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Relict Legacy #1
Earth Force
On the first day, a mist descended from the heavens blanketing the earth.
On the second day, a cryptic message, ‘Infusion commencing’, appeared in the corner of everyone’s eyes.
On the third day, the sick were healed and the crippled walked again.
On the fourth day, celebration and joy spread across the globe.
And on the fifth day, the warping began…
There was no warning. A mist descended from the sky, disabling all technology and causing a weird message to appear in the corner of everyone’s eye. The situation grew even worse as animals and people started to warp, transforming into terrible monsters that prey on the living. Within months, human civilization had crumbled.
Unable to fight the seemingly-indestructible beasts, the survivors are reduced to cowering in reinforced shelters. Waiting for the end to come. Helpless.
All seemed lost until a few brave souls discovered the secret of their new reality: the Tec and how to use it to level up. Together they represent humanity’s last best hope for salvation. But they first must find the answers to the mystery of their new existence. Their journey will require them to quickly adapt to alien technology, operate strange spaceships, and even befriend an extra-terrestrial merchant with an Inferiority Complex.
On the second day, a cryptic message, ‘Infusion commencing’, appeared in the corner of everyone’s eyes.
On the third day, the sick were healed and the crippled walked again.
On the fourth day, celebration and joy spread across the globe.
And on the fifth day, the warping began…
There was no warning. A mist descended from the sky, disabling all technology and causing a weird message to appear in the corner of everyone’s eye. The situation grew even worse as animals and people started to warp, transforming into terrible monsters that prey on the living. Within months, human civilization had crumbled.
Unable to fight the seemingly-indestructible beasts, the survivors are reduced to cowering in reinforced shelters. Waiting for the end to come. Helpless.
All seemed lost until a few brave souls discovered the secret of their new reality: the Tec and how to use it to level up. Together they represent humanity’s last best hope for salvation. But they first must find the answers to the mystery of their new existence. Their journey will require them to quickly adapt to alien technology, operate strange spaceships, and even befriend an extra-terrestrial merchant with an Inferiority Complex.
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2019
579 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Shemer Kuznits
19 books859 followers
Shemer has been a fan of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and RPG games since the early 80’s.
In 2016 he started writing his first novel: Life Reset which turned into a 6-book series with its grand finale published in 2021. Each book in the series became an Amazon bestseller.
In 2019 Shemer quit his day job as a software developer to become a full-time author and released his second series: Earth Force, a sci-fi series consisting of a 2-book arc. Shemer hopes to garner enough community awareness and support to start writing the second arc.
As an avid gamer, a D&D dungeon master, and Navy veteran, Shemer has a wealth of life experience to draw on for his writing. His books always include elements of kingdom/settlement development where the protagonist is forced to carve out a new place for themselves in the face of adversity.
Shemer spends his days writing and his nights fighting crime (well, mostly convincing his kids to go to bed, which is very similar).
Shemer also enjoys writing about himself in the third-person and hopes you find his work enjoyable.
To follow-up on news and new releases, please subscribe to the newsletter:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
September 18, 2023
I'm not quite a third in and I have to stop. The worldbuilding for this story is fascinating and kept me going. For a while. But the characters are puppets on a string (ever see a puppet on one string? That's right, the singular was on purpose), saying things nearly as ridiculous as the things they're doing. And don't get me started on the monotyping (it'd be an upgrade if it managed stereotyping).
I feel like giving details would just be mean at this point. Fine. Meaner. It isn't like you couldn't open a page and see examples of what I'm talking about. Read a sample if you're worried you might disagree and really enjoy the story. I wish you luck because, as I said above, there's some interesting worldbuilding going on. I just wish the characters had half the substance. Although frankly, it's just possible that the worldbuilding is shallow, too, and I just can't tell through the haze of stiff, performative characterization.
One star because I can't bring myself to go any higher.
I feel like giving details would just be mean at this point. Fine. Meaner. It isn't like you couldn't open a page and see examples of what I'm talking about. Read a sample if you're worried you might disagree and really enjoy the story. I wish you luck because, as I said above, there's some interesting worldbuilding going on. I just wish the characters had half the substance. Although frankly, it's just possible that the worldbuilding is shallow, too, and I just can't tell through the haze of stiff, performative characterization.
One star because I can't bring myself to go any higher.
July 16, 2019
So, I listened to about 13% of the book and then after one scene, I'm like nope! And I just quit.
So what do you do if you are surrounded by a gangster boss and his mens? The boss stares you down with a giant pistol? gun? something. And his men have many many other guns locked on you. And you know that this gangster boss is someone who would just kill survivors and even throw them to monsters? And we all know monsters eating humans will make the monsters stronger. So your chance of surviving is like none (if you're not the damn protagonist). So what do you do?
You pretend to drop your gun and somehow push the big enemy boss on the ground and pin him down while holding his arm. Cool. Did I mention that you also know that the boss has superhuman strength and can just fling giant monsters around? But somehow, that just flew out of your mind and you decided to try to pin him down. And when it fails and the boss starts to get up, all you do is try "harder" instead of putting your own gun to his head. Seriously, this can of sh*t can only work because she's the protagonist and she needs to do some stupid sh*t to make the plot go forward.
You know what should've happened?
Option 1: Do the same thing as the book says, but instead of pinning the boss down, you aim the gun at his head and tell him not to move. Then tell the others and bluff your way out saying your new fancy exoskeleton suit provides a lot of armour.
Option 2: Just shoot, dodge and roll away (just like other action movies). Even without the movie protagonist buff, rolling around or running into the car or behind the car or some other obstacle would work. You have a freaking laser gun! Pretty sure it's faster and more effective than a normal gun.
Option 3: Similar to Option 1 and 2, either shoot and run behind him or do the same thing as Option 1 but before you knock him down, kill him and use him as a meat shield and hide behind him.
Option 4: Disable him. Do a combination of the above but instead of shooting him to the head, blast his two arms out or something. This is probably very unlikely as the protagonist doesn't seem that ruthless.
Option 5: Kick him in the nuts and then do other things.
There are SO many better options. And surrendering and hoping there is a way out is something only protagonist can do.
So what do you do if you are surrounded by a gangster boss and his mens? The boss stares you down with a giant pistol? gun? something. And his men have many many other guns locked on you. And you know that this gangster boss is someone who would just kill survivors and even throw them to monsters? And we all know monsters eating humans will make the monsters stronger. So your chance of surviving is like none (if you're not the damn protagonist). So what do you do?
You pretend to drop your gun and somehow push the big enemy boss on the ground and pin him down while holding his arm. Cool. Did I mention that you also know that the boss has superhuman strength and can just fling giant monsters around? But somehow, that just flew out of your mind and you decided to try to pin him down. And when it fails and the boss starts to get up, all you do is try "harder" instead of putting your own gun to his head. Seriously, this can of sh*t can only work because she's the protagonist and she needs to do some stupid sh*t to make the plot go forward.
You know what should've happened?
Option 1: Do the same thing as the book says, but instead of pinning the boss down, you aim the gun at his head and tell him not to move. Then tell the others and bluff your way out saying your new fancy exoskeleton suit provides a lot of armour.
Option 2: Just shoot, dodge and roll away (just like other action movies). Even without the movie protagonist buff, rolling around or running into the car or behind the car or some other obstacle would work. You have a freaking laser gun! Pretty sure it's faster and more effective than a normal gun.
Option 3: Similar to Option 1 and 2, either shoot and run behind him or do the same thing as Option 1 but before you knock him down, kill him and use him as a meat shield and hide behind him.
Option 4: Disable him. Do a combination of the above but instead of shooting him to the head, blast his two arms out or something. This is probably very unlikely as the protagonist doesn't seem that ruthless.
Option 5: Kick him in the nuts and then do other things.
There are SO many better options. And surrendering and hoping there is a way out is something only protagonist can do.
May 10, 2019
Impressed
Great read. Think Fallout meets Mass Effect. I must say that this author keeps delivering. I'm not sure if I'm looking more forward to the next Life Reset or Relict Legacy. Just give me more.
Great read. Think Fallout meets Mass Effect. I must say that this author keeps delivering. I'm not sure if I'm looking more forward to the next Life Reset or Relict Legacy. Just give me more.
October 6, 2019
The characters are terrible! Just so annoying, stupid and ridiculous. The character with the highest intelligence is by far the stupidest character I've ever read about. Shame because it could have been good.
October 21, 2019
It's hard for me to believe that Life Reset and Earth Force are written by the same person. The former is one of the better LitRPG series out there, with nuanced characters, great action, and a ton of tension. The second honestly reads like an edited and extended version of the book my son wrote in 5th grade english class. It gets two stars because I reserve 1 star reviews for truly terrible junk and this isn't that. The final battle was particularly bad.
May 21, 2019
To be fair I didn’t finish
I enjoyed the world and the setting, but just could not stand the characters. To be fair I didn’t finish so it may have gotten better, but when my least favorite character was put in charge I closed it down.
I enjoyed the world and the setting, but just could not stand the characters. To be fair I didn’t finish so it may have gotten better, but when my least favorite character was put in charge I closed it down.
May 12, 2019
Another hit for Kuznits
I truly enjoyed this novel. A slight different take on the post-apocalyptic Gamelit, but very entertaining.
The author does a good job of very quickly drawing the reader in and then you just hold on for the ride.
Looking forward to the next.
I truly enjoyed this novel. A slight different take on the post-apocalyptic Gamelit, but very entertaining.
The author does a good job of very quickly drawing the reader in and then you just hold on for the ride.
Looking forward to the next.
June 8, 2019
Although I like Science Fiction and Fantasy I haven’t tried many LitRPG books, however this came up as a Kindle Unlimited recommendation so I thought I’d give it a try.
I have enjoyed a few role playing games in my time, but it became clear after a few chapters that reading about the game is not as interesting as playing it. It didn’t help that I couldn’t get a feeling for the ‘world’; it almost felt like I had missed a previous book. There was a lot of action, but they were just a collection of random incidents.
Perhaps if I had more patience I might have been able to get into the book, but in the end I decided this wasn’t for me.
I have enjoyed a few role playing games in my time, but it became clear after a few chapters that reading about the game is not as interesting as playing it. It didn’t help that I couldn’t get a feeling for the ‘world’; it almost felt like I had missed a previous book. There was a lot of action, but they were just a collection of random incidents.
Perhaps if I had more patience I might have been able to get into the book, but in the end I decided this wasn’t for me.
October 28, 2020
Honestly I dropped this book about 45% through.
The characters unnerved me and I think it was because they all seem to be tailor made for the specific thing they need to be to fit into the crew, just a cutout of a personality and job to fit a description. I didn’t feel any sort of attachment to them either and the weird way the author switches between POVs multiple times in a chapter was disjointing as well.
I don’t think it was a bad book, it just didn’t interest me enough to keep me in. I can see why others would enjoy it though.
The characters unnerved me and I think it was because they all seem to be tailor made for the specific thing they need to be to fit into the crew, just a cutout of a personality and job to fit a description. I didn’t feel any sort of attachment to them either and the weird way the author switches between POVs multiple times in a chapter was disjointing as well.
I don’t think it was a bad book, it just didn’t interest me enough to keep me in. I can see why others would enjoy it though.
May 18, 2019
I feel let down.
I have read the New Era Online series by Shemer Kuznits, and each book got a five star review from me. Each book had a wonderful city development feel to it, while also detailing a unique leveling and character class system in the form of a goblin warlord. Unfortunately this book doesn't quite have that feel to it.
While the first few chapters were action-packed and had some new takes on familiar tropes, from 30-50% of the book, I found myself unable to care about the plot and the characters, to an extent.
I liked the beginning. The warped, tech, and the classes were all unique. But as time passed, the plot felt like it was meandering. There was no clear goal or enemy, besides a giant monster to be beaten later. Characters go from Earth to outer space back and forth several times, and I didn't feel much conflict for a huge chunk of the middle of the book, and by the time there was some action around 60% in the book, I felt lost. Moon excavators, random spaceships ... they felt underwhelming.
I can't talk about the plot without talking about the leveling system. This also felt lacking, because while the classes are all unique, I don't know much about the classes. Yes, I know it's Gamelit and classes and stats are not usually explained in much or any detail in this subgenre, but the classes like navigator and engineer just felt ... normal - hidden behind strange terms. The most interesting class belonged to Nathan, and I wish we had seen more of the unique aspects of each class and that there was more fighting to showcase these abilities. I think what made New Era Online unique was the mass of abilities the main character gained, and in this book, there is no main character. Rather, the story progresses from the perspective of the crew of four people.
While it may be possible to read a story without a main character, we didn't really get to go into the minds of the main characters all too much. Yes, Nathan had an interesting backstory, and characters did talk about their hard stories here and there, especially halfway through, but I wish we learned more about the personalities of the characters.
It was difficult to give this a three star review and I wish I could have given it a five star review, because I know how well the author writes.
I have read the New Era Online series by Shemer Kuznits, and each book got a five star review from me. Each book had a wonderful city development feel to it, while also detailing a unique leveling and character class system in the form of a goblin warlord. Unfortunately this book doesn't quite have that feel to it.
While the first few chapters were action-packed and had some new takes on familiar tropes, from 30-50% of the book, I found myself unable to care about the plot and the characters, to an extent.
I liked the beginning. The warped, tech, and the classes were all unique. But as time passed, the plot felt like it was meandering. There was no clear goal or enemy, besides a giant monster to be beaten later. Characters go from Earth to outer space back and forth several times, and I didn't feel much conflict for a huge chunk of the middle of the book, and by the time there was some action around 60% in the book, I felt lost. Moon excavators, random spaceships ... they felt underwhelming.
I can't talk about the plot without talking about the leveling system. This also felt lacking, because while the classes are all unique, I don't know much about the classes. Yes, I know it's Gamelit and classes and stats are not usually explained in much or any detail in this subgenre, but the classes like navigator and engineer just felt ... normal - hidden behind strange terms. The most interesting class belonged to Nathan, and I wish we had seen more of the unique aspects of each class and that there was more fighting to showcase these abilities. I think what made New Era Online unique was the mass of abilities the main character gained, and in this book, there is no main character. Rather, the story progresses from the perspective of the crew of four people.
While it may be possible to read a story without a main character, we didn't really get to go into the minds of the main characters all too much. Yes, Nathan had an interesting backstory, and characters did talk about their hard stories here and there, especially halfway through, but I wish we learned more about the personalities of the characters.
It was difficult to give this a three star review and I wish I could have given it a five star review, because I know how well the author writes.
December 31, 2019
Shemer Kuznits is officially my best LitRPG author, and this book is my best LitRPG book for the year 2019. And I had to discover that on the very last day!
In my last review, I wrote that what I expect from LitRPG is a story using RPG as a backdrop, and in almost all books I've tried this year, I got exactly the opposite; long-winded game logs, interspersed with half-baked teenage wish-fulfilling "plot".
This book is one that delivers exactly what I expect: a very good story, in a world that happens to have litrpg mechanics. Thank You Shemer!
I won't go into details about the story. I'll instead talk about what is not to be found in this book.
For once, women are not described by their appearance and guys by their inherent prowesses.
For once the MCs (because there are actually two) are not in a level race, nor do they get the benefit of extraordinary EXP-raking coincidences. They actually work, and work hard for their gains, thank you very much. By book's end, the MCs are still rather average.
For once, dialogue sounds realistic, and people's backstories are worked into the story in a believable way. A real attempt is made at explaining the whys of the new human psychology, and I really appreciate that.
The characters were really well fleshed out. I especially enjoyed the engineer's character. He brings exactly the kind of shade I love in modern stories. On the other hand, I believe Nathan is useless throughout the book, just a ball of angst that has no other purpose than to be pitied. So he better come into his own and get some meat in the next one.
All in all, the most satisfying LitRPG book I read this year. And that's saying something.
One book at a time, Shemer is confirming his spot as a go-to authors in this new genre. Keep it up, dude!
In my last review, I wrote that what I expect from LitRPG is a story using RPG as a backdrop, and in almost all books I've tried this year, I got exactly the opposite; long-winded game logs, interspersed with half-baked teenage wish-fulfilling "plot".
This book is one that delivers exactly what I expect: a very good story, in a world that happens to have litrpg mechanics. Thank You Shemer!
I won't go into details about the story. I'll instead talk about what is not to be found in this book.
For once, women are not described by their appearance and guys by their inherent prowesses.
For once the MCs (because there are actually two) are not in a level race, nor do they get the benefit of extraordinary EXP-raking coincidences. They actually work, and work hard for their gains, thank you very much. By book's end, the MCs are still rather average.
For once, dialogue sounds realistic, and people's backstories are worked into the story in a believable way. A real attempt is made at explaining the whys of the new human psychology, and I really appreciate that.
The characters were really well fleshed out. I especially enjoyed the engineer's character. He brings exactly the kind of shade I love in modern stories. On the other hand, I believe Nathan is useless throughout the book, just a ball of angst that has no other purpose than to be pitied. So he better come into his own and get some meat in the next one.
All in all, the most satisfying LitRPG book I read this year. And that's saying something.
One book at a time, Shemer is confirming his spot as a go-to authors in this new genre. Keep it up, dude!
May 28, 2019
A good take on SciFi litRPG / LitRPG Apocalypse.
Kuznits will not be boxed in. His new story has a totally different tone, style and pacing than his previous Life Reset series, and gives us a fresh more SciFi focused take on the litRPG Apocalypse idea (our world crashing down when RPG like rules/progression are imposed on us, and monsters start showing up )
Another step beyond the standard for the genre is an ensemble cast worthy of a star trek bridge seen with a mostly balanced rotation of viewpoints and less than perfect characters.
Definitely a stand out in the genre, I'm looking forward to the next release.
4 Stars because 5 stars is reserved Shakespeare, Tolkien, and a few others
Kuznits will not be boxed in. His new story has a totally different tone, style and pacing than his previous Life Reset series, and gives us a fresh more SciFi focused take on the litRPG Apocalypse idea (our world crashing down when RPG like rules/progression are imposed on us, and monsters start showing up )
Another step beyond the standard for the genre is an ensemble cast worthy of a star trek bridge seen with a mostly balanced rotation of viewpoints and less than perfect characters.
Definitely a stand out in the genre, I'm looking forward to the next release.
4 Stars because 5 stars is reserved Shakespeare, Tolkien, and a few others
April 2, 2023
Great book.
I liked the idea and story, the writing is very catchy and I couldn't stop reading it, I recommend it to anyone who likes litRPG.
I liked the idea and story, the writing is very catchy and I couldn't stop reading it, I recommend it to anyone who likes litRPG.
April 8, 2021
Great blend of scifi, LitRPG and apocalyptic genres. I'm really looking forward to how the conflicts and the characters will continue to evolve! Thank you for a great read Shemer!
May 6, 2019
A different approach to Sci-fi/ Litrpg
So, I can say that honestly this book was quite different from what I had initially expected, despite being a Patreon and getting to read it bit by bit as it was constructed. From the get-go, the book is packed with action and always has a nice dose of foreshadowing - challenging the reader to guess what is coming next. I personally think the level dynamic is a nice approach, warping a typical class-trope level up and adding a unique spin on it. For those who aren’t familiar with the genre, I’d highly recommend this as a starter. I greatly anticipate book 2.
Shemer Kuznits continues to produce amazing characters who possess depth and relatable aspect that draw you further and further in - hopefully he doesn’t take a Game of Throne’s approach and systematically kill off our favorite characters down the road.
So, I can say that honestly this book was quite different from what I had initially expected, despite being a Patreon and getting to read it bit by bit as it was constructed. From the get-go, the book is packed with action and always has a nice dose of foreshadowing - challenging the reader to guess what is coming next. I personally think the level dynamic is a nice approach, warping a typical class-trope level up and adding a unique spin on it. For those who aren’t familiar with the genre, I’d highly recommend this as a starter. I greatly anticipate book 2.
Shemer Kuznits continues to produce amazing characters who possess depth and relatable aspect that draw you further and further in - hopefully he doesn’t take a Game of Throne’s approach and systematically kill off our favorite characters down the road.
September 9, 2019
Enjoyed far more than I expected to. Concept more interesting than the blurb suggests and really well developed universe. Kept me wanting more. Would make a very good game (which I guess is the point).
July 24, 2019
I'm not sure what the author was going for here. Maybe "cash in for YA audience" but it didn't work for me. Extra star because there were some good passages.
May 7, 2023
3.5☆
November 15, 2021
This book reads very much like litRPG or gamelit even tho it is alien nanite tech that is giving the characters their attributes and ‘leveling’ them up. For me, that worked really well. I loved that the story never got bogged down in characters figuring out how to distribute points after leveling up, etc. The story does have a friendly merchant alien, Alzygo, that acts like a help encyclopedia in a RPG PC game. And while that was a simple plot ploy, it did keep the plot moving along at a good speed.
Nathan and Lana are two teens that found each other not too long after the world went to crap and have been struggling through. Then our warrior messenger, Noori, shows up and the three become a team. The Warped are dangerous and fighting one off is certainly easier with a little group than on your own. This trio soon discovers a small crashed alien ship, and shortly after that they run into Bulko and his gang. Both groups want the ship as it might hold valuable tech that can give them a much needed edge in survival. But the two groups soon join forces and together they meet the friendly merchant alien. That’s when a horrible truth about how the world was lost comes out. I found this part of the story, and the remaining questions, fascinating. Sure, much of humanity is lost but those who remain have an opportunity to avenge the dead. Bulko certainly is into that idea.
I got sucked in by the characters but I stayed for the plot. So many questions! I especially like that I ‘m not sure who to trust. Even Nathan questions how much to trust the new tech, and hence yourself, because no one is free of the nanotech – it’s everywhere at this point. There were certainly lots of questions about how much to trust Bulko, but I liked him from the start. He’s a tough and edgy survivor. So far I like Martin, the leader of a fortified holdout, but I do wonder how trustworthy he will be going forward.
Lana is adorably cute. Honestly, at first I thought she was like 12 or 13 but turns out, she’s a college student. Nathan, at 16, is the younger of the two. Lana does talk and act much like a 12 year old for the entire book, so I’m just going to ignore that whole college thing. I think it’s great that she and Nathan share some kind of psychic communication link because Nathan doesn’t talk. No one really knows why either and I know that puts some people on edge, but I think it’s just because he’s seen too many horrible things.
The story does keep a decent pace, though at times it feels a little forced. Like I know we need to clear out some of the Warped so we can have a safe zone, but do we really need to do that before we have the ideal amount of ammo? Also, we got to check out the moon because, you know, aliens. And we also got to check out this mysterious outpost called Hammerfell too. But I wasn’t completely sold on the urgency. I think the tale would have benefited from the addition of some other factors, like oncoming harsh weather, limited food stores, and questionable sanitary living conditions.
Nevertheless, the tale ramps up for a big face off at the end. All our Earth Force allies are pulled in for an assault on the Warped. Riches are promised, but some people just take joy in eliminating the Warped. The ending has some close calls, a few emotional moments, and a left me feeling victorious. It’s also a good place to leave off before our heroes go off to answer some bigger questions. 4/5 stars.
The Narration, Sound Effects, & Music: My favorite voices were Noori and Bulko. I love their no-nonsense attitudes (even tho they are sometimes at odds) and I felt that was well captured by the narrators. I liked most of the sound effects, tho sometimes they got a little garbled during fight scenes, especially that big final one. For the majority of the book tho, the sound effects are well-timed and easily identifiable. The little bits of music are good too. I liked that all the characters had unique voices and the guys sounded like guys and the ladies sounded like ladies. It was also easy to pick out Nathan’s internal voice or, later in the story, his electronic voice. Soundbooth Theater has a choice in narrations when you buy from their site directly – narration only or what they call a Deep Dive (with all the sound effects and music). I think this is a most excellent thing to offer listeners. 4.5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Soundbooth Theater. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Nathan and Lana are two teens that found each other not too long after the world went to crap and have been struggling through. Then our warrior messenger, Noori, shows up and the three become a team. The Warped are dangerous and fighting one off is certainly easier with a little group than on your own. This trio soon discovers a small crashed alien ship, and shortly after that they run into Bulko and his gang. Both groups want the ship as it might hold valuable tech that can give them a much needed edge in survival. But the two groups soon join forces and together they meet the friendly merchant alien. That’s when a horrible truth about how the world was lost comes out. I found this part of the story, and the remaining questions, fascinating. Sure, much of humanity is lost but those who remain have an opportunity to avenge the dead. Bulko certainly is into that idea.
I got sucked in by the characters but I stayed for the plot. So many questions! I especially like that I ‘m not sure who to trust. Even Nathan questions how much to trust the new tech, and hence yourself, because no one is free of the nanotech – it’s everywhere at this point. There were certainly lots of questions about how much to trust Bulko, but I liked him from the start. He’s a tough and edgy survivor. So far I like Martin, the leader of a fortified holdout, but I do wonder how trustworthy he will be going forward.
Lana is adorably cute. Honestly, at first I thought she was like 12 or 13 but turns out, she’s a college student. Nathan, at 16, is the younger of the two. Lana does talk and act much like a 12 year old for the entire book, so I’m just going to ignore that whole college thing. I think it’s great that she and Nathan share some kind of psychic communication link because Nathan doesn’t talk. No one really knows why either and I know that puts some people on edge, but I think it’s just because he’s seen too many horrible things.
The story does keep a decent pace, though at times it feels a little forced. Like I know we need to clear out some of the Warped so we can have a safe zone, but do we really need to do that before we have the ideal amount of ammo? Also, we got to check out the moon because, you know, aliens. And we also got to check out this mysterious outpost called Hammerfell too. But I wasn’t completely sold on the urgency. I think the tale would have benefited from the addition of some other factors, like oncoming harsh weather, limited food stores, and questionable sanitary living conditions.
Nevertheless, the tale ramps up for a big face off at the end. All our Earth Force allies are pulled in for an assault on the Warped. Riches are promised, but some people just take joy in eliminating the Warped. The ending has some close calls, a few emotional moments, and a left me feeling victorious. It’s also a good place to leave off before our heroes go off to answer some bigger questions. 4/5 stars.
The Narration, Sound Effects, & Music: My favorite voices were Noori and Bulko. I love their no-nonsense attitudes (even tho they are sometimes at odds) and I felt that was well captured by the narrators. I liked most of the sound effects, tho sometimes they got a little garbled during fight scenes, especially that big final one. For the majority of the book tho, the sound effects are well-timed and easily identifiable. The little bits of music are good too. I liked that all the characters had unique voices and the guys sounded like guys and the ladies sounded like ladies. It was also easy to pick out Nathan’s internal voice or, later in the story, his electronic voice. Soundbooth Theater has a choice in narrations when you buy from their site directly – narration only or what they call a Deep Dive (with all the sound effects and music). I think this is a most excellent thing to offer listeners. 4.5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Soundbooth Theater. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
July 22, 2023
Can I give zero stars? Childish and DNF..
Now I've read a lot of LITRPGs, Apocalypse LITRPGs and well thousands of other books from fantasy to cultivation to reincarnations to scifi and military scifi. Usually I can hang in there for awhile but this book was SO BAD, I couldn't even get past the first big fight. Honestly the only reason I think this on audible doesn't have lower reviews is that you have to finish a certain amount to leave a review and most people bail before getting that far to leave a bad review..
This book is one of those 'Main Character' wants to 'beat' the psychopathic gangster but not 'kill him' Wants to talk tough, threaten, beat them or steal but not actually 'kill'. Now maybe later she does kill others and most likely just doesn't with this gang leader because most likely going to turn out to be some misunderstanding and turns out he's actually a good guy or some shit with plot armor poor writing. Where normaly she would kill but since the plot needs her not to for her to find out he's a good guy, she won't..
So either she one of those childish MCs who 'beats the bad guy' in a world with no justice system and just lets the bad guy go back to murdering, Forcing sexual acts on women and slavery after they win and 'beats them' or it's poor writing and she didn't kill due to plot needing her to find out more about the bad guys.
Like seriously she gets pulled out of a car by the bad guy and has a lazer gun in her other hand. She has super high agility and could easily pull the gun out and shoot him. She did a somersaulting one handed back flip to pick up the lazer off the floor and land to shoot a monster not 6 pages earlier. So turning her body to aim the lazer and shoot him. Then punch the gas while ducking behind the car's dash to 'go' wouldn't be hard.
Then as another reviewer states, she has him pinned and atop him and instead of ya know...shooting the only person with a level there...She 'talks tough' to him. Just aim your gun and shoot, the end ..then deal with his underlings.
Honestly it all reeks of 'hes important to the plot later so he can't die' writing that I just stopped reading. Only thing that would be worse if it turns out he's actually a great guy and he falls in love with him and turns into a romance. Only worse writing it could go.
Now I've read a lot of LITRPGs, Apocalypse LITRPGs and well thousands of other books from fantasy to cultivation to reincarnations to scifi and military scifi. Usually I can hang in there for awhile but this book was SO BAD, I couldn't even get past the first big fight. Honestly the only reason I think this on audible doesn't have lower reviews is that you have to finish a certain amount to leave a review and most people bail before getting that far to leave a bad review..
This book is one of those 'Main Character' wants to 'beat' the psychopathic gangster but not 'kill him' Wants to talk tough, threaten, beat them or steal but not actually 'kill'. Now maybe later she does kill others and most likely just doesn't with this gang leader because most likely going to turn out to be some misunderstanding and turns out he's actually a good guy or some shit with plot armor poor writing. Where normaly she would kill but since the plot needs her not to for her to find out he's a good guy, she won't..
So either she one of those childish MCs who 'beats the bad guy' in a world with no justice system and just lets the bad guy go back to murdering, Forcing sexual acts on women and slavery after they win and 'beats them' or it's poor writing and she didn't kill due to plot needing her to find out more about the bad guys.
Like seriously she gets pulled out of a car by the bad guy and has a lazer gun in her other hand. She has super high agility and could easily pull the gun out and shoot him. She did a somersaulting one handed back flip to pick up the lazer off the floor and land to shoot a monster not 6 pages earlier. So turning her body to aim the lazer and shoot him. Then punch the gas while ducking behind the car's dash to 'go' wouldn't be hard.
Then as another reviewer states, she has him pinned and atop him and instead of ya know...shooting the only person with a level there...She 'talks tough' to him. Just aim your gun and shoot, the end ..then deal with his underlings.
Honestly it all reeks of 'hes important to the plot later so he can't die' writing that I just stopped reading. Only thing that would be worse if it turns out he's actually a great guy and he falls in love with him and turns into a romance. Only worse writing it could go.
June 27, 2019
In Earth Force, Kuznits tries to imagine what would happen if the real world were turned into a video game. Everyone on the planet is transformed (unknowingly) into a video game character with the advanced healing we see in games and the ability to see each other’s levels. At the same time, some humans “warp” into monsters and begin killing and eating everyone else to become stronger. The novel focuses on a handful of people who figure out how to level up and start trying to defend the other survivors.
The basic plot is okay, but the new “game” that the survivors find themselves in doesn’t have the level of detail that Kuznits’ excellent Life Reset series has. Characters are leveling up but it’s harder for the reader to engage in their decisions because we just don’t have the degree of information Kuznits makes available in his other series. In addition to that, the dialogue is weak in this book and often feels childish. In the other series, the hero rarely talks to real people so this weakness didn’t become apparent, but it becomes a serious annoyance in this novel.
Overall, there is a lot of fun in trying to figure out the mechanics of this new world and how the characters will survive it. You can definitely imagine yourself playing this adventure and I suppose that is the point of the LitRPG subgenre.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
The basic plot is okay, but the new “game” that the survivors find themselves in doesn’t have the level of detail that Kuznits’ excellent Life Reset series has. Characters are leveling up but it’s harder for the reader to engage in their decisions because we just don’t have the degree of information Kuznits makes available in his other series. In addition to that, the dialogue is weak in this book and often feels childish. In the other series, the hero rarely talks to real people so this weakness didn’t become apparent, but it becomes a serious annoyance in this novel.
Overall, there is a lot of fun in trying to figure out the mechanics of this new world and how the characters will survive it. You can definitely imagine yourself playing this adventure and I suppose that is the point of the LitRPG subgenre.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
May 18, 2019
A very good start
This is a LitRPG Sci-Fi story.
It starts with 3 then rapidly adds a fourth main character.
A good mix and interesting dynamic. An engineer, pilot, and two wildcard characters.
Essentially something has happened and earth was struck with a cataclysm of biblical proportions.
No no religious readings.
Monsters are killing everyone. These monsters are called warped. Everyone seems to level 0, and t h e warped, dogs, wolves, just weird, and warped humans are insanely deadly.
The four companions learn how to level up and start towards saving whatever remains of humanity.
The LitRPG is done well. Essentially an augmented reality type. Everyone that survived has it. You have to get to level one to get a class. Then you can fight back. This seems to be the first group to do so in spades. They get lucky and observe a UFO crash. Then get lucky.
Overall an interesting start. Hopefully the author can keep the momentum running.
This is a LitRPG Sci-Fi story.
It starts with 3 then rapidly adds a fourth main character.
A good mix and interesting dynamic. An engineer, pilot, and two wildcard characters.
Essentially something has happened and earth was struck with a cataclysm of biblical proportions.
No no religious readings.
Monsters are killing everyone. These monsters are called warped. Everyone seems to level 0, and t h e warped, dogs, wolves, just weird, and warped humans are insanely deadly.
The four companions learn how to level up and start towards saving whatever remains of humanity.
The LitRPG is done well. Essentially an augmented reality type. Everyone that survived has it. You have to get to level one to get a class. Then you can fight back. This seems to be the first group to do so in spades. They get lucky and observe a UFO crash. Then get lucky.
Overall an interesting start. Hopefully the author can keep the momentum running.
October 26, 2019
Strange to begin with but awesome
This is he first time I’ve read a Gamelit genre book, tbh, I’d never heard of it before. I will admit, at first I was a little off out and it all seemed too far fetched, even for a sci-fi fanatic like myself, however, I wasn’t able to stop reading it. I simply couldn’t stop from wanting to know what would happen next and where the book was going. The book crew and grew on me, it really became gripping. Definitely a must read for sci-fi fans and I’m going to purchase the rest in the series myself.
Spoiler part ——-
The author cleverly uses what’s going on to compensate for the absurdity of the situation the characters find themselves in. It works really well to make the characters actions and thoughts as true to human as possible, for the scenario. There are some things I didn’t see coming which caught me by surprise and I really enjoyed those parts. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.
This is he first time I’ve read a Gamelit genre book, tbh, I’d never heard of it before. I will admit, at first I was a little off out and it all seemed too far fetched, even for a sci-fi fanatic like myself, however, I wasn’t able to stop reading it. I simply couldn’t stop from wanting to know what would happen next and where the book was going. The book crew and grew on me, it really became gripping. Definitely a must read for sci-fi fans and I’m going to purchase the rest in the series myself.
Spoiler part ——-
The author cleverly uses what’s going on to compensate for the absurdity of the situation the characters find themselves in. It works really well to make the characters actions and thoughts as true to human as possible, for the scenario. There are some things I didn’t see coming which caught me by surprise and I really enjoyed those parts. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.
May 26, 2019
I read this solely on the strength of the author's first three books, which were great(4/5, 4.5/5, and 4/5, respectively). This book... not so much.
I actually read Earth Force right after finishing New Era Online and it made the difference in quality between the two so very pronounced. I think a big part of it is the switch from first person narration to third person limited in this book. It's done very badly. The author slips up a lot with the changes in POV, and switches into third person omniscient often. Also the beginning has some of the worst dialogue that I've ever read, full of cringy reveals and clumsy exposition.
It gets a bit better as the story progresses, but the dialogue never improves, and the characters are never 1/10th as well expressed as the Dread Totem of GreenPiece. Here's to hoping the author learns and improves.
I actually read Earth Force right after finishing New Era Online and it made the difference in quality between the two so very pronounced. I think a big part of it is the switch from first person narration to third person limited in this book. It's done very badly. The author slips up a lot with the changes in POV, and switches into third person omniscient often. Also the beginning has some of the worst dialogue that I've ever read, full of cringy reveals and clumsy exposition.
It gets a bit better as the story progresses, but the dialogue never improves, and the characters are never 1/10th as well expressed as the Dread Totem of GreenPiece. Here's to hoping the author learns and improves.
April 14, 2023
A good story, but very slow progression.
An interesting story actually it’s pretty good. There are three emcees, and they each have their own motivations for what they are doing. The story is interesting and it is a different take on lit RPG with a sci-fi bent. The problem I had with this book is that the emcees are not very likable, the progression is slow, may be a little bit too slow for my taste. The other problem was the three emcees are all geeks, no fighters in the group to protect them. Maybe somebody nudged the author, and he decided to correct this situation toward the end of the book, will have to see in the next volume. There’s plenty of world building and some mystery to solve. Will go on and read the next book. my greatest wish is that the skill progression and level ups will come faster.
An interesting story actually it’s pretty good. There are three emcees, and they each have their own motivations for what they are doing. The story is interesting and it is a different take on lit RPG with a sci-fi bent. The problem I had with this book is that the emcees are not very likable, the progression is slow, may be a little bit too slow for my taste. The other problem was the three emcees are all geeks, no fighters in the group to protect them. Maybe somebody nudged the author, and he decided to correct this situation toward the end of the book, will have to see in the next volume. There’s plenty of world building and some mystery to solve. Will go on and read the next book. my greatest wish is that the skill progression and level ups will come faster.
May 7, 2019
A very well thought out post apocalyptic sci-fi LitRpg. The author takes a bit at the beginning to built up his world, but when he's done this one is going to suck you in. I also liked very much that the main characters don't get a hardcore overpowered item for doing something utterly ridiculous like it happens in other LitRPGs. Instead they get something unique and rare that has to be developed, built and improved upon to make it truly shine. I also have a hard time finding something that I don't like - which is rare - and only found a very minor one which is the 'I'm the Expert' Catchphrase since I'm of the opinion that only useless blowhards say something like this. All in all a definite must read for LitRPG fans.
July 31, 2019
4.4 Stars
I was a huge fan of Kuznits other series, and this one seemed different and wanted to give it a try. There are plenty of things to love about this book, and some things to question. All these things would give too much away, so I wont get into the details. The idea is semi-original; I've read similar premised LitRPG books, but this was well done (I felt some of the competition was done poorly in comparison to this). The crew has some dynamic personalities going on, and the whole story arc is interesting. Even though its a long read, I felt it went by really quick..which is generally a good thing!
If you are on the fence about this book, give it a chance, I am sure you will like it.
I was a huge fan of Kuznits other series, and this one seemed different and wanted to give it a try. There are plenty of things to love about this book, and some things to question. All these things would give too much away, so I wont get into the details. The idea is semi-original; I've read similar premised LitRPG books, but this was well done (I felt some of the competition was done poorly in comparison to this). The crew has some dynamic personalities going on, and the whole story arc is interesting. Even though its a long read, I felt it went by really quick..which is generally a good thing!
If you are on the fence about this book, give it a chance, I am sure you will like it.
January 4, 2020
Interesting, but not really my thing
Firstly, this is a good book. Plenty of well-written action.
Though the author says in his notes that he added more foul language because that is how people would talk - yeah, if you’re reading this ... don’t do that. I don’t read for realism; I get enough of that in life.
Yeah, that’s my pet peeve and maybe my problem, but if you want younger readers to read your book, do you really want to propagate bad language?
I just didn’t find the characters engaging, either. And the path system is confusing - and I’ve been a gamer since the 90s.
Though I enjoyed this book, I’m not tempted to follow their exploits. I might go read some of his earlier works and see if they can engage me.
Firstly, this is a good book. Plenty of well-written action.
Though the author says in his notes that he added more foul language because that is how people would talk - yeah, if you’re reading this ... don’t do that. I don’t read for realism; I get enough of that in life.
Yeah, that’s my pet peeve and maybe my problem, but if you want younger readers to read your book, do you really want to propagate bad language?
I just didn’t find the characters engaging, either. And the path system is confusing - and I’ve been a gamer since the 90s.
Though I enjoyed this book, I’m not tempted to follow their exploits. I might go read some of his earlier works and see if they can engage me.
May 3, 2019
Different but a good different
Plot was good. I think it would have been a little better if we had the point of view from the alien side maybe. Character's were well developed although some of the progression choices were off a little bit for me I get picking paths for the future but it felt like none of them wanted to pick a combat path to survive just thinking the next guy got you. Didn't feel like something a normal person would have done. Most people don't like relying on others. I would like to see more litrpg elements. But that didn't take away from the story one bit. I hope Kuznits keeps this one going.
Plot was good. I think it would have been a little better if we had the point of view from the alien side maybe. Character's were well developed although some of the progression choices were off a little bit for me I get picking paths for the future but it felt like none of them wanted to pick a combat path to survive just thinking the next guy got you. Didn't feel like something a normal person would have done. Most people don't like relying on others. I would like to see more litrpg elements. But that didn't take away from the story one bit. I hope Kuznits keeps this one going.
May 5, 2019
A great sci-fi read
So I’ve read all the Life Reset books and they were great. This I feel is even better.
An early sample I read felt disjointed and was disappointing compared to the other series. But the now edited and completed book is so much improved that I actually enjoyed it more than Life Reset.
The MCs are good believable characters that grow as the book progresses and the fact they aren’t perfect makes the story that much better.
I liked the levelling system and the use of the alien merchant to fill in more of the backstory of the plot and believe it’ll only get better with the next book in the series....😊
So I’ve read all the Life Reset books and they were great. This I feel is even better.
An early sample I read felt disjointed and was disappointing compared to the other series. But the now edited and completed book is so much improved that I actually enjoyed it more than Life Reset.
The MCs are good believable characters that grow as the book progresses and the fact they aren’t perfect makes the story that much better.
I liked the levelling system and the use of the alien merchant to fill in more of the backstory of the plot and believe it’ll only get better with the next book in the series....😊
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