What do you think?
Apocalypse Parenting #1
Time to Play
A few minutes ago, Meghan Moretti's biggest concern was getting the kids' athletic clothes washed in time for practice this evening. Now, it seems that Earth has been forced into participating in some high-stakes intergalactic reality television. All electrical wiring has been slagged, and most combustibles neutralized. Some kind of evil space rodents are appearing on the front lawn, too.
Like any parent, Meghan's first instinct is to keep her young kids safely away from the monsters, but an odd stroke of luck has her coming into some advanced information about this dangerous game. She learns that her kids will have to fight too.
What's a mom to do?
---
The beginning of an apocalyptic LitRPG saga.
Like any parent, Meghan's first instinct is to keep her young kids safely away from the monsters, but an odd stroke of luck has her coming into some advanced information about this dangerous game. She learns that her kids will have to fight too.
What's a mom to do?
---
The beginning of an apocalyptic LitRPG saga.
373 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2022
About the author
Erin Ampersand
6 books149 followersI'm going to start putting reviews up on Goodreads! A note about my reviews: I object to the star system for books. I don't think it's helpful, and would prefer a simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down system. Since that's not offered, I'm just going to be giving 5 stars to any book I'd give a thumbs-up. If I wouldn't give it at least a thumbs-up, I'm not going to review it at all!
To help differentiate between different books, I'll also post tiny review for each stating why a book might particularly draw someone in, and what kind of person might want to avoid it, since no book is for everyone.
You can browse more of my posts and reviews on my Instagram or Bluesky:
https://www.instagram.com/erinampersand/
https://bsky.app/hashtag/%26microrevi...
...
Erin Ampersand is from a lesser-known branch of the Punctuation Peerage. Neither as elegant as the noble Parentheses, nor as well-regarded as the heroic Dashes, the Ampersands are instead considered little better than the scurrilous Interrobangs.
In addition to writing and reading, Erin loves games of all sorts, from tabletop RPGs to videogames, although she is rather bad at platformers and hopeless at first-person shooters. She and her husband own enough board games to capsize a standard canoe.
To help differentiate between different books, I'll also post tiny review for each stating why a book might particularly draw someone in, and what kind of person might want to avoid it, since no book is for everyone.
You can browse more of my posts and reviews on my Instagram or Bluesky:
https://www.instagram.com/erinampersand/
https://bsky.app/hashtag/%26microrevi...
...
Erin Ampersand is from a lesser-known branch of the Punctuation Peerage. Neither as elegant as the noble Parentheses, nor as well-regarded as the heroic Dashes, the Ampersands are instead considered little better than the scurrilous Interrobangs.
In addition to writing and reading, Erin loves games of all sorts, from tabletop RPGs to videogames, although she is rather bad at platformers and hopeless at first-person shooters. She and her husband own enough board games to capsize a standard canoe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
unfinished
November 2, 2024I didn't make it far, maybe 10%, but that's not the book's fault. Meghan is a good mom and the author does a fantastic job making both her and the kids realistic. You could tell the momstincts were strong when the minute Meghan reads the apocalypse notice she shouts out "No choosing aspects until I say!" That's a mom who knows her kids would pick stupid stuff because it sounds cool and acts to head off trouble.
So solid writing with engaging protagonists. Why am I abandoning it? Well, it's the solid writing with protagonists I'm a little too engaged with. A system apocalypse is a parent's nightmare. And the author draws us into that. And I found myself a little too anxious over the small family.
I will say that I might have attached regardless had there been a little more system crunch to engage my analytical side. If you got notices for kills, or snarky system messages on identifying monsters. Or even actual stats beyond basic "aspects". But no, this is GameLit lite so I was stuck with all my questions revolving around mom and kids.
I'm not going to rate this because my dnf is entirely a "me" thing. Like I said, it is well written with vivid descriptions and characters with depth. Yes, including the kids. And that's harder to pull off than most people think. So no rating and I hope it finds an audience.
So solid writing with engaging protagonists. Why am I abandoning it? Well, it's the solid writing with protagonists I'm a little too engaged with. A system apocalypse is a parent's nightmare. And the author draws us into that. And I found myself a little too anxious over the small family.
I will say that I might have attached regardless had there been a little more system crunch to engage my analytical side. If you got notices for kills, or snarky system messages on identifying monsters. Or even actual stats beyond basic "aspects". But no, this is GameLit lite so I was stuck with all my questions revolving around mom and kids.
I'm not going to rate this because my dnf is entirely a "me" thing. Like I said, it is well written with vivid descriptions and characters with depth. Yes, including the kids. And that's harder to pull off than most people think. So no rating and I hope it finds an audience.
July 27, 2026
""Mom?" asked Micah. "Are you okay?" "I…" I looked into his worried eyes. All my kids were looking at me, concerned. I’d been trying for so long. Trying to keep them safe. Trying to keep them healthy. Trying to keep them happy. Trying to be strong. The kids had learned so much lately. Many of the things they’d learned were things I’d never wanted to teach them, like how to fight monsters and how to bounce back after an injury. But here they were, still reaching out, still worried about me. Trying to take care of me. Maybe it was okay to let them. Once in a while."
Many can tell the difference between the classic Rolex and the Rollex watch that is being offered at “an amazing discount.” The same goes for books.
I was ready to call this a “knockoff” of the very popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series where Carl and the remnants of Earth’s population try to survive for the amusement of aliens. But author Ampersand (her real name?) is worthy of your consideration.
Here are several of the things that I felt the author got “right” about this adventure:
The family unit is a mom and three young children whose dad is far away on business when this apocalypse happens.
The conversations among the kids and with their mom sound real and age-appropriate.
The dynamics of a neighborhood seemed interesting and “right” with the alien threat making relationships more essential and intense.
The monsters are interesting and inventive. The human “augmented” skills are generally ones that someone playing D&D would not find too different.
The lack of electricity is an important challenge. The lack of a nearby grocery store is another.
The way that the aliens use their “human show” is a bit different than Dungeon Crawler Carl and valid on its own.
Everything is told from “Mom’s” perspective. Mom is Megan Moretti, a thirtysomething who is in no way prepared for this change in circumstances. Pointy is her 3 year old’s stuffed animal that, because of a wish, becomes an animated artificial intelligence.
"I also couldn’t quite dismiss his suspicion of the information we’d gotten from Pointy. The only information I really had about the civilization that created her was that they were willing to use less advanced civilizations as playthings. Even if Pointy was being truthful with us—which I wasn’t taking as a given—she could only tell us the truth as she knew it, and that was based on whatever information her creators provided her with. The problem was, I couldn’t afford to ignore the information she’d provided either. If I did, and it was true, my kids would probably be torn apart. With the pepper spray squirt guns, we could maybe take out four leafenrats at once, if we could see them coming. If not, we’d probably get very, very hurt at a minimum. And, while I couldn’t be sure what the trial opponents would be, they’d almost certainly be harder to deal with than these obnoxious rodents. So, me, as I was now, against four brand new enemies, with three kids to protect? No. I couldn’t risk that. We had to get stronger."
"How much time had gone by? A little over a day? That didn’t seem right to me and I had to go over everything that had happened multiple times before I could accept that I’d remembered correctly. It felt so much longer. Yesterday morning I’d been exhausted by getting through a few days of perfectly normal suburban life without my husband around. Now I had no idea when I’d see Vince again … or if I’d see Vince again. So many of my priorities had been downgraded. Healthy meals and a balanced diet? Any diet at all was a good diet now. Clean house? Nope, time to cut holes in our garage door with a hatchet. Education? Only if you counted learning to kill things."
"There were a lot of abilities in the system, and the ones I found made me suspect that there were whole categories I didn’t know how to ask for and hadn’t found. I noticed one other odd omission: I’d seen earlier that the system didn’t allow for mind control or time manipulation, but now I realized it also lacked spatial magic - no teleport or portal spells, or even expanded space abilities. I’d definitely been hoping for something like a video game inventory or a Bag of Holding. It would have made an expedition to one of the nearby stores much more valuable."
Lot’s for the RP gamer to relate to. But, the best part is how the author nails the conversations between parent and child, particularly how each is age appropriate. ""You got hurt by these, Mom?" Micah said, skeptical and amused. "I think Cassie could kill these." Big talk from a boy who can’t fold his own socks!"
This is a series and the first book ends with nothing being resolved, much like Dungeon Crawler Carl. But Megan is off on a different kind of adventure and I am sure that many will enjoy following her.
4*
Many can tell the difference between the classic Rolex and the Rollex watch that is being offered at “an amazing discount.” The same goes for books.
I was ready to call this a “knockoff” of the very popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series where Carl and the remnants of Earth’s population try to survive for the amusement of aliens. But author Ampersand (her real name?) is worthy of your consideration.
Here are several of the things that I felt the author got “right” about this adventure:
The family unit is a mom and three young children whose dad is far away on business when this apocalypse happens.
The conversations among the kids and with their mom sound real and age-appropriate.
The dynamics of a neighborhood seemed interesting and “right” with the alien threat making relationships more essential and intense.
The monsters are interesting and inventive. The human “augmented” skills are generally ones that someone playing D&D would not find too different.
The lack of electricity is an important challenge. The lack of a nearby grocery store is another.
The way that the aliens use their “human show” is a bit different than Dungeon Crawler Carl and valid on its own.
Everything is told from “Mom’s” perspective. Mom is Megan Moretti, a thirtysomething who is in no way prepared for this change in circumstances. Pointy is her 3 year old’s stuffed animal that, because of a wish, becomes an animated artificial intelligence.
"I also couldn’t quite dismiss his suspicion of the information we’d gotten from Pointy. The only information I really had about the civilization that created her was that they were willing to use less advanced civilizations as playthings. Even if Pointy was being truthful with us—which I wasn’t taking as a given—she could only tell us the truth as she knew it, and that was based on whatever information her creators provided her with. The problem was, I couldn’t afford to ignore the information she’d provided either. If I did, and it was true, my kids would probably be torn apart. With the pepper spray squirt guns, we could maybe take out four leafenrats at once, if we could see them coming. If not, we’d probably get very, very hurt at a minimum. And, while I couldn’t be sure what the trial opponents would be, they’d almost certainly be harder to deal with than these obnoxious rodents. So, me, as I was now, against four brand new enemies, with three kids to protect? No. I couldn’t risk that. We had to get stronger."
"How much time had gone by? A little over a day? That didn’t seem right to me and I had to go over everything that had happened multiple times before I could accept that I’d remembered correctly. It felt so much longer. Yesterday morning I’d been exhausted by getting through a few days of perfectly normal suburban life without my husband around. Now I had no idea when I’d see Vince again … or if I’d see Vince again. So many of my priorities had been downgraded. Healthy meals and a balanced diet? Any diet at all was a good diet now. Clean house? Nope, time to cut holes in our garage door with a hatchet. Education? Only if you counted learning to kill things."
"There were a lot of abilities in the system, and the ones I found made me suspect that there were whole categories I didn’t know how to ask for and hadn’t found. I noticed one other odd omission: I’d seen earlier that the system didn’t allow for mind control or time manipulation, but now I realized it also lacked spatial magic - no teleport or portal spells, or even expanded space abilities. I’d definitely been hoping for something like a video game inventory or a Bag of Holding. It would have made an expedition to one of the nearby stores much more valuable."
Lot’s for the RP gamer to relate to. But, the best part is how the author nails the conversations between parent and child, particularly how each is age appropriate. ""You got hurt by these, Mom?" Micah said, skeptical and amused. "I think Cassie could kill these." Big talk from a boy who can’t fold his own socks!"
This is a series and the first book ends with nothing being resolved, much like Dungeon Crawler Carl. But Megan is off on a different kind of adventure and I am sure that many will enjoy following her.
4*
June 7, 2026
Very fun read. Because there are kids (FMC is a solo mom of 3), it’s lighter on the violence than litRPGs like Dungeon Crawler Carl, but still had enough action and character development to easily hold my attention. Will definitely be reading the next book when I get a chance.
September 26, 2026
Comparisons to Dungeon Crawler Carl are inevitable, and I wonder if the similarities that Time to Play has with DCC are more a result of the tropes inherent in LitRPG as a genre. Because they are very similar, but also so, so different in a great way.
Time to Play deals with a similar alien game show apocalypse, but instead we follow Megan, a mother of 3 children as the world ends. She's a fantastic character to follow, struggling with balancing her desire to keep her kids safe and sane, and doing everything she can to make sure they all survive. Erin Ampersand writes that struggle so well, and we get to see Megan grow into something of a badass while also keeping the emotional core that makes her a great character to read.
It's hard to write children, I think, but Ampersand handles it well here. I also choked up quite a few times when Megan had to handle her childrens' inabilities to deal with the way the world has changed (Cassie is only 3!!), her children facing injuries and monster fights, and all that entails.
What a great start to a series, and a really great next read if you're looking for something similar to DCC but still different enough to be exciting and interesting. This book also has much, much less interface/AI reading than DCC does. It still has the hallmarks of LitRPG but feels like even more of an easier entry point than DCC does.
Time to Play deals with a similar alien game show apocalypse, but instead we follow Megan, a mother of 3 children as the world ends. She's a fantastic character to follow, struggling with balancing her desire to keep her kids safe and sane, and doing everything she can to make sure they all survive. Erin Ampersand writes that struggle so well, and we get to see Megan grow into something of a badass while also keeping the emotional core that makes her a great character to read.
It's hard to write children, I think, but Ampersand handles it well here. I also choked up quite a few times when Megan had to handle her childrens' inabilities to deal with the way the world has changed (Cassie is only 3!!), her children facing injuries and monster fights, and all that entails.
What a great start to a series, and a really great next read if you're looking for something similar to DCC but still different enough to be exciting and interesting. This book also has much, much less interface/AI reading than DCC does. It still has the hallmarks of LitRPG but feels like even more of an easier entry point than DCC does.
July 27, 2022
Brilliant. It's brilliant.
Not only have I found myself a new genre in LitRPG, but also a new local author!
This book has so many strong points, but the most prominent is, of course, storytelling from the perspective of a mother. This is just not something we ever see in apocalypse literature or even generally in sci-fi. It's refreshing to see a mother of young children presented as a resourceful and resilient protagonist in maters outside of family life - but even within family life we see Meghan face some difficult situations. How do you protect your kids when physical threats become imminent? How do you raise them to be virtuous when so many of your neighbors are behaving to the contrary?
One other part of this book that I want to praise is the RPG aspect. Ampersand's design of the system at first seems quite basic, but as the narrative continues, it subtly becomes even richer and more complex to the point of truly feeling as if the characters are now living in a game.
I'm happy to see that Book 2 is well under way! I'll certainly buy a copy once it's out!
Not only have I found myself a new genre in LitRPG, but also a new local author!
This book has so many strong points, but the most prominent is, of course, storytelling from the perspective of a mother. This is just not something we ever see in apocalypse literature or even generally in sci-fi. It's refreshing to see a mother of young children presented as a resourceful and resilient protagonist in maters outside of family life - but even within family life we see Meghan face some difficult situations. How do you protect your kids when physical threats become imminent? How do you raise them to be virtuous when so many of your neighbors are behaving to the contrary?
One other part of this book that I want to praise is the RPG aspect. Ampersand's design of the system at first seems quite basic, but as the narrative continues, it subtly becomes even richer and more complex to the point of truly feeling as if the characters are now living in a game.
I'm happy to see that Book 2 is well under way! I'll certainly buy a copy once it's out!
July 7, 2022
Hot dang this was a good book.
Not your typical system type apocalypse. No guide, no op powers, no special MC anything. Just a mom doing her best to protect her kids, and doing a great job at it. Love the power system she created so far and I really want to see where it goes for the kids. This book ranks in my top 10 litrpg books and that’s saying something.
Very well written. No grammar issues I saw. Very relatable characters as well as normal human interaction. Nothing was over the top just to make it exciting and the normal panic and humanness of this was refreshing.
Not your typical system type apocalypse. No guide, no op powers, no special MC anything. Just a mom doing her best to protect her kids, and doing a great job at it. Love the power system she created so far and I really want to see where it goes for the kids. This book ranks in my top 10 litrpg books and that’s saying something.
Very well written. No grammar issues I saw. Very relatable characters as well as normal human interaction. Nothing was over the top just to make it exciting and the normal panic and humanness of this was refreshing.
August 17, 2026
What a fun start to a series!
This is definitely the next LitRPG to pick up, especially for women readers. It's nice to see a woman author in this space that seems predominantly occupied by men at the moment. Erin Ampersand writes some hilarious situations that you can only find yourself in at the end of the world with 3 children.
Not going to lie, I already have book two lined up and I'm excited to see where we get taken. I can tell there's going to be a lot of action and interesting tests lined up. This does a great job of making you feel like you're right along with the characters, trying to figure out how to survive the game.
The only thing I will say is that it feels like book one doesn't necessarily end on it's own accord, like there was a page break and book two will start? I'm happy that there is a book two to continue on with because of that feeling of not quite being wrapped up.
This is definitely the next LitRPG to pick up, especially for women readers. It's nice to see a woman author in this space that seems predominantly occupied by men at the moment. Erin Ampersand writes some hilarious situations that you can only find yourself in at the end of the world with 3 children.
Not going to lie, I already have book two lined up and I'm excited to see where we get taken. I can tell there's going to be a lot of action and interesting tests lined up. This does a great job of making you feel like you're right along with the characters, trying to figure out how to survive the game.
The only thing I will say is that it feels like book one doesn't necessarily end on it's own accord, like there was a page break and book two will start? I'm happy that there is a book two to continue on with because of that feeling of not quite being wrapped up.
June 30, 2022
Fun book with a real world take
Fun series with a real world take on what a LitRPG apocalypse would look like. Slower moving but with less information and more desperation as a parent struggles to keep her children alive. Amazingly well done
Fun series with a real world take on what a LitRPG apocalypse would look like. Slower moving but with less information and more desperation as a parent struggles to keep her children alive. Amazingly well done
June 30, 2024
Dropped it at 30% in as there was not one shred of humor and the characters were not to my liking.
January 21, 2024
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I read this book as a judge for the third annual Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), this review is solely my own and does not reflect the opinions of the whole team**
CW: violence, injury, murder, death, animal death, body horror, harm to child
--
An alien race has invaded earth and put everyone into a survival competition called the Maffiyir for their own reality tv type entertainment. Resources such as combustibles and electronics no longer work and monster-rodent hybrids start appearing on the street. With her husband away and no other options in sight Meghan Moretti mother of 3, decides she’ll play along so that she can protect her kids. That is until she finds out that everyone is expected to participate in the challenges and things are only going to get a whole lot more difficult and a whole lot more strange.
This was my first experience with LitRPG and although there are certain things that would definitely come across stronger visually with a gaming storyline like this, it was still a lot of fun! I’d say the book definitely falls into the Science Fantasy category and reminded me of some of the family adventure films I watched growing up – Jumanji for sure – but what I loved about this in particular was that it was all from the perspective of a parent.
The single person narrative limits us to Meghan’s experiences but she was such an interesting character to follow. I found myself cheering on her resilience whether she was parenting, fighting Leafenrats or encouraging her neighbours to work together. The scenes with her kids were equally distressing and heart-warming with a welcome sprinkling of humour. It was entertaining to see how they all repurposed household objects for the crazy apocalyptic circumstances.
The various abilities that people were able to acquire were also really interesting especially the decision making process around them. I honestly wouldn’t have considered how helpful an ice power would be with something as mundane as keeping all your frozen food from melting before now.
With how fast we’re immersed into the action from the beginning there is a point when all the levelling up and waiting for new challenges to arrive drags the story out a little. However, the action-packed closing scenes ramp up the pace again and throw Meghan into a new kind of turmoil which sets up the next book perfectly.
**I read this book as a judge for the third annual Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), this review is solely my own and does not reflect the opinions of the whole team**
CW: violence, injury, murder, death, animal death, body horror, harm to child
--
An alien race has invaded earth and put everyone into a survival competition called the Maffiyir for their own reality tv type entertainment. Resources such as combustibles and electronics no longer work and monster-rodent hybrids start appearing on the street. With her husband away and no other options in sight Meghan Moretti mother of 3, decides she’ll play along so that she can protect her kids. That is until she finds out that everyone is expected to participate in the challenges and things are only going to get a whole lot more difficult and a whole lot more strange.
This was my first experience with LitRPG and although there are certain things that would definitely come across stronger visually with a gaming storyline like this, it was still a lot of fun! I’d say the book definitely falls into the Science Fantasy category and reminded me of some of the family adventure films I watched growing up – Jumanji for sure – but what I loved about this in particular was that it was all from the perspective of a parent.
The single person narrative limits us to Meghan’s experiences but she was such an interesting character to follow. I found myself cheering on her resilience whether she was parenting, fighting Leafenrats or encouraging her neighbours to work together. The scenes with her kids were equally distressing and heart-warming with a welcome sprinkling of humour. It was entertaining to see how they all repurposed household objects for the crazy apocalyptic circumstances.
The various abilities that people were able to acquire were also really interesting especially the decision making process around them. I honestly wouldn’t have considered how helpful an ice power would be with something as mundane as keeping all your frozen food from melting before now.
With how fast we’re immersed into the action from the beginning there is a point when all the levelling up and waiting for new challenges to arrive drags the story out a little. However, the action-packed closing scenes ramp up the pace again and throw Meghan into a new kind of turmoil which sets up the next book perfectly.
June 23, 2022
KU Review
Most of the apocalypse stories don’t take into account or focus on how bad things are going to be for the children. They gloss over the loss of life or ignore the painful topic. This is the second story I’ve recently read with the heroine balancing progressing in the crazy new world and trying to guide and protect her kids. Both scary and heartwarming as a parent. Great book.
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.
Most of the apocalypse stories don’t take into account or focus on how bad things are going to be for the children. They gloss over the loss of life or ignore the painful topic. This is the second story I’ve recently read with the heroine balancing progressing in the crazy new world and trying to guide and protect her kids. Both scary and heartwarming as a parent. Great book.
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.
October 4, 2022
Normally self-published books by small authors are interesting, but clearly amateur. Added to this being my first experience with LitRPG, I didn't expect much going into this book. However, it was really quite enjoyable! The main character has a clear voice and the story is engaging and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading more.
November 29, 2024
Fun premise and child characters that are not annoying, though the writing is a bit inconsistent. This really felt a bit stagnant after about the 1/2 way mark, but I'm going to give the next one a shot still to see if it delivers better on some of the promise it has.
June 26, 2023
Lunch first, catastrophe later.
2 1/2 stars. This book had me really torn as there were parts that I kind of liked (not loved) and parts I really really did not like. Bottom-line was that I never could get into it and was also pretty much from A to Z wrong about what to expect. It's not poorly written per se - there are some editing hiccups but nothing major - but I will not be continuing. Oh, right: in case you didn't notice either, this story - which abruptly stops with no warning - is not finished and doesn't even pretend to come to any kind of good ending or transition point here at the end of Book One. I know, I know: whaaaa, I need a nap! Yeah.
Parenting. Always a work in progress.
OK, granted, even though I felt like the book relied far too much on what I consider to be an extremely tired trope, namely, aliens zap Earth in such a way that we're all left with a kind of "The Running Man" fight, win or die scenario. But it was ...intriquing to see a lot of it from the perspective of a mother of three very young children. Still, there were two main problems for ME, noting that these same reasons may be why someone else will absolutely love this book. First, and I'll put the blame for not realizing this or doing my own research squarely on my own shoulders, this is obviously a LitRPG book (and doesn't involve any Urban Fantasy). And I do not like LitRPG. At all. The constant focus on gaining points and abilities and all that, again, just bored me to tears and I struggled like mad to keep going. To underline that, I fully admit that I have never even had an interest in REAL video or role-playing games. In terms of including that in literature, well, I don't see that changing, unless either (a) a favorite author tries it one day and knocks my socks off or (b) somehow someone comes up with a good story involving Sudoku. Now THAT is fun!
I was going to have to start using pencil and paper to keep track of things, like a neanderthal.
Secondly, the overall story - which I found to be at best an unevenly paced affair - drags more than slowly for a lot of the time. I also wish we had decided on a level of humor to stick to as when it was used, well, bonus money! Instead we go through far too many survivalist clichés to remain interesting here in wherever-the-hell-this-neighborhood-is Alabama. Along with that, I became less and less patient with the main protagonist Meghan. Yes, I get it, I get it: this was most understandably a difficult situation for this young mother whose husband is away on business. But good gravy, she just went on and on sometimes. Why this, why that, should I this, should I that? I got so bad for me that with some of her monotonous inner dialogue that I was tempted to skip entire sections. I'll put it bluntly: to me she was boring and beyond tediously so.
I had little choice but to become a fighter now.
I will say though that Ampersand certainly wastes no time getting this whole crazy shebang started and I do mean NONE! No sense going through any kind of "pre-invasion" exposition when you can just have the entire planet receive a radio broadcast from "them", right? But at least we learn from the computer interfaces - and one of the kids' plush toys that becomes the resident AI "helper" - that are regularly thrown up on screen that Mama Moretti's first name is Meghan, even though there are obviously other introductions provided for her kids, namely, Gavin, Micah, and Cassie. Still, this teeny tiny view of the world left me with barely a hint - even a teeny tiny one - of caring. See what I did there?
It’s a wagon! It’s a tank! It’s a waaaaaank! A beautiful wonderful wank!
There are other "irregularities" that stuck out to me but I really don't want to spend much more time on this than I have to. I felt we glanced over first actual deaths that occur, something that I know would really kind of freak me out. Even if you don't witness someone being killed, knowing they are dead - even if you didn't know their name (sheesh) - would definitely be a lot more disturbing to the man or woman LITERALLY in the street. And even with a handful of the locals turning more and more into pretty selfish assholes, I don't think mankind would maintain ANY degree of kindness or significant cooperation in the face of whatever the hell is going on. So yeah, add unrealistic naïveté to my list of complaints.
A stretchy monkey tail sounded a million times better than a weird fleshy butt-tentacle.
Anyway, that's me. Hope others enjoy more than I did. By the way: how many points did I gain for this review?
2 1/2 stars. This book had me really torn as there were parts that I kind of liked (not loved) and parts I really really did not like. Bottom-line was that I never could get into it and was also pretty much from A to Z wrong about what to expect. It's not poorly written per se - there are some editing hiccups but nothing major - but I will not be continuing. Oh, right: in case you didn't notice either, this story - which abruptly stops with no warning - is not finished and doesn't even pretend to come to any kind of good ending or transition point here at the end of Book One. I know, I know: whaaaa, I need a nap! Yeah.
Parenting. Always a work in progress.
OK, granted, even though I felt like the book relied far too much on what I consider to be an extremely tired trope, namely, aliens zap Earth in such a way that we're all left with a kind of "The Running Man" fight, win or die scenario. But it was ...intriquing to see a lot of it from the perspective of a mother of three very young children. Still, there were two main problems for ME, noting that these same reasons may be why someone else will absolutely love this book. First, and I'll put the blame for not realizing this or doing my own research squarely on my own shoulders, this is obviously a LitRPG book (and doesn't involve any Urban Fantasy). And I do not like LitRPG. At all. The constant focus on gaining points and abilities and all that, again, just bored me to tears and I struggled like mad to keep going. To underline that, I fully admit that I have never even had an interest in REAL video or role-playing games. In terms of including that in literature, well, I don't see that changing, unless either (a) a favorite author tries it one day and knocks my socks off or (b) somehow someone comes up with a good story involving Sudoku. Now THAT is fun!
I was going to have to start using pencil and paper to keep track of things, like a neanderthal.
Secondly, the overall story - which I found to be at best an unevenly paced affair - drags more than slowly for a lot of the time. I also wish we had decided on a level of humor to stick to as when it was used, well, bonus money! Instead we go through far too many survivalist clichés to remain interesting here in wherever-the-hell-this-neighborhood-is Alabama. Along with that, I became less and less patient with the main protagonist Meghan. Yes, I get it, I get it: this was most understandably a difficult situation for this young mother whose husband is away on business. But good gravy, she just went on and on sometimes. Why this, why that, should I this, should I that? I got so bad for me that with some of her monotonous inner dialogue that I was tempted to skip entire sections. I'll put it bluntly: to me she was boring and beyond tediously so.
I had little choice but to become a fighter now.
I will say though that Ampersand certainly wastes no time getting this whole crazy shebang started and I do mean NONE! No sense going through any kind of "pre-invasion" exposition when you can just have the entire planet receive a radio broadcast from "them", right? But at least we learn from the computer interfaces - and one of the kids' plush toys that becomes the resident AI "helper" - that are regularly thrown up on screen that Mama Moretti's first name is Meghan, even though there are obviously other introductions provided for her kids, namely, Gavin, Micah, and Cassie. Still, this teeny tiny view of the world left me with barely a hint - even a teeny tiny one - of caring. See what I did there?
It’s a wagon! It’s a tank! It’s a waaaaaank! A beautiful wonderful wank!
There are other "irregularities" that stuck out to me but I really don't want to spend much more time on this than I have to. I felt we glanced over first actual deaths that occur, something that I know would really kind of freak me out. Even if you don't witness someone being killed, knowing they are dead - even if you didn't know their name (sheesh) - would definitely be a lot more disturbing to the man or woman LITERALLY in the street. And even with a handful of the locals turning more and more into pretty selfish assholes, I don't think mankind would maintain ANY degree of kindness or significant cooperation in the face of whatever the hell is going on. So yeah, add unrealistic naïveté to my list of complaints.
A stretchy monkey tail sounded a million times better than a weird fleshy butt-tentacle.
Anyway, that's me. Hope others enjoy more than I did. By the way: how many points did I gain for this review?
March 24, 2024
So I’ll be honest that I’ve never read or even heard of the LitRPG genre until the SPSFC this year. I had a weird experience with my first one in the quarterfinalist round and then … Well … I actually enjoyed Time to Play quite a bit.
The reason is that the book managed to introduce me to the genre in a way that made sense. The levels made sense. The abilities made sense. The confusion and turmoil and consideration for everything from game mechanics to real life concerns all kind of fit together and made sense.
Even more impressive to me is that the author managed to accomplish this without info dumps or getting bogged down with game mechanics. I liked Meghan and although I don’t much interact with kids, I think the interactions seem pretty realistic in the given scenarios. Could you keep a three year old from creating havoc with their abilities? Maybe if you’re talented 🤷♀️
So the book is fast paced and well plotted. She makes good use of setting and the issues that would come with the Alabama heat, lack of natural water, lack of game animals, etc. Everything fits together. I also liked the characters and banter and the kids are annoying, but not too annoying.
No one is overpowered or ridiculous either – they all have growing pains, flaws, injuries, accidents, and many other believable issues. In short I just found the book very well put together and readable.
Plus there’s an adorable and definitely not Pointy Turtle.
My only issue is that the book is definitely the start of a series (saga). It wraps up and isn’t a cliffhanger by any means but if you want to know the rest you definitely will have to read the following book(s). I guess I just wanted more closure but I’ll be reading on for sure.
I would recommend this one to anyone who wants to try a LitRPG. I don’t have much to compare it to but enjoyed it a lot for my first full experience in the genre 🤷♀️
The reason is that the book managed to introduce me to the genre in a way that made sense. The levels made sense. The abilities made sense. The confusion and turmoil and consideration for everything from game mechanics to real life concerns all kind of fit together and made sense.
Even more impressive to me is that the author managed to accomplish this without info dumps or getting bogged down with game mechanics. I liked Meghan and although I don’t much interact with kids, I think the interactions seem pretty realistic in the given scenarios. Could you keep a three year old from creating havoc with their abilities? Maybe if you’re talented 🤷♀️
So the book is fast paced and well plotted. She makes good use of setting and the issues that would come with the Alabama heat, lack of natural water, lack of game animals, etc. Everything fits together. I also liked the characters and banter and the kids are annoying, but not too annoying.
No one is overpowered or ridiculous either – they all have growing pains, flaws, injuries, accidents, and many other believable issues. In short I just found the book very well put together and readable.
Plus there’s an adorable and definitely not Pointy Turtle.
My only issue is that the book is definitely the start of a series (saga). It wraps up and isn’t a cliffhanger by any means but if you want to know the rest you definitely will have to read the following book(s). I guess I just wanted more closure but I’ll be reading on for sure.
I would recommend this one to anyone who wants to try a LitRPG. I don’t have much to compare it to but enjoyed it a lot for my first full experience in the genre 🤷♀️
September 14, 2023
I read this as part of a judging team for the third annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), where it was in our first round allotment.
This is my first time reading litRPG, so I can’t say how it stacks up to the rest of the subgenre, and which of the things I enjoyed or didn’t enjoy were unique to this book and which were just part and parcel with litRPG.
So the main character, her three kids, and the rest of Earth are thrown into a survival game with RPG elements (stats, special abilities, etc). My kids are around the same age as hers, and the element of “this character could absolutely be a real person” was strong.
My favorite parts were when the lead tried to get everyone in her neighborhood working together for survival, even when the game encouraged competition. I did think the book was sometimes a bit slow with all the grinding low-level enemies, but that may be genre standard. At any rate, I never felt the slowdown badly enough to want to stop—there was always a new twist to pick things back up.
The ending was intense, but it also pretty clearly leads into the sequel. On one hand, it makes me want to read the sequel. On the other hand, I do wish some of the character elements being foreshadowed happened in the book I actually read.
First impression: 15/20. Full review and official SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
This is my first time reading litRPG, so I can’t say how it stacks up to the rest of the subgenre, and which of the things I enjoyed or didn’t enjoy were unique to this book and which were just part and parcel with litRPG.
So the main character, her three kids, and the rest of Earth are thrown into a survival game with RPG elements (stats, special abilities, etc). My kids are around the same age as hers, and the element of “this character could absolutely be a real person” was strong.
My favorite parts were when the lead tried to get everyone in her neighborhood working together for survival, even when the game encouraged competition. I did think the book was sometimes a bit slow with all the grinding low-level enemies, but that may be genre standard. At any rate, I never felt the slowdown badly enough to want to stop—there was always a new twist to pick things back up.
The ending was intense, but it also pretty clearly leads into the sequel. On one hand, it makes me want to read the sequel. On the other hand, I do wish some of the character elements being foreshadowed happened in the book I actually read.
First impression: 15/20. Full review and official SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
August 24, 2025
This is exactly what I was hoping for. High stakes, emotions running high, but a nerdy mom is still getting through.
There are a few funny moments, but I think because there are so many kids involved in this story, it is hard to forget that they are there and still mentally just kids.
Interesting game set-up, I still have hope the husband will make it home! and might I say it is really cool to have this not be a single mom or have a lackluster husband. She misses him, recognizes they are an amazing team, and love him. She has to put this all aside though because her kids (Cassie 3 y/o, Gavin 6 y/o, Micah 9 y/o) need her.
Also, the powers being both a blessing and a curse is crazy. I'm like Micah -- I would want to be a wizard with lightning blasting from my hands -- but the way Meghan explains it all and how we see some of these powers manifest... wow, everything is dangerous. How fast IS lightning/electricity and how easy would it be to practice your abilities without accidentally hurting someone???
Yeah, this was great, just what I was looking for, and I have already borrowed the next book.
There are a few funny moments, but I think because there are so many kids involved in this story, it is hard to forget that they are there and still mentally just kids.
Interesting game set-up, I still have hope the husband will make it home! and might I say it is really cool to have this not be a single mom or have a lackluster husband. She misses him, recognizes they are an amazing team, and love him. She has to put this all aside though because her kids (Cassie 3 y/o, Gavin 6 y/o, Micah 9 y/o) need her.
Also, the powers being both a blessing and a curse is crazy. I'm like Micah -- I would want to be a wizard with lightning blasting from my hands -- but the way Meghan explains it all and how we see some of these powers manifest... wow, everything is dangerous. How fast IS lightning/electricity and how easy would it be to practice your abilities without accidentally hurting someone???
Yeah, this was great, just what I was looking for, and I have already borrowed the next book.
June 9, 2025
This book was SO much fun. I listened to it on audio and I can't recommend it enough! It was like a cross between Dungeon Crawler Carl (aliens making humans participate in a deadly game where they rack up points and gain levels) and The Walking Dead (set on normal Earth where monsters aren't the only threat: humans and starvation are also worrisome) - and its main character is a mom with three young children: 9, 6, and 3.
One thing I absolutely ADORED in this book was the realistic representation of the kids. Having two kids in those age ranges myself, I could see my kids in these ones. It was strange but also wonderful. And it made the book that much better! I also really appreciated that Meghan was a very realistic mom who wasn't all "gotta eat organic and keep my kids sheltered from the big bad tv". She felt like the moms I know, and myself to some extent. It was very nice to see!
This book spans a few weeks in this world and it's very fast-paced and exciting. We always have a new threat or a new issue arising. And I really appreciated that everything felt refreshing. Not that I have read many litrpgs.... but I still felt like I hadn't ever seen these particular things present in any fantasy / sci fi / manga before. And that made me excited.
I will definitely be reading more from this series!
One thing I absolutely ADORED in this book was the realistic representation of the kids. Having two kids in those age ranges myself, I could see my kids in these ones. It was strange but also wonderful. And it made the book that much better! I also really appreciated that Meghan was a very realistic mom who wasn't all "gotta eat organic and keep my kids sheltered from the big bad tv". She felt like the moms I know, and myself to some extent. It was very nice to see!
This book spans a few weeks in this world and it's very fast-paced and exciting. We always have a new threat or a new issue arising. And I really appreciated that everything felt refreshing. Not that I have read many litrpgs.... but I still felt like I hadn't ever seen these particular things present in any fantasy / sci fi / manga before. And that made me excited.
I will definitely be reading more from this series!
January 6, 2026
Last year, a friend asked after hearing about the reading I had done for my latest studies, "have you read anything fun recently?"
"Yes," I replied, "There was..." and it was then I realised that it had been some months since I had.
I decided then that given my rather dense literary-caloric intake, I needed some fast food. Not everything must be a systematic theology, a Loeb, or an historical/classic novel. LitRPG has played that role for me.
I loved this one. It was far more "realistic" than many others, in the sense that there was a decent balance between extra-terrestrial and deeply human challenges. People have to use what they have, rather than relying on fancy outworlder tech.
The score was brought down somewhat by the use of foul language which always felt out of place here. As a rule, the book was suitable for younger audiences, whilst aimed at an older one, this inclusion hinders that significantly. As such, while the story was good, it fell short of five stars.
"Yes," I replied, "There was..." and it was then I realised that it had been some months since I had.
I decided then that given my rather dense literary-caloric intake, I needed some fast food. Not everything must be a systematic theology, a Loeb, or an historical/classic novel. LitRPG has played that role for me.
I loved this one. It was far more "realistic" than many others, in the sense that there was a decent balance between extra-terrestrial and deeply human challenges. People have to use what they have, rather than relying on fancy outworlder tech.
The score was brought down somewhat by the use of foul language which always felt out of place here. As a rule, the book was suitable for younger audiences, whilst aimed at an older one, this inclusion hinders that significantly. As such, while the story was good, it fell short of five stars.
August 25, 2026
I'm sure this is enjoyable to some. For me it was more a survival adventure than a true lit rpg. It also felt very nothing bad could happen and everything is just lucky, and the main character being rather judgemental about people trying to survive and actually get paid for their skills rather than just "the kindness of their heart". I also didn't enjoy that she doesn't really have a past. Everything was just I'm a shy gamer girl with 3 children teehee. Like I said, it's probably someone's cup of tea, it just isn't mine as the writing was decent and there are characters, they just annoy me more than entertain me. Probably because we would act very differently in that situation, but I'm also not a stay at home mom nor do I have a partner anymore, so I just really can't relate... especially since I had a wife and not a husband, nor do I live in Alabama.
June 6, 2026
This was an interesting start. Quite logically approached LitRPG. Author presented practical problems and somewhat logical solutions. It didn't had super fantastic moments like some other of it's peers in the market. But, it has it's charm. So, read if you like slow build and practical gamification problems. Don't expect anything over the top.
June 25, 2026
I am already obsessed with Meghan. The concept of trying to level up a toddler is hilarious, and it raises the stakes for even low level combat
I also love the creative solutions Meghan finds, using not only the ability points but also the everyday objects she finds around the house. It captures the magic of playing pretend as a child, making couch cushion lilypads across a lava floor
I also love the creative solutions Meghan finds, using not only the ability points but also the everyday objects she finds around the house. It captures the magic of playing pretend as a child, making couch cushion lilypads across a lava floor
August 5, 2026
3.4/5
Lots of fun.
The POV of a parent dealing with a LitRPG apocalypse lots of somewhat cringey humor from my perspective.
Still a very good start
Lots of fun.
The POV of a parent dealing with a LitRPG apocalypse lots of somewhat cringey humor from my perspective.
Still a very good start
March 6, 2024
I wanted to read this book even before the semifinalists was announced: it's a LitRPG with a mom main character. How cool is that? I'm a fan of LitRPGs to start with, but usually their main characters are young adults or teenagers... not middle-aged moms more concerned with keeping their family safe instead of trying out flashy abilities.
And it did not disappoint! This book was a blast. I enjoyed it from the start all the way through to the end. It didn't feel too deep or philosophical—even when considering how the world has changed, what Meghan would or wouldn't do to keep her kids safe, and comparing the alien culture's reality television shows to our own—but it was just pure fun.
Now, I do have to give a few warnings here. While I think this could be a great entry point to someone who wants to see if they like the LitRPG style, it will help new LitRPG readers to at least know what that style entails. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the amount of game info provided, but I am also a gamer. I played D&D for many years when I was younger, and I still enjoy playing computer RPGs. So the terminology used makes sense to me without any additional explanations. Someone completely new to the game genre would perhaps need a little extra time to process that part of the book—but that is the case with any LitRPG book.
While I'm used to it and it didn't bother me, Time to Play did have the usual LitRPG issue of things sometimes getting repetitive. It's a genre-wide thing, from what I've seen. And it makes perfect sense! In this kind of video game you have to grind for levels, so it makes sense that in the books mimicking the games you also have to grind for levels. But it does mean that LitRPG books will often seem a bit same-y in places to people new to the genre. I was pleased that at least Time to Play did a better job of handling the level grind than some other LitRPG books do, perhaps because Meghan wasn't just grinding levels for herself, but also having to figure out how to help her kids get levels.
Additionally, this version of our world has turned into an apocalypse. (The series title should have given that away.) And that means people get hurt, and people die. It's a game, but it's not a game. This isn't nearly as bad as it *could* be (for example, the dogs that show up early on aren't shown getting hurt) but it is not all fun and games. The book's themes do take an occasional dark turn as a result, especially as we get near the end of the book.
As a fan of this sub-genre already, I really enjoyed this book. While it didn't make me think too hard, it was a very fun romp around suburbia, and the addition of the kids changed things up in ways that I should have predicted yet didn't expect. While this is book one in a series, the ending is at a very natural place to stop, and didn't feel like a cliffhanger to me at all. Sure, Meghan and her kids are still in the middle of an alien survival reality show. No, Earth has not been saved. But everyone is safe for now, and we can pause and take time to process what's happened. I think fans of the genre will likely enjoy this book a lot, and the non-traditional protagonist (aka not a teenage boy) may draw in new readers who don't connect to other LitRPG books. If this book sounds interesting at all, it's definitely worth giving Time to Play a shot!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I read this book as part of the judging process for the 3rd Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), and I was provided a review copy for judging purposes. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of my SPSFC3 team or the competition as a whole.
And it did not disappoint! This book was a blast. I enjoyed it from the start all the way through to the end. It didn't feel too deep or philosophical—even when considering how the world has changed, what Meghan would or wouldn't do to keep her kids safe, and comparing the alien culture's reality television shows to our own—but it was just pure fun.
Now, I do have to give a few warnings here. While I think this could be a great entry point to someone who wants to see if they like the LitRPG style, it will help new LitRPG readers to at least know what that style entails. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the amount of game info provided, but I am also a gamer. I played D&D for many years when I was younger, and I still enjoy playing computer RPGs. So the terminology used makes sense to me without any additional explanations. Someone completely new to the game genre would perhaps need a little extra time to process that part of the book—but that is the case with any LitRPG book.
While I'm used to it and it didn't bother me, Time to Play did have the usual LitRPG issue of things sometimes getting repetitive. It's a genre-wide thing, from what I've seen. And it makes perfect sense! In this kind of video game you have to grind for levels, so it makes sense that in the books mimicking the games you also have to grind for levels. But it does mean that LitRPG books will often seem a bit same-y in places to people new to the genre. I was pleased that at least Time to Play did a better job of handling the level grind than some other LitRPG books do, perhaps because Meghan wasn't just grinding levels for herself, but also having to figure out how to help her kids get levels.
Additionally, this version of our world has turned into an apocalypse. (The series title should have given that away.) And that means people get hurt, and people die. It's a game, but it's not a game. This isn't nearly as bad as it *could* be (for example, the dogs that show up early on aren't shown getting hurt) but it is not all fun and games. The book's themes do take an occasional dark turn as a result, especially as we get near the end of the book.
As a fan of this sub-genre already, I really enjoyed this book. While it didn't make me think too hard, it was a very fun romp around suburbia, and the addition of the kids changed things up in ways that I should have predicted yet didn't expect. While this is book one in a series, the ending is at a very natural place to stop, and didn't feel like a cliffhanger to me at all. Sure, Meghan and her kids are still in the middle of an alien survival reality show. No, Earth has not been saved. But everyone is safe for now, and we can pause and take time to process what's happened. I think fans of the genre will likely enjoy this book a lot, and the non-traditional protagonist (aka not a teenage boy) may draw in new readers who don't connect to other LitRPG books. If this book sounds interesting at all, it's definitely worth giving Time to Play a shot!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I read this book as part of the judging process for the 3rd Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), and I was provided a review copy for judging purposes. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of my SPSFC3 team or the competition as a whole.
September 22, 2022
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book to review for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC).
A suburban mom hero, a worldwide real life game, superpowers, aliens, and a talking stuffed turtle - definitely not your average apocalypse storyline. Erin Ampersand (AKA Erin Dury) has written the most unique apocalyptic science fiction book I have ever read.
To be honest, this book did not grab me in the first few pages as the premise seemed a bit far fetched. Earth has been “selected for the latest round of Maffiyir!” by an alien group referred to as “the Commonwealth”. Apparently they like to watch live action play as they have ruined all electronic wiring and neutralized most combustible materials. In other words, the world is back to the stone age with no; cars, electricity, computers, phones, television, stoves, water, guns, planes, et. al.
“The game will continue until the sentients of this planet have claimed at least 30% of the non-liquid surface area, or until only 5% of participants remain.” Fortunately you can earn special abilities during the “game”. In the blink of an eye Meghan and her three young children; Micah, Gavin, and Cassie, have had their quiet suburban lives transformed into a fight or die game for the amusement of alien viewers.
After my initial apprehension about the plot, Ampersand’s writing quickly turned the impossible scenario into a believable one. Her writing makes it all fit together and you become mesmerized at watching Mrs. Mom become a warrior. What makes this work is Ampersand’s attention to detail as she focuses on; how kids would react, problem solving, mob mentality, artificial intelligence, and more. Once you are hooked the action comes fast and furious and you cannot wait to turn to the next page.
By the time I reached the end I was ready for book two which, hopefully, she is working on as I write this review.
A suburban mom hero, a worldwide real life game, superpowers, aliens, and a talking stuffed turtle - definitely not your average apocalypse storyline. Erin Ampersand (AKA Erin Dury) has written the most unique apocalyptic science fiction book I have ever read.
To be honest, this book did not grab me in the first few pages as the premise seemed a bit far fetched. Earth has been “selected for the latest round of Maffiyir!” by an alien group referred to as “the Commonwealth”. Apparently they like to watch live action play as they have ruined all electronic wiring and neutralized most combustible materials. In other words, the world is back to the stone age with no; cars, electricity, computers, phones, television, stoves, water, guns, planes, et. al.
“The game will continue until the sentients of this planet have claimed at least 30% of the non-liquid surface area, or until only 5% of participants remain.” Fortunately you can earn special abilities during the “game”. In the blink of an eye Meghan and her three young children; Micah, Gavin, and Cassie, have had their quiet suburban lives transformed into a fight or die game for the amusement of alien viewers.
After my initial apprehension about the plot, Ampersand’s writing quickly turned the impossible scenario into a believable one. Her writing makes it all fit together and you become mesmerized at watching Mrs. Mom become a warrior. What makes this work is Ampersand’s attention to detail as she focuses on; how kids would react, problem solving, mob mentality, artificial intelligence, and more. Once you are hooked the action comes fast and furious and you cannot wait to turn to the next page.
By the time I reached the end I was ready for book two which, hopefully, she is working on as I write this review.
October 28, 2022
This book is fantastic especially for an authors first book and I really enjoyed it. It stands out from other books in the same genre in a few ways which I will try to cover in a way that hopefully doesn't spoil the book. First not only does it take place from the perspective of a parent trying to keep her children alive but they aren't relegated to the side like luggage or perfect little behaved plot points and she actively interacts when them and are the main focus of her world and story. Second while not slice of life the story does take place much slower than most in the same category which is nice, not everyone needs to conquer a territory, country, or planet in the first book or even be a leader. Third the main character isn't instantly adaptable and written like she was made for the environment, if she makes bad choices she regrets them, she isn't a murder hobo, she actively feels bad about things both in and out of her control and isn't emotionally suppressed. Finally and this will be the most important difference to some, while i love stats and character sheets and numbers this book doesn't focus heavily on that it has a very basic almost non-intrusive status/rpg system so you're actually getting something like 99% story advancement and not something like 60% story and 40% stat sheets or skill and item descriptions, I think all of the stat related elements probably take up less than 10 pages and still manage to not feel like an after thought or like they were added in after the book was finished.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and am extremely happy to see that there are currently 60 chapters of book 2 on Royal Road which I will be jumping into immediately.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and am extremely happy to see that there are currently 60 chapters of book 2 on Royal Road which I will be jumping into immediately.
June 14, 2022
Best I have read in a while!
Really liked this, so easy to get caught up in the MC and her dilemma of keeping her children safe. As soon as I finished the book, I went to Royal Road to read more…and now it is 4:15 am. Oops!
Really liked this, so easy to get caught up in the MC and her dilemma of keeping her children safe. As soon as I finished the book, I went to Royal Road to read more…and now it is 4:15 am. Oops!
July 8, 2022
Worth it
I like how the author did the kids and things. Good idea and well written. I would buy the next book when it comes out.
I like how the author did the kids and things. Good idea and well written. I would buy the next book when it comes out.
May 3, 2026
05/02/26:
Cool ideas but uneven & flawed execution.
Info dumps and flimsy foreshadowing were done in internal monologues.
**Note to Self**
Read other books in ginormous TBR.
Cool ideas but uneven & flawed execution.
Info dumps and flimsy foreshadowing were done in internal monologues.
**Note to Self**
Read other books in ginormous TBR.
September 27, 2022
Time to Play is a classic progression fantasy, with a clever twist. When the Earth is taken hostage and converted into a giant survivor-style reality show for the entertainment of mysterious and horrible aliens, the hapless humans are given skill trees and a points-and-synergies system and basically left to their own devices. In the case of our hero Meghan, this also involves looking after her three kids and an Alabama neighbourhood full of people so selfish and stupid they make the kids look like the fucking Vulcan Science Academy (so, you know, still kind of shitty but at least not actively throwing poo at each other?).
SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT! - uh, I mean MAFFIYIR!
Had to be said.
The story had a slightly rocky start, the opening pages seeming a little clumsy and in need of an editorial polish that had me worried for a moment, but it quickly settled into its style and its premise was really excellent - interesting and fun. All in all, it was really enjoyable easy reading. I also appreciated the little neighbourhood map at the front of the book, letting the reader know going on that this was set to be an intimate and self-contained story in a fixed setting and with a controlled number of characters. And it delivered.
We're immersed in the action and menace of 'Maffiyir' right from the start. Human technology is techno-magically cancelled out and the game begins. Meghan has to secure food and water, arms and armour as the alien monsters begin appearing in steady difficulty-progression. As the Maffiyir timer ticks away, Meghan and her family and the rest of humanity are encouraged to fight critters for points, power-up for advantage, and - just maybe - fight their fellow humans for a place on the gross alien leaderboard.
The story immediately and favourably reminded me of a Stephen King disaster, like Cell or The Mist - maybe the people of Meghan's neighbourhood weren't quite so grimy and awful, but their selfishness and fear was all too recognisable. A healthy dose of outsider judgementality on the whole parenting thing puts a perfect glaze on a sequence of events that will appeal to people with and without kids. Ampersand has clearly thought about this shit, and has turned "write what you know" into a brilliant, entertaining little story about carrying three ornery-arse independent-minded kids through an alien apocalypse, often kicking and screaming. It's herding cats, only the cats are gradually granted superpowers as they level up. It's really very cool.
I enjoyed the glimpses into human nature, as well as the nature of parenthood and responsibility, that we were given throughout this story - all without becoming preachy or smug. While, yes, it is pretty stressful and gut-churning to read while our hero attempts to encourage people not to be selfish pieces of shit the whole entire time, it is also absolutely spot-on. And depressing. But ultimately heart-warming. But also tragic! I don't know where that leaves me, aside from damn impressed and a little bit giddy.
Gamers, a generation that are increasingly becoming the responsible parent-figures if not the elders of their families and communities, will get a kick out of this story (it's probably why progression fantasy is such a growing sub-genre). Each demographic and subspecies within gamer culture, and each generation and their values, is nicely represented and portrayed. The mechanics of Maffiyir are brutal and clever, the human savagery and survival instinct the game taps into are all too real, and the cooperation - the true mark of human supremacy, or so I fondly like to dream on my good days - it accidentally forces to flourish in our characters is genuinely uplifting to see.
The aliens themselves, as antagonists and precipitating force behind the entire plot, are kept shadowy - but their technology, from the monsters to the interface to the climactic "mid-game" level-up event, mingle familiarity and alienness really well. The 'Novelty' mechanic, and all its implications, really gave me chills as it took shape. While this story was self-contained and very clearly about an extreme close-up of a specific and horrible event, it hints at the existence of a wider cosmos that has massive potential. Plus, of course, it's not just this little community in Alabama that's being hit - it's the entire planet. Just to provide a mid-scale to the narrative too.
Sex-o-meter
Come on now, there are children present! Also there's an alien apocalypse going on, so keep it in your pants. Still, we do get one (1) sexy time, off page. Frankly there are other things to worry about here and no time for ugly-bumping (unless other helpful parents help out by running interference). Two-and-a-half Benjamins Sisko out of a possible Jim Kirk on the sex-o-meter, and that's mostly for the hysterically penile tail that immediately became my second-favourite character after Pointy.
Gore-o-meter
Like the sex-o-meter, we have nominal readings here. It's an alien apocalypse game using killer monsters as its main contestant interface, so there was definitely potential for it to be a lot worse. The inevitable violence was tastefully handled but still grimy and real, giving a true sense of danger while still preserving the "levelled-up tank wading through low-level critters and saying LOL" feel that is such a quintessential part of the grinding-gamer experience. There's also a bit of random small-animal hunting and prep. Two flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
Again, once you accept the concept of Maffiyir as a narrative device, our WTF levels here are truly minimal. The alien Culture (yeah I capitalised it, this is like the dark side of Banks up in here and we only see a tiny fraction of it) is mysterious and horrible, the teleport function is nicely weird (I was again reminded of some of Stephen King's more surreal alien tech and settings, like the Tommyknockers and Buick 8 alien aesthetic), but no real WTF. And that's good. The central premise is bugfuck crazy enough without adding in Dalí and Giger on acid. Time to Play is registering three kiloweirds on the WTF-o-meter, which for reference is enough to charge the Heart of Gold's tea maker ... like, twice.
My Final Verdict
Damn if this didn't start out kinda shaky, but got really good. I want to read more, and since Amazon is telling me there is no more (this only came out in June this year), I guess we're going to be waiting for a while. Some legit apocalypse prep thought exercise and research went into this, and Ampersand is clearly a mum to be reckoned with. Hats off. Heck, I'm going to go ahead and give this one five stars on the Amazon / Goodreads scale. Get busy on book 2!
SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT! - uh, I mean MAFFIYIR!
Had to be said.
The story had a slightly rocky start, the opening pages seeming a little clumsy and in need of an editorial polish that had me worried for a moment, but it quickly settled into its style and its premise was really excellent - interesting and fun. All in all, it was really enjoyable easy reading. I also appreciated the little neighbourhood map at the front of the book, letting the reader know going on that this was set to be an intimate and self-contained story in a fixed setting and with a controlled number of characters. And it delivered.
We're immersed in the action and menace of 'Maffiyir' right from the start. Human technology is techno-magically cancelled out and the game begins. Meghan has to secure food and water, arms and armour as the alien monsters begin appearing in steady difficulty-progression. As the Maffiyir timer ticks away, Meghan and her family and the rest of humanity are encouraged to fight critters for points, power-up for advantage, and - just maybe - fight their fellow humans for a place on the gross alien leaderboard.
The story immediately and favourably reminded me of a Stephen King disaster, like Cell or The Mist - maybe the people of Meghan's neighbourhood weren't quite so grimy and awful, but their selfishness and fear was all too recognisable. A healthy dose of outsider judgementality on the whole parenting thing puts a perfect glaze on a sequence of events that will appeal to people with and without kids. Ampersand has clearly thought about this shit, and has turned "write what you know" into a brilliant, entertaining little story about carrying three ornery-arse independent-minded kids through an alien apocalypse, often kicking and screaming. It's herding cats, only the cats are gradually granted superpowers as they level up. It's really very cool.
I enjoyed the glimpses into human nature, as well as the nature of parenthood and responsibility, that we were given throughout this story - all without becoming preachy or smug. While, yes, it is pretty stressful and gut-churning to read while our hero attempts to encourage people not to be selfish pieces of shit the whole entire time, it is also absolutely spot-on. And depressing. But ultimately heart-warming. But also tragic! I don't know where that leaves me, aside from damn impressed and a little bit giddy.
Gamers, a generation that are increasingly becoming the responsible parent-figures if not the elders of their families and communities, will get a kick out of this story (it's probably why progression fantasy is such a growing sub-genre). Each demographic and subspecies within gamer culture, and each generation and their values, is nicely represented and portrayed. The mechanics of Maffiyir are brutal and clever, the human savagery and survival instinct the game taps into are all too real, and the cooperation - the true mark of human supremacy, or so I fondly like to dream on my good days - it accidentally forces to flourish in our characters is genuinely uplifting to see.
The aliens themselves, as antagonists and precipitating force behind the entire plot, are kept shadowy - but their technology, from the monsters to the interface to the climactic "mid-game" level-up event, mingle familiarity and alienness really well. The 'Novelty' mechanic, and all its implications, really gave me chills as it took shape. While this story was self-contained and very clearly about an extreme close-up of a specific and horrible event, it hints at the existence of a wider cosmos that has massive potential. Plus, of course, it's not just this little community in Alabama that's being hit - it's the entire planet. Just to provide a mid-scale to the narrative too.
Sex-o-meter
Come on now, there are children present! Also there's an alien apocalypse going on, so keep it in your pants. Still, we do get one (1) sexy time, off page. Frankly there are other things to worry about here and no time for ugly-bumping (unless other helpful parents help out by running interference). Two-and-a-half Benjamins Sisko out of a possible Jim Kirk on the sex-o-meter, and that's mostly for the hysterically penile tail that immediately became my second-favourite character after Pointy.
Gore-o-meter
Like the sex-o-meter, we have nominal readings here. It's an alien apocalypse game using killer monsters as its main contestant interface, so there was definitely potential for it to be a lot worse. The inevitable violence was tastefully handled but still grimy and real, giving a true sense of danger while still preserving the "levelled-up tank wading through low-level critters and saying LOL" feel that is such a quintessential part of the grinding-gamer experience. There's also a bit of random small-animal hunting and prep. Two flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
Again, once you accept the concept of Maffiyir as a narrative device, our WTF levels here are truly minimal. The alien Culture (yeah I capitalised it, this is like the dark side of Banks up in here and we only see a tiny fraction of it) is mysterious and horrible, the teleport function is nicely weird (I was again reminded of some of Stephen King's more surreal alien tech and settings, like the Tommyknockers and Buick 8 alien aesthetic), but no real WTF. And that's good. The central premise is bugfuck crazy enough without adding in Dalí and Giger on acid. Time to Play is registering three kiloweirds on the WTF-o-meter, which for reference is enough to charge the Heart of Gold's tea maker ... like, twice.
My Final Verdict
Damn if this didn't start out kinda shaky, but got really good. I want to read more, and since Amazon is telling me there is no more (this only came out in June this year), I guess we're going to be waiting for a while. Some legit apocalypse prep thought exercise and research went into this, and Ampersand is clearly a mum to be reckoned with. Hats off. Heck, I'm going to go ahead and give this one five stars on the Amazon / Goodreads scale. Get busy on book 2!
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