Book Review: Radioactive Revolution by Richard Hummel

I’m back today with a new book review that is really out of my comfort zone. In fact, I didn’t realise how out of my comfort zone until I finished reading it. I’m curious to know what you think about this new genre introduced to me.

Blurb

Radioactive Revolution by Richard Hummel sends Jared Cartwright on a mission to change humankind’s faith. He has spent the last two years scavaging through a world torn apart from nuclear war, a nuclear war that saw the rich and powerful build new cities for themselves on the ocean and in the skies.

Jared’s life changes once again when he bonds with dragon Scarlett. Now Jared must become an apex predator if he hopes to survive. He must evolve beyond human limitations to confront those that left mankind to die.

Review

Let me begin by discussing LitRPG, the genre that Radioactive Revolution belongs to. I only discovered this genre after I finished the book and read some others’ review. In case   you haven’t heard of it either, LitRPG is (according to Wikipedia) “a literary genre combining the conventions of role playing games with science-fiction and fantasy novels. Games or game-like challenges form an essential part of the story and visible RPG statistics (for example strength, intelligence, damage) are a significant part of the reading experience.”

Now, did this make a difference for me while reading? I can’t say it did. Embarrassingly enough I just presumed it was another sci-fi / fantasy novel. However, now that I know more about this genre elements of the book make more sense. I now better understand why there was so much time spent building up characters and developing abilities. This sounds complex, and it was, but a few chapters in I got the gist of the different terms and the book became more enjoyable / understandable. Even without reference to what genre it was in.

Based on my reading without knowing what LitRPG was, I enjoyed Radioactive Revolution. It always fascinates how many different worlds are created by authors. However, it was the dragons that drew me to this book (I’m straight off the back of finishing Game of Thrones). I wasn’t disappointed. Scarlett was fierce and intelligent and everything a dragon should be. Saying that, she wasn’t stereotyped as the baddie. Her relationship with Jared was sweet and I really liked the plot of two species working together.

There are plenty of other creatures in Radioactive Revolution that cause havoc. These creature are more like pumped-up everyday animals (think rabbits and worms) who cause absolute destruction. It’s safe to say there is plenty of gore and action throughout this book.

Overall, I quite enjoyed Radioactive Revolution. It was something completely new to me and I love being introduced to a new genre.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.