I just finished listening to Lair by Carl Stubblefield. Aside from Condition Evolution’s ending, this book has been one of the more surprising and unique LITRPGs I’ve read this year.
Reading the blurb, it comes off as an antihero superhero story, which it is, but other tropes and elements have surprised me to make it much more than that. To be honest, I have enjoyed superhero stories and antihero stories, but I don’t seek them. Some of the surprises here have helped me enjoy it more than if it were a traditional superhero style story.
First, it’s obviously LitRPG, so right away it’s unique from the other superhero stories I’ve read. In this one, the MC is a super, and after an injury, nanotech enhances his abilities and combines some sci-fi with a little Matrix style powering up. I guess that’s another surprise. The action and litrpg mechanics are very well done. As you can see from the screenshot, I’m still not done, and am enjoying the unfolding of the mystery of this world’s technology and the big bad lurking in the shadows of how it came to be. I may be wrong, but this feels like a payoff down the road, and I’m looking forward to it. (The ending did not disappoint in engaging me with action and intrigue to the next book, but I won’t spoil whether I guessed right.)
I’ve been most surprised by the Lost island meets Zombie survival trope that Carl uses to train his MC with his new powers. I’m an old zombie fan, but I also don’t seek those stories anymore—just a little tired of them at the moment, but this gives me just enough taste to enjoy it without Lair being a “zombie” novel.
The other surprise is how he uses music to enhance the visceral experience of the MC learning and exercising his new powers. I’m voting for an MC Hammer song at some point, but we’ll see. Ooah oh ooah oh, Can’t touch this.
Nice work Carl!
The audiobook narration by Travis Baldree was top notch, as expected. He’s a favorite among narrators. His snark fits the MC and AI well. He’s also great with action and pacing.