Book picks similar to
The Itemancer: Book 1 by Forrest Minter
litrpg
read-next-list
eng
premature
Delve
SenescentSoul
He wasn’t summoned to defeat the demon lord or to save the world or anything like that, at least as far as he can tell. The only creature there to greet him was a regular old squirrel.Soon enough, he meets other people, only to discover that he can’t speak the language, and that not everybody immediately trusts random pajama-wearing strangers they met in the middle of the wilderness. Things generally go downhill from there, at least until the blue boxes start appearing.Delve is a story about finding your way in a new, strange, and dangerous world. It’s about avoiding death, figuring out what the heck is going on, and trying to make some friends along the way. It’s not about getting home, so much as finding a new one.Did I mention that there will be math? Summary – Level 2: Okay, but what are you in for, really?Well, this story is supposed to be realistic, or at least, as realistic as a fantasy litrpg can be. The main character doesn’t instantly become an all-powerful god and murder-hobo his way across the universe. Delve is, at its heart, a progression fantasy, but that progression is meant to feel earned. The numbers in this story actually mean something. Everything is calculated, and if you find a rounding error, I expect you to tell me about it. That said, if math isn’t your cup of tea, there is plenty more that the story has to offer. Characters are meant to feel real, and progression isn’t only about personal power; it’s also about allies, connections, and above all, knowledge. Figuring out how the system works is a significant theme. ... What, you want more details? Okay, fine, but this is going to get a bit spoiler-y. Are you sure? Yes! Really sure? I mean, this summary is practically half as long as the first chap– Now! Okay, okay!The main character becomes a magic user, but he takes a route that is not very popular in adventurer culture, namely that of a support. There is a full magic system with various spells, skills, and abilities, but our MC decides that aura magic is the way to go, and that the only stat worth investing in is mana regeneration. Most people at the Adventurer’s Guild think that this makes him a bit of a dumbass, but he’s playing the long game. We’ll see how that works out for him, won’t we?Because of his build, the MC levels up fast, at least compared to normal people. There are no cheats, though, and he is limited in other ways. There are some clear and pretty obvious downsides to his build. That’s what makes it fun, no?Morals? Our MC has them. Again, we’ll see how that works out for him. Realism, remember? Would you be okay with killing someone and looting their body? I sure hope not.POV? The focus is on the main character, but there will be occasional varying perspectives from people around him, or involved in the events related to the main plot. It isn’t going to jump all over the place.Tech is standard medieval stasis. No smartphones, but the MC does have a technical background. Computers and their programming might be involved. There might even be a bit of uplifting down the road, who knows? Anyway, it isn’t the focus. He isn’t going to invent the gun in chapter 1 and change the face of warfare.Romance is not a major focus. Friendships are more the name of the game, though there will be some characters in romantic relationships.There is exploration, though not as much of the geographical nature as you might expect. It is more about exploration of the system and the culture.The pace is slow and detailed, sometimes verging on slice-of-life. The action is meant to be realistic and grounded in the numbers, and it is intended to have meaning beyond simply punching things until they stop moving.The general tone of the story is grey, and some parts can get quite dark. People die. Sometimes, people with names, but not anywhere near GoT level. There is plenty of light, too, though, to balance the darkness. The world is dangerous, but overcoming that danger is why we’re all here, isn’t it?Anyway, if you’ve made it this far through the summary, you clearly like words. I hope you enjoy the story! Cover by Miha BrumecSummary Updated: 2020-06-14
The Corrupted Core
John Stovall - 2021
An unusually talented party of adventurers. Both must face the terror that destroyed the kingdom that came before them.Will is the newest in a long line of dungeons born into the world—and he’s a rank higher than any dungeon that preceded. He’s born along with seven other dungeons in a small area, but so many dungeons were born in one place because of a magical disaster… A disaster brought about by the Voidbringers who sought to conquer the world.Now the unthinkable has happened. The Voidbringers have returned, and they have the ability to corrupt dungeons. As a powerful dungeon, Will is one of their targets. He comes under assault by their minions, has to deal with aggressive neighboring dungeons, and of course, adventurers.With the aid of his dungeon fairy, Amber, and an adventuring party run by Gar Adamant, displaced prince of the kingdom destroyed by the Voidbringers, Will must grow his dungeon to become as strong as he possibly can, grow his nearby town, defend himself and the locals, and fend off the enemies that surround him everywhere.A Dungeon Core story.
The Sequestered Seminary of Sawtorn (Zectas #5)
John Nest - 2016
There, he hopes to find a miracle. As the Brotherhood of Beggars informed him that a Thaumaturge may live there, in the form of the true Magietrois. However, Smoke's quest for his friends' resurrection is on constrained time. Duke Burmistrz of Centzo City plans to attack Verbrannt within a year's time.
Lost Pirates
Jamie Hawke - 2018
Pirates. Leveling Up and Crafting. Frank was never the save-the-world type. He joined his college's Jedi dueling club to impress a chick he was into, and only stayed because he was too embarrassed to quit. He’s the type to have a crush, but the closest he’s gotten to action lately is when he stumbles upon his roommate having a hot threesome. Damn, he'd love to feel what it's like to be that guy. Be careful what you wish for... Life takes an unexpected turn when Frank discovers his grandpa's secret and travels back in time. Finding himself in a land of pirates that doesn’t quite line up with what he learned in history class, Frank soon learns he has a special ability to craft weapons based on locations someone has laid out for him and related to the time-travel device. All while bonding with a team of hot-as-sin pirate ladies. Someone else has been traveling in time and messing it up, and now Frank’s the only one who can go up against the new Pirate King and put everything as it was. Of course, while finally getting that threesome he was so envious of... and then some. Warning: Harem readers, Gamelit lovers, and anyone else who wants a crazy story with highly adult situations and fun galore should read on. The rest of you, run away as fast as you can before the vileness of this content spreads and sucks you into a story you can’t escape. For fans of harem gamelit who enjoyed the Sliders and Black Sails shows.
The Aussie Mana Apocalypse
Christopher J. Timms - 2020
Then the monsters showed up.Isolated in the Aussie outback with his best mate Nugget, Nugget's sister Mel (who he definitely did not have a thing with), Mel's new latte-sipping boyfriend, and a British backpacker, why isn’t Keat panicked?Because Keat’s a gamer.And every gamer knows, there’s always a way to power level. (also...because he has a giant wombat).You’ll love this LitRPG Western, set in the Australian Outback, because it reminds us how people change on a gap year, and because it takes the piss. Get it now.
Lightfoot
Joe Kuster - 2020
With little more to his name than a winning smile, his life takes a turn for the interesting as he befriends Serina, a rebellious young woman among the god-like Devas that control his realm. Being a test subject for her magic seems innocent enough, even if she occasionally tinkers with things she shouldn’t.Unfortunately, her experiments on him don’t go unnoticed and as soon as her family finds out, he’s as good as dead. About to be pulped by dozens of angry higher powers, Serina saves him the only way she can: by binding his soul to hers and flinging him through a portal to another world.Landing in the realm full of dangerous creatures and sinister adversaries, he finds that the pact has changed him in more ways than claiming his soul. The newly minted adventurer has his work cut out for him, especially since he doesn’t have any idea how to use the magic that’s been stuffed into him, much less what to do about the oaths that require him to love freely and spend his nights carousing.Join TJ on this riveting adventure that spans multiple worlds and help him discover the secrets of the Devas as he struggles to survive and fulfill his oaths.Disclaimer: This series features a protagonist raised in a higher realm where free love and indulgence are the norm and has a set of morals and ethics that are different from our own. His story includes building harem-like relationships with multiple devoted women, and does not fade to black. Also, this story is not game-lit, it doesn't feature crunchy rules-heavy stories, there's not a stat in the house, the MC doesn't exploit world mechanics, nor is it for the faint of heart. For 18+ readers only.
The Four Territories
Stevie Collier - 2017
The red territory of Reah. A land in which every day is an absolute struggle for survival.One day, an elderly man discovers the boy mortally wounded on the side of the ash-filled streets and takes pity on him, a kindness unknown in the land of Reah. Then, using unorthodox training, he beats the skills necessary for the boy to endure the harshness of the territory. Skills of a master assassin. Combat. Sorcery. Alchemy.All is going well until a dark and forgotten energy finds its way into young Esh's body. Wreaking havoc on his mind, it threatens to drag his spirit into darkness.If Esh doesn't use all his mental and physical strength to combat the ancient evil energy then he will surely be defeated.
Another Typical Day
Daniel B. Harris - 2014
Have you ever come home from work wishing that you were somewhere else. What if your life was different, magical and happy? It happened to David with mixed results. This rags to riches story introduces our hero to quite a few dangerous situations including many attractive young ladies!
My Ninja Girl
Gideon Caldwell - 2020
With gatling guns.Micah Regent is a pre-med student in Neo-Hokkaido, just hoping his snarky grandmother's prayer can help him pass an exam.When two sexy ninja girl statues come to life before his very eyes and start fighting each other, his life will never be the same.Drawn into a rebel faction by an old friend and his less-than-perfect luck, Micah must not only defy the iron-handed, bucket-headed Society of Monks (and killer nuns), he must uncover the secrets behind the ninja girls and the industria that not only runs the world, but through his veins.You already know he's going to save the day, so the real question is: how many ninja girls can he marry along the way?Cultivation and cyberpunk collide in this action-packed harem adventure by Gideon Caldwell, Amazon bestselling author of Dungeon Goddess.
Soulcatcher
Sergey Zaytsev - 2019
Every player "avatar" is a living physical body with incredible survival traits. Once in this dreamscape, it would be unwise to not seize the moment! There are, however, a couple of catches.First of all, you don't remember your identity. Second, the "sandbox" of this inter-civilization game, "Universe ICS", is a dangerous place for beginners. Finally, character restoration is finite. Death in "ICS" may be irreversible.All the books in the series "the Universe ICS":1.Soulcatcher2.Keymaster3.Seeker4.Executioner5.DestroyerThe beginning of the book is here:royalroad.com/fiction/23162/universe-...Have a pleasant reading!
Initialization (Paths of Power #1)
Sean Barber - 2022
700 miles, no truck and just his loyal dog to accompany him, can he survive in this new world? A world where The System spawns monsters and mutates plants and animals to absorb and refine essence? Let us find out.
Mercy's End
Athena Storm - 2019
But my soul craves him. He’s a beast. A killer. With the blood of thousands on his hands. He has no mercy. No repentance for what he did. But it isn’t his cruelty that astounds me. It’s the sin he awakens inside of me. I have no control around him. His will is too strong. His hold over me too deep. I know I should run. I know I should hide. Anyone else would. But instead I’ll fight next to him. I’ll defend him to my dying breath. I may not make it out alive. But at least I’ll die by his side. And even if we do make it out alive. I’ll gladly forsake the life I knew. For another damning dose of his touch. Mercy’s End explores a darker and grittier side of the Athenaverse. It can be read as a standalone, but it still shares the same universe that you’ve found in other books. This book features a dark romance of an alpha male alien warrior, and a human woman. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and HEA guaranteed.
Bug Out! Texas Part 1: Texas Lockdown
Robert Boren - 2016
It’s a normal day at the Dripping Springs Superstore. Shoppers look at merchandise while keeping their kids under control. Customers wait in the check-out lines, some chatting, others silently bored. Everything is about to change. Terrorists rush in with guns blazing, killing all who try to escape, rounding up the rest to hold hostage. Carrie, pregnant mother with a four-year-old at home, escapes into a stockroom closet. She calls her husband Jason, an Austin PD officer. Jason and his partner find a raging massacre in the parking lot. They attack, badly outnumbered until Kelly and his rednecks fly onto the parking lot in their pickup trucks, shooting the terrorists where they stand. Inside the store, Carrie’s hiding place is about to be discovered. She pulls the pistol from her purse and waits, firing when her closet is opened, killing the enemy. As her husband frantically searches for her, Carrie slips into the storefront and attacks, foiling the terrorist’s plans. Reunited, Carrie and Jason think the danger is over. They are wrong. Terrorists attack them at home later that night, forcing them to flee into the darkness. Others join them as they try to find safety, the relentless enemy hounding them wherever they go. Now there is only one thing left to do. Fight back. Hunt the hunters. If you love action-packed tales of bravery, self-reliance, and the triumph of the human spirit, you’ll love Bug Out! Texas. Download your copy today!
Homebrew
Xavier P. Hunter - 2018
Gary Burns just wanted to create the greatest RPG campaign of his gaming career. But a freak magical accident sucks him into the very world he created—as himself. Surrounded by heroes who look and sound like his friends, Gary is forced to play out the story he wrote. Worthless in a fight, Gary must prove himself valuable even if it means feeding the team insider knowledge. Because he needs keep his friends close—and himself alive—until he can solve the puzzle he never designed: how to get everyone back home.