For me, the most frequent offender is economics, especially when the MC starts a business and starts talking about their expenses and profits. It's always totally unrealistic. Always! The business is usually a minor side plot, but it takes me out of the story.

Special edition Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shirtaloon/hwfwm

G'day all,

The Kickstarter campaign for my special editions of books 1 & 2 launched today, and it seems to be going well. I would like to take the time to thank everyone who backed, it really does mean a lot. The big thing for me (other than the Onslow plushie and the Gary body pillow) is that this will finally remedy an issue that I've been overlooking for far too long, which is a significant lack of official He Who Fights With Monsters art. I've been absolutely astonished at the amazing images produced by the artists collaborating on this project.

Every time I launch a major new endeavour for this series, even seven years in, I still get the same nervousness over whether it will go well. For all the effort and the great work that's been done on this project, and knowing that there's an audience out there, I still get those butterflies, wondering if it will all work out. Now that it seems to be, I'm filled with relief and gratitude. Not just to all the people who jumped on board - although, thank you SO very much - but to all the people who have enjoyed and supported He Who Fights With Monsters over the years. Reading it on Royal Road and Patreon. Listening to the astonishingly good Heath Miller on audiobook. Picking up the books in actual book stores, or explaining here on reddit why Jason sucks.

The special edition launch coming out of the gate so strong is genuinely gratifying. I should have trusted the litRPG audience to make sure the number went up. Thank you.

COVER ARTIST: The outstanding Jeff Brown https://www.jeffbrowngraphics.com/

AI USAGE: 100% AI free.

Anyone else hate this

I'm sure most of us have thought of a series idea that we truly feel like is a great idea. Maybe a unique magic system, a specific superpower or setting that will completely change the way this genre is written. The only problem is that we know for a fact that we will NEVER write the story, so it stays in our mind, dormant, sad and lonely.

Well this post is the solution!

A fun outlet for the discarded stories of our imagination, were they can have company or maybe some ambitious redditor may take your ideas and actually do something about them.

Write a short description. Show the rough draft of a first chapter that will never be released. Do a complete breakdown of everything. Or anything in between!

*This post isn't me secretly hoping that someone will write their idea, get a lot of positive feedback and then decide to actually write it. *winkcoughwink*

Lately, I've personally been getting frustrated with some LitRPGs that spend an excessive number of chapters on grinding, only for the main story to resume briefly before another lengthy grinding arc begins. I enjoy grinding as much as the next reader, but when it takes up so much of the book that the actual story barely moves forward, it gets exhausting.

Could you recommend some LitRPGs that strike a better balance between grinding and the main story? I'd really appreciate your suggestions!

Iv recently found this series, at first I was looking for a sci fi base litrpg because iv started watching an anime series called reborn as a space mercenary found the gunboat series, at first I wasn't all to excited but as I got to the end of the first book, I immediately bought the last two as it seems to still be a on going series, iv just started book 3 and Im already desperate for more.

If anyone could recommend more sci-fi with fantasy elements that would be great and what do you guys think of the gunboat series if you have read it

Once their situation has stabilized a bit and they get overpowered I start to lose interest and quit the series. Anyone else? And any advice for series that focus on the initial apocalyptic situations/starter zones?

Feeling the itch to read a Weird West/Fallout style LitRPG like Deadman Walking, preferably no OPMC and no active gods.

Just something that feels like a post apocalypse Red Dead Redemption or Fallout without going overboard on that main character saving the world bullshit syndrome.

Can u recommend me series with mcs that like truly truly suffer like are living in hell

Like im thinking jester of apocalypse, a gamers guide to beating the tutorial and such

Series where there is no single moment to breathe ahd where the mc has no choice but to either have a total mental collapse and go catatonic or keep growing

​[Request] B Binge-read Hell Difficulty Tutorial up to Ch 950 in 5 days—what do I read next to avoid the post-read slump? ​

​I started reading Hell Difficulty Tutorial by Cerim 5 days ago and completely flew through it, catching up to the Patreon release at Chapter 950. I absolutely loved it! It’s the first book in the System Apocalypse genre that actually makes sense to me.

​Now I’m facing that classic post-binge dilemma: I’m terrified of picking up another novel and feeling disappointed because it doesn't live up to this one.

​Here are the specific things that hooked me so deeply:

1.​A System design that makes sense: I loved how the System functions like a contract, actually rewarding characters for doubling down on their existing strengths rather than giving arbitrary hand-outs. I espeacially loved how the did not get plunged into chaos overnight.

2.​Grounded, logical world-building: The reasons for why the System spreads, how Earth gets inducted, and how and why Earth's induction takes time are thoroughly explained.

3.​Not a solo-god story: The MC isn't the only person enduring a hell-difficulty tutorial, and the team dynamics feel genuinely engaging and consequential.

4.​Realistic character reaction: While the MC might come across as a bit "edgy" in the very beginning, it actually feels completely justified when you consider how absurd and horrific his situation is and his childhood which is the reason he ended up in hell difficulty.

5.​A long, meaningful Tutorial: I loved that the tutorial spans multiple years, where each floor subtly teaches distinct, crucial lessons to the attendees rather than just being a quick level-grind.

​It definitely has its minor faults, but I didn't care at all because the pacing kept me completely hooked.

​What I'm Looking For:

​For anyone else who read and enjoyed Hell Difficulty Tutorial:

​What did you read after this that kept your interest?

​Are there other web novels with high-stakes tutorials, logical system mechanics, or great team/ensemble dynamics you’d strongly recommend?

​Looking forward to your suggestions!

This is more or less an appreciation post for the writers who have a vision of who their character is and becomes.

The same situation with Primal Hunter, the MC seems to have something 'off' about them, people's reactions indicate there's something clearly wrong, and suddenly there's petty interpersonal drama - but in both cases the authors showed not only that they understood what their MC looked like at face value, but they did an amazing job revealing more and more to give depth of character that is unique to them while not arbitrarily changing them.

Jake and Nat have 'some' similarities, and occasional face-value actions that would make someone ready to put them in a box together (antisocial loner edgelord who is nice to animals, basically), but how and why they do what they do are vastly different, coming at things from completely different angles.

This is a huge deal to me, because the writers aren't 'making drama for drama's sake', as is so often the case with litrpg writers (MC makes a mistake or randomly does something out of character that hurts someone important out of nowhere). Instead, the drama comes naturally as a result of character being how they are, and the drama shifts as they grow into who they are becoming. You know, so there's actually a point to the drama moments rather than a MC being guilty and humble for a while.

The result is a MC you can appreciate. I enjoy Nat suffering just as much as I enjoy him succeeding because he's turned into a loveable asshole, whereas he seemed to just be an asshole at the start.

It makes me glad I go into books with a "what is the writer trying to do here" mentality. I would have dropped Primal Hunter and Hell difficulty because of how abrasive the MCs seemed at first (Nat the psycho asshole and Jake the office worker who was just 'better than these losers'). There have been some MCs in popular series that are simply unredeemable depthless bores (I WILL name them), but sticking it out to see if the author has a vision is SO worth it.

"Oh, there's a severe Injustice being done in this post-apocalyptic world? Well it isn't any of my problem and I'll just carry on my way. What? Through some cosmic serendipitous act, I've been dragged into this conflict and I'm forced to side with the weaker victims who are being hurt by this evil guy. Well, I guess I'll just kill the evil guy, but not because he's evil but because he's going up against me. I'm still looking out for myself, even when I'm doing something right."

Like, okay bro. Whatever.

Well now! Perhaps some of you heard about the literal very first ever LitRPG books for little readers, and perhaps some haven't. What you are about to hear now is the story of a fool (me) who painstakingly helped organize the Kickstarter to bring this to life... only to miss one critical detail.

You know... that Shirtaloon was launching his own Kickstarter only a few days in for He Who Fights With Monsters?

So after an amazing start where we surged out to 88% funded... the backers have disappeared. Poof, not a one all day.

Anyone here have some little ones? We think this is a heck of an idea. I mean, we did raise over $6,000 in as many days, so I think there's something here.

Kristen, the author running this, is a schoolteacher, and she knows as well as anyone the struggles young readers have been having with getting into reading. So she took it upon herself to create the first ever LitRPG baby board book, and the first ever LitRPG picture book for first time readers 4-8.

We're not asking for the world by any means. We're just trying to raise the money to print these books, make some adorable plushies, and help create some lifelong readers.

Maybe you're like me and fell out of love with reading for years, before finding LitRPG and rekindling your love of reading. With these books, we hope kids never have that awful falling out of love with reading period. With your help, we can make it a reality.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/myfirstlitrpg/litrpg-for-little-readers-meet-dagoe-and-exie

So click that link there and help us get over the finish line. We are so, so close. If you know LitRPG-reading folks with kids, share it around, tag them in the comments, send a telegram or a letter by pigeon. And if you backed it already, tell me why in the comments.

You've still got money left over after the Shirtaloon Kickstarter... right? What do you mean you backed it at the Diamond Ranker tier???

Hey, James A. Hunter backed this one. Be like James. Believe in Kristen's dream, and make some readers out of your kids!

Thanks, folks!

COVER ARTIST: Tatiana Minina (https://www.tatianaminina.com)

AI USAGE: No AI used.

Tyron defiantly standing there, making his own damn heart beat after being told to die in the voice of the gods, was freaking excellent. Great writing mister RinoZ, just fantastic.

COVER ARTIST: Markee Books

AI USAGE: Grammar (content editing by Chris from WickedlyDeviant.com)

Rebuild the World: Michigan, the third and final book in my Rebuild the World series, is now available on Kindle/KU/Print. We’ve moved locations again, but the city-building focus stays the same. Devin and Vlad help another region fight both aliens and the cold. If you’re looking for a completed LitRPG city-building series with research trees and classes, this is it. My goal was a series that kept the focus on city-building from start to finish. Follow along as the tension ramps up and Devin races against the clock to save Earth. If you like city-building games, this sci-fi series should scratch that itch.

If audio is more your thing, Royal Guard Publishing will be releasing it soon (hopefully in November). Brad is recording it now, I believe.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0HK4XHHGY

The Final Showdown Is Here, and the Temperature Keeps Falling

Devin leveled up and unlocked powerful abilities. After rebuilding cities in Alaska and Maine to survive the ice age with his class and alien nanotechnology, he now faces a new challenge in Michigan.

Aliens attack as soon as he arrives, and the attacks grow worse each day. Infrastructure is collapsing. Resources are running out. As the sun cools, every day brings humanity closer to extinction.

Devin and Tom barely arrive before they’re thrown into danger. To save everyone, Devin must use his Architect perks, coordinated nano research, and months of experience. Working with local settlements, he helps establish new outposts of humanity. They race to gather resources, unlock new technology, and upgrade defenses before the cold and the aliens destroy everything.

New allies join the fight against the cold and the aliens, and Devin learns about other architects. As Earth nears the six-month mark since the sun began cooling, no one is safe, and a terrifying new threat rises.

Devin must build faster and smarter. He faces impossible odds, devastating choices, and a final confrontation that will determine Earth’s future. If he fails, no one is safe. Don’t miss the city-building, alien-fighting conclusion to the Rebuild the World trilogy.

This is the link to a Google Excel Spreadsheet that I’ve been working on since 2025. It features a mix of LitRPG and Progression Fantasy series available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. It does not include anything that is not part of KU. I’ve included all sorts of information, including: series titles, author names, author gender, completion status, number of books & audiobooks available, sub-genres, tropes, etc.

Comments have been turned on so that authors can comment on a blank line within the document, with information on their book, should it be missing from the list. There are already more than 1,500+ titles, and everything is manually updated. I’m only one person, so it can take a while for titles to get added. A lot of authors can fall through the cracks with the older sites that have often stopped being updated, but it’s my wish to ensure all books are catalogued with the same level of importance. Anyone is free to share the link to the spreadsheet with others.

I would like to make a special note that books made with AI will not be added to the list. I do not condone witch hunts, but in cases where the author has their books marked as AI-assisted / generated on RoyalRoad / Amazon, a prompt has been left in, or there is other undeniable proof, I do blacklist the authors. That means all of their books will not be added to the list, including older ones that may have been made without the use of AI. I’m bringing this up because I did have someone who submitted their own book, despite using AI, not because I want to start any drama. No point in anyone wasting anyone else’s time.

That’s all. Feel free to skip this post entirely if you don’t find it useful. I know there are plenty of other sites out there you can use.

Excel Spreadsheet Link

This sub makes all promo posts include this form. Please ignore this bit.

Cover Artist: None

AI Usage: No AI

Hey there, folks! How do you do?

Ace here, author of RE:Birth, coming to you to announce that Book 1 of the series is officially out on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible, brought to you by the good folks over at Aethon Books!

The audiobook is narrated by the wonderful Daniel Wisniewski, and clocks in at nearly 37 hours!

For those unfamiliar with the story, here's the blurb:

One chance to rewrite the Apocalypse.

At 79, Adom is an old mage who has known nothing but illness and regret. When the world finally burns and all hope turns to ash, at the last beat of his fading heart, a mysterious being appears in the dimming light with a simple question:

"If you could try again, would you?"

What's left to lose when you've already lost everything?

A handshake seals the deal, and Adom wakes up on his old school grounds, sixty-seven years in the past. When everything is still possible. A second chance with all his knowledge intact, his memories preserved, and his youth restored.

This time, Adom wants it all: to feast on food he's never had, to travel a world still full of wonder, to finally live the life he dreamed of. There's just, as always, one small catch—he needs to prevent the end of the world first.

But as Adom will soon discover, changing history might demand sacrifices even greater than watching it burn.

***

Here are the links!

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited

Audible

If you decide to give it a chance, I hope you enjoy Adom's adventures!

Cheers!

COVER ARTIST: Aethon Artist

AI USAGE: No AI used

I’ve always loved the stereotypical healer trope for side characters, they have personality but aren’t the typical “strong independent” type. I’ve gotten into LitRPG and progfantasy in the last year or so but I’m kinda picky with new series. I don’t see them too often in the books I read nowadays, or at least not in any serious capacity and I always enjoy a healer mc. I guess I’m just looking for any recommendations that MIGHT fit this or the general opinion of that type of character. Any input is welcome and appreciated!

Here are the most notable series I’ve read/am reading:

- HWFWM: currently reading (on book 11), loving it. Mainly invested in characters and relationships.
- Primal Hunter: my first series, I’ve reread it multiple times. Mainly love the fights and “epic” moments.
- DCC: loved, but I’m a big fan of horror and I like the writing style of bad moments the most.

I’ve tried the Wandering Inn but couldn’t get past the first few chapters because of the main character.

Also tried Dual Class but I really couldn’t stand the main character so I dropped it pretty fast (within the first chapter). My dad wants to try it again but I’m really hesitant.

I’ve gotten all my recommendations from my dad who reads a lot of litrpgs, but he probably wouldn’t go for a book that’s the type I’m looking for. If it matters I’m 23, been an avid reader my whole life, I used to mainly read fantasy but have gotten pretty put off by trying to find anything these days since primarily NSFW romantasy has become super popular. I tend to look for more plot driven books or series with unique worlds from each other, which I just don’t find that much now.

- I’m fine with the cozy subgenre, I don’t need there to be fighting but I like big stakes.

- I don’t prefer isekai or portal type but if it’s plausible in the series then I’m okay with it. I also really dislike any kind of harem situation but I’m okay with romance being involved.

ETA:
I can use any service or method to read, I have a slight preference for audiobooks because I can listen when I work, but physical or ebook or web platforms are all fine to me.

A man who paints with flames? A sentient fireball healer? Aliens giving magical powers through involuntary probing? Vast dungeons beneath magical cities? Strange ecologies? Billions of beings isekai’d to compete for their planets’ survival in a wild contest? If you’re questioning any of that, my answer is yes. And more.

BLURB:

What if getting isekai’d wasn’t a second chance—but an audition for the Universe’s deadliest reality show?

After aliens abduct him, con artist Alexander May learns Earth has been entered into an universe-wide survival contest.

Thrown into a fantasy world, he and his sentient fireball healer partner must reach a city through dangerous underground realm, solve a murder, survive rival Chosen, and master magic built from identity and will.

Alexander learns quickly that when the Path provided leads nowhere, the powerful forge their own.

Release Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

AI Usage: None

Cover Artist: Duy Phan

PITCHES:

1.       Usually, getting isekai’d into another world is an incredible opportunity to gain ridiculous amounts of power, and that’s pretty much it. In The Art of Magic, things are a little more complicated. It isn’t just the main character who gets sent to another world. Other people from countless alternate versions of Earth—and from entirely different worlds—are transported as well, and the whole thing is far from random. The chosen participants are forced to take part in the Event, which is supposed to decide the fate of the Universe, while those left behind can experience the participants’ struggles through their dreams (Dream Stream!).

2.       The protagonist also isn’t your typical everyday average guy. Alexander is a cheater, a thief, and an artist, and the thing he values above everything else is his independence. So when someone tries to force him into saving his world, saying that he couldn’t care less would be putting it mildly. His main concern is figuring out how to bullshit his way out of the situation he’s been thrown into.

3.       And, most importantly for LitRPG enthusiasts—there are power levels, transformations, skill evolutions, achievements, and magic systems. There are no attributes, though! Almost immediately, the protagonist is evaluated for compatibility with several different progression Paths, and without the slightest hesitation, he rejects the ones he is most compatible with. Instead, he chooses something else simply because it feels more magical to him. Because why the hell should someone else get to decide for him?

4.       Oh, and I almost forgot. His companion is a fully sentient fireball who really, really doesn’t want to hurt anyone and chooses the path of a Healer. The problem is that she is made of fire, her healing magic requires her to touch people and she doesn’t have hands.

A (spoiler: more than a) few words for the farewell

Maybe you’ve heard of my previous story, maybe you haven’t. I wrote about Alexandra May—a thief whose obsession with art awakens within her the power to control it.

The story I’d like to introduce today is a very soft reboot. I’m taking some of the ideas and concepts I started building there and using them in a completely different light, world, and genre (LitRPG and progression fantasy) to create something I’ve been having an absolute blast writing.

I hope you’ll have just as much fun reading it.

I’ve just released the first nine chapters, and from now on, for as long as I can keep it up (which I hope is until the end of the world, though part of me also hopes it isn’t. I gotta rest some time!) I’ll be releasing a new chapter every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

And finally a link:

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/198138/the-art-of-magic

I loved guardian of aster fall. But man, wild era is rough

It's basically 30 minutes dungeon crawling and then 3 minutes interaction with people... And he goes through the dungeons alone, which makes it even more boring.

Does he ever leave it behind in the next book? Or is it just dungeon crawling until last book/ books?

PS: until now, I don't get how people could recommend it? :(

Hello, everyone!

Amber Atlas here, with the second installment in my Taste of Magic series. Are you tired of fighting, battles and want to enjoy a book about something different for change? If your answer is yes, then this series of mine is for you. All about cozy magical baking, cute familiars and heartfelt relationships, this LitRPG story will make you wonder which magical pastry Melina is going to cook next.

Just like the first book, the second one General's Echo will release as an ebook, paperback and audiobook. Audiobook is produced by a publisher some of you might have heard about: Soundbooth Theater.

Narrated by Jessica Threet, and staring Jack Fields and Jeff Hays (Thank you, Jeff, I'm a big fan!).

Cover artist: Tsuu and Kara

AI usage: None

Amazon link

Audible link

Synopsis:

Once, Melina Dufour was an [Archmage] who led the world to ruin. After rewinding time, she chose a quieter path: baking pastries in the sunny town of Sunglow.

Almost.

Melina has bonded with an ember wyrm familiar, revealed her magic to Alistair Sinclair—the nobleman who was once her closest friend—and unlocked the [Arcane Baker] class.

Her magical pastries could help Sunglow thrive. Healing sweets, mana-restoring treats, and rare Monster Realm ingredients offer endless possibilities, but they could also expose her to the Church.

Worse, Alistair is beginning to remember the ruined future that should have stayed buried.

Melina wants to bake, grow stronger, and protect her new home. But the past she rewrote is not gone. It is only waiting to rise again.

Hello as the title says I’m looking for Op Mc books to fill my Itch Right now lol, I really liked “System Universe” By SunriseCV looking for books like that might be similar but would also love to see other stuff not strictly books similar to system universe.

Hey y'all.

The pre-order link for Fate’s Attendant 2: Hidden Blade is live!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HN82FSTC

The Kindle and Kindle Unlimited version comes out on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, with the paperback version publishing on November 11, 2026 and the audiobook arriving in 2027.

Here’s the blurb:

The House of Yu has buried its dead, and Hong Fei intends to make the killers pay.

His raids against the Rock Knife Gang brings him face-to-face with a deadlier enemy: the Fate-Severing Conclave, a secretive organization that steals its victims’ good fortune to feed its own power. Captured by one of its tiger-masked warriors, Hong Fei must escape with the intelligence needed to expose its conspiracy.

The truth alone won’t save the Yu family, however. Spies and treachery run deep in Ruby Swift City, and the Conclave’s leaders wield cultivation far beyond Hong Fei’s reach. To survive, he’ll need every card in his deck and every summoned ally who fights at his side.

As Hong Fei grows stronger and earns his place in the House of Yu, the Conclave closes in on his new family. He is their hidden blade, but will that be enough?

Fate’s Attendant 2: Hidden Blade continues the series that is the #1 Best Rated deckbuilding fiction on Royal Road.

The link once more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HN82FSTC

COVER ARTIST: Alejandro Colucci. His work has been showcased in the works of Andrzej Sapkowski, Robin Hobb, Anne, Rice, Joe Abercrombie, and many others.

AI USAGE: I wrote the novel, not an AI.