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My Chemical Hero #1
Tough Guy
As if things couldn’t get any worse, Arthur is trying to survive yet another dreadful shift at the Hammy Burger when a supervillain barges in and takes him as a hostage. It’s clear, from the get-go, that this villain is a poor schmuck who just happened on a dose of ChemX, and then decided to get paid moments after he developed his superpower.
And so, in an attempt to save the poor bastard from the consequences of his foolish actions, Arthur tries to convince him to surrender. But when the caped cavalry arrives, something happens and Arthur is exposed to a leak of the mysterious chemical substance.
Soon, he finds himself unlocking his first superpower: extreme Toughness. Unfortunately, superpowers do not pay the rent, and he still has to juggle four jobs to make ends meet. Worse, as was explained to him by a superhero dispatched to the crime scene, his transformation is reversible, due to his method of exposure. And Arthur will be reversed to his former self if he doesn’t prove himself worthy of the gift.
To do that, he will have to take part in the famed Combine—aka the Meatgrinder. He will have to join the trials to be accepted in one of the most famous superhero guilds in Eon City: Heroes United. Success means he can keep his powers (on top of a hefty payday.) Failure means he’ll get dechemed and reverted back to his lousy and broke self.
If he is to have any kind of chance to prevail, Arthur must level up his skills and gain new abilities. But what is a rookie meta like him to do? As an unregistered hero, he doesn’t even have access to the law enforcement channels warning of villain attacks. And so he starts scouring the streets of Eon City, as a vigilante, with a ski mask to conceal his identity and his ability to endure the most extreme of punishments for sole help.
And so, in an attempt to save the poor bastard from the consequences of his foolish actions, Arthur tries to convince him to surrender. But when the caped cavalry arrives, something happens and Arthur is exposed to a leak of the mysterious chemical substance.
Soon, he finds himself unlocking his first superpower: extreme Toughness. Unfortunately, superpowers do not pay the rent, and he still has to juggle four jobs to make ends meet. Worse, as was explained to him by a superhero dispatched to the crime scene, his transformation is reversible, due to his method of exposure. And Arthur will be reversed to his former self if he doesn’t prove himself worthy of the gift.
To do that, he will have to take part in the famed Combine—aka the Meatgrinder. He will have to join the trials to be accepted in one of the most famous superhero guilds in Eon City: Heroes United. Success means he can keep his powers (on top of a hefty payday.) Failure means he’ll get dechemed and reverted back to his lousy and broke self.
If he is to have any kind of chance to prevail, Arthur must level up his skills and gain new abilities. But what is a rookie meta like him to do? As an unregistered hero, he doesn’t even have access to the law enforcement channels warning of villain attacks. And so he starts scouring the streets of Eon City, as a vigilante, with a ski mask to conceal his identity and his ability to endure the most extreme of punishments for sole help.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2021
76 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 15, 2021
What can I say, I’m very partial to superhero books.
This one was decent with an interesting LitRPG twist. The MC is more or less a generic Luke Cage that stumbled his way into obtaining the chemical that grants powers; there is also the customary morally compromised hero that was set up as a challenge for the MC. Although the plot was very predictable, overall it was a good read. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
This one was decent with an interesting LitRPG twist. The MC is more or less a generic Luke Cage that stumbled his way into obtaining the chemical that grants powers; there is also the customary morally compromised hero that was set up as a challenge for the MC. Although the plot was very predictable, overall it was a good read. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
February 8, 2023
Quick, highly enjoyable supers romp, which I devoured in two days. Definitely worth a read. And I may be crazy, but I'm pretty sure I read the first chapter on RoyalRoad some time ago, although no evidence of it exists there today. Anyway, read this one! I'm off to start in on book 2.
May 7, 2021
MBook one
Mistakes: Well written, I didn't find anything wrong with this book.
Plot: A bit childish and simplistic, but reminds me of comics I read as a kid where morality was black and white.
Characters: Interesting characters.
7/10 Fast read.
Mistakes: Well written, I didn't find anything wrong with this book.
Plot: A bit childish and simplistic, but reminds me of comics I read as a kid where morality was black and white.
Characters: Interesting characters.
7/10 Fast read.
May 7, 2021
Rating 2.5
I was in the mood for a superhero litrpg and thought I would give this one a try. Nothing special. Everything was mediocre. The world building, the powers, the level ups, the characters. There is a chemical that can give people super powers. It is illegal to sell, it is illegal to distribute but it is not illegal to use. The MC gets accidentally exposed when his work place is attacked by a villain. He gets the power of toughness. Since he was exposed in a non orthodox way he has a choice. He will need to try out to be a superhero, or they will remove his powers. He decides to try to be a hero. They won't train him for the tryout though. He then needs to go fight crime to level up his powers so that he will be able to pass the tryout and fight crime. Yeah that doesn't make much sense to me either. He is given no training and just stumbles through a couple of situations. Overall nothing special.
I was in the mood for a superhero litrpg and thought I would give this one a try. Nothing special. Everything was mediocre. The world building, the powers, the level ups, the characters. There is a chemical that can give people super powers. It is illegal to sell, it is illegal to distribute but it is not illegal to use. The MC gets accidentally exposed when his work place is attacked by a villain. He gets the power of toughness. Since he was exposed in a non orthodox way he has a choice. He will need to try out to be a superhero, or they will remove his powers. He decides to try to be a hero. They won't train him for the tryout though. He then needs to go fight crime to level up his powers so that he will be able to pass the tryout and fight crime. Yeah that doesn't make much sense to me either. He is given no training and just stumbles through a couple of situations. Overall nothing special.
June 28, 2021
Low rent Luke Cage fan fiction
Okay, so this is the definition of a mediocre read. The author watched , "The Boys" on Amazon prime and saw "Luke Cage" on Netflix and said, "What if I took the superhero serum and edginess from the boys and the superhero Luke Cage and added rpg elements?" The author is definitely a good writer, but a poor dungeon master. He tried to wrap the superhero genre with system like skills and attributes, but all his ideas fall short. The power system is poorly explained, and certain elements contradict and counter each other when put to thought. The worst part is the MCs build, which is an absolute mess. He picks skills and attributes that are redundant when put together. For instance he acquires super strength then picks a jump ability that adds 10 ft to his vertical leap. By the time this happens he has already shown his ability to punch holes in concrete and metal. why in gods name would he waste valuable skill points on a redundant active skill, It is baffling. Finally the MC is a milk toast, wishy-washy, overly moral fool. He is set up as a sympathetic protag, but it is quickly thrown out the window when you realize he is a tool. Also he has a college degree and works in fast food... okay, right. Skip this one and read invincible or some Spider-Man if you want a real hero tale.
Okay, so this is the definition of a mediocre read. The author watched , "The Boys" on Amazon prime and saw "Luke Cage" on Netflix and said, "What if I took the superhero serum and edginess from the boys and the superhero Luke Cage and added rpg elements?" The author is definitely a good writer, but a poor dungeon master. He tried to wrap the superhero genre with system like skills and attributes, but all his ideas fall short. The power system is poorly explained, and certain elements contradict and counter each other when put to thought. The worst part is the MCs build, which is an absolute mess. He picks skills and attributes that are redundant when put together. For instance he acquires super strength then picks a jump ability that adds 10 ft to his vertical leap. By the time this happens he has already shown his ability to punch holes in concrete and metal. why in gods name would he waste valuable skill points on a redundant active skill, It is baffling. Finally the MC is a milk toast, wishy-washy, overly moral fool. He is set up as a sympathetic protag, but it is quickly thrown out the window when you realize he is a tool. Also he has a college degree and works in fast food... okay, right. Skip this one and read invincible or some Spider-Man if you want a real hero tale.
March 29, 2023
I wasn't going to touch this, but my friend said I could stomach it so... here we go.
The blurb stinks, but maybe the story is more enjoyable?
Lol. Why am I imaging the movie Kickass while reading the first few chapters?
Ugh, and this so far looks like the cliched cape story. I rather enjoy books when my protagonist does something to exploit his powers or ability, or uses it in some novel way. I hope this is the case in this book.
From what I read so far, I won't be reading the sequel. I don't care for a do-gooder protagonist who throws himself in front of bullets to save the bad guys. This is everything I hate about cape books.
The "justice" system is already corrupt, and he is putting his trust in it 100%. Ugh.
Anyone who likes a self sacrificing protagonists who are just itching to jump in front of a gun could read this.
2.5/5 Stars
The blurb stinks, but maybe the story is more enjoyable?
Lol. Why am I imaging the movie Kickass while reading the first few chapters?
Ugh, and this so far looks like the cliched cape story. I rather enjoy books when my protagonist does something to exploit his powers or ability, or uses it in some novel way. I hope this is the case in this book.
From what I read so far, I won't be reading the sequel. I don't care for a do-gooder protagonist who throws himself in front of bullets to save the bad guys. This is everything I hate about cape books.
The "justice" system is already corrupt, and he is putting his trust in it 100%. Ugh.
Anyone who likes a self sacrificing protagonists who are just itching to jump in front of a gun could read this.
2.5/5 Stars
January 19, 2023
Arthur is a guy down on his luck. He is trying to make ends meet by working the Food Service industry but that night everything goes sideways. A criminal, no, a souped-up criminal is unluckily trapped in his restaurant. Said criminal hands a measure of ChemX to Arthur to dispose or hide. Yes, ChemX is illegal. What happens next could not have happened unless everyone had bad luck.
Arthur gets a dose of super powers. What he does after this is survive. He is no criminal so he keeps trying to be a hero. But everyone seems to be after him. He is now on his way to become a hero provided he passes the Combine.
Fun book on a simple origin story.
Arthur gets a dose of super powers. What he does after this is survive. He is no criminal so he keeps trying to be a hero. But everyone seems to be after him. He is now on his way to become a hero provided he passes the Combine.
Fun book on a simple origin story.
July 8, 2021
It’s okay
More cartoonish than I like. MC spends more time reacting than acting. Doesn’t really feel like a fully fleshed out person. Plus, the ‘system’ gives very few options and he usually chose the first one. Not to mention upgrades only happen when it’s useful to the narrative.
The grammar was decent, except where it wasn’t. A criminal doesn’t “make a hefty *deposit* from a bank.” (Pg 39).
I’m not going to continue the series.
More cartoonish than I like. MC spends more time reacting than acting. Doesn’t really feel like a fully fleshed out person. Plus, the ‘system’ gives very few options and he usually chose the first one. Not to mention upgrades only happen when it’s useful to the narrative.
The grammar was decent, except where it wasn’t. A criminal doesn’t “make a hefty *deposit* from a bank.” (Pg 39).
I’m not going to continue the series.
September 8, 2021
New super hero origin
Fun story about a unique tank type superhero, i.e. A fledgling Juggernaut or Thing but with a Superman or Captain America morality. I am a sucker for stories of heroics, self sacrifice and stubbornness so this novel hits the trifecta . I am not a huge fan of the LitRPG leveling up but it is not a horrible distraction to the story line. For an easy, fun read about supers on the loose, give this book a read.
Fun story about a unique tank type superhero, i.e. A fledgling Juggernaut or Thing but with a Superman or Captain America morality. I am a sucker for stories of heroics, self sacrifice and stubbornness so this novel hits the trifecta . I am not a huge fan of the LitRPG leveling up but it is not a horrible distraction to the story line. For an easy, fun read about supers on the loose, give this book a read.
July 20, 2021
Good Characters, Bad Action
Solid characters, dialogue, and relationships carry most of the tale; supplemented by almost reasonable world building. The weak point is the ridiculous action scenes, filled with cliches that do not actually work and inconsistent abilities.
I had a good time but I am unsure if I can recommend this.
Solid characters, dialogue, and relationships carry most of the tale; supplemented by almost reasonable world building. The weak point is the ridiculous action scenes, filled with cliches that do not actually work and inconsistent abilities.
I had a good time but I am unsure if I can recommend this.
April 29, 2021
A fun book
I like the world an and found it refreshing. I loved the charters and found the plot fun with twist and turn s. I hope you plan to keep going and I look forward to reading more. Thanks again for your hard work
I like the world an and found it refreshing. I loved the charters and found the plot fun with twist and turn s. I hope you plan to keep going and I look forward to reading more. Thanks again for your hard work
May 13, 2021
This is so good!
I like the main character, I like the social commentary, I like the bit of intrigue. This has all the basics covered for a really good superhero story. Add in some good writing and you have the start to a really good series.
I like the main character, I like the social commentary, I like the bit of intrigue. This has all the basics covered for a really good superhero story. Add in some good writing and you have the start to a really good series.
May 23, 2021
Fun little super powered LitRPG romp
It’s a fun read with some likable if somewhat shallow characters. I look forward to the next book in the series and hopefully a little more depth. But all around pretty good and some of the humor did make me laugh a lot.
It’s a fun read with some likable if somewhat shallow characters. I look forward to the next book in the series and hopefully a little more depth. But all around pretty good and some of the humor did make me laugh a lot.
June 16, 2021
Fun take on Superheroes
The Mc was wonderful. He did the right thing because it was right. He didn't strong arm every task. The characters were all unique and fun. Can't wait to read more about this world
The Mc was wonderful. He did the right thing because it was right. He didn't strong arm every task. The characters were all unique and fun. Can't wait to read more about this world
June 18, 2021
Fun super hero Rimp
A fun read! I always enjoy superhero books. This one does not disappoint! With a likable hero, a antihero nemesis, and miss guided villains… This is just a fun read.
A fun read! I always enjoy superhero books. This one does not disappoint! With a likable hero, a antihero nemesis, and miss guided villains… This is just a fun read.
June 20, 2021
Awesome zero to hero story
Awesome characters and world building. The story grabbed me from the start and didn't let go, not even after it ended. Cant wait to read the next installment!!
Awesome characters and world building. The story grabbed me from the start and didn't let go, not even after it ended. Cant wait to read the next installment!!
August 16, 2022
I wasn't sure I liked this book when I started, and almost put it down. I was really glad I finished it because I ended up enjoying it so much I read the sequel. For anyone thinking this book is too corny, give it a chance. You might find you enjoy this book more than you think.
April 14, 2023
Good stuff
As far as superhero litrpg I really enjoyed this... Great story.. Hope he continues with it though it looks like he has an endless amount of series rolling..I highly recommend it...
JD Glasscock
Author of the series Blood Brothers and The Dream
As far as superhero litrpg I really enjoyed this... Great story.. Hope he continues with it though it looks like he has an endless amount of series rolling..I highly recommend it...
JD Glasscock
Author of the series Blood Brothers and The Dream
April 17, 2021
Pretty good. The chemX system could've been fleshed out a bit more, but otherwise it was a decent story.
April 20, 2021
3.5 stars
Some awkward language and editing issues keeps it from being a real 4 stars for me. But since 3.5 isn’t an option, I round up to 4.
Some awkward language and editing issues keeps it from being a real 4 stars for me. But since 3.5 isn’t an option, I round up to 4.
May 6, 2021
Perfect
This is everything I wanted in a superhero litrpg book. Crunch lite, lots of action, cool villains and heroes and most importantly set up for a sequel!
This is everything I wanted in a superhero litrpg book. Crunch lite, lots of action, cool villains and heroes and most importantly set up for a sequel!
May 21, 2021
He just blunders about trying random stuff, which always works. No fun.
July 22, 2021
Interesting story
This was a nice story of a budding superhero. He doesn’t have any flashy power other than being tough and strong. The writing is good and a nice story.
This was a nice story of a budding superhero. He doesn’t have any flashy power other than being tough and strong. The writing is good and a nice story.
July 24, 2021
Hero
Tough Guy: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure by lit RPG freaks and Andrew Karevik introduces us to a fun new universe with issues. Good times
Tough Guy: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure by lit RPG freaks and Andrew Karevik introduces us to a fun new universe with issues. Good times
July 29, 2021
Good read
Pretty entertaining read. A bit light on the stats but good story. Am interested in were the main characters powers go from here. Will get the next book.
Pretty entertaining read. A bit light on the stats but good story. Am interested in were the main characters powers go from here. Will get the next book.
October 2, 2021
Great book
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
January 1, 2024
basically it's a kind-of-fun book to read during christmas on your kindle while the kids are watching movies on TV.
Didn't feel any need to buy the 2nd
Didn't feel any need to buy the 2nd
January 20, 2024
3.5 to 4 stars, not a bad start to a series. Little simple at times but it was okay and worth the read.
December 24, 2024
This was great!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews