One in the Gut

A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (Headshot, Book 1)

De: Matthew Siege

Narrado por: 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.

Good after a swimming pool.

At some point in the story, there is a swimming pool. The story gets much better after that. ......
.......... .... .... .... .....
Before that point, the story is about as fun as a heroin addiction. The main character incessantly complains about the game, how miserable he is, how much he's neglecting his health, and how much he needs to play the game. Heroin addiction, but as a game where you play a zombie. During many portions of the story, the main character is just staying in a place for hours, waiting. Talking about how miserable he is, how much he's risking his health, how little chance he has, how dull it all is, why he should stop and eat something or sleep or work. Then more waiting. More nothing as he spends paragraphs waxing philosophic about hopelessness, and then saying how wonderful the game is. Then more waiting, more complaining.

Occasionally, something new will happen, or the MC will actually do something instead of agonizing about it. The action scenes are fairly good. I stuck it out, wondering if the story would turn into some sort of commentary on addiction.

.. .. .. .. .. ... .. . .. .. ..

Then the swimming pool scene happens, and the main character finally stops the non-stop complaining. Fairly good after that.

Zombies nation is here.

This book was interesting. I enjoyed that the free players were Zombies and the pay ones were human. I also like that the game was played in real time. I did not care that people fake called in sick for work, but I know a number of people who would do that. I look forward to listening to the next book.

An edge-of-your-seat zombie litRPG.

I really didn't have any expectations about the book! I didn't have any familiarity with either the author nor the narrator. What I did know? The publisher, Aethon books, really does good work, both in choosing good stories, and in getting great narrators to read them... that, and the fact that I've read and enjoyed a handful of other litRPG's in the past kinda biased me towards this tale. However, zombies are Not my go to subject/genre ever, but that doesn't matter, it's litRPG, right? Damn Right!!!
I loved the book! Matthew Seige really knocked this one right outta' the park! And, as for Vikas Adam, well he's joined the ranks of first class narrators, that I'll wanna insta-buy!
I found this edge-of-your-seat book well crafted, with Ryan, the Zombie/protagonist' POV delivering a great, plot driven story.
So yeah, if you want more books like Ready Player One, or Nick Coles book Soda Pop Soldier, give this one a try!

exhuming a dead genre for me!

This book was an amazing listen. the pacing was perfect and it was exciting. I would say its been in the top 3 zombie books I have listened too ever! and over the years I have read/listened to tons. I love the point of view is from a normal dude and you come to care about his fate. the method is fun and not too serious.

I picked up the second book about 3/4 through this one and I am going right on to it.

if you are on the line about this one I say give it a try and I think you will be happy you did!

Intriguing

Good story and narration!

This one was more outside the box than most I've listened too. It's about a gamer who is addicted to a PVP zombie survival game. The premise is interesting, and the story is well executed. There is plenty of suspense, but I'm not sure how the story will develop in the next book. This will become either an epic series or will just turn into a meh one. This is me really hoping for the epic side of things.

As to this Audio book by itself, it is solid with some serious potential.