Translated stories I like enough to recommend. I review them so expect some spoilers (I try not to spoil major events.)
(Please read the novels on the original translator's site which can be found on novelupdates!)
As the apocalypse arrives, Song Ke, who grew up in the abandoned area, unexpectedly awakens her special ability. Within her field of vision, all objects can be transformed into handy spiritual tools with just a thought. She becomes the sharpest blade, now possessing the most flexible scabbard. Wherever she goes, zombies of all kinds cower in fear.
After wandering alone for several days, Song Ke encounters a troublesome man. The man has a broken leg, and speaks weakly as if on the verge of death, yet there's a smile at the corner of his mouth that is strangely beguiling.
"Little girl, I have nothing to offer you in return. How about offering myself to you?"
Suspiciously eyeing him for a couple of seconds, Song Ke slowly summons her spiritual tool.
"Speak up, how do you want to... die?"
One thing leads to another, and her adventurous path... takes a peculiar turn? She ends up gathering a series of strange teammates.
A year after the apocalypse, a bizarre rumor circulates among the major surviving bases:
It's said that the top-ranked awakener team "V587" on the scoreboard are all burly and sturdy, capable of frightening children with their bear-like physiques and iron-like strength.
Their name alone exudes power: V587, how commanding and domineering!
V587 punches the Zombie King, kicks mutant beasts, robs the Death Prison of Sin City, and KOs the tyrannical rulers of District C with one move!
No matter how difficult the mission, it's flawlessly cleared when it falls into their hands.
Their feats become the talk of the Alliance, earning admiration from countless ability users.
Until the grand opening of the inaugural global awakeners challenge, the enigmatic V587 members gather, making their first appearance.
The crowd's faces turn dumbfounded, "Wait, who are these elderly, young, sick, and two wheelchair-bound cripples? V587? Nooo!"
Overpowered Stutterer x Cunning Smiling Tiger
【Reading Guide】
This is not a space-oriented story. It's set in an alternative future with a significant technological gap (about 50 years ahead) and uses fictional terms with no direct prototypes.
Combines superpowers with cyberpunk elements, featuring a main storyline alongside team adventures.
Team recruitment is relatively slow at the beginning. The protagonist's team consists of 7 members, each with their own flaws.
Thoughts:
I'm back with an apocalyptic novel! I know this will sound repetitive, but I didn't fully read the description again before starting this. I was just in the mood for a zombie book and accidentally found a gem. Since I was not aware of the novel's premise and setting, the beginning threw me off a little bit. So thank you to my fellow readers for their comments in the site which helped me understand and adjust🫶
I actually finished this novel in one sitting (which more or less took 12 hours), making me sleep deprived before getting ready for a whole 8 hours of ojt (i'm a student nurse)
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Anyways, this novel is action packed and I loved every second of it, which surprised me myself considering I usually prefer the hoarding over the fighting (what can I say, I am a slice of life lover)
I loved FL's character development and how she went from naive and ignorant, to a strong warrior. While she's naive, I liked how she was not idiotic and her knowledge increased bit by bit throughout the novel. ML wasn't a block of ice, but an unexpected green tea. His personality makes him stand out from other male leads. Their interactions never felt stale or iffy, despite the rather large age gap.
I really really liked the team's dynamic. Everyone had their own characteristics, which made their antics more lovable and believable. Like, ML was not just written as someone every team member was afraid of. He was a member they had fun with, respected, and shared a connection with. Even the coldest member was not just "cold", but shared a few funny moments as well. I also appreciated how no one was forgotten or "useless" after their moment passes. Each member had their own role in the team.
Their team slogan never failed to make me laugh.
Excerpt from Chapter 69: "V587. Who's the coolest of them all? Silent but cool, I'm called Su Cha. Remember my name."
The romance in my opinion was done very well. It's a slow burn, but the pace is very realistic and fun to read. That aside, this focuses more on combatting the higher ups rather than surviving the zombie apocalypse. There are still zombie fights, but yeah , politics and humans are still shitty as ever.
What makes this stand out from other zombie novels is the pace and characterizations (yes, even the side characters). The author was great at writing characters I can get attached to in a few chapters, and was not afraid of killing them as well.
I loved how everything was coherent and well connected. Even from the very beginning, some details were already sprinkled or briefly mentioned which will make you say "OHHHH" when the twist happens. From my memory, every plot point was tackled and handled by the end, with no unresolved issue remaining.
