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Apocalypse Parenting #1
Time to Play
A few minutes ago, Meghan Moretti's biggest concern was getting the kids' athletic clothes washed in time for practice this evening. Now, it seems that Earth has been forced into participating in some high-stakes intergalactic reality television. All electrical wiring has been slagged, and most combustibles neutralized. Some kind of evil space rodents are appearing on the front lawn, too.
Like any parent, Meghan's first instinct is to keep her young kids safely away from the monsters, but an odd stroke of luck has her coming into some advanced information about this dangerous game. She learns that her kids will have to fight too.
What's a mom to do?
---
The beginning of an apocalyptic LitRPG saga.
Like any parent, Meghan's first instinct is to keep her young kids safely away from the monsters, but an odd stroke of luck has her coming into some advanced information about this dangerous game. She learns that her kids will have to fight too.
What's a mom to do?
---
The beginning of an apocalyptic LitRPG saga.
373 pages, Paperback
Published July 14, 2022
348 people are currently reading
684 people want to read
About the author
Erin Ampersand
8 books61 followersI'm going to start putting reviews up on Goodreads! A note about my reviews: I object to the star system for books. I don't think it's helpful, and would prefer a simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down system. Since that's not offered, I'm just going to be giving 5 stars to any book I'd give a thumbs-up. If I wouldn't give it at least a thumbs-up, I'm not going to review it at all!
To help differentiate between different books, I'll also post tiny review for each stating why a book might particularly draw someone in, and what kind of person might want to avoid it, since no book is for everyone.
You can browse more of my posts and reviews on my Instagram or Bluesky:
https://www.instagram.com/erinampersand/
https://bsky.app/hashtag/%26microrevi...
...
Erin Ampersand is from a lesser-known branch of the Punctuation Peerage. Neither as elegant as the noble Parentheses, nor as well-regarded as the heroic Dashes, the Ampersands are instead considered little better than the scurrilous Interrobangs.
In addition to writing and reading, Erin loves games of all sorts, from tabletop RPGs to videogames, although she is rather bad at platformers and hopeless at first-person shooters. She and her husband own enough board games to capsize a standard canoe.
To help differentiate between different books, I'll also post tiny review for each stating why a book might particularly draw someone in, and what kind of person might want to avoid it, since no book is for everyone.
You can browse more of my posts and reviews on my Instagram or Bluesky:
https://www.instagram.com/erinampersand/
https://bsky.app/hashtag/%26microrevi...
...
Erin Ampersand is from a lesser-known branch of the Punctuation Peerage. Neither as elegant as the noble Parentheses, nor as well-regarded as the heroic Dashes, the Ampersands are instead considered little better than the scurrilous Interrobangs.
In addition to writing and reading, Erin loves games of all sorts, from tabletop RPGs to videogames, although she is rather bad at platformers and hopeless at first-person shooters. She and her husband own enough board games to capsize a standard canoe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
unfinished
November 2, 2024I didn't make it far, maybe 10%, but that's not the book's fault. Meghan is a good mom and the author does a fantastic job making both her and the kids realistic. You could tell the momstincts were strong when the minute Meghan reads the apocalypse notice she shouts out "No choosing aspects until I say!" That's a mom who knows her kids would pick stupid stuff because it sounds cool and acts to head off trouble.
So solid writing with engaging protagonists. Why am I abandoning it? Well, it's the solid writing with protagonists I'm a little too engaged with. A system apocalypse is a parent's nightmare. And the author draws us into that. And I found myself a little too anxious over the small family.
I will say that I might have attached regardless had there been a little more system crunch to engage my analytical side. If you got notices for kills, or snarky system messages on identifying monsters. Or even actual stats beyond basic "aspects". But no, this is GameLit lite so I was stuck with all my questions revolving around mom and kids.
I'm not going to rate this because my dnf is entirely a "me" thing. Like I said, it is well written with vivid descriptions and characters with depth. Yes, including the kids. And that's harder to pull off than most people think. So no rating and I hope it finds an audience.
So solid writing with engaging protagonists. Why am I abandoning it? Well, it's the solid writing with protagonists I'm a little too engaged with. A system apocalypse is a parent's nightmare. And the author draws us into that. And I found myself a little too anxious over the small family.
I will say that I might have attached regardless had there been a little more system crunch to engage my analytical side. If you got notices for kills, or snarky system messages on identifying monsters. Or even actual stats beyond basic "aspects". But no, this is GameLit lite so I was stuck with all my questions revolving around mom and kids.
I'm not going to rate this because my dnf is entirely a "me" thing. Like I said, it is well written with vivid descriptions and characters with depth. Yes, including the kids. And that's harder to pull off than most people think. So no rating and I hope it finds an audience.
July 27, 2022
Brilliant. It's brilliant.
Not only have I found myself a new genre in LitRPG, but also a new local author!
This book has so many strong points, but the most prominent is, of course, storytelling from the perspective of a mother. This is just not something we ever see in apocalypse literature or even generally in sci-fi. It's refreshing to see a mother of young children presented as a resourceful and resilient protagonist in maters outside of family life - but even within family life we see Meghan face some difficult situations. How do you protect your kids when physical threats become imminent? How do you raise them to be virtuous when so many of your neighbors are behaving to the contrary?
One other part of this book that I want to praise is the RPG aspect. Ampersand's design of the system at first seems quite basic, but as the narrative continues, it subtly becomes even richer and more complex to the point of truly feeling as if the characters are now living in a game.
I'm happy to see that Book 2 is well under way! I'll certainly buy a copy once it's out!
Not only have I found myself a new genre in LitRPG, but also a new local author!
This book has so many strong points, but the most prominent is, of course, storytelling from the perspective of a mother. This is just not something we ever see in apocalypse literature or even generally in sci-fi. It's refreshing to see a mother of young children presented as a resourceful and resilient protagonist in maters outside of family life - but even within family life we see Meghan face some difficult situations. How do you protect your kids when physical threats become imminent? How do you raise them to be virtuous when so many of your neighbors are behaving to the contrary?
One other part of this book that I want to praise is the RPG aspect. Ampersand's design of the system at first seems quite basic, but as the narrative continues, it subtly becomes even richer and more complex to the point of truly feeling as if the characters are now living in a game.
I'm happy to see that Book 2 is well under way! I'll certainly buy a copy once it's out!
July 7, 2022
Hot dang this was a good book.
Not your typical system type apocalypse. No guide, no op powers, no special MC anything. Just a mom doing her best to protect her kids, and doing a great job at it. Love the power system she created so far and I really want to see where it goes for the kids. This book ranks in my top 10 litrpg books and that’s saying something.
Very well written. No grammar issues I saw. Very relatable characters as well as normal human interaction. Nothing was over the top just to make it exciting and the normal panic and humanness of this was refreshing.
Not your typical system type apocalypse. No guide, no op powers, no special MC anything. Just a mom doing her best to protect her kids, and doing a great job at it. Love the power system she created so far and I really want to see where it goes for the kids. This book ranks in my top 10 litrpg books and that’s saying something.
Very well written. No grammar issues I saw. Very relatable characters as well as normal human interaction. Nothing was over the top just to make it exciting and the normal panic and humanness of this was refreshing.
June 30, 2022
Fun book with a real world take
Fun series with a real world take on what a LitRPG apocalypse would look like. Slower moving but with less information and more desperation as a parent struggles to keep her children alive. Amazingly well done
Fun series with a real world take on what a LitRPG apocalypse would look like. Slower moving but with less information and more desperation as a parent struggles to keep her children alive. Amazingly well done
January 21, 2024
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I read this book as a judge for the third annual Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), this review is solely my own and does not reflect the opinions of the whole team**
CW: violence, injury, murder, death, animal death, body horror, harm to child
--
An alien race has invaded earth and put everyone into a survival competition called the Maffiyir for their own reality tv type entertainment. Resources such as combustibles and electronics no longer work and monster-rodent hybrids start appearing on the street. With her husband away and no other options in sight Meghan Moretti mother of 3, decides she’ll play along so that she can protect her kids. That is until she finds out that everyone is expected to participate in the challenges and things are only going to get a whole lot more difficult and a whole lot more strange.
This was my first experience with LitRPG and although there are certain things that would definitely come across stronger visually with a gaming storyline like this, it was still a lot of fun! I’d say the book definitely falls into the Science Fantasy category and reminded me of some of the family adventure films I watched growing up – Jumanji for sure – but what I loved about this in particular was that it was all from the perspective of a parent.
The single person narrative limits us to Meghan’s experiences but she was such an interesting character to follow. I found myself cheering on her resilience whether she was parenting, fighting Leafenrats or encouraging her neighbours to work together. The scenes with her kids were equally distressing and heart-warming with a welcome sprinkling of humour. It was entertaining to see how they all repurposed household objects for the crazy apocalyptic circumstances.
The various abilities that people were able to acquire were also really interesting especially the decision making process around them. I honestly wouldn’t have considered how helpful an ice power would be with something as mundane as keeping all your frozen food from melting before now.
With how fast we’re immersed into the action from the beginning there is a point when all the levelling up and waiting for new challenges to arrive drags the story out a little. However, the action-packed closing scenes ramp up the pace again and throw Meghan into a new kind of turmoil which sets up the next book perfectly.
**I read this book as a judge for the third annual Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), this review is solely my own and does not reflect the opinions of the whole team**
CW: violence, injury, murder, death, animal death, body horror, harm to child
--
An alien race has invaded earth and put everyone into a survival competition called the Maffiyir for their own reality tv type entertainment. Resources such as combustibles and electronics no longer work and monster-rodent hybrids start appearing on the street. With her husband away and no other options in sight Meghan Moretti mother of 3, decides she’ll play along so that she can protect her kids. That is until she finds out that everyone is expected to participate in the challenges and things are only going to get a whole lot more difficult and a whole lot more strange.
This was my first experience with LitRPG and although there are certain things that would definitely come across stronger visually with a gaming storyline like this, it was still a lot of fun! I’d say the book definitely falls into the Science Fantasy category and reminded me of some of the family adventure films I watched growing up – Jumanji for sure – but what I loved about this in particular was that it was all from the perspective of a parent.
The single person narrative limits us to Meghan’s experiences but she was such an interesting character to follow. I found myself cheering on her resilience whether she was parenting, fighting Leafenrats or encouraging her neighbours to work together. The scenes with her kids were equally distressing and heart-warming with a welcome sprinkling of humour. It was entertaining to see how they all repurposed household objects for the crazy apocalyptic circumstances.
The various abilities that people were able to acquire were also really interesting especially the decision making process around them. I honestly wouldn’t have considered how helpful an ice power would be with something as mundane as keeping all your frozen food from melting before now.
With how fast we’re immersed into the action from the beginning there is a point when all the levelling up and waiting for new challenges to arrive drags the story out a little. However, the action-packed closing scenes ramp up the pace again and throw Meghan into a new kind of turmoil which sets up the next book perfectly.
June 23, 2022
KU Review
Most of the apocalypse stories don’t take into account or focus on how bad things are going to be for the children. They gloss over the loss of life or ignore the painful topic. This is the second story I’ve recently read with the heroine balancing progressing in the crazy new world and trying to guide and protect her kids. Both scary and heartwarming as a parent. Great book.
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
Most of the apocalypse stories don’t take into account or focus on how bad things are going to be for the children. They gloss over the loss of life or ignore the painful topic. This is the second story I’ve recently read with the heroine balancing progressing in the crazy new world and trying to guide and protect her kids. Both scary and heartwarming as a parent. Great book.
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
October 4, 2022
Normally self-published books by small authors are interesting, but clearly amateur. Added to this being my first experience with LitRPG, I didn't expect much going into this book. However, it was really quite enjoyable! The main character has a clear voice and the story is engaging and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading more.
March 24, 2024
So I’ll be honest that I’ve never read or even heard of the LitRPG genre until the SPSFC this year. I had a weird experience with my first one in the quarterfinalist round and then … Well … I actually enjoyed Time to Play quite a bit.
The reason is that the book managed to introduce me to the genre in a way that made sense. The levels made sense. The abilities made sense. The confusion and turmoil and consideration for everything from game mechanics to real life concerns all kind of fit together and made sense.
Even more impressive to me is that the author managed to accomplish this without info dumps or getting bogged down with game mechanics. I liked Meghan and although I don’t much interact with kids, I think the interactions seem pretty realistic in the given scenarios. Could you keep a three year old from creating havoc with their abilities? Maybe if you’re talented 🤷♀️
So the book is fast paced and well plotted. She makes good use of setting and the issues that would come with the Alabama heat, lack of natural water, lack of game animals, etc. Everything fits together. I also liked the characters and banter and the kids are annoying, but not too annoying.
No one is overpowered or ridiculous either – they all have growing pains, flaws, injuries, accidents, and many other believable issues. In short I just found the book very well put together and readable.
Plus there’s an adorable and definitely not Pointy Turtle.
My only issue is that the book is definitely the start of a series (saga). It wraps up and isn’t a cliffhanger by any means but if you want to know the rest you definitely will have to read the following book(s). I guess I just wanted more closure but I’ll be reading on for sure.
I would recommend this one to anyone who wants to try a LitRPG. I don’t have much to compare it to but enjoyed it a lot for my first full experience in the genre 🤷♀️
The reason is that the book managed to introduce me to the genre in a way that made sense. The levels made sense. The abilities made sense. The confusion and turmoil and consideration for everything from game mechanics to real life concerns all kind of fit together and made sense.
Even more impressive to me is that the author managed to accomplish this without info dumps or getting bogged down with game mechanics. I liked Meghan and although I don’t much interact with kids, I think the interactions seem pretty realistic in the given scenarios. Could you keep a three year old from creating havoc with their abilities? Maybe if you’re talented 🤷♀️
So the book is fast paced and well plotted. She makes good use of setting and the issues that would come with the Alabama heat, lack of natural water, lack of game animals, etc. Everything fits together. I also liked the characters and banter and the kids are annoying, but not too annoying.
No one is overpowered or ridiculous either – they all have growing pains, flaws, injuries, accidents, and many other believable issues. In short I just found the book very well put together and readable.
Plus there’s an adorable and definitely not Pointy Turtle.
My only issue is that the book is definitely the start of a series (saga). It wraps up and isn’t a cliffhanger by any means but if you want to know the rest you definitely will have to read the following book(s). I guess I just wanted more closure but I’ll be reading on for sure.
I would recommend this one to anyone who wants to try a LitRPG. I don’t have much to compare it to but enjoyed it a lot for my first full experience in the genre 🤷♀️
September 14, 2023
I read this as part of a judging team for the third annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), where it was in our first round allotment.
This is my first time reading litRPG, so I can’t say how it stacks up to the rest of the subgenre, and which of the things I enjoyed or didn’t enjoy were unique to this book and which were just part and parcel with litRPG.
So the main character, her three kids, and the rest of Earth are thrown into a survival game with RPG elements (stats, special abilities, etc). My kids are around the same age as hers, and the element of “this character could absolutely be a real person” was strong.
My favorite parts were when the lead tried to get everyone in her neighborhood working together for survival, even when the game encouraged competition. I did think the book was sometimes a bit slow with all the grinding low-level enemies, but that may be genre standard. At any rate, I never felt the slowdown badly enough to want to stop—there was always a new twist to pick things back up.
The ending was intense, but it also pretty clearly leads into the sequel. On one hand, it makes me want to read the sequel. On the other hand, I do wish some of the character elements being foreshadowed happened in the book I actually read.
First impression: 15/20. Full review and official SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
This is my first time reading litRPG, so I can’t say how it stacks up to the rest of the subgenre, and which of the things I enjoyed or didn’t enjoy were unique to this book and which were just part and parcel with litRPG.
So the main character, her three kids, and the rest of Earth are thrown into a survival game with RPG elements (stats, special abilities, etc). My kids are around the same age as hers, and the element of “this character could absolutely be a real person” was strong.
My favorite parts were when the lead tried to get everyone in her neighborhood working together for survival, even when the game encouraged competition. I did think the book was sometimes a bit slow with all the grinding low-level enemies, but that may be genre standard. At any rate, I never felt the slowdown badly enough to want to stop—there was always a new twist to pick things back up.
The ending was intense, but it also pretty clearly leads into the sequel. On one hand, it makes me want to read the sequel. On the other hand, I do wish some of the character elements being foreshadowed happened in the book I actually read.
First impression: 15/20. Full review and official SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com
November 29, 2024
Fun premise and child characters that are not annoying, though the writing is a bit inconsistent. This really felt a bit stagnant after about the 1/2 way mark, but I'm going to give the next one a shot still to see if it delivers better on some of the promise it has.
August 24, 2025
This is exactly what I was hoping for. High stakes, emotions running high, but a nerdy mom is still getting through.
There are a few funny moments, but I think because there are so many kids involved in this story, it is hard to forget that they are there and still mentally just kids.
Interesting game set-up, I still have hope the husband will make it home! and might I say it is really cool to have this not be a single mom or have a lackluster husband. She misses him, recognizes they are an amazing team, and love him. She has to put this all aside though because her kids (Cassie 3 y/o, Gavin 6 y/o, Micah 9 y/o) need her.
Also, the powers being both a blessing and a curse is crazy. I'm like Micah -- I would want to be a wizard with lightning blasting from my hands -- but the way Meghan explains it all and how we see some of these powers manifest... wow, everything is dangerous. How fast IS lightning/electricity and how easy would it be to practice your abilities without accidentally hurting someone???
Yeah, this was great, just what I was looking for, and I have already borrowed the next book.
There are a few funny moments, but I think because there are so many kids involved in this story, it is hard to forget that they are there and still mentally just kids.
Interesting game set-up, I still have hope the husband will make it home! and might I say it is really cool to have this not be a single mom or have a lackluster husband. She misses him, recognizes they are an amazing team, and love him. She has to put this all aside though because her kids (Cassie 3 y/o, Gavin 6 y/o, Micah 9 y/o) need her.
Also, the powers being both a blessing and a curse is crazy. I'm like Micah -- I would want to be a wizard with lightning blasting from my hands -- but the way Meghan explains it all and how we see some of these powers manifest... wow, everything is dangerous. How fast IS lightning/electricity and how easy would it be to practice your abilities without accidentally hurting someone???
Yeah, this was great, just what I was looking for, and I have already borrowed the next book.
June 11, 2025
This book was SO much fun. I listened to it on audio and I can't recommend it enough! It was like a cross between Dungeon Crawler Carl (aliens making humans participate in a deadly game where they rack up points and gain levels) and The Walking Dead (set on normal Earth where monsters aren't the only threat: humans and starvation are also worrisome) - and its main character is a mom with three young children: 9, 6, and 3.
One thing I absolutely ADORED in this book was the realistic representation of the kids. Having two kids in those age ranges myself, I could see my kids in these ones. It was strange but also wonderful. And it made the book that much better! I also really appreciated that Meghan was a very realistic mom who wasn't all "gotta eat organic and keep my kids sheltered from the big bad tv". She felt like the moms I know, and myself to some extent. It was very nice to see!
This book spans a few weeks in this world and it's very fast-paced and exciting. We always have a new threat or a new issue arising. And I really appreciated that everything felt refreshing. Not that I have read many litrpgs.... but I still felt like I hadn't ever seen these particular things present in any fantasy / sci fi / manga before. And that made me excited.
I will definitely be reading more from this series!
One thing I absolutely ADORED in this book was the realistic representation of the kids. Having two kids in those age ranges myself, I could see my kids in these ones. It was strange but also wonderful. And it made the book that much better! I also really appreciated that Meghan was a very realistic mom who wasn't all "gotta eat organic and keep my kids sheltered from the big bad tv". She felt like the moms I know, and myself to some extent. It was very nice to see!
This book spans a few weeks in this world and it's very fast-paced and exciting. We always have a new threat or a new issue arising. And I really appreciated that everything felt refreshing. Not that I have read many litrpgs.... but I still felt like I hadn't ever seen these particular things present in any fantasy / sci fi / manga before. And that made me excited.
I will definitely be reading more from this series!
January 6, 2026
Last year, a friend asked after hearing about the reading I had done for my latest studies, "have you read anything fun recently?"
"Yes," I replied, "There was..." and it was then I realised that it had been some months since I had.
I decided then that given my rather dense literary-caloric intake, I needed some fast food. Not everything must be a systematic theology, a Loeb, or an historical/classic novel. LitRPG has played that role for me.
I loved this one. It was far more "realistic" than many others, in the sense that there was a decent balance between extra-terrestrial and deeply human challenges. People have to use what they have, rather than relying on fancy outworlder tech.
The score was brought down somewhat by the use of foul language which always felt out of place here. As a rule, the book was suitable for younger audiences, whilst aimed at an older one, this inclusion hinders that significantly. As such, while the story was good, it fell short of five stars.
"Yes," I replied, "There was..." and it was then I realised that it had been some months since I had.
I decided then that given my rather dense literary-caloric intake, I needed some fast food. Not everything must be a systematic theology, a Loeb, or an historical/classic novel. LitRPG has played that role for me.
I loved this one. It was far more "realistic" than many others, in the sense that there was a decent balance between extra-terrestrial and deeply human challenges. People have to use what they have, rather than relying on fancy outworlder tech.
The score was brought down somewhat by the use of foul language which always felt out of place here. As a rule, the book was suitable for younger audiences, whilst aimed at an older one, this inclusion hinders that significantly. As such, while the story was good, it fell short of five stars.
March 6, 2024
I wanted to read this book even before the semifinalists was announced: it's a LitRPG with a mom main character. How cool is that? I'm a fan of LitRPGs to start with, but usually their main characters are young adults or teenagers... not middle-aged moms more concerned with keeping their family safe instead of trying out flashy abilities.
And it did not disappoint! This book was a blast. I enjoyed it from the start all the way through to the end. It didn't feel too deep or philosophical—even when considering how the world has changed, what Meghan would or wouldn't do to keep her kids safe, and comparing the alien culture's reality television shows to our own—but it was just pure fun.
Now, I do have to give a few warnings here. While I think this could be a great entry point to someone who wants to see if they like the LitRPG style, it will help new LitRPG readers to at least know what that style entails. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the amount of game info provided, but I am also a gamer. I played D&D for many years when I was younger, and I still enjoy playing computer RPGs. So the terminology used makes sense to me without any additional explanations. Someone completely new to the game genre would perhaps need a little extra time to process that part of the book—but that is the case with any LitRPG book.
While I'm used to it and it didn't bother me, Time to Play did have the usual LitRPG issue of things sometimes getting repetitive. It's a genre-wide thing, from what I've seen. And it makes perfect sense! In this kind of video game you have to grind for levels, so it makes sense that in the books mimicking the games you also have to grind for levels. But it does mean that LitRPG books will often seem a bit same-y in places to people new to the genre. I was pleased that at least Time to Play did a better job of handling the level grind than some other LitRPG books do, perhaps because Meghan wasn't just grinding levels for herself, but also having to figure out how to help her kids get levels.
Additionally, this version of our world has turned into an apocalypse. (The series title should have given that away.) And that means people get hurt, and people die. It's a game, but it's not a game. This isn't nearly as bad as it *could* be (for example, the dogs that show up early on aren't shown getting hurt) but it is not all fun and games. The book's themes do take an occasional dark turn as a result, especially as we get near the end of the book.
As a fan of this sub-genre already, I really enjoyed this book. While it didn't make me think too hard, it was a very fun romp around suburbia, and the addition of the kids changed things up in ways that I should have predicted yet didn't expect. While this is book one in a series, the ending is at a very natural place to stop, and didn't feel like a cliffhanger to me at all. Sure, Meghan and her kids are still in the middle of an alien survival reality show. No, Earth has not been saved. But everyone is safe for now, and we can pause and take time to process what's happened. I think fans of the genre will likely enjoy this book a lot, and the non-traditional protagonist (aka not a teenage boy) may draw in new readers who don't connect to other LitRPG books. If this book sounds interesting at all, it's definitely worth giving Time to Play a shot!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I read this book as part of the judging process for the 3rd Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), and I was provided a review copy for judging purposes. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of my SPSFC3 team or the competition as a whole.
And it did not disappoint! This book was a blast. I enjoyed it from the start all the way through to the end. It didn't feel too deep or philosophical—even when considering how the world has changed, what Meghan would or wouldn't do to keep her kids safe, and comparing the alien culture's reality television shows to our own—but it was just pure fun.
Now, I do have to give a few warnings here. While I think this could be a great entry point to someone who wants to see if they like the LitRPG style, it will help new LitRPG readers to at least know what that style entails. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the amount of game info provided, but I am also a gamer. I played D&D for many years when I was younger, and I still enjoy playing computer RPGs. So the terminology used makes sense to me without any additional explanations. Someone completely new to the game genre would perhaps need a little extra time to process that part of the book—but that is the case with any LitRPG book.
While I'm used to it and it didn't bother me, Time to Play did have the usual LitRPG issue of things sometimes getting repetitive. It's a genre-wide thing, from what I've seen. And it makes perfect sense! In this kind of video game you have to grind for levels, so it makes sense that in the books mimicking the games you also have to grind for levels. But it does mean that LitRPG books will often seem a bit same-y in places to people new to the genre. I was pleased that at least Time to Play did a better job of handling the level grind than some other LitRPG books do, perhaps because Meghan wasn't just grinding levels for herself, but also having to figure out how to help her kids get levels.
Additionally, this version of our world has turned into an apocalypse. (The series title should have given that away.) And that means people get hurt, and people die. It's a game, but it's not a game. This isn't nearly as bad as it *could* be (for example, the dogs that show up early on aren't shown getting hurt) but it is not all fun and games. The book's themes do take an occasional dark turn as a result, especially as we get near the end of the book.
As a fan of this sub-genre already, I really enjoyed this book. While it didn't make me think too hard, it was a very fun romp around suburbia, and the addition of the kids changed things up in ways that I should have predicted yet didn't expect. While this is book one in a series, the ending is at a very natural place to stop, and didn't feel like a cliffhanger to me at all. Sure, Meghan and her kids are still in the middle of an alien survival reality show. No, Earth has not been saved. But everyone is safe for now, and we can pause and take time to process what's happened. I think fans of the genre will likely enjoy this book a lot, and the non-traditional protagonist (aka not a teenage boy) may draw in new readers who don't connect to other LitRPG books. If this book sounds interesting at all, it's definitely worth giving Time to Play a shot!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I read this book as part of the judging process for the 3rd Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), and I was provided a review copy for judging purposes. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of my SPSFC3 team or the competition as a whole.
September 22, 2022
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book to review for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC).
A suburban mom hero, a worldwide real life game, superpowers, aliens, and a talking stuffed turtle - definitely not your average apocalypse storyline. Erin Ampersand (AKA Erin Dury) has written the most unique apocalyptic science fiction book I have ever read.
To be honest, this book did not grab me in the first few pages as the premise seemed a bit far fetched. Earth has been “selected for the latest round of Maffiyir!” by an alien group referred to as “the Commonwealth”. Apparently they like to watch live action play as they have ruined all electronic wiring and neutralized most combustible materials. In other words, the world is back to the stone age with no; cars, electricity, computers, phones, television, stoves, water, guns, planes, et. al.
“The game will continue until the sentients of this planet have claimed at least 30% of the non-liquid surface area, or until only 5% of participants remain.” Fortunately you can earn special abilities during the “game”. In the blink of an eye Meghan and her three young children; Micah, Gavin, and Cassie, have had their quiet suburban lives transformed into a fight or die game for the amusement of alien viewers.
After my initial apprehension about the plot, Ampersand’s writing quickly turned the impossible scenario into a believable one. Her writing makes it all fit together and you become mesmerized at watching Mrs. Mom become a warrior. What makes this work is Ampersand’s attention to detail as she focuses on; how kids would react, problem solving, mob mentality, artificial intelligence, and more. Once you are hooked the action comes fast and furious and you cannot wait to turn to the next page.
By the time I reached the end I was ready for book two which, hopefully, she is working on as I write this review.
A suburban mom hero, a worldwide real life game, superpowers, aliens, and a talking stuffed turtle - definitely not your average apocalypse storyline. Erin Ampersand (AKA Erin Dury) has written the most unique apocalyptic science fiction book I have ever read.
To be honest, this book did not grab me in the first few pages as the premise seemed a bit far fetched. Earth has been “selected for the latest round of Maffiyir!” by an alien group referred to as “the Commonwealth”. Apparently they like to watch live action play as they have ruined all electronic wiring and neutralized most combustible materials. In other words, the world is back to the stone age with no; cars, electricity, computers, phones, television, stoves, water, guns, planes, et. al.
“The game will continue until the sentients of this planet have claimed at least 30% of the non-liquid surface area, or until only 5% of participants remain.” Fortunately you can earn special abilities during the “game”. In the blink of an eye Meghan and her three young children; Micah, Gavin, and Cassie, have had their quiet suburban lives transformed into a fight or die game for the amusement of alien viewers.
After my initial apprehension about the plot, Ampersand’s writing quickly turned the impossible scenario into a believable one. Her writing makes it all fit together and you become mesmerized at watching Mrs. Mom become a warrior. What makes this work is Ampersand’s attention to detail as she focuses on; how kids would react, problem solving, mob mentality, artificial intelligence, and more. Once you are hooked the action comes fast and furious and you cannot wait to turn to the next page.
By the time I reached the end I was ready for book two which, hopefully, she is working on as I write this review.
October 28, 2022
This book is fantastic especially for an authors first book and I really enjoyed it. It stands out from other books in the same genre in a few ways which I will try to cover in a way that hopefully doesn't spoil the book. First not only does it take place from the perspective of a parent trying to keep her children alive but they aren't relegated to the side like luggage or perfect little behaved plot points and she actively interacts when them and are the main focus of her world and story. Second while not slice of life the story does take place much slower than most in the same category which is nice, not everyone needs to conquer a territory, country, or planet in the first book or even be a leader. Third the main character isn't instantly adaptable and written like she was made for the environment, if she makes bad choices she regrets them, she isn't a murder hobo, she actively feels bad about things both in and out of her control and isn't emotionally suppressed. Finally and this will be the most important difference to some, while i love stats and character sheets and numbers this book doesn't focus heavily on that it has a very basic almost non-intrusive status/rpg system so you're actually getting something like 99% story advancement and not something like 60% story and 40% stat sheets or skill and item descriptions, I think all of the stat related elements probably take up less than 10 pages and still manage to not feel like an after thought or like they were added in after the book was finished.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and am extremely happy to see that there are currently 60 chapters of book 2 on Royal Road which I will be jumping into immediately.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and am extremely happy to see that there are currently 60 chapters of book 2 on Royal Road which I will be jumping into immediately.
June 14, 2022
Best I have read in a while!
Really liked this, so easy to get caught up in the MC and her dilemma of keeping her children safe. As soon as I finished the book, I went to Royal Road to read more…and now it is 4:15 am. Oops!
Really liked this, so easy to get caught up in the MC and her dilemma of keeping her children safe. As soon as I finished the book, I went to Royal Road to read more…and now it is 4:15 am. Oops!
July 8, 2022
Worth it
I like how the author did the kids and things. Good idea and well written. I would buy the next book when it comes out.
I like how the author did the kids and things. Good idea and well written. I would buy the next book when it comes out.
June 30, 2024
Dropped it at 30% in as there was not one shred of humor and the characters were not to my liking.
September 27, 2022
Time to Play is a classic progression fantasy, with a clever twist. When the Earth is taken hostage and converted into a giant survivor-style reality show for the entertainment of mysterious and horrible aliens, the hapless humans are given skill trees and a points-and-synergies system and basically left to their own devices. In the case of our hero Meghan, this also involves looking after her three kids and an Alabama neighbourhood full of people so selfish and stupid they make the kids look like the fucking Vulcan Science Academy (so, you know, still kind of shitty but at least not actively throwing poo at each other?).
SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT! - uh, I mean MAFFIYIR!
Had to be said.
The story had a slightly rocky start, the opening pages seeming a little clumsy and in need of an editorial polish that had me worried for a moment, but it quickly settled into its style and its premise was really excellent - interesting and fun. All in all, it was really enjoyable easy reading. I also appreciated the little neighbourhood map at the front of the book, letting the reader know going on that this was set to be an intimate and self-contained story in a fixed setting and with a controlled number of characters. And it delivered.
We're immersed in the action and menace of 'Maffiyir' right from the start. Human technology is techno-magically cancelled out and the game begins. Meghan has to secure food and water, arms and armour as the alien monsters begin appearing in steady difficulty-progression. As the Maffiyir timer ticks away, Meghan and her family and the rest of humanity are encouraged to fight critters for points, power-up for advantage, and - just maybe - fight their fellow humans for a place on the gross alien leaderboard.
The story immediately and favourably reminded me of a Stephen King disaster, like Cell or The Mist - maybe the people of Meghan's neighbourhood weren't quite so grimy and awful, but their selfishness and fear was all too recognisable. A healthy dose of outsider judgementality on the whole parenting thing puts a perfect glaze on a sequence of events that will appeal to people with and without kids. Ampersand has clearly thought about this shit, and has turned "write what you know" into a brilliant, entertaining little story about carrying three ornery-arse independent-minded kids through an alien apocalypse, often kicking and screaming. It's herding cats, only the cats are gradually granted superpowers as they level up. It's really very cool.
I enjoyed the glimpses into human nature, as well as the nature of parenthood and responsibility, that we were given throughout this story - all without becoming preachy or smug. While, yes, it is pretty stressful and gut-churning to read while our hero attempts to encourage people not to be selfish pieces of shit the whole entire time, it is also absolutely spot-on. And depressing. But ultimately heart-warming. But also tragic! I don't know where that leaves me, aside from damn impressed and a little bit giddy.
Gamers, a generation that are increasingly becoming the responsible parent-figures if not the elders of their families and communities, will get a kick out of this story (it's probably why progression fantasy is such a growing sub-genre). Each demographic and subspecies within gamer culture, and each generation and their values, is nicely represented and portrayed. The mechanics of Maffiyir are brutal and clever, the human savagery and survival instinct the game taps into are all too real, and the cooperation - the true mark of human supremacy, or so I fondly like to dream on my good days - it accidentally forces to flourish in our characters is genuinely uplifting to see.
The aliens themselves, as antagonists and precipitating force behind the entire plot, are kept shadowy - but their technology, from the monsters to the interface to the climactic "mid-game" level-up event, mingle familiarity and alienness really well. The 'Novelty' mechanic, and all its implications, really gave me chills as it took shape. While this story was self-contained and very clearly about an extreme close-up of a specific and horrible event, it hints at the existence of a wider cosmos that has massive potential. Plus, of course, it's not just this little community in Alabama that's being hit - it's the entire planet. Just to provide a mid-scale to the narrative too.
Sex-o-meter
Come on now, there are children present! Also there's an alien apocalypse going on, so keep it in your pants. Still, we do get one (1) sexy time, off page. Frankly there are other things to worry about here and no time for ugly-bumping (unless other helpful parents help out by running interference). Two-and-a-half Benjamins Sisko out of a possible Jim Kirk on the sex-o-meter, and that's mostly for the hysterically penile tail that immediately became my second-favourite character after Pointy.
Gore-o-meter
Like the sex-o-meter, we have nominal readings here. It's an alien apocalypse game using killer monsters as its main contestant interface, so there was definitely potential for it to be a lot worse. The inevitable violence was tastefully handled but still grimy and real, giving a true sense of danger while still preserving the "levelled-up tank wading through low-level critters and saying LOL" feel that is such a quintessential part of the grinding-gamer experience. There's also a bit of random small-animal hunting and prep. Two flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
Again, once you accept the concept of Maffiyir as a narrative device, our WTF levels here are truly minimal. The alien Culture (yeah I capitalised it, this is like the dark side of Banks up in here and we only see a tiny fraction of it) is mysterious and horrible, the teleport function is nicely weird (I was again reminded of some of Stephen King's more surreal alien tech and settings, like the Tommyknockers and Buick 8 alien aesthetic), but no real WTF. And that's good. The central premise is bugfuck crazy enough without adding in Dalí and Giger on acid. Time to Play is registering three kiloweirds on the WTF-o-meter, which for reference is enough to charge the Heart of Gold's tea maker ... like, twice.
My Final Verdict
Damn if this didn't start out kinda shaky, but got really good. I want to read more, and since Amazon is telling me there is no more (this only came out in June this year), I guess we're going to be waiting for a while. Some legit apocalypse prep thought exercise and research went into this, and Ampersand is clearly a mum to be reckoned with. Hats off. Heck, I'm going to go ahead and give this one five stars on the Amazon / Goodreads scale. Get busy on book 2!
SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT! - uh, I mean MAFFIYIR!
Had to be said.
The story had a slightly rocky start, the opening pages seeming a little clumsy and in need of an editorial polish that had me worried for a moment, but it quickly settled into its style and its premise was really excellent - interesting and fun. All in all, it was really enjoyable easy reading. I also appreciated the little neighbourhood map at the front of the book, letting the reader know going on that this was set to be an intimate and self-contained story in a fixed setting and with a controlled number of characters. And it delivered.
We're immersed in the action and menace of 'Maffiyir' right from the start. Human technology is techno-magically cancelled out and the game begins. Meghan has to secure food and water, arms and armour as the alien monsters begin appearing in steady difficulty-progression. As the Maffiyir timer ticks away, Meghan and her family and the rest of humanity are encouraged to fight critters for points, power-up for advantage, and - just maybe - fight their fellow humans for a place on the gross alien leaderboard.
The story immediately and favourably reminded me of a Stephen King disaster, like Cell or The Mist - maybe the people of Meghan's neighbourhood weren't quite so grimy and awful, but their selfishness and fear was all too recognisable. A healthy dose of outsider judgementality on the whole parenting thing puts a perfect glaze on a sequence of events that will appeal to people with and without kids. Ampersand has clearly thought about this shit, and has turned "write what you know" into a brilliant, entertaining little story about carrying three ornery-arse independent-minded kids through an alien apocalypse, often kicking and screaming. It's herding cats, only the cats are gradually granted superpowers as they level up. It's really very cool.
I enjoyed the glimpses into human nature, as well as the nature of parenthood and responsibility, that we were given throughout this story - all without becoming preachy or smug. While, yes, it is pretty stressful and gut-churning to read while our hero attempts to encourage people not to be selfish pieces of shit the whole entire time, it is also absolutely spot-on. And depressing. But ultimately heart-warming. But also tragic! I don't know where that leaves me, aside from damn impressed and a little bit giddy.
Gamers, a generation that are increasingly becoming the responsible parent-figures if not the elders of their families and communities, will get a kick out of this story (it's probably why progression fantasy is such a growing sub-genre). Each demographic and subspecies within gamer culture, and each generation and their values, is nicely represented and portrayed. The mechanics of Maffiyir are brutal and clever, the human savagery and survival instinct the game taps into are all too real, and the cooperation - the true mark of human supremacy, or so I fondly like to dream on my good days - it accidentally forces to flourish in our characters is genuinely uplifting to see.
The aliens themselves, as antagonists and precipitating force behind the entire plot, are kept shadowy - but their technology, from the monsters to the interface to the climactic "mid-game" level-up event, mingle familiarity and alienness really well. The 'Novelty' mechanic, and all its implications, really gave me chills as it took shape. While this story was self-contained and very clearly about an extreme close-up of a specific and horrible event, it hints at the existence of a wider cosmos that has massive potential. Plus, of course, it's not just this little community in Alabama that's being hit - it's the entire planet. Just to provide a mid-scale to the narrative too.
Sex-o-meter
Come on now, there are children present! Also there's an alien apocalypse going on, so keep it in your pants. Still, we do get one (1) sexy time, off page. Frankly there are other things to worry about here and no time for ugly-bumping (unless other helpful parents help out by running interference). Two-and-a-half Benjamins Sisko out of a possible Jim Kirk on the sex-o-meter, and that's mostly for the hysterically penile tail that immediately became my second-favourite character after Pointy.
Gore-o-meter
Like the sex-o-meter, we have nominal readings here. It's an alien apocalypse game using killer monsters as its main contestant interface, so there was definitely potential for it to be a lot worse. The inevitable violence was tastefully handled but still grimy and real, giving a true sense of danger while still preserving the "levelled-up tank wading through low-level critters and saying LOL" feel that is such a quintessential part of the grinding-gamer experience. There's also a bit of random small-animal hunting and prep. Two flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
Again, once you accept the concept of Maffiyir as a narrative device, our WTF levels here are truly minimal. The alien Culture (yeah I capitalised it, this is like the dark side of Banks up in here and we only see a tiny fraction of it) is mysterious and horrible, the teleport function is nicely weird (I was again reminded of some of Stephen King's more surreal alien tech and settings, like the Tommyknockers and Buick 8 alien aesthetic), but no real WTF. And that's good. The central premise is bugfuck crazy enough without adding in Dalí and Giger on acid. Time to Play is registering three kiloweirds on the WTF-o-meter, which for reference is enough to charge the Heart of Gold's tea maker ... like, twice.
My Final Verdict
Damn if this didn't start out kinda shaky, but got really good. I want to read more, and since Amazon is telling me there is no more (this only came out in June this year), I guess we're going to be waiting for a while. Some legit apocalypse prep thought exercise and research went into this, and Ampersand is clearly a mum to be reckoned with. Hats off. Heck, I'm going to go ahead and give this one five stars on the Amazon / Goodreads scale. Get busy on book 2!
February 27, 2024
Time to Play by Erin Ampersand was my first of four SPSFC-3 read from the current round. As always, please keep in mind that the below review and scoring are those of my own and do not reflect the official scoring from the SPSFC-3 competition.
Admittedly, I have not read many LitRPG's to this point. I have maybe a half dozen under my belt and with those there are some differences between them. I am coming to realize I prefer what some call the soft LitRPG's where the reader isn't seeing menu or system messages front and center within the story on the page. I think this just detracts from the story itself within my own brain.
With that being said, this was still a cute story that I'm sure most gamers could relate to. I know personally when I really get into a game, whether this is healthy or not, I've had my moments out in the real world super imposing aspects of the game onto things I see. I couldn't help but think of those moments when going through this read. There were even moments in the book where our characters clearly identify and gamers and are thinking of how they can adapt those gaming experiences to the world they've now been thrust into. That was a fun experience for me.
The pacing of Time to Play was fairly fast throughout. There are times when the excitement calms down a bit. However, even in those moments there is almost a constant suspense so things are still on edge. Other than the visuals of system messages to take me out of the immersion I was able to feel within the story fairly easily.
The world building was unique both in the makeup of this alien induced survival game as well as the general world our characters are trying to survive in. As time progresses our characters slowly expand outward from their house and immediate neighborhood finding more survivors as well as resources. Also as time goes on the level within the game increases or at a minimum changes so the characters or players are required to adapt in different ways.
The character development was nicely done as well. We see a lot of character arcs in Time to Play even beyond our loveable gamer mom Meghan. We see a lot of changes both in the children as well as the adults along the way in this book. Even if some of those changes aren't always for the better. It still make you stop and wonder how accurate it would still be in a real life apocalypse. I think we even seen shades of this just a few years ago.
I also want to mention as I did both visually read as well as listen to the narration by Laurie Catherine Winkel she does a really good job in helping the reader feel a part of this world. So much so that her performance for some of the younger characters drove me crazy! This isn't a bad thing towards her performance, on the contrary I think she did well in letting the reader know how annoying some kids can actually be.
I think fans of this genre would certainly enjoy this read. I still enjoyed it as a fun adventure even just as a one off from a sub-genre I don't frequent that often.
September 24, 2025
Another litrpg about aliens who wanna torment the humans on galactic tv and I am here for it. This progression fantasy centers around a mom of 3 who is trying to survive a world that has been turned upside down and she and her kids must survive. Honestly it’s a bit more slice of life than many I’ve read recently so that’s kinda a nice change of pace.
The only downside is that everything starts so quickly and you kinda got no reason to care about them but they are a sweet family and the kids are written like kids so that’s cool
The only downside is that everything starts so quickly and you kinda got no reason to care about them but they are a sweet family and the kids are written like kids so that’s cool
December 21, 2024
Fun and Different Take on the System Apocalypse Survival Sub-Genre
I always enjoy experiencing a new perspective on something. Especially with something I am already quite familiar with. Most of the stories in this sub genre of system apocalypse are fairly similar, so I truly enjoy the different take. Entertaining throughout, with a good place to end on.
I always enjoy experiencing a new perspective on something. Especially with something I am already quite familiar with. Most of the stories in this sub genre of system apocalypse are fairly similar, so I truly enjoy the different take. Entertaining throughout, with a good place to end on.
March 2, 2023
A refreshing change up from the standard Litrpg model
To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be an understatement. It was truely a joy to read!
Those wonderful little people that make our lives such a fearful joy. Day-in and day-out. I laughed all the way through.
Thank you.
To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be an understatement. It was truely a joy to read!
Those wonderful little people that make our lives such a fearful joy. Day-in and day-out. I laughed all the way through.
Thank you.
March 30, 2025
Excellent entry to this genre. I was engaged from the very beginning.
September 8, 2025
This was fine...
I'm not gonna lie, you can tell that this is so much like a certain dungeon crawler book that you can't not see it. That made it much harder for me to really get into it.
But overall, this was an easy read, wish there were less kids involved but that kind of goes against the whole parenting part of the title.
The writing was very much basic, this would fit in perfectly on AO3.
I'm not gonna lie, you can tell that this is so much like a certain dungeon crawler book that you can't not see it. That made it much harder for me to really get into it.
But overall, this was an easy read, wish there were less kids involved but that kind of goes against the whole parenting part of the title.
The writing was very much basic, this would fit in perfectly on AO3.
June 4, 2024
Every time I start one of these series I say I'm not going to get hooked. Then it's 4 in the morning and I have work but that's only a few hours away so why stop now? Not worth sleeping anyway, is it?
This was vintage Litrpg, of course, but with parenting! Seeing what the kids could do, having a badass mom running the show, the very idea that it's not just you or you and your pet was a nice twist. Very much enjoyed. Must read more!
This was vintage Litrpg, of course, but with parenting! Seeing what the kids could do, having a badass mom running the show, the very idea that it's not just you or you and your pet was a nice twist. Very much enjoyed. Must read more!
August 18, 2025
A pretty awesome and fun take on the overdone, apocalypse LitRpg genre. I'm all-in. 👍🏽👍🏽
October 14, 2025
It's refreshing to read a hero who's not your typical young guy thrust into leadership. She's a mom of 3 little kids, and she uses her mom skills not only to keep her kids safe throughout a system apocalypse where aliens pit humans against monsters, but also to rally humanity into defiance against their true enemies instead of fighting over loot and scraps.
Meghan's character shows a lot of strength without being muscle-strong. She has to keep emotions controlled and her wits sharp while secretly yearning for her husband and fearful for the safety of her family. She is thrust into trolley problem dilemmas and comes through them with sensible solutions, fueled by her emotional intelligence.
I just enjoyed this whole series, which is up to Book 4 so far. There's a lot of cleverness in terms of fights and challenges and aliens.
The downside, for me, is that these books are just a touch too cozy for my tastes. Alien monsters that can't even kill little kids (albeit kids with powers) seem kinda incompetent, no matter how threatening they are, no matter how many adults they kill off-screen. But plot armor is a common thing in a lot of litRPG, so I give it a pass.
After reading this series, I still don't want kids. But it's nice to get one version of a glimpse into motherhood. Holy smokes.
Meghan's character shows a lot of strength without being muscle-strong. She has to keep emotions controlled and her wits sharp while secretly yearning for her husband and fearful for the safety of her family. She is thrust into trolley problem dilemmas and comes through them with sensible solutions, fueled by her emotional intelligence.
I just enjoyed this whole series, which is up to Book 4 so far. There's a lot of cleverness in terms of fights and challenges and aliens.
The downside, for me, is that these books are just a touch too cozy for my tastes. Alien monsters that can't even kill little kids (albeit kids with powers) seem kinda incompetent, no matter how threatening they are, no matter how many adults they kill off-screen. But plot armor is a common thing in a lot of litRPG, so I give it a pass.
After reading this series, I still don't want kids. But it's nice to get one version of a glimpse into motherhood. Holy smokes.
June 27, 2023
First off, it is your regular system apocalypse with a twist. Writing about parenting and kids in a apocalypse is a pretty tough; and I will admit that this was well written. However, there are some parts of the story that made the whole experience of book one made it difficult to enjoy.
First of, the husband is on a business trip. The author took a big risk in implementing this common type of apocalypse story. We have seen it before, the MC either is waiting for their loved one or is off a journey to find them. It adds to the tension and goal to the story but I personally never liked this. Mostly because, it either kills off a character permanently (who will be talked about passively regularly) OR the character gets introduced by the end of book TWO. The author will dedicate a chapter for the husband and explain his experience/adventure for the readers. They introduce a character that the MC knows, which will make the experience a little hollow/cheap and will make the reader not enjoy said character later on. Either way, instead of creating a story that is about the family, the true MC (the mother) gets the limelight; which in turn makes me care less about kids, friends and husband. A little shortsighted, in my opinion.
Second, the kids with system magic...what a risky to choice for the author. Most system apocalypse gives kids time before they acquire the power; usually 13 or coming of age. The kids in this book, can't read or make impulsive choices. They are also critical to their parents in a crisis when their parent's don't play superhero. They don't really understand adult choices. What's more, the system basically gave kids loaded guns and each time they level up they are given more guns. Some of these kids are well..kids...so when they are offered powers that can kill people...it made me uncomfortable.
That being said, the author does an amazing job i create child characters that was somewhat realistic in their decision and mannerism. These kids really do sound like kids. More specifically, kids who are slowly entering stressful and difficult situations. This all adds tension to the story, but it make it really hard to enjoy. I wasn't expecting harsh painful moments of being a parent during the end of the world...I was expecting adventure. I goofy tale where the MC and her kids are OP is not what this is...it is a grounded tale of a single mother trying to keep her kids safe in an every evolving landscape.
First of, the husband is on a business trip. The author took a big risk in implementing this common type of apocalypse story. We have seen it before, the MC either is waiting for their loved one or is off a journey to find them. It adds to the tension and goal to the story but I personally never liked this. Mostly because, it either kills off a character permanently (who will be talked about passively regularly) OR the character gets introduced by the end of book TWO. The author will dedicate a chapter for the husband and explain his experience/adventure for the readers. They introduce a character that the MC knows, which will make the experience a little hollow/cheap and will make the reader not enjoy said character later on. Either way, instead of creating a story that is about the family, the true MC (the mother) gets the limelight; which in turn makes me care less about kids, friends and husband. A little shortsighted, in my opinion.
Second, the kids with system magic...what a risky to choice for the author. Most system apocalypse gives kids time before they acquire the power; usually 13 or coming of age. The kids in this book, can't read or make impulsive choices. They are also critical to their parents in a crisis when their parent's don't play superhero. They don't really understand adult choices. What's more, the system basically gave kids loaded guns and each time they level up they are given more guns. Some of these kids are well..kids...so when they are offered powers that can kill people...it made me uncomfortable.
That being said, the author does an amazing job i create child characters that was somewhat realistic in their decision and mannerism. These kids really do sound like kids. More specifically, kids who are slowly entering stressful and difficult situations. This all adds tension to the story, but it make it really hard to enjoy. I wasn't expecting harsh painful moments of being a parent during the end of the world...I was expecting adventure. I goofy tale where the MC and her kids are OP is not what this is...it is a grounded tale of a single mother trying to keep her kids safe in an every evolving landscape.
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