One in the Gut

A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (Headshot, Book 1)

By: Matthew Siege

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

Every week, I rise from the dead....

Headshot has just gone live and the whole world's playing the new Artificial Reality blockbuster. Unfortunately, unless you can buy your way onto the Survivor's side, you can only participate as a Zombie. Each week, the forces gather to tear each other down to the bone...until, at week's end, the Apocalypse is reset.

Ryan's played the Beta for months, but now that his favorite game has launched, he finds it consuming his life - even as he struggles to decipher whether or not there's actually a way to succeed if you're not willing to Pay to Win.

But he's got bigger problems to deal with. There's something sinister going on beneath the surface of Headshot, and it looks like he's wrapped up in it whether he likes it or not.

Don't miss the first book in a thrilling post-apocalyptic LitRPG series featuring hordes of undead. It's perfect for fans of Daniel Schinhofen, Tao Wong, and Chris Carney.

©2018, 2020 Aethon Books (P)2020 Aethon Audio

was hesitant that the premise could hold my attent

I was pleasantly surprised when I couldn't stop listening. Now I just want to see which direction book 2 goes. I have my suspicions but I will have to wait and see in April.

Unique take on LitRPG, more like a LitFPS

This was a unique take on the LitRPG genre with it not really being an RPG at all, but more of a LitFPS. I really enjoyed the VR world that the author built, with the F2P players being zombies, and the pay to win players being survivors. The story was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, with me wanting to listen non-stop. The narrator does a great job with this book. I always look forward to anything narrated by Vikas Adam. Overall, this was an excellent listen and I’m really looking forward to book two.

I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Decent overall but not for everyone

I enjoyed it for the most part and the concept is fairly novel without falling into all the same ruts of game books set around virtual reality.

The biggest issue for most readers is the main character as he's kind of an ass, an anti-social gamer, and will constantly regard anyone richer than him with disdain and see his game character as his real self.

As a gamer I can understand a certain dislike for people who 'pay-to-win' but when the person pay $20K for a leg up in an otherwise FREE game then it's more like pity, or apathy because it's just rich folk wasting their money because they can, but acting like its some major form of injustice is just annoying.

But otherwise a decent one time listen for anyone interested in game books without the usual life or death conflict.

Quite Enjoyable

I was a bit surprised at first. I started this not having read anything about the book. A zombie game, where the survivors and the zombies are both played by players. Very intriguing thought. Then not only that, but the point of view of the story is from a zombie player point of view. Amazing. I had just finished reading Ready Player One (again), and Ready Player Two, then to jump into this, I was stoked. I found the reading very enjoyable. I was hooked from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book for anyone into game based or computer based immersive storylines.

Fun Zombie Apocalypse LitRPG with a Twist

I received a free review copy.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it had a cool premise. The main character is playing a zombie apocalypse VR MMORPG. However, he is playing as a zombie. Rich players can pay to be human, with many advantages, but poor players, like the MC, are stuck as free-to-play zombies. In the beginning, his goal is survival. However, he then comes into possession of an artifact that changes everything.

The book has some good action, intense battles, humor, cool special abilities, and out-of-the-box strategies. It was a fun book. I recommend it. The narration was good.