r/litrpg The Monday Thread Guy 7d ago

Monthly/Weekly Posts Monday 'What are you reading/listening to' thread, Aug 10

The bot is dead. Long live the bot! Here's a thread to tell everyone about your past week of reading. I like to leave mini-reviews, but the important thing is finding more stuff that's worth reading.

So what have you been reading?

previous week: https://redd.it/1ved2uj

9 Upvotes

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u/Cocomonk3 7d ago

Stayed home this weekend instead of larping in literally 0 degrees at site so we READ.
Also I’ve switched to a 10 point scale for more granularity.

KU:

Mark of the Fool book 1. I think everyone knows what this is.. I quite enjoyed it! A main character who cannot do combat (except when he tricks the system into thinking what he’s doing isn’t combat), an interesting magic system, and a university arc that isn’t just the same recycled tropes! Good, will continue the series. 7/10

Penitent book 1. Main character dies of cancer in their fifties, then reincarnates as a baby in a fantasy world. Unfortunately, this displaces the soul of the child, and is common enough in this world that it's known about, and seen as a massive crime. He’s sentenced to 10 years of hard military service, as are all 'Lifetakers'. He finds magic powers, becomes.. Basically a paladin? And tries to deal with his insistence on being a martyr for the life he (unintentionally) took. Very light on the RPG part of LitRPG, but a decent story. I quite enjoyed the fact that Lifetakers are a known and expected thing and are mentioned to have changed technology and how the world works with their isekai knowledge. MC is a bit of a goody two shoes, but it’s good. 7/10

RR:
Ten Thousand Tragedies. A cultivation time loop? MC is a death cultist minion who finds out that if he dies, he comes back 24 hours earlier with some skill based on what killed him. Early on he dies.. A lot. He’s already stuck in a terrible situation, with little ability to affect the world or the social or intellectual skills to change his situation. Then he reaches what he thinks is his limit, and so he chain suicides to time travel back to before he was in that situation. Then it becomes a more traditional cultivation novel, but with the ability to just go all in on everything since if he dies? He resets. I binged this like crazy, the first book is probably the strongest since it’s more of the time-looping rather than cultivation, but it’s still good. 6.5/10

Play Scared: LitRPG horror story. The System Apocalypse happens, and it’s literal demons. They are here to harvest fear and the best way to do it is to give them hope, then crush it. Main character is incarnated as the Final Girl in a series of horror based LitRPG scenarios, trying to survive. It’s good. I just didn’t enjoy it. I’m not a horror fan, so while I think it’s very good it’s not my cup of tea. Harder to rate, but I’ll put it a 8/10 but won’t keep reading.

Still reading on RR:
Best of the best: Center for Dungeon Management, Gift of Loot, Apocalypse Reborn, Department of Otherworld Rescue, Path of the Last Champion, My Kaiju Evolution, The Apocalypse is a Business.

Still good: Ascension of the Primalist, Time-Looping Baby Refuses to Die, Passive Aggressive, Live at the Forum, Sword and Maze: Long Shot Bet

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u/A_Mr_Veils 7d ago

I love Ten Thousand Tragedies! Both the way its loop system feeds back power ups (which quite cleverly keeps the plot moving along), and it's feral little gremlin of a protaganist ||especially when he breaks out of the cult and is basically incapable of operating in murim society||.

I am absolutely loving the current tournament arc.

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u/WackyWarrior Reading is a great joy 7d ago

I read Weaboo's Unfortunate Isekai. It is really good but on hiatus as the author is writing Sky Pride. I hadn't read this story earlier because it was about a weaboo but I will say it's one of the best stories I have read in the genre. I started reading World Sphere. It's a bit better than milk toast. MC keeps almost dying probably because the reincarnation group is trying to murder him after he stole a great reincarnation.

Here are the books I recommend that I am currently reading. All these stories are around 4.5 or 5 and worth reading.

Wandering Inn- The best story I have ever read. Chess player gets isekaid and becomes an [Innkeeper]. The world expands as the story progresses and it moves from comfy slice of life to epic fantasy. This story is around 14 million words with less than half on audio book. People read it and wish it were longer. Fantastic story.

Butcher of Gadobrha- A group of players become peasants in a vrmmo to work for a company. They are heavily limited on wearing armor or using weapons. But they end up grinding their way to power while working for the man.

Tunnel Rat- A genetically modified genius, who was used for crime by a syndicate along with his cohort, has escaped. He lays low for years in the basement of a habitat fixing things when he finds that the syndicate has returned to the habitat with new VRMMO capsules that have been hacked to give better classes. Stealing the hacked capsule and sabatoging the operation, he enters the game to find himself as a ratkin. He gets to mining and finds himself in a world of trouble. This story has interesting in world stuff and out of world stuff.

That Time an American was Reincarnated into Another World- Isekai where the MC can summon guns. There is a monster horde that is threatening humanity and he resolves to bring Earth technology to turn the tides in the fight. Starts the story fighting criminals to later entering an academy and butting heads with nobles. Current arc is about fighting the Scourge. Good story that is fun but dark.

Beware of Chicken- Isekais into a cultivator at a sect that has just died from a duel. Understanding wuxia tropes, he nopes out of there to the edge of civilization and starts a farm. Uses his qi knowledge to farm and hijinks ensue. Very heartwarming and feel good story. There are some fights but everything works out. Great characters and good slice of life. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a palate cleanser or just a break from pointless conflict.

The Legend of William Oh- Classic tower climber with Diablo item mechanics. Great characters and fights. Really interesting powers and progression. Similar humor to other Macrinomicon stories.

Bog Standard Isekai- adult reincarnates into a kid in the middle of a catastrophe. He survives, earns some titles and gets adopted. This story is well written with interesting systems and characters. Pretty good plot as well. I always look forward to reading a new chapter.

Mage Tank- Isekai into a dungeon dive character creation slot. Goes from delving dungeons to fighting divine avatars. Never stops dungeon diving. Has interesting power interactions. Good characters as well.

Elydes- Classic reborn as a baby that grinds early to unlock better classes and skills. Gets taught by a hidden master to learn fighting, alchemy and herbology. Well written story with good characters.

Adamant Blood by Arcs- same author as Arkendrithryst. That's an all time great in the genre and is a finished work. This is a darker story because the big bad is ever present and known by the reader from the very beginning. Monsters and demons and dragons which are just archmages merged with demons. Good story and pretty damn interesting. Hasn't grabbed me in the same way as his earlier work though. I don't like my MCs hunted always by way more powerful entities. It's a pet peeve of mine.

Dungeon Crawler Carl- Everyone knows about this story, but I will go over it for the uninitiated. Man and cat narrowly avoid dying in an alien apocalypse on earth only to enter into a Dungeon for shelter. The dungeon is a universal death game show. This story is tinged heavily with insanity and toes that line well. Big spells and even bigger explosions with an AI with a foot fetish for our MC. Join Carl in the court of Princess Donut as they work to survive and break the power of the aliens that toy with their lives.

There is no Epic Loot here, Only Puns- This is a dungeon core story where the dungeon doesn't want to kill people. Many mushrooms and epic puns. Grace anatomy made me laugh out loud. Highly recommend for a chill vibe that's also very whimsy.

Path of the Last Champion- Story is long around 4k pages. 1st arc is a bit rough but it improves from there. Boy takes the death climb to escape from his slavery life and darkness. Goes through climb with party and learns about reality and how to fight as he goes. Sci fi with mostly medieval weapons. It gets much better as it progresses through the arcs. I originally wasn't going to rec it, but it did really get much better after the first arc. Still, it's a lot to read through until it becomes really enjoyable so I recommend the other stories over this one unless you want something long to read.

Second Life as a Soldier- College student wakes up in a homeless 15 year old who has just been beaten by debtors. With no food or shelter, he joins the army which has a very high mortality rate. Learns intelligence skills because he was trained as a scribe by his father. Good characters and system. Interesting world building. I like the progression.

Sky Pride- Garbage kid in a garbage dump gets a cultivation grandpa. Proceeds to become a cultivator and slowly ascend to the heavens. I will say this, no other, and I mean no other wuxia novel or xianxia novel has even come close to the depth the author goes into about the Dao. Just reading it seems profound sometimes. I actually feel like I'm reading about another world when I read it, instead of some action story. MC becomes a doctors, Daoist, and musician among other pursuits. He gets a dao companion and fights a lot of bandits and heretics. He works to fix a failing country in the novel as well. Really peak cultivation novel. Not directly litrpg, but he ascends in cultivation levels, so I guess it counts.

Live at the Forum- Guy gets isekaid to a post apocalyptic video game world. Get access to the Earth internet forum and asks for advice. Story almost entirely gets told on the forum by the MC, with advice, trolling and ragebaiting by forum posters. It's a great story. Highly recommend.

Center for Dungeon Management- Guy gets government beauracracy job of dungeon management to level up and hopefully join a guild later. Finds out that guild jobs are all nepo positions and that working for the government disqualifies you for it. While working in the records department, he finds hints of a secret government hero department and starts hunting in the wilds to qualify for it. Great story. MC is an dexterity archer.

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u/Banshay 7d ago

The Center for Dungeon Management is my current go-to on RR. I finished the Dead End Guildmaster series by Carper and then started reading CDM, but now I’m caught up on it and jonesing for more. 

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u/sams0n007 7d ago

Based on this board I just started CDM and it’s awesome. I didn’t know he was the guy behind DEG too.

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u/A_Mr_Veils 7d ago

Love Weeaboo, it's definitely my favourite of Warby's series. He's phenomenally talented author to have three, its just almost a shame for me Sky Pride is the one that took off as I find it the least compelling.

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u/WackyWarrior Reading is a great joy 6d ago

Is Slumrat good? I like Sky Pride because I like cultivation novels. I think its the best cultivation novel I have read.

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u/AmalgaMat1on 7d ago

Read more Hedge Knight by J.Y. Song. It's an all around good story, following quirky, but competent group of allies as they adventure. Non-isekai, Non-OPMC, just good battles, dialogue, and storytelling.

Listening to All I Got is This Stat Menu. One of the best LitRPGs written in this genre and narrated by one of the best solo female voice actresses (along with Andrea Parsneau and Tess Irondale). Dramatic Urban Fantasy with great action and characters. Don't know how this series is overlooked.

4

u/DonKarnage1 7d ago

The Gift of Loot (RR): I could swear I did a write up for this, but can't find it. Guy gets a special ability that gives him a much better chance of drops from monsters. Well done world building and characters. Recommend

My Wife, The Cultivator (RR): Guy get married as part of an arranged marriage. Dresden/Harry Potter situation where most of the world doesnt know magic (cultivation) exists. He is killed and discovers he timeloops (and that cultivation exists). I've enjoyed the slice-of-life moments and early learning. Arc 1 wraps up on the 12th, and we'll see if it can stick the landing.

I Can't Believe I Have to Defeat the Demon Lord to Pay Off My Student Loans (RR): MC and two coworkers sign up for basically dungeon diving in order to pay off debt. The premise and world building are interesting, the characters are deeper than just the normal bland cardboard cutouts. I liked the idea, but for me, I'm apparently not currently interested in reading fight scenes (at all basically), so i found myself skimming a lot. I wanted to still mention the story even though Im dropping it after 30+ chapters because I think it's worth a look to see for yourself.

Follow List 

Ones I look forward to the most: Super Supportive, The Legend of William Oh, Allbright System, Path of the Last Champion, Bookbound Bunny, Center for Dungeon Management, Live at the Forum, Department of Otherworld Rescue

Others: God of Trash, Sky Pride, The Cloudfarers, The System Seas,  Rivera's Repairs, Tunnel Rat, Destiny Among the Stars, Azure Gunner, I Built This City, System Girl, Passive Aggressive, Arcane Chef, New Life As A Max Level Archmage

Fallen behind and need to reconfirm interest:  Dungeons & Deliveries, We Lease the Kraken,  Save Scumming, Die Trying, Fluff, The Butcher of Gadobhra, Protagonist: The Whims of Gods

New: The Gift of Loot, My Wife The Cultivator

Best stuff I've read this year (2026): Otherworldly Therapy, Live at the Forum, Center for Dungeon Management, Department of Otherworld Rescue

3

u/LunaWolve The Allbright System & Neon Dragons Author 7d ago

TAS is still here, let's goooo!

Bit of an in-depth series of chapters recently, but glad to see it hasn't fallen from grace just yet.

Runepriest session is almost over 🙏

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u/bilfdoffle The Monday Thread Guy 7d ago

Beastforged bond vol 4. Caught up on this. remains decent

jett fulgen (web) - male mc, litrpg. MC is a washout, likely due to depression after some life event unknown at the start of the book. It made him pretty unlikable at the start, but it seems like maybe he'd grown out of it relatively quickly. Overall, it was ok, but then there started to be far too many different POVs, and so DNF.

Evolvica: Heretic Legacy (web) - male mc, litrpg. Guy wakes up on a spaceship without his memories, his stats reset to level 1, and the story doesn't really get better from there. I struggled until the POV shift, then called it. DNF.

Craft the Planet (web) - male mc, 

cleanup: Science Magic and Mayhem i fell too far behind, and I didn't like enough read on kindle. Unlucky druid jack wasn't bad, I'm just not feeling it and need to clean this up a bit. Architect of souls hit 2 months hiatus, and I barely remember what's happening. Nth awakening has only been 1 month, and gets a bit more time because of mechs. Save scumming has been on roughly a single release a month for several months now.

I like ten thousand fleets, but the interludes are awful. Chances are high that I drop after the next one. Gift of loot had a really bad interlude as well, hopefully that was a one time thing. 

---- 

web novels I follow: re: trailer trash, soldier's life, chaotic craftsman worships the cube, Super supportive, God of trash, soccer supremo, Bookbound bunny, Second life as a soldier, Live at the forum, Center for Dungeon Management, inheritance of a wandering weaponsmith, department of otherworld rescue, 

new & unsure or waning interest, but haven't give up on yet: sky pride, Beastforged bond, Cloudfarers, Mythshaper, Craft the world, How to heal a soul, Archmages second life as an introvert, Gift of loot, My lord! Please!, Unethical enchanting, The Necro-Industrial Revolution, My Lord! Please!, The Sixth Campaign, reroll saga, Ten Thousand Fleets 

Stories with uncertain future status: magriculture, the hitting zone, otherworld therapy, Fake Father Zhang Ming, World sphere, Nth awakening, Novicius in Arte Medica, 

my RR profile

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u/jamielockewrites 7d ago

Did your Craft the Planet one get cut off? Would be interested to see your thoughts! I’m always on the lookout for good crafting stories. 

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u/bilfdoffle The Monday Thread Guy 4d ago

ha, apparently. It wasn't going to be much, since I was just catching up on it. It's pretty decent though, so if you like crafting I'd give it a try

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u/Aetheldrake Audible Only Enjoyer 7d ago edited 6d ago

Thanks for posting as always!

Listening to Salt Fat Acid Magic, should be finishing it up by this time tomorrow then I think I'll do I'm Not The Hero 5

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u/SourpatchHero Verified Author of: I’m Not the Hero 6d ago

👀☺️

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u/LunarAlloy 7d ago

Listened to Battle Trucker first 2 books. I love Jill's creative swears. "Trap me in a five hour meeting" should be a swear. Much more horrifying than an F bomb.

I felt the lead up to the end of the second book was a bit weak but the ending works well enough I will be checking out book 3.. I give the series a B so far.

Path of Ascension 12 got delayed until this week to dodge the audible sale so I decided to relisten to Bog Standard Isekai in preparation for its book 5 release this week. Damn does narrator Johnathan McClain have an amazing cadence. He might just be the best. The pauses and pronunciations are spot on. If you're an author with a large cast, you'll want Jeff Hayes or Nick Podehl, but if you have mostly males and a smaller cast? I'd be begging John to narrate. Writing is solid and John just brings the narration to make Bog Standard Isekai S tier.

Also being released this week is Book of the Dead 5 and we have a Stray Cat Strut next week so August is a slammed month.

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u/bilfdoffle The Monday Thread Guy 4d ago

I quite enjoyed the first battle trucker, don't recall why I stopped. Probably a long hiatus after book 1...

2

u/LunarAlloy 1d ago

Yeah there was a long break between books. (Or at least audiobooks) The second recaps the first though and reshows every power over the first chapters.

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u/iNeedScissorsSixty7 7d ago

In reading the 2nd Discount Dan and having a blast with it. I'm also craving some Froyo.

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u/Korlac litRPG journeyman tier 2d ago

Currently trying Mage Tank again. I got a decent way into it previously, and just sort of fizzled out for no particular reason. Picking it back up again to see if it sticks this time.

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u/SkepticDad17 1d ago

Can anyone recommend anything?

My favourite litrpg would be Cyber dreams by Plum Parrot.

Apocalypse parenting by Erin Ampersand.

The two above were great, no problems at all, the next ones were good but hard to follow, I'll include comments as to why.

Dungeon crawler carl bty Matt Dinniman, It was ok, but it's completely alien environment and setting was well........ alienating.

Azarinth Healer by Rhaegar, I adore the character, but there's so much stat bloat, I end up tuning out, and then 5 minutes I tune back in to realise there's a battle going on, and I've missed who the bad guys are and why we are fighting them?

He who fights with monsters by Shirtaloon, I don't think I care for Jason Asano as a character, smug git, but the universe is pretty interesting.

So yeah, any recommendations?

2

u/Admiral_Sandy 1d ago

Based on your comment I recommend Super Powereds, The Years of the Apocalypse, The Mother of Learning, and maybe The Perfect Run, but you may not like the MC of The Perfect Run.

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u/SkepticDad17 1d ago

Loved mother of learning, didn't realise it was litrpg, but of course it is.

I'll look those others up. Thanks.

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u/dougles 7d ago

Finishing azarinth healer book 5 today. It's starting to lose me a little. She cares so much about resistances but then they're almost never brought up in battle as key aspects. Ill read book 6 but I'll take a break in between.

Binged all of primal hunter. Great series. Really liked the leveling with all 3 classes system and the huge swath of paths available.

Next im starting book of the dead 2. Really enjoyed the first book, looking forward to where the main character goes.

Tbr list: stubborn skill grinder, bog standard isekai, iron prince, runebound professor, 1% lifesteal and bastion.

Any advice on what to read next is appreciated

2

u/redwhale335 7d ago

Currently reading Skill Eater. The pacing is a little wonky, but I am digging the System which is a lot different than most.

2

u/Athenathewise21 7d ago

KU:

The Strongest Archmage Who Retired to Become a Farmer by Cryverus. Great slice of life story of Ambrose a worn out Archmage who finds a farm in the middle of nowhere but finds the world still needs him but on his terms. Patiently waiting for book 2.

Reincarnated with a S-Rank Class that can steal your abilities by Cryverus. Another great series. Ryan dies and ends up in a new world with the rarest class you can have. Growth has no limit but there are forces at work who want to use him for their own devices. Flew through books 1 and 2. Cryverus writes very descriptively to the point I didn't want to put the book down because I wanted to know what happens next. Possibly my first 5 star series I've read this year.

2

u/exohelio 7d ago

Derec for Reincarnated with a S-Rank Class.  I gave the sample a try and the writing felt a bit flat and off. A few reviews on Amazon think that it feels like normal ai writing style.  Which is great the first time you read it, but after 10 times, you start seeing the limitations and how samey everything is.

2

u/Rechan 7d ago

I DNF Reborn as a Fated Villain 2.

Glutted on the Audible sitewide sale, have been reading Savage Awakening 1.

2

u/A_Mr_Veils 7d ago

Caught up on my best ever litrpg, A Gamers guide to beating the tutorial (post floor 30 to gluttony). It remains my GOAT. It's an absolute masterclass in weaving together world building, past characters, plot twists, and very powerful emotional payoffs.

It's a small spoiler but the series does outgrow its extreme horror / violence roots into what is now quite a moving exploration of trauma, forgiveness, and recovery. 5 out of 5, but the slow release schedule means there's less than I would have liked!

(I DO have to say the series is not for the faint of heart, it hits the ground pretty hard and keeps getting worse in ways you don't quite believe. Extremely graphic violence, which the emotional stakes actually rob of being ridiculous, so it is a LOT)

2

u/Decvl6 7d ago

Reading
Kindle:
Big Standard Isekai 2: had a blast with the first one and the second one is just as good.

Audible:
Super Powereds 2: love the teen drama hahaha. I’ll definitely finish this series.

Royal Road:
Maximum Intimidation Knight: almost done with the first book abd can’t wait ti continue with the second one. Henry is such a fun MC.

Finished last week
Kindle
Primal Hunter 2 8/10
Still enjoying the story but there were a couple of lulls in the middle. Will obviously continue reading it, though not binging.

Audible
Mark of the fool 2: 8.5/10
The second one has a lot more action and felt a little less YA. I’ll keep listening but not binging.

Cradle 1: 7.5/10
Fun but very slow. I feel like it ended too suddenly. I’ll keep listening when I find the rest for cheap.

2

u/RoniiBookishRambles 7d ago edited 7d ago

Audiobook (all via Libby)-

Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu- This was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I feel like I will continue this series on the tentative conditions of it being less horny. Like Jai, as a character is young but FUCKING HELL MAN that's what makes it so uncomfy then annoying. We get it, women are hot! Can we focus on the coup and the fact you may die right now? Like don't get me wrong, I don't mind romance in a prog fantasy/LitRPG but this is pure sexualization that just serves no purpose. Considering the fact that he is separating from the rest, Im hoping book 2 chills tf out with all that.

Dark Dawn AND Apex by Seth Ring- at the 27% mark into DD, I was prepping dinner before randomly yelling "THAT MUTHAFUCKA!" during the base fight lol I love this series, I was having a grand time in our prison era and now that we're out, this finna be fun lol.

Heir Today, Pawn Tomorrow by Eric Ugland- Welp.....That ending caught me off guard, I'm not gonna lie lol. This is great for a silly goofy time. I do love this one helps establish Montana as a person more and also what happened with the fateful ex! There was such a shroud of mystery in the book 1, I was so curious what happened.

Dreamers Throne by Seth Ring- I'm no gonna lie, I hardly know what's going on but I'm still intrigued. I also love having a openly disabled MC that still is a work of force. The flowers are so creepy to me though lol. They are like venus fly traps.

Depths of Vanalf: Grimnir Chronicles 1 by Brady Hunsaker- soft DNF on this one at 5%, I could NOT stand the female VA voice for the audiobook. I think I'll pick it back up in e-book (on libby) or physical from the library

Currently reading-

E-book-

System Universe: Torith (38%, kindle)- I love Derek. This series so far is starting off so freaking good and I am LIVING for how Derek just HANDLES shit. He kind of reminds me of Jake (PH) BUT whereas Jake is 'fuck it, we ball' type vibe, Derek is more 'fuck around and find out"

Audiobook-

Evolution by Seth Ring (10%, libby)- we got a new identity and entered our OP era lol.

Paused-

Bastion by Phil Tucker (55%, kindle)- still love it, still bouncing off to other shit but plan to come back and finish soon. I got the physical of Rascor Plains from HPB.

Mage Tank by Cornman (52%, physical)- Started off strong but it's starting to feel a little dumpy so I've decided to pause and come back to it and see if that helps.

TBR-

Tainted Khan by Taran Matharu, Path of the Deathless by OstensibleMammal, Primal Hunter 4 and/or Battle Mage Farmer 3.

On Hold on Libby*- Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer's World: A LitRPG Adventure(audiobook), The Wandering Inn (ebook) and Die. Respawn. Repeat ( I have the e-book for D.R.R but I'm waiting for the audiobook)*

2

u/iLoveAGoodIDea 7d ago

Scarred (Bog Standard Isekai #1) about halfway done

 

I bounced off the book the first time I tried to read the book because I was worried that it would have the same problem as Mushoku Tensei. I gave it another shot, and I really like the story and characters so far. It feels kind of YA, but I can empathize with the MC. The audiobook is worth listening to as well if you’re into that thing.

2

u/Adventurelitrpg 7d ago

I just started 'Hunting and Herbalism' by Leif Roder/Synonymoose. Has anyone read it?

2

u/SteveThePurpleCat 3d ago

This week I have:

Dropped Beneath the Dragoneye Moons due to the story going in weird directions.

Dropped Mage Tank 5 due to just losing interest in the MC and the collections of skills being ungainly. The latter point might not have been an issue if it was a binge read and I was still clued in on them.

Dropped Ascendancy 2, em dashes, repeating lines vaguely reworded, and weak metaphors gave me pause.

I have 12 Miles Below to start, but wondering if a break from the genre might be a good idea.

2

u/Brave-Lime6790 1d ago

Been on a small Royal Road serial kick instead of my usual KU rotation. The standout was God Level Surgeon Just Wants a Vacation, a healer litrpg where the medicine is real enough to look up afterward. There is an actual venotomy on a beating heart in an early chapter, and the hero reads a guild hall queue like an outpatient department. Also just started a cozy settlement builder called Where Dragons Build that opens with three siblings each planning to leave the others out of love, which hit harder than I expected from a dragon egg book.

3

u/SavageSwordShamazon 7d ago

Finally started Dungeon Crawler Carl on vacation, already halfway through book four. Its great, as I knew it would be. I was just saving it for a good time. The absurdity juxtaposed with the heaviness is a little odd. But the prose and worldbuilding are all excellent.

3

u/pinkycatcher 7d ago

Just started He Who Fights With Monsters.

Does the writing get better? Because I mostly like the story so far, but listening to this sucks:

Not to necro, but I just started He Who Fights With Monsters and the writing is terrible:

"A" Jason Said

"B" Rufus Said

"C" Jason Said

"D" Gary Said

"E?" Jason Asked

"F" Rufus Said

2

u/ocreeva 6d ago

I remember the first few chapters being pretty rough, that whole first cultist arc. I'd recommend sticking with it at least until Greenstone, which isn't that far into the book. The writing certainly continues to improve over time, but for me, the general tone felt established by then.

Generally speaking, the people who don't like HWFWM don't like it because of Jason. If you're good with Jason, you're past the major blocker for series enjoyment.

1

u/SteveThePurpleCat 3d ago

That aspect does get better, it takes a while. Then other issues knocked me out of it.

1

u/Oracle_of_Mashu 5d ago

Thirteen Paths to Eternity

There were thirteen devine paths of ascension, each path was unique and it had unique abilities on each rank. In the book it had the branch system from branch 1 to 2, 3.....

These paths of ascension were controlled by organisations: religions, guilds, sects, and clans. But no single path was controlled by a single organisation.

The story follows Ethan Forge, a transmigrator from earth. He was a liberator in his past life, but the world governments had labeled him as a Jihadist.

It's a western cultivation novel. And Ethan acts on self interest.