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Armageddon Girl
Enter a Brave New World
College student Christine Dark wasn't happy. Her social life sucked, she spent too much of her time playing computer games or reading sci-fi novels (and the occasional paranormal romance) and she felt like she was missing out on everything.
Fate had something special in store for her, though.
Without warning, an unknown force drags Christine out of her world and takes her to a whole new universe, an alternate Earth where superhuman beings have existed since the end of World War One. Christine soon learns she too is more than human, and that her choices may save her new home... or bring about its destruction.
Armageddon Girl will be on sale October, 2013.
College student Christine Dark wasn't happy. Her social life sucked, she spent too much of her time playing computer games or reading sci-fi novels (and the occasional paranormal romance) and she felt like she was missing out on everything.
Fate had something special in store for her, though.
Without warning, an unknown force drags Christine out of her world and takes her to a whole new universe, an alternate Earth where superhuman beings have existed since the end of World War One. Christine soon learns she too is more than human, and that her choices may save her new home... or bring about its destruction.
Armageddon Girl will be on sale October, 2013.
Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2013
102 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Carella
78 books159 followersC.J. discovered his obsession with making up crap and writing it down at the age of 6, when he wrote his first short story, back in the days when the Cold War was still on and the only mobile devices were the wrist watch and the walkie-talkie. He's been making up crap and writing it down for fun and profit ever since.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 27, 2016
A fun alternate universe superhero story that takes several recognizable superheros from our world and transplants them (changing the names) into a world where they've been around since they were introduced in comics our world. Well worth a read, especially if you've got Kindle Unlimited where you can borrow all 4 books in the series. We enter the series through a girl who is transplanted from our universe to theirs, against her will, one night and discovers she has super powers of her own once she arrives. Mulitple points-of-view give a good accounting of the state of society from the street level to the international Justice-League-esque organization level, with interesting examinations of the character's quirks while retaining their... humanity, for lack of a better word. Check it out!
February 11, 2016
I tend to not give out a lot of five star ratings because there is almost always room for improvement. I enjoyed this book a great deal. It was complete fantasy, but it was fun. I enjoyed the author's tone, which was completely irreverent. I did not always care for the language used, but it was not overwhelming. It took me a while to deal with the frequently changing perspectives used by the author, but once I figured it out, it did not detract from the story. While a lot of things are left unexplained, and it requires a TON of suspension of disbelief, if you just let yourself get lost in the narrative, it is an enjoyable and creative read.
June 18, 2016
I really liked it a lot!! Superheroes make everything cooler and THAT more epic, but this author writes good characters and plot as well. LOTS of differing POV chapters.
January 18, 2014
I've never read a superhero book before. I believe the only reason I read this book was because it hadn't been categorized yet as a superhero book on goodreads yet. I was rather disappointed though that I wasn't disappointed like I expected. I definitely enjoyed this book a lot (duh, 5 stars) and might look into reading more books in this genre. The book isn't about Christine as much as revolves around her (different POV every other chapter it seemed). It's probably my only criticism and something I hope is fixed in the sequel.
This book really had a Watchman(2009) vibe at parts while mixing in the "new younger" generation of superhero characters (like the MC).
This book really had a Watchman(2009) vibe at parts while mixing in the "new younger" generation of superhero characters (like the MC).
February 21, 2016
One of best books I have read in several years.
One of the best books in the superhero genre I have ever read! The pacing is fantastic and shifts expertly throughout matching the current point of the plot. The humor is pretty spot on, the characters are believable, inasmuch as they can be in a superhero book, and their emotional experiences are relatable. This is coming from someone who has literally read 2 libraries worth of books since middle school, when found to have reading and comprehension on a college level.
One of the best books in the superhero genre I have ever read! The pacing is fantastic and shifts expertly throughout matching the current point of the plot. The humor is pretty spot on, the characters are believable, inasmuch as they can be in a superhero book, and their emotional experiences are relatable. This is coming from someone who has literally read 2 libraries worth of books since middle school, when found to have reading and comprehension on a college level.
November 25, 2013
A great book, and one that shows just how great small press/self published books can be. The characters were well written, believable, and relative. No mean feat when some of them are basically minor gods. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, I only which I had precognitive powers so I could read it now.
June 28, 2016
Christine Dark is a cillegestudent who prefers to live in her own head and plays a lot of Warcraft.Shes dragged to a frat party by her friend.As expected its a disaster and Christine ends the night on all four on the lawn throwing up.The next thing she know is that something strange is happening to her.
She wakes up in a hospital bed before being brutalt kidnapped and then saved by a man named Face off.Only hes not quite just a normal man but a neo-human.Somehow Christine has travel led to another dimension where certain humans develop super powers.
I am not a fan of superhero books but I do like the xmen wich I guess is what drew me to this book.Or maybe it was the fact that I had been listening to Taylor Swift "Bad blood" X number of times that day.
The problem with this one is however that its too similar to a lot of things.We have a wisecracking violent vigilante POV character named Face -off (Deadpool) that saves a redhaired girl with a great hidden power (Jean Grey)
The vigilante lives with a blind woman (Deadpool)
Its a bit hard to say when a homage or inspiration turns into a fanfic of an already existing universe but this one is skating the edge of that.Its not quite a ripoff but its hard to deny all the similarities.
Apperantly in this parallell dimension they still have World of Warcraft.
January 21, 2014
So much fun! Christine is at a (super not-fun sounding) frat party that her roommate guilted her into attending when suddenly she gets sucked into another universe... Not only are there superheroes who've created a completely alternate 20th century, but as events progress it becomes clear that she's one of them.
An action-packed ride and the tantalizing glimpses of alternate history as well as the overarching reasons behind it are great fun. I'm bummed that the novel ends at what feels like mostly a lull in the action... then again, it'll be fun to pick up the next one.
My one quibble with the book would be that there are a lot of different character viewpoints -- it got a little hard to jump from one person's head to another, particularly as I was much more interested in the main line of the story and less in some of the arch-villains, etc. At the beginning it was a little confusing because there were so many names to keep straight.
All in all, this was a fun comic book like story that was engrossing reading from beginning to end.
An action-packed ride and the tantalizing glimpses of alternate history as well as the overarching reasons behind it are great fun. I'm bummed that the novel ends at what feels like mostly a lull in the action... then again, it'll be fun to pick up the next one.
My one quibble with the book would be that there are a lot of different character viewpoints -- it got a little hard to jump from one person's head to another, particularly as I was much more interested in the main line of the story and less in some of the arch-villains, etc. At the beginning it was a little confusing because there were so many names to keep straight.
All in all, this was a fun comic book like story that was engrossing reading from beginning to end.
February 10, 2016
This was a very pleasant surprise! It appealed to me because out was not only a superhero novel, but the lead is a woman. Thus I was pulled into a first-rate cosmic tale of an alternate reality, multiple styles of storytelling and a heroine funnier than Buffy (which I consider high praise).
This focuses on an alternate reality work superheroes, diverging exponentially from WWII, and has several characters reminiscent of (but not copies of) classic comic and pulp heroes. The beginning especially had me laughing (the humor slows down as the story develops and becomes more serious).
There are sequels which I am downloading, and I plan to look at other books by the author.
Recommended for superhero fans and fans of able female protagonists.
This focuses on an alternate reality work superheroes, diverging exponentially from WWII, and has several characters reminiscent of (but not copies of) classic comic and pulp heroes. The beginning especially had me laughing (the humor slows down as the story develops and becomes more serious).
There are sequels which I am downloading, and I plan to look at other books by the author.
Recommended for superhero fans and fans of able female protagonists.
December 29, 2014
Great superhero story with a twist or two. Christine, the nerdy physics major ends up being pulled into an alternate/parallel universe that's a lot like ours - but not quite. Her new universe has Neos, actual superheroes, and they've been mostly around since the 1920s with a few who may have arrived earlier.
Power struggles abound and Christine may be the one who can save the day - if things work out just right. With her extreme intelligence, wise-cracking wit, and emerging abilities, she may be able to pull it off.
Power struggles abound and Christine may be the one who can save the day - if things work out just right. With her extreme intelligence, wise-cracking wit, and emerging abilities, she may be able to pull it off.
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December 20, 2013Such a great good.
This has got to be one of my favorite superhero books I've read in a long while. I don't usually enjoy books with a female lead character but Damn if I don't love Christine. I would highly recommend this book.
This has got to be one of my favorite superhero books I've read in a long while. I don't usually enjoy books with a female lead character but Damn if I don't love Christine. I would highly recommend this book.
July 27, 2015
Geeky Macho
Lots of nerdy in-jokes. Fairly well developed characters, twisty plot, and a heap of ultraviolence. Makes superheroes almost plausible. In the words of Monty Burns. Excellent.
Lots of nerdy in-jokes. Fairly well developed characters, twisty plot, and a heap of ultraviolence. Makes superheroes almost plausible. In the words of Monty Burns. Excellent.
June 14, 2014
I was never a big fan of superhero books but this was really good. A nice fast-paced story that is light and enjoyable. I look forward to the next book.
August 12, 2021
3.5 Stars
I have enjoyed comic books since I was 5 years old, but I have only read one superhero novel that I thought was actually good, a Spider-Man novel by Jim Butcher. Armageddon Girl was a semi-close second. The characters were multidimensional and likeable (and somewhat recognizable in their alternate universe way). The story had a very comic book feel, but still had enough grounding to see real world believability in it.
There were a few flaws: a couple of minor editing issues, the story was told from several different character's viewpoints (which was a bit confusing if you did not pay attention to the chapter titles), and it was a little wordy/repetitive when the focus was on Christine coping with being in a different reality.
This book is just part one of a larger story, and while it does not end in a cliffhanger, there is still a lot of story to tell.
I have enjoyed comic books since I was 5 years old, but I have only read one superhero novel that I thought was actually good, a Spider-Man novel by Jim Butcher. Armageddon Girl was a semi-close second. The characters were multidimensional and likeable (and somewhat recognizable in their alternate universe way). The story had a very comic book feel, but still had enough grounding to see real world believability in it.
There were a few flaws: a couple of minor editing issues, the story was told from several different character's viewpoints (which was a bit confusing if you did not pay attention to the chapter titles), and it was a little wordy/repetitive when the focus was on Christine coping with being in a different reality.
This book is just part one of a larger story, and while it does not end in a cliffhanger, there is still a lot of story to tell.
June 3, 2017
Back to the good stuff
Having just read the first Shadowfall book, which was pretty strong on the worst of HP Lovecraft's pipe dreams, it was a real relief to see snarkiness, affection, and more human emotions portrayed instead. Plenty of action and fantasy opera too. Imperfect very very powerful hero types mixing it up with antl-life forms as well. Great stuff. Will follow this road to see where it goes.
The Shadowfall trail, nah. Know where that one goes, and it's just not for me.
Having just read the first Shadowfall book, which was pretty strong on the worst of HP Lovecraft's pipe dreams, it was a real relief to see snarkiness, affection, and more human emotions portrayed instead. Plenty of action and fantasy opera too. Imperfect very very powerful hero types mixing it up with antl-life forms as well. Great stuff. Will follow this road to see where it goes.
The Shadowfall trail, nah. Know where that one goes, and it's just not for me.
May 28, 2019
Did not know whether to give this 4 or 5 stars but went with 5 for:
1 Action sequences were great - not too long and not too short with enough description to live it but not obsessed with blood and gore.
2 The characters came alive for me, I really felt I knew the characters.
I found the world building not really believable and it came across a bit like a 5th grade history lesson but I overlooked this for the great story
Already gotten #2 in the series
1 Action sequences were great - not too long and not too short with enough description to live it but not obsessed with blood and gore.
2 The characters came alive for me, I really felt I knew the characters.
I found the world building not really believable and it came across a bit like a 5th grade history lesson but I overlooked this for the great story
Already gotten #2 in the series
October 17, 2019
Mary Sue oh Mary Sue. wherefore art thou Mary Sue.
Of there you f***ing are!
Gods can i not say don't read this thing enough.
The bad story, thin plot threads and uninteresting protagonist are only the beginning.
The bland heroes falling over themselves to help this useless protagonist and all the deus ex machina's pushing the pustulent cadaver of a plot along are all very good reasons to not even pick this up.
Of there you f***ing are!
Gods can i not say don't read this thing enough.
The bad story, thin plot threads and uninteresting protagonist are only the beginning.
The bland heroes falling over themselves to help this useless protagonist and all the deus ex machina's pushing the pustulent cadaver of a plot along are all very good reasons to not even pick this up.
May 29, 2025
Iwent through this as an audio book via Audible. I really wanted to like this book. It sounded interesting and I got it enthusiastically. The story is probably really good. I just couldn't tell because i was constantly distracted by virtual voice's mispronunciations and tone deafness.
Whoever produced this audiobook would have done better for themselves by paying drunken hobos, $25 each to read it.
Whoever produced this audiobook would have done better for themselves by paying drunken hobos, $25 each to read it.
September 9, 2017
Good read
Started reading this one when it first came out, but couldn't find time to finish it. Found it in the library recently, reread and finished it. Glad I did, as it turns out, this was worth the time, a little rough around the edges, but still a good read. Already bought book two and will take a peak at it.
Started reading this one when it first came out, but couldn't find time to finish it. Found it in the library recently, reread and finished it. Glad I did, as it turns out, this was worth the time, a little rough around the edges, but still a good read. Already bought book two and will take a peak at it.
May 5, 2018
Good characters. That's what is needed for a good story.
Good characters, you get the story from both sides. Even the bad guys are interesting. Longer then most of the unlimited urban fantasy books. I really enjoyed it and will start the next one. I really liked All the non European characters, mint as many of them in most super stories.
Good characters, you get the story from both sides. Even the bad guys are interesting. Longer then most of the unlimited urban fantasy books. I really enjoyed it and will start the next one. I really liked All the non European characters, mint as many of them in most super stories.
December 12, 2019
Excellent Read!
This book was well written and fairly unique which is a nice change when so many read alike. The introduction of flawed heroes or as I like to think of it.... Unstrung Heroes was great. Even to the changing viewpoint for who is telling the story. Looking to next one!
This book was well written and fairly unique which is a nice change when so many read alike. The introduction of flawed heroes or as I like to think of it.... Unstrung Heroes was great. Even to the changing viewpoint for who is telling the story. Looking to next one!
September 22, 2018
Best I've read in years!
Great stuff!
Compelling characters, witty dialogue, tight plot.
This story is everything that comic books and movies about comic books try so hard to be, yet fail miserably
Great stuff!
Compelling characters, witty dialogue, tight plot.
This story is everything that comic books and movies about comic books try so hard to be, yet fail miserably
January 28, 2019
Excellent
This was a strange one, I almost kinda lost interest in the middle somewhere. But I am glad that I did not. This is definitely a series to follow. Superheroes! How cool is that?
This was a strange one, I almost kinda lost interest in the middle somewhere. But I am glad that I did not. This is definitely a series to follow. Superheroes! How cool is that?
May 11, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Creative concept. Good characters. Will read more of this series.
August 3, 2021
Okay
Could have been much better but it drags. Going from one place to another, each chapter dragging along makes for a boring book.
Could have been much better but it drags. Going from one place to another, each chapter dragging along makes for a boring book.
March 18, 2022
very interesting
Yeah that was a really good story, an interesting blend of watchman and Jupiter’s legacy, with some pretty cool powers. A good start to a series.
Yeah that was a really good story, an interesting blend of watchman and Jupiter’s legacy, with some pretty cool powers. A good start to a series.
March 20, 2017
A great surprise
Surprisingly fun and engaging superhero tale. This world/universe is gonna be a lot of fun to explore. Hope it holds up in book two
Surprisingly fun and engaging superhero tale. This world/universe is gonna be a lot of fun to explore. Hope it holds up in book two
April 2, 2015
While the writing is not bad, the author tends to change perspectives (writing about what other characters do) at the most inopportune moments. Also while the descripton implies the protagonist is the girl, the narrative is switched to first person point of view whenever the author writes about events happening to a different character. It makes me think that the author associates himself with that particular character. This book also has a good vs. evil theme going, the evil being some sort of cthtulhu-like beings, and the good - the aliens that have advanced enough, which is so not what I want to read about in superhero fiction (I prefer the good-vs-evil theme being limited to standard fantasy genres, and superhero fantasy is actually closer to sci-fi in my opinion).
February 4, 2016
Wow! Awesome book!
Okay so I was not all that into this book in the beginning. A lot of characters are introduced and it's slightly confusing. But once I made it past that first few chapters.... Awesomeness! The plot line is very original, the characters are far from typical.
Christine is a wicked nerd, and you just gotta love her for it. She admits she rambles when nervous, and makes all types of random references. She really is one of those characters that grows on you.
Mark, aka Face-off, is also quite a good character as well. I can see the author put a lot of time in developing his personality. I mean, hellllooo, it's a dude without a face.... that's definitely going to change your perspective on life.
I'm very excited to continue reading this series!
Okay so I was not all that into this book in the beginning. A lot of characters are introduced and it's slightly confusing. But once I made it past that first few chapters.... Awesomeness! The plot line is very original, the characters are far from typical.
Christine is a wicked nerd, and you just gotta love her for it. She admits she rambles when nervous, and makes all types of random references. She really is one of those characters that grows on you.
Mark, aka Face-off, is also quite a good character as well. I can see the author put a lot of time in developing his personality. I mean, hellllooo, it's a dude without a face.... that's definitely going to change your perspective on life.
I'm very excited to continue reading this series!
January 28, 2016
Cool storyline, clever & a bit original. For those that stress over this sort of thing: could really benefit from a good editor. If you can overlook the occasional badly worded sentence, incorrect word or even slips like changes to a character's name, the story itself is good. It's a quick read & leaves you wanting to continue the story. Enjoyable read for anyone that enjoys superhero stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews