Book picks similar to
Blood & Cupcakes by Taj McCoy El


litrpg
fantasy
lit-rpg
vrmmo-game_immersion

NPCs


Drew Hayes - 2014
    Once the dust settles, these four find themselves faced with an impossible choice: pretend to be adventurers undertaking a task of near-certain death or see their town and loved ones destroyed. Armed only with salvaged equipment, second-hand knowledge, and a secret that could get them killed, it will take all manner of miracles if they hope to pull off their charade.And even if they succeed, the deadliest part of their journey may well be what awaits them at its end.

Galaxy


Christopher Johns - 2021
    Sealed paths opened. Let the hijinks begin!Sergeant Marcus Bola and his platoon flew to a newly uncovered temple in the desert while deployed overseas; an unheard-of mission. Something in the ruined holy place had killed many, and the survivors met an unfortunate ambush just before reaching safety. The attack left Marcus wounded and medically discharged from the only life he’s known… but something wasn’t right. None of it was.Laying low and waiting for answers, Marcus decides tending bar is as good a way to stay afloat and off the radar. Turns out slinging cocktails, singing karaoke, and talking to the patrons isn’t as easy as he thought it would be: gods, monsters, and devils are showing up to try the mixers.The vessel has been chosen. Something inside him is calling the shots--and we’re not talking about tequila!

City of Goblins (In the System Book #1): LitRPG Series


Petr Zhgulyov - 2020
    Ivan has an interface, a spear, and basic weapon skills. All he has to do to return to Earth is complete a simple quest and reach the second level. But experience points are only awarded for kills in this game, and the clock is ticking. Whoever doesn’t score within 24 hours will remain in the location forever.The game takes places in the ruins of a massive city, where the undead lurk in the central districts and the outskirts are raided by the descendants of past owners. The undead are strong, while the goblins rarely move around alone and aren’t worth much XP. The most valuable prey under these conditions are formal allies, i.e. the other players. If a player is capable of killing a fellow human, of course. Even if they aren’t planning to go against their own nature by murdering innocents, who said that they will have a choice? It’s kill or be killed!Those who complete the quest will be returned to Earth, where they can rest and prepare for the next attempt. Beyond the local objective is also a global one. In the center of the city stands a temple to a fallen god, and until one of the players captures the Altar, the mission will be repeated again and again. But when all you’re holding is a spear, your allies can’t be trusted, and resurrection is nearly impossible, this isn’t much more than a delayed death sentence…For the first seven players, who become the Earth Gods, this mission is a chance to rapidly gain power and take charge of a united Pantheon. A chance to escape death and protect our world from invasion. Although there is only one altar and the Gods make others do their work. Ivan must make a choice and decide whose pawn he will become. Or should he take a risk, refuse their patronage and keep his options open?

Heroes of Last Resort


JK Galioto - 2021
    

Apocalypse Knights 1


D.B. King - 2022
    With promises of wealth beyond his imagination, his squad mates managed to convince him. Max isn’t a Knight, so he has no magical equipment or spells that could help him against monsters. What he does have, however, are the sword forms he learnt at the Blade Academy. These forms are formidable martial arts that make him the match of Level 0 monsters. But Level 99 monsters? He doesn’t stand a chance. When something goes horribly wrong inside the dungeon, Max meets the legendary hero: Artur Brightblade. This hero grants him something he never dreamed of: a unique class and the ability to become a Knight. Armed with this new class and the powers it provides, Maximo is going to clean up the Knights-Errant and solve the mystery of the dungeon. He’ll have to learn how to cast spells, work within a cohort, level up most effectively, and craft wargear worthy of his class. If he doesn’t, the apocalypse will destroy everything he knows and loves.

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.

ChronoTemplar


Burt Wrenlaw - 2021
    unless you're a pawn for an eldritch horror that: (A) can bend time, and (B) is a sore loser.Justin Thyme is not a good man, nor one destined for glory. He was meant to die in obscurity, yet another level 82 Templar that was just about to get chewed up by a horde of skittering monstrosities clawing at humanity's last enclave.One short conversation with a time-splitting monstrosity later, and Justin finds himself flung five years into the past—right when the Earth was first chosen to host the 9,947th Gladiatorial Games.Justin must now do all that he can to help save the world from crumbling under the twin pressures of monsters and murderers. But it's not all about grinding experience, gaining the most levels, and kicking the most ass. He can’t even stand out too much, lest he draw the attention of the other eldritch horrors observing Earth’s struggles for their amusement.No, it’s all about making the right connections, sowing the seeds of hope, culling the pests causing despair… oh, and exploiting the hell out of the System with his ‘borrowed’ ability to tweak time to his advantage.*ChronoTemplar is a dark, crunchy litRPG with lots of stats, skills and battles, for those who love action and complex characters.

The Hero of the Valley: Volume 1


Gary Spechko - 2021
    Chosen by the Gods, he is thrust into a world he knows little about and must grow stronger to face powerful invaders from other worlds.

Outpost


Terry W. Ervin II - 2018
    Luckily, two hot girls from his class have the same idea: Attend the university’s game club to get reaction material for their papers. A creepy game moderator shows up, ready to start a game of Monsters, Maces and Magic. Glenn doesn’t fret over the GM’s disturbing vibe, figuring it’ll lead to potential fodder for his paper. Moments after rolling up his character and beginning the adventure, Glenn, his two classmates, and three other players are drawn into the game, literally. How and why they got trapped in the game, transformed into their RPG characters are important questions, sure. But simply surviving a world filled with horrific creatures, unknown magic, and perilous roads is first on the list. Praise for Outpost! “Exciting and hilarious! It feels like a true game with friends.” Dueling Ogres Podcast

Exceed System: The Gambler


JL Huang - 2020
     He has failed every single induction ceremony and it is his last chance to Exceed to a higher class. At his wit's end, he desperately tries one last time at Exceeding, putting all his chips on the table. ...except something was different this time. Time freezing, a mysterious voice, and a new Exceed Mark? Had lady luck finally given him a boon? Had he received a class the world had never seen before? One thing is for sure, he's changed. And now he has something called . . . the Gambler's System. Join Axel and his companions as he journeys through this game-like world of the Five Kingdoms! Disclaimer: Please keep the book updated for the latest version!

Goblin Summoner


Tracy Gregory - 2021
    Dropped into a world where sorcerers draw magical power from a deck of cards, summoning monsters and flinging spells, Gareth must adapt to having arcane power at his fingertips. It’s just a shame he’s found himself with the weakest cards around—goblins!Joined by a fallen goddess, a deposed demon king and surly local, Gareth sets out into Acamida. In a realm where experience points and levels are very real, Gareth must grow stronger if he intends to have his second life last longer than his first. With monsters around every corner and dungeons beneath his feet, Acamida is a dangerous place.As Gareth finds new cards and grows in power, the rumbles of war stir in the west. If he’s going to survive Gareth will need to master his deck and find the strength hidden within his goblin allies.

Zenith Academy 1


Cassius Lange - 2021
    To everyone else, I’m JD—a struggling artist, working my fingers to the bone for my shot with one of the big comic book companies. Oh, and I work nights, managing a dive called Judson’s Bar and Grill. I know, the dream life. Things were boring, disappointing, even. Until one faithful night, when everything changed. Why? Where do I start? First: An odd woman showed up in a booth while I was trying to close for the night. Rude, but on its own, not so weird. She was dressed in a kimono and had a sword in her lap. That part? Getting a little strange. Second: It turns out she’s a mistress at a magical academy and had been looking for me. Right? Please pick up on my sarcasm. Except, she proved it, and with just a few violent swings of her very real sword, ensured I both didn’t have a job any longer, and more or less had to follow her into a scary, glowing portal. Where did it take me? A surreal place called Zenith Academy, and a life I’d only ever dreamt of. There I’ll learn how to cultivate mana and wield magic-like powers. And that is just the beginning. The tower imbues cultivators with visual prompts and game-like stats, making my new life feel like something straight out of a choose your own adventure novel. But it’s not all for nothing. Evidently, they’ve been fighting a war for thousands of years, and I’ve just been drafted. <>

The Steel Hounds


Vladimir Vasilenko - 2019
    While the political landscape for this new world is yet to form, intrigues, conspiracy, daring raids, and sabotage are the main weapons of the Hounds, and his evaluation has just begun. To complete it successfully and become a full-fledged member of the clan, Stan will have to adapt to working side-by-side with the most unique people with shady backgrounds — even if he is not a team player by nature and has already failed at the very beginning by choosing the least suitable class for teamwork: Battle Monk. Stan is rebellious, free-spirited, and daring. He risks his life every day just to avoid getting bored of the daily grind. Normally, an expelled student has no hope of entering the virtual world of Artar, an expensive online VR project, but when a suspicious organization offers to pay all expenses to let Stan in for a special purpose, Mongoose gets his chance to become one of the select few. However, to successfully complete his trial, Stan will have to face his main enemy — himself, while finding peace and mastering all five styles of the Battle Monks of Artar. *** The Steel Hounds is the first book of the highly popular Russian LitRPG series The Chronicles of Artar by Vladimir Vasilenko. The brightest representative of a new wave of gamelit writers, Vladimir has created the story of Mongoose, a reckless teenager kicked out of college, who has to struggle with following strict discipline and finding inner harmony while traversing the difficult path of a Battle Monk.

Entriss Online (Watson's Worlds, #1)


David J. Pedersen - 2021
    The game was his life — by day, as one of their lead developers; by night, gaming as the accomplished Mandorf the Wizard. After years of leveling up, both professionally and personally, everything he had worked for was going to end. His goggles-and-gloves virtual reality MMORPG was being replaced with Everyworld Online, a next-gen game that provided full immersion so players could experience a world that looks and feels real.After stumbling on an unknown quest that kills anyone who approaches, Ian discovers an enormous amount of orphaned code that had never made it into the game. Moments before being fired, he checks in the code, enabling The Left Hand of God quest chain, an unexpected world event, and the frightening reality of a fully immersive Entriss Online.

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.