Magic Card Apocalypse

Information

Status

Hiatus

Year

2025

Author

Sun_Wukong

• Chapter 3: The Pieces In Place (I)
  Mar 9, 2025
• Chapter 2: Tess Celes Greymore Litvia
  Mar 9, 2025
• Chapter 1: O’Brien Hall
  Mar 9, 2025
• Prologue: Dual Rebirth
  Mar 9, 2025

Reviews

Community Reviews(5)

• Black BuddhaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  It's definitely a very interesting hidden gem. From the looks of it it's going to be low system esque type similar to low fantasy. I've always been interested in deck building lit RPGs, seeing it done like this is a breath of fresh air.
  Style: With two protagonists, I'm guessing Celes is the hero and O'Brien the anti-hero. It makes for an interesting dynamic. For now both stories are interesting but down the line, with at least one of the two storylines always exciting that makes it an interesting type of storytelling to look forward to.
  Grammar: No issues for grammar as far as I can see.
  Story: The parallel of the main characters in the apocalypse is just right. Using the third person POV also gives us adequate insight to the feelings and thoughts of others in the world but not too much to make them relevant side characters and too little to make them useless without a purpose. All the 'random' dialogue I've seen has shown the effects of the apocalypse and those experiencing it. Others give insight to tropes and modern life like our introduction with O'Brien.
  Characters:With both O'Brien and Celes and two sides of the same coin, one being not noteworthy pre regression and the other the opposite. I'm curious to see how this dynamic will continue, will they always be opposites? Will they switch attributes? How will they change once their desires are met and regrets are made up for?
  The slow buildup also gets me hyped for the cards and what they'll look or feel like, I can't wait! More chapters! More!
  Edit: I have definitely not been disappointed, keep em' coming!
• Eva_EverquillRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  The story opens with a gripping, epic battle that immediately sets the tone. The prologue is packed with vivid descriptions, almost too much at times, which can overshadow the action, but it also helps paint a rich, imaginative world. If you enjoy fantasy with a lot of visual detail, this might be a plus, though it can feel heavy early on.
  After the prologue, the pacing slows as the story shifts to California. It takes a few chapters to regain momentum, but once the focus returns to the world of Magic Cards, the plot becomes more engaging. The premise is strong and the magic system is thoughtfully crafted, living up to the promise in the title.
  I personally struggled to connect with the main characters. One completely severs all ties, and the other distances herself from a loving mother. While this adds emotional drama, it also created a bit of a disconnect for me as a reader.
  There were no major grammatical issues throughout. The writing is solid and the world-building is immersive with a lot of profanity.
  If you're interested in an immersive fantasy centered around Magic Cards, with chapters that shift between multiple points of view, this story is worth the read.
• Lord Turtle the firstRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  The review contains spoilers!
  Let me start with the only thing I didn’t really enjoy—the info dumps.
  Nearly every chapter includes large chunks of information, explaining future events or how the magic card system works. I understand that it’s necessary for readers to grasp the world and mechanics, but at times, it feels a bit much. Thankfully, most of it can be skimmed without missing the core of the story.
  Now, onto the characters.
  There are two main characters: O'Brien and Celes, and they couldn’t be more different.
  O'Brien is inhumanly cold and calculating. His only concerns are survival and becoming stronger. In the context of an apocalyptic war, his mindset is understandable—even if it’s brutal. To give you an idea of his character: he kidnaps four women and keeps them in a coma for three months just because he doesn’t want to waste energy convincing them that the apocalypse is real. That sums him up pretty well.
  Celes, on the other hand, values her humanity. She has strong morals and is far more empathetic. From the beginning, she wants to prepare for the coming apocalypse alongside her best friend. She still hides the truth like O'Brien, but her methods are far less extreme.
  The Story:
  This is actually the first time I’ve read a story like this—a mix of apocalypse, magic cards, and deck-building mechanics. And I have to say, it feels incredibly professional. The world is massive and full of potential, and you can tell the author put a lot of thought into the setting and systems. Maybe that’s why there are so many info dumps early on.
  Grammar:
  Flawless. I didn’t notice any errors, which made the reading smooth and enjoyable.
  Style:
  Simple and easy to understand. The author has a good sense of humor too. For example, there’s a character at the beginning whose nickname is King Chadicus Biggus Dickus The Almighty The First. That alone tells you the tone has a playful edge, even in a grim world.
  Overall:
  A very solid story. The character contrast, world-building,
• MarstheoddballRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  The Grammer is very well written. No revisions needed.
  The style, I think is great! Well-paced and flows ✨️.
  The story doesn't skimp on natural progression, but has the strong mc standard that's all too popular. To me, I enjoy strong mc's, especially when there is still natural progression.
  The characters, noticeably realistic in their mannerisms, especially when considering the Regression. The MCs vary wildly in personality, with their own motivations and hope for the regression.
  The only nitpick I have, is I think the beginning where they are talking about their friends nickname, needs to be changed. Besides that, the story reads well, especially the FL.
  Well Done!
• neetcrayonRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  This story blends grimdark fantasy with a unique card-based cultivation system. The premise is intriguing with two characters, Celes and O'Brien offering dual perspectives on survival and ambition.
  Style is excellent, verbose without dragging things too long and it fits this story like a glove as it manages to paint a very vivid picture of a brutal future. Worldbuilding is dispersed properly without feeling info-dumpy.
  The story established its high stakes in an upcoming harsh reality really well. The cultivation system is unique, going beyond the typical Litrpg stats and numbers for a more narrative approach. It feels fresh and leaves an opportunity to add depth later.
  Grammar is generally solid and very consistent throughout. Nothing stood out like a jagged rock to break the immersion.
  The characters are really well written, Celes embodies the burdened leader role, planning meticulously to save humanity while O'Brien is a captivating anti-hero with his jaded cynicism and decisive, pragmatic actions. Both have complex internal struggles and very different pasts to deal with.
  O'Brien was a personal favorite more than Celes. I also like that there were no pulled punches in terms of crafting a dark future where everyone is doing their absolute worst to each other. I liked the visuals the prologue put in my head, looks promising if that's where the story is eventually heading back to.
  All the things that immediately did break immersion were encountered in dialogue. The dialogue sometimes tonally blended into the rest of the prose and wasn't emulating a natural speech pattern.
  Overall this story is well crafted and it mixes these genres successfully with two very alluring characters in the apocalypse.