Book picks similar to
The Shadow Sect by Peter Hackshaw


fantasy
cultivation
progression-fantasy
dnf

Reborn: Apocalypse Volume 1


L.M. Kerr - 2019
     Micheal's answer to that question would be quite simple. Yes. A million times yes. Humanity has fallen, killed by stronger races of beings after being warped away to a new reality, the mystical 7 Layers. Humanity's goal had been simple. Make it through all 7 Layers and reach Heaven. Humanity failed. Humanity died. Micheal Care's memories have been transported back into his past self thanks to a magical Artifact he found by chance. He is no chosen savior. He is no divinely picked hero. Can he change the future? Can he catch up to the mightiest warriors of humanity and surpass them? Read on and find out. -

I Don't Want to Be the Hero Vol. 1


M.E. Thorne - 2021
    The Goddess raised us, sheltered us, and defended us from the Demon Lord and their horrifying minions that roamed the wasteland. The sacred aurora that surrounded The City was the ultimate sign of her benevolent protection, keeping us safe.My name is Mal, and ever since I was a boy I've been treated as an outcast, a freak, and a malcontent because of my ability to see magic. For the other citizens, magic was the invisible manifestation of Goddess’s love, but to me, it was just a colorful spread of enchantments, cantrips, blessings, and hexes. And once I’ve seen a spell, I can understand it, and then I can break it apart.When I graduated from school, I had expected to be given the job of a ditch-digger. Instead, I was shocked when I was dubbed the next hero.Heroes are sent out in the wasteland, to slay monsters and to challenge the Demon Lord. It’s a suicide mission. But once I was shoved out of the aurora, I found out that the outside world was drastically different than what I had been told. The demons, dragons, and orcs might be my best shot for surviving the insanity I’ve been thrown into.Warning: This novel contains descriptions of violence, graphic sex, unconventional relationships (M/FF+ harem), and limitless adventure.

Immortal Swordslinger


Dante King - 2019
     A world with monsters, martial arts guilds, and elemental powers beyond imagining. In fact, it’s almost like he died and went to heaven. If heaven contained rivals bent on killing him, elf tutors who want to bed him, and a feisty spearmaiden with something to prove. Contains harem elements.

First Song, Book One


Blaise Corvin - 2018
    Humanity has been brought to its knees. Like other survivors, Noah Henson has heard rumors of the Aelves. Among other guesses, predatory aliens seem as good as any other theory for what caused the Shift. But for Noah, everything else takes second place to survival, sometimes even self-respect…or any sort of decency. Lawless, post-apocalypse America had forced Noah to make many difficult decisions, and he has never seemed to choose correctly. However, despite hating himself, he doesn’t have the strength or the courage to change. He will get a lucky break in a big way, though—a mysterious orb with otherworldly power. In time, perhaps Noah will find another path. And if he does die during the Shift, maybe it won’t be the end of his story. Sometimes, another chance can be an opportunity for redemption.

IRON MAGE


Rob Nolan - 2019
     Javron is a blacksmith in the middle of nowhere. No one knows his secret: that he has a gift far greater than the most powerful wizards in the land. He bends metal to his will like a sculptor does clay, and has created the deadliest suit of armor the world has ever known. Javron’s abilities might have remained a secret forever, until two beautiful women walk through his door. They need a special artifact only Javron can create. But they’re being pursued by the Bandit King – a half-orc warlord who rules the Badlands, and who wants both women for his twisted plans. When the two women are threatened, and everything Javron holds dear is endangered, he has to cast off the shroud of secrecy and become the man he was meant to be. He must become… the Iron Mage. Warning: this book contains harem elements, violence, and adult situations.

Catharsis


Travis Bagwell - 2016
    He attends a prestigious private school on scholarship and his parents are reasonably well off. Yet life hasn't been easy for Jason. He has spent most of high school being tormented by both the students and faculty and his parents are never home. Frustrated and alone, his one escape has always been video games. In-game, he can feel the type of power and freedom he lacks in his day-to-day life. Fortunately, a new virtual reality game (the first of its kind) has just been released, which promises the opportunity for an even greater escape. Once he begins playing, Jason quickly finds himself on the path to becoming the game’s villain. In the process, he also starts to suspect that there is something unusual going on within the game. (This novel contains graphic violence and language. Books don't have ratings, but, if they did, this book would be rated "M" for Mature)

Metaworld Chronicles Omnibus


David J. Wuto - 2017
    A 21st-century tale of an Earth ruled instead by magic, where humanity lives in enclaves shielded from magical beasts and otherworldly beings. Follow Gwen as she struggles to once again rebuild her life in the new world, a tale of companionship, adventure, and Spellcraft! Grow with Gwen as she grows from high school to university, and finally onto the real world, discovering the secrets of a real-life world made unreal by magic and Mages. Inspired by the spell system of classic Dungeon and Dragons, but set in the Modern World.

The Nothing Mage


J.P. Valentine - 2020
    Without mana, there could be no studying at the sky-piercing Pinnacle Towers, there could be no great monster hunts, and there could be no following in his father’s legendary footsteps.He’d be a cripple.But when a terrible accident forces him to flee, Declan learns the true nature of his mana. Just because it doesn’t resonate at any known frequency, doesn’t mean it isn’t magic. Just because he can’t cast the same spells as everyone else doesn’t mean he isn’t a mage. And just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

The Mercenary Code


Emmet Moss - 2019
    Shatter the World.Centuries ago, the murder of a beloved king tore apart the Kingdom of Caledun. The land was plunged into chaos and thousands perished in the aftermath. A new order was established in an attempt to return Caledun to its former glory. It failed, but in its place rose the beginnings of the Code.During this same period, the mystical caretakers of the Great Wood retreated from the world of Kal Maran, their disappearance an ominous harbinger of the suffering that was to follow. The Great Wood now grows out of control. Cities, towns, and villages have fallen before the relentless march of the forest. Without the former guardians to keep her tame, the wood has become a place of peril, and dark creatures of legend now hunt beneath its leaves.The summer season is now a time of armed conflict. The fall of the old monarchy has brought about a ceaseless cycle of combat. Grievances are settled by the strict tenets of a binding Mercenary Code and the men who would die to preserve its honour.However, change is in the air. Political rivalries have escalated, and dire rumblings of a revolution abound. Thrust to the forefront of the shattered land's politics, a mercenary fights for more than just riches. In the north, a borderland soldier wrestles with his own demons and looks to find his true purpose. And in the shadow of the Great Wood, a young man's chance encounter with a strange visitor gives hope to a land divided.

To Summon the Familiar: Familiars of the Phoenix Empire


Marty Myers - 2019
    He has been found to have a spark of magic deep within himself. To bring it forth he must first learn to summon the familiar. He must use every drop of his magic to search the Lands of Mist and find the one meant for him. The one he will be bonded to for life. The one who is actually capable and willing to make all his dreams possible. Andrew may be small now, but he has big dreams. this story has some gamelit elements but primarily it is a day in the life story about a boy taking his first steps to becoming a man in a magical world by trying to master the magic he finds himself capable of.

God Slayer: Vol. 1


K.S.Y. - 2017
    If you like stories of this genre then you will definitely like God Slayer Vol.1. Kindly read beyond chapter two before giving up on my book. The first two chapters have a lot of info and less action which makes them a little boring. Things get interesting from chapter three onwards.) A contract killer reincarnates into a foreign world. In his new life, he learns the meaning of family and love. He had already decided to become invincible in his new life to make sure that he didn’t face the same predicament as in his former life and to keep his loved ones safe from all sorts of harm. He wished to become the master of his own destiny.

Storm Unbound


Leo Hull - 2020
    He wanted the easy city life.Now he is stuck in a land filled with wild women, exotic magic, and dark dangers. His beautiful commander—his only way back and the one person with any faith in him—has caught the eye of a freakish crime lord backed by shadowy powers.Tristan has his own magic, but to save them both, he'll need to confront his doubts and bind willing women brandishing destructive Fallen powers to his cause.If he succeeds, will Tristan even want to return? It's a question as unsettling as his enemy, and one he can only answer after defeating the rising tide of foes.To win he will need to do more than ride a bound storm—he has to unleash its fury himself. This story contains graphic violence, eager women, and explicit harem relationships. Only vanquished foes fade to black.

Opening Moves


Cosimo Yap - 2016
    The alien invasion brought social upheaval, advanced technology, and an armada of peacekeeping robots. But Alan, a college student pursuing a now-useless degree, cares little about all of this. He has only one thing on his mind: the Game. A fully immersive virtual reality, the Game appears to be a major part of the invading civilization. Alan can't wait to play, recklessly diving into the digital universe. Soon though, Alan realizes the Game is anything but simple, and the stakes are higher than he ever imagined.

Curious Beginnings


V.A. Lewis - 2021
    It is also the only world Salvos knows.Joining the ranks of newborn demons, Salvos is thrown into the violent, anarchy-ruled landscape of that world. To survive, she will have to learn, she will have to adapt, and she will have to evolve. She will gain experience to reach new Levels of power.Her curiosity aids her but her pride could be her fall. It is the nature of the Netherworld to avoid or conquer any threats faced— after all, the law of evolution is survival of the fittest, and Salvos is a survivor. And perhaps, eventually, she will leave this world behind for a better place.But… is that what Salvos even wants?This novel is an action-packed fantasy following the adventures of a Demon girl! It is set inside a game-like world with Classes, Levels, and even monster evolution, but it is not inside the world of a video game. For the characters in the novel, the world is as real as the real world is to me and you.

Tallrock


Xander Boyce - 2020
    Reaping and sowing. Redemption through growth.Matt is running from a life that he no longer wants, and he's found a solution. By logging in to the newest game, Livia, he gains chances that he can't get anywhere else. Matt chooses to cut out a new life for himself on the edge of civilization, by venturing to the frontier town of Tallrock. As soon as he gains his class, the newly minted Cycle Mage has one goal: farming.Now known in-game as Kastigan, he gains a starting bonus parcel of virgin land that he will need to convert to farmland from the ground up. Kastigan needs to decide what to grow, what animals to raise, and who to hire; all while dealing with a Legion Commander who hates him for no apparent reason, surviving in the wild land where monsters roam freely, and uncovering lost relics from a forgotten time.If he succeeds, he will create a new home for himself. If he fails, he will lose not only his farm, but all the workers, crops, and beasts that he has spent every last penny to acquire.