Book picks similar to
Crimson Sands by J. Arthur Klein


litrpg
fantasy
dropped
litrpg-challenge

Mage Initiate (Magical Lifeform, #1)


D.R. Rosier - 2021
    He also has half a leg thanks to an IED cutting his career short at twenty-four, and he works as a security guard in a high security government building. They’re doing some cutting-edge research and testing on weapons technology and other scientific breakthroughs.Not that it mattered to him, he was no scientist. At least, it didn’t matter until they ripped open a hole in time and space, and it sent him hurtling toward an alternate world. One of magic and swords, but a magic based in science. One of the five universal forces as opposed to the four we currently know about.It’s going to be a crazy ride, in a very strange land and dynastic empire with a very different culture, and he’ll have to do his best merely to survive.Warning: This is a full-sized erotic epic fantasy novel that contains a small number of explicit sex scenes. It also has a mixed harem and polyamory theme, if that isn’t for you than don’t buy this book. This book is told in the first person from William’s point of view, and is the first book of a three novel series.

Survivor: World of Monsters


Michael Brightburn - 2019
    But when the biggest movie star of this generation wakes up in an unfamiliar jungle without his Range Rover or even a single one of his assistants, he'll have to draw on his childhood as a boy scout if he's to have any chance of surviving. There's just one problem: he was never actually a boy scout, he only played one on TV. This is a story about alien worlds and the end of the world, monster girls and straight-up monsters, and how by losing it all, one man can become something greater than he ever could have imagined.

The Knockout


Dan Sugralinov - 2019
    However, his favorite game was an MMA fighter—possibly, for the reason that he'd never fought in real life, and the interface adapted itself to him.Will Hagen be able to use it right? And will it help him to crawl out of the dreary pit of his existence?If you have read the original Level Up series, we would like to warn you at once: the book has another protagonist, although the setting is the same. The chronology of the events described in this book is the same as that of the first two books in the Level Up series (Restart and Hero)

Forge of Destiny


Yrsillar - 2017
    It is only by the strength of the Immortal Sects which lie on that border that keep their sky raiders from reaching the richer and more prosperous provinces further north.It is only the continued recruitment of those with the talent for shaping Qi and binding spirits that the Sects maintain the line, for despite their name, very few of those who walk the path of the warrior or sage reach the status of true Immortality.Ling Qi is among those who have been brought to the foot of the mountains to be inducted as a disciple of the Argent Peak Sect, one of the three great sects of the province. As the quest starts, it remains to be seen whether she will make a name for herself… or simply be lost among the crowd.

Biomedical Self-Engineering 1


Jon Svenson - 2020
    After being released from the hospital, he discovers by accident that he is unwittingly acquiring DNA samples from other people he touches. He discovers a number of shocking facts about himself when a blue box appears in his right eye, Most importantly, he discovers that his health is nowhere near to what he assumed it would be. Can he reverse the negative aspects of his health using these blue boxes somehow? And can he reverse his poor financial situation after his wife took half his pension just before retirement? Biomedical Self-Engineering is a LitRPG slice of life adventure, following Carl as he discovers new ways of living life when he is nearing the end of his own. There are no explicit scenes, no harems, and only one swear word at the very end.

Hunter's Bond


C.E. Keene - 2018
    The creatures that inhabit Apex are cunning, ferocious, and a massive challenge for even the most experienced hunter. In order to rank up in the Hunters’ Guild and participate in the most prestigious hunts, Simon will have to slay increasingly more threatening creatures and use what he gathers to craft powerful armor and weapons. But a fearsome beast stalks the jungle, untouchable even by the Guild. To have any hope of stopping her, Simon won’t just have to level up and hone his skills--he’ll have to put his trust in his fellow hunters. And for a lifelong soloer, that’s no easy feat…

Reborn as a Baron Lord:


Han Yang - 2020
    

Winter's Breath


Carrie Summers - 2020
     From bestselling LitRPG author Carrie Summers comes a new saga about survival on a wind-swept coast. Jace, a backcountry ranger assigned to patrol the wilderness of North America, was hiking when abruptly he was somewhere...else. Wind battered his thinly-clothed body, and the salt air from crashing waves immediately soaked him to the skin. Nothing looked familiar. And then the strange game messages started appearing in his vision. With no explanation for how he arrived here, Jace must nonetheless learn to survive in a merciless environment, crafting everything with his own hands. He must learn the art of combat and how to control the powerful abilities that surface in his body. Northblood, they'll call him. A blessing and a curse. On the bright side, he's totally buff. And there's this hot redheaded game tester who was pulled from her old life and shoved into his. Things could definitely be worse. Tales of a Northblood: Winter's Breath starts a brand new adventure.

Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis


A.E. McCullough - 2014
    Grouping up with his online friends, he had an enjoyable night of gaming and even completed the Tomb of Immortality. However, at the end of the dungeon they meet a strange wizard with a compelling offer to ‘Beta Test’ a new expansion. Since every gamer dreams of being the first to explore new areas, they agree. Nonetheless, they were not ready for what came next. Mac and his friends find themselves pulled into the game and that they have become their avatars. At first, it is exciting until they realize that they are trapped inside the game. When they find themselves attacked, the Outlanders quickly realize how dangerous their new reality can be. Vowing to return home, the survivors set off to find the legendary city of Atlantis in hopes that the Dragon Kings may know of a way back to the real world. The Outlanders soon discover that they aren’t the first gamers to be pulled into game, just the latest. But more than that, they have become pawns between two rival wizards in a long standing feud. Can the Outlanders survive the game world long enough to return home?

Bonded Spirits


Jake Daniel - 2021
    An unimaginable world filled with monsters and magic. Destiny awaits.When fate brought me to the fantasy world of Aurilon, I thought I'd seen everything.If I only knew how wrong I was. Now, I’ve discovered monsters are real, they’re stunningly beautiful, and they need my help.In this world, men’s cores are cursed, preventing them from cultivating and achieving incredible power. Fortunately, I’m not from this world.With several amazing monster girls at my side, I'll forge a new destiny and ascend to heights I’d only ever dreamed of.But first, I must create a safe haven in the wilds to protect those who have been hunted for far too long.My greatest challenge lies ahead.Spirit to cultivate. Monster girls to rescue. Skills to increase.And a boatload of enemies to eliminate.I’ve never come back from a hunt empty-handed, and I’m not about to start now.DISCLAIMER: This series contains adult themes, graphic violence, undefined relationships/harem, and explicit scenes. You’ve been warned.

Heaven's Gate: Volume 1 (A LitRPG Adventure)


DragonTreasures - 2019
     In fact, it wasn't technically a video game. Alfred had somehow ended up on a planet millions of miles away from Earth, but with dungeons, hot girls, and strange creatures appearing at every turn. Just like a video game he could complete missions for experience, and even join a guild and play with friends. It almost seemed like a normal world until he discovered that in the planet, Heaven's Gate, your dreams could come true if you were brave enough to enter into the hardest dungeons. He runs into some friends and foes in the game, and tries his hardest to conquer the legendary dream dungeons where all your dreams can come true if you can just survive. If you wish to revive someone, or learn a few 'broken' skills, you can do it at the apex of Heaven's Gate. Luckily, he's been training in martial arts since he was a kid, and seems to have a natural advantage in the game thanks to his martial prowess and sharp mind. Warning: Contains Harem Elements, Gore, and LitRPG elements...

Mark of the Hero


C. Wintertide - 2018
    For fans of action & adventure with earnest young heroes finding their way in a place full of magic, enchanted weapons, and quests that lead them into situations unknown. High school senior Luke Stephens feels his life is over at age 18. Instead of enjoying his last year in school, Luke cares for his ill mother. As her health rapidly declines, defeating dragons, orcs and goblins with his best friends in their favorite video game has to come last, even if wielding magic and a blade with Mack, Cassie and Christopher is the best part of his life. But then, Dr. Richard Armitage appears at Luke’s door, and tells him that only Luke can rescue the beta players in Neverfall, the world’s first fully immersive virtual reality MMORPG. The beta players not only believe they are their characters, but think that the world of Neverfall is real, so that when they die in the game, they are dying in real life. The reason that Luke can save them? His father is the creator of Neverfall, and he has left a back door for just Luke to enter the game, while the developers are completely locked out. The one problem? Luke’s father died before he was born, and the creator of Neverfall--reclusive billionaire Xander Mallory--is very much alive. Is the professor wrong, or has Luke’s mother lied to him all his life? Luke chooses to enter the game with Mack, Cassie and Christopher by his side to put Dr. Armitage’s plan in motion and save everyone. But when mysterious dragon tattoos are magically burned into Luke’s skin, and people start referring to him as “The Dark Lord’s son” and “Dragon Prince”, Luke realizes that the plan has gone awry, and he must come up with another plan quickly or he, and everyone else, will die. C. Wintertide is a lifelong gamer and storyteller who has spent many hours playing sword and sorcery RPGs like The Witcher, Persona 5, Final Fantasy, Dragon Age, and also old-school Dungeons & Dragons, from which came a lot of the inspiration for the adventuring party of Neverfall.

First Draw


Tim Moon - 2019
    War and rebellion roil the nation, sowing chaos among the surrounding kingdoms. Darkness often finds a foothold when chaos reigns, thriving on the torment of the mortal realm. In times of great need, the light calls upon beings of destiny to stem the tide. Though you may blaze your own path, know that you have the power to shape the future. Choose well.Forced to join a virtual world, Luke Rivers delves into Drezkarn, a land of swords and magic. For a fantasy game, things don't start off the way he imagined and he quickly finds himself in terrible situations. While his frame of reference for fantasy RPGs was limited by a rough childhood, the experience of a life spent fighting for survival pays off.

The Itemancer 2


Forrest Minter - 2019
    All is not lost though, as clearing the local ant infestation has freed up a lot of space. Perfect for founding his very own kingdom! Now he just needs to deal with pesky neighbors, colonists from the other side of hell, a serious mold infestation, a budding romance, and a very demanding dragon.

The Genesis Game: Volume I


Andrew O'Kelley - 2021
    No one gained more power than the tyrant known as the Black Seraph, the Angel of Genocide. Surviving at the expense of the rest of humanity, Seraph was able to complete the World Dungeon upon reaching the Altar of the End. A hollow victory, as he was cursed by the spirit of the dungeon for ruthlessly focusing on his empowerment.His power was sealed away, deep within the dungeon; Seraph was cast into the past, reincarnated into the body of his child-like self. Forbidden from hoarding power for himself and charged with the mission of ensuring the survival of humanity. But people do not change overnight, and Seraph must find a new path forward and learn there's more to power than being a tyrant if humanity is to survive the Genesis Game.