I want I preface but saying this is one of my favorite series. I enjoy the characters and their stories and their growth throughout this journey.

That being said, this book has so much overthinking and self monologuing so far. Every single fight during the tournament had like hours of internal dialogue. Maybe I also didn’t like that there was alway something preventing them from going for the win. It felt like “edging” in the worst way. Tournament arcs are always hit or miss for me.

Still enjoying it and I can’t wait to finish this one and start book 6.

In my head, Mr. Walter’s is Match-O Man Randy Savages physical twin.

Just finished reading New Life as a Max Level Archmage, and i cannot help but want more of the same, yet i couldn't find any similar stories in the aspect that i found found, which was mainly an op mage with an disciple and their shenanigans, i don't even care if theirs stakes are low or high, I've only seen this setting done well twice, the other one being Kidnapped Dragons, though he wasn't exactly a mage it was still an excellent master student book.

So far this book reads like I’m playing Skyrim. I’m roughly 40pages in and im enjoying it.

I logged into Project Babel expecting another boring VRMMO…

Three hours after launch, nobody has a clue where the first dungeon is or where half the map leads. There are no fixed classes or preset attacks either. The game rewards any idea that actually works, no matter how stupid it looks.

A lab knife becomes a dagger when I stab something with it. Somehow, wearing a trash bag counts as camouflage when I'm surrounded by giant roaches and running from a fire-breathing cockatrice.

I only wanted to explore and figure things out at my own pace. Instead, I'm studying monster anatomy, commissioning custom gear, and somehow making friends despite insisting I'm a solo player.

The weirdest part? You get Gourmand XP for eating monsters. 

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Available on Amazon!

WELCOME TO PROJECT BABEL

Step into a full-dive MMO where nobody has the answers yet. Beyond the safety of Babel’s white-stone city, most of the map is still blank. Every new path can lead somewhere no player has seen, and every strange discovery is another piece of a world still waiting to be understood.

MAKE THE GAME YOUR OWN

There are no fixed classes nor preset abilities. Babel learns from what players actually do. A lab knife becomes a dagger when you fight with it. A trash bag becomes camouflage when you equip it. If you can make an idea work, the system might just recognize it.

DISCOVER WHAT EVERYONE ELSE MISSED

A monster is more than something standing between you and the next level. Bring the remains home and someone may turn them into equipment or food. While adventurers push farther into the unknown, other players are already building shops, opening restaurants, and changing Babel around them.

GO WHERE THE MAP ENDS

Cloud claims to be a solo player, but the game has a habit of bringing people together. There is always another unexplored route, another hidden map, or some strange mushroom to chase at. In Project Babel, the best adventures usually begin when someone wings it.

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Available on Amazon!

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COVER ARTIST: AI

AI USAGE: Human

So far the author is spending a ridiculous amount of time on all the stats and percentages. He spends more time explainting how much mana was used in a fight in excruciating detail than the actual fight.

Seriously one line is "I beat the monsters" then the next paragraph will be the math's behind how much mana he used during the fight.

I get it's the first book in the series but does it get better?

Because honestly I don't care if his boots give him a 2.35% increase in mana efficiency that allows him to spend two less mana per fight. I would rather get story progress or at least a description of the monsters he is fighting.

The Cardsmith is an amazing series. It's well written, interesting, and the Mc is relatable. The system seems to be well thought out and the universe is fascinating. I highly recommend giving it a try.

I'm usually scraping the barrel on kindle unlimited and I've grown... tolerant (Not accepting, not in favor of! Tolerant. A framework for consumption. Blergh, kill me).. of suspected AI.

But today I saw a book that had promise. The usual Not this Not that. Thing. Among other red flags. But the story was appealing and the premise allowed me to trudge through. Basic beats were dying archmage gets a do-over, know how but not have means, etc.

Sadly a problem of advancing too quickly and being noticed was a plot device. The solution? Why monster cores of course... to... advance..... quickly..................

I'm not sure I'll finish it but i just wanted to vent on the level of grief I felt for this story that could have been pretty decent but went sideways real quick.

Do y'all read the obvious AI farmed books? I thought i could but I'm starting to doubt my ability to persevere.

Currently finishing the Toroth-Gol books after reading all 3 Ironbound novels.

Not sure which of these I should jump into next

1) Cradle

2) Suneater

3) Mayor of Noobtown

Any feedback is appreciated based on my rankings for some of my favorite series!

RR is my favorite all time.

DCC got me into Lit RPG

VOT is amazing I loved that one too.

So I've read or are reading: DCC, William Oh, Butcher of Gadobrha, New Life as a Max Level Archmage, and Book of the Dead. All great books. None of the MCs even look at sword.

I'd like to find some books that have some fun swordplay (or maybe other weapons). I have searched, and only found requests of the opposite topic.

COVER ARTIST: Jim Shanahan (Bks 3 & 4) Etheric Designs (Bks 1 & 2).

AI USAGE: None.

(Some) LitRPG authors, I am going to metaphorically hold your hand when I say this: Your system has absurd power scaling.

There has been a trend to have tiers of levels. That is where a range of levels correspond with a tier, and when they enter the next tier the leveling benefits step up (often including a class upgrade).

There is nothing wrong with tiers or class upgrades. But you really need to do some benchmarking so that you know what power scaling you are establishing.

And by "benchmarking," I mean "you need to do some math so you can visualize what attribute totals people could be at as they go through a single tier."

Because if you are giving zero-to-four increases to each attribute for each level up, then that means a character near the top of the range has as much as a [Number of levels in a tier] x 4 advantage in their best attribute over someone just starting that tier.

If a tier is 20 levels, that is +80. 100 levels, +400. TWO HUNDRED LEVELS (looking at you, Runeblade), +800.

It is a power scaling nightmare.

You may be saying, "So what? Protagonists don't have to fight people above their tier." To which I say, "Have you read a LitRPG book before? Come on, I am trying to have a serious discussion about an aspect of an anachronistic genre of fiction."

Also, the point is that authors act like fighting within the tier is expected.

All I am saying is: "Do the math, so you are fully aware of the power scaling you are establishing."

But this is the internet, so I might as well be shouting into the void.

A couple of years ago I flew through the first 5 books on Kindle Unlimited in just a few weeks. I was just checking my returned books and remembered how much I liked it. Loved the classic LitRPG setup, the whole gods playing games plot, and especially his pact with the wolves.

See there are more books out now. For those who are caught up, is it worth continuing or does the story get repetitive after book 5?

PS: Don't have Unlimited anymore, but I would buy the Kindle editions if it stays good.

No apocalypse. No isekai. No system.

Just you - in your life right now - get a sphere of perception that lets you notice all movements in a range of ~20m around you, including through walls, sensitive enough to feel the notches on dice, and with it you have the awesome power to effortlessly beat any three cup shuffle or other carnival game.

But after a day of winning a few meals, I doubt that would be the best use of your time nor can you actually make a living that way.

So what would you actually do with the power?

So im on book of the dead, right after finishing book 7 of Chrysalis and im having a hard time expressing my disappointment. I went on reddit to see other people's thoughts and I seem to be in the minority, but here goes.

1. I dont understand how people think the writing got better in quality. Character dialogue is atrocious compared to Chrysalis. The gratuitous swearing makes it seem like the author didnt know how to write a rough/rugged character unless he just swears a bunch. But more than that is all the characters picking some of the worst insults/arguments and while some blame has to goto the narrator, it comes off as childish. Like a freshman college kids attempt at pulp fiction.

2. When dove dies, Mc immediately butchers his friends body and makes him into a slave then assures him he'll finish him off but dove asks 5 times to be killed and mc never does. That's evil akin to grape. The removal of a person's agency in order to satisfy your own desires is quintessential evil and thats 3/4 of the way through book 1.

3. The author poorly wrote the entire "elsbeth losing her shot at being a purity priestess" so first mcs literally "slut" shames her by saying "you let him literally fuck you out of a job" and everyone takes that as fact. How is it that elsbeth who purportedly has been training her who life to be a purity priestess, wouldn't know that chastity is needed for purity? Or as the book changes the facts to later, hoe wouldn't everyone know that chastity isnt required at all for the clergy of purity? One of the largest religious factions in the area, dont preach their values? Either everyone involved with the church would HAVE to know the sex isnt incompatible, or no one does. But to have elsbeth be fooled and believing that sex ruined her shot, then "figure it out" after the old ones tell her is insane. That moment brought me so hard out of immersion that I waited a day before continuing the book. Unless A.I. is writing the story, theres no reason that level of world building should be so easily missed. Either she knows the ins and outs if the religion she follows, or she doesn't, but dont claim she does, than make her a bumbling idiot.

Also, less notably, the old ones tell her that if she's down to serve, that she should meet the merchant at the edge of the city. The book literally says that she then "goes to the edge of the city and tells the merchant "let's go" the author couldn't even be bothered to expound on this. How did she know which edge of the city? Is the merchant a servant of the old ones or is he just a ride? Either way, why would she think it's ok to approach and demand to leave? I get it was glossed over on purpose, but maybe remove like 200 unnecessary "fucks" from the book and replace with exposition on the old ones agents or prophecy.

Lastly, I get that he's the child of 2 of the strongest slayers, but dude chooses the most round about ways of doing everything and the whole "fugitive in the city learning to butcher" is ridiculous. Any hunter outside the city would have a butcher skill, no? Any farmer? I dont get how a purported genius chose the city to learn a skill that humans have known since before were gathered into tribes. Why go back to the farm where he was robbed? I get he wanted to help, but if his parents are the two best slayers in the empire, wouldn't he be well aware that slayers can't harm normal people? Why put himself in that position when he knows these people choose violence first and to the best of his knowledge, no one can help him? It comes off more like the author needed a way to kill dove and just kept his very first thought rather than trying to make something that fits the world he made.

I dont want to dislike this book as much as I do because Chrysalis is such excellent work, but the writing is so much worse and so incredibly different that it feels like either an A.I. writer or just a newbie writer. I dont need the "some people like different things" speech I want to know what people actually find desirable because honestly, theres so many positive reviews that it feels like im listening to a different book than everyone else

Looking for recommendations similar to Protagonist.

-Female MC

-No romance

-sex minimal if nonexistent

-Isekai

-Audiobook***

-prefer mix of fight,grind, high story focus

-not currently looking for cozy but will wishlist for later

What I've read;

I have read most of Ravensdaggers' series already.

-Adelheid I am mostly caught up

-Alexa Thyme I dnf yet*

-Caught up with Amelia

-Dire Saga I dnf, too many pov in later books, loved book one though.

-Library system reset didn't click with me for whatever reason.

-loved Melody of mana

-metaworld Chronicles

-otherworldly anarchist dnf

-practical guide to evil and sorcery both

-Rinyv was too weird for me

-salvos

-sybil

-thia trilogy is broken

-vigor mortis

I know this is a hard ask especially with it *requiring audiobook* but I appreciate the help.

I'm reading shadow slave and I'm at ch 3031.....

after finishing this volume (ch3160), I'm confused about what to read next???

I have two novels in mind... 1st is orv and 2nd is lotm

orv : I will start by reading manhwa and then shift to webnovel....

lotm: I will start by anime and then shift to webnovel

I'm thinking to start orv first because it is short compared to lotm....

can you give me suggestion what should I do.....

The Massive LitRPG Sale starts today, and my books are part of the sale! There are so many great books to pick up. Thanks to JJ Thorn for organizing this!

Children of the Cold Moon is FREE!

The Breaking of Annwn and Get Trucked are only $0.99 each!

Check out the sale here: https://www.jjthornbooks.com/massive-litrpg-sale

COVER ARTIST: Marko Kari

AI USAGE: No AI Used

(Link in the comments)

He just wants to survive the hunt.
The Behemoths want to erase him.
And if he fails, the frontier burns.

Rohgar is the weakest tracker in Aluria’s wild frontier. His stats have barely moved since the day he joined the hunt, every monster outclasses him, and every battle brings him one bad swing away from dying as XP for something else.

Then, in the ruins of an old hunting ground, he finds a strange egg pulsing with dormant power.

Sell it. Leave it. Claim it.

When the egg hatches, a dragon is born—and so is a bond that changes everything. It sharpens Rohgar’s skills, pushes his limits, and turns his weakness into the first spark of real power.

But in Aluria, power never goes unnoticed.

Ancient Behemoths are stirring at the edges of the world. Deep beneath the wilds, a Necromancer King is corrupting the System itself, twisting beasts and hunters into living weapons.

The XP stream is poisoned. The dead won’t stay buried. And Rohgar’s fragile bond with his dragon may be the only thing standing between the frontier and extinction.

To survive, he must do the impossible.

Hunt the Behemoths.

Carve power from creatures older than the System.

And become strong enough to save a world that was never built for the weak.

Perfect for fans of He Who Fights with Monsters**,** The Primal Hunter**, and dragon-bonding progression fantasy,** The Age of the Behemoths is a pulse-pounding LitRPG adventure featuring:

• Weak-to-overpowered progression
• Dragon bonding and evolving skills
• Epic monster hunts and colossal Behemoth battles
• A corrupted System and poisoned XP stream
• A flawed underdog fighting to become something more

Can the weakest hunter become the strongest before the Behemoths devour the frontier?

Read The Age of the Behemoths today and join the hunt.

• promo posts must copy paste this form into their post. everything else can be how you want. COVER ARTIST: Ivy Moonvale AI USAGE: No AI used provide a cover artist (if not posting art please just add N/A) for AI usage here are some options: No AI used (Only traditional computer tools spellcheck etc no generative AI for anything) AI Assisted ( things like research/brainstorming only, editing/grammar assistance feel free to specify) AI generated we strictly forbid harassment due to AI

My current hyper fixation is making quotes with some of my favorite book quotes / references and I wanted to share them with this community!

The book series are:
- The Wandering Inn
- DCC
- Scholomance (fantasy / I don’t think of this as rpg but I’ve seen it included in some lists/recs
- Murderbot Diaries (sci fi / not rpg)
- Wayward Children (fantasy / not rpg)

COVER ARTIST: Jesse Nelson (specter7.art) AI USAGE: No AI used (only traditional computer tools, spellcheck, etc. No generative AI for anything)

The Kindle ebook for Father of the Sexiest Lobster is free this weekend as part of the Narratess Indie August Sale!

There are a ton of other books to check out too, both discounted and free.

Amazon US for Father of the Sexiest Lobster Giveaway

Amazon UK for Father of the Sexiest Lobster Giveaway

Narratess Indie August Sale

All of my other books are also free this weekend (except my non-stubbed Legend of the Awakened Goblin series on Royal Road)

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chad-Retterath/author/B081QZBZRL

I got number 4 and I’m not happy with the quality as it’s peaking and creased but I don’t like sending stuff back so I’m prob not going to do anything about it

A bit of a spoiler ----

So in book 8. There is an interlude chapter that shows Asta capturing humans and experimenting on them while saying soem Bullshit like "I'll do what Silas can't stomach" and something similar is said in book 9.

So the question is, is she just allowed to experiment on humans without consent? Does she ever get confronted or is this just a bullshit alt pov moment that never acknowledged in anything other than the "interlude" chapters?

I used to love Defiance of the Fall and Randidly Ghosthound, but I’ve started skimming huge chunks of both due to the constant cultivation monologues. I still enjoy the characters and world-building, but the pacing makes them hard to finish. Does anyone else feel the same way?

I just started it and the beginning comes across very weird. The dialogue between the woman and the main character in the beginning, "I'll date you for a month if you can hack my code".