Rating: 9.5/10 Stars
Plot Synopsis
Anthony has been reborn!
Placed into the remarkable game-like world of Pangera.
But something seems a little off... What's with these skills? Bite? Dig?
Wait....
He's been reborn as a WHAT?!
Follow Anthony as he attempts to adjust to his new life as an ant in his new Dungeon home. He'll have to learn how to survive, level-up, and grow both himself and his bite-sized colony into a force to be reckoned with.
About this Series: Jump into a rebirth story that mixes LitRPG and GameLit Elements with Monster Evolution, Levels, Stats, Skills, Magic, Power Progression, Kingdom Building, Party Building, Army Building, evolution, a monster MC, gigantic enemies (compared to Ant at least), and plenty of humor fitting for such a ludicrous premise.
Review
LitRPG is a genre that has so many possibilities for variation and creativity. As a newer genre, the possibilities are endless. And that's where stories like the Chrysalis books come in. Starting with an unorthodox protagonist, with a mysterious setup of his backstory, it takes some turns I think are pretty unique in the genre, all in a fun package that great for all ages.
The world building really stood out to me, because the world of Pangera is a fully realized setting, with a vast underground series of mana rich levels and settings, The deeper the richer, which at times boils over onto the mana poor surface world, with destructive results as the denizens of the surface world have to contend with mana rich monsters erupting on the surface. Monsters that proceed to murder and destroy everything around them. And the only thing stopping them is the Deep Legion, soldiers dedicated to protecting the surface. It's they who fight the monsters in the very underground they spawn in, and as the story progresses, it seems everything is not what the surface dwellers have been led to believe, and that ambiguity will have world shattering consequences.
The characters are such a fun bunch, centering on the main character, Anthony. You don't see many stories start when a character is reborn into an egg, which he hatches from and barely escapes a monster with his new ant body, a body very different than the human body he had before. But if it's one thing Anthony is, it's resilient, and he finds his way out of some huge scraps with cunning and ingenuity. When he finds his lost ant family, Anthony is determined to save them, especially the queen, from the ravages of the other monsters in the deep realms. With his outside the box thinking, it's just possible the colony can survive and even thrive with the coming wave of monsters spawning and heading to the surface.
The secondary characters are a lot of fun as well. The various ants of the colony are very well written, especially the newer generation Anthony had a hand in helping to create through the crafting screens, allowing more tailored and focused ants, who think about the colony's defense in different ways other than just going Leroy Jenkins and rushing off to their death. It's funny watching them fight against that ingrained drive and think more tactically. They also take advantage of pets they can now have and level up, and it makes the battles even more interesting.
There are also a wide variety of human characters who have somehow attached themselves to the colony, led by a merchant in a local town and the local priest, who thinks the ants are a sign from on high that the humans are blessed. They are also aided by a human adventurer who is hard as nails, and the city guardsman crushing on her, even though she is so out of his league. That interaction between them is absolutely hilarious, and I'm curious if something might happen there.
The antagonist is a huge monster named Garrolosh, a giant Crocodilian monster who has spawned a bunch of smaller monsters, who are a huge threat to the colony and other surface dwellers. She also has a backstory as well, since it turns out she and Anthony have similar origins, although she has lived on the world for much longer, and the actions of the Legion are partially responsible for her coming to the surface. Her actions are monstrous, but there is a reason behind the madness, and it makes her a bit more relatable. She is definitely an excellent villain for the story.
The narration for the audiobook is performed by Jeff Hays and Annie Ellicott. They are both consummate professionals, bringing each character to brilliant life. They give each character their own individual voices, and you are never in doubt about which character is speaking, and they use a wide range of tones, cadences and accents to differentiate the characters. Jeff also narrates Dungeon Crawler Carl, and I will say his work on this is equally as good. There is a reason he remains one of the best in the business.
Final Thoughts
It's always fun to find such an engrossing new series, and Chrysalis pays off in so many ways. Its mix of fun, quirky characters, excellent world building and fast paced plotting is a true joy. Adding Jeff Hays and Annie Ellicott into the mix for the audiobook just added to the enjoyment. If you are looking for a family friendly LitRPG that is still enjoyable for even the most jaded adult, you have found the right story here. I can't wait to see where the author takes the story from here. I give this collection my highest recommendation.
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