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First Wave

A System Apocalypse LitRPG (Endgame Earth, Book 1)

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First Wave

By: Marko Duskborn
Narrated by: Cindy Palmer
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The world doesn’t end with fire.

It ends with a notification you can feel in your bones.

Alec West was just trying to keep a remote communications relay alive when reality stutters—then rewrites itself. The sky fractures into a vast geometric lattice. The ground splits with impossible blue-white seams. And a force racing across the mountains—the First Wave—turns ordinary rules into a new kind of math.

Suddenly, Alec isn’t just surviving the collapse.

He’s being ranked.

A system he can’t see is measuring everything: pain tolerance, instinct, aggression, efficiency. Power condenses into his palm like code made physical. A fire axe becomes more than a tool. And every decision—fight, flee, hide, help—feeds the same cold scoreboard.

But the Wave isn’t done.

Something is waking beneath the relay station. Something ancient, engineered, and hungry. If Alec can’t learn the rules fast enough, he won’t just die out here.

He’ll become part of the System.

FIRST WAVE is a high-stakes LitRPG apocalypse packed with progression, survival combat, and a world where leveling up is the only way to stay human—when reality itself is trying to patch you out.

©2026 Marko Duskborn (P)2026 Marko Duskborn Dystopian Fantasy Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Survival
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Listener received this title free

I’m disappointed I was introduced into LitRPG so late. This is incredible. They are literally living in a video game setting. In order for him to stay human he has to level up. He gets thrown into this game setting after he tries to save a remote. Such a good and interesting book. Will definitely keep you entertained.

Fantasy

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Listener received this title free

First Wave hits the ground running and rarely gives you a chance to catch your breath, making for a genuinely gripping System Apocalypse audio experience. The story follows Alec West, an isolated communications worker who finds himself caught right in the epicenter when reality shatters and an unforgiving system takes over the planet. Duskborn does a fantastic job blending gritty survival elements with crisp LitRPG progression mechanics. Instead of feeling like a generic stat grind, every upgrade and point allocated feels earned through high stakes combat and quick thinking. The pacing keeps the tension high, particularly as Alec navigates the environmental collapse while trying to figure out the hidden rules of a world that is actively trying to erase him.

The audiobook performance really elevates the material, turning an already tense storyline into an immersive listen. The narrator delivers distinct, grounded voices for the characters, landing the emotional weight of a collapsing civilization just as well as the adrenaline fueled fight scenes. Chapter 15, "The Vigil," serves as a standout highlight of the audio performance; the narrator masterfully scales back the intensity to deliver a quiet, tension thick atmosphere that lets the psychological weight of the apocalyptic shift sink in. The delivery of the System notifications and interface readouts strikes the perfect balance informative without breaking the momentum of the narrative flow. While a few of the early progression tropes feel familiar to fans of the genre, the overall execution, setting, and mysterious looming threats keep it thoroughly engaging.

Gritty and Intense

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Listener received this title free

If you enjoy survival stories with video game mechanics.
​It starts with Alec, a guy working at a remote station, who gets thrown into chaos when an alien System suddenly takes over Earth. You get to watch him level up, turn basic tools into weapons, and try to survive in a world where everything you do is tracked like a game.
​The story moves really fast, and the fight scenes are super tense. It does get pretty dark and intense, so don't expect many funny or lighthearted moments. Also, if you've read a lot of LitRPG books before, a few of the twists might feel a little familiar.
​Overall, I really enjoyed the high stakes action, and I think it's a great pick if you want an exciting, fast paced sci-fi read.

Survival Game on

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Listener received this title free

FIRST WAVE pulled me in right away. I really liked how the story mixes survival, mystery, and LitRPG elements without slowing down. Alec’s struggle to understand this strange new System while simply trying to stay alive kept me interested, and the idea of reality itself changing its rules adds a creepy twist. The pacing feels intense, and there’s enough mystery surrounding the First Wave to make me want to know what happens next. A solid choice for anyone who enjoys fast paced progression and apocalypse stories with a unique concept.

A Gripping Start to the Apocalypse

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Listener received this title free

If you like RPG or gaming in general, and you like audiobooks-- this book is for you.
Marko Duskborn has woven an intricate end of world scenerio in the form of a game. Learn the rules, play the game, or die trying.
Its an exciting adventure for the full 21 hours!
Lots of driving or chores can get done with just this one audiobook

Lit RPG

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