter.
We get a taste for the multiverse but the system itself is very basic. Its not fleshed out and I want to see more unique classes.
The MC is fine but he's getting OP very easily. I love an OPMC so im not mad, but I want the stuff to not just fall in his lap so easily.
The other characters are decent and not 1 dimensional.
Overall, its a fine read if you're between books. I'll read book 2 but won't be waiting for it.
June 2, 2026
The latest addition to the Tannerverse is already shaping up to be an exciting and fun story moving through a system that will likely bring out the worst in humanity. Add to the story strange gods and you have a lot of possibilities. The story hooked me on page 1 and didn't disappoint. A great descriptive narrative that has become a hallmark of the author's books.
Don't miss this one.
Don't miss this one.
June 21, 2026
At around 70 of the book it just felt forced. I skimmed the rest of the book and it felt like the author had an ending he wanted and everything would be shaped into that end. It just was not for me.
July 15, 2026
Too much
Too much grim-dark for me. Too much murder-porn adjacency. Nothing really explained, just a slew of gods doing horrible crap with no real reason other than "just because".
Not my cup of tea
Too much grim-dark for me. Too much murder-porn adjacency. Nothing really explained, just a slew of gods doing horrible crap with no real reason other than "just because".
Not my cup of tea
August 21, 2026
Interesting start
I'm super curious about the next book in the series. What direction will this world take? There are a lot of frameworks/hints laid out in this book with not a lot of answers.
I'm super curious about the next book in the series. What direction will this world take? There are a lot of frameworks/hints laid out in this book with not a lot of answers.
June 2, 2026
Awesome!
Awesome book. Great start to series. Competent mc who makes good choices. Mc makes good use of opportunities. Fighter and crafter.
Awesome book. Great start to series. Competent mc who makes good choices. Mc makes good use of opportunities. Fighter and crafter.
June 3, 2026
Really good
I pretty much inhaled this in an afternoon. It was quite fast-paced and just a joy to read.
Highly recommended.
I pretty much inhaled this in an afternoon. It was quite fast-paced and just a joy to read.
Highly recommended.
June 9, 2026
Fanfreakingtastic!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
June 10, 2026
great first book
This is a great first book. It has action and crafting and leveling galore. It is fast paced and keeps your interest. I’m looking forward to the next book.
This is a great first book. It has action and crafting and leveling galore. It is fast paced and keeps your interest. I’m looking forward to the next book.
June 14, 2026
Its another Primal Hunter reworking. Near identical storyline, situations, and MC mentality.
Nothing extraordinary, but Tanner is consistent in the work he puts out.
Nothing extraordinary, but Tanner is consistent in the work he puts out.
June 18, 2026
Very good read.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book very much to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression types of books with lots of action.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book very much to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression types of books with lots of action.
July 19, 2026
reads a lot like primal hunter
I really enjoy Jakob Tanner’s books. This one feels inspired by primal hunter, but who isn’t these days.
Good read.
I really enjoy Jakob Tanner’s books. This one feels inspired by primal hunter, but who isn’t these days.
Good read.
September 4, 2026
Worth it
Fast paced
Interesting story
Straight into the next book
Why does this have to be twenty words?
There we go.
Fast paced
Interesting story
Straight into the next book
Why does this have to be twenty words?
There we go.
Read
September 6, 2026Good read, interested to see where it goes next.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews