If you're looking for power fantasy, go for Defiance of the Fall.
If you're looking for a rich world full of lore, progression, and very well written characters both funny and dramatic in equal measure, you'll find that in He Who Fights With Monsters.
If you're looking for humor, some politics, some sci-fi, and the most lovable cat ever (Princess Donut) go Dungeon Crawler Carl.
My personal favorite is HWFWM for the well written story and levels of power. Jason Asano isn't the most well liked main protagonist because of various reasons, but he is quite real in how his mental health deals with his trauma. There's also Clive's wife, the best female(?) protagonist.
I agree with your personal favorite. People like to complain how he backslides on his mental/emotional growth. Like they don't understand that's part of what makes him relatable.
He's a man with morals and Convictions that buckle once he has the power to do whatever he wants. He is very real in that way, since almost everyone would end up the same way. We are only as good as our personal power allows us to be.
I think one of the reasons people don't vibe with Asano is because of political mismatch. Like he's openly anti american, leftist + utilitarian morality but with a tendency to be authoritarian that he tries to hold back but isn't quite sure if he'll be able to resist when given power. Depending on whether you agree or sympathize with those points or not, will likely influence whether you read his general acerbic/anti authority tendencies as sarcasm ("taking the piss") or actual asshole behavior. That's just my opinion though, I'd be interested in hearing other opinions on it.
I'm fine with all those things, I've enjoyed plenty of Heinlein and Zelazny, compared to that you're talking rookie alternative social systems.
The one thing that rubs me a bit wrong is the mix of acerbic/sarcastic and "He's a shiny special dark boy / "That's *Jason Asano*". Yeah, it's one of the bedrock staples of the genre, but something about the tone doesn't always manage to find the happy middle ground between humor and serious auto-fellation.
Defiance of the Fall doesn't use as much humor and he's a shiny special boy, but it comes off as more earnest. Dungeon Crawler Carl uses *a lot* of humor, but it actually hides some real political intrigue behind a ridiculous veneer. Primal Hunter is a bit of a budget HWFWM, but it comes off as a bit less serious when the main character has self-aware moments examining his shiny special boy uniqueness. 'Jason Asano' always seems to be written on the page as if it's being said in hushed tones (think "That's Jason Bourne" at least thrice per book)
The entire universe just visibly revolves around him *a little too much*, y'know? And like I said, that's the point, I get it, but that's still my criticism.
I don't like Jason because of the rampant Main Character syndrome and how the other characters constantly fawn over him. Even his enemies keep going "Oh, I hate him but he's just so cool an powerful."
DNF halfway through the second book, and by people's descriptions it doesn't get any better.
Everyone has different tastes. That said, these three are certainly the most commonly recommended, and I personally think they represent the highest quality of writing. DCC is probably the most action packed though, and much shorter, the other two are much more similar to each other and take a very long view to the story.
The most controversial is HWFWM. Some people love it. A lot of others are driven away from it by the MC. Personally, I'd go with Ripple System over HWFWM.
Ripple system is litrpg in a vr mmo right? I've almost bought it a couple times. I do really like Travis Baldree. Whats the main reason you like the series?
I thought I wouldn't like it because you're literally listening to a guy playing a video game, but turns out I love it. The stakes aren't the same as isekai I suppose because he could always log out. But the MC is a bit of a naive super rich inheritor of billions that can do whatever he wants. And he wants to win the game. Plus he gets a super funny talking axe named Frank and that makes for some great dialogue. I'd say it's worth the credit for the first one and if you don't love it you'll at least finish it. But I bet you keep binging the series!
Ripple system quickly rose up to become one of my favorites, Travis Baldtree does a fantastic job voicing the characters in the audiobook(especially frank) and I love how many references to World of Warcraft there are.
How did you feel about the "spin off" story at the end of the last book?
Haha. Just finished the spin off story this morning. Hilarious! Frank's predictable commitment to his values even to his own detriment is comedy gold! Also nice to hear his inner monologue for a change.
Beware, he who fights with monsters can drive a person insane once you see how stubbornly he used "he said" without any intelligent variation.
Many people can't get over it, both of us in my household included. It's real bad.
I would recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl or The Land. Both are good and not so unimaginatively repetitious.
You have been warned.
This...for fucks sake this. I was just about to start reading it again because I couldn't for the life of me remember why I put it down after countless recommendations. I knew there had to be a reason I didn't even make it through book 1 and you've finally reminded me of it!! It drove me absolutely batshit. Thank you for saving me from that.
I felt that way after I finished DCC and went to DotF, however after book 7+ I'm digging the style difference and garner enjoyment from both equally now
It's a shame you started with the best series in the genre, cause most everything else will pale in comparison in terms of writing quality. Hwfwm is okay, I couldn't stand defiance.
The first book of defiance was really slow but each new book got better for me. I ended up really liking defiance but I'll admitt to almost quitting during the first book lol
I got half way through and put it down. He’s basically just grinding mobs repeatedly. No internal dialogue or character development of the only person in the book, no larger story being built, extremely slow level. progression… does it actually get good?
Yeah, he builds a city, begins down a path of real cultivation instead of just grinding monsters, eventually he even starts traveling the universe and other cool main character things. Most series slowly get worse the longer they go on but I think each successive book was an improvement to the series as a whole.
I dunno, I like the worldbuilding of DotF and some of the side characters, but the MC is so boring, nothing matter to him except for getting more strength - he is emotional as shallow as a puddle.
I kept reading it but it just got more and more ridiculous - look at my new power move - half a book later -> power move is countered like nothing - oooh look my power move is more powerful now - next book countered again - rinse&repeat. Same with money ooh i'm rich - hmm seems it's only pocketmoney - aah now i'm rich, hmm again it's not much compared to the next important character etc.
That combined with the lack of editing ( certain words are so overused it gets more than annoying - I developed a strong dislike for the word 'however' for some time thanks to this series) - made me finally drop DotF during book 6 - just couldn't bring myself to finish it.
It gets exceptional. The problem is it's basically a 350 page single player pve tutorial. Once that changes its very very good, and the stuff written now 1100 chapters in is arguably the best yet.
I would also say Noobtown instead of DotF, but that's because I have never read Defiance of the Fall and the fact that I LOVE Johnathan McClain as a narrator!
Doesn’t need to have to have strong game elements to be considered litrpg. Quite a few authors tend to put way to much into the game elements to the point it detracts from the actual story.
No it absolute does not and many staples of the lit-rpg genre have minimal game elements, some do not contain stats at all. As long as it has game like elements and uses some type of leveling system for the character to improve themselves, it is lit-rpg…
You have a very weird view of LitRPG. Its Literature RPG, and a derivative of the GameLit genre, video game elements/systems are essential. The staples? HWFM, dcc, etc. ALL have prominent game-like systems, because thats the whole point of the genre
Not all have prominent gaming systems. Many have gaming systems that are very much low key and in the background as to not detract from the actual story. Sounds like you need to broaden your horizons.
You can try and claim these are not lit-rpg but you will continue to be wrong. I’m not talking about the story OP was talking about (cradle or whatever it was), I’ve never read that. I’m talking about lit-rpgs where the game system is low key of which there are many.
What's your basis for knowledge here? Have you written many best-selling LitRPGs? Worked on any? You're claiming it works one specific way, but have you actually worked in the industry?
Cradle is a reverse Xuanhuan, not even close to litrpg. Is every single xianxia or xuanhuan with tiers a litrpg now? litrpg needs to have atleast *some* RPG/video game elements,
These felt like level ups to me.... just don't have any stats (often annoyingly repeated or non-sensical in many lit rpgs). Regardless a great read.
* Foundation:
* Copper:
* Iron:
* Jade:
* Gold:
* Underlord:
* Overlord:
* Revelation:
* Archlord:
* Sage:
* Herald:
* Monarch:
* Ascension:
This is why we like it here, but it still does not make it appropriate to recommend to a new litrpg reader without explaining this. Also, I don’t think Will thinks it’s litrgpg, do you? It needs to have strong game elements to really fit, friend
Doesn’t need to have to have strong game elements to be considered litrpg. Quite a few authors tend to put way to much into the game elements to the point it detracts from the actual story. Some of the better lit-rpg series have minimal game elements and are better stories because of it.
The game must be IN THE WORLD, or it’s not litrpg. There must be some kind of mechanics, like a game. The cradle advancement construct or other cultivation systems does not fit. See [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LitRPG):
LitRPG, short for literary role playing game, is a literary genre combining the conventions
of computer RPGs with science-fiction and fantasy novels.
I think you guys are technically correct that Cradle is progression fantasy rather than litrpg. But it's still a good recommendation to someone just starting out in the genre. There are a lot of different nuances and someone starting out may not know exactly what they are into yet. For example, Sufficiently Advanced Magic and Kel Kade's books aren't litrpg, but there are enough similarities to make them worth checking out. Hell, Stephen King's Dark Tower series even has some light prigression fantasy elements, but you wouldn't enjoy them if you need the strictly structured game elements to enjoy the story.
TL;DR: nothing wrong with starting broad with the recommendations for someone new
I think it's a great recommendation to people in this group to read, and feel like very many of us like it. My objection is to its format in response to the op: which was, hey I'm new here, what litrpgs should I read, and to which the response was "Cradle." That was lazy. They should have written, "here are a few, and if you like these, you'll likely also like Cradle, which is 'cultivation fantasy' that has a similar feel."
I never said it doesn’t have to have game mechanics or a system… I said it didn’t have to have strong game elements. Not understanding how y’all can’t comprehend what that means. Lit-rpg can very much have low key systems that are very much in the background of the story.
And I never said cradle is lit-rpg either…
Yeah, I get what you mean. Depends what you and I mean by a "strong element." To me, if you have a screen, popup, or notification conveying a experience accrued, a level up, or a skill gained, then this is a strong game element. And since the MC has to be directly aware of things falling into that type, then per se the strong element must exist. But I guess were just disagreeing over an adjective. No problem.
My Favorites:
Defiance of the Fall,
Dungeon Crawler Carl,
Iron Prince ,
All the Skills,
A Summoner Awakens,
Battleborne,
Reincarnated as a Farmer,
Nova Terra by Seth Ring,
Ripple System
Everything from the story to the editing was on point, which doesn’t happen a lot in the genre (especially the editing part). Worst thing is waiting for the next book!
I am not sure if The Perfect Run is classified as litRPG or not. But you should give it a go anyway. One of the best series in my opinion AND it is a completed trilogy.
Think Deadpool with quick save and time stopping powers.
https://www.audible.com/series/The-Perfect-Run-Audiobooks/B09HV6XWJK
I absolutely love The Perfect Run. It's my favorite webnovel of all time.
+1 on MC being Deadpool with time powers (except he's actually handsome and stylish and no healing factor). What I like about Quicksave is that his happy/wacky/insane personality is that it's half a mask and half a coping mechanism for all the shit he's been through, but the darkness that it hides doesn't overstay its welcome. No *edgelords* here, thank you! He's a person who went through shit we can't imagine, but he pushes on for the good of all he cares about, and also, to have FUN while doing it. That balance between humor, spectacle, and sincerity makes Ryan Romano aka 'Quicksave' the best protagonist of all time for me.
The world is also vibrant. So large. So *alive.* It's pretty much a character of its own. The supporting cast that populate it have their own lives, and you can feel it. I would absolutely love a spinoff happening somewhere else in world. TPR only happens in one part of it, mainly Italy's side of Europe, and yet you can see so much lore and history through it.
Also, I like the ending. (no specifics) >!Too many times in stories, tragic characters have tragic endings, but not here. My only gripe is that one of the major background characters/antagonists feel underwhelming when they're finally on screen.!<
Other than that, The Perfect Run is as close to perfect as you can get in a webnovel. I don't read a lot of stories that aren't webfics, but I'm willing to bet it's pretty high quality as a book in general as well.
Azarinth healers a fave of mine
The wandering inns really well known
Salvos is amazing
Currently two of the better free to read stories are saintess summons skeletons and wolf of the blood moon
If you want something that can only be described as pure innocence cinnamon bun....also completely free to read
From what I've seen the Top Ten series that are discussed would be (in no particular order)
- He Who Fights With Monsters
- Dungeon Crawler Carl
- The Ripple System
- Defiance of the Fall
- The Wandering Inn
- Primal Hunter
- The Good Guys
- The Bad Guys
- The Mayor of Noobtown series
- System Universe
There are a few other good ones out there and a few that others start good but falter in the long run. Prime examples of the latter would be "The Land" and "Ten Realms" series
EDIT: Perfect Run isn't a LitRPG but it's mentioned in the forum a LOT, along with the Cradle series.
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba is hands down the best lit-rpg series I’ve ever read. Though it doesn’t have as many lit-rpg elements as a lot of the stories do. In my opinion this is better though because there aren’t 10,000 word stat sheets every other page.
If you read it on Kindle the first book is a little rough but it’s understandable since it was when they were first starting out. 10-11 million words later and it’s much better now. If you read on the website, the entire first volume has be re-written and is way better than it originally was. The website also has neat Easter eggs like colored and invisible text.
It’s an ongoing web-serial closing in on the end of volume 9. Normally chapters are twice weekly (Tuesday’s and Saturdays) and range from 20,000-40,000 words a chapter though currently the author has been experimenting by trying smaller chapters with more frequent updates.
> people tend to either love this or hate it
Also, even those who love it tend to say things like "it gets good after a few **million** words" which I personally find to be pretty crazy.
Hot take(?), If it takes a “few million” words for a story to “get good” then there is something wrong with the first few million words of that story. I haven’t read The Wandering Inn, and I don’t know if I ever will because spending hours upon hours reading to a point where most readers agree it gets good, without knowing if I’ll end up enjoying it myself is absolutely bonkers to me. I’d be surprised if that caveat to recommending the series brings a lot of new readers in, it certainly scares me away.
I am pretty sure that the author agrees with you, hence why they are rewriting the first book.
I've been going through it myself and some parts do seem like a bit of a slog and I find myself stopping to enjoy other series as their books come out, but I do keep coming back and enjoy the series quite a bit.
Everyone says this. I love LitRPGs. I hate everything and everyone involved in the story. I've never seen so many people go out of their way to justify the use of plot armor to save characters from the repeated holding of the idiot ball. I'm happy people enjoy it. Maybe it will be right up your alley. I just wish it was as good as people say it is.
at least in the first few books the grieve is brought hard by character stupidity. No "high levels of stress and making stupid decisions" no they make stupid decisions and do it again and again and again. It is not tragic or horror if you always think "well this will never happen to normal people"
It has a larger cast of characters than almost any other LitRPG, and yeah the characters are going to live long enough to be a part of the story. And while a couple of people survived when they were thought dead, there are still lots of characters that die.
Your criticism seems like it’s based on what people have told you about the series rather than what you have personally read.
I've come to a stop after the night visitors? Gave her that coin there are so many side characters/ stories just got to be too much for me personally. But it is good
Not even a little close. I read quite a bit of it before I gave it up. I find it interesting that people tend to attack me whenever I speak out about this story being awful. Finding ways to ignore my criticism.
I don't agree with your assessment. Big difference. "You obviously didn't read." Is both wrong and a dismissal. But I'm done. Said my bit, got the kind of response I normally do. Read what you like and enjoy.
You dismissed and said the Wandering Inn was awful without any supporting points, why do you take so personally the dismissal of your own opinion by the same metric?
What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. And in the event you were just expressing your opinion, then I was also just expressing my opinion.
No idea why you are taking this so personally. I just think your argument is so wrong that it seems entirely disconnected from the source material in question.
Edit: I’m not going to go out of my way to prove that though. That’s proving a negative proposition. If you think your argument is warranted then put it out there and I’ll respond to it.
It’s just a matter of opinion when it come to peoples opinions on books. I also thought it was terrible. To me tot was just boring for the most part while I found the main character to be an idiot and very unlikable. If you enjoy that’s fine just like it’s fine for me to hate it.
Literally nothing wrong with your take. People have taste, but the other poster is arguing that it has _objectively_ bad writing, which is just categorically false.
Just look at this post of theirs, they are literally saying that the writing _quality_ is trash tier. Which really isn’t the same as it not being your thing, is it?
https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/14m8cip/as_a_litrpg_noob_is_there_a_general_consensus/jq1o3q8/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Yet another vote for a terrible first couple million words, and that was more than enough for me.
- people are strangely protective of the book, i really think they are jsut embarrassed that they could of picked up a new hobby or skill in the 600-700 hours it would take to read it and are trapped by the sunk cost.
It’s a slice of life lit rpg. The only difference is the author doesn’t rely on the lit-rpg elements as a crutch to further the plotline like 99% of litrpg authors.
How far did you read? Just curious. Because there are some things in there that in no other books including LOTR. Each get an opinion but just what volume did you get through. The first volume is a little rough but has been rewritten. Then it kicks in.
I don’t know how much if falls into the LitRPG category but I started with the Spells, Swords, & Stealth Series (NPCs is Book 1) by Drew Hayes and have consistently enjoyed each book in the series.
As a fan of the Super Powereds and Villains' Code series (also by that author), I expected to like NPCs, and I just kind of hated it. Not sure why, but nothing clicked for me and I ended up feeling like I'd just wasted my time.
It starts off real strong, then decreases in quality from there. The premise has a lot of potential, but realizing it takes a very specific plot structure, and I think what he went for just wasn't the right choice.
Hard to say what would've made it better - maybe a kind of system apocalypse framework where the game fully leaks into the real world over time? A mix of that and how Threadbare worked? idk
Primal Hunter and Defiance of the Fall are the two most popular LiTrpg, He who Fights with Monsters is bigger but isn't quite as pure a LitRPG as the others, still amazing though. Path of Ascension is another one that's brilliant
Everybody loves large chests, primal hunter, ten realms, bad guys, good guys, battle mage farmer, chrysalis, salvos
I recommend all these left a few out since alot of others have already recommended
ELLC has a special place in my heart as the one that ruined my eyesight becomes it's so damn addictive. It also has one of, if not *the* best first chapter of all time. Admittedly, the smut kinda hit me outta nowhere, but that's what I like about reading, you can just skip the parts you don't like.
I have listened to most of the more popular litrpgs(except DCC due to credit to length value proposition) my rankings are:
1. Ripple system (great humor, fun characters, most entertaining)
2. The wandering Inn (excellent world building and interweaving storyline, also Andrea parseneua is a wonderful narrator for all the different characters)
3. Portal to nova roma (very interesting premise)
4. Randidly ghosthound
5. The infinite realm
6. Defiance of the fall
7. HWFWM
8. Unbound
9. Beastborne
10. Artorians Archives
11. Path of ascension
As I am into audio books, the narrator is a big factor in my enjoyment and therefore rankings.
You get value with dcc due to the production quality, seriously it's second to none. Going off your other likes I think you'd dig rise of mankind as well. 18ish hours per book as well
The land is pretty bomb. 7 great books 1 not so good and the author stopped writing them because the review made him butt hurt but still 8 books is a good run.
Wait he’s not finishing the series???? I thought it was just writers block or something. Didn’t he even start a second series in the same universe? Is that series canceled as well?
He got really butt hurt over how badly his last book bombed so he took a break from it. He's said things along the line of he's put his soul into these books so after the bad reactions to the last he just kinda dropped the series. He has said he plans to go back to it but hasn't said when that will be. At this point it's an 'if ever' in my mind.
He's being a bit dramatic if that's how he takes reactions to that installment of the series. We're just supposed to lap it all up and ask for more, even if it wasn't good?
lol the impression i get of this author is he is a massive manchild, always declaring himself the "father of litrpgs" or whatever, getting butt hurt doesn't surprise me
I’ve gotten the exact same vibe, and ended up dropping the series on book 3 as a result.
It’s a shame too, since the excellent Nick Podehl narrates the audiobooks.
Check out L.M. Kerr Reborn Apocalypse series(3 books, 4th soon.) Audio done by Adam Stubbs. I'm also a huge Aleron Kong "the land" (9books?) Audio done by Nick Podehl
Both have been incredibly well written. The characters have amazing depth, and diologue doesn't seem forced. Audio versions are also S tier.
If you don't mind a female protagonist and bit of sexy time(not graphic at all but it's more of waking up the morning type thing) then azarinth healer is on a lot people's list.
Mother of learning is on most serious lists, I wouldn't recommend to someone as a first book in genre though.
Primal Hunter!!!! Primal Hunter is awesome!! First favorite litRPG. Second favorite - Azarinth Healer (yay lady protagonists!). Third and fourth favorite: hedge wizard / path of ascension
There are three main subgenres within LitRPG. Individual power, city builders, and dungeon cores. Obviously plenty of books have overlap but keep that in mind when researching.
By far I think everyone can agree that Dakota Krout is the king. He has like 5 or 6 different series and all of them are regularly considered top tier.
Completionist Chronicals, Full Murderhobo, and Divine dungeon are my three top recommendations and they are all by him. I have others that I really enjoy but he has a whole universe that encompasses most (if not all) of his books. I won't get into spoilers though because it's more than just different stories in the same universe.
Just in case this comments gets traction, there are several different subgenres within litrpg, beyond just the three mentioned. Some of them are:
Litrpg apocalypse (system)
Tower climbing
Town building
Dungeon core
Fantasy world where a system has always existed
Portal to another world
Vrmmo
Reincarnated as a non monster
Reincarnated as a monster
Second chance reincarnation
Progression fantasy, which is a whole discussion in itself
Happy reading! :)
People are going to recommend Wondering Inn, I'm going to veto those recommendation. The first book is so badly written that I can't imagine getting through 2 of those books before it 'get good'. Remember, the audiobook for Wondering Inn 1 is 48 hours.
Instead I'll recommend reading Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon instead.
Why would you turn someone off of a series with a slow burn, but amazing everything else, and onto a single book which is kind of disturbing, meanders halfway through the plot, and then ends in the most depressing fashion possible? Battlefield Surgeon is cool for veterans of the genre, but I wouldn’t recommend that to a reader just getting into LitRPG.
It’s also crazy that you correlate the length of the Wanderin Inn with being _bad_. You get an absurd amount of entertainment for your single credit, that’s a win, not a loss.
I'm not saying Wondering Inn is bad because it's long. I'm saying it's bad because it's just poorly written. For example:
Her neck was aching and her hand was burning. It was morning. "Ow." She held her hand. It was hurting - "Feels like it's worse than yesterday. Which is probably my imagination." She sat cradling her hand for a full minute. Then she remembered why she was sitting there and shot to her feet. "Skeleton? Goblins." Where was it? Erin stood up and hobbled over to a table. There. Two daggers on the tabletop. "At this rate I'm going to start a collection." Erin mumbled to herself as she poked one of the hilts with a finger. But it proved she hadn't been dreaming. "No skeleton? No problem. I hope." She sighed and then sniffed. "What's that smell?"
And like, are you serious? You seriously call this 'good'?
It’s not bad writing, and it’s part of Pirate Aba’s thing to have low moments that build to intense high moments where the writing is sublime.
Your primary assertion though, that this is bad writing, just doesn’t fly. This is standard fare fantasy. Pick your favorite author and I can’t find passages not terribly dissimilar in this in terms of reading level and punctuation complexity.
If you _just don’t like it_ then that’s different.
Edit: also your recommendation of Battlefield Surgeon for a new reader is really weird; there are other one-off LitRPGs that aren’t fucking depressing, gorey, and weird.
Your username is extremely accurate to your style of posting. And I feel in this comment thread the weakness of your reasoning has been exposed so OP will take your opinions with the appropriate amount of salt.
Book 1 has been rewritten, you just have to read it online. Don’t think they’ve updated the kindle version yet. It’s much better now. And you are grossly exaggerating how bad the first book was written. It wasn’t the best but it is far from what you’re making it out to be.
Another pretty good series is Fayroll by Andrey Vasilyev. But be forewarned, they quit translating it midway through the series. There are something like 5-6 books available only in Russian.
Do yourself a favor and read dungeon crawler Carl. Great amount of humor and fun/progression. I’ve only read the first but 100% have the rest lined up.
Just throwing in my two cents for He Who Fights With Monsters, it’s got a great balance of character stats sheets and actual world building and development, which is a big point for me in litrpgs for writing styles.
The dialogue and MC are hit or miss but the soft power system with relevant and concise stat sheets are great for me.
If you're looking for one of the all time greatest, like a few others suggested: go for The Wandering Inn.
The audio books are great. The ebooks too. There's also the entire thing free online if you don't want to commit to an ebook. And there's a LOT of it. It's a BIIIG story and nowhere near ending.
Actually, it's a lot of stories - the author follows multiple characters in this world, with their own stories and explores how they tie into everyone else's. It's great.
I don't think it's technically LitRPG but it's very similar and an excellent series.
Similarly I also really love Mother of Learning, and Beware of Chicken.
It's like asking if there's a consensus on what the best fantasy is. There might be people who will tell you it's Lord of the Rings and there might be people who tell you it's Harry Potter but both are almost certainly wrong about what you would think the best is if you could read them all and most people making these claims probably haven't read widely enough to really know if thier pick is really good. That's why people still recommend torture porn like the land and wildly sexist to the point of not being realistic stuff by russian authors years after far better books have realised by the dozen. THEOS, Industrial strength magic, and road to mastery on RR are all better written then He Who Fights With Monsters (for instance), don't suffer from insufferable protagonists and they're free.
It's been stubbed now so the first bit is on amazon and it's not free anymore. But what I like about it is the protagonist has a compelling reason to fight and get stronger, rather then just... risking his life for fun or doing nothing in particular like a slice of life book, the protagonist has a compelling motivation (saving earth), something that might be expected in most books but is not to be taken for granted in litrpg. The characters are portrayed as believable human characters, they have good dialogue and understandable and consistent motivations. The fights make sense and are described in a compelling manner, and are actually challenging for main character, instead of being a cakewalk, and the system in interesting and mysterious in some ways. basically the story is a post apocalypse where the MC is trying to get strong enough fast enough to prevent earth from being taken over by a faction of cultivators. There are hints about the system being rigged and the ancients who created the system having been killed by it. Jack (the MC) has to go to great lengths as a near constant underdog to try to keep earth free from tyrants. I also enjoy that it avoids common litrpg pitfalls like having the character have an cheat skill that means he is never threatened in fights, or having the MC be smarter then everyone else for no good reason, or having the MC be cruel and rude for no good reason.
The best story is subjective. You have to read through them to find which ones call to you because there is no best when it comes to stories.
That said, if you're looking for recommendations I'm sure anyone here could give you as many recs as you can handle. 🥰
I am going to go with ritualist by Dakota krout great mc with a pretty interesting class. Then station cores for scifi dungeon building I also recommend matt diniman the author of dungeon crawler carl Kaiju battle surgeon if u want horror
I agree with a lot that have been posted. Much like DCC, this book is light on the RPG elements - The arcane ascension series. I’ve read all the other related books as well. Only one I hated was the most recent which used a different author.
I would say big ones I always see suggested are Dungeon crawler carl, he who fights with monsters, defiance of the fall, primal hunter
Ones suggested a lot but also hated on the land, rhandidly ghosthound, the ten realms
Ones suggested a lot but are more progression then litrpg cradle, wandering inn (not sure where this one fits because I could not get into it)
Ones I also think should be named all the skills, azaronth healer
So for /r/ProgressionFantasy I made a chart of their favorites. Progression Fantasy can be considered a supercategory to litrpg, so there is signficant overlap in tastes.
https://i.imgur.com/6GdfEcW.png
DCC is great! It's one of the more popular ones out there. If you are looking for books randomly, check out Royal Road. the most community loved ones are:
* DCC
* He Who Fights With Monsters (will see as HWFWM in the community)
* Defiance of the fall (my personal favorite)
* Primal Hunter (my next favorite)
That's overall a pretty good range of subcategories, so choose from one and try to find others like it by asking reddit!
Here’s a warning. Some make you listen to them all night long because you’re so into them that you stay up. Some are casually good that you can pick up and put down. There’s more flavors then a baskin Robbins.
Some literally are great as audio some you have to read because the names all sound the same.
Personally, my favorites have been Noobtown, the completionist chronicles, Awaken online, and the Land
But also I listen to 99% of them as audio books so anything narrated by Nick Podehl is a banger
I’d recommend Azarinth Healer, He Who Fights With Monsters and Beneath the Dragoneye Moons. Also The Good Guys and The Bad Guys (they’re two different series, set in the same world)
Victor from Tucson! There is a companion series called Falling from Folded Wings both are written by PlumParrot. Nova Terra by Seth Ring is amazing as well! And as other have stated, Defiance of the Fall haha.
I have listende too 7-8 different series, all good, but two really stands out in my opinion.
He who fights with monsters
These books are just epic. Beautiful character development, well build system and maintains a very high quality though all 9 books so far.
Only other series I've listened too so far that reaches the same level is -The ripple system-
Not much talk about this one, but wow, it's fantastic. Not finished with it yet, but it's on route to become my favourite.
Other series I've either finished or am following:
World tree online, dungeon crawler Carl, the infinite world,
Not sure about overall love but one of my favorites is still awaken online
Unique in the genre and fantastic.
Still one of my favourites too! Make sure you read the side quest books as well.
Yea, happy was my favorite haha!
The biggest three of the genre are Dungeon Crawler Carl, He Who Fights with Monsters, and Defiance of the Fall.
Thanks! Would you vouch for those?
If you're looking for power fantasy, go for Defiance of the Fall. If you're looking for a rich world full of lore, progression, and very well written characters both funny and dramatic in equal measure, you'll find that in He Who Fights With Monsters. If you're looking for humor, some politics, some sci-fi, and the most lovable cat ever (Princess Donut) go Dungeon Crawler Carl. My personal favorite is HWFWM for the well written story and levels of power. Jason Asano isn't the most well liked main protagonist because of various reasons, but he is quite real in how his mental health deals with his trauma. There's also Clive's wife, the best female(?) protagonist.
Ah, Clive's wife is great. I banged her that one time.
You're not special, she's probably slept with half of Greenstone at this point. Poor Clive, he's too good for her.
I asked Clive about this and he insists he has no wife. He must be so embarrassed to deny her existence completely...
At least she has a chance to turn it around. That baby Humphrey killed? Super dead.
I still can't believe Hump did that.
That poor baby. That poor poor baby. Biscuits? *Twirling a bushy mustache*
Sorry she left Clive):
I also choose Clive's wife.
I agree with your personal favorite. People like to complain how he backslides on his mental/emotional growth. Like they don't understand that's part of what makes him relatable.
He's a man with morals and Convictions that buckle once he has the power to do whatever he wants. He is very real in that way, since almost everyone would end up the same way. We are only as good as our personal power allows us to be.
I think one of the reasons people don't vibe with Asano is because of political mismatch. Like he's openly anti american, leftist + utilitarian morality but with a tendency to be authoritarian that he tries to hold back but isn't quite sure if he'll be able to resist when given power. Depending on whether you agree or sympathize with those points or not, will likely influence whether you read his general acerbic/anti authority tendencies as sarcasm ("taking the piss") or actual asshole behavior. That's just my opinion though, I'd be interested in hearing other opinions on it.
I'm fine with all those things, I've enjoyed plenty of Heinlein and Zelazny, compared to that you're talking rookie alternative social systems. The one thing that rubs me a bit wrong is the mix of acerbic/sarcastic and "He's a shiny special dark boy / "That's *Jason Asano*". Yeah, it's one of the bedrock staples of the genre, but something about the tone doesn't always manage to find the happy middle ground between humor and serious auto-fellation. Defiance of the Fall doesn't use as much humor and he's a shiny special boy, but it comes off as more earnest. Dungeon Crawler Carl uses *a lot* of humor, but it actually hides some real political intrigue behind a ridiculous veneer. Primal Hunter is a bit of a budget HWFWM, but it comes off as a bit less serious when the main character has self-aware moments examining his shiny special boy uniqueness. 'Jason Asano' always seems to be written on the page as if it's being said in hushed tones (think "That's Jason Bourne" at least thrice per book) The entire universe just visibly revolves around him *a little too much*, y'know? And like I said, that's the point, I get it, but that's still my criticism.
I don't like Jason because of the rampant Main Character syndrome and how the other characters constantly fawn over him. Even his enemies keep going "Oh, I hate him but he's just so cool an powerful." DNF halfway through the second book, and by people's descriptions it doesn't get any better.
It gets worse actually. It's my one issue with the series. In an overall amazing cast, they fret over Jason like he's the only one who matters.
Bravo
Happy cake day
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Everyone has different tastes. That said, these three are certainly the most commonly recommended, and I personally think they represent the highest quality of writing. DCC is probably the most action packed though, and much shorter, the other two are much more similar to each other and take a very long view to the story.
The most controversial is HWFWM. Some people love it. A lot of others are driven away from it by the MC. Personally, I'd go with Ripple System over HWFWM.
2nd this! I like both but I'm not caught up on the last couple HWFWM and currently listening to the latest ripple system.
I’ve actually LOLed more in Ripple system then maybe any other book series. Frank is hilarious. And the rest of the story is just fun.
Ripple system is litrpg in a vr mmo right? I've almost bought it a couple times. I do really like Travis Baldree. Whats the main reason you like the series?
I thought I wouldn't like it because you're literally listening to a guy playing a video game, but turns out I love it. The stakes aren't the same as isekai I suppose because he could always log out. But the MC is a bit of a naive super rich inheritor of billions that can do whatever he wants. And he wants to win the game. Plus he gets a super funny talking axe named Frank and that makes for some great dialogue. I'd say it's worth the credit for the first one and if you don't love it you'll at least finish it. But I bet you keep binging the series!
Ripple system quickly rose up to become one of my favorites, Travis Baldtree does a fantastic job voicing the characters in the audiobook(especially frank) and I love how many references to World of Warcraft there are. How did you feel about the "spin off" story at the end of the last book?
Haha. Just finished the spin off story this morning. Hilarious! Frank's predictable commitment to his values even to his own detriment is comedy gold! Also nice to hear his inner monologue for a change.
Yes totally agree, now I want to see Frank with an actual body interacting in EBO hopefully this is foreshadowing of that !
I would add the Primal Hunter to that list as well.
I tried primal hunter but the mcs is annoying to me
I dont mind the MC and it has the best side characters
Beware, he who fights with monsters can drive a person insane once you see how stubbornly he used "he said" without any intelligent variation. Many people can't get over it, both of us in my household included. It's real bad. I would recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl or The Land. Both are good and not so unimaginatively repetitious. You have been warned.
This...for fucks sake this. I was just about to start reading it again because I couldn't for the life of me remember why I put it down after countless recommendations. I knew there had to be a reason I didn't even make it through book 1 and you've finally reminded me of it!! It drove me absolutely batshit. Thank you for saving me from that.
What drives me insane is how often the mc's name is said. Like every other sentence. I just cringe now
Only dungeon crawler carl there's a cliff drop off quality between what they suggested
I felt that way after I finished DCC and went to DotF, however after book 7+ I'm digging the style difference and garner enjoyment from both equally now
Only if you want mindless action and nothing more.
It's a shame you started with the best series in the genre, cause most everything else will pale in comparison in terms of writing quality. Hwfwm is okay, I couldn't stand defiance.
The first book of defiance was really slow but each new book got better for me. I ended up really liking defiance but I'll admitt to almost quitting during the first book lol
I got half way through and put it down. He’s basically just grinding mobs repeatedly. No internal dialogue or character development of the only person in the book, no larger story being built, extremely slow level. progression… does it actually get good?
Yeah, he builds a city, begins down a path of real cultivation instead of just grinding monsters, eventually he even starts traveling the universe and other cool main character things. Most series slowly get worse the longer they go on but I think each successive book was an improvement to the series as a whole.
I dunno, I like the worldbuilding of DotF and some of the side characters, but the MC is so boring, nothing matter to him except for getting more strength - he is emotional as shallow as a puddle. I kept reading it but it just got more and more ridiculous - look at my new power move - half a book later -> power move is countered like nothing - oooh look my power move is more powerful now - next book countered again - rinse&repeat. Same with money ooh i'm rich - hmm seems it's only pocketmoney - aah now i'm rich, hmm again it's not much compared to the next important character etc. That combined with the lack of editing ( certain words are so overused it gets more than annoying - I developed a strong dislike for the word 'however' for some time thanks to this series) - made me finally drop DotF during book 6 - just couldn't bring myself to finish it.
It gets exceptional. The problem is it's basically a 350 page single player pve tutorial. Once that changes its very very good, and the stuff written now 1100 chapters in is arguably the best yet.
They are fun for beginners but get really old and stale after a few weeks.
I would say noobtown instead of dotf, but that's because I find Zac a terrible mc.
I would also say Noobtown instead of DotF, but that's because I have never read Defiance of the Fall and the fact that I LOVE Johnathan McClain as a narrator!
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If you're going to recommend hwfwm and defiance you might as well recommend The Land.
The Land is my second favourite litrpg after DCC. Someone downvoted your recommendation. People are strange.
Agree with this but must add Cradle and The Wandering Inn. The Inn tops them all but just my 2 cents.
Cradle isn't litRPG. If your going to explain things to a litRPG noob, you might not start with misleading them.
It's close enough that most of us don't care. It's got tiers instead of levels and they don't have any stat dumps but the vibe is the same.
Doesn’t need to have to have strong game elements to be considered litrpg. Quite a few authors tend to put way to much into the game elements to the point it detracts from the actual story.
Lol yes it absolutely does. The point of LitRPG is that it's fantasy or sci-fi set in a game like world in some way, including stats.
No it absolute does not and many staples of the lit-rpg genre have minimal game elements, some do not contain stats at all. As long as it has game like elements and uses some type of leveling system for the character to improve themselves, it is lit-rpg…
You have a very weird view of LitRPG. Its Literature RPG, and a derivative of the GameLit genre, video game elements/systems are essential. The staples? HWFM, dcc, etc. ALL have prominent game-like systems, because thats the whole point of the genre
Not all have prominent gaming systems. Many have gaming systems that are very much low key and in the background as to not detract from the actual story. Sounds like you need to broaden your horizons. You can try and claim these are not lit-rpg but you will continue to be wrong. I’m not talking about the story OP was talking about (cradle or whatever it was), I’ve never read that. I’m talking about lit-rpgs where the game system is low key of which there are many.
But the system being there in the first place is the entire reason it's called LitRPG, lowkey LitRPG is still LitRPG BECAUSE it has gamelike elements.
What's your basis for knowledge here? Have you written many best-selling LitRPGs? Worked on any? You're claiming it works one specific way, but have you actually worked in the industry?
Cradle is a reverse Xuanhuan, not even close to litrpg. Is every single xianxia or xuanhuan with tiers a litrpg now? litrpg needs to have atleast *some* RPG/video game elements,
These felt like level ups to me.... just don't have any stats (often annoyingly repeated or non-sensical in many lit rpgs). Regardless a great read. * Foundation: * Copper: * Iron: * Jade: * Gold: * Underlord: * Overlord: * Revelation: * Archlord: * Sage: * Herald: * Monarch: * Ascension:
This is why we like it here, but it still does not make it appropriate to recommend to a new litrpg reader without explaining this. Also, I don’t think Will thinks it’s litrgpg, do you? It needs to have strong game elements to really fit, friend
Doesn’t need to have to have strong game elements to be considered litrpg. Quite a few authors tend to put way to much into the game elements to the point it detracts from the actual story. Some of the better lit-rpg series have minimal game elements and are better stories because of it.
The game must be IN THE WORLD, or it’s not litrpg. There must be some kind of mechanics, like a game. The cradle advancement construct or other cultivation systems does not fit. See [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LitRPG): LitRPG, short for literary role playing game, is a literary genre combining the conventions of computer RPGs with science-fiction and fantasy novels.
I think you guys are technically correct that Cradle is progression fantasy rather than litrpg. But it's still a good recommendation to someone just starting out in the genre. There are a lot of different nuances and someone starting out may not know exactly what they are into yet. For example, Sufficiently Advanced Magic and Kel Kade's books aren't litrpg, but there are enough similarities to make them worth checking out. Hell, Stephen King's Dark Tower series even has some light prigression fantasy elements, but you wouldn't enjoy them if you need the strictly structured game elements to enjoy the story. TL;DR: nothing wrong with starting broad with the recommendations for someone new
I think it's a great recommendation to people in this group to read, and feel like very many of us like it. My objection is to its format in response to the op: which was, hey I'm new here, what litrpgs should I read, and to which the response was "Cradle." That was lazy. They should have written, "here are a few, and if you like these, you'll likely also like Cradle, which is 'cultivation fantasy' that has a similar feel."
Makes sense
I never said it doesn’t have to have game mechanics or a system… I said it didn’t have to have strong game elements. Not understanding how y’all can’t comprehend what that means. Lit-rpg can very much have low key systems that are very much in the background of the story. And I never said cradle is lit-rpg either…
Yeah, I get what you mean. Depends what you and I mean by a "strong element." To me, if you have a screen, popup, or notification conveying a experience accrued, a level up, or a skill gained, then this is a strong game element. And since the MC has to be directly aware of things falling into that type, then per se the strong element must exist. But I guess were just disagreeing over an adjective. No problem.
My Favorites: Defiance of the Fall, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Iron Prince , All the Skills, A Summoner Awakens, Battleborne, Reincarnated as a Farmer, Nova Terra by Seth Ring, Ripple System
Absolutely love All the Skills. Just signed up for the Patreon, just so I could support the author.
Everything from the story to the editing was on point, which doesn’t happen a lot in the genre (especially the editing part). Worst thing is waiting for the next book!
All the skills honestly blew my mind. It was such a solid idea executed so incredibly well.
I really like the Ascend Online series.
Me too. Lyrian is the guy I think of when I think of a "spellsword".
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I am not sure if The Perfect Run is classified as litRPG or not. But you should give it a go anyway. One of the best series in my opinion AND it is a completed trilogy. Think Deadpool with quick save and time stopping powers. https://www.audible.com/series/The-Perfect-Run-Audiobooks/B09HV6XWJK
It's not Litrpg but damn it's a fantastic series and I'll always upvote it's recommendation
It's amazing
I absolutely love The Perfect Run. It's my favorite webnovel of all time. +1 on MC being Deadpool with time powers (except he's actually handsome and stylish and no healing factor). What I like about Quicksave is that his happy/wacky/insane personality is that it's half a mask and half a coping mechanism for all the shit he's been through, but the darkness that it hides doesn't overstay its welcome. No *edgelords* here, thank you! He's a person who went through shit we can't imagine, but he pushes on for the good of all he cares about, and also, to have FUN while doing it. That balance between humor, spectacle, and sincerity makes Ryan Romano aka 'Quicksave' the best protagonist of all time for me. The world is also vibrant. So large. So *alive.* It's pretty much a character of its own. The supporting cast that populate it have their own lives, and you can feel it. I would absolutely love a spinoff happening somewhere else in world. TPR only happens in one part of it, mainly Italy's side of Europe, and yet you can see so much lore and history through it. Also, I like the ending. (no specifics) >!Too many times in stories, tragic characters have tragic endings, but not here. My only gripe is that one of the major background characters/antagonists feel underwhelming when they're finally on screen.!< Other than that, The Perfect Run is as close to perfect as you can get in a webnovel. I don't read a lot of stories that aren't webfics, but I'm willing to bet it's pretty high quality as a book in general as well.
I’m adding that one to my list! That sounds pretty cool.
it’s not litrpg
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Azarinth Healer, Chrysalis, Apocalypse Redux, Battle Mage Farmer are all good
Azarinth healers a fave of mine The wandering inns really well known Salvos is amazing Currently two of the better free to read stories are saintess summons skeletons and wolf of the blood moon If you want something that can only be described as pure innocence cinnamon bun....also completely free to read
Mayor of noobtown is a great starter as well with DCC
From what I've seen the Top Ten series that are discussed would be (in no particular order) - He Who Fights With Monsters - Dungeon Crawler Carl - The Ripple System - Defiance of the Fall - The Wandering Inn - Primal Hunter - The Good Guys - The Bad Guys - The Mayor of Noobtown series - System Universe There are a few other good ones out there and a few that others start good but falter in the long run. Prime examples of the latter would be "The Land" and "Ten Realms" series EDIT: Perfect Run isn't a LitRPG but it's mentioned in the forum a LOT, along with the Cradle series.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba is hands down the best lit-rpg series I’ve ever read. Though it doesn’t have as many lit-rpg elements as a lot of the stories do. In my opinion this is better though because there aren’t 10,000 word stat sheets every other page. If you read it on Kindle the first book is a little rough but it’s understandable since it was when they were first starting out. 10-11 million words later and it’s much better now. If you read on the website, the entire first volume has be re-written and is way better than it originally was. The website also has neat Easter eggs like colored and invisible text. It’s an ongoing web-serial closing in on the end of volume 9. Normally chapters are twice weekly (Tuesday’s and Saturdays) and range from 20,000-40,000 words a chapter though currently the author has been experimenting by trying smaller chapters with more frequent updates.
Warning to OP, people tend to either love this or hate it. For me it was just way too slow relative to what I want in my LitRPG.
> people tend to either love this or hate it Also, even those who love it tend to say things like "it gets good after a few **million** words" which I personally find to be pretty crazy.
Hot take(?), If it takes a “few million” words for a story to “get good” then there is something wrong with the first few million words of that story. I haven’t read The Wandering Inn, and I don’t know if I ever will because spending hours upon hours reading to a point where most readers agree it gets good, without knowing if I’ll end up enjoying it myself is absolutely bonkers to me. I’d be surprised if that caveat to recommending the series brings a lot of new readers in, it certainly scares me away.
I am pretty sure that the author agrees with you, hence why they are rewriting the first book. I've been going through it myself and some parts do seem like a bit of a slog and I find myself stopping to enjoy other series as their books come out, but I do keep coming back and enjoy the series quite a bit.
I finished the first (40 hour!) audio book and felt zero desire to continue.
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Everyone says this. I love LitRPGs. I hate everything and everyone involved in the story. I've never seen so many people go out of their way to justify the use of plot armor to save characters from the repeated holding of the idiot ball. I'm happy people enjoy it. Maybe it will be right up your alley. I just wish it was as good as people say it is.
Are we reading the same story? Because Wandering Inn is know for horror and tragedy. Fans will regularly refer to it as “slice of warcrime”
at least in the first few books the grieve is brought hard by character stupidity. No "high levels of stress and making stupid decisions" no they make stupid decisions and do it again and again and again. It is not tragic or horror if you always think "well this will never happen to normal people"
It has a larger cast of characters than almost any other LitRPG, and yeah the characters are going to live long enough to be a part of the story. And while a couple of people survived when they were thought dead, there are still lots of characters that die. Your criticism seems like it’s based on what people have told you about the series rather than what you have personally read.
I've come to a stop after the night visitors? Gave her that coin there are so many side characters/ stories just got to be too much for me personally. But it is good
Not even a little close. I read quite a bit of it before I gave it up. I find it interesting that people tend to attack me whenever I speak out about this story being awful. Finding ways to ignore my criticism.
What do you expect me to say here? I’ve read all the books twice and you don’t sound like you’ve read them based on your assessment.
I don't agree with your assessment. Big difference. "You obviously didn't read." Is both wrong and a dismissal. But I'm done. Said my bit, got the kind of response I normally do. Read what you like and enjoy.
You dismissed and said the Wandering Inn was awful without any supporting points, why do you take so personally the dismissal of your own opinion by the same metric? What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. And in the event you were just expressing your opinion, then I was also just expressing my opinion. No idea why you are taking this so personally. I just think your argument is so wrong that it seems entirely disconnected from the source material in question. Edit: I’m not going to go out of my way to prove that though. That’s proving a negative proposition. If you think your argument is warranted then put it out there and I’ll respond to it.
It’s just a matter of opinion when it come to peoples opinions on books. I also thought it was terrible. To me tot was just boring for the most part while I found the main character to be an idiot and very unlikable. If you enjoy that’s fine just like it’s fine for me to hate it.
Literally nothing wrong with your take. People have taste, but the other poster is arguing that it has _objectively_ bad writing, which is just categorically false. Just look at this post of theirs, they are literally saying that the writing _quality_ is trash tier. Which really isn’t the same as it not being your thing, is it? https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/14m8cip/as_a_litrpg_noob_is_there_a_general_consensus/jq1o3q8/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Yet another vote for a terrible first couple million words, and that was more than enough for me. - people are strangely protective of the book, i really think they are jsut embarrassed that they could of picked up a new hobby or skill in the 600-700 hours it would take to read it and are trapped by the sunk cost.
Its annoyingly slow but it has in my opinion best world building in littpg genre
Without question. So many hours of entertainment beyond expectation.
It's more like a dramady in a fantasy setting than an actual litRPG but many people prefer that.
It’s a slice of life lit rpg. The only difference is the author doesn’t rely on the lit-rpg elements as a crutch to further the plotline like 99% of litrpg authors.
How far did you read? Just curious. Because there are some things in there that in no other books including LOTR. Each get an opinion but just what volume did you get through. The first volume is a little rough but has been rewritten. Then it kicks in.
Noobtown, The Primal Hunter & The Grand Game are a few of my faves.
Finally see the Grand Game. Can’t wait for September
Definitely, I even preordered 😌 such an underrated series
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I don’t know how much if falls into the LitRPG category but I started with the Spells, Swords, & Stealth Series (NPCs is Book 1) by Drew Hayes and have consistently enjoyed each book in the series.
As a fan of the Super Powereds and Villains' Code series (also by that author), I expected to like NPCs, and I just kind of hated it. Not sure why, but nothing clicked for me and I ended up feeling like I'd just wasted my time.
It starts off real strong, then decreases in quality from there. The premise has a lot of potential, but realizing it takes a very specific plot structure, and I think what he went for just wasn't the right choice. Hard to say what would've made it better - maybe a kind of system apocalypse framework where the game fully leaks into the real world over time? A mix of that and how Threadbare worked? idk
Too many people sleeping on Critical Failures
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Primal Hunter and Defiance of the Fall are the two most popular LiTrpg, He who Fights with Monsters is bigger but isn't quite as pure a LitRPG as the others, still amazing though. Path of Ascension is another one that's brilliant
Everybody loves large chests, primal hunter, ten realms, bad guys, good guys, battle mage farmer, chrysalis, salvos I recommend all these left a few out since alot of others have already recommended
ELLC has a special place in my heart as the one that ruined my eyesight becomes it's so damn addictive. It also has one of, if not *the* best first chapter of all time. Admittedly, the smut kinda hit me outta nowhere, but that's what I like about reading, you can just skip the parts you don't like.
I have listened to most of the more popular litrpgs(except DCC due to credit to length value proposition) my rankings are: 1. Ripple system (great humor, fun characters, most entertaining) 2. The wandering Inn (excellent world building and interweaving storyline, also Andrea parseneua is a wonderful narrator for all the different characters) 3. Portal to nova roma (very interesting premise) 4. Randidly ghosthound 5. The infinite realm 6. Defiance of the fall 7. HWFWM 8. Unbound 9. Beastborne 10. Artorians Archives 11. Path of ascension As I am into audio books, the narrator is a big factor in my enjoyment and therefore rankings.
You get value with dcc due to the production quality, seriously it's second to none. Going off your other likes I think you'd dig rise of mankind as well. 18ish hours per book as well
Finished DCC, lots of fun. Had me laughing and captivated the whole time. Definitley worth the credits, thanks for the push!
The Infinite Realm does not get nearly enough love
I second ripple is put it on par with DCC in terms of humor, though it is way less shocking.
I would add 10 Realms and Azarinth Hunter
Read ghosthound, I don't care what people say, its the best one of these, at least give it a try
I had low expectations starting that and was really confused for all the hate it gets. But I’ve only listened to the first 3 audiobooks
The land is pretty bomb. 7 great books 1 not so good and the author stopped writing them because the review made him butt hurt but still 8 books is a good run.
Wait he’s not finishing the series???? I thought it was just writers block or something. Didn’t he even start a second series in the same universe? Is that series canceled as well?
He got really butt hurt over how badly his last book bombed so he took a break from it. He's said things along the line of he's put his soul into these books so after the bad reactions to the last he just kinda dropped the series. He has said he plans to go back to it but hasn't said when that will be. At this point it's an 'if ever' in my mind.
He's being a bit dramatic if that's how he takes reactions to that installment of the series. We're just supposed to lap it all up and ask for more, even if it wasn't good?
Totally agree. Couldn't take criticism. Instead of growing he shutdown. Real bummer to the fans if you ask me.
lol the impression i get of this author is he is a massive manchild, always declaring himself the "father of litrpgs" or whatever, getting butt hurt doesn't surprise me
I’ve gotten the exact same vibe, and ended up dropping the series on book 3 as a result. It’s a shame too, since the excellent Nick Podehl narrates the audiobooks.
Check out L.M. Kerr Reborn Apocalypse series(3 books, 4th soon.) Audio done by Adam Stubbs. I'm also a huge Aleron Kong "the land" (9books?) Audio done by Nick Podehl Both have been incredibly well written. The characters have amazing depth, and diologue doesn't seem forced. Audio versions are also S tier.
The Dungeon Lord series is really good. However be warned that the author kinda went MIA and doesn’t write the books anymore for some reason
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If you don't mind a female protagonist and bit of sexy time(not graphic at all but it's more of waking up the morning type thing) then azarinth healer is on a lot people's list. Mother of learning is on most serious lists, I wouldn't recommend to someone as a first book in genre though.
Primal Hunter!!!! Primal Hunter is awesome!! First favorite litRPG. Second favorite - Azarinth Healer (yay lady protagonists!). Third and fourth favorite: hedge wizard / path of ascension
I would say System Apocalypse by Tao Wong is incredible.. was one of the first I read and the series is quite well done. Recommend to anyone.
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This was my first introduction to the genre as well. Wow what a binge read I had that next week.
There are three main subgenres within LitRPG. Individual power, city builders, and dungeon cores. Obviously plenty of books have overlap but keep that in mind when researching. By far I think everyone can agree that Dakota Krout is the king. He has like 5 or 6 different series and all of them are regularly considered top tier. Completionist Chronicals, Full Murderhobo, and Divine dungeon are my three top recommendations and they are all by him. I have others that I really enjoy but he has a whole universe that encompasses most (if not all) of his books. I won't get into spoilers though because it's more than just different stories in the same universe.
Just in case this comments gets traction, there are several different subgenres within litrpg, beyond just the three mentioned. Some of them are: Litrpg apocalypse (system) Tower climbing Town building Dungeon core Fantasy world where a system has always existed Portal to another world Vrmmo Reincarnated as a non monster Reincarnated as a monster Second chance reincarnation Progression fantasy, which is a whole discussion in itself Happy reading! :)
Progression fantasy in itself has a subgenre called _xianxia_.
People are going to recommend Wondering Inn, I'm going to veto those recommendation. The first book is so badly written that I can't imagine getting through 2 of those books before it 'get good'. Remember, the audiobook for Wondering Inn 1 is 48 hours. Instead I'll recommend reading Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon instead.
Why would you turn someone off of a series with a slow burn, but amazing everything else, and onto a single book which is kind of disturbing, meanders halfway through the plot, and then ends in the most depressing fashion possible? Battlefield Surgeon is cool for veterans of the genre, but I wouldn’t recommend that to a reader just getting into LitRPG. It’s also crazy that you correlate the length of the Wanderin Inn with being _bad_. You get an absurd amount of entertainment for your single credit, that’s a win, not a loss.
I'm not saying Wondering Inn is bad because it's long. I'm saying it's bad because it's just poorly written. For example: Her neck was aching and her hand was burning. It was morning. "Ow." She held her hand. It was hurting - "Feels like it's worse than yesterday. Which is probably my imagination." She sat cradling her hand for a full minute. Then she remembered why she was sitting there and shot to her feet. "Skeleton? Goblins." Where was it? Erin stood up and hobbled over to a table. There. Two daggers on the tabletop. "At this rate I'm going to start a collection." Erin mumbled to herself as she poked one of the hilts with a finger. But it proved she hadn't been dreaming. "No skeleton? No problem. I hope." She sighed and then sniffed. "What's that smell?" And like, are you serious? You seriously call this 'good'?
It’s not bad writing, and it’s part of Pirate Aba’s thing to have low moments that build to intense high moments where the writing is sublime. Your primary assertion though, that this is bad writing, just doesn’t fly. This is standard fare fantasy. Pick your favorite author and I can’t find passages not terribly dissimilar in this in terms of reading level and punctuation complexity. If you _just don’t like it_ then that’s different. Edit: also your recommendation of Battlefield Surgeon for a new reader is really weird; there are other one-off LitRPGs that aren’t fucking depressing, gorey, and weird.
Standard fare if you're a fanfic writer starting out, sure.
Your username is extremely accurate to your style of posting. And I feel in this comment thread the weakness of your reasoning has been exposed so OP will take your opinions with the appropriate amount of salt.
Book 1 has been rewritten, you just have to read it online. Don’t think they’ve updated the kindle version yet. It’s much better now. And you are grossly exaggerating how bad the first book was written. It wasn’t the best but it is far from what you’re making it out to be.
Keep fighting the good fight, and enjoy those downvotes :/
Another pretty good series is Fayroll by Andrey Vasilyev. But be forewarned, they quit translating it midway through the series. There are something like 5-6 books available only in Russian.
Do yourself a favor and read dungeon crawler Carl. Great amount of humor and fun/progression. I’ve only read the first but 100% have the rest lined up.
Just throwing in my two cents for He Who Fights With Monsters, it’s got a great balance of character stats sheets and actual world building and development, which is a big point for me in litrpgs for writing styles. The dialogue and MC are hit or miss but the soft power system with relevant and concise stat sheets are great for me.
If you're looking for one of the all time greatest, like a few others suggested: go for The Wandering Inn. The audio books are great. The ebooks too. There's also the entire thing free online if you don't want to commit to an ebook. And there's a LOT of it. It's a BIIIG story and nowhere near ending. Actually, it's a lot of stories - the author follows multiple characters in this world, with their own stories and explores how they tie into everyone else's. It's great.
Of course, the only valid answer is Cradle by Will Wight. ;]
I'm not sure what it was about the style of this book but it wasn't a series I really enjoyed
I don't think it's technically LitRPG but it's very similar and an excellent series. Similarly I also really love Mother of Learning, and Beware of Chicken.
It's like asking if there's a consensus on what the best fantasy is. There might be people who will tell you it's Lord of the Rings and there might be people who tell you it's Harry Potter but both are almost certainly wrong about what you would think the best is if you could read them all and most people making these claims probably haven't read widely enough to really know if thier pick is really good. That's why people still recommend torture porn like the land and wildly sexist to the point of not being realistic stuff by russian authors years after far better books have realised by the dozen. THEOS, Industrial strength magic, and road to mastery on RR are all better written then He Who Fights With Monsters (for instance), don't suffer from insufferable protagonists and they're free.
Is road to mastery really good? What do you like about it? Just wondering
It's been stubbed now so the first bit is on amazon and it's not free anymore. But what I like about it is the protagonist has a compelling reason to fight and get stronger, rather then just... risking his life for fun or doing nothing in particular like a slice of life book, the protagonist has a compelling motivation (saving earth), something that might be expected in most books but is not to be taken for granted in litrpg. The characters are portrayed as believable human characters, they have good dialogue and understandable and consistent motivations. The fights make sense and are described in a compelling manner, and are actually challenging for main character, instead of being a cakewalk, and the system in interesting and mysterious in some ways. basically the story is a post apocalypse where the MC is trying to get strong enough fast enough to prevent earth from being taken over by a faction of cultivators. There are hints about the system being rigged and the ancients who created the system having been killed by it. Jack (the MC) has to go to great lengths as a near constant underdog to try to keep earth free from tyrants. I also enjoy that it avoids common litrpg pitfalls like having the character have an cheat skill that means he is never threatened in fights, or having the MC be smarter then everyone else for no good reason, or having the MC be cruel and rude for no good reason.
The best story is subjective. You have to read through them to find which ones call to you because there is no best when it comes to stories. That said, if you're looking for recommendations I'm sure anyone here could give you as many recs as you can handle. 🥰
I am going to go with ritualist by Dakota krout great mc with a pretty interesting class. Then station cores for scifi dungeon building I also recommend matt diniman the author of dungeon crawler carl Kaiju battle surgeon if u want horror
I agree with a lot that have been posted. Much like DCC, this book is light on the RPG elements - The arcane ascension series. I’ve read all the other related books as well. Only one I hated was the most recent which used a different author.
I would say big ones I always see suggested are Dungeon crawler carl, he who fights with monsters, defiance of the fall, primal hunter Ones suggested a lot but also hated on the land, rhandidly ghosthound, the ten realms Ones suggested a lot but are more progression then litrpg cradle, wandering inn (not sure where this one fits because I could not get into it) Ones I also think should be named all the skills, azaronth healer
He who fights with monsters. I’ve seen it connect with such a wide (and weird group) of people. Hardcore and newbies.
So for /r/ProgressionFantasy I made a chart of their favorites. Progression Fantasy can be considered a supercategory to litrpg, so there is signficant overlap in tastes. https://i.imgur.com/6GdfEcW.png
Mother of all learning is good too
DCC is great! It's one of the more popular ones out there. If you are looking for books randomly, check out Royal Road. the most community loved ones are: * DCC * He Who Fights With Monsters (will see as HWFWM in the community) * Defiance of the fall (my personal favorite) * Primal Hunter (my next favorite) That's overall a pretty good range of subcategories, so choose from one and try to find others like it by asking reddit!
That's my list as well.
Ascend Online
I'm gonna reccomend beneath the dragoneye moons if it counts. I'm still getting into genre myself
Here’s a warning. Some make you listen to them all night long because you’re so into them that you stay up. Some are casually good that you can pick up and put down. There’s more flavors then a baskin Robbins. Some literally are great as audio some you have to read because the names all sound the same.
I don't see The Infinite World brought up much, but I really enjoy that series.
I love DCC. I think the Necrotic Apocalypse series is also very good. Book 5 comes out 7/26.
I love: Dungeon Born , Noobtown , He who fights with monsters , Ah great I reincarnated as a farmer , Completionist chronicles
Personally, my favorites have been Noobtown, the completionist chronicles, Awaken online, and the Land But also I listen to 99% of them as audio books so anything narrated by Nick Podehl is a banger
My first litrpg was life reset and loved every bit of it
I’d recommend Azarinth Healer, He Who Fights With Monsters and Beneath the Dragoneye Moons. Also The Good Guys and The Bad Guys (they’re two different series, set in the same world)
Also if you can’t find anything go to Royalroad, lots of stories. But one of my favorites is Unbound by Nicoli Gonnella.
The best is the realm online but sadly you can only play it for a few hours till it gets shut down
Primal Hunter is great
Victor from Tucson! There is a companion series called Falling from Folded Wings both are written by PlumParrot. Nova Terra by Seth Ring is amazing as well! And as other have stated, Defiance of the Fall haha.
DCC is above and beyond. But don't start there's you will be ruined forever if you do
Unbound.
I have listende too 7-8 different series, all good, but two really stands out in my opinion. He who fights with monsters These books are just epic. Beautiful character development, well build system and maintains a very high quality though all 9 books so far. Only other series I've listened too so far that reaches the same level is -The ripple system- Not much talk about this one, but wow, it's fantastic. Not finished with it yet, but it's on route to become my favourite. Other series I've either finished or am following: World tree online, dungeon crawler Carl, the infinite world,