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The System Apocalypse #12
System Finale
An Apocalyptic Space Opera LitRPG
There's No Way Home
Not for John Lee. His search for answers for the System Quest has taken him deep into the Forbidden Zone, into the very arms of his enemies. He's betrayed family and friends and been betrayed in turn. The most powerful human in the System has come to the final leg of his journey.
And still, he has no idea if what he will find will fill the burning need within him. For the Redeemer of the Dead will not stop, until the cries of the lost and the sacrificed are answered.
No matter the cost - to the universe, to Earth, or to himself.
System Finale is the final book of the bestselling post-apocalyptic LitRPG The System Apocalypse and brings the series to a climatic conclusion. The System Apocalypse mixes post-apocalyptic fiction with alien invasions, military science fiction and fantasy elements with game-like statuses and levels.
There's No Way Home
Not for John Lee. His search for answers for the System Quest has taken him deep into the Forbidden Zone, into the very arms of his enemies. He's betrayed family and friends and been betrayed in turn. The most powerful human in the System has come to the final leg of his journey.
And still, he has no idea if what he will find will fill the burning need within him. For the Redeemer of the Dead will not stop, until the cries of the lost and the sacrificed are answered.
No matter the cost - to the universe, to Earth, or to himself.
System Finale is the final book of the bestselling post-apocalyptic LitRPG The System Apocalypse and brings the series to a climatic conclusion. The System Apocalypse mixes post-apocalyptic fiction with alien invasions, military science fiction and fantasy elements with game-like statuses and levels.
485 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2022
195 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Tao Wong
137 books957 followersTao Wong is the author of the A Thousand Li progression fantasy series and the System Apocalypse LitRPG series, among others. His work has been released in audio, paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats, and translated into German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and several other languages. He was shortlisted for the UK Kindle Storyteller Award in 2021 for A Thousand Li: The Second Sect. In 2026, the first three books in the A Thousand Li series will be republished in hardcover by Ace Books.
When he’s not writing or working, he enjoys practicing martial arts, reading, and dreaming up new worlds. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
When he’s not writing or working, he enjoys practicing martial arts, reading, and dreaming up new worlds. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 30, 2023
Notes:
- 01/29: I tried to read this when it first came out & didn't get that far. SA is one of my fav LitRPGs. Hoping for a decent ending.
- XD Oh look! Audiobook. How did I miss that? -switches to audio-
- 01/30 Mini-Review: Rambling Thoughts on System Finale
4 Stars for Narration by Nick Podehl
4 Stars for Key Plot Points & Characters
2 Stars for Plot Progression
1.2 Stars for Majority of Story Told in Passive Voice & Talk at Reader vs Active Character Sequences
- The intro was fantastic! Depressingly gritty, snippets of snark & tiny bit of hope to draw out what had happened & lay out the current situation. It was good to read in print & listen to via audio.
- I love the concepts for SA and the core characters! I love them! The active character driven sequences (including John Lee's mental rambling sprees) were a lot of fun and made it easy to dive into the story. SA had a nice blend of complex plot lines & characters made out of simple elements. There was humor, action, terror, mystery, comrades, enemies, quests and chocolate.
- Pitfalls: I have no idea why the author decided to go where he did with the plot & characters. I'm not the author. I just have guesses that seem to be true because my guesses about the series were mostly on the mark. The plot elements for SA are huge. It could easily take a lifetime to tell the stories that make up the world and characters. No matter how much a writer may want to show the reader everything about the world they've made, it's not always possible. I feel like the author tried to show us a vast universe of his story world and successfully shared a small portion of it. However, that made the overall plot progression for the story to wind around, jump in odd directions, give chunky info dumps and give slim causes for planted moments to drive the story to the end. It felt like the series was forced to an end vs it reached the end. It seemed like the character design for John Lee started out one way and was forced to go in a different direction.
- I figured out what was going to happen before it happened. That's fine. It's rare for a story to be a complete surprise for me in plot progression. When a story is well done, it's not hard for the reader to immerse into it and guess where stuff is going. I just didn't like how it was done. Due to the jumps made to drive the story forward, a good chunk of the story was told in passive voice. It lacked the character focused events & elements that make the series fun. The ending was ok. I mostly understand why it was done that way. Normally, I would be super excited about that kind of thing, but I felt ambivalent when my guesses turned out to be true. That had more to do with the passive story voice than the plot points that were solidified. Yay for interesting ideas! Meh for the way it was presented.
In more ways than one, System Apocalypse is the series that defines Tao Wong's writing & skills as an author for me. I'm glad he created the series & shared it. I just wish a bit more time was given to develop the series and let it shine with less of the rough patches. The ending is not what I wanted as a reader. Not the best, nor the worst. It is what it is.
- 01/29: I tried to read this when it first came out & didn't get that far. SA is one of my fav LitRPGs. Hoping for a decent ending.
- XD Oh look! Audiobook. How did I miss that? -switches to audio-
- 01/30 Mini-Review: Rambling Thoughts on System Finale
4 Stars for Narration by Nick Podehl
4 Stars for Key Plot Points & Characters
2 Stars for Plot Progression
1.2 Stars for Majority of Story Told in Passive Voice & Talk at Reader vs Active Character Sequences
- The intro was fantastic! Depressingly gritty, snippets of snark & tiny bit of hope to draw out what had happened & lay out the current situation. It was good to read in print & listen to via audio.
- I love the concepts for SA and the core characters! I love them! The active character driven sequences (including John Lee's mental rambling sprees) were a lot of fun and made it easy to dive into the story. SA had a nice blend of complex plot lines & characters made out of simple elements. There was humor, action, terror, mystery, comrades, enemies, quests and chocolate.
- Pitfalls: I have no idea why the author decided to go where he did with the plot & characters. I'm not the author. I just have guesses that seem to be true because my guesses about the series were mostly on the mark. The plot elements for SA are huge. It could easily take a lifetime to tell the stories that make up the world and characters. No matter how much a writer may want to show the reader everything about the world they've made, it's not always possible. I feel like the author tried to show us a vast universe of his story world and successfully shared a small portion of it. However, that made the overall plot progression for the story to wind around, jump in odd directions, give chunky info dumps and give slim causes for planted moments to drive the story to the end. It felt like the series was forced to an end vs it reached the end. It seemed like the character design for John Lee started out one way and was forced to go in a different direction.
- I figured out what was going to happen before it happened. That's fine. It's rare for a story to be a complete surprise for me in plot progression. When a story is well done, it's not hard for the reader to immerse into it and guess where stuff is going. I just didn't like how it was done. Due to the jumps made to drive the story forward, a good chunk of the story was told in passive voice. It lacked the character focused events & elements that make the series fun. The ending was ok. I mostly understand why it was done that way. Normally, I would be super excited about that kind of thing, but I felt ambivalent when my guesses turned out to be true. That had more to do with the passive story voice than the plot points that were solidified. Yay for interesting ideas! Meh for the way it was presented.
In more ways than one, System Apocalypse is the series that defines Tao Wong's writing & skills as an author for me. I'm glad he created the series & shared it. I just wish a bit more time was given to develop the series and let it shine with less of the rough patches. The ending is not what I wanted as a reader. Not the best, nor the worst. It is what it is.
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March 2, 2022Have you finished System Finale?
Don't forget to download the bonus epilogue, featuring a few familiar characters meeting once more.
Don't forget to download the bonus epilogue, featuring a few familiar characters meeting once more.
July 2, 2022
Interesting book but the author as a person is problematic. I do not suggest reading it if it means supporting him. I read it before he came out as a terrible person.
Also I hated the ending. I feel like Tao lost what he was doing and phoned it in.
Also I hated the ending. I feel like Tao lost what he was doing and phoned it in.
March 13, 2022
An epic end to an Epic story.
The final stage of John’s story isn’t what I expected and even after some time since the last novel, I was drawn right back in. This universe and its rules called the System is an amazing creation of Tao Wong’s that opened up my mind to a new style of magic integration. I have been hooked.
This one got me emotional, an excellent wrap up and a fitting ending for John Lee’s journey.
The Redeemer of the Dead becomes a universe breaking rebel to the Galactic Council after realizing a deep truth that they chose to do this to Earth.
Someone must pay for Humanity’s devastation and near extinction at the Council’s orders. They couldn’t predict the juggernaut of John’s will to find answers and hand out vengeance for all those who died. Even his own suffering, torture, and eventual death, the deaths of his friends and those he considers family, not even the chance to protect his world, can make John break his own honor and desire to make things right. He settles for making them better in a somewhat non-John way, by talking.
The final stage of John’s story isn’t what I expected and even after some time since the last novel, I was drawn right back in. This universe and its rules called the System is an amazing creation of Tao Wong’s that opened up my mind to a new style of magic integration. I have been hooked.
This one got me emotional, an excellent wrap up and a fitting ending for John Lee’s journey.
The Redeemer of the Dead becomes a universe breaking rebel to the Galactic Council after realizing a deep truth that they chose to do this to Earth.
Someone must pay for Humanity’s devastation and near extinction at the Council’s orders. They couldn’t predict the juggernaut of John’s will to find answers and hand out vengeance for all those who died. Even his own suffering, torture, and eventual death, the deaths of his friends and those he considers family, not even the chance to protect his world, can make John break his own honor and desire to make things right. He settles for making them better in a somewhat non-John way, by talking.
March 3, 2022
So so Good
The end of the line, the final answer, the closing of the circle.
You really need to have read all of this series in order to get to this final volume.
A wise man said that fiction is all about the people. Setting, time period, genre don't matter, it's the people, and that is very true.
By the time I followed John and Mikito et al this far, I was invested. I cared, I wanted to KNOW "What is The System?" and boy! Did I find out!
I laughed, I cried, I swore! I bawled like a baby. It wasn't necessarily the ending I wanted, but it was the ending the characters needed. It was emotional, exciting, and, in many ways, inevitable.
I won't post spoilers, but seriously, if you're checking this out and you've read the others, I doubt you need me to make you read this ! And if you haven't, go find volume one, and get going you lucky thing! You have it all to come.
John Lee is the (anti)hero Earth didn't know she needed, and Tao Wong has a gift for making his words become people, become old friends (and foes).
(And in case you are reading this by accident, and think LitRPG isn't your thing, I am an aging couch potato Mam who had to ask my kids what "nerfing a stat" meant! and I can honestly say, I can't remember when I enjoyed a series so much. I found them by chance and stayed cos I loved them)
The end of the line, the final answer, the closing of the circle.
You really need to have read all of this series in order to get to this final volume.
A wise man said that fiction is all about the people. Setting, time period, genre don't matter, it's the people, and that is very true.
By the time I followed John and Mikito et al this far, I was invested. I cared, I wanted to KNOW "What is The System?" and boy! Did I find out!
I laughed, I cried, I swore! I bawled like a baby. It wasn't necessarily the ending I wanted, but it was the ending the characters needed. It was emotional, exciting, and, in many ways, inevitable.
I won't post spoilers, but seriously, if you're checking this out and you've read the others, I doubt you need me to make you read this ! And if you haven't, go find volume one, and get going you lucky thing! You have it all to come.
John Lee is the (anti)hero Earth didn't know she needed, and Tao Wong has a gift for making his words become people, become old friends (and foes).
(And in case you are reading this by accident, and think LitRPG isn't your thing, I am an aging couch potato Mam who had to ask my kids what "nerfing a stat" meant! and I can honestly say, I can't remember when I enjoyed a series so much. I found them by chance and stayed cos I loved them)
March 17, 2022
Ok I have to say the ending sucked. On the other hand, seeing how it turned out, I really didn't see any alternative, but it still sucked.
Nice to have the story wrapped up though, so there is that. If you like closure, then most certainly read this book. If you don't care, and you can handle being at 99.99 percent completion of the system quest, then leave this one alone, you won't enjoy the ending, though everything leading up to it is fine. We learn many things about the system, and how it works. We also learn more about titles, where they come from, and how they're assigned. It's all interesting stuff, and although there's a lot of overpowered fighting in this one, I've come to expect nothing less of the series, so that was no surprise.
It took longer than it probably should have to get to the end, but get there it did (as most books do), and as I said above, it really couldn't have turned out any different, but still, I really didn't like the ending, especially since it means no more books in this branch of the series, so now I'm reading the offshoot that takes place in australia, that one is turning out to be a decent series too, so don't miss that one.
Nice to have the story wrapped up though, so there is that. If you like closure, then most certainly read this book. If you don't care, and you can handle being at 99.99 percent completion of the system quest, then leave this one alone, you won't enjoy the ending, though everything leading up to it is fine. We learn many things about the system, and how it works. We also learn more about titles, where they come from, and how they're assigned. It's all interesting stuff, and although there's a lot of overpowered fighting in this one, I've come to expect nothing less of the series, so that was no surprise.
It took longer than it probably should have to get to the end, but get there it did (as most books do), and as I said above, it really couldn't have turned out any different, but still, I really didn't like the ending, especially since it means no more books in this branch of the series, so now I'm reading the offshoot that takes place in australia, that one is turning out to be a decent series too, so don't miss that one.
March 2, 2022
Well, I finished it.
Most of it was just ridiculous fighting as he battles his way to the system administrator. And of course, of course he didn't live, but yeah he got 100% completion. lol And Mikito who doesn't want to live lives to continue fighting. Well I guess he saved the future but not the day. And poor Harry, it is just not fair... with Harry dead no one knows what John sacrificed for them. So most of the universe still think John is a villain, so the Redeemer gets no redemption for himself.
Most of it was just ridiculous fighting as he battles his way to the system administrator. And of course, of course he didn't live, but yeah he got 100% completion. lol And Mikito who doesn't want to live lives to continue fighting. Well I guess he saved the future but not the day. And poor Harry, it is just not fair... with Harry dead no one knows what John sacrificed for them. So most of the universe still think John is a villain, so the Redeemer gets no redemption for himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2022
The end. 😭
It's been years since I started this series. And now I end it at 3am in the morning.
Words fail me right now. I honestly have conflicted feelings right now.
I truly love this series and John was someone truly great to read about.
Thank you dear author for the wonderful ride.
What is is
It's been years since I started this series. And now I end it at 3am in the morning.
Words fail me right now. I honestly have conflicted feelings right now.
I truly love this series and John was someone truly great to read about.
Thank you dear author for the wonderful ride.
What is is
March 28, 2022
Amazing end to a great series
It's always hard to say goodbye to characters we love but Tao Wong provided a very satisfying ending to this series.
It's always hard to say goodbye to characters we love but Tao Wong provided a very satisfying ending to this series.
April 11, 2023
I have loved the series, but this book has been a total slog. I'm not sure how, but I will eventually finish it.
May 8, 2022
An end to an epic 12 book series. Some bits were guessed but all in all an amazing end to a brilliant series. I smashed through the last 3 books in less than 10 days I think. Struggled to put them down. A must read series for anyone liking system apocalypse LitRPG books
April 25, 2022
A worthy (and epic) ending
The System Apocalypse is (so far) the only litrpg series in the market that provides a complete self sustaining universe for the plot. Well, not as closed as we thought but that’s my only spoiler. The Finale es a long battle beginning with a jail break (of course) and ending with another scape even more fantastic, like all good ending it will leave a little pain behind but What Is, Is…
Tao have been asking the important questions and he is enough honest w as an author to answer them and complete the cycle. System Is probably the best series of the genre publish so far and should become canon for the way litrpg is written in the west..,
The System Apocalypse is (so far) the only litrpg series in the market that provides a complete self sustaining universe for the plot. Well, not as closed as we thought but that’s my only spoiler. The Finale es a long battle beginning with a jail break (of course) and ending with another scape even more fantastic, like all good ending it will leave a little pain behind but What Is, Is…
Tao have been asking the important questions and he is enough honest w as an author to answer them and complete the cycle. System Is probably the best series of the genre publish so far and should become canon for the way litrpg is written in the west..,
April 22, 2022
Fitting
John has taken on his biggest quest yet, proving that skill, not levels, is what matters when the metal meets the meat.
John has taken on his biggest quest yet, proving that skill, not levels, is what matters when the metal meets the meat.
April 12, 2022
Wow
12 books later here we are. An incredible journey and an amazing story. A tale of anger, loss, sacrifice and redemption. Most of the people reading this will have read the previous books in the series and shouldn't need much encouragement to read this last book. To anyone else looking at starting this series, I hope you do. I look forward to a time when I've forgotten enough of the story so that I can binge it all o er again. Thank you Tao Wong. System Apocalypse 100% compete.
12 books later here we are. An incredible journey and an amazing story. A tale of anger, loss, sacrifice and redemption. Most of the people reading this will have read the previous books in the series and shouldn't need much encouragement to read this last book. To anyone else looking at starting this series, I hope you do. I look forward to a time when I've forgotten enough of the story so that I can binge it all o er again. Thank you Tao Wong. System Apocalypse 100% compete.
April 10, 2022
A very good story arc
I enjoyed every one of the characters and the villans. A twist at the end but overall a worthwhile read.
I enjoyed every one of the characters and the villans. A twist at the end but overall a worthwhile read.
April 5, 2022
awesome!!!
Best series I have found in 20+ years or reading sci-fi, a must read for any lrpg list or gaming lover
Best series I have found in 20+ years or reading sci-fi, a must read for any lrpg list or gaming lover
April 4, 2022
I thought this was how the series was going to end up and it honestly just makes a lot of sense...
I am fulfilled and happy with how it ended up. It just all makes sense.
I am fulfilled and happy with how it ended up. It just all makes sense.
April 1, 2022
A satisfying end
I was happy with this last book. No ending is perfect and as much as I want to know more about what happens to some characters I feel at peace with what I read. A great sense off to a wild ride of a series.
I was happy with this last book. No ending is perfect and as much as I want to know more about what happens to some characters I feel at peace with what I read. A great sense off to a wild ride of a series.
March 27, 2022
Great ending
It might not be the greatest ending ever, but it's worth all 12 books to get to this ending. This remains one of my favorite litrpg series ever.
It might not be the greatest ending ever, but it's worth all 12 books to get to this ending. This remains one of my favorite litrpg series ever.
March 20, 2022
it’s over
Endings are tough but this one is satisfying. Most of the book is your typical John Lee story where he is overcoming high odds and surviving with his trusted crew. I had no idea what to expect with the actual end. Still hoping there is room to continue this story in some way but for now I have enjoyed the ride.
Endings are tough but this one is satisfying. Most of the book is your typical John Lee story where he is overcoming high odds and surviving with his trusted crew. I had no idea what to expect with the actual end. Still hoping there is room to continue this story in some way but for now I have enjoyed the ride.
March 22, 2022
You're right, I already miss them. Fantastic series.
May 7, 2022
An epic and yet unsatisfying ending to this series. You do learn what the system is but not really and only an incomplete answers. Additionally the motivation of the enemies makes little to no sense given their titles and backgrounds. The decisions they made long ago not matching what they should have done given their once solid moral standing. I’m mostly upset with the way the author concluded the overarching system quest to discover “what the system really is” bc in effect the answer was obvious and already known in past books. That last little bit he didn’t know was not worth the build up of the past dozen books.
Ya know when you read a book or series and you go “wow I wasnt expecting that” and that bit of serotonin that you get from it? Well I never felt that with the conclusion of this book and series. My one make or break characteristics for books is “was the ending satisfying” even if it’s not rainbows and sunshine? Well for this book the answer is definitely no!
Ya know when you read a book or series and you go “wow I wasnt expecting that” and that bit of serotonin that you get from it? Well I never felt that with the conclusion of this book and series. My one make or break characteristics for books is “was the ending satisfying” even if it’s not rainbows and sunshine? Well for this book the answer is definitely no!
March 22, 2022
A solid finish
The writing was great!
The ending was solid.
It fit though, I'm not mad.
There was plenty of foreshadowing.
John's story has ended.
What is, is.
The writing was great!
The ending was solid.
It fit though, I'm not mad.
There was plenty of foreshadowing.
John's story has ended.
What is, is.
March 8, 2022
Perfect ending to a brilliant series.
We follow John and his team as they race against overwhelming and still rising odds and opponents to reach the final administrative center and unravel the mystery behind the system.
The book is quite action packed and the plot just whizzes past at at breakneck pace from get go and keeps up the momentum till the end.
John has to make a critical decisions that not just affects him, but the fate of Earth and pretty much most of the Universe...but hey, nothing new for John, eh! The ending is quite perfect. I was expecting something similar to this, but still it was quite poignant and hard hitting finale.
Must read for all LitRPG fans!
We follow John and his team as they race against overwhelming and still rising odds and opponents to reach the final administrative center and unravel the mystery behind the system.
The book is quite action packed and the plot just whizzes past at at breakneck pace from get go and keeps up the momentum till the end.
John has to make a critical decisions that not just affects him, but the fate of Earth and pretty much most of the Universe...but hey, nothing new for John, eh! The ending is quite perfect. I was expecting something similar to this, but still it was quite poignant and hard hitting finale.
Must read for all LitRPG fans!
March 18, 2022
kinda satisfying but not completely
Good book and interesting conclusion though not wholly satisfactory. It does close alot of gaos and story lines but there are a few points that feel left unfinished.
Good book and interesting conclusion though not wholly satisfactory. It does close alot of gaos and story lines but there are a few points that feel left unfinished.
November 9, 2022
In all honesty this series is a rolling disaster that sometimes painful to read. The final book is exactly that, painful. Ever since the story arc went into the “system quest” it’s been more and more difficult to reason out why he does the things that he does and at the end - well, I think the author had the same conflicted feelings about the main character as everybody. I am not going to spoil the ending but of all the ways to end it - I think the author picked a particularly pathetic one.
I’d love to rewrite the book - takes out the 40% that is nothing more than navel gazing, make Pinocchio into a real boy (ifykyk), big finale and bring the story back to the Yukon.
I’d love to rewrite the book - takes out the 40% that is nothing more than navel gazing, make Pinocchio into a real boy (ifykyk), big finale and bring the story back to the Yukon.
March 3, 2022
As it was meant to be
The final installment of the SA main storyline is upon us. The end. The terminus. The answer to the question that has driven this series from the start - What is the System?
It had been a wild ride to get here and this book took us on yet another. It had everything you could ask for, even chocolate.
In short, the book, the series, ended as it had to end, straight from the way it was set up in the beginning.
Well done and well played.
The final installment of the SA main storyline is upon us. The end. The terminus. The answer to the question that has driven this series from the start - What is the System?
It had been a wild ride to get here and this book took us on yet another. It had everything you could ask for, even chocolate.
In short, the book, the series, ended as it had to end, straight from the way it was set up in the beginning.
Well done and well played.
March 3, 2022
Seriously unhappy
Did I really wait 12 books for that ending.... M hat a load of #@&*
Ni real answers are given and you are left totally unsatisfied. Nobody gets an ending and so many questions remain.
I feel utterly cheated.
Glad I have KU so I didn't really ally pay any money for this or I would be asking for a refund.
Did I really wait 12 books for that ending.... M hat a load of #@&*
Ni real answers are given and you are left totally unsatisfied. Nobody gets an ending and so many questions remain.
I feel utterly cheated.
Glad I have KU so I didn't really ally pay any money for this or I would be asking for a refund.
March 4, 2022
A fitting end to the apocalypse
The system has reached its conclusion and John Lee is headed to the final conflict. The quest must end and John is willing to do whatever it takes to finish it. For those that have been on this journey its time to ride to the end. Revelations abound and tears will be shed. A must read.
The system has reached its conclusion and John Lee is headed to the final conflict. The quest must end and John is willing to do whatever it takes to finish it. For those that have been on this journey its time to ride to the end. Revelations abound and tears will be shed. A must read.
March 14, 2022
thanks for the adventure!
12 great, original books! What an accomplishment. I really enjoyed the writing style and characters. The system and world are fleshed out and unique. The characters felt real and distinct. I was emotionally invested in the story. I look forward to your next project. Thanks for the story!
12 great, original books! What an accomplishment. I really enjoyed the writing style and characters. The system and world are fleshed out and unique. The characters felt real and distinct. I was emotionally invested in the story. I look forward to your next project. Thanks for the story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews