God Mode

AlterGame #3

by Andrew Novak

How far the Dark Service questline has brought me... It all began like an epic adventure. Finding the Tear of the Demon King and the Black Sword, journeying to the lost continent, meeting good friends and battling vicious adversaries. It was a breakthrough into the depths of the virtual world, where no one before me had gone.

Everything changed, however, the day Brandt Ironfist blackmailed me into traveling to the very place in the Blighted Wasteland where, according to the old Walker stories, death itself lived. I came back alive and brought back the infragun, a forgotten weapon located in an old laboratory. And what did I discover upon my return? That Brandt had killed my girl, Lisa, and that I'd been hit with a lethal dose of radiation, with only a little time left to live. Days.

So, here I am in New Atrium. The first move’s been made and the game continues, so help us Dark Necta!

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Adventure, Science Fiction, Fiction

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 24, 2018

Reviews

[Kiba Snowpaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction
God Mode by Andrew Novak (published May 24, 2018 by Magic Dome Books) is the third and final book in the AlterGame trilogy. It pushes the consequences of the previous book to their limit: Jack is dying, the real world is collapsing around him, and Alterra throws him into the deepest layers of its hidden lore. This is a series closer that arrives with intensity—fast, sharp, and chaotic—but also ends more abruptly than many readers hoped. It’s a finale that delivers action, but not closure.

Plot Summary
After escaping the Blighted Wasteland and retrieving the infragun from a forgotten laboratory, Jack returns only to learn two devastating truths: 
1) Brandt Ironfist murdered Lisa. 
2) Jack has been poisoned with lethal radiation, giving him only days to live.

Desperation becomes the driving force. Jack races to New Atrium to search for a cure while also plunging deeper into the Dark Service questline in Alterra. The dual-world storytelling is stronger here than in past books, and the stakes in both settings escalate together. But the narrative accelerates drastically in the final quarter—so much so that it feels like the author compressed what should have been two books into one. The result is a finale that is thrilling but jarringly fast, leaving some plotlines underdeveloped or abruptly resolved.

The Author
Andrew Novak writes with relentless momentum and a sharp, gritty tone. His strengths—worldbuilding, tension, high-stakes plotting—are all on display here. But his familiar weaknesses persist as well: side characters remain flat, transitions are abrupt, and emotional beats can sometimes feel rushed or unexamined. Still, his vision for Alterra remains unique within LitRPG: a world where VR mechanics, dystopian reality, and cosmic-scale plotlines exist side-by-side.

Characters
Jack: more desperate, reckless, and determined than ever. His radiation sickness adds urgency but also pushes him toward impulsive choices that don’t always make sense. 
Brandt Ironfist: a villain who remains dangerous but underexplored; his actions drive the plot but his motivations remain thin. 
Eloise & side characters: present, but still not as developed as they could be. Many remain symbolic more than emotionally grounded. 
Returning characters & frenemies: some welcome returns, though their involvement is brief due to the book’s pacing.

Overall, character development improves slightly from book two, but the speed of the story prevents deeper arcs from taking root.

Structure
God Mode is fast—almost too fast. 
The early and middle sections feel properly tense and well-paced, mixing real-world survival with Alterra’s mysteries. 
But the final act compresses what feels like an entire unwritten book into the last 20–25%. The climax resolves major arcs in a rush, often too cleanly, leaving readers with a sense of “Wait, that’s it?”

As Kiba Snowpaw, even with Alpha wolf hearing and ice-cold focus, I felt the story sprint away from me in the last stretch. It’s gripping, but it sacrifices weight.

Themes & Analysis
The book’s themes revolve around mortality, revenge, betrayal, desperation, and the search for meaning in two dying worlds. Jack is both hunter and hunted, dying and fighting, trapped between injustice in the real world and chaos inside the game world. There is also a strong theme of corruption—physical, moral, and systemic. But because of the rushed ending, some themes only partially land.

Scenes
There is violence, emotional trauma, and tension with little romantic payoff. Sexism and archetypal portrayals persist, especially around Eloise—something several readers criticized. There are no sexual scenes, but interpersonal dynamics can feel uncomfortable or shallow at times. The book’s strongest "scenes" are action-heavy or emotional, not romantic.

World-Building
Alterra continues to be Novak’s biggest strength: 
- Deeper lore about the Dark Necta 
- New revelations about the ghettos and New Atrium 
- High-tech relics like the infragun 
- Old gods, old factions, and dangerous myths 
- A dual-world plot that interlocks tightly

The world feels larger and more dangerous than ever. But again—the speed of the finale means some elements get introduced and resolved too quickly.

Praise & Critique
Strengths: 
- High tension from page one 
- Strong continuation of the Dark Service storyline 
- Excellent narrator (Troy Duran) for the audiobook 
- Intense action sequences 
- Solid expansion of both worlds 
- Maintains the gritty, addictive tone of the series 

Weaknesses: 
- Ending is abrupt and anticlimactic 
- Several plotlines tied up too cleanly 
- Side characters remain thin 
- Emotional consequences underdeveloped 
- Feels rushed compared to the first two books 

Comparison
Compared to book two (On the Lost Continent): 
- Less chaotic, but faster 
- More emotional stakes, but weaker payoff 
- More worldbuilding, but fewer slow, reflective moments 

Compared to other LitRPG finales, God Mode is more ambitious but less polished than series endings like Awaken Online: Dominion or The Land Book 7.

Personal Evaluation
From my perspective as Kiba Snowpaw—the Ice Alpha wolf who doesn’t shy away from endings, even painful ones—this finale hit me strangely. I liked the intensity, the tension, and how Jack is pushed to the brink in both worlds. But the ending felt like the blizzard suddenly stopped mid-scream. Too fast, too clean, too abrupt. It didn’t ruin the journey, but it left me staring into the snow, wishing there had been one more chapter… or one more book. Still, I enjoyed the world, the danger, and the feeling of racing the clock. It’s a flawed but memorable end.

Conclusion
God Mode is a strong but uneven finale—full of tension, danger, and major revelations, but also rushed in its final act. Fans of the series will find satisfaction in the journey, even if the ending leaves a cold, unfinished echo. Despite its flaws, it’s a dark, unique, and gripping last run through Alterra.

Rating: 7.0/10 — Strong world, strong tension, uneven execution, abrupt ending.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

In short: if you enjoyed the previous two books you'll like this one.
Audiobook : great narrator, same as previous.

Story: New Atrium, back alley deals.
Alterra: lots more time here, a return of a favorite character. The ghetto inhabitants are becoming less and less safe. The return of a frenemy.
Only real complaint is the climax tied things up way too quick and clean.

I would still recommend to those that read the series :)

Update 2020:
Weaknesses of previous books still apply. Most side characters are a bit flat but the world is still quite interesting. Still enjoyed it.

[Arthur Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Good but not as good as earlier books. The story felt rushed and the ending of the book, series? Felt very anti climatic. Overall I still loved it though.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this entire series...LitRPG is such as strange genre, and I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it despite the ups and downs in quality. I listened to the audiobook, and will continue based on that. The narrator, Troy Duran, is one of my favourites, and did a wonderful job, despite occasionally pronouncing the "w" in "swords" for some reason. Otherwise, fantastic.

The overall pace of this series ender was good, but definitely a little rushed. I was thoroughly enthralled from most of it though; unique universe, interesting characters, and a really fantastic dual world focus where both worlds held interesting storylines that intertwined.

Like many though; I wished for more denouement; the conclusion was abrupt, anti-climactic, and even a bit forced. Like he was building to something grand, like in book 2, and then his publisher called and said it was due in an hour. Many unanswered questions...honestly, another chapter would have helped. This could be somewhat alleviated if there is a 4th book, and I will certainly jump at anything new from Andrew Novak. The series overall was fantastic. Don't let the last 10 minutes put you off; it's a solid read/listen.

[Cr Rider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edge if the seat!

God Mode was a good instalment of this series but there are so many unanswered questions! Jack the Tramp is in a race against time to complete the Quest if the Great Mystery of Alterra. During his frantic adventures he discovers some life-altering surprises that further complicate his goals. Meanwhile, he works with a former alpha to get into New Atrium to cure his radiation sickness. Will he be able to accomplish his goals as his sickens? Read on to find out...

[Scott Bierworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was enjoyable series but the third book seemed strange. I'd rate the series as a whole at 3.5 stars but this book I could only give a 2. It's almost like the author intended for this to be a 4 book series and then after writing 3/4 of the 3rd book decided to compress the remainder of the 3rd book with the entire 4th book to fit into the last quarter of the 3rd book. The pace seemed to significantly accelerate and it seemed out of place with the rest of the series and was so rushed to the point of being jarring.

[Andrew Alton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! I was not thrilled with the ending. Was actually went but did not quite resolved everything to the degree that I would have liked. It may be that there is another book planned on this is why but I didn't get the feeling that this was the case. Overall, I love this series and it is one of my new favorites.

[Colby Greuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the book was great and loved the series in entirety but the ending just seemed to be rather anti-climactic to me for some reason. I like a lot of closure and fully resolved happy endings and I feel like I just didn’t get quite enough of this despite everything wrapping up. Overall, definitely recommend.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending felt a little flt to me but I enjoyed the series none the less.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsatisfying and abrupt ending.

[Johnie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read g

I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like litRPG type of books.

[Lacey Caselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

so the damsel in distress in need of Presque gets beyond ridiculous. but everything else is exciting and comes together beautifully. decisive ending. highly recommend.