Apocalypse Game

The Chessboard War, Book 1

By: Grayson Sinclair

Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski, Rebecca Woods

Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The Apocalypse Game has begun, and all of humanity is up for grabs. To the victor go the spoils.

My name is Killian Dunn. I'm eighteen, a high school senior, a gamer, and, oh yeah, the Harbinger of the Apocalypse. Not exactly what I had in mind as a career path. Reality took a nosedive when Armageddon came knocking. It brought with it classes, levels, and skills, as well as a horde of Lovecraftian abominations to use them on. I never wanted any of this, but the sick god who orchestrated this whole nightmare has my family. Their lives are forfeit if I refuse to play his game.

He left me no choice but to accept my role and play my part—not as just another piece on the chessboard, but as the king—the Demon Lord of the Black. But if I'm the villain, then there must also be a hero. On the side of White stands the Archangel, and they're as determined as I am to win.

The prize? A single wish. With it, I can protect my family, fix everything that's broken, and save the whole damn world.

I just have to destroy it first.

©2022 Grayson Sinclair (P)2022 Podium Audio

First Audiobook

This is the first audiobook I ever finished and I couldn't get enough. I really enjoyed the storyline.

AUDIBLY AMAZING!

I absolutely loved it! Great narrating and storyline! Grayson had become one of my favorites like Cebelius, Mike Truk, Randi (William D) Darren, Hondo etc.

Superb book

"Pawns do not speak when kings are conversing" - midnight king.


That quote really sent shivers down my spine when it was said, with daniels narration that quote was one of the best I've heard in books.
Grayson Sinclair writing abilities really came out really came out when writing this, there are some things I don't like but I think that me and grayson have the same perspective. All the things I didn't like were fixed more or less in the story.
So yes this story was superb and I can't wait for book 2.

The narration was perfect, I love daniel's voice and it's just so awesome. Rebecca woods narration was also good, she narrated the female voices perfectly.
Every voice was different and you could tell them apart, I think that this duo has to be one of the best when it comes to narrating. I truly can't wait for book 2 just so I can hear more of this perfect narration.

The characters in this story weren't bad at all, I have some qualms with some of the story but overall it isn't bad, I like the MC and I love how his opinions fit with mine, He's not annoying or anything like that and he's one of the most down to earth mcs I've read in a while. The side characters are also good, the author sets a nice tone for them and they have a lot of depth they also have their own personality. The mc also has depth and is really well written.
Character development is also good. You could tell that the MC changed throughout the story and his morals changed along with his personality. The side characters also changed and their personality changed, one such example is when they had to accept that they were going to work for the demon lord.
There is also some character plot between the characters. It's actually pretty well written and I liked it.

When it comes to skill progression this is your book.
There's a lot of skill progression and it's so good. Listening to him level up his skill as the demon lord and seeing his build and what he's going to become is a treat for me and everyone else who is also listening. The side characters also have a lot of skill progression and that is one of this books best qualities.

The plot is good but it's not the best part of this book. I know what the end goal is and what the Mc is striving for but the way the story plays out could be better. The plot lacked depth for lack of a better word, I liked a lot of things about this book but the plot just could've been better.
Grayson has some of the best foreshadowing I've read though, he can write the book like an anime and can give suspense when it's needed and can play out the scenes perfectly.
The world building is also superb, I loved the way the world was built, it gives the story and litrpg/real post apocalyptic feel. I think that this is one of the books best qualities.

The fighting is so good and is explained so well. This has to be the books best qualities by far, the fighting is detailed and there's so much of it. The ending fight was the best by far and the cliffhanger was also good. One of the reasons the book was so good is because of the mix of weapons, the mc uses his abilities and whatnot but he uses guns also.

I really liked this book and I can't wait for book 2.

Way cool book

Very cool premise and I really like the main characters. Well written and paced. The narration is top notch

Wonderful Addition to the Genre!

Truly fantastic writing on display here. Mr Sinclair, you should be proud! And excellent work on the part of the narrators. Rebecca especially is on fire in this book!

Sigh

I was really hoping for a new angle in the whole apocalypse bit but I guess it was decent enough.

Exceeded all expectations!

This book Exceeded all my expectations! Main character wasn't annoying, felt real, had real growth constantly throughout the whole book so did the side characters that accompanied the main character.

Action was intense constantly throughout the book, progression was great slowly seeing the MC make his build. there is some light romance and the banter amongst friends is super great.

Narration Daniel and Rebecca knock this out the park. Every scene they did you can feel the emotional ooze out the voices, and the scenes were intense. I can easily picture everything happening as I listen to it which is a testament of Grayson writing and the narration performance.

If your looking for a litrpg with a great story look no further!

meh

narration was done well. Slow burn on the story. The rpg part 0f the story was limited. No real class system. other then deamon lord and friends. I see time loops in the future.

Apocalyptic LitRPG, Can He Save the World!!

Killian Dunn is a fairly average teenager, one with a smart mouth that gets him into trouble more often than not. But as a rule, he is not a bad person. At the start of the story, we are introduced to him, his family, him in his normal life setting. Then his life takes a sudden and dramatic turn when the demonic entity ‘Callisto’ enters his life. He has taken every single person that Killian knows, put them into a kind of statis, and gives Killian a choice, they can die there, or, he can play Callisto’s game. The world it seems, has been turned into a war zone, good vs evil, and Callisto wants Killian to be his Demon Lord, the King of his evil forces.
Killian initially says no, but when Callisto offers him a wish (and eventually they haggle to 5 wishes), in which Killian can use one of them to return the world, and everything and everyone in it back to how it was before Callisto started this, Killian reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, Killian is a month behind, the Apocalypse has been going for weeks, and Killian finds himself alone, at Level 1, in a hostile environment. Overrun by Calisto’s beasts, ravaged by demon spawn, half the planet has fallen already.
We get to follow Killian’s story, as he meets up with several people, some from his school (Adeline makes for one of the best characters in the story, and is just brilliant), and there are multiple new characters that Killian runs into as he begins his journey to try and ‘End the World’ and win his wish from Callisto. Killian has to work out what to do in order to win, he has established that this is a game of Chess, he is the King for the Black side, and therefore there is a King for the white side (one that has a month head start on him). He has also worked out that he can turn people into powerful ‘chess’ pieces, changing their classes from the fairly mundane game classes, into the ‘Dark Side Chess’ pieces of his side.
There is a very strong LitRPG element to this story, with the various character classes, and the overall chess aspect of the game. It does not impede the story though, it is woven into it in a really clever way so that it only adds to the story telling, making it an intricate part of the story, and utterly captivating. As someone who has played chess most of their life, I actually found the concept of the chess pieces woven in as constructs to be really fascinating, and Sinclair used the concept really well. In the latter parts of the story, you really get to see some of the pieces come to life and it makes for an intriguing storyline.
The character work in the story is excellent, Killian, as this kid who has been lured into this deal with the loss of everything he holds dear (and who wouldn’t take that deal at his age?), and now trapped in the roll of villain. He plays the roll so well, as the anti-hero, the ‘Demon Lord’ the thing that every one wants to destroy, but at the end of the day, he is using his abilities for good, as he doesn’t want evil to win. It is a fascinating conundrum to watch. The people he attracts to him as his loyal followers are just outstanding – some of them are just extraordinary, and make the story truly brilliant. I don’t want to give any spoilers, as a couple of the characters really make this story something special.
You find yourself completely entranced by aspects of this story, wondering where it is going, and the connections, how it is all going to play out. There are a lot of really fascinating ‘System’ stories, but this one is one that has some truly intriguing world-building concepts.
The world-building of course, is just mind-blowing. The world itself has been torn-asunder, with demons of all types (and they are beautifully described), ripping people and places to pieces. Humanity is fighting to its very last. This is a brutal book, there is some seriously graphic scenes in this book.
I should add, that there are some very graphic scenes of sexual assault and torture – there is material in here that will act as a trigger for some readers. This is a book that is suitable for over 18 only.
It is a brutally realistic story. Sinclair has taken the apocalypse and looked at it for all of its horrors, not just the demonic ones, but those inevitable ones that are committed by humans when they are faced with situations in which they have the power over others, and can either help them, or take advantage of them. Those with good souls help, those with evil in their hearts take advantage. Unfortunately, as is the way with humanity, there is some of both, and Sinclair does not shy away from the truth of it in this book.
One of the really great parts of this story is the way that the characters deal with the brutality in this story, it is heart breaking at times watching the changes coming over Killian, but very powerful to.
This is a really great story, there are so many layers to it, it is actually really well done for the type of story it is, it isn’t just a ‘Kill-Em All’ type story, but one with a purpose, and some psychological aspects to it as well.
I am fascinated to see how it plays out, and can’t wait for the next book!!
If you like LitRPG with an Apocalyptic twist (and you don’t mind the brutality of full on war), then this is a really exceptional story.
Daniel Wisniewski is just extraordinary as a narrator, I am always in awe of the full spectrum of voices he can create, both male and female, (and different races!!). He has a voice that you can listen to for days, as he is so easy to listen to, with a very clear and concise voice that is so easy to understand. The great thing about Daniel to, is that he really conveys the emotional aspect of the characters, so that you totally understand what they are feeling at any given point in the story. He is one of the truly gifted Narrators that are on the market today.
Rebecca Woods has the voice of an Angel – you could listen to her for the rest of your life and not tire of her voice it is just so beautiful. She has a very clear and concise voice that is easy to understand, and has an amazing range of voices, (she does some of the best accents I have ever heard, and is still the best Aus/NZ I have ever heard outside of Aus – this from an Australian). Further to this, she has the ability to really capture the emotional state of her characters and to convey that to us so we can fully understand how they feel at any given time, angry, sad, happy, excited. She is easily one of the best Narrators on the market today.
Together, Daniel and Rebecca make one of the most exceptional teams that exist in the Narrator/Audible, market today. They work so well together, and produce these stunning stories that you just get lost in, and once you are done, you happily want to listen to it again. The Narration is so good, that this is absolutely a MUST listen as opposed to reading, you will get so much more out of the story!!

awesome story!!

really enjoyed the story. definitely checking out the continuation of it ! ! !