Alvin had another rough week, but this time, he had Gothy with him.
Travelling from Utah to Nevada, they were able to set up two more Settlements. Then they had to visit the world of Fey to rescue the kids of the Beatty, Nevada Settlement. Just when things looked like they were going well, the Developers got involved.
With the very rules of the game changing, Alvin found himself in a new position. Gothy pledged herself to him through the game system, leaving her collared and bound to obey his every whim. Coming to terms with their new relationship, Alvin wondered what would come next.
He wasn’t expecting a road trip north to loot an abandoned town, nor the Dragon that guarded it. What came as the biggest surprise was the chance encounter with a fantasy race whose gate had opened. What would come of this fateful meeting?
(This book contains adult situations, in all their horror and glory, including; sex, abuse, drug use, and murder. It also contains graphic sex scenes, which portray elements of BDSM. You’ve been warned.)
My Opinion: 395 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review, but purchased it when it became available.
Warning: Graphic sexual content. Including BDSM and bondage. It makes up less than 10% of the novel, but some of it is not skippable and is woven into the narrative as part of the MCs relationship.
Book 3 continues all the things you may love or not love about the Apocalypse Gate series. All the good RPG action, upgrading, leveling, monster and man fighting. However, the sex, intimacy, and relationship stuff also seems to be a more open part of the story now that Gothy is in a relationship with the MC. It makes sense since they’re in an adult relationship but it will be a turn off for some readers.
There's a new rune system in the novel that lets people upgrade weapons and items. It allows for some really interesting bonuses when the runes are stacked correctly. The settlement system changes due to some updates to the game world and it was a neat feature of the story to see all the exploits the MC could come up with and then the devs patch them.
Most of the story is still really good action-adventure, but out of all the books in the series, this one feels the least focused on a clear goal. Book 1 had the introduction of the system and the RPG apocalypse, the MC has quests to fulfill certain scenarios, and then it opens to the main sandbox story world. Book 2 focused on settlements. Developing them, expanding them, and finding new ones to start. But book 3 doesn't have any clear goals beyond ‘lets see the forest’ and ends up feeling more slice of life. Which isn't bad, but is a change in the storytelling. There are definitely some good stories here and is setup for some better ones in upcoming books. But still, very slice of life where you’re just following the MC and Gothy as they adventure this time.
Score: 7.4 out of 10
Gearing Up (Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut Book 3)