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Reborn: Apocalypse #1
Reborn: Apocalypse Volume 1
If you could turn back the clock and fix all the mistakes you ever made, would you?
From the author of the award-winning Web-novel 'Reborn: Evolving From Nothing' comes the tale of Micheal Care, a swordsman that could only be considered a middling warrior in Humanity's Last Army.
Micheal's answer to that question would be quite simple.
Yes. A million times yes.
Humanity has fallen, killed by stronger races of beings after being warped away to a new reality, the mystical 7 Layers.
Humanity's goal had been simple. Make it through all 7 Layers and reach Heaven.
Humanity failed.
Humanity died.
Micheal Care's memories have been transported back into his past self thanks to a magical Artifact he found by chance.
He is no chosen savior. He is no divinely picked hero.
Can he change the future? Can he catch up to the mightiest warriors of humanity and surpass them?
Read on and find out.
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From the author of the award-winning Web-novel 'Reborn: Evolving From Nothing' comes the tale of Micheal Care, a swordsman that could only be considered a middling warrior in Humanity's Last Army.
Micheal's answer to that question would be quite simple.
Yes. A million times yes.
Humanity has fallen, killed by stronger races of beings after being warped away to a new reality, the mystical 7 Layers.
Humanity's goal had been simple. Make it through all 7 Layers and reach Heaven.
Humanity failed.
Humanity died.
Micheal Care's memories have been transported back into his past self thanks to a magical Artifact he found by chance.
He is no chosen savior. He is no divinely picked hero.
Can he change the future? Can he catch up to the mightiest warriors of humanity and surpass them?
Read on and find out.
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692 pages, ebook
First published May 13, 2019
1335 people are currently reading
2064 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
July 15, 2024
A good Wuxia/litRPG debut that offers that mediocre but bearable writing, unconventionally written pov's, a lovable good-bad guy protagonist and his groupies as per usual, and a very thoughtful apocalyptic time travel plot that more than makes up for the slips encountered.
Greatly imagined characterisations, vivid world-building, and a very cool magic system with cultivation tropes; not too much system stats and information to be overwhelming. I thoroughly loved and breezed through it while I read it, making it appear more entertaining then it ought to be.
I'll minus a star for writing many different POVs in the present tense. Stream-of-consciousness doesn't really work in this type of setting and it was very off-putting.
I still recommend it, onto the next volume.
Greatly imagined characterisations, vivid world-building, and a very cool magic system with cultivation tropes; not too much system stats and information to be overwhelming. I thoroughly loved and breezed through it while I read it, making it appear more entertaining then it ought to be.
I'll minus a star for writing many different POVs in the present tense. Stream-of-consciousness doesn't really work in this type of setting and it was very off-putting.
I still recommend it, onto the next volume.
December 1, 2019
I read half of this book after reading the reviews here. How this book got such a high score is beyond me.
The premise is quite interesting and so is the plot. However, and this is a huge one, the writing is the worst I have come across in my life. 90% of the story is explained to us by the author. And I'm not talking about the hero or a speaker inside the story, nope. That 90% is totally external to the characters, their dialogue, actions or thoughts. Actually, you can take out all of those and you wouldn't feel much of a difference. It reads like someone's roadmap for a book that was never written. A lot of it feels like information people feed the readers in sequels to remind them of certain things, but dude, we read that 20 pages ago. We're not ants. We basically got the very first draft that outlines and explains the story. For me this writing was unbearable, I stuck to it just because the story has so much potential to be captivating, but it fails miserably. And it's a shame. I think that if the author rewrote it and someone professional would edit it, it could be a real gem.
The premise is quite interesting and so is the plot. However, and this is a huge one, the writing is the worst I have come across in my life. 90% of the story is explained to us by the author. And I'm not talking about the hero or a speaker inside the story, nope. That 90% is totally external to the characters, their dialogue, actions or thoughts. Actually, you can take out all of those and you wouldn't feel much of a difference. It reads like someone's roadmap for a book that was never written. A lot of it feels like information people feed the readers in sequels to remind them of certain things, but dude, we read that 20 pages ago. We're not ants. We basically got the very first draft that outlines and explains the story. For me this writing was unbearable, I stuck to it just because the story has so much potential to be captivating, but it fails miserably. And it's a shame. I think that if the author rewrote it and someone professional would edit it, it could be a real gem.
March 21, 2024
This is a system apocalypse LitRPG with a time-travel twist. And it does a pretty good job with the genre. Micheal (not a misspelling, we're told, but I'm going to use Mike from here on out because ugh) survived to the last of the "7 Layers" that Earth had been thrown into with the goal of making a place for humanity at the top. Mike saw them fail on the last layer and his last wish before utter defeat was all the things he'd change if he had another chance. He didn't know that the artifact on his finger was a wish-granting one until he woke up more than ten years in the past knowing all he'd learned from his (failed) timeline.
Mike has not only his knowledge of what happened (still useful until he starts changing things) but it turns out that he also brought back his skill with the sword and a bunch of hidden system knowledge that Earth's researchers had cracked in his previous timeline but not until much later than he currently stands. So he figures he can prepare humanity better by not only getting stronger himself and guiding others past pitfalls, but also by releasing some of the better recipes and secrets to humanity as a whole. I liked this and was happy to grant the premise (even the sword mastery one) just because it was an interesting take on the intense, driven hero going back to change things.
The author does a lot right with this story. Mike is the right kind of tortured by his past mitigated by his hope for a better future. So there's the grim and competent pessimist working hard to make things better and I find that very engaging all on its own. And it doesn't hurt that he makes good choices and hits above his weight-class by careful preparation coupled with his insider knowledge. I liked this very much.
Add a strong pace, good (consistent) worldbuilding, and tough choices navigated well and I'm going to give this five stars. This is in spite of the couple bad-guy PoV that I find intrusive and ultimately uninteresting. This is an aspect of the genre that I dislike intensely and will only say that at least Kerr employs it with a light hand and relatively competently.
A note about Chaste: The one person Mike is determined to team up with happens to be an attractive woman around his age. There could easily have been a sexual component to this but the author didn't go there. It could happen in future and I wouldn't mind. But for now, this is very chaste.
Mike has not only his knowledge of what happened (still useful until he starts changing things) but it turns out that he also brought back his skill with the sword and a bunch of hidden system knowledge that Earth's researchers had cracked in his previous timeline but not until much later than he currently stands. So he figures he can prepare humanity better by not only getting stronger himself and guiding others past pitfalls, but also by releasing some of the better recipes and secrets to humanity as a whole. I liked this and was happy to grant the premise (even the sword mastery one) just because it was an interesting take on the intense, driven hero going back to change things.
The author does a lot right with this story. Mike is the right kind of tortured by his past mitigated by his hope for a better future. So there's the grim and competent pessimist working hard to make things better and I find that very engaging all on its own. And it doesn't hurt that he makes good choices and hits above his weight-class by careful preparation coupled with his insider knowledge. I liked this very much.
Add a strong pace, good (consistent) worldbuilding, and tough choices navigated well and I'm going to give this five stars. This is in spite of the couple bad-guy PoV that I find intrusive and ultimately uninteresting. This is an aspect of the genre that I dislike intensely and will only say that at least Kerr employs it with a light hand and relatively competently.
A note about Chaste: The one person Mike is determined to team up with happens to be an attractive woman around his age. There could easily have been a sexual component to this but the author didn't go there. It could happen in future and I wouldn't mind. But for now, this is very chaste.
April 18, 2020
OK, this is hard... and very simple at the same time.
In a few short words:
The story is good, but the writing is bad.
I actually finished this book (which is rare when I get angry at the writing). Only because I enjoyed the intrigue. I dug in deep, bulldozing through the absolutely horrendous writing (yeah I think it's that bad) because I still wanted to know more.
Please author, please please:
stop telling and start showing.
stop waxing literal and start narrating (there is a difference).
Fix these two issues and believe me, your quality is going to shoot up like you won't believe. You've already got the essential (good story), just go the extra mile, please.
In a few short words:
The story is good, but the writing is bad.
I actually finished this book (which is rare when I get angry at the writing). Only because I enjoyed the intrigue. I dug in deep, bulldozing through the absolutely horrendous writing (yeah I think it's that bad) because I still wanted to know more.
Please author, please please:
stop telling and start showing.
stop waxing literal and start narrating (there is a difference).
Fix these two issues and believe me, your quality is going to shoot up like you won't believe. You've already got the essential (good story), just go the extra mile, please.
April 7, 2020
This book is almost comically bad. The writing is repetitive and the language rather simple. The characters lack depth and the story isn't really game changing.
And yet... I really enjoyed reading it.
Even with all it's flaws, like the cliche and over the top dialogue, the formulaic wuxia/cultivation story, the lack of personality in the cardboard cutouts standing in for female characters, the overpowered and self-centered main character and the constant reminders about just how awesome he is,... I was still entertained. Three stars for that.
And yet... I really enjoyed reading it.
Even with all it's flaws, like the cliche and over the top dialogue, the formulaic wuxia/cultivation story, the lack of personality in the cardboard cutouts standing in for female characters, the overpowered and self-centered main character and the constant reminders about just how awesome he is,... I was still entertained. Three stars for that.
May 20, 2019
First let me give this review some context. I refuse to read a book that has the word "dystopian" anywhere in its description. I like a clearly defined good guy who wins against bad/evil guy. If I want to see the bad guy winning all the time all I have to do is watch the news, I don't need that in my escapism. I would not characterize this story as dystopian, though one could say the setting is somewhat dystopian. Having said that, here are my thoughts. The good is this is different than the usual with some really interesting ideas on character building and magic/tech. The flow of the story was relatively linear, but it suits the situation. I found it quite enjoyable.
The bad, for me I like to hear more about the character building, there was lots of talk about the importance of soul for example and the need to improve it and secret ways to do that, but it never happened. More time spent explaining character improvements, like meditation on ki and soul and its benefits, without going into endless discussion about it. It's good to know that there is a process, not just a skip in time and suddenly our guy has these skills. Another thing I didn't like was related to the planning and setup for the big battles at the end of the book. There was no discussion at all about it, just a skip in time and suddenly all these plans and things were in place which we found out about after the fact or in some cases as they were used. This created gaps in the story for me, and I personally don't care for that. You may argue that I missed some things and you would be right, I always do, which means I can enjoy this story again in 6 to 12 months when I read it again, after book 2 is out.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it. I read The Ten Realms before this one and see similarities. I really liked the first 4 books in that series and I'm hopeful this one will be as good. Similar but not the same, a different spin on a concept and I say well done to the author.
The bad, for me I like to hear more about the character building, there was lots of talk about the importance of soul for example and the need to improve it and secret ways to do that, but it never happened. More time spent explaining character improvements, like meditation on ki and soul and its benefits, without going into endless discussion about it. It's good to know that there is a process, not just a skip in time and suddenly our guy has these skills. Another thing I didn't like was related to the planning and setup for the big battles at the end of the book. There was no discussion at all about it, just a skip in time and suddenly all these plans and things were in place which we found out about after the fact or in some cases as they were used. This created gaps in the story for me, and I personally don't care for that. You may argue that I missed some things and you would be right, I always do, which means I can enjoy this story again in 6 to 12 months when I read it again, after book 2 is out.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it. I read The Ten Realms before this one and see similarities. I really liked the first 4 books in that series and I'm hopeful this one will be as good. Similar but not the same, a different spin on a concept and I say well done to the author.
January 10, 2022
4.25/5
Started very similar to Towers of Heaven but turned out quite different and good.
Starting the sequel soon...
Started very similar to Towers of Heaven but turned out quite different and good.
Starting the sequel soon...
December 22, 2019
Fantastic. Best LitRPG so far but I’m a sucker for all things wuxia and this is the closest I’ve felt to that genre so far. Interesting world mechanic with the shop and MC progresses fairly fast
August 19, 2019
It ain't too bad.
November 4, 2020
Rating 4.0 stars
A very good book. The story is similar to the Towers of heaven. It is the end of the world and the human race is about to be wiped out. The story follows Micheal one of the 50,000 best/last hope for humanity. He is about middle of the pack in power. When he dies though, a ring he found a long time ago grants his wish that he could do it all again. He is transported back in time right before his journey begins. Millions of humans were taken to a different world to fight for survival. He is given stat screens, levels, abilities, etc. Micheal uses all the skills he has acquired and his memories to try and make a different future. This is one of those, I wish I would have done that stories.
A very good book. The story is similar to the Towers of heaven. It is the end of the world and the human race is about to be wiped out. The story follows Micheal one of the 50,000 best/last hope for humanity. He is about middle of the pack in power. When he dies though, a ring he found a long time ago grants his wish that he could do it all again. He is transported back in time right before his journey begins. Millions of humans were taken to a different world to fight for survival. He is given stat screens, levels, abilities, etc. Micheal uses all the skills he has acquired and his memories to try and make a different future. This is one of those, I wish I would have done that stories.
May 30, 2019
Riveting
This was recommended on a litrpg forum page and I could not put it it down until I finished it. This story was so different from the norm that it was refreshing. It felt as though it was a combination of wuxia and litrpg, with a hint of stronger cultivation methods to come. Micheal is a warrior who saw humanity lose a war, has a chance to change the future in a opportunity to win. However, unbeknownst to him, these changes also bring him to the attention of those he wanted to avoid. Absolutely cannot wait for the next installment. Bravo!
This was recommended on a litrpg forum page and I could not put it it down until I finished it. This story was so different from the norm that it was refreshing. It felt as though it was a combination of wuxia and litrpg, with a hint of stronger cultivation methods to come. Micheal is a warrior who saw humanity lose a war, has a chance to change the future in a opportunity to win. However, unbeknownst to him, these changes also bring him to the attention of those he wanted to avoid. Absolutely cannot wait for the next installment. Bravo!
May 27, 2019
Interesting but rough
Maybe it's just me, but the heavily Wuxia stuff always seems unnecessarily complicated and filled with plot armor.
Might be something I should keep in mind before delving once more into the genre.
The book also comes "raw" from the webserial, with all that this form of writing entails, but at least the author calls it out in the beginning.
Book 2 might be something I pick up if I want some popcorn during a lull.
Maybe it's just me, but the heavily Wuxia stuff always seems unnecessarily complicated and filled with plot armor.
Might be something I should keep in mind before delving once more into the genre.
The book also comes "raw" from the webserial, with all that this form of writing entails, but at least the author calls it out in the beginning.
Book 2 might be something I pick up if I want some popcorn during a lull.
June 26, 2020
Fantastic
I really enjoyed this book. Fast, fun, exciting, and an all around great read! I highly recommend it. GL Rathweg.
I really enjoyed this book. Fast, fun, exciting, and an all around great read! I highly recommend it. GL Rathweg.
May 14, 2019
I read it on Royal Road. Was very good. Should give it a try.
March 20, 2020
Well so far this book is like the Towers of Heaven by Cameron Milan.
That is what I gathered from three chapters.
When I started this book I was seriously considering dropping it, as I just finished another bad book.
I will give this book a few more chapters, but if the author continues with the masturbation of dinosaurs and stats I'm dropping this. I will also start dropping other books that I see I'm not enjoying.
I used to finish an entire series because I started book one. Then I made it so that I can drop a series after book one because I saw it was bad. This will be a turning point for me. So many trash books will be left uncompleted. I will starting dropping books like flies.
I'm enjoying the novel some what, but there are some major negatives:
1. There are too many POVs in this novel.
2. The author repeats things he already explained too many times.
3. The main protagonist eyes flash too much.
It's funny. The author self inserted himself as the character. If the 'M' in his name is Micheal, and he changed the spelling of Kerr as Care.
After finishing this book I found it enjoyable. The author could have improved his craft if he didn't have everyone's eyes flashing, and didn't repeat what something did, or an event that he already explained.
I might pick up the sequel. I will see.
2/5 Stars
That is what I gathered from three chapters.
When I started this book I was seriously considering dropping it, as I just finished another bad book.
I will give this book a few more chapters, but if the author continues with the masturbation of dinosaurs and stats I'm dropping this. I will also start dropping other books that I see I'm not enjoying.
I used to finish an entire series because I started book one. Then I made it so that I can drop a series after book one because I saw it was bad. This will be a turning point for me. So many trash books will be left uncompleted. I will starting dropping books like flies.
I'm enjoying the novel some what, but there are some major negatives:
1. There are too many POVs in this novel.
2. The author repeats things he already explained too many times.
3. The main protagonist eyes flash too much.
It's funny. The author self inserted himself as the character. If the 'M' in his name is Micheal, and he changed the spelling of Kerr as Care.
After finishing this book I found it enjoyable. The author could have improved his craft if he didn't have everyone's eyes flashing, and didn't repeat what something did, or an event that he already explained.
I might pick up the sequel. I will see.
2/5 Stars
August 27, 2019
Interesting concept but writing style is too basic
I stumbled onto the LitRPG genre after reading Sufficiently Advanced Magic - it was fun and the writing style easy to read. I saw this book Reborn: Apocalypse as one of the recommendations in Kindle Unlimited as a result of reading the former.
The premise seemed nice - a chance to go back to the past to change the future. Let me list the positives first. The idea and the visuals are interesting - it's literally an rpg game translated into a book. It also being in the wuxia cultivation genre (means there is superhuman martial arts fighting along with internal energy manipulation), i got a strong anime vibe as well - though with much less humor. This is a niche genre and only if one has a strong interest in RPGs and anime would one be interested.
Unfortunately what just doesn't work is the writing style - its very basic - seems that what the author visualized has been literally written down and so its not easy to read. Everyone's eyes "flash" on almost every page and there are huge amounts of sharp nods as well. The characters are bare boned but the abilities/artifacts they have are mentioned constantly. There were many typos too.
The concept is interesting enough but I don't think I can continue reading as the writing style didn't work for me.
I stumbled onto the LitRPG genre after reading Sufficiently Advanced Magic - it was fun and the writing style easy to read. I saw this book Reborn: Apocalypse as one of the recommendations in Kindle Unlimited as a result of reading the former.
The premise seemed nice - a chance to go back to the past to change the future. Let me list the positives first. The idea and the visuals are interesting - it's literally an rpg game translated into a book. It also being in the wuxia cultivation genre (means there is superhuman martial arts fighting along with internal energy manipulation), i got a strong anime vibe as well - though with much less humor. This is a niche genre and only if one has a strong interest in RPGs and anime would one be interested.
Unfortunately what just doesn't work is the writing style - its very basic - seems that what the author visualized has been literally written down and so its not easy to read. Everyone's eyes "flash" on almost every page and there are huge amounts of sharp nods as well. The characters are bare boned but the abilities/artifacts they have are mentioned constantly. There were many typos too.
The concept is interesting enough but I don't think I can continue reading as the writing style didn't work for me.
June 22, 2020
This book probably doesn't deserve a 1/5 stars, but I can't help but compare this to Towers of Heaven by Cameron Milan and it doesn't hold up. The writing in this book is just bad, there was multiple times I was pulled out of the story because I was trying to figure out why the writer put that in there. There is an expression in story telling, show don't tell, and this book just fails in that. I couldn't figure out if there was a Narrator talking or it was the characters thoughts. Things were repeated a lot, and a few times within a few pages. For example when explaining that some of the skills were limited, it was explained multiple time that limited meant only a few people could select it. There was an instance of a character that was in this world for three years, decides to speak out loud some basic information he should have known.
Overall the book isn't horrible, even with far to many instances of bad writing choices, but the fact that this book has a higher rating then Towers of Heaven is sad.
Overall the book isn't horrible, even with far to many instances of bad writing choices, but the fact that this book has a higher rating then Towers of Heaven is sad.
May 26, 2019
Extremely entertaining story.
The author did a great job of taking a trope and putting their own spin on the story. The MC has a chance to save the human race after he does and uses a wish to get a 2nd chance. The author kept me engaged with the story and the pace of the book was good. The action scenes are very enjoyable to read and fast paced. Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book.
The author did a great job of taking a trope and putting their own spin on the story. The MC has a chance to save the human race after he does and uses a wish to get a 2nd chance. The author kept me engaged with the story and the pace of the book was good. The action scenes are very enjoyable to read and fast paced. Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book.
May 22, 2019
Book one
This book has a very choppy feel to it. I think that the book would be better and read smoother if the author went back through and polished some of his ideas. I'd also suggest he drop the sound effects. I found that highly annoying.
This book has a very choppy feel to it. I think that the book would be better and read smoother if the author went back through and polished some of his ideas. I'd also suggest he drop the sound effects. I found that highly annoying.
November 23, 2020
A solid gamelit read, which is to say it is preposterous and full of iffy writing, poorly motivated villains, and all the rest but it is fun and I liked it.
I just finished this one and volume 2 and am following along on the web for volume 3.
I just finished this one and volume 2 and am following along on the web for volume 3.
June 3, 2020
This was such a light fun read! Highly recommend it!
July 11, 2020
Compared to most LitRPG this book is superior. First, unlike so many other litRPG authors this author doesn't hit 150 pages and just stop. This is a 692 page book and I got through it all on one sitting.
The book begins with humanity having been transported to a RPG type world. Having moved up the levels, humanity finally encounters an enemy it can't beat and the MC, Micheal, dies as the battle is lost. However Micheal had picked up an item that grants a wish and so Micheal wishes for a do-over. This moves the Micheal to moments before he and his best friend, Shin, were transported. Micheal quickly gives Shin the best advice advice he can in the seconds they have before winding up in the "store" where humans start on the new world. With 10 years of knowledge from his first attempt, Micheal begins to map out plans to strengthen humanity as a whole in the hope of changing the future.
First Micheal looks for Sofia, a powerful illusionist who previously died on level 1. (Micheal and Shin start on separate islands leaving Shin on his own for the first month or so. Shin, based on Micheal's comments, gets a teleportation power for himself from the store and kills a high value "zombie" for starters.)
Micheal is able to convince Sofia to join him and together they hunt high value pseudo-zombies and kill some of the worst predators from Micheal's first time through this world. This culminates in Micheal and Sofia attempting to stop the "Pirates" from wiping out the charitable "Godfather Organization" as originally happened.
Bottom line: Worth the read.
The book begins with humanity having been transported to a RPG type world. Having moved up the levels, humanity finally encounters an enemy it can't beat and the MC, Micheal, dies as the battle is lost. However Micheal had picked up an item that grants a wish and so Micheal wishes for a do-over. This moves the Micheal to moments before he and his best friend, Shin, were transported. Micheal quickly gives Shin the best advice advice he can in the seconds they have before winding up in the "store" where humans start on the new world. With 10 years of knowledge from his first attempt, Micheal begins to map out plans to strengthen humanity as a whole in the hope of changing the future.
First Micheal looks for Sofia, a powerful illusionist who previously died on level 1. (Micheal and Shin start on separate islands leaving Shin on his own for the first month or so. Shin, based on Micheal's comments, gets a teleportation power for himself from the store and kills a high value "zombie" for starters.)
Micheal is able to convince Sofia to join him and together they hunt high value pseudo-zombies and kill some of the worst predators from Micheal's first time through this world. This culminates in Micheal and Sofia attempting to stop the "Pirates" from wiping out the charitable "Godfather Organization" as originally happened.
Bottom line: Worth the read.
June 11, 2019
Fantastic concept
5 stars for the world, magic, and story. I found the style of writing a little offputting but the idea of the book kept me going. I think the internal dialogue could be presented in a similar fashion without making the characters talk to themselves constantly. I had to back up and count apostrophes to see if the characters were talking or thinking on multiple occasions, where it would have got the same point across to just write it out. Still gonna read the next one though...
5 stars for the world, magic, and story. I found the style of writing a little offputting but the idea of the book kept me going. I think the internal dialogue could be presented in a similar fashion without making the characters talk to themselves constantly. I had to back up and count apostrophes to see if the characters were talking or thinking on multiple occasions, where it would have got the same point across to just write it out. Still gonna read the next one though...
April 25, 2021
I discovered LitRPG books this year, so my experience is limited in this sub-genre. Unlike the others that I've read, this one isn't obvious that someone is inside the game as much as they are inside a world that has game aspects. With that said, it is still a very entertaining story. You immediately connect with the characters as they struggle to rewrite the future.
Read
April 27, 2020Research.
March 2, 2021
The story is great. The writing is just awful! Every time I read he nodded his head...
And everyone is crazy... talking to themselves out loud and nodding!!!
And everyone is crazy... talking to themselves out loud and nodding!!!
July 9, 2020
Reborn apocalypse is an incredible story concept that was filled with action and adventure. Like playing a game you are familiar with, the protagonists knows what to do, and when to do it, he knows what to focus on for stats, where to find all the cool toys, and how to play the game. Which is likely why it was so predicable, linear and kinda of dull. The main character is over powered, arrogant and kind of unlikable in my opinion.
Like too many in this Genre the story doesn't really end with any real catharsis, just the promise of more to come.
This is a budding genre, and right now a lot of people are rushing to get their work out there so they can cash in on the interest. I'd rather see a little more depth to the stories personally, then just character sheets and skill branches.
Like too many in this Genre the story doesn't really end with any real catharsis, just the promise of more to come.
This is a budding genre, and right now a lot of people are rushing to get their work out there so they can cash in on the interest. I'd rather see a little more depth to the stories personally, then just character sheets and skill branches.
February 23, 2022
Pretty fun litrpg.
July 11, 2024
Up front I enjoyed the story and the setting. It's both fantastical and familiar. The writing definitely seems to be a freshman effort, and could probably have used a second pass to re-write a lot of it in a more engaging and interesting way. There's also a lot of repetition. I'm sure this was released as serialized content online before being bundled, though I haven't checked, just in how often concepts and content are recapped, whether it just happened or was at the beginning of the book. I noticed these things less as I got further, so I'm not sure if I acclimatized or it got better. I liked the story well enough to instantly go grab the next entry in the series.
Aside from the technical aspects of the writing, I enjoyed the core concept of the series. The protagonist is definitely OP, as common in this genre of progression fantasy regression, but not so much that there aren't any stakes. There is one character in the book that gets a lot of sensual adjectives, either flagging the protagonists interest or the author's horniness. Hard to tell lol. It may be Chekov's love interest.
If you like the genre, it's worth a read. If you're new to it, probably want to start out with something like Dungeon Crawler Carl, Defiance of the Fall, or Mother of Learning first to get a taste of the conceits and tropes common to the genre from well regarded stories. Then return here for a helping of fresh popcorn with a different flavoring.
Aside from the technical aspects of the writing, I enjoyed the core concept of the series. The protagonist is definitely OP, as common in this genre of progression fantasy regression, but not so much that there aren't any stakes. There is one character in the book that gets a lot of sensual adjectives, either flagging the protagonists interest or the author's horniness. Hard to tell lol. It may be Chekov's love interest.
If you like the genre, it's worth a read. If you're new to it, probably want to start out with something like Dungeon Crawler Carl, Defiance of the Fall, or Mother of Learning first to get a taste of the conceits and tropes common to the genre from well regarded stories. Then return here for a helping of fresh popcorn with a different flavoring.
July 18, 2023
Reborn: Apocalypse by L.M. Kerr is a book that left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, the story is engaging and entertaining, offering a unique twist on the time-traveling fantasy genre. However, on the other hand, the writing itself is subpar and often detracts from the potential greatness of the narrative.
One of the most significant issues with this book is the author's over-reliance on telling rather than showing. Approximately 90% of the story is narrated externally, with little room for the characters to truly express themselves through their actions, dialogues, or thoughts. This lack of depth in character development is noticeable, and the female characters, in particular, feel like mere cardboard cutouts with little personality.
The main character, Micheal, is portrayed as an overpowered and self-centered individual, with constant reminders of his supposed awesomeness. While this might appeal to some readers, it can be off-putting for those seeking more complex and relatable protagonists.
Despite these glaring flaws, I found myself enjoying the overall story. The concept of a mystical item transporting the protagonist back in time is intriguing, and the potential of the setting has its merits, though it remains somewhat underutilized. The plot has its share of excitement and action, making it a page-turner for fans of the genre.
The writing style is undeniably lacking and contributes to the choppiness of the book. The author's repetitive use of certain phrases and the constant explanations of already established ideas become tiresome. The presence of numerous typos further indicates a lack of thorough editing and proofreading.
Furthermore, the author's tendency to write in a sum-zero manner, where positive attributes are followed by negatives, detracts from the overall reading experience. This style dampens the impact of the story, preventing readers from fully immersing themselves in the world the author has crafted.
Despite the flaws, it's puzzling how this book managed to be published in its current state. More rigorous editing and polishing of ideas would have significantly improved the final product. The potential for a great story is there, but the lackluster writing undermines its impact.
In conclusion, Reborn: Apocalypse by L.M. Kerr is a flawed but enjoyable adventure. The plot has its merits, and fans of time-traveling fantasy might find something to appreciate here. However, the poor writing style, lack of character depth, and repetitive elements hold the book back from being truly remarkable. If you can overlook these issues and focus solely on the plot, you may still find some enjoyment in this novel. However, for those who value well-crafted prose and well-developed characters, this book might not meet expectations.
One of the most significant issues with this book is the author's over-reliance on telling rather than showing. Approximately 90% of the story is narrated externally, with little room for the characters to truly express themselves through their actions, dialogues, or thoughts. This lack of depth in character development is noticeable, and the female characters, in particular, feel like mere cardboard cutouts with little personality.
The main character, Micheal, is portrayed as an overpowered and self-centered individual, with constant reminders of his supposed awesomeness. While this might appeal to some readers, it can be off-putting for those seeking more complex and relatable protagonists.
Despite these glaring flaws, I found myself enjoying the overall story. The concept of a mystical item transporting the protagonist back in time is intriguing, and the potential of the setting has its merits, though it remains somewhat underutilized. The plot has its share of excitement and action, making it a page-turner for fans of the genre.
The writing style is undeniably lacking and contributes to the choppiness of the book. The author's repetitive use of certain phrases and the constant explanations of already established ideas become tiresome. The presence of numerous typos further indicates a lack of thorough editing and proofreading.
Furthermore, the author's tendency to write in a sum-zero manner, where positive attributes are followed by negatives, detracts from the overall reading experience. This style dampens the impact of the story, preventing readers from fully immersing themselves in the world the author has crafted.
Despite the flaws, it's puzzling how this book managed to be published in its current state. More rigorous editing and polishing of ideas would have significantly improved the final product. The potential for a great story is there, but the lackluster writing undermines its impact.
In conclusion, Reborn: Apocalypse by L.M. Kerr is a flawed but enjoyable adventure. The plot has its merits, and fans of time-traveling fantasy might find something to appreciate here. However, the poor writing style, lack of character depth, and repetitive elements hold the book back from being truly remarkable. If you can overlook these issues and focus solely on the plot, you may still find some enjoyment in this novel. However, for those who value well-crafted prose and well-developed characters, this book might not meet expectations.
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