Rebuild the World: Alaska: Post-Apocalyptic City-Building GameLit Book 1

Rebuild the World #1

by Justin Marks

Aliens and an Ice Age

Being in charge of anything was not his plan. After losing most of his family, Devin moved to Alaska for a fresh start. He was happy working his remote job in a tiny town almost off the grid. While learning to fit in with the people in his new home, a series of strange events changed everything.

Now, an alien threat, failing technology, and a rapidly approaching ice age threaten every living being on Earth. Due to genetic compatibility with nanomachines, Devin is chosen to build a settlement that can face all three challenges. To do that, he has to figure out new abilities and powers while protecting his adoptive hometown from all the threats it faces.

Focused on keeping people safe and using his new control over nanotechnology to create a settlement that can survive an ice age, he’s on a timer. A limited number of people on Earth were granted similar powers, and they are in a race to rescue as many communities as possible before they freeze to death.

Devin will do his part to rebuild the world one city at a time to save as many people as possible, but he can’t do it alone. He will need new and old friends to get through the challenges, and this is just the start of what he will face. Watch him save a corner of southeast Alaska in the first book of this city-building GameLit survival series.

Genres: Litrpg

421 pages, Paperback

Published July 22, 2025

About the author

Justin spent nearly a decade in the Air Force after college and then spent time working in educational technology.

He has been an avid MMORPG player, from Everquest to Lord of the Rings Online with stops at Camelot, City of Heroes, and others along the way.

After living in five states, he retired to Alaska to focus on his writing, exploring the world, and playing video games.

Reviews

[Tiuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this though I'm curious how the setting will work in book 2 with, presumably, new characters. I also feel that the author is much too optimistic about human nature.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Conflict

Main character was flat, and there were no other characters, just NPCs that existed for plot purposes. Got about 10% in and DNF. MC says he has no real connection to anyone in town, yet they all just… fall in line. No questions, no mistrust, just absolute loyalty and obedience. No shock at the end of the world, no trauma, no wanting to get loved ones… just work drones with no wants outside of supporting the main character.

Plot didn’t make much sense either. Aliens seem to care enough to help out humanity, but lock technology to save them behind unlocks? Planet dying, yet “bad” aliens decide to hang out and casually send little attacks that can be defeated by guns?

What makes these sort of stories interesting is the drama around people. Everyone might have the same goals, but have different ideas on how to reach them. With every other character acting like an NPC drone, the story was left with the most boring aspect: building for the sake of building.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebuild the World Alaska is a moderately unique perspective on the LitRPG genre. The concept isn't new, but it's used in such a way as to make it a new perspective for sure. I can see this series becoming extremely popular with folks like me who truly enjoy these base building type LitRPG stories, especially since it looks like each book is going to focus on a separate city somewhere in the world.
I like that approach, and I'm looking forward to the differences each new city brings to the overall story arc. This is a concept that can last a long time if the author handles the stories right. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for more in this series.

[Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, but author needs to pay attention to his descriptions

It probably seems picky, however, I find it distracting (annoying actually) when an author describes something or sets a limitation and then ignores it. There are several such instances in this book. An example would be the building of a nano utility shed whose stated dimensions are 5' x 5' x 5' with a 6' door. The author goes on to say that the main character who is over 6' tall does not have much room to stand up after ducking thru the door. Distracting and annoying leads to losing one review star.

[Michael Moody · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many bad tropes

Garbage system that barely works? Check garbage people getting angry over being alive? Check. Garbage people blaming mc for everything? Check. Garbage people talking shit to mc when people die? Check. I fi ally gave up at the 50% mark when the enforcer blamed the mc for one of the enforcers dying saying " grats on the alien tech" who is the idiot not watching his people and prepping for combat and ambushed? Why is the author writing so poorly for half the book making it hard to read?

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bad I enjoyed it

The story wasn't bad. the story premise is engaging even if the delivery is a bit flat. The author chooses to narrow the focus to the more personal aspects and the building decisions. the nanites that are the premise of the story are not expounded upon a lot. However, we should see more of that. In the future, maybe even something that more resembles a game system, as the nanite density increases. I'm looking forward to the next book and see where the MC lands and what challenges he has this time.

[Tracey Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

the new ice age saga

This is a new civilization building I have ever read and I enjoyed the story plot and character development . I am looking forward to the next book. The characters are well written and feel like real people you can relate too and get behind them. Even the main character you can feel the frustration being thrown under the bus.

[Jonathan Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Base building, LitRPG apocalypse, oh my!!!!

Justin finished his first series and started this series off with a bang.

Story combines base building, system integration, and character leveling in the great state of Alaska during an apocalypse.

[Leo Matoush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had an interesting premise with aliens messing with our world and the main character having to help subdue alien outlaws but the minutiae of resource building got tedious especially, I guess dungeon building advancement stories aren’t for me.

[Reck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the combo of the threat of the alien criminals with the threat of the ice age on settlement. Devin the MC's skills are especially suited to the roll he's got to help humanity survive. A nice optimistic apocalypse, exactly what I needed.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Stellar work once again from Justin Marks! Lots of building and adventure, survival and technology. Looking forward to reading the next one.

[Dantegideon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really like the survivalist stuff, and the protagonist seems particularly joyless.

[Gus Smedstad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't accept the premise that a small band of alien criminals passing through is enough to _cool down the sun_.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are into city building books, this is probably for you. For me it was boring, just building items after items.