Book Review: Haley's Cozy System Armageddon, by M.C.A. Hogarth
A feel-good slice-of-life apocalypse.
Self-published, 2022, 76 pages
A Girl, a Grandma, and a Lot of Cookies
When the apocalypse hit, Haley was ready to embark on her life-long dream of becoming a wizard! But the system has other plans for her...
Enjoy a feel-good slice-of-life short... come away smiling!
This story is good for all ages and comes with a recipe so that when you get to the end of it, you can make the cookies and re-read it while eating the cookies the characters are eating. Because that's the kind of story it is.
What even is a "cozy apocalypse"? This short story/novelette (the first in a series) features aliens "resetting" Earth and telling everyone that starting tomorrow, they will be playing in a real-world game complete with skills, classes, and leveling up. Technology will cease, but magic will be real, and pro-social behavior will be rewarded.
I find it hard to get into LitRPGs, as amusing as the concept is. They should be right up my alley. But the idea of someone literally viewing their "character sheet" in front of them and gaining skills and XPs as they walk around doing things in the real world feels too much like breaking the fourth wall during a D&D game, or really bad RPG tie-in fiction.
But Haley's Cozy System Armageddon takes the concept and plays it straight and delivers what it promises: a light-hearted, feel-good TEOTWAWKI. Haley Landry is a college student who lives out in the woods with her grandma when the aliens announce the coming armageddon. There is very little description of the aliens or their intentions; they are just a magical plot device to make the LitRPG happen. Haley, a hobby calligrapher, spent her time preparing by ordering all the fancy inks and parchments and quills she could. Her plan: to become a wizard, obviously.
Once armageddon happens and the game begins, however, Haley is disappointed to discover that while she is able to make various minor magical enchantments from her scrolls, her XP gain is minimal and the system frustratingly refuses to give her a class. Meanwhile, she and her grandma start helping the neighbors, sharing baked goods, and rebuilding the community. Haley discovers this gets her many more XPs.
While there is mention of things going very badly in the cities, with monsters running amok and people dying, the worst that Haley and her grandmother have to face so far is some very fierce mutant rabbits and squirrels, and Haley's kill-stealing cat gets most of the XPs for those. The premise is clearly promising that no horrible grimdark fates are going to happen to anyone here, and the low-key religiosity of the characters reinforces the wholesome vibe.
Did I enjoy this story? It was fluffy and silly but fun. It did not quite make me a fan of LitRPGs, nor convince me I want to read the rest of the series. But I might try the recipe in the back of the book eventually.
My complete list of book reviews.
Self-published, 2022, 76 pages
A Girl, a Grandma, and a Lot of Cookies
When the apocalypse hit, Haley was ready to embark on her life-long dream of becoming a wizard! But the system has other plans for her...
Enjoy a feel-good slice-of-life short... come away smiling!
This story is good for all ages and comes with a recipe so that when you get to the end of it, you can make the cookies and re-read it while eating the cookies the characters are eating. Because that's the kind of story it is.
What even is a "cozy apocalypse"? This short story/novelette (the first in a series) features aliens "resetting" Earth and telling everyone that starting tomorrow, they will be playing in a real-world game complete with skills, classes, and leveling up. Technology will cease, but magic will be real, and pro-social behavior will be rewarded.
I find it hard to get into LitRPGs, as amusing as the concept is. They should be right up my alley. But the idea of someone literally viewing their "character sheet" in front of them and gaining skills and XPs as they walk around doing things in the real world feels too much like breaking the fourth wall during a D&D game, or really bad RPG tie-in fiction.
But Haley's Cozy System Armageddon takes the concept and plays it straight and delivers what it promises: a light-hearted, feel-good TEOTWAWKI. Haley Landry is a college student who lives out in the woods with her grandma when the aliens announce the coming armageddon. There is very little description of the aliens or their intentions; they are just a magical plot device to make the LitRPG happen. Haley, a hobby calligrapher, spent her time preparing by ordering all the fancy inks and parchments and quills she could. Her plan: to become a wizard, obviously.
Once armageddon happens and the game begins, however, Haley is disappointed to discover that while she is able to make various minor magical enchantments from her scrolls, her XP gain is minimal and the system frustratingly refuses to give her a class. Meanwhile, she and her grandma start helping the neighbors, sharing baked goods, and rebuilding the community. Haley discovers this gets her many more XPs.
While there is mention of things going very badly in the cities, with monsters running amok and people dying, the worst that Haley and her grandmother have to face so far is some very fierce mutant rabbits and squirrels, and Haley's kill-stealing cat gets most of the XPs for those. The premise is clearly promising that no horrible grimdark fates are going to happen to anyone here, and the low-key religiosity of the characters reinforces the wholesome vibe.
Did I enjoy this story? It was fluffy and silly but fun. It did not quite make me a fan of LitRPGs, nor convince me I want to read the rest of the series. But I might try the recipe in the back of the book eventually.
My complete list of book reviews.