Press Start

Level Up!, Book 1

By: Simon Archer

Narrated by: Gary Furlong

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

In a world full of superheroes, be a power gamer.

Everyone has a superpower, even Sam. The thing is, Sam has a power unlike anyone else. He can level up.

That might not seem like much, but when everything from doing dishes to thwarting robberies gains you experience, Sam has finally found a way to become the most powerful hero the world has ever seen.

And it’s a good thing, too, because the world’s most powerful villain has come back from beyond the grave, and if death didn't stop him, what can anyone else do to stop him?

And Sam? Well, he doesn’t stand a chance right now, either, but if he can level up just a bit more...anything is possible.

Warning: This book contains awesome superpowers, sexy women, sex scenes, explosions, crazy power leveling, and the ability to become the strongest person the universe has ever seen. That’s right, we said universe.

©2020 Simon Archer (P)2020 Simon Archer

My hero academia + Sex

Seriously, this story needs a mature rating. It's an interesting story and a cool concept, but there are way to many cringey sex scenes. Did no one proof read the story and warn the author of this terrible choice? just don't listen to this one out loud around family.

Inconsistencies and broken system are hard to like

Clearly this book was not intended to be high art, but even as a simple adventure novel there were too many places where the author lost the thread of the story -- important plot points were sometimes irrelevant a few pages later. In addition, the MC's ability to use their "system" to see aspects of the other characters capabilities was wildly inconsistent. Why would someone with just 25% in their love meter suddenly decide to have sex with the MC in a public place? For that matter, why did the MC build a "bot" to track their stats, when the system could display them at a moments notice?

The other characters in the story were shallow to the point of being templates. The narration was ok, but the female voices were uninspiring. Overall, the book was a potentially interesting story, let down by lack of effort.

Not a bad story but not that good.

If you have read Solo Leveling, and My Hero Academia you will know a good deal of this story. It’s not bad, it’s just not great. It’s good and keeps you entertained but the main character does a lot of things that doesn’t make a lot of sense. What makes the “Gamer Ability” so powerful in other stories are the magic, skills, and abilities that the mc can get. This MC doesn’t go that route instead he goes down the route of tech in fact I don’t think that the MC even has magic that they could use if I’m not mistaken. The sex scenes kinda ruin the story a bit. In a weird way it makes me feel like I’m reading a fanfic instead of a published story. I think the story is good. Just not great.

Mind numbing pointless erotica

The story in and of its self is interesting. however this book feels like 2 different people wrote it.The first writer who actually writes the actual storyline, it's decently written and a joy to listen to. then the second writer just comes in and throws these late night hbo max soft core porn scenes in. like I get it the characters has love meters and all that but the amount detail and "love" scenes because exhausting real fast. it's abruptly stops the plot for no reason, I honestly skip through. I want to continue the serious but idk, I'd like to be able to listen to my books in my car in traffic or at my desk at work with out feeling like a creep lol do better.

sex scenes were boring but rest of book is good

first the elephant cock in the room. The first couple sex scenes were fine and fairly spaced out, they weren't super hot or ingenious kinda like a teenagers idea of "hot sex". but about 2/3 through the book every other scene is a sex scene and they don't really get much more interesting. so now instead of being sexy rewards after or before plot critical moments the plot moments get squeezed into slivers between the sex scenes.

which is really too bad because the world building is neat, and the powers are cool, and the actual plot and threats when they appear are interesting. i give it 4* because the first half was really good if i were rating the second half it would probably be 2*.

I will check out the second book but I suspect I'll be hugely disappointed.

Connections verses logic!

A good story has both connections and logic this story seems to just ignore the logic. My biggest pet peeve is that the whole group of heroes come to this 22-year-old boy but no absolute reason. Then tell him that he can't be part of what they pulled him into. I don't get those stories where you have grown up heroes but they have to go depend on some young buck to go take care of the big problem. Why have the old superheroes in the story at all.

it's kind of like audible is letting anybody just publish a clump of words with no editor checks.

Good book - looking forward to the next one

Overall this was a good book. It has a dynamic storyline with relatable support characters and MC. The overall narration was solid. If I had to be picky about anything it is the dynamics of individual character voice. Despite that the editor/editors did a great job at tying the sound segments together to feed a story with natural breaks. I look forward to the day and time when Simon Archer releases the following books in this series to audible. I own some 550 literpg/fantasy audiobooks several of which are written by Simon Archer and this book by story alone puts it in my top fifty favorites. Thank you for a good listen.

definitely something I listen to

this book as soon as I got to start listening and had no reason to put it. it's a fun adventure and a good story.

An OK super hero story

This story hits most of the tropes of super hero stories of the current generation. Its got a but of My Hero Academia vibe (even using the term "ASPECTS" to signify powers, similar to the term "QUIRKS" from the aforementioned anime/manga) though with the added explicit contents. This also shares the tropes to most harem stories. Main characters was a nobody, then gains unique abilities then gathers a harem of women, defeats a bad guy above his league then happy ever after. Though I am NOT calling the story bad, some of the minor details of the stories were good. Some of the back stories and characters were pretty colorful and unqiue in personality. Though how he managed to charm 2 of the 3 women made little sense, they just fell i love with him at first sight to a complete stranger? Very high school jock approach.
As for the narrator, he is top class. He can do multiple voices each with a personality to match and emotions to go with story.
Overall, the story is ok. Hopefully its characters and world building will make it more interesting to read.

Fun Book, interesting concept, Too Much Sex

I really liked the book. I don't mind the sex in the book, but the amount of the book that goes into his sexcapades is more than I want to hear.