Bliss is your standard spacefaring world, a society that is just advanced enough where robots and other intelligent machines are apart of their daily lives. Everyone is at peace, you could even grab a pizza from a nearby restaurant driven you there by a super smart car. Who might have a conversation with you on your journey. Otherwise all is well.
Until something went wrong and all these intelligent machines went on the rampage. They include creepies, jester robots, zombies and happy evil pets so no one is having a good time.
Except for Betty, she is a host from a TV show who came to Bliss to basically takeover the world (insert evil laugh here). Armed with her apocolyptic computer virus.
What Van Millvele have given us is a light hearted look at an apocalypse. Where the Evil Betty plans to make the planet Bliss her own laughable, which starts when she kills her partner Raymond. Who is kept alive for short period of time being loaded to one computer for a few hours before it burns out then being loaded to another and so on. Her partner the Evil King Valor even has his own plans. Meanwhile Betty’s own servants hate her so no one is entirely loyal.
Meanwhile 2 members of her former crew Allen and Delkcoda have enough evidence to put Betty away for life. But like everyone else they want to get off of Bliss.
The story goes in to a lot of backstory of each of the characters and we learn what makes their decisions. Which is rare in a lot of books, especially when for the most part all of the main characters are connected in often surprising ways.
Like the zombies in this tale, who really aren’t zombies. It’s more like someone with a plant based infection which slowly kills them as they hunt for sugar. Oh sure they do go for the standard brains, but they rather have the sugar.
So as you see nothing is like any other Apocalyptic tale you might have seen. Meanwhile Allen and Delkcoda fall in love as they fight off enemies.
Finally the other galactic governments take notice and send help. This is when Col Ghoul Flint enters the story, despite his name is a good guy who wants to help everyone escape the planet Bliss. But also put those behind this in prison for life if not longer.
As everyone starts to leave, evidence is gathered. I really have to give it to the author for including themselves in this tale which can include furries and dragons. Not in person but a quote or even forwarding evidence to the right party.
As plans are finally made for the evil doers arrest. We learn why the backstories were important. It seems Allen and Delkcoda can’t be together…at least not at first. Do to Delkcoda’s family. Who in my opinion could easily be a guest on The Jerry Springer Show. They are that messed up.
Until Col. Ghoul Flint enters the picture and routes out a little corruption at the prison planet – Pit Island is where Allen is now employed. Also making arrangements for Delkcoda can join their true love and get married.
Then it hits you, this is also a love story.
Still one of the most interesting stories I ever read, and you actually understand the motivation of these characters.
I know a lot of people say “I want to read, something different”. This story is and it has enough staying power to hold you through the entire story. I found whenever I got busy doing something, somewhere in the back of my mind. I wondered what happened to this character or that.
I found the ending very satisfying.
The book can be found here for FREE
https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1621317694
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-world-s-worst-apocalyptic-romance
UPDATE
Since this review was originally posted the author has revised the story
Furry Times 