Apocalypse Reaver [Bk.1 Stubbed Now on KU & Audible]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Book 1 [Formerly Gilgamesh] is now stubbed and available on Kindle Unlimited and Audible:HERE!

Torn from his life by gods capricious and cruel, he is thrust into their Divine games in a strange new world.

His name stolen, he resolves to call himself after the first and greatest of all heroes—Gilgamesh. However, corrupted by his new powers, he slowly walks the path of darkness and damnation as he kills for pleasure and power. The more he kills, the more willing he becomes to continue the slaughter as he brings the evils of his old world to the new.

For his dark destiny, long foretold, leads down a path of darkness and horror.

Such is the fate of the Watcher of Deep Places.

[An Epic LITRPG with an unrepentantly evil MC]

**Very slow-burn with genociding, godslaying payoff**

[Warning: An unpleasant and very flawed MC who slowly gets worse. He is NOT a hero.]

Do not expect;

*A main character who does not need to struggle for anything.*A meaningless leveling process.*No bags of holding, instant inventory, telepathic party chat, instant fast travel, and a helpful system (or a fairy guide that explains everything).*LitRPG elements that are so complicated that they distract from the story.*Artificial mercy.*On-the-nose political or social messaging.*Harems.*A main character who can do everything and is loved by everyone.

Expect;

*An introduction to a beautiful world steeped in the influence of the steppe, middle-eastern, and Asian cultures.*A hopefully subtle discourse on the nature of evil and the corrupting influence of power.*A realistic depiction of how a person would react to suddenly being transported to an alien world to fight at the behest of the gods.*A magic system with a very real and dangerous cost.

n.b The MC is slowly going cuckoo. He is a bit all over the place and is definitely one tomato short of a salad. This is what happens when magic and the divine mess with you [at least in my mind!] This is a feature, not a bug. Enjoy the story.

Cover by Ilya Nikarov:https://www.facebook.com/IlyaNikorov

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: tobascoasako

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 1,654
Views: 354,373

Chapters(139 total)

What readers say about Apocalypse Reaver [Bk.1 Stubbed Now on KU & Audible]

“Gilgamesh is off to a strong start in its opening chapters. While this style of LitRPG might not be for everyone, I enjoyed how much the protagonist has to suffer and endure just to get anything done. Simple things like finding a safe place to drink water a…”
Blue ElderRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Although the writer warns that the personality of the MC is bad .... The truth is that I love it. Instead of finding it unpleasant, I find it realistic, a character with human reactions, without falling into the classic click that when you want to create a…”
Dedios3Royal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

Blue ElderRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Gilgamesh is off to a strong start in its opening chapters. While this style of LitRPG might not be for everyone, I enjoyed how much the protagonist has to suffer and endure just to get anything done. Simple things like finding a safe place to drink water are no simple matters for our MC and his decent into madness is both thought provoking and realistic provided the circumstances.
Style: The style here is one of the strengths of this work. It is written in a first-person POV but the narration style lends itself to this being an "epic". An extensive vocabulary combined with a sometimes detached style of narration makes it feel like you're reading a grand story, one that feels a bit more "literary" than your standard LitRPG.
Story: Our protagonist is ripped (rather violently) from his normal life at the behest of a Goddess. Seems like something you'd see in a typical LitRPG, right? Well then he is nabbed by a cosmic force of ultimate decay and destruction and is forced to endure extreme pain. This pain, combined with how awful his new life has become, spurs the main character down a natural slope of villainy. The mystery of why he is here and what's going to happen to him will keep you reading through the first few chapters.
Grammar: Excellent!
Character: Our MC does not have a good time, and I think that's great. It's not that I'm a sadist, it's just refreshing to read a LitRPG where the protagonist must suffer and fight for each scrap of his existence. He is also kind of going insane (A little POV switch shows this excellently). You want to root for him, but the entire time you know something dark is bubbling beneath the surface and his future will not be a bright one.
Overall this is a wonderful story for those who want some real grit and struggle in their LitRPG. And the story of a man falling to the side of evil due to the corrupting nature of power is always a nice read. Deep but not confusing, Gilgamesh is a must read for anyone wanting to explore the dark sid
Dedios3Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Although the writer warns that the personality of the MC is bad .... The truth is that I love it. Instead of finding it unpleasant, I find it realistic, a character with human reactions, without falling into the classic click that when you want to create a rude character, they end up creating a copy of "Terminator" ... without feelings, or needs. This has a bad mood, lust, hunger, and struggle to survive even at the expense of others, while trying to remain the same ....
HellraizeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a very satisfying story, this character's progression is very nice. I can really appreciate an actual evil MC that doesn't constantly feel bad, and is so hell-bent on maintaining his past-world's total morality, even by force. So I really do appreciate this story, and I hope it continues for a long time to come (or have much longer chapters :))
crunchypastaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The great albeit dark story. Antihero lead who is selfish and out for himself. The main character is transported to another world which is fairly standard and placed by a goddess of good which is also quite standard, but the twist is that he's also blessed (cursed) by a god of evil. So he ends up with a paladin/antipaladin build.
Technical writing is good so full marks for execution.
Story starts slow. I don't really care much for the fighting the fish by the pond arc, but the story picks up when he gets to the prison camp.
kmuRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Only as few chapters in but I am enjoying the book it is totally different from other LitRpg not the stats but the way the main character reacts and feels, I believe that everyone would behave the same if we where put in that same situation!! Will keep reading because I enjoy this book!!
sinoutRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Gilgamesh combines high fantasy with LitRPG elements. The story is well-written, with an intriguing plot, strong character development, and unique RPG elements that add a very interesting twist. It's currently featured on the RS, and it's pretty easy to see why.
The book has some fun moments, like where the narrative suddenly changed to third-person perspective, but it's obvious this is going to be a pretty dark story. It's told in first-person, following a university student who is summoned to a magic world. After encountering a malevolent presence, he receives a curse that affects his stats but for some reason is referred to as a gift.
The book has a very promising beginning that makes you eagerly turn the pages to see what's going to happen next. The story lets us see the MC's thoughts and feelings because it's told from his point of view, which helps build a deeper connection with the character. Even from the start of the book, it's clear that he's going to develop into a complex and interesting character as the story progresses.
The RPG elements have a very interesting twist. Without revealing spoilers, it's safe to say that things aren't always as they seem at first glance. Although the system may seem familiar to fans of LitRPG books, the skills and spells in this story have unique "voices" or personalities, as it were. That's all I can say without giving away too much.
The grammar is pretty good, and there aren't any noticeable issues that could disrupt the reading experience. The MC is supposed to turn evil at some point, which may not appeal to everyone. Also, the story might feel a little slow, especially in the beginning. Nevertheless, with an intriguing start and interesting RPG elements with a twist, the book offers the promise of a captivating and engaging read.
ShirimeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style: Well-written. Blocks broken up by the System + short chapters make this a very fast read. Especially with chapters that border on cliffhangers, it's easy to see why this series has found the success it has; it's one of those stories you pick up and read for a few minutes only to realize you burned through a hundred chapters.
Story: Plot forward. The author has put a ton of time and effort into worldbuilding this story and it shows. This is very much one of those "life gives you lemons" kinda stories. Bad things happen and the MC has to adjust on the fly. It makes those wins feel all the more satisfying.
Grammar: Well written with good word choice. Nothing to add here.
Character: I read the first 12 chapters for a Review Swap. Honestly, if I'd stopped earlier I likely would've been a lot more critical here. A lot of things happen in the story, and those things are well-written and engaging to read, but I couldn't tell you the first thing about the MC other than the fact that they're resilient and adaptable. I decided to stop at the "Introspection" chapter hoping I'd get to see more of the MC and what makes them tick. Thankfully, I was correct. Without spoiling, it fleshes out the MC in a way that I'd been looking for. Considering the length of the story, I doubt this coming in Chapter 12 is fine in the grand scheme of things. For me, though, I'd hoped to get this kind of character-building within the first 3 chapters.
Conclusion: If you're looking for a well-written grimdark story, this is for you! This story is set in a brutal world with an MC that is made to thrive within it. Give it a shot!
WinterwispRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall, I'd say that anyone who enjoys LitRPG will enjoy starting down on this journey, even if you're not into the whole 'evil MC' deal. The MC isn't immediately evil, and as far as I've read, he's rather sympathetic. So, you can try it out and see whether you're intereste in how he is corrupted over time.
We meet the MC as they are going about their daily life, before being ripped out of their reality and placed in a fantasy world without any real idea about what's going on. The MC struggles to survive, gaining xp slowly, before a violent meeting with civilization throws him into a new can of worms.
Style: The story is built up nicely, with the MC slowly learning how hard it is to survive in a world away from modern necessities. The language is appropriate, and the prose is good, although descriptions feel a bit vague at times. There are snippets of worldbuilding at the start of each chapter that hints at a large world with a rich lore. I, however, couldn't really get into these snippets, as I felt they were disconnected from the story I was reading, and they broke my immersion in the narrative.
Story: The story makes it clear that it is a slow burn, and so I feel that it is adequately paced, with an introduction to the character, setting up the systems nicely, and with a following exploration of how everything works. If you want stuff to happen immediately, this is not a story for you. I much prefer this kind of storytelling, and thus I found it enjoyable to follow. I do feel that events could be foreshadowed a bit better, but that's about my biggest gripe here.
Character: The MC's character is set up in a proficient manner, but he feels bland a lot of the time. The introduction is very vague about who he is, what he's doing (he's a student, but of what?), we don't learn what he looks like, and very little information is given about his traits, outside of him being a gamer. His reactions to the problems he is faced with is believable, which is why I still rate t
belgorlanceRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
What an exhilarating ride! Just finished Book 1 of "Cheaper 27," and I'm buzzing with excitement. LitRPG stories always bring that sense of progress, and "Grieving Lands" executes it brilliantly.
For me, the real strength lies in the vivid world-building. The descriptions are so rich and colorful that I could easily picture every scene in my mind, immersing myself completely in this vibrant world.
While the plot might follow a familiar path for the genre, it works seamlessly here. It didn't necessarily stand out to me at first, but I found myself fully engaged nonetheless. I'm eager to see how it unfolds further down the line—there's potential for some intriguing developments.
As for the characters, they mostly fit the typical mold, though the main character stands out with a personality that grows more pronounced as the story progresses. I enjoyed what I saw of their development, yet I crave deeper interactions and further character growth. I have a feeling the author is setting the stage for some exciting developments ahead.
Not a single issue with grammar or spelling, which ensured a smooth and enjoyable read from start to finish.
In short, if you're looking for an exciting tale of survival, progress, and thriving in a captivating fantasy realm, look no further. "Grieving Lands" delivers an immersive experience that will leave you hungry for more adventures in this dynamic world. Highly recommended!
Kaelith VesperRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'm thoroughly enjoying the book thus far. Thank you for giving me a villainous lead I can truly root for. This book has everything I love—killing, morally grey decisions, magic, and a slightly deranged protagonist. The anti-hero POV makes the story gripping and tense. I adore his ruthless, cunning nature. My only wish is that he leaned more into full-on magic,
and while I hear romance exists, I hope for a darker, more wicked pairing. A romance where the couple will do evil deeds together like laughing and dancing while casually killing someone together.
Still, the grimdark action and intense fantasy keep me hooked.