Book picks similar to
Respawn by Stuart Thaman
litrpg
fantasy
high-fantasy
science-fiction-fantasy
A New Star
M.Q. Kajack - 2019
He didn't give up even after failing the awakening ceremony. His consciousness holds something, which took him years to reach.Every word he endures, every beating made his firm stronger to reach it, the key to unlocking his cultivation.Follow Wu Ji in his starting path of cultivation into the Myriad Stars. Watch him grow stronger, making innumerable enemies.Young Masters, Clan princess, genius talents... nothing can rival the monster Wu Ji is destined to grow into.
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.
A Second Chance
Vasily Mahanenko - 2019
The rising level of technological development has led to a rising level of unemployment. They're laying off everybody, from teachers to technical servicemen. What's the point of holding onto a person if they can be replaced by an advanced mechanism?But what are the people to do? How are they to live? Where are they to get money from? There is only one answer – Barliona. The official government project is gathering steam, luring more and more people into its net. Who knows how people will behave when they lose everything?Brody West is one such person. Unlike most, he doesn't lose heart. A professional project manager with thirty years in the business simply cannot do that. He has a goal, and a clear understanding of how to achieve it. Nobody can get in his way – not the new class, not the strange friend, and not the unexpected foes.
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.
Versatile Mage: Volume I - The Old World is a New World
Chaos - 2018
His usual school had become a place that taught magic, encouraging everyone to become a mighty magician, and outside the city, many wandering magical beasts and monsters attacked and preyed on humans. The world of advanced science that Mo Fan knew so well suddenly turned into one that praised magic. Despite this, his social status remained the same; one of the dregs of the society with a struggling father and a disabled step-sister who couldn’t walk. One thing had changed, however. This was a world of magic, and his ambition now burned bright with the knowledge that he could be something far beyond what his former world would ever have allowed him! From the lowly dregs of the street, one day he would fly under his own power! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the editor: Versatile Mage is a direct transmigration/world-hopping novel of the “magical student” kind. The twist is that the main character comes from a world of science, and suddenly his world changes to one based on magic instead of science, without changing what he has already learned! So he goes to school and instead of literature, history, math, and biology, they are teaching proper magical incantations, astronomy, magical theory, and talking about magical beasts as if they are real. However, he quickly realizes that this kind of world is built on individual power, not just wealth and influence, and it doesn't matter that he's a discredited kid from the lowest levels of society with a lousy record in school. He realizes his life can be totally turned around if only he can become a magician! Also, he could learn to fly… He throws off his slacker past and dives whole-hog into the reality of becoming a true Magician, the likes of which the posing natives of this universe have never seen!
The Grand Game
Tom Elliot - 2021
Assassin. Caster. A new world. And a Game that is as brutal as it is complex.Michael finds himself in the realm of the Forever Kingdom, with no memory of how he got there and who he is. Even so, he must participate in the Grand Game and forge a new destiny for himself.Dropped into a dungeon of monsters, and strange magics, would you survive in a Game where to lose means death?Alone, and with little more than his wits to aid him, Michael must advance as a player, slay his foes, and gain experience. All while navigating the intrigues around him and discovering his purpose.A world of Powers, Forces, and mysterious factions. A Game with endless opportunities for advancement and power.Join Michael on his epic adventure as he deals with the Game’s challenges, the machinations of the Powers, and the ambitions of his fellow players.The start of an exciting new portal fantasy epic!
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.
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 Cheater's Return
Brian McGoldrick - 2018
In the chaos following World War III, the Patriarch of the Church of the Resurrection rebuilt Earth's society into a collection of over 500 independent city-states. With alien technology that gave him complete control over the Earth's orbital space, the Patriarch outlawed war, and introduced the Constructed Reality MMORPG Primacy Online. He only allowed the city-states to engage in military conflicts with one another inside of the game. City-state leaders that attempted to ignore Church Canon were destroyed, along with their armies, by the Church's orbital particle cannons. For more than a thousand years, there have been no wars fought on the Earth's soil. The release of Primacy Online VI: Legacy of Balor signals the beginning of World War IX. Each city-state will lock 50,000 draftees into cryogenic capsules and upload their minds into a character sheathe in the game. Until the armistice conditions have been reached, they will play Primacy Online in War Mode, with the death of the character sheathes meaning their real deaths, but this time there is a twist to the World War. Every still living perma-banned cheater from Primacy Online will be a special draftee for World War IX. They will be organized into a special contingent in the service of the Church of the Resurrection. Patrick Armagh is terminally ill. Like a large number of other Primacy Online players, he is afflicted with an incurable nervous system disorder. He has less than five years to live and should be exempted from the draft, but five years ago, he was given a permanent ban from Primacy Online for cheating. Along with the other perma-banned cheaters, he will be forced to play Primacy Online VI: Legacy of Balor in War Mode, but Patrick's actual method of cheating was never discovered. Morgan Danan, Speaker of the City of Mann, and the acknowledged number one player of Primacy Online has deal for Patrick. With her help and his undiscovered cheat, he has the chance to become a virtual God within Primacy Online. When you are already as good as dead, there is nothing better than the chance to spend your last days as a living god. What could possibly go wrong?
An Old Man's Journey
Gregory Allanther - 2021
He'd lived a good life, been a decent man, but now that his wife was gone he was... Lonely.Until his old friend Bert introduced him to Crossroads, the new VR sensation. In this virtual world he can move without pain, explore new lands, and most importantly - see his family again. For as long as he can hold their interest, in this fast-paced modern world of instant gratification and VR thrills.The solution: Build a place his family wants to visit. Armed only with a magic stick with game-breaking powers that should be nerfed, Charles sets out on a journey to find a place to call his own. Along the way, he will be mistaken for an NPC quest giver, become the antagonist in epic questlines, and attempt to teach the next generation proper behavior - even if he has to beat it into them.This is the story of one man's search for belonging in his second virtual life. A search for a place to belong, and what it takes to get there. It's also a hilarious romp through online fantasy cliches that will appeal to fans of Ready Player One, The Wandering Inn, and slice-of-life comedies.Because at the end of a man's life: What's more important than family?"Hilarious!" "Amazing!" "Few things better!" - Royal Road readers.
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?
Kingdoms of Sand: Books 1-3
Daniel Arenson - 2017
This bundle contains the first three novels of Kingdoms of Sand, a fantasy series from a USA Today bestselling author. That's over 1,000 pages of battles, intrigue, and magic.Sweeping from snowy forests to cruel deserts, from bazaars of wonder to fields of war, here is a tale of legionaries and lepers, priests and paupers, kings and crows. Here a girl travels across endless dunes, seeking magic; a cruel prince struggles to claim a bloodstained throne; and a young soldier fights to hold back an overwhelming host. The fate of all civilization stands upon a knife's edge, for under the storm of war, even the greatest nations are but kingdoms of sand.
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
Catalyst
J.D.L. Rosell - 2020
The game is their chessboard.But Sean Marrow is no pawn.The Everlands, the first immersive reality game, has just launched into open beta, and gamers everywhere are paying out the nose to get in. But though Sean Marrow is frothing at the bit for his own chance, there's one small problem: only those 21 and older are allowed in, and he's just 17.But Marrow doesn't take no for an answer. Risking a lifelong ban, he sneaks into a gaming parlor and, with no one the wiser, logs in.The Everlands is everything he'd imagined and more, and he's immediately embroiled in the politics of the world. But as he plunges in deeper, heedless of the real world consequences, he finds he's not the master of his fate - for the gods of the game have their own plans for him.Marrow has never taken a blow lying down, and he doesn't intend to start now. So though the powers-that-be strive to make him a pawn in a greater game, he'll become the catalyst that overturns the order of the Everlands and forges a new one...Previously published as Absalom's Fate, Book 1 of The Everlands.READERS' PRAISE FOR CATALYST★★★★★ "An amazing book. Very fun and easy to read well worth a couple hours of reading by litrpg fans both new and old."★★★★★ "A great fast paced LitRPG that struck all the right notes for me."★★★★★ "A bit litRPG and a little Percy Jackson."
The Wayward Bard
Lars M. - 2018
2: Hide out in super exclusive Full Immersion Virtual Reality game until the heat is off. 3: Roll a bard. Max out charisma. Live it up. 4: Profit. With all the pesky planning out of the way Daniel set out to realize his ultimate dream: gaining enough money to buy a tropical island and spend his days playing the violin and RPGs. What could possibly go wrong? Disclaimer: There shall be no harems in this series. Overpowered, perfect protagonists will not be tolerated and excessive cursing will result in donations to the swear jar.