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All I Got is This Stat Menu #1
Homicidal Aliens are Invading and All I Got is This Stat Menu
Infinite power at your fingertips, and a target on your back.
Anya Nowicki, along with thousands of people around the globe, has found herself a host for alien technology known as the Archive. The Archive allows its hosts to alter their minds and bodies in an instant through holographic menu systems. With the touch of a button, anyone can become super strong, gain magical abilities, purchase a giant robot, or become a master in any of an almost infinite number of skills that range from advanced combat techniques to fidget-spinning. However, Anya has also become the target for nightmarish, shape-shifting creatures that have come to Earth following the newfound extraterrestrial tech. The Archive can grant their hosts great power, but it may not be enough to survive the horde of murderous aliens hunting them down.
Anya Nowicki, along with thousands of people around the globe, has found herself a host for alien technology known as the Archive. The Archive allows its hosts to alter their minds and bodies in an instant through holographic menu systems. With the touch of a button, anyone can become super strong, gain magical abilities, purchase a giant robot, or become a master in any of an almost infinite number of skills that range from advanced combat techniques to fidget-spinning. However, Anya has also become the target for nightmarish, shape-shifting creatures that have come to Earth following the newfound extraterrestrial tech. The Archive can grant their hosts great power, but it may not be enough to survive the horde of murderous aliens hunting them down.
476 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2022
272 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 19, 2023
This is a superhero LitRPG that started off rather stellar. Anya gets hit with an alien system and becomes one of a handful (13k ish) of defenders against a coming invasion. She has some points to spend on skills and some alien bucks to buy equipment. I didn't think of it at the time, but remembering back, it's a lot like if you used Hero System to generate a superhero, only with lots of embedded flavor. Ah, those were the days.
And I’ll admit that I kind of liked Anya’s careful, thoughtful approach that still leaned into “this is so cool!” This drew me in completely, even if I would have made different choices. And it doesn’t hurt that the author is talented with both description and characterization with only a bit of clunky exposition on Anya’s backstory. All of this drew me in and made me eager for more.
Until the enemy aliens showed up and made me wince. Think murder dolls meets body horror with a side of terminator-like just-won’t-die. This isn’t helped by the author having Anya go catatonic at the start of a fight so that people can die before she actually takes any action. Plus, I wasn’t a fan of the action she did take, even if the author made it “correct” after the fact.
I stuck around for a bit after her taking out the first alien, but my enthusiasm wound down from that point and never recovered. I’m almost a third in and can’t really bear the prospect of more fights with those aliens. They’re supremely uninteresting to me and that has ruined the whole thing.
I’m going to give this a second star because I think the writing, originality, and main character deserve some recognition. If only the antagonist aliens hadn’t been such a complete faceplant this could have been outstanding.
And I’ll admit that I kind of liked Anya’s careful, thoughtful approach that still leaned into “this is so cool!” This drew me in completely, even if I would have made different choices. And it doesn’t hurt that the author is talented with both description and characterization with only a bit of clunky exposition on Anya’s backstory. All of this drew me in and made me eager for more.
Until the enemy aliens showed up and made me wince. Think murder dolls meets body horror with a side of terminator-like just-won’t-die. This isn’t helped by the author having Anya go catatonic at the start of a fight so that people can die before she actually takes any action. Plus, I wasn’t a fan of the action she did take, even if the author made it “correct” after the fact.
I stuck around for a bit after her taking out the first alien, but my enthusiasm wound down from that point and never recovered. I’m almost a third in and can’t really bear the prospect of more fights with those aliens. They’re supremely uninteresting to me and that has ruined the whole thing.
I’m going to give this a second star because I think the writing, originality, and main character deserve some recognition. If only the antagonist aliens hadn’t been such a complete faceplant this could have been outstanding.
June 2, 2023
If you're looking for a well-written and pretty fun superhero and gamelit mashup, then you've found it.
Character - 8/10, Plot - 9/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 9/10, Writing - 9/10, Enjoyment - 7/10
Anyone who's read Azarinth Healer will probably find our MC, Anya, a bit familiar which may be good or bad for you. I honestly really dislike Ilea from AH, so I was constantly en guard for Anya to move in a direction I didn't like. Basically, Anya is a short and chubby barista at the beginning of the story, but turns into a 7-foot-tall athletic specimen after alien technology lets her add points to her physical stats. She picks up some skills that channel flames from an Ironman-esque powered heart and turns into a flaming brawler build. She spends the rest of the book smashing and burning things and then eating a whole buffet of food to maintain her new metabolism. And she isn't the brightest, so thinking about anything beyond her next meal or fight kinda gives her a headache. Unless maybe she wants to go on a date. A lot of people would probably prefer this to Kurono from Gantz though, so I won't complain too much.
I won't go too deep into the supporting cast for fear of spoilers, but needless to say, a lot of various superpower builds and abilities are represented and there are also a lot of "regular" people caught up in the mix. Overall I was pretty neutral on the characters and I'll see how things go in the next volume once humanity's extinction seems less likely and the politics start getting nastier.
The plot was my favorite part of this book as I'm a fan of gamelit, death games, and superhero-adjacent stories. This reminded me of a tamer version of Gantz in many ways since we have a varied assortment of humans who are unwillingly drawn into the position of defending themselves from aliens while interacting with the whole thing through an alien game menu. There was a lot less gore and sex than Gantz, which is a pro or a con depending on who you are. I'm not here solely for blood and titties, so I still enjoyed what this story brought to the table.
The setting was present-day Earth, mostly locations in North America, so there's not a lot to talk about there. But I guess that's where you can find interest in the juxtaposition of alien invaders and superpowers clashing in regular settings and what would likely happen. This is probably a little closer to Invincible than Gantz, since the Gantz squads were usually invisible to the mundane public while on missions. In this story, similar to Invincible, civilians in the vicinity of a superhero/alien fight don't fare well.
The writing was noticeably better than what you commonly find in self-published gamelit or progression fantasy books. It was so refreshing to have a minimum of grammar issues. Particularly, I liked how the author filled in some of Anya's backstory in an organic and realistic way by having her scroll through her phone's photos while walking home from a bar. It gave a glimpse into her home life as the pictures changed over time. I think that sort of reminiscing is a realistic way a character might look back on their past and it was so nice compared to the all-too-common infodump of a character's entire backstory the second they come on scene.
Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit. I wasn't the biggest fan of Anya, but part of that is Azarinth Healer's fault. I did feel like the brief bits of romance felt a bit forced and I was dreading how far it would go (again, Azarinth Healer's fault). Not to say romance isn't allowed, but it just felt off to me that a girl who described herself as a potato at the beginning of the book would be thinking a person is hitting on them later on in the book when only a week or so had passed. Just changing your physical stats wouldn't change her perspective on herself and her attractiveness that quickly. It just didn't work for me.
That aside, I think the fight scenes were handled really well in this story. They were spaced out so the characters and story had room to breathe in between as well as build up new tension. Each fight felt like it had significant stakes as a result.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone and I'm excited to see what Book 2 has in store!
Character - 8/10, Plot - 9/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 9/10, Writing - 9/10, Enjoyment - 7/10
Anyone who's read Azarinth Healer will probably find our MC, Anya, a bit familiar which may be good or bad for you. I honestly really dislike Ilea from AH, so I was constantly en guard for Anya to move in a direction I didn't like. Basically, Anya is a short and chubby barista at the beginning of the story, but turns into a 7-foot-tall athletic specimen after alien technology lets her add points to her physical stats. She picks up some skills that channel flames from an Ironman-esque powered heart and turns into a flaming brawler build. She spends the rest of the book smashing and burning things and then eating a whole buffet of food to maintain her new metabolism. And she isn't the brightest, so thinking about anything beyond her next meal or fight kinda gives her a headache. Unless maybe she wants to go on a date. A lot of people would probably prefer this to Kurono from Gantz though, so I won't complain too much.
I won't go too deep into the supporting cast for fear of spoilers, but needless to say, a lot of various superpower builds and abilities are represented and there are also a lot of "regular" people caught up in the mix. Overall I was pretty neutral on the characters and I'll see how things go in the next volume once humanity's extinction seems less likely and the politics start getting nastier.
The plot was my favorite part of this book as I'm a fan of gamelit, death games, and superhero-adjacent stories. This reminded me of a tamer version of Gantz in many ways since we have a varied assortment of humans who are unwillingly drawn into the position of defending themselves from aliens while interacting with the whole thing through an alien game menu. There was a lot less gore and sex than Gantz, which is a pro or a con depending on who you are. I'm not here solely for blood and titties, so I still enjoyed what this story brought to the table.
The setting was present-day Earth, mostly locations in North America, so there's not a lot to talk about there. But I guess that's where you can find interest in the juxtaposition of alien invaders and superpowers clashing in regular settings and what would likely happen. This is probably a little closer to Invincible than Gantz, since the Gantz squads were usually invisible to the mundane public while on missions. In this story, similar to Invincible, civilians in the vicinity of a superhero/alien fight don't fare well.
The writing was noticeably better than what you commonly find in self-published gamelit or progression fantasy books. It was so refreshing to have a minimum of grammar issues. Particularly, I liked how the author filled in some of Anya's backstory in an organic and realistic way by having her scroll through her phone's photos while walking home from a bar. It gave a glimpse into her home life as the pictures changed over time. I think that sort of reminiscing is a realistic way a character might look back on their past and it was so nice compared to the all-too-common infodump of a character's entire backstory the second they come on scene.
Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit. I wasn't the biggest fan of Anya, but part of that is Azarinth Healer's fault. I did feel like the brief bits of romance felt a bit forced and I was dreading how far it would go (again, Azarinth Healer's fault). Not to say romance isn't allowed, but it just felt off to me that a girl who described herself as a potato at the beginning of the book would be thinking a person is hitting on them later on in the book when only a week or so had passed. Just changing your physical stats wouldn't change her perspective on herself and her attractiveness that quickly. It just didn't work for me.
That aside, I think the fight scenes were handled really well in this story. They were spaced out so the characters and story had room to breathe in between as well as build up new tension. Each fight felt like it had significant stakes as a result.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone and I'm excited to see what Book 2 has in store!
September 13, 2022
Excellent
So this is a LitRPG that reads more like a superhero fic. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Characters are all written well with nicely defined personalities and back stories.
Dialogue and banter is well written and engaging.
Honestly this story is a high achiever and I can't recommend it enough.
So this is a LitRPG that reads more like a superhero fic. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Characters are all written well with nicely defined personalities and back stories.
Dialogue and banter is well written and engaging.
Honestly this story is a high achiever and I can't recommend it enough.
September 10, 2024
I originally read this when it came out as a webnovel, and thoroughly enjoyed it then. When I found out that it was both going retail and would be continued, I was very excited to pick up the new versions and give them a reread, and I'm happy to say that I've enjoyed it just as much this time round, especially with the new details that have been added.
In terms of the litrpg content, it is there, but it is nowhere near as heavy as many of the other litrpg titles out there, and that's a good thing. The story takes precedence, and there isn't any delving into the minute details of exactly how the skills work, or exactly what they do. It flows, is engaging, and pulls you in.
The story is enjoyable to read, the characters likeable, the cast diverse. There is a lot going on in this book, as well as glimpses as to the wider picture via news reports, forum transcripts, and even some from the aliens themselves. It's well written and paced, slowly revealing the mystery of what is going on with the alien invasion, and of what other factions are up to.
Of course, this is just the first book, and the story continues directly on in the second.
In terms of the litrpg content, it is there, but it is nowhere near as heavy as many of the other litrpg titles out there, and that's a good thing. The story takes precedence, and there isn't any delving into the minute details of exactly how the skills work, or exactly what they do. It flows, is engaging, and pulls you in.
The story is enjoyable to read, the characters likeable, the cast diverse. There is a lot going on in this book, as well as glimpses as to the wider picture via news reports, forum transcripts, and even some from the aliens themselves. It's well written and paced, slowly revealing the mystery of what is going on with the alien invasion, and of what other factions are up to.
Of course, this is just the first book, and the story continues directly on in the second.
September 10, 2022
Really good
This book was a blast to read. I loved the characters, especially Pan. I highly recommend this. I'm looking forward to the next one.
This book was a blast to read. I loved the characters, especially Pan. I highly recommend this. I'm looking forward to the next one.
November 20, 2022
This is my first book by this author. I found this by accident while trolling for books online, and I caught a good one.
Anya is spending time in her tiny apartment in NY when something comes through her window and goes right into her chest. From there we learn about the stat pages of the title, which include strength, intelligence, wisdom, etc. plus a few more. The abilities are what matter the most, and I won't spoil them.
Who is Anya going to be fighting? Aliens that look like everyday appliances. Toasters, street lamps, printers, and everything in between.
What I liked about this book is that Anya is a great character. She doesn't back down even when it might cost her life, and she has a quirky sense of humor. Her best friend Tori plus some other archive hosts they meet along the way become the focal point of the book, in the eastern US at least.
There are a few dead spots in the book which I think stem from the fact that nothing really changes between the aliens and Anya. The aliens get harder, but there are no fundamental differences in the dynamic as the book progresses.
Despite all this, I did enjoy the book. It's fun without overstaying it's welcome, and Anya makes for a great lead character. The stats aren't anything we haven't seen before, but that didn't bother me.
The editing is decent but not perfect. It never pulled me out of the story.
If you're looking for something a little different that caused me to laugh out loud a few times, this could be worth picking up. 5/5*
Anya is spending time in her tiny apartment in NY when something comes through her window and goes right into her chest. From there we learn about the stat pages of the title, which include strength, intelligence, wisdom, etc. plus a few more. The abilities are what matter the most, and I won't spoil them.
Who is Anya going to be fighting? Aliens that look like everyday appliances. Toasters, street lamps, printers, and everything in between.
What I liked about this book is that Anya is a great character. She doesn't back down even when it might cost her life, and she has a quirky sense of humor. Her best friend Tori plus some other archive hosts they meet along the way become the focal point of the book, in the eastern US at least.
There are a few dead spots in the book which I think stem from the fact that nothing really changes between the aliens and Anya. The aliens get harder, but there are no fundamental differences in the dynamic as the book progresses.
Despite all this, I did enjoy the book. It's fun without overstaying it's welcome, and Anya makes for a great lead character. The stats aren't anything we haven't seen before, but that didn't bother me.
The editing is decent but not perfect. It never pulled me out of the story.
If you're looking for something a little different that caused me to laugh out loud a few times, this could be worth picking up. 5/5*
September 15, 2022
book one
Mistakes: I did find a handful of mistakes in this book. I will try and list them on GoodReads.
Plot: I would call this a superhero litrpg. Very fun story though I found the American government to be so far outside of realistic as to be laughable. Those greedy turds would be trying to force the heroes to do their bidding. I would for see the heroes moving to the moon or something in the future.
Characters: Even though there is no sex some folks will be turned off from the story because the MC is bisexual. This didn’t bother me at all. I like the different characters.
8/10 I look forward to the next book.
Mistakes: I did find a handful of mistakes in this book. I will try and list them on GoodReads.
Plot: I would call this a superhero litrpg. Very fun story though I found the American government to be so far outside of realistic as to be laughable. Those greedy turds would be trying to force the heroes to do their bidding. I would for see the heroes moving to the moon or something in the future.
Characters: Even though there is no sex some folks will be turned off from the story because the MC is bisexual. This didn’t bother me at all. I like the different characters.
8/10 I look forward to the next book.
December 27, 2023
I'm normally a really big fan of sci-fi and space operas, and this book really roped me in far more than I already expected it would. It tickles my brain in all the right ways, so much so that I would often think about it when not reading it. I love the idea of having a stat menu, like in the countless anime that are out there, so this really drove home a combination of sci-fi and fantasy. This book has definitely made it into my top 10 of books, and I've already purchased the second one. I genuinely hope there is more planned.
September 16, 2022
Love it
Great story, engaging characters and we'll paced. Well done! I still think the title could change, but the cover is so awesome and the story is so great that I can't complain haba
Great story, engaging characters and we'll paced. Well done! I still think the title could change, but the cover is so awesome and the story is so great that I can't complain haba
September 29, 2022
Very good
An enjoyable litrpg read that I almost binged in one day, very much worth the read. Looking forward to more books in this series.
An enjoyable litrpg read that I almost binged in one day, very much worth the read. Looking forward to more books in this series.
September 19, 2022
interesting
I did like the story that was unfolding and the development of the MCs.
Looking forward to the next novel.
I did like the story that was unfolding and the development of the MCs.
Looking forward to the next novel.
January 28, 2024
Azarinth Healer meets Dawn of the Void
A woman through chance is granted abilities to level-up and gain skills to combat aliens invading earth. While the story seemed like it was going to be relatively simple, it's developing in a way that hits all the points I love and look for in a story.
- Main character fights close combat in monk-like style? Check.
- Side characters with agency and are interesting in equal measure? Check.
- Some political/geopolitical intrigue that's intertwined in global crisis? Check.
- Well-written battles, both small and large, that are exciting to read through? Check.
- A small, but healthy amount of romance? Check.
- And Pan. The world needs more Pan (You'll get it).
Strongly recommend the audiobook. Narrator is perfect for this story. Tried this series on a whim and now it's one of my favorites.
A woman through chance is granted abilities to level-up and gain skills to combat aliens invading earth. While the story seemed like it was going to be relatively simple, it's developing in a way that hits all the points I love and look for in a story.
- Main character fights close combat in monk-like style? Check.
- Side characters with agency and are interesting in equal measure? Check.
- Some political/geopolitical intrigue that's intertwined in global crisis? Check.
- Well-written battles, both small and large, that are exciting to read through? Check.
- A small, but healthy amount of romance? Check.
- And Pan. The world needs more Pan (You'll get it).
Strongly recommend the audiobook. Narrator is perfect for this story. Tried this series on a whim and now it's one of my favorites.
November 9, 2023
Amazing and terrifying
I'm a dedicated litrpg reader and have read countless stories of alian invasion or oh no my planet got turned into a video game type books but this is the first one we're I was truly scared of the invading aliens. The MCs attitude was great and ability selection seemed rational. With how few people actually got the abilities this book reads more like a super hero book of the chosen vs the invading aliens like some kind of avengers movie. Aliens were super scary and I made the mistake of reading this book late at night before bed. The way they are constantly adapting to kill you makes the action really engaging and not the typical litrpg aliens that feel more like a grind than an actual threat.
I'm a dedicated litrpg reader and have read countless stories of alian invasion or oh no my planet got turned into a video game type books but this is the first one we're I was truly scared of the invading aliens. The MCs attitude was great and ability selection seemed rational. With how few people actually got the abilities this book reads more like a super hero book of the chosen vs the invading aliens like some kind of avengers movie. Aliens were super scary and I made the mistake of reading this book late at night before bed. The way they are constantly adapting to kill you makes the action really engaging and not the typical litrpg aliens that feel more like a grind than an actual threat.
November 7, 2023
Fun and well written
Very good action adventure with a likable hero. Writing is well paced and edited without the many grammatical flaws and storyline errors that seem to plague many stories you find on kindle unlimited. A pleasure to read and I'm looking forward to more.
Very good action adventure with a likable hero. Writing is well paced and edited without the many grammatical flaws and storyline errors that seem to plague many stories you find on kindle unlimited. A pleasure to read and I'm looking forward to more.
December 11, 2023
4,5 stars rounded down.
I seriously enjoyed reading this book. At the beginning I was slightly worried that the pacing would be a bit slow, but thankfully the pacing picked up and kept its momentum throughout the book. I'm not sure how to describe this book, it's an action packed RPG game in literary form, a tabletop RPG mostly from the viewpoint of one PC, it's an alien invasion sci fi with a unique and modern twist, it's reminiscent of an isekai even though it takes place in our world, it's a lot of action and a lot of fun.
If you like gaming (digital or tabletop), this book would be right up your alley.
If you're a fan of John Scalzi, good news! This book feels like it could've been written by him. The premise, the ingenuity of the characters, the fact that humanity is mostly depicted as good (though some are definitely dicks): it's just very reminiscent of his writing.
If you're a fan of The Murderbot Diaries, the battle scenes will excite you. (unfortunately the AI is not as snarky and sarcastic as SecUnit, but there's still some snark and sarcasm present in general)
Darn, I just really wish I hadn't started reading this so soon. It's planned to be a 6 part series and that is a long wait for more books!
I seriously enjoyed reading this book. At the beginning I was slightly worried that the pacing would be a bit slow, but thankfully the pacing picked up and kept its momentum throughout the book. I'm not sure how to describe this book, it's an action packed RPG game in literary form, a tabletop RPG mostly from the viewpoint of one PC, it's an alien invasion sci fi with a unique and modern twist, it's reminiscent of an isekai even though it takes place in our world, it's a lot of action and a lot of fun.
If you like gaming (digital or tabletop), this book would be right up your alley.
If you're a fan of John Scalzi, good news! This book feels like it could've been written by him. The premise, the ingenuity of the characters, the fact that humanity is mostly depicted as good (though some are definitely dicks): it's just very reminiscent of his writing.
If you're a fan of The Murderbot Diaries, the battle scenes will excite you. (unfortunately the AI is not as snarky and sarcastic as SecUnit, but there's still some snark and sarcasm present in general)
Darn, I just really wish I hadn't started reading this so soon. It's planned to be a 6 part series and that is a long wait for more books!
November 2, 2023
Can we talk about that cover first? So awesome and dynamic.
A really fun take on the Gamelit, apocalypse genre. Let's not kid ourselves, this is Gamelit. If the story didn't have the minor gamelike mechanics and it was a normal, urban sci-fi story, there wouldn't be much changed.
But nonetheless, it's super entertaining and it's wildfuly fun.
A really fun take on the Gamelit, apocalypse genre. Let's not kid ourselves, this is Gamelit. If the story didn't have the minor gamelike mechanics and it was a normal, urban sci-fi story, there wouldn't be much changed.
But nonetheless, it's super entertaining and it's wildfuly fun.
February 9, 2023
"Homicidal Aliens are Invading and All I Got is This Stat Menu" was the most fun I had while reading in a very long time. Ackerkneckt does an excellent job of building up the setting and the characters before the conflict (hostile alien invasion) takes off. Within the first few chapters, I felt comfortable with the world and was a big fan of the protagonist, Anya. Though the concept of an alien invasion has been done repeatedly, I can't recall any aliens quite like this. Not only were they a true threat, but horrific in a way that brought me back to "The Thing" and "It."
More importantly, watching the characters grow emotionally as well as in power levels was so much fun. The fight scenes escalate beautifully as the characters and villains get cooler and stronger skills. The impressive diversity of powers and abilities reminds me a little bit of "Ready Player One", but with real-world applications.
Ackerkneckt also does an excellent job of laying the seeds for a thrilling sequel (which I plan to read as soon as it's released), without leaving the reader on the hook. All immediate problems are resolved skillfully.
I cannot recommend this story enough, and I want to thank Ackerkneckt for the thrilling ride.
Keep up the great work. :) 화이팅!
More importantly, watching the characters grow emotionally as well as in power levels was so much fun. The fight scenes escalate beautifully as the characters and villains get cooler and stronger skills. The impressive diversity of powers and abilities reminds me a little bit of "Ready Player One", but with real-world applications.
Ackerkneckt also does an excellent job of laying the seeds for a thrilling sequel (which I plan to read as soon as it's released), without leaving the reader on the hook. All immediate problems are resolved skillfully.
I cannot recommend this story enough, and I want to thank Ackerkneckt for the thrilling ride.
Keep up the great work. :) 화이팅!
September 26, 2023
All I Got is This Stat Menu: 1
Anya Nowicki has had a bad week, which ends with her quitting her job after finally getting fed up dealing with her abusive boss. Her weekend doesn't get better, as she gets hit by a strange object and suddenly discovers that she has something like a HUD and an AI companion that tells her that aliens are about to invade, and she is now a host for alien technology known as the Archive. A riff on the usual apocalypse where aliens-take-over-and-make-everyone-live-rpg in that only a select few people end up being hosts. Solidly written, with interesting and well fleshed out characters. Anya may be a bit hot-headed, but she has good intentions and most importantly, isn't stupid. Looking forward to the sequel.
Anya Nowicki has had a bad week, which ends with her quitting her job after finally getting fed up dealing with her abusive boss. Her weekend doesn't get better, as she gets hit by a strange object and suddenly discovers that she has something like a HUD and an AI companion that tells her that aliens are about to invade, and she is now a host for alien technology known as the Archive. A riff on the usual apocalypse where aliens-take-over-and-make-everyone-live-rpg in that only a select few people end up being hosts. Solidly written, with interesting and well fleshed out characters. Anya may be a bit hot-headed, but she has good intentions and most importantly, isn't stupid. Looking forward to the sequel.
November 8, 2024
This is a wonderful adventure story in the LitRPG subgenre with a lot of humor thrown in for good measure. The story revolves around Anya who is one of fourteen thousand humans (chosen at random) to receive the Archive one day before the arrival of aliens wishing to wipe the earth of all life arrive. The Archive allows her to transform herself into someone with the skills and powers to fight the aliens. One of the best things about the book was looking at the various choices that archival “hosts” like Anya make in developing their abilities.
The aliens are both humorous and creepy and frankly far tougher to destroy than I expected them to be. Anya has to get smart very fast just to survive. And she has to figure out how not to let her government try to make a drone out of her as politicians and bureaucrats want control of the Archive.
Overall, this was a quirky book which I found loads of fun to read. Anya is a delightful character with some baggage coupled with a genuine desire to help people. If that sounds sort of like a classic superhero, she clearly is. She figures out early on that the hosts need to band together to survive, just as the aliens are doing. The action is top notch and there is plenty of it. But Ackerknecht also does a decent job of creating a credible response from earth’s governments.
It's a fun opening novel. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
The aliens are both humorous and creepy and frankly far tougher to destroy than I expected them to be. Anya has to get smart very fast just to survive. And she has to figure out how not to let her government try to make a drone out of her as politicians and bureaucrats want control of the Archive.
Overall, this was a quirky book which I found loads of fun to read. Anya is a delightful character with some baggage coupled with a genuine desire to help people. If that sounds sort of like a classic superhero, she clearly is. She figures out early on that the hosts need to band together to survive, just as the aliens are doing. The action is top notch and there is plenty of it. But Ackerknecht also does a decent job of creating a credible response from earth’s governments.
It's a fun opening novel. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
October 8, 2025
Note to self: the railroading is not has heavy-handed as others, but still pretty noticeable (i.e., the system offers thousands of skills, items, classes, etc, but we only get to see the one or few the system companion picks for the MC. The illusion of choice is so thing it's basically transparent.).
Also, something that annoys me is the MC suffering incredible pain due to skill and stat increases because she uses them all at once, like a dumbass. One at a time, dingus, there's no benefit to either other than the second one doesn't mean BLACKING OUT EVERY TIME. Jesus, MC, think a little before hitting all the buttons.
The AI companion filters all the MCs choices, the best friend does the thinking, and the MC is just there. Not a fan of stories where the wrong character became the main one.
The story lost me at the zoo, that was just dumb.
Also, something that annoys me is the MC suffering incredible pain due to skill and stat increases because she uses them all at once, like a dumbass. One at a time, dingus, there's no benefit to either other than the second one doesn't mean BLACKING OUT EVERY TIME. Jesus, MC, think a little before hitting all the buttons.
The AI companion filters all the MCs choices, the best friend does the thinking, and the MC is just there. Not a fan of stories where the wrong character became the main one.
The story lost me at the zoo, that was just dumb.
January 15, 2025
First time reading a LitRPG book and man it did not disappoint!! Absolutely loved it, even if it was a bit info dumpy in the very beginning as Anya(our FMc) gets her mechanics and starts learning the ropes (so the info dump makes sense as Anya is Technically getting info dumped).
Characters were amazing! The plot was 10/10 and the ending definitely has me wanting to immediately buy the next book cause like excuse me 🤯🤯 Definitely can’t wait to start the next one in the near future!!
Hopefully since the other characters are on the other book covers I get to see more out of the other characters and hopefully figure out what’s really going on with Renn and his little group, cause I’m super curious about them!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters were amazing! The plot was 10/10 and the ending definitely has me wanting to immediately buy the next book cause like excuse me 🤯🤯 Definitely can’t wait to start the next one in the near future!!
Hopefully since the other characters are on the other book covers I get to see more out of the other characters and hopefully figure out what’s really going on with Renn and his little group, cause I’m super curious about them!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 22, 2023
I read the free sample from Amazon and I was hooked!
Some stories are too unrealistic and don't pull me into the story line or universe, it was not the case with this novel. It was realistic enough that I wasn't shaken out of the world when strange and far fetched things happened.
The book was basically: If random people on earth were given power, but it was in the form of RPG stats, 100% chaos would ensue, but throw in some world destroying aliens and I believe some humans would try and step up (not all, but some).
I love how long the book is and I'm excited for the sequel.
Some stories are too unrealistic and don't pull me into the story line or universe, it was not the case with this novel. It was realistic enough that I wasn't shaken out of the world when strange and far fetched things happened.
The book was basically: If random people on earth were given power, but it was in the form of RPG stats, 100% chaos would ensue, but throw in some world destroying aliens and I believe some humans would try and step up (not all, but some).
I love how long the book is and I'm excited for the sequel.
September 16, 2025
I went into Homicidal Aliens are Invading and All I Got is This Stat Menu expecting a fun, light-hearted LitRPG romp. The setup is quirky and the stat-menu mechanics are decent, but I found myself constantly pulled out of the story by the way the characters were written.
It leans way too heavily into the “woman good, man bad” dynamic. The female character is always the smart, capable one who sees everything coming, while the male characters are consistently portrayed as evil, clueless, bumbling, or flat out stupid.
DNF.
It leans way too heavily into the “woman good, man bad” dynamic. The female character is always the smart, capable one who sees everything coming, while the male characters are consistently portrayed as evil, clueless, bumbling, or flat out stupid.
DNF.
May 24, 2023
KU Review
Really fun read full of eclectic characters. Good pacing and action. Pretty tame as far as invading alien apocalypses go but the underlying stories promise quite a mix conflict in the future.
General disclaimer: I want to be clear in that I do not factor cost into any review and as such, this is simply a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
Really fun read full of eclectic characters. Good pacing and action. Pretty tame as far as invading alien apocalypses go but the underlying stories promise quite a mix conflict in the future.
General disclaimer: I want to be clear in that I do not factor cost into any review and as such, this is simply a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
June 9, 2023
Start with the performance, the narrator was overall really good but the audio production needs help. Basically just need to have the performance normalized. Sometimes the voices are super loud and a moment later very quiet.
The story is not bad but pretty predictable. The characters are okay, but the MC is pretty lame. Some side characters that are largely pointless. was pan intended to be comic relief or something? All of the things you would basically expect are there. No real surprises.
The story is not bad but pretty predictable. The characters are okay, but the MC is pretty lame. Some side characters that are largely pointless. was pan intended to be comic relief or something? All of the things you would basically expect are there. No real surprises.
October 7, 2023
A fun and funny Sci-Fi story with GameLit elements. I felt like the fight scenes dragged on a bit, but the warm slice-of-life sections were a pleasant surprise. The characters were original and everyone in the main cast had really distinct dialogue. The tone was light enough that I could read this to my 8 year old as a bedtime story with very little censorship (skipping a handful of swears and the most graphic violence), and we both had a good time.
December 15, 2023
Feels more grounded and human than it's contemporaries
This was a fantastic story that, while having quite an outlandish premise, delives it wonderfully. The characters have recognizable personalities that are consistent and believable. There is nothing done that seems out of character, and personal development come naturally. I'm hopeful that more attention will be placed on secondary and side characters in the later installments.
This was a fantastic story that, while having quite an outlandish premise, delives it wonderfully. The characters have recognizable personalities that are consistent and believable. There is nothing done that seems out of character, and personal development come naturally. I'm hopeful that more attention will be placed on secondary and side characters in the later installments.
December 11, 2024
fun
Random people are given a System by aliens because bad guys are about to invade. Learning the system takes a back set as the bad guys arrive early. Now the race is on to get powerful, gather allies, and survive the government. In the end one of the evil generals is defeated. A new government agency is created and the world prepares to fight the aliens.
This is a fun listen. Well told, good pace. Interesting world. Please enjoy
Random people are given a System by aliens because bad guys are about to invade. Learning the system takes a back set as the bad guys arrive early. Now the race is on to get powerful, gather allies, and survive the government. In the end one of the evil generals is defeated. A new government agency is created and the world prepares to fight the aliens.
This is a fun listen. Well told, good pace. Interesting world. Please enjoy
January 26, 2025
This was a lot of fun.
This book is unlike any other I have ever read. So it combines Science Fiction with online role-playing game features. The characters are a lot of fun in and of themselves. I particularly like the Pangolin. This may be a little hard to get into for some readers at least initially. Bear with it for six or seven chapters and I think you will enjoy yourself immensely.
This book is unlike any other I have ever read. So it combines Science Fiction with online role-playing game features. The characters are a lot of fun in and of themselves. I particularly like the Pangolin. This may be a little hard to get into for some readers at least initially. Bear with it for six or seven chapters and I think you will enjoy yourself immensely.
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