Book picks similar to
The Pioneer by A.R. Holloway


litrpg
fantasy
dnf
oh-for-fucks-sake

The Harvesting Boxed Set, #1-3


Melanie Karsak - 2017
    Carnie. Ride jockey. Roustabout. White trash. Tilt girl. Gypsy. Cricket has been called a lot of things, but she never thought survivor of the zombie apocalypse would be one of them.Book 3: The Shadow AspectLayla and Cricket must join forces if they hope to survive the end of days. But when the world burns, mankind's shadow side rises. Do we deserve to survive?Book 4: Witch WoodHarm none, and be ready for zombies. In the little town of Brighton, Amelia's practice of Wicca marks her as a curiosity both at home and at school. But when modern treatments fail to make a dent in the flu outbreak sweeping the globe, those who once ridiculed her white witchcraft turn to Amelia for help.Book 5: The Torn WorldWith the undead walking, vampires hunting, and kitsune closing in, everything seems lost. Layla, Cricket, and Amelia will need help if there is any hope of survival. Will they prevail in the dying world? Bonus Read: The Clarion Call The spirits warned Vasilisa the end was coming. Who knew her actions might save the world?

Initialization


From Hell - 2021
    Every person without exception.But this new world with all its opportunities and gifts of wondrous abilities, was a stadium. A deadly arena of an unimaginable scale. And Humanity were to be its latest gladiators. Every man, woman and child was given a weapon and ordered to fight. Stuck in this dimension without a way out, only two options existed for the would be hunters: Fight with monsters to complete the many trials ahead, or perish.Faced with hordes of powerful monsters, thrown into battle with complete strangers at random, the unfair game of survival began. And from the very beginning, billions of lives were extinguished in mere moments. But even within this abyss of despair was a small ray of hope: If even one person were to complete every raid, then humanity would be redeemed and restored back to its former glory.No save points, no revives, no retries. Everyone had just one life to make their way through the gauntlet of raids prepared to test their mettle. Within this marathon of death, one man becomes aware of an exception to the rules of the game.

Dream


R.W. Krpoun - 2015
    They did their time in Iraq, hold regular jobs, and spend some of their free time playing RPGs on their game platforms and at the table. Until the day they wake up in a different world, caught up in a half-understood web of events and personalities, hatreds and loyalties that goes back millennia. All wrapped up in a place where magic is real and far too many concepts of the role-playing game are not just real, but also a deadly serious business. Dropped into a world with little in the way of personal resources and a surplus of powerful enemies and dangerous strangers, the four must find their way home while learning all too well the concept of ‘first-level abilities’. Very little is certain in their new environment save that death is very real and the opportunities to meet it are commonplace. Four gamers with military backgrounds are thrust into a world where magic is real and the five toughest individuals on the planet want them dead: it is the worst campaign hook imaginable.

A Mage Prepared


Thomas Whipple - 2018
    It is a world of swords and sorcery, slavery and violence. Here, actions have consequences, and often, might is right. Vol must build his strength to survive against those who wish for his fall. If he fails, all he has worked for could be taken, along with those he has come to care for. Book 1 - A Mage Prepared Book 2 - A Mage Rising Book 3 - A Mage Champion Warning: Mild harem elements.

Forced Login


R.K. Billiau - 2019
    You can live, laugh, and love. You can feel pain, hatred, and anguish. This world allows you the full range of human experiences while also granting abilities unheard of. Will you unlock the secrets of magic? Will you study the blade or bow? Will you attempt to recreate the technology of the world you left behind? Anything is possible!***No matter how many times you die, it still sucks.For Hudson, the virtual world of PrimeVerse isn’t all bad. It’s beautiful; much nicer than overpopulated Earth. It almost feels like a vacation except for the volatile wildlife, lack of any amenities, and — oh yeah — the inability to log out.Exploring the world, learning his class, and leveling skills is all fun and games until a powerful rogue player with a vendetta shows up to wipe out Hudson and his primitive tribe. Thrust into a conflict he didn’t create, Hudson is forced into a cycle of respawning where he learns that even death can be used as a tool. So much for that vacation.It’s not like he signed up for this. Or even went willingly. But when life hands you lemons… use them to kill the dog-size spiders that are trying to eat your face.PrimeVerse: Forced Login is book one of a brand new LitRPG series that explores an uninhabited, newly created virtual world with game mechanics and a whimsical MC who, despite being uploaded against his will, sets out to make the best of it.

Civilization: Barbarians: A 4X lit novel


Tim Underwood - 2019
    It would be my job to guide them from these inauspicious beginnings to glory and greatness. Of course I signed up. Barbarians keep attacking, and they are literally cannibals, I can’t talk to anyone directly so I’m getting lonely, and I’m terrified that I’ll make a mistake, and everyone in the settlement will die horribly. But still, this is way better than any video game.

Dungeon Worlds (Reborn Online, #1)


Aurora Weiss - 2020
    Where “here” was felt like an impossible nightmare. I died, but this wasn’t what I’d expected to find when they said I’d meet my maker.The afterlife is just like a video game, except I didn’t start in a noob world like everybody else. I started out on one of the most challenging dungeon worlds meant only for ancient souls who’ve been dead much longer than I have…Welcome to Epoc.I don’t have the right stats for this place, not even a little bit. I’m in complete noob gear with the standard human sword and shield. I don’t even have any crafting skills to make a decent breakfast with the high tier ingredients in this place.Dying in the afterlife is even worse than dying on Earth. Earth, you only die once, but here, you can die over and over again and each one is just as miserable as the last.There’s only one way I can survive the cycle, one way to stay sane.I need a power leveler… and fast.Dungeon Worlds is Book 1 in a new LitRPG / GameLit series “Reborn Online” filled with unique monsters, challenging crafting quests, and skipping the grind with some much needed power leveling in an endgame world that’ll make you look forward to the afterlife! Just… we recommend building up those stats up first.

The Last Physicist


Dominic Stal - 2021
    Especially when you’ve witnessed the end of the world and the demise of all you’ve ever loved.As a particle physicist, William Jenkins is as unsuited to survival on an alien world as any normal thirty-something post-doc could be. Thankfully, he’s not alone. With an A.I., magic, scientific curiosity and most improbably, a deity on his side, Will must come to terms with his new reality before otherworldly terrors forever extinguish the light of hope on this new world.Meanwhile, as the forces of darkness amass to invade her home, Effni Naridia, Qaseri Ranger and Guardian of her peoples, must face her own demons. By undertaking a trial, Effni could determine not only the fate of her city, but unravel a mystery aeons in the making.The Last Physicist features elements of progression fantasy and Gamelit, and is perfect for those who enjoy stories by Andrew Rowe, Will Wight and Andy Weir.Warning. This novel contains questionable quantum mechanics, general relativity and magic.Note: this book also features profanity, vivid depictions of violence, pain and gore, along with depictions of mental health issues (including PTSD, generalised anxiety and depression) some readers may find distressing.

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.

Initializing


E.M. Hardy - 2018
    Because there was a reason why the young man had been hearing voices since he was a kid and why he had been fascinated by the majestic tombs made of limestone. By setting foot inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu, he will learn the truth; a truth that will send him all the way across the galaxy. Transported to a planet on the verge of a catastrophic invasion, Martin will be tasked with protecting this foreign world from the powerful beings about to land and harvest the souls of its unsuspecting inhabitants. To help him in this mission, Martin will be granted command over a production facility that can build basic defense mechanisms. However, that stronghold is too ancient and decrepit, and the units it can manufacture too lousy and clumsy; especially in comparison to the invaders’ powers which—as Martin could witness from the vision he experienced when his mind was captured—seemed godlike and completely unstoppable. Still, if Martin wants to ever go back home or even survive the war to come, he will need to search for a way to fight back. And that will go through finding how to upgrade his units and develop new weapons as well as combat strategies. He has to hurry. Because if dealing with that ominous threat wasn’t bad enough, he will have to compose with the nations comprising that strange world and which see his arrival as a danger to be stopped. Will Martin be able to have them hear reason, set aside their quarrels and cooperate before they’re all annihilated? Archeologist Warlord: Initializing is a dungeon core-like work of fiction belonging to the LitRPG genre, and the first book in a series to come.

The First Tower


Tristan H. Brown - 2020
    Dragons flew across the never-ending skies, roaring toward the heavens. Elves grew trees and tended to the flowers. Dwarves crafted armor and weapons to use for battle. Demons started wars for fun.It was chaotic, yet it was still a home. Then, when things were just starting to look up, the cataclysm struck. Only one man could face the imminent disaster, but he still failed in the end. Bradley Crowe let down all of those who he loved; everyone who relied on him. Regrets? He had many. As his eyes closed, falling into an eternal slumber, he was given a second chance.

The Fabled Islands


Cameron Milan - 2018
    Nobody knows how or why they exist, but only that it is a strange and special place that operates under laws separate from the universe. The Fabled Islands are made up of vast floating continents. They vary in size, with some ranging from the surface area of a small planet, to a star. If you look at them from afar, you would find that they are placed in a line. Each island is separated by a vast amount of space, so there is only one way to travel from one island to the next; a gateway on the edge of the island. Each island is governed by strange rules. The only thing they share in common, is that the rules are governed by the System. The rules change vastly from one island to the next, so you must quickly adapt. Tristan was raised on the first island, Fertility Island, and has finally been allowed to become a Brave; a respected profession throughout the islands. Fertility Island is a peaceful island. There are hardly any monsters, the land is fertile, and the people kind. This is the complete opposite of what Tristan wants. Bring on the monsters! Bring on the magical items! I want adventure, loot, and to put my life on the line! Where are the dungeons, caverns, and mountains to be explored? Where is the mythical equipment to be found? The next island? Then the next island I will go! His adventure begins now. This is Book 1 of the The Fabled Islands series.

Isekai Assassin, Volume 1


Grayson Sinclair - 2021
    Just before my death though, I was offered a choice. Stay and let my life come to a swift and brutal end, or become the personal assassin of a god in another world.It wasn't a hard decision.But this new world isn’t like the one I left. It operates by a completely different set of rules and a strange system that I don’t understand. I’m going to have to learn fast if I hope to survive in this land of myth and magic.All of my skills, and several new ones, will be put to the test as I receive my first contract.And new world or not, they have no idea who they’re up against.This Light Novel includes:Isekai/Portal FantasyAn Overpowered MCGamelit/Lite LitRPGGraphic ViolenceInterior ArtIncreasing Level System and SkillsSpells and MagicLite RomanceIsekai Assassin is a fast-paced story set in a Gamelit Dark Fantasy world, written by the bestselling author of the Wyvern Academy series.

Wrong Divinity: Oh Sh*t! I F*cking Hate Spiders!


Dustin Tigner - 2021
    Souls are durable things, you see, like kids: they bounce.And bounce he did, into the abyss between worlds, drifting until one excited soul watcher fished him out and found him a new home, a heaven for gamers and nerds and everything in between.It was all he could have ever wanted in the afterlife, down to choosing his class, killing mobs, and exploring a beautiful, fantasy world chock full of mysteries yet to be discovered.At least . . . it would have been those things if that first day had gone a little, tiny bit differently.Instead, he now finds himself locked in the middle of an eternal conflict between light and shadow—humans and monsters—potentially being the enemy to all.Wrong Divinity is the start of a new GameLit series that balances comedy with serious themes. It's an isekai, a portal fantasy, to the spirit realm. Join Dhane, our underdog, as he explores his new world, a world full of unique characters, RPG mechanics, and spiders—ugly, terrifying spiders—while he learns what it means to be an Arachnomancer.

Easy Meat (Foodstuffs #1)


Arthur Stone - 2021
    You’re an absolute nobody here—nothing; a zero; a useless lump of meat filled with bones. You’re but a delicious morsel for your antagonists and those who got lucky at the start. The only goal you can have in your miserable existence is to kick the bucket as soon as possible.