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Shopocalypse Saga #3

BuyMort: Rise of the Windowpuncher: How I Became the Accidental Warlord of Arizona

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A leader dead. A complicated relationship lost.

And a conglomerate angered . . .

After unwittingly becoming the CEO of the growing Silken Sands Affiliate, Tyson finds himself in an increasingly dangerous Arizonan desert, the protector of a growing community of Nu-Earth humans faced with the very real possibility of total corporate annihilation.

Dearth wants their land and they will not take no for an answer.

But behind Tyson stand a growing band of capable administrators and heroes, and a community of people who believe in him.

He is their leader. And they trust in him, even if he doesn't trust in himself.

Powerful multiversal forces are at play. Market upsets, brilliant purchases and the invisible hand slide, slap and strangle as the campaign for Arizona state rages, and Silken Sands digs in for decisive battle.

This story features an amalgamation of Amazon, Walmart, every service fee, sales algorithm, membership perk, advertising jingo, Microsoft mascot, and insane discount that you have ever experienced in your life coupled with the madness of the multiverse, a dash of invisible hand monopolism, feudalism, straight-up cronyism, and LOTS of profanity.

This MC is unlike others you have read before. He cares about other humans, even his crappy boss. He doesn’t seek to be the leader — he just naturally is.

It’s him leading the desperate and hopeless against the machine.

There is fantasy violence, base-building, tons of market loot, monsters, a dungeon, affiliate and credit levels, and progression. It is single PoV and has no harem elements.

This book is the end of the first Arc, How I Became the Accidental Warlord of Arizona. It can be read and finished at this point . . .

But the Shopocolypse Saga will continue beyond with Book 4 in March of next year!

538 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2023

125 people are currently reading
67 people want to read

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LitRPG Press

7 books1 follower

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Christoph.
39 reviews17 followers
February 7, 2024
Another solid sequel. After one of the fights early on in the book I was a bit concerned that the suit would be way overpowered, but by the end of the book the bad guys had some solutions on how to deal with it. I could've done without the weird snake lady sex but it is what it is. Overall really good but there's still room to grow.
Profile Image for Steve.
1,612 reviews60 followers
January 10, 2023
Continues well, though the MC's masochism is a bit hard to take sometimes. I thought for example he would invest in some more armour, or at least fix his helmet between one big fight and the next.

I have not been reading this on RR, so I briefly thought that where this book ended was fin. It was a fine place to tie it off, but there is more coming. We'll see if that's worthwhile, or if this would have been better as a trilogy.
Profile Image for Sabion.
274 reviews22 followers
June 24, 2024
The action is ramping up and I'm here for it. The fight against the evil corporations continues. Fun MC even if he is OP and the side characters don't disappoint either. Fun read.
Profile Image for Akshay.
805 reviews5 followers
March 28, 2025

Title: BuyMort: Rise of the Windowpuncher: How I Became the Accidental Warlord of Arizona


Author: Damien Hanson



Summary:



In this third installment of the _Shopocalypse Saga_, Damien Hanson takes us deeper into the bizarre, chaotic, and darkly humorous world of an Arizona post-apocalypse. After the collapse of society due to the rise of the mega-retailer BuyMort, our unlikely hero stumbles into becoming a warlord, earning the unforgettable title of "The Windowpuncher."



_BuyMort: Rise of the Windowpuncher_ is a wild ride filled with unexpected twists, laugh-out-loud moments, and sharp satirical commentary on modern consumerism and corporate domination. Hanson blends gritty action, irreverent humor, and compelling social critique, creating a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.



Strengths:




Unique World-Building: The world Hanson has built is vividly detailed, from the collapse of society to the absurd dominance of BuyMort. His vision of a dystopian Arizona ruled by warring factions of ex-consumers is both strange and believable.
Dark Humor: Hanson’s use of dark comedy is stellar. Whether it's poking fun at corporate greed or highlighting the absurdity of a society where "Windowpuncher" is an actual title, you'll find yourself laughing at the insanity of it all.
Character Growth: The protagonist, while initially appearing as an accidental leader, undergoes a realistic and fascinating transformation. His journey from a bewildered survivor to a reluctant but determined leader is a major highlight.


Weaknesses:




The pacing in the middle section can feel a bit uneven. Some readers might find themselves wanting to fast-forward through a few scenes.
While the humor is one of the book’s strengths, at times it can be a bit over-the-top or slapstick, which may not appeal to everyone.


Verdict:



BuyMort: Rise of the Windowpuncher delivers exactly what you’d expect from a post-apocalyptic satire. It’s a funny, wild, and absurdly enjoyable read with biting commentary on modern consumer culture. If you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction with a healthy dose of satire, _BuyMort_ is a must-read.



Recommended for: Readers who enjoy dark humor, satire, and unconventional post-apocalyptic narratives.




Hanson’s latest installment in the Shopocalypse Saga will make you think twice about your next shopping spree!

Profile Image for Alisha Rowe.
631 reviews32 followers
January 7, 2023
This review was originally posted at https://bit.ly/3IzRrZF











It has been a crazy week since BuyMort invaded, taking over everyone's subconscious with dream purchases and the ability to buy anything with just a thought. So long as you have the Morties to do so. But, with great power comes great responsibility and I have already paid a great price for someone I cared for not being responsible. I'm Tyson and I intend to destroy BuyMort with the help of my hidden app and save as many humans as I can along the way. First step is to take back Arizona.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. To say I have looked forward to and enjoyed each new instance of this book is an understatement. In fact, I just finished this book a few days ago and can't wait to know what happens next. Yes, yes. I know this is book three of three in the saga, but the story is far from over. I am sure we have not seen the last of our window-punching friend as he attempts to take down this shopping invader one rung at a time.

The build-up we were expecting with Molls in the first two books has finally reached a head and it plays in nicely with the rest of the story. We finally get more details on how that works with her appearance, which I am personally so thankful for because to say I was confused would have been an understatement. Grandma Phyllis is still alive and kicking and she is still my favorite character. We even get details on where that disgusting tape comes from! Honestly, I can't blame BuyMort for not buying that back, but I don't know that the story has actually come out and said that yet. I know I talked to the author about it at some point.

In this book Tyson is taking the Dearth Conglomerate head on as well as dealing with those frustrating delves. Minor problem that the delves know he's coming and are prepared, but with the starfish suit and a magical blade hopefully he'll have nothing to worry about. As for Dearth Tyson may have to disengage his 'No cranial repairs' function on his suit and risk losing himself. Can he take that chance?

Based on the rest of this review you if you are new here you have likely gathered that this book cannot be read as a standalone. This series is an absolute must read in order type and it does not end with the book in a bow. You will be pining for the next book as soon as this one ends!
Profile Image for Karissa.
4,308 reviews214 followers
June 26, 2025
Series Info/Source: This is third book in the BuyMort, Shopocalypse Saga. I bought this on audiobook.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this third book in the BuyMort series. We get to see a bit more of the world beyond Earth and learn more about how BuyMort came to be. There is a lot of action, a lot of awesome characters, and I really enjoy watching Tyson build his growing community.

The Dearth conglomerate is getting more and more aggressive towards Silken Sands; Silken Sands is the only Affiliate in Arizona standing in their way. Tyson works to prep Silken Sands to take on Dearth once and for all, and may just accidentally become the warlord for all of Arizona.

The world building here continues to be awesome. We learn more about BuyMort, its origins, and about the multiverse as a whole. We meet some new intriguing characters as well, and also have, of course, all the wonderful existing ones. Tyson is building a solid community through his leadership; a leadership which really focuses on trust and accountability. A lot of business and political leaders could learn from Tyson. I do find at times that Tyson seems a bit too trusting, but it is all working out fine for him, so that is cool.

Tyson and and Mohg (sp?) really ramp up their relationship in this book, as she is facing some issues with the BuyMort church. We also see the Affiliate of Silken Sands gain a lot of influence as they start to become self-sufficient not just in spider silk but also Sleem production. I love how this book is about people building each other up. It definitely has a lot of action, gore, and dark humor (which I enjoy) but also has a very positive and hopeful feel to it.

I listened to this on audiobook, and the narration is awesome. I would strongly recommend listening to this on audiobook if you love audiobooks. This whole series is free on Kindle Unlimited, but I would rather buy the audiobooks and read the series that way because it is just so much fun.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I continue to love this series. It has an excellent balance of dark humor, action, fantastic characters, excellent world-building, and an intriguing plot. If you are a fan of Dungeon Crawler Carl, I would definitely recommend this. The first book in the series was a bit rough at spots, but the last two have been amazing. I look forward to reading the next one.
Profile Image for AR0.
6 reviews1 follower
November 11, 2025
This book has too many inconsistencies not only in the page-based copy, but also between it and the audible copy... Paragraphs are missing from the audiobook and mismatched content (assuming there were changes after the book was sent out for recording... three books in... kinda ruins immersion).

- The days are not matching up. Example: Chapter 34, Tyson says it's only been 5 days, but book 2 ends after day 6, and this is supposed to be a continuation not a recap/flashback.

- There's a mismatch death counts throughout both versions of the book... and the errors are not in the same places.

- The brain damage/forgotten bits (The yarsp morties and Doof.) Tyson divided the rewards and distributed the funds himself, how does he not know how the dog got the money? Either it's a forced side plot in the works or an oversight. Either way, this book is not long enough for the discrepancy.

Also, "love" after a week?! And I may have been spoiled by Jeff Hays and his amazing narration, but f***.. why does this guy make women sound slow (in both senses of the word)? I have to read at 1.5 times the speed for them to sound normal. Almost every woman is slowed down and overly tropey. We are only a week into the apocalypse, bro, who was proofing this?

The tropes aren't as bad as TWI, but I'm close to DNF, ngl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bradley.
Author 9 books4,867 followers
November 22, 2023
I had a good time with this SF LitRPG adventure. The whole "Amazon-clone takes over the multiverse" SFnal post-apoc dystopia vibe was, even with all the slimes, the hobgoblins, the mega-corp exploiters, and huge scorpion herds, extremely close to our own dystopian world. I FELT it.

We're only one step away from selling all the corpses we make. Yay.

I suppose I really enjoyed the hell out of maybe 5/6th of the novel until we got the actual resolution for the main quest plot. I mean, I knew we had to get here eventually, but it felt kinda rushed. I don't know if there will be more, but I'll definitely be here for it if there is. I want to see ALL of BuyMort go down. But either way, I kinda wish we had a more natural build-up toward this particular end, even if it would require 3-4 more novels. Like I said, it was fun.
130 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2024
Much better than #2. Still big gaps but pacing was much improved. Resolved storylines. Fun action. Tyson has become mostly invincible which I don't mind. Could do without the snake love and sex. I just don't get it. It's been 5 days since the apocalypse and you've been into 15 foot long snake women since day 2? I also don't believe it. When we read these types of books I'm willing to take a lot on faith. But little things really bother me that end up crumbling the facade I built for myself to go along for the journey. 1) the snake sex. Just didn't need it. Can't follow. 2) overall speed. No need for this to ALL have happened in 6 days or so. Just no need. Could've been a month and totally fine. 3) the speed of tasks being completed. Tyson asks for axel to do a thing. Talks to someone for 10 mins. Sees axel. Building almost done being built. Idk why it bothers me so much but it does.
Profile Image for Manolo Macchetta.
193 reviews9 followers
January 15, 2023
Il primo libro della saga mi aveva lasciato dubbioso, il secondo mi ha tolto quasi ogni dubbio. è FAVOLOSO. in questo terzo si giocava la scelta finale:
I due autori sono bravi a scrivere il day-by -day ma non eccellono nelle scene di combattimento.
Questo era il mio dubbio principale in BuyMort vol 1.
Nel secondo l’azione era ridotta ed è infatti un libro eccezionale.
Questa è la prova del 9 dato che ci sono scene di base building e scene di combattimento.
Devo dire che hanno fatto passi da gigante rispetto al primo numero. Ancora non sono perfetti ma adesso hanno un buon flow. I rapporti tra i vari personaggi crescono nel modo migliore.
Numero che chiude degnamente l’arco Narrativo. Copertine sempre FAVOLOSE.
 
La saga in Totale è un Rank A
Profile Image for William Howe.
1,800 reviews87 followers
January 8, 2023
No guts, no worries

This was a hard series to read. Mainly because the MC is somewhat depressed. And that can be challenging in staying enthusiastic about the narrative.

A seriously strong ending with a lot of disturbing events among the way. Plenty of combat.

I’m not sure if the series will continue, because the book ended at a major turning point. But I would be interested in a sequel.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,170 reviews79 followers
January 10, 2023
Book three

I had to pick this one up at 68%. I had set it aside to let chapters build up on Royalroad and the sneaky authors went and published before I managed to catch up.
They use the old fashioned form of grit never using the more modern term of gritted.
I don't really go for marking mistakes of books published from Royalroad if I have already read them on the site. Just mark them as read to help the authors.
Profile Image for Kevin.
1,710 reviews30 followers
March 13, 2024
This will be the last book in this series I read if the protag continues to be a carpet. Two books were enough.

Meh. The guy is finally not a carpet, but it took so long to happen, and the book is now telling me that it took three books to cover seven days.

I don't know if I will read the sequel or not. This is not going how I suspected. We will see what the future holds.

3/5 Stars
Profile Image for Matt R. Gimlin.
3 reviews
July 11, 2024
I VERY much do not care to know the details of an alien snake woman's anatomy or precisely how she and our protagonist get it on.

This book also had a couple egregious "ready player one" moments where the authors just hamfistedly reference a thing in real life and hope you'll sit there clapping about it like a seal. Obviously it's nowhere near as awful as RP1 is, but it certainly took this one down a notch for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kurt.
287 reviews2 followers
July 6, 2023
Best book in the series yet. I've finally gotten over my dislike of the MC as he has finally stopped being a doormat. The rest of the story remains solid. It does get a bit more complex and convoluted, but not unnecessarily so. Overall a fun, engaging read.

Glad I stuck with the series and am looking forward to the fourth book!
Profile Image for Nate.
301 reviews
August 14, 2023
Editing continues to go downhill. While this one introduced some new and interesting characters, the yarsp menace resolution was incomplete. The starfish suit's breakage to fixage ratio got even more ridiculous, while the suit adds more defenses.

Molls has quickly fallen from being an interesting character...
Profile Image for Jim Gutzwiller.
247 reviews4 followers
October 10, 2023
BuyMort

Well, what I had thought would be just a quick read has turned into a gripping page turner.
I had no idea at the start that this series would grab me by the throat and shake me around to get me to keep reading it. The author(s) have done a wonderful job of weaving the tale and making it so interesting.
Thank you!!!
Profile Image for Shonari.
432 reviews29 followers
October 10, 2023
"BuyMort: Rise of the Windowpuncher" is a wild ride through a desert showdown between a regular guy-turned-CEO and a corporate giant. Tyson's leadership, mixed with market madness and fantasy battles, adds a fresh twist. It's a satisfying conclusion to its first arc, packed with action and unique characters. A fun read!
Profile Image for Lavita Mahan.
74 reviews3 followers
January 9, 2023
A Bargain is a Bargain

I don't feel cheated at all, this tale is awesome. Characters are fleshed out wonderfully and the plot is great. Don't cheat yourself out of a great series that gets better everytime. It delivers!!!
1 review
February 20, 2023
I love this Series

I love the world building aspect of this book There's a few things I would have done differently didn't MC but overall The series has been an exciting Wonderful ride from the Beginning. I can't wait for the next book
Profile Image for Jeremy Shelton .
61 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2023
I can't get enough

This story just keeps getting better with each installment! I going straight into the next book. I hope this keeps going. My thanks to the authors for coming up with such a great series.
Profile Image for Brad.
218 reviews
May 2, 2023
good read

Love the irreverent hero in a quirky world. The mc is fun even if everything is a bit one dimensional. A few editing issues as always with this series, mostly just minor things. Still a great book 3 look forward to what’s next.
Profile Image for Mike.
395 reviews4 followers
November 8, 2024
What can I say? It's just more of the same. A decent conclusion to the first trilogy in the series. These books are fun and easy to read. Damien Hanson won't be winning the Pullitzer, but not all books have to be deep and meaningful. They are really leaning into the relationship between Tyson and Molls in this one, and it really brings the whole thing down.

Overall, 3.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4*.
Profile Image for Mikey Mumah.
58 reviews
December 12, 2024
This series is thoroughly entertaining. Also, I've never read 3 books that in total, only cover one week of time since the apocalypse. Not stating that as a negative, either. I'm just saying it as a fact. A FUN week, at least from the reader's perspective.
Profile Image for Timelord Iain.
1,845 reviews5 followers
December 21, 2024
Tyson is turning into a real leader, in such a short amount of time... also, a real badass, thanks to his Starfish Armor/Upgrade... great to watch him grow and take on seemingly unbeatable odds... he's pretty OP, but the switch from OP to dead is a fine line, and the enemies are learning...
Profile Image for Jonathan.
636 reviews1 follower
January 3, 2025
fun

Next installment. Not standalone. Tyson fights bugs and eventually faces the Dearth Conglomerate and captures their Arizona holdings.
The pace is still steady. The story is entertaining. The narrator is wonderful. Please enjoy
57 reviews
August 21, 2023
Similar to Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Authors are obvious fans and some of the alien names are the same. I will be reading the last in series of 4.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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