Special Forces Soldier Alex Kellan has three problems. He’s on forced medical leave, he’s alone on Christmas, and two men are actively stalking his every step.
Welcome to one of the May 17th stops on the blog tour for The Nexus Games by Shami Stovall with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more reviews and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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About the Book
The Nexus Games
Nexus Games Book One
by Shami Stovall
Published 22 February 2022
Capital Station Books
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 598
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Special Forces Soldier Alex Kellan has three problems. He’s on forced medical leave, he’s alone on Christmas, and two men are actively stalking his every step.
Things get worse when Kellan wakes up in a twisted world where people have magical abilities and high-tech weaponry. It turns out, Kellan’s stalkers want him to participate in a deadly competition—whether or not Kellan agrees.
Forced to compete in the infamous Nexus Games, Kellan must risk everything to survive the competition and save the other members of his ragtag team. Their new motto quickly becomes: Situation Normal: All Fouled Up.
A litRPG thriller with high-tech magic, set in a game for the ultimate prize.
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Excerpt
Kellan unlocked his apartment with a quick click.
He stepped into his 700-square-foot abode and then hung his keys on the ring by the door. The sterile living room, complete with one couch, a lonely TV, and a cheap coffee table, had all the welcoming charm of a motel lobby. No pictures hung on the walls, no plants filled the corners. Everything was neat, but everything amounted to three plates and a fork stacked in the attached kitchen sink.
Mavis followed Kellan inside and took note of the surroundings. She walked, scanning every inch, until she stopped behind the dusty couch.
“Quaint,” she said.
“Thank you. I decorated it myself.”
Mavis pointed to the dark-green suede couch, the off-white coffee table, and then to the black flat-screen television. “I see you have an eye for cohesion.”
“What can I say? I don’t like to discriminate. All colors are equal.”
Again, Mavis snorted and laughed.
Kellan peeled off his wet sweatshirt and shoulder holster, tossing both onto the kitchen counter. Mavis followed suit and removed her own sweatshirt. She had changed her outfit after work. As a bartender she wore form-fitting jeans and a black T-shirt. As a civilian, she wore a pair of low-riding cargo pants and plain gray T-shirt.
Not much of a difference.
He understood why the tips would be higher in her bartending outfit, but he also understood the need to be comfortable. Women’s clothing baffled Kellan from time to time. He had seen torture techniques less sadistic than some fashionable high-heels, and he appreciated the fact Mavis wore a practical pair of black flat top shoes.
She gestured to the walls. “No pictures?”
“Nope.”
“None? Why not pictures of your family? Your mother and father?”
“I thought it would be depressing to have pictures of tombstones on the wall.” It was a dark joke, but Kellan couldn’t take it back now that he had said it. With a chuckle, he tried to play it off.
My Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads
I was granted complimentary access to The Nexus Games by Shami Stovall as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
I decided to host this book on my blog as a review stop rather than simply spotlighting because the cover art and description promised a very self-aware fantasy of the sort where the line between what is technology and what is magic gets blurred, and I’m happy to say that’s what I got! Kellan was a compelling POV character to read and I really enjoyed following him through this adventure. On top of that, I love this tech-heavy world! I wouldn’t say it’s the most unique setting ever, it definitely has classic cyberpunk vibes, but it works very well and I’m here for it.
The premise of the games is fascinating. It’s very much a battle royale sort of last man (team) standing sort of idea and fans of properties like The Hunger Games will love it, but there’s the twist that this isn’t simply a survival goal, it’s a get back to your home dimension goal.
The one complaint I have that knocks a star off the rating for me is that the official synopsis claims this is LitRPG. This is not LitRPG. There are definite gaming inspirations here outside of the big battle royale premise, but the characters themselves aren’t giving me classic DND-but-book “oh look, I levelled up my stealth stat” LitRPG. When I say there’s game influence vibes, what I mean is this book feels like someone playing a game chose all the correct actions in the correct order to get the cut scenes in the intended order in a way that paints a heroic story without too many unnecessary side quests taken. I’ve said that about books that weren’t trying to be LitRPG as well and I think in this one it works, but it doesn’t make it LitRPG, and that’s going to disappoint the more dedicated genre fans.
Overall this was a great first exposure to this author for me. I’m definitely interested in reading other books by this author and I would definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy and science fantasy.
About the Author
Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway Alert!
Shami Stovall will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| May 3 | Gina Rae Mitchell | May 10 | Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! |
| May 10 | Fabulous and Brunette | May 17 | Kit ‘N Kabookle |
| May 17 | Westveil Publishing | May 24 | Our Town Book Reviews |
| May 24 | The Avid Reader | May 24 | Gimme The Scoop Reviews |
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Thanks for hosting!
I enjoyed the excerpt and The Nexus Games sounds like an exciting read and I like the cover! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, Jenna, for sharing your great review! Have a terrific day!
The Nexus Games – Nexus Games Book One – by Shami Stovall sounds like a book that many readers would enjoy.
I love the cover and think this sounds like a very good book.
I love Shami Stovall’s Frith Chronicles so I’ve been super curious about this book! I’m glad you talked about the LitRPG aspect of it–it doesn’t sound like something that would ruin the experience for me, but I’m glad to know before heading into it just how that comes across in this book.
Thanks for the great excerpt. The book sounds very interesting. Great cover!
Thank you for sharing your review of The Nexus Games, this sounds like an awesome read and I am looking forward to it
I have to buy this for my grandson he will love it.