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The System Apocalypse: Australia #1
Town Under
A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG
What's worse than Australian wildlife? Mutated Australian wildlife.
The System Apocalypse has come to Australia, altering native organisms and importing even more menacing creatures to the most dangerous continent on Earth. For Kira Kent, plant biologist, the System arrives while she's pulling an all nighter at work with her pair of kids in tow.
Now, instead of mundane parental concerns like childcare and paying the bills, she's got to figure out how to survive a world where already deadly flora and fauna have grown even more perilous - all while dealing with the minutiae of the System’s pesky blue screens and Levels and somehow putting together a community of survivors to forge a safe zone to shelter her son and daughter.
It almost makes her miss the PTA fundraising sales. Almost.
Town Under is the first book in a new series, The System Australia. It's set in the same universe as Tao Wong's The System Apocalypse and starts in the same time period as Life in the North but focuses on the changes in the deadliest of continents, Australia. Fans of the original series, LitRPG, fantasy, science-fiction and post-apocalyptic novels will want to take a look.
What's worse than Australian wildlife? Mutated Australian wildlife.
The System Apocalypse has come to Australia, altering native organisms and importing even more menacing creatures to the most dangerous continent on Earth. For Kira Kent, plant biologist, the System arrives while she's pulling an all nighter at work with her pair of kids in tow.
Now, instead of mundane parental concerns like childcare and paying the bills, she's got to figure out how to survive a world where already deadly flora and fauna have grown even more perilous - all while dealing with the minutiae of the System’s pesky blue screens and Levels and somehow putting together a community of survivors to forge a safe zone to shelter her son and daughter.
It almost makes her miss the PTA fundraising sales. Almost.
Town Under is the first book in a new series, The System Australia. It's set in the same universe as Tao Wong's The System Apocalypse and starts in the same time period as Life in the North but focuses on the changes in the deadliest of continents, Australia. Fans of the original series, LitRPG, fantasy, science-fiction and post-apocalyptic novels will want to take a look.
487 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2021
295 people are currently reading
218 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 70 reviews
November 2, 2021
No. No no no NO.
I hate to do this, really I do, I love the System Apocalypse stories.
But ENOUGH WITH THE ENDING BOOKS ON MID-SCENE CLIFFHANGERS.
Stop. Just stop. It’s disrespectful to the reader. We get invested, we care about the characters, and then you just leave us hanging for months while we wait for the next book. It’s unnecessary. Either we liked the book or we didn’t. If we did we’ll buy the next one. You do not have to dangle the characters over the lava pit and say, TUNE IN NEXT TIME. That’s for tv shows and serials.
I hate to do this, really I do, I love the System Apocalypse stories.
But ENOUGH WITH THE ENDING BOOKS ON MID-SCENE CLIFFHANGERS.
Stop. Just stop. It’s disrespectful to the reader. We get invested, we care about the characters, and then you just leave us hanging for months while we wait for the next book. It’s unnecessary. Either we liked the book or we didn’t. If we did we’ll buy the next one. You do not have to dangle the characters over the lava pit and say, TUNE IN NEXT TIME. That’s for tv shows and serials.
June 28, 2022
Oh, I love this! Kira's either bisexual or pan, and she kicks arse! I can't wait to see little Wisp grow, I think she's going to do amazing things once she's old enough by The System's standards.
The annoying thing about the book though, is the overuse of 'mate' and things like, 'ripper'. I was rolling my eyes at the dialogue it's so over the top and annoying. I wish Wong and Hanna contacted a few Aussies to get it right.
The annoying thing about the book though, is the overuse of 'mate' and things like, 'ripper'. I was rolling my eyes at the dialogue it's so over the top and annoying. I wish Wong and Hanna contacted a few Aussies to get it right.
January 5, 2022
KU Review
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis. I hate trying to define my enjoyment and describe facets of it that would appeal to someone else. It is simply not my style. But for the sake of those fishing for clues:
Character development: good
Game elements: moderate
Harem elements: none
Summary: solid entry in the system apocalypse universe. Nice to get non-sexualized female mcs.
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis. I hate trying to define my enjoyment and describe facets of it that would appeal to someone else. It is simply not my style. But for the sake of those fishing for clues:
Character development: good
Game elements: moderate
Harem elements: none
Summary: solid entry in the system apocalypse universe. Nice to get non-sexualized female mcs.
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
November 7, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: I only found one. That isn't why I gave this book two stars. For me this book was boring. I thought, hey system apocalypse down under! Going to be some great mobs and cool loot. That isn't what you get.
Plot: This is more of a social book than an adventure. It's more people interactions. No real focus on monsters and loot is hardly mentioned. Even the very first dog they rescued from the wrecked car is forgotten about. This book bored me.
Characters: The mom MC is scatter brained. For being a scientist I thought she'd dive into the system and then make it squeal. Instead she kept putting things off till the last minute.
She also spent a lot of time flirting. Be warned that she flirts more with women than men.
Don't want that catching anyone by surprise.
4/10 So boring! So much could have been done with monster and loot, but seemed ignored.
Mistakes: I only found one. That isn't why I gave this book two stars. For me this book was boring. I thought, hey system apocalypse down under! Going to be some great mobs and cool loot. That isn't what you get.
Plot: This is more of a social book than an adventure. It's more people interactions. No real focus on monsters and loot is hardly mentioned. Even the very first dog they rescued from the wrecked car is forgotten about. This book bored me.
Characters: The mom MC is scatter brained. For being a scientist I thought she'd dive into the system and then make it squeal. Instead she kept putting things off till the last minute.
She also spent a lot of time flirting. Be warned that she flirts more with women than men.
Don't want that catching anyone by surprise.
4/10 So boring! So much could have been done with monster and loot, but seemed ignored.
November 6, 2021
All your bases are belonging to Apocalypse Karen (joking!)
The start of a System Apocalypse always requires a lot of suspension of disbelief as part of the setup. One of the biggest offenders to realism is the main character’s initial reaction. This should be a psyche crushing revelation, something plenty of people simply wouldn’t be able to cope with at all. Of course, the hero usually just shrugs it off and immediately starts nerding out with character creation. It’s a silly but effective formula to get the story quickly moving forward.
This time around though, we have a twist with a reluctant mom as the leading character. In a display of impressive denial, she holds her panic in by thinking a hostile, world ending alien takeover doesn’t rate higher than acting normal for her kids and “swipes left” on the apocalypse. Her attitude kind of reminds me of Bill Burr’s old joke about “the most difficult job on the planet”. But to be fair, her reaction is more realistic than most in the genre. I’m just disappointed she didn’t immediately try reaching a manager through the System interface.
Luckily, her teenage kid is a tech savvy gamer and accepts the reality of the System with alacrity normally reserved for the story’s hero. Through his urging and guidance, they begin to access the System. The System even reinforces the whole parental back-patting by giving her a frickin Large Perk just for being a mom. Huge bonuses aside, it’s painfully obvious this mom is utterly clueless and slow to adapt. In fact, if not for her son there’s strong indication that she might never have selected a class or perks. Still, she deserves credit for taking the survival situation and her children’s safety very seriously.
What follows is a decent story. It’s refreshing having the main character not be a highly competent murder hobo that thrives on chaos. However, that means the story moves slowly and the main character has no idea how to take advantage of the situation. She doesn’t even figure out how to loot monsters until her son informs her about 20% into the story and then waits until 50% to pick all her damn starting perks. In another strange twist though, her kids are generally more likable than her. I’m definitely not complaining, as kids (especially teens) are usually incredibly annoying and drag the story down.
Speaking of the positives, I really enjoyed the community building aspect. The mom does an admirable job of taking charge, although she’s neither a leader nor a warrior. Her strength lies in being an organizer who cares for people, putting them at ease with her nonthreatening mom energy (while wisely hiding her rougher edges). Big points for all the prepper survival references and tough situations, as there’s some pretty dark material that’s briefly touched on. Although, gathering up random strangers and hunkering down in a freaking giant shopping mall is pretty much the opposite of prepper logic.
There are some issues though. As is unfortunately common, the author loses track of the LitRPG elements. For example, the main character has a Level 2 Analysis skill at the start of the story. Later, that skill mysteriously disappears never to be seen again. Then the mom spends a Small Perk to purchase “Analyze”, which sounds suspiciously like Analysis. Also, I was expecting a book named “Town Under” to have al lot of base building. Unfortunately, there’s almost zero base building for most of the book. And while the mom has admirable qualities, I personally found her to be rather boring.
Overall, the writing is pretty good. There were several strangely worded sentences, but nothing too distracting. While I wasn’t swept away by the book, I did like it better than some of Wong’s solo novels. I especially liked the realistic elements of survival and human psychology on display. However, between the slow pacing and frustrating main character, I just couldn’t enjoy the book and have no interest in reading more of her story.
The start of a System Apocalypse always requires a lot of suspension of disbelief as part of the setup. One of the biggest offenders to realism is the main character’s initial reaction. This should be a psyche crushing revelation, something plenty of people simply wouldn’t be able to cope with at all. Of course, the hero usually just shrugs it off and immediately starts nerding out with character creation. It’s a silly but effective formula to get the story quickly moving forward.
This time around though, we have a twist with a reluctant mom as the leading character. In a display of impressive denial, she holds her panic in by thinking a hostile, world ending alien takeover doesn’t rate higher than acting normal for her kids and “swipes left” on the apocalypse. Her attitude kind of reminds me of Bill Burr’s old joke about “the most difficult job on the planet”. But to be fair, her reaction is more realistic than most in the genre. I’m just disappointed she didn’t immediately try reaching a manager through the System interface.
Luckily, her teenage kid is a tech savvy gamer and accepts the reality of the System with alacrity normally reserved for the story’s hero. Through his urging and guidance, they begin to access the System. The System even reinforces the whole parental back-patting by giving her a frickin Large Perk just for being a mom. Huge bonuses aside, it’s painfully obvious this mom is utterly clueless and slow to adapt. In fact, if not for her son there’s strong indication that she might never have selected a class or perks. Still, she deserves credit for taking the survival situation and her children’s safety very seriously.
What follows is a decent story. It’s refreshing having the main character not be a highly competent murder hobo that thrives on chaos. However, that means the story moves slowly and the main character has no idea how to take advantage of the situation. She doesn’t even figure out how to loot monsters until her son informs her about 20% into the story and then waits until 50% to pick all her damn starting perks. In another strange twist though, her kids are generally more likable than her. I’m definitely not complaining, as kids (especially teens) are usually incredibly annoying and drag the story down.
Speaking of the positives, I really enjoyed the community building aspect. The mom does an admirable job of taking charge, although she’s neither a leader nor a warrior. Her strength lies in being an organizer who cares for people, putting them at ease with her nonthreatening mom energy (while wisely hiding her rougher edges). Big points for all the prepper survival references and tough situations, as there’s some pretty dark material that’s briefly touched on. Although, gathering up random strangers and hunkering down in a freaking giant shopping mall is pretty much the opposite of prepper logic.
There are some issues though. As is unfortunately common, the author loses track of the LitRPG elements. For example, the main character has a Level 2 Analysis skill at the start of the story. Later, that skill mysteriously disappears never to be seen again. Then the mom spends a Small Perk to purchase “Analyze”, which sounds suspiciously like Analysis. Also, I was expecting a book named “Town Under” to have al lot of base building. Unfortunately, there’s almost zero base building for most of the book. And while the mom has admirable qualities, I personally found her to be rather boring.
Overall, the writing is pretty good. There were several strangely worded sentences, but nothing too distracting. While I wasn’t swept away by the book, I did like it better than some of Wong’s solo novels. I especially liked the realistic elements of survival and human psychology on display. However, between the slow pacing and frustrating main character, I just couldn’t enjoy the book and have no interest in reading more of her story.
December 19, 2022
This one was a little hard to judge for me.
If I read it physically it would have been a DNF due to the sheer repetition of stats, numbers and attributes throughout this RPG. However the audiobook was easy to follow and entertaining.
Australia has been turned into a dangerous dungeon world and Kira needs to get her family to safety asap. Not only that but she needs to recruit, combat mutated wildlife and turn a huge shopping mall into a settlement .. within 10 days. Piece of cake right?
Town under had a lot of aussieisms to the point they may have been over the top and cliche but .. I kinda liked it anyway. Starting at the location I went to university in with a majority of the story taking place in a shopping center I frequented when I lived that side of town it was a bit of fun.
I can see this series becoming something like Dresden for me. Something I can listen to and have fun with when I need a break from big series but not something that makes me need the next book immediately.
If I read it physically it would have been a DNF due to the sheer repetition of stats, numbers and attributes throughout this RPG. However the audiobook was easy to follow and entertaining.
Australia has been turned into a dangerous dungeon world and Kira needs to get her family to safety asap. Not only that but she needs to recruit, combat mutated wildlife and turn a huge shopping mall into a settlement .. within 10 days. Piece of cake right?
Town under had a lot of aussieisms to the point they may have been over the top and cliche but .. I kinda liked it anyway. Starting at the location I went to university in with a majority of the story taking place in a shopping center I frequented when I lived that side of town it was a bit of fun.
I can see this series becoming something like Dresden for me. Something I can listen to and have fun with when I need a break from big series but not something that makes me need the next book immediately.
November 8, 2021
Competently written and I like the idea as the SA world has great potential, but this one just didn't grab me. The MC as a divorced mother of two is a different choice for an MC in something like this, but I found it didn't work for me.
The book does pay more attention than most to the psychological trauma of an event like this, so if you're interested in that it has a good deal to offer. I read stuff like this for escapism, so this didn't improve my enjoyment of the book. YMMV
The book does pay more attention than most to the psychological trauma of an event like this, so if you're interested in that it has a good deal to offer. I read stuff like this for escapism, so this didn't improve my enjoyment of the book. YMMV
November 4, 2021
well that’s good!
Writers writing in someone else’s universe can be hit or miss. This is a clear hit.
This truly felt like the first novel in this universe. Everything flowed naturally from the story, there wasn’t any obvious pre-planning. Interesting skills and characters dealing with the apocalypse.
Real damn good.
Yeah I’m gonna buy the next one when it comes out.
Writers writing in someone else’s universe can be hit or miss. This is a clear hit.
This truly felt like the first novel in this universe. Everything flowed naturally from the story, there wasn’t any obvious pre-planning. Interesting skills and characters dealing with the apocalypse.
Real damn good.
Yeah I’m gonna buy the next one when it comes out.
November 7, 2021
First we had a Fistful of Credits, and now we have Town Under, set in Brisbane Australia and most of that time is in a mall turned hopeful safe zone.
Fistful of Credits was very direct in its plot, as the bounty hunter chases after the bad guys and earns credits. The system is there but it's in the background, and while it's not a bad story, the different pieces didn't really gel all that well together.
In Town Under, we have Kira, a mum of two with her divorced ex-husband somewhere far away (I only know the major cities in Australia, plus Wagga Wagga now). She's a plant biologist, and while the class she selects reflects that, it doesn't really come into play in book 1.
The things I liked: the story is very down to Earth, and felt more honed in on the human experience than any of the previous System Apocalypse books yet. Most people can't go from normal life to killing monsters, and this book reflects that struggle as they understand they need to get certain tasks completed (the safe zone, then plumbing, and on and on it goes), the fear is ever present.
Which makes it easy to see life through Kira's eyes as she struggles to keep it all together. She's made the nominal leader more by default than anything else, and she struggles with that as well. Yes, they head out to kill mobs and level up, but her kids never leave her mind, and every life lost concerns her, even if not in that moment.
What didn't quite work for me: the System Apocalypse books and Fistful of Credits were all about action, with politics only coming in later. We don't really get that here. The action is piecemeal, with the largest set piece being the struggle to get to the mall where everyone promised they'd meet. This slows the book down, and maybe if we hadn't seen this struggle happen before I would have been more engaged.
Except I have. In two separate series with this universe, and in dozens of books similar to this.
I do hope that once the safe zone is fully secure (with both offensive and defensive powers beyond people wielding baseball bats), this element will lessen once Kira knows her children are safe.
The aliens are a bit of a cliffhanger, but if they have a safe zone doesn't that mean that they purchased that property? I can't really recall back to the early books in the first series, but I think that's right. Anyway, I guess we'll find out in book 2.
4/5* Good but a slow build in a universe most of us already know well.
Fistful of Credits was very direct in its plot, as the bounty hunter chases after the bad guys and earns credits. The system is there but it's in the background, and while it's not a bad story, the different pieces didn't really gel all that well together.
In Town Under, we have Kira, a mum of two with her divorced ex-husband somewhere far away (I only know the major cities in Australia, plus Wagga Wagga now). She's a plant biologist, and while the class she selects reflects that, it doesn't really come into play in book 1.
The things I liked: the story is very down to Earth, and felt more honed in on the human experience than any of the previous System Apocalypse books yet. Most people can't go from normal life to killing monsters, and this book reflects that struggle as they understand they need to get certain tasks completed (the safe zone, then plumbing, and on and on it goes), the fear is ever present.
Which makes it easy to see life through Kira's eyes as she struggles to keep it all together. She's made the nominal leader more by default than anything else, and she struggles with that as well. Yes, they head out to kill mobs and level up, but her kids never leave her mind, and every life lost concerns her, even if not in that moment.
What didn't quite work for me: the System Apocalypse books and Fistful of Credits were all about action, with politics only coming in later. We don't really get that here. The action is piecemeal, with the largest set piece being the struggle to get to the mall where everyone promised they'd meet. This slows the book down, and maybe if we hadn't seen this struggle happen before I would have been more engaged.
Except I have. In two separate series with this universe, and in dozens of books similar to this.
I do hope that once the safe zone is fully secure (with both offensive and defensive powers beyond people wielding baseball bats), this element will lessen once Kira knows her children are safe.
The aliens are a bit of a cliffhanger, but if they have a safe zone doesn't that mean that they purchased that property? I can't really recall back to the early books in the first series, but I think that's right. Anyway, I guess we'll find out in book 2.
4/5* Good but a slow build in a universe most of us already know well.
Read
September 21, 2022It's a co-authored book but it's strange that this is in Goodreads under Tao Wong. His System Apocalypse series is fun but what I consider 'book candy'. What makes this book stand out to me is that it's written by K.T. Hanna. It's still LitRPG and it's a world I'm familiar with but the main character is a middle-aged mother with very different priorities from the lone heroes in the main series and the other co-written series.
Tao Wong is specifically trying to use his fame to raise up diverse voices which is great but aside from some specific complaints from his Canadian-born Chinese main character, his series and the other co-written series just read like normal lone-hero fantasy. I've read a certain other fantasy book labeled as not for cis-straight men that despite that claim was also a traditional masculine fairy tale (just with a lesbian damsel and warrior).
I say that just to stress that Town Under is not traditional fantasy or LitRPG and that's what makes it stand out in a genre I admittedly read purely fun with no expectation of depth. It truly shows a different perspective on a fantasy story instead of having a diverse person telling the same kind of timeless and slightly masculine leaning fantasy tale.
The main character is first a foremost a mother, secondly a scientist, and the heroine is almost a tertiary trait...and that made it interesting. The character overlooked some of the game-like mechanics of the LitRPG world to a point of frustrating my OCD because she had other concerns. She worried about her kids and then the community she found herself in charge of more than killing monsters and exploring this new world. It leaves the series more grounded even though it's taking place in Australia...where the impact of the system apocalypse is far crazier than the other settings.
Tao Wong is specifically trying to use his fame to raise up diverse voices which is great but aside from some specific complaints from his Canadian-born Chinese main character, his series and the other co-written series just read like normal lone-hero fantasy. I've read a certain other fantasy book labeled as not for cis-straight men that despite that claim was also a traditional masculine fairy tale (just with a lesbian damsel and warrior).
I say that just to stress that Town Under is not traditional fantasy or LitRPG and that's what makes it stand out in a genre I admittedly read purely fun with no expectation of depth. It truly shows a different perspective on a fantasy story instead of having a diverse person telling the same kind of timeless and slightly masculine leaning fantasy tale.
The main character is first a foremost a mother, secondly a scientist, and the heroine is almost a tertiary trait...and that made it interesting. The character overlooked some of the game-like mechanics of the LitRPG world to a point of frustrating my OCD because she had other concerns. She worried about her kids and then the community she found herself in charge of more than killing monsters and exploring this new world. It leaves the series more grounded even though it's taking place in Australia...where the impact of the system apocalypse is far crazier than the other settings.
November 20, 2022
This review is for the Audible Audiobook version
While the background for Town Under is a good LitRPG setting, there are certain things that keep dropping me out of the story and they mostly are related to the audiobook production. More on that later.
While I do like the unique perspective of the recently divorced mum of 2, I question the choice of the MC being a first generation American-Australian. As an Australian I find that choice mildly insulting. With the diverse multicultural backgrounds to choose from let alone a "vanilla" Aussie.
I also enjoy the genuine geography used and brings me back to when I worked on the corner of Kessels and Logan Roads
This brings me to the issues with the production of the audiobook. Anrea Parseneau is a poor choice for this book. Her native American accent is so crisp it sounds like it hasn't heard of Australia let alone been softened by an estimated 20 years living there and while her attempts at an Australian accent aren't laughable they do become grating. The male narrator sounds like he has a mouth and is doing variations on Laurie Oakes.
The blame lies with whoever made the decision to misuse these narrators.
I hope to soon hear the new version with Heath Miller supplying the male voices.
PS RIP to the name Garden City. Westfield, the company who owns the centre has decided in their "wisdom" to rename it Westfield Mt Gravatt
While the background for Town Under is a good LitRPG setting, there are certain things that keep dropping me out of the story and they mostly are related to the audiobook production. More on that later.
While I do like the unique perspective of the recently divorced mum of 2, I question the choice of the MC being a first generation American-Australian. As an Australian I find that choice mildly insulting. With the diverse multicultural backgrounds to choose from let alone a "vanilla" Aussie.
I also enjoy the genuine geography used and brings me back to when I worked on the corner of Kessels and Logan Roads
This brings me to the issues with the production of the audiobook. Anrea Parseneau is a poor choice for this book. Her native American accent is so crisp it sounds like it hasn't heard of Australia let alone been softened by an estimated 20 years living there and while her attempts at an Australian accent aren't laughable they do become grating. The male narrator sounds like he has a mouth and is doing variations on Laurie Oakes.
The blame lies with whoever made the decision to misuse these narrators.
I hope to soon hear the new version with Heath Miller supplying the male voices.
PS RIP to the name Garden City. Westfield, the company who owns the centre has decided in their "wisdom" to rename it Westfield Mt Gravatt
November 8, 2021
Exciting, endearing, MC and a unique view of an Aussie apocalypse
Kira is an endearing character struggling to survive and protect her children. Australia has always been a dangerous continent, but adding mana and the system’s penchant for mutation will change Earth’s wildest continent in ways no one is prepared for. Even there in the outback, the System brings chaos, danger, and adventure for those willing to fight for it, because that is what the system really values. Death is coming for us all on Earth, but Kira is one tough momma for her kids, it’s all for them.
Strangeness and new classes included that I can’t wait to learn more about. Kira has a unique class and abilities that show her much more about the changes to our ecosystems that the System and mana have brought about or started.
Would you survive? Would you try to survive and thrive?
If you had kids, wouldn’t you do everything you could to protect them?
Kira manages it without losing her humanity from what I have read so far and I’m looking forward to seeing where this family goes and how the down under changes under the System!
Kira is an endearing character struggling to survive and protect her children. Australia has always been a dangerous continent, but adding mana and the system’s penchant for mutation will change Earth’s wildest continent in ways no one is prepared for. Even there in the outback, the System brings chaos, danger, and adventure for those willing to fight for it, because that is what the system really values. Death is coming for us all on Earth, but Kira is one tough momma for her kids, it’s all for them.
Strangeness and new classes included that I can’t wait to learn more about. Kira has a unique class and abilities that show her much more about the changes to our ecosystems that the System and mana have brought about or started.
Would you survive? Would you try to survive and thrive?
If you had kids, wouldn’t you do everything you could to protect them?
Kira manages it without losing her humanity from what I have read so far and I’m looking forward to seeing where this family goes and how the down under changes under the System!
June 26, 2024
Not my cup
Well, I finished it so it wasn't bad. It also wasn't good enough to continue to the next book.
The biggest problem is that there are just too many characters. Only 3 are more than caricatures (the MC, the ranger, and the den mother) the others are just a parade of interchangeable background scenery. When one would die, do something spectacular, or just be mentioned by name, I had to try to remember which one they were (and it's not that long a book). Additionally, if your MC's defining characteristic is 'mama bear' you need to make the kids interesting and not background scenery.
Another problem is that the MC is constantly forgetting to use abilities, 'I can't remember what that guy's name is, what ever shall I do?' Use your damn identify, like you do a few times, only whenever it comes up.
Summary: Story is ok, writing is adequate, dialogue is meh, characters are... not good. My fully honest assessment of this book would be 3 stars, but it was good enough that I don't want the author dinged by amazon, which considers 3 stars to be a negative review. Tom out
Well, I finished it so it wasn't bad. It also wasn't good enough to continue to the next book.
The biggest problem is that there are just too many characters. Only 3 are more than caricatures (the MC, the ranger, and the den mother) the others are just a parade of interchangeable background scenery. When one would die, do something spectacular, or just be mentioned by name, I had to try to remember which one they were (and it's not that long a book). Additionally, if your MC's defining characteristic is 'mama bear' you need to make the kids interesting and not background scenery.
Another problem is that the MC is constantly forgetting to use abilities, 'I can't remember what that guy's name is, what ever shall I do?' Use your damn identify, like you do a few times, only whenever it comes up.
Summary: Story is ok, writing is adequate, dialogue is meh, characters are... not good. My fully honest assessment of this book would be 3 stars, but it was good enough that I don't want the author dinged by amazon, which considers 3 stars to be a negative review. Tom out
December 25, 2021
You don't think she'd yadda yadda sex, do ya?
The are dashes of Toa's univers every once in a while, but for all real amounts its just Hanna's story. The Australian perspective was fresh and new. The writer tells the story of the main characters thoughts, not so much her actions. This 'yadda yadda's large parts of action sequences and and other of the most entertaining segments of the book while at the same time waxes endlessly over moral and emotional parts of the story. This combined with an utter lack of any real traction with the system or any exploration of the mechanics of the system leaves me wonder why is this story being told in the TSA universe. Was really exited to wxplore the mana question and town building, but those are barely mentioned other than thinly veild plot devices. He'll even the main character just seems to slowly putter around after a while. Hope for improvement.
The are dashes of Toa's univers every once in a while, but for all real amounts its just Hanna's story. The Australian perspective was fresh and new. The writer tells the story of the main characters thoughts, not so much her actions. This 'yadda yadda's large parts of action sequences and and other of the most entertaining segments of the book while at the same time waxes endlessly over moral and emotional parts of the story. This combined with an utter lack of any real traction with the system or any exploration of the mechanics of the system leaves me wonder why is this story being told in the TSA universe. Was really exited to wxplore the mana question and town building, but those are barely mentioned other than thinly veild plot devices. He'll even the main character just seems to slowly putter around after a while. Hope for improvement.
November 29, 2021
Amazing new addition to the the world of System Apocalypse
Chances are you have read the “original” System Apocalypse, then this is a great new angle on the world and its survivors. Down Under is a long way from the Yukon and brings a whole new perspective to the world and story. Given the MCs background a lot of emphasize is on family and relationships.
I particularly enjoy the beginnings and early stages of an apocalypse setting, so Twon Under brought me back to the early days of the “system invasion” that is so long ago in the Tao Wong’s story arc.
So i cant wait for the book 2 and hopefully more to come and keep my eyes open for the mutated platypus.
If you have not read Tao Wong’s amazing seris yet, read this book and then pick up his first book of a 12 book story arc (#12 book to come next year).
Chances are you have read the “original” System Apocalypse, then this is a great new angle on the world and its survivors. Down Under is a long way from the Yukon and brings a whole new perspective to the world and story. Given the MCs background a lot of emphasize is on family and relationships.
I particularly enjoy the beginnings and early stages of an apocalypse setting, so Twon Under brought me back to the early days of the “system invasion” that is so long ago in the Tao Wong’s story arc.
So i cant wait for the book 2 and hopefully more to come and keep my eyes open for the mutated platypus.
If you have not read Tao Wong’s amazing seris yet, read this book and then pick up his first book of a 12 book story arc (#12 book to come next year).
September 15, 2022
The woke bits had me stop partway through
I really liked the other system apocalypse books (read quite a bit of the main series and the Pittsburgh series) but this one threw me off. A couple of spoilers so here goes:
Main character meets some rando. Rando immediately introduces self as “Shera. They.” (or whatever her name is). Seems like a total insert for the sake of being woke. Who introduces himself as “John. He.” in the real world, never mind an apocalypse?
The story then goes on to be sure to refer to said individual as “they” making it hard to read and, coincidentally, the main character is apparently bisexual but with 2 kids and a male ex-husband. It just seems needlessly woke and strained.
I like the other series but this one didn’t do it for me. Felt forced.
I really liked the other system apocalypse books (read quite a bit of the main series and the Pittsburgh series) but this one threw me off. A couple of spoilers so here goes:
Main character meets some rando. Rando immediately introduces self as “Shera. They.” (or whatever her name is). Seems like a total insert for the sake of being woke. Who introduces himself as “John. He.” in the real world, never mind an apocalypse?
The story then goes on to be sure to refer to said individual as “they” making it hard to read and, coincidentally, the main character is apparently bisexual but with 2 kids and a male ex-husband. It just seems needlessly woke and strained.
I like the other series but this one didn’t do it for me. Felt forced.
June 6, 2022
What a mess
Its the end of the world, in Australia no less, and people are more worried about wokism and using the right pronouns than trying to survive? As usual for the genre anymore, half the female cast are either bi or outright lesbian. All the men are weak simps that just can't compare to the superiority that is woman. Environmentalism must be considered, because we have to save the planet, even as the human species is being wiped out.
As far as the story itself
Character development is nonexistent. Plot is even weaker than usual for the genre. I can't comment on grammar, since I'm not sure I how much is simply Australian english.
Definitely glad I didn't have to pay for this mess. Not the worst garbage I ever read, but just barely got to the two star level.
Its the end of the world, in Australia no less, and people are more worried about wokism and using the right pronouns than trying to survive? As usual for the genre anymore, half the female cast are either bi or outright lesbian. All the men are weak simps that just can't compare to the superiority that is woman. Environmentalism must be considered, because we have to save the planet, even as the human species is being wiped out.
As far as the story itself
Character development is nonexistent. Plot is even weaker than usual for the genre. I can't comment on grammar, since I'm not sure I how much is simply Australian english.
Definitely glad I didn't have to pay for this mess. Not the worst garbage I ever read, but just barely got to the two star level.
November 6, 2021
A few minor issues, but still very enjoyable
As a fan of The System Apocalypse, I am always excited to read new material in this world. I definitely appreciated the Australian spin that felt genuine and effortless. My only quibble is that there were several exciting issues that I have not seen in other books in the series; improper tenses, incorrect word selections, etc. I find these sorts of things distracting and thereto pull me out of my immersion in the story. Again, there weren't many and I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to continuing this story arc.
As a fan of The System Apocalypse, I am always excited to read new material in this world. I definitely appreciated the Australian spin that felt genuine and effortless. My only quibble is that there were several exciting issues that I have not seen in other books in the series; improper tenses, incorrect word selections, etc. I find these sorts of things distracting and thereto pull me out of my immersion in the story. Again, there weren't many and I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to continuing this story arc.
November 13, 2021
A refreshing approach to apocalyptic LITRPG
Tao Wong and K.T Hanna collectively created a robust and diverse cast extending into dozen of named characters each with their own unique quirks and mannerisms. We also see a unique class system where the imagination is truly the limit of what is possible. While certain mechanics are unclear, they are heavily hinted at for future reveals. All and all; for someone who has only recently gotten into the apocalyptic LITRPG, it has been throughly impressive and makes me excited for the next part of the saga.
Tao Wong and K.T Hanna collectively created a robust and diverse cast extending into dozen of named characters each with their own unique quirks and mannerisms. We also see a unique class system where the imagination is truly the limit of what is possible. While certain mechanics are unclear, they are heavily hinted at for future reveals. All and all; for someone who has only recently gotten into the apocalyptic LITRPG, it has been throughly impressive and makes me excited for the next part of the saga.
December 11, 2021
Good addition to System Apocalypse universe. Love the idea of mom with kids being the focus of this incursion. It is dealt in a very realistic manner as rather than MC takes control of situation type stories we get a MC has to depends on others including her kids to protect everyone, which was different and fun to read.
The downside is that we do not get the character/power progression arc as clearly as we see in MC leading type books. The whole power set of characters comes across a bit muddled and not a clear path emerges that we can look forward to.
Minor flaws aside, this is really a good addition to this universe.
The downside is that we do not get the character/power progression arc as clearly as we see in MC leading type books. The whole power set of characters comes across a bit muddled and not a clear path emerges that we can look forward to.
Minor flaws aside, this is really a good addition to this universe.
January 3, 2022
Fun new addition to the System Apocalypse 'verse. Listened to the audiobook; the male narrator is super difficult to understand but fortunately only comes up for male dialogue; some male characters are relatively intelligible while others were more-or-less gobbledygook.
Loved the occasional off-hand references to the main series ("if only we have some OP loner-type to show up and save us..." or "sure would be nice if there was some helpful guide on my shoulder explaining all this system stuff...")
Loved the occasional off-hand references to the main series ("if only we have some OP loner-type to show up and save us..." or "sure would be nice if there was some helpful guide on my shoulder explaining all this system stuff...")
January 9, 2022
WARNING: Do NOT rent this from Audible. Although Andrea Parsneau is wonderful, as always, and reads the majority of the roles in the story — whoever read all the male parts is nearly incomprehensible most of the time. As much as I love Andrea's work, I will have to read the rest of this series on eBook if they continue to use the male reader.
The story itself is another fine story set in Wong's universe, and I can see how Hanna has brought a little more empathy and warmth to the writing. I will certainly look to see more of her work.
The story itself is another fine story set in Wong's universe, and I can see how Hanna has brought a little more empathy and warmth to the writing. I will certainly look to see more of her work.
May 15, 2022
I actually "listened" to this book and overall it enjoyed it.
At first all the gaming jargon and things was a bit confusing, I'm not a gamer but the more I read the more I understood and the more I enjoyed it.
The only thing about this Audio version was the voices that narrator did for the men.
It was actually REALLY hard to listen to, mumbly and vague.
Thank goodness there weren't many mens speaking parts or I don't think I could have sat through it.
BUT overall I enjoyed this book alot, I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for a 2nd book.
At first all the gaming jargon and things was a bit confusing, I'm not a gamer but the more I read the more I understood and the more I enjoyed it.
The only thing about this Audio version was the voices that narrator did for the men.
It was actually REALLY hard to listen to, mumbly and vague.
Thank goodness there weren't many mens speaking parts or I don't think I could have sat through it.
BUT overall I enjoyed this book alot, I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for a 2nd book.
November 2, 2021
Good Twist on System Apocalypse Series
The key difference with this story, besides Australia, is our hero/heroine is a mom. And that matters a lot for the flow of the story, her motivations and everything revolve around her having to be the most badass mom possible.
I liked it. I think that there’s fun base building elements and think the main characters class is different than ones we’ve seen in the series / world before, so that’s exciting.
I plan on reading book 2!
The key difference with this story, besides Australia, is our hero/heroine is a mom. And that matters a lot for the flow of the story, her motivations and everything revolve around her having to be the most badass mom possible.
I liked it. I think that there’s fun base building elements and think the main characters class is different than ones we’ve seen in the series / world before, so that’s exciting.
I plan on reading book 2!
November 2, 2021
New worthwhile series
Its not often that I come across a series that I like enough that I want write about but this is one I couldn't pass up. I stayed up reading it most ofbthe night. I really loved the first of this Australian apocalypse series the characters are full of life and depict the differences in Australian life and culture well to a non Australian reader. I can't wait for the rest of the series to be published
Its not often that I come across a series that I like enough that I want write about but this is one I couldn't pass up. I stayed up reading it most ofbthe night. I really loved the first of this Australian apocalypse series the characters are full of life and depict the differences in Australian life and culture well to a non Australian reader. I can't wait for the rest of the series to be published
November 3, 2021
Down Under but Way Above
I found this book to be refreshing. It certainly has all of the death and destruction you would expect for a book in this universe. But it also has a very human touch of a mother desperately doing everything she can to keep her kids alive if not necessarily safe in this insane new world.
This was a good start and a great new perspective. I will be jumping on the next book as soon as it is available!
I found this book to be refreshing. It certainly has all of the death and destruction you would expect for a book in this universe. But it also has a very human touch of a mother desperately doing everything she can to keep her kids alive if not necessarily safe in this insane new world.
This was a good start and a great new perspective. I will be jumping on the next book as soon as it is available!
December 10, 2021
This is a different point of view for the system apocalypse story by Tao Wong. The initial storyline takes place in the U.S. This one takes place in Australia, and I have to say, I really liked the contrast. It's a very well done story, and I'm looking forward to seeing more in the series, because I'd often wondered while reading the first series how folks in other parts of the world had faired, so it's good to see some fleshing of those storylines. This could be great fun.
July 12, 2022
Yes Your Honour this is the one. I'd like to report this book for High Crimes against Audiobooks. It wasn't enough to have the lead slip in and out of the most contrived Australian/American accents. What the hell was going on with the male narrator's voice? It was almost painful to listen to. Who greenlit that? How did a sound engineer listen to that and say "Sounds good. That's a wrap.". It has been two days since I finished this audiobook and I am still not over how bad the performance was.
December 3, 2024
Hits ALL the right points!
Discovered this author from the Librarian series she is currently in the middle of. Picked up this book. So so glad I did. I too am a mom of an older son and younger daughter and Kira's fierce protection mode and love for them and her meta dialogue of how wacky the system is just hit all of my squees in just the right way.
So glad I picked up this book and will be devouring the next two asap.
Discovered this author from the Librarian series she is currently in the middle of. Picked up this book. So so glad I did. I too am a mom of an older son and younger daughter and Kira's fierce protection mode and love for them and her meta dialogue of how wacky the system is just hit all of my squees in just the right way.
So glad I picked up this book and will be devouring the next two asap.
May 2, 2022
A Great Addition To The System Apocalypse Universe
A well written book with minimal grammatical or spelling errors. I enjoyed the lead character and her saucy Aussie wit! The author’s made it onto my “buy their books list” with this book and I’m going to start reading her second book right now!
A well written book with minimal grammatical or spelling errors. I enjoyed the lead character and her saucy Aussie wit! The author’s made it onto my “buy their books list” with this book and I’m going to start reading her second book right now!
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