World of Combat: A Dystopia Gamelit Series

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

In her world, single combat decides everything.

It's her sixteenth birthday and Kiriai has a big decision to make. Will she fight for her dream to battle in the arena? Or buckle under her grandfather’s pressure to become a healer?

Her best friend Eigo is an outcast from his scrounger family. On a recent expedition into the wastelands, he found a peculiar birthday gift for Kiriai—an AI trainer from a centuries-old, martial arts game. Could it give her the advantage she needs? Will Kiriai win the fight that decides her future?

An impossible deadline, a persuasive mentor, and her own family all stand in Kiriai’s way. If she loses, she’ll be consigned to a mundane life, but more importantly, banned from the arena forever. Kiriai can't let that happen.

Combat Origin is the first book in the World of Combat, young adult, dystopia series. If you like strong heroines, gamelit/litrpg and a good brawl, keep reading.

Author note: I just discovered the Royal Road community and decided to jump in and participate.

I posted Combat Origin, Book 1 during Nov and Dec of 2019 (before moving it to Amazon), followed by the short story prequel that gave backstory on two of the main characters. (non-Gamelit - because the gaming AI hasn't been found yet)

Now, Book 5 has been finished and posted on Amazon, which allows me to leave a 10% sample here. The books are all free to read, If you have Kindle Unlimited.

Please comment, ask questions, offer suggestions or just say hi. I'm hoping to connect with readers and improve my storytelling.

-- Misty :)

https://www.amazon.com/author/mistyzaugg

https://mistyzaugg.com/

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2019
Author: M. Zaugg

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 3.9/ 5.0
Followers: 84
Views: 30,084

Reviews

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Community Reviews(5)

IntrepidScriptShillRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've read enough of this book now to give a decent review. I feel like this book just keeps building. With every chapter the characters become more developed, the plot becomes more complex, and the author reveals more details of the dystopian world she has built. This is also true of the gamelit aspects of the book. So if it doesn't start out with everything you want in a book, just wait. Like I said, it builds.
At the current rate of release it will probably take another week or two to get to the end. I'm not sure I can wait that long for it. I see Ms. Zaugg has released the first three books of the series on Amazon, so I think I'll pop over there to finish. But I didn't want to leave here without posting my impressions. Nice job! I look forward to reading the rest.
MilandaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So, I am enjoying this story a lot and figured I'd explain why to those debating picking this up.
first and foremost if you're looking for a heavily explained world with multiple perspectives; this is not for you. The story sticks to the MC pretty firmly and the world grows as she learns of it, and currently it's in bits and pieces outside of blurbs at the top of the story. That said the world we see is absolutely fascinating to me and I like the slow reveal of the world as a whole.
The MC is very much the type I enjoy reading about, pursuing her dream no matter the cost. The 'game lit' system is pursued in an intriguing way and the few major side characters are fairly well fleshed out or at least teased that more is to come.
I wouldn't say this is an epic novel that will keep you reading at the cost of all else, but it's a well written action packed dystopia story. I for one enjoy it immensely.
StephToadRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
i totally loved the start of this book. top notch writing which flowed well with good timing, evocative and descriptive, great action. you can tell the writer has actual martial arts experience.
the world building is beautiful and a totally original idea. not something i’ve seen done before and i read in this genre a lot. the story pulled me in instantly and i couldn’t stop reading until i got to the end. it’s artfully crafted and the writing is beautiful.
there was some awesome character development and the characters seem to have legitimate, believable motivations for what they are doing. kiriai is relatable and her i want to know more right now. i’m really looking forward to reading the rest of this promising read.
bring it on. seriously itching to read the rest and i’m sure it will be just as entertaining as the start.
Andrew B. SalmonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Fights! Friends! Family!
If you enjoy martial arts, determined characters, and the satisfaction of progression, this is the story for you. I've reached the end of what's currently posted, which I assume is roughly the halfway point of the book, so it's time for a review. Spoilers ahead!
You've been warned. ;)
Kiriai has had a small taste of the sweet, addictive nectar of success. She's also faced crushing defeats, family feuds, and experienced the bitterness of dying dreams. As talented as Kiriai is, she's starting to learn that she can't just kick and punch her way through every trial life throws her way. How will she deal with her new reality in an apprenticeship she didn't want? And how will Yabban's training help her reach her goals now that she's failed her first big test?
Read along with me to find out!
I've rated this 4.5 stars because I'm weighing it against other YA stories. While it's not truly my cup of tea (I prefer darker, more sprawling works), I don't think it would be fair to rate the story lower based solely on my preferences. Combat Origin has a lot to offer to the right audience. I would have absolutely loved this story twenty years ago! If you're a young reader, or looking for an appropriate web serial for your kids and teens, look no further.
Pros:
entertaining world-building
good attention to detail -- the game/system is straightforward enough to grasp, but still intricate enough to retain a reader's interest
easy reading, generally smooth style
characters have clearly defined personalities, strengths, and weaknesses
it's super fun to watch Kiriai move up in the ranking system
Cons:
fairly formulaic; follows a familiar narrative pattern
characters are a bit shallow and not very likeable yet (to be fair, that will probably change as they grow and mature)
descriptions are a little lackluster at times; word choice feels a bit simplistic, although that may be a good fit for the market niche
too many filter words and summaries of character's thought
DrAltRoyal Road
★★ 2.0
Well... I like a lot about this story. The characters are martial and respectful, and a do feel a proto-post-apoc style mixing with that. The plot timeline doesn't fit into the actual timing of events. The main character has a deadline of a month, but the author writes the deadline as about a week instead and that didn't make sense. I stopped reading the story because the timeline and choices being made assumed a month had passed when it hadn't. Major editing needed.