Vasily Mahanenko's new LitRPG series set in the universe of his World of the Changed!
Modern times. Genius physicist Artyom Kuchaev found himself facing the darker side of the world we live in. Integrity is met with a laugh, the rat race instead full of people out to grab whatever they can. Where big money is on the line, no betrayal, even of loved ones, is a bridge too far. But Artyom couldn’t bring himself to conform. Instead, he decided to make a change in himself if not in the world around him. His work, surroundings, country...
However, the world wasn’t ready to let the genius go. It was benefiting too much from him. In one moment, everything was turned upside down: Artyom’s freedom was exchanged for prison, his noisy colleagues for morose cellmates, and his spacious labs for tiny offices in a restricted research institute. All that remained was his drive to make the world a better place. And that just left the tiny detail of how to actually make that happen.
My Opinion: 393 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
*Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review. I purchased a copy when it became available.
Though connected to the author’s other stories, this can very easily be read as a standalone story as it takes place in our modern world and it is meant to setup how all those other story universes started. On its own, it's a real life LitRPG story where a genius who plans to defect to the U.S. is kidnapped and finds himself part of a conclave of semi-immortal scientists that are forced to advance technology and research. It was interesting to read about the way people in power would take advantage of technology that included mind scanning, cloning, and artificial reality control systems.
Game mechanics come in the form of an interface that hands out quests and monetary rewards that can be traded for information, items, and other resources. It’s nothing too new if you’ve ever read any of the authors other stuff but this story sets up how it all starts.
Overall, while it can be read as a stand alone, I think readers of the author’s Alchemist and World of the Changed series will appreciate it the most.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Idea (Starting Point Book #1): LitRPG Series