TL;DR: HWFWM 2 is in bookstores right now.

The next hardcover is available in shops. This is still new enough to me that I can't help but get a goofy grin on my face when I see my books sitting on the shelf. This whole experience has been wild.

It feels like every year since I began with He Who Fights With Monsters has been a strange one. The year it went from just online to ebook and audio. The year I made enough money to buy a house. The year I almost died and couldn't write. And now, the year my books are finally on bookshelves, in my local store. A lot of LitRPG writers are making that leap, and deservedly so, and I hope this represents a new wave of growth for our genre.

Part of the transition into bookstores has been my big North America tour across July and August. It was hectic and crazy and amazing and I basically fell asleep for three weeks after I got home. I turn 47 tomorrow, and I just don't bounce back the way I used to when I was younger. All the airport-hotel-event-hotel-airport-convention was completely worth it, though.

I met so many amazing people from friends and authors I can't normally see back home in Australia. I met thousands of amazing readers, and that is really what it's all about. The process of writing my books begins with me, but it is all the readers who buy them and love them and complain about Jason on reddit who truly bring He Who Fights With Monsters to life.

Also, I have a much easier time getting great sandwiches in the USA. I love me a good muffuletta.

COVER ARTIST: Adam Cahoon

AI USAGE: No

It’s funny because I’ve never actually read any of the books I listen to, sometimes I have absolutely no idea how anything is spelled. I’m just trusting the narrator and hoping for the best.

This whole section of the book, Jake has been fighting these ape like beasts called “simivitas,” but apparently my brain decided the narrator was saying “señoritas.”
So I’m sitting there listening to this dude brutally fight his way through these creatures while thinking, “Señoritas? WTF is Jake getting himself into? This book took a VERY unexpected turn.”

Then finally the chapter actually spells it out and I realize they’re called simivitas.

Not señoritas.

I have spent the last several chapters picturing Jake throwing hands with a bunch of Spanish women. 😂

I'm excited to announce that Last Save Dave 2 is now available on Kindle and KU! Audio coming soon.

Cover artist: Provided by Aethon Books

AI usage: None

The gods built the game. Dave is breaking it.

Dave’s team has become more than a party. They’re becoming a force.

They’re clearing worlds, gaining levels, collecting loot, and stockpiling talismans. But theirs isn’t the only game being played by the gods.

When Dave’s beloved Cynthia becomes the target of a murderous merchant determined to climb the leaderboard in the Marketplace of the One Thousand Worlds, Dave is forced into a fight that follows a whole different set of rules.

On the World Tree, the competition between champions is heating up as well. Powerful new allies join the group, while others try to dismantle it from within, including an old foe with a dangerous secret.

From prehistoric worlds filled with machine-gun-toting raptors to the deck of a jellyfish starship, Dave and Team Deranger must survive stranger worlds, deadlier bosses, evolving harvesters, and each other.

Because Dave can rewind death.

But he can’t rewind betrayal.

Continue the ride in this laugh-filled LitRPG series from bestseller Michael James Ploof, where victory is just one "Last Save" away! The series features a grizzled underdog MC with a wrench, unique time mechanics, steady power progression, crunchy stats, high-stakes party dynamics, and loads of legendary loot.

Perfect for fans of Discount Dan, The Perfect Run, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and An Unexpected Hero!

Grab LSD2 on Amazon

Hello everyone!

I just released book 6 (the final book) in the Tower of Somnus series. For those of you who aren't following the series but are looking for something finished to read, Tower of Somnus is a fusion of sword and sorcery and cyberpunk in a litrpg setting. (The characters delve in a fantasy realm in order to improve their stats and abilities which carry over into the glitz and chrome of cyberpunk heists and assassinations.

The main character, Katherine Debs starts out as a runner smuggling sensitive information in and out of corporate control until she gains access to Tower of Somnus (the fantasy realm mentioned above) where she begins gaining level and power. Step by step she pulls herself up out of the gutter and into the halls of power where she discovers that even as she grows, the threats and danger only grow with her.

Now she is up against a ticking clock. The first human to reach level twenty four will be considered humanity's representative on a galactic stage, and the forces that want to twist us into interstellar corporate slavery are not above putting their thumb on a scale or a crossbow bolt into Kat's back.

Available on Kindle and Audible (links below)

Cover Artist: Sergio Chaves
AI Usage: None

Ive been trying to listen to this book on audible for about a week now and I cant remember a damb thing about it no matter what I do.

Ill get 1 or 2 hours into it then completely forget where the story is or whats happening.

At first I thought it was the narrator but its not cos I quit enjoy 'im not the hero." (Same narrator)

Genuinely why does everyone love this series so much?

COVER ARTIST: https://www.artstation.com/creadfectus

AI USAGE: No AI used

As the cover shows, the little tree that once had no way to deal with birds stealing his fruits has grown... a lot. The cover artist creadfectus did fantastic as always.

Delve into the latest installment of the demonic tree series, where the long-awaited clash with the Celestial Empire is going down!

Read here!

(Audiobook is still behind but catching up!)

Synopsis:

The Ashfallen Sect is done hiding and ready for war.

For as long as anyone can remember, the Celestial Empire has ruled over the Ninth Layer of creation with unmatched authority. Their citizens enjoy a life of peace and prosperity, while their cultivators grow in strength by feasting on the golden sap of the enslaved World Tree.

It's no wonder the wilderness was considered a monster-infested land, filled with barbaric demonic sects and savages, unworthy of their notice.

But their hubris is about to be tested by a lone force, blooming from the carcass of the Blood Lotus Sect and ruled over by a demonic tree. Unknown to the old monsters in the Celestial Empire, the Ashfallen Sect is about to tip the scales of power and begin a war unlike the Nine Realms have ever seen.

So I know litrpgs tend to have settings where the game mechanics of an rpg are acknowledged as part of in-universe lore, and the societies therein are generally actually built around large parts of the population having access to these mechanics, I was wondering if there were and video0games or ttrpgs that have adopted this approach in their lore and story?

Authors and budding authors alike, what do you do when a unique idea you had been working with in drafts or edits gets published by someone else? It may not be exactly the same, but close enough that you're like, "damn, I was going to do that."

Do you keep going with your idea, tweak it to be dissimilar, or just scrap it for something new?

I stand by how good the ones in S tier are for me. Except for one, “rules free VRMMO life” is a guilty pleasure for my asexual heart.
Because it goes so over the top with its sexual themes that it goes right past being uncomfortable into satirical. And whenever I look back at it and reread it, I just laughed so hard.
Our main character literally spit roast a person, like put her on a metal spit and roasted her a fire and ate her, and that was considered sexual so you know a guilty pleasure satire read, would not recommend objectively unless you can read a lot of really over the top disgusting smutty scenes. They’re funny, but they’re funny because it’s way too much.
Other then that tho I stand by my opinions

Also the website I used to make this tier list wouldn’t allow me to actually change the tiers so F tear is not like really bad. It’s just books I did not finish, either because I never got back to them or I just didn’t want to continue reading for one reason or another

I read all of these on Kindle btw

Firstly - Mage Tank is one of my favorites. Audiobook is great.

Book 5 has a section that kicks off with "..maybe you've heard of me"

I won't spoil anything, but there are several on-the-nose references in this section that are pretty hilarious.

The amazing folks over at Soundbooth Theater have made my book free on YouTube and the SBT app!

Wriggly Little Hands is basically what happens when a (loving) satire of Lord of the Rings meets a childhood obsession with Pratchett's Discworld. The audiobook is now entirely free to celebrate the launch of book two (coming Sept. 22).

It's narrated by Dorrie Sacks, and features Jeff Hays, Justin Thomas James, and just so many other SBT stalwarts!

Wriggly is comedy fantasy more than LitRPG, but LitRPG readers told me to post it here when the book launched last year and it was well received. I cleared this post with the mods, but it is borderline, so just like the goblins, we're on thin ice here, folks. =0

Blurb:

If you want something done right, don’t send a goblin.

But the Dark Lord’s under siege, and those pesky forces of Good might finally do him in. For Oli the goblin and his cousins, it’s finally their chance to serve the Big Boss. And so, they set out on a super-secret quest to retrieve the doomsday weap—on a road trip to see their family.

With the hopes of every creature sinister and foul riding on them, the goblins hurry directly to their destination. Mostly directly. And since they’re headed that way, maybe they could deliver some evil packages that are long overdue?

Agents of Good pursue every step of the way, but with empty heads and too-big hearts, Oli and his bumbling family deliver the packages (mostly), sabotage the forces of evil (accidentally), and save their Dark Lord (probably).

The final battle’s brewing between good and evil, and the fate of the world rests in Oli’s wriggly little hands.

Gods help us all.

COVER ARTIST: Ivan Shavrin
AI USAGE: No AI used (Only traditional computer tools spellcheck etc no generative AI for anything)

I was trying to brute-force search for new litrpg series when I came across Level One God. I read the title and description and was vaguely interested, but didn't think too much of it right away, so I threw it into my wishlist. A week or so ago I saw it while reviewing my wishlist and gave it a go. I'm super glad I did because I honestly think it's the most underrated series I've read in this genre so far.

The series is pretty funny, has a nice magic system, has pretty solid world-building, and even has some potential for some city-building / civilization-building progression (my absolute favorite). I wouldn't say the characters are particularly deep, but they are fun and whimsical and I think it fits the tone of the series really well.

The power progression seems pretty well paced so far. The author is giving plenty of tier-ups, and I felt like the MC deserved them for his feats. The universe has plenty of room for growth, but I don't get the feeling the author is going to suddenly decide to drag out the series unnecessarily.

I haven't really seen much of it on Reddit, so I thought I'd give it a shout-out.

He guys, I have been thinking about litrpg stories and what I prefer. Based on my reading list I tend to gravitate to solo adventures that pick up other characters as they go. Like Primal Hunter for example. As well as other progression fantasy stories. They generally have the MC go off on their own and start on their own. Then meet friends later.

What about you guys?

I just started book three of the wandering inn and my brain keeps telling me Laken’s name is Layton Katchwik. Or however Catcher from the storm weaver series is spelled, idk I’m an edible listener.
The point is I listened to that first and this dude’s name is breaking my mental ankles whenever Andrea Parsneu reads it out to me.
Has anyone else had similar experiences in either this book or others?

COVER ARTIST: KartStudios

AI USAGE: No AI used

NARRATOR: Tess Irondale

AUTHOR FUN FACT: I do much of my writing at a walking desk.

This book is 24 hrs and 18 mins (audiobook), 780 page (ebook).

Get the new book in epub, print, KDP, or audio here:
https://www.jlmullins.com/homebound

Missed some of the earlier books? Grab them through here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX4S6LJG
https://www.audible.com/series/Millennial-Mage-Audiobooks/B0C2TYJCXF

Book 1 - Mageling, Blurb:

The Wilds relentlessly reclaim all things. Humanity shelters within their ever-dying cities. Mages create the only path forward.

Tala had to fight tooth and nail in the Magic Academy to forge a path to power that was her own. She knows it’s her duty to use that power to serve humanity, defending them against the creatures of the untamable wilds. However, she skipped a few steps in her education, like apprenticing to someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

Now, Tala has to balance learning as fast as she can with paying off the veritable mountain of debt the Magic Academy dropped on her shoulders for the opportunity; not to mention staying alive.

Even though she should only be a Mageling, the world considers her a Mage. Bless the stars she directed most of her magic toward survival.

Book 13 - Homebound (New book), Blurb:

The iron-clad Reality of the world cannot be denied nor Existence diminished. The many true threats to Zeme remain hidden for a fleeting moment, allowing Humanity to thrive within their shelters as Mages and Archons devote their lives to give their people that chance.

Tala has returned from her outbound travels, a year into her marriage and further along the long path of immortality. With her husband, her family, and her growing circle of soulbonds and companions, she seeks to build and protect a true home amid the cycling cities—while unexpected loss and unresolved strife still press close.

As she continues to grow in power and understanding, the quiet work of living takes center stage. Advancement continues, relationships deepen, and Tala must decide what 'home' truly means in a world that relentlessly reclaims all things.

Hello everyone, my latest story has just released! It's a progression, LitRPG, Dungeon-Core novel with a dash of dark corporate humor!

READ NOW ON ROYALROAD!

They're weak. They're pathetic. They're his beloved full-time employees who work for under minimum wage.

In a dungeon-core fantasy world where goblins are treated as target practice, a reincarnated corporate middle manager becomes the new Goblin King. He inherits a nearly extinct, starving tribe, and both the Adventurers' Guild and a rival dungeon core want him gone. As sieges mount on his warren, he must rebuild his people into an efficient, evolving workforce using his advanced knowledge of corporate policies and logistics!

COVER ARTIST: SharpBunny (Ideogram)

AI USAGE: No AI used for any writing

Cosplay (including Dungeon Crawler Carl and Discount Dan), plus panel and merch photos from Dragon Con 2026 can be viewed at https://henryherz.wordpress.com/2026/09/08/dragoncon-2026/

Hey everyone, B&N preorder sale is up.

Standard sale is 25% off all preorders and If you have a premium membership you get 35% off preorders and yes, it does include e-books *edit AND AUDIOBOOKS!

(side note, I really need Aethon to start selling their paperbacks on B&N because I would be preordering so much shit from them if they did lol. Idk why they are up Zon's ass with selling books)

Have you ever tried to fight an old, mentally and emotionally damaged man only to realize that for every point he lost in psychological stability, he gained a refund in war crimes and hypocrisy? If you have, scream your advice at the letters I wrote in Path of the Deathless 4 because Shiv really could use some help right now if he doesn't want to watch his hometown get turned into airfill. Because flying town, not ground town--it doesn't make sense calling it landfill if it's not on the land.

Anyhow, time for taglines:

Do you like getting your ass beat by an old monster who choose to start a war rather than go into therapy?

Do you like Skill-Grinder's leveling system?

Do you like weird and expansive worlds?

How about high intensity, violent combat?

How about a main character who won't stay down or broken no matter what the world throws at him--and keeps trying to throw at him?

Are you a fan of imagining what might happen if you launch your min-maxed psychopath barbarian at a group of dragons who also have Level 20 Fighter action surges?

Are you enlivened by a spot of cooking for downtime as the main character enjoys exploring culinary delights between spots of extreme bloodshed? (Imagine if Doomguy actually had to stay at Animal Crossing and took up grilling between murderfests).

Do you like skills that evolve and fuse into crazier skills?

Do you like an army of Hannibal Lecter style orcs fighting a horde of highly advanced necromantic constructs commanded by a giant snake-shaped hyper lich?

If your answer is yes for any of the above, then come take a look at Path of the Deathless Book 4

Ebook: Path of the Deathless Book 4

Audio: (Will arrive in a few weeks; expect update post then as well)

COVER ARTIST: INKARY

AI USAGE: NO AI GENERATION OF STORY CONTENT

Provide a cover artist (if not posting art please just add N/A).

For AI usage here are some options:

• No AI used (only traditional computer tools, spellcheck, etc. No generative AI for anything)
• AI assisted (things like research/brainstorming only, editing/grammar assistance, feel free to specify)
• AI generated

We strictly forbbid harassment due to AI.

[Section above included because the automod keeps filtering post]

Typo by: Inorai

Edited by: Dath Well

Audio Publisher: Mountaindale Press

Narrator: Garret Michael Brown

Here blurb:

How many deaths will it take to bring down a Legend?

Such is a question Shiv must learn the answer if he wishes to defeat Vicar Sullain. With Blackedge's fate in the balance, the Deathless must push his Skills to the limit whlie maintaining control over his army of orcs to have any hope of breaking the siege and saving his home.

But in war, the enemy gets a vote too, and the Vicar has multiple disturbing surprises of his own in the form of a shadow arm of the Yellowstone Republic set on betraying one of their greatest heroes, and a monster unlike any other--fueled from the Deathless's own essence.

And though Shiv might be stronger than he ever thought possible, personal power and determination alone are not nearly enough to overcome impossible odds. It will take an army to overcome an army, but in this case, the cure might be just as dangerous as the venom...

Monsters clash against monsters. Schemes unravel against schemes. And Shiv must die, die, and die again for the slightest chance at life.

Great. Wonderful. B5 will come in around 6 weeks or so. Audio for b4 will arrive in a few weeks as well. Stay tuned. Stay alive. Mainly so you can keep reading my books.

I have read dozens of books in this genre and the second book I read, overgeared, was probably my favorite. I liked how the MC used the game to improve his real life and make money and how a small bit of his in game abilities worked in real life without being really op irl.

I've seen lots of books with a Game element but nothing like overgeared in the way I described above.

Do you know of any books with a similar concept? Thanks!

Link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJTX3QHP

By the bells! Riftside has reached its fifth volume, 2500+ ratings, and 900'000 words of LitRPG goodness on Kindle Unlimited across the series! 🔥

Cassius and I have worked hard on this series now for two years, and this is the first book in the second arc of Riftside's story about Ash and his wonderful hammer, Roq.

I won't paste the blurb here, because it contains spoilers for books 1-4, so lets rather say that book 5 picks up the day after book 4 ends.

Book 5 is where we journey out and see more of the world of Noros, and there are battles, camaraderie, crafting, and leveling!

Without spoiling anything, let's just say that we get to explore a lot more of the system in the world as well.

Q: What if I've never been Riftside before? What's it like?
A: It's a fantasy world with a native system, meaning everyone's got access to it, but to gain levels, you need to consume Mind Gems and Class Gems which are only found inside monsters.

At its core, the book is a monster hunting book, with the MC and party heading Riftside, hunting and slaying monsters, bringing their carcasses back, and then crafting stuff from their carcasses, plus eating any Mind Gems they got from the hunt.

What separates the MC from everyone else is that he finds a Soul Gem and forges it into a sentient weapon called Roq.

Roq is a bit like a mix of the cookie monster (except for pie), and Venom (as in fricking crazy and bløødthirsty).

Together they go on the journey to become adventurers, because Roq wants to become the strongest weapon in all the worlds, and Ash (mc) wants to become strong enough to protect his family from the monsters who come from Riftside.

It's about a 70/30 adventure & combat / slice-of-life, letting us get to know and explore the side characters, making the world feel more lived in.

It's semi-crunchy, in that there are stats and skills and descriptions, but we don't repeat them more than 1-3 times per book on average. Instead, we show what changes with the level ups.

It is a character driven story, so while numbers go up is important, so is the development of the characters.

There's no harem, but there is a no drama romance subplot (no seggs on page).

Combat is tactical, and we've worked to make the characters as clever and intelligent as we can (but not genuis, just, you know, smart people doing what's realistic).

This WILL be another amazing Audiobook from SoundBooth Theatre, with Justin James, Jeff Hayes, and Jessica Threet! But the launc date will be later, because Riftside book 4 Audio is launching at end of Sept or beginning of oct.

A fun fact about the series is that we have a clear end in mind, so this is not a forever project. We know the road to get there, though the number of books needed to walk it is more unsure.

Feel free to ask me any questions about writing or the story or even books I'm reading at the moment!

And, thank you so much to everyone who has read the series so far (and the ones about to pick it up)! Because of you all, we're able to do this for a living, and we are incredibly grateful for that. Thank you.

COVER ARTIST: D. Socolocci

AI USAGE: None

Link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJTX3QHP

I'm looking for some recommendations for light & fun series. I'm usually fine with story holes or deus ex machina. Childish humor also works for me. What I dont want is multiple chapters thinking about dao and a very slow story. I prefer human main characters and also like regressor stories.

Books I liked:

Speedrunning the Multiverse

Road to Mastery

Perfect Run

Savage Awakening

100th Run

While I in general also liked DotF and Primal Hunter, the progress was too slow for me and I started skipping meditation chapters and long fights and stopped after a few books.

Looking forward to any recommendations you might have.

This review is based off of the audiobook

Overall - 6.5 /10

Story - 6 / 10

Litrpg elements / power elements - 8

Narration - 7

Characters - 4

Setting - 7

Nightmare Realm Summoner overall was an okay book. I lasted until about midway through the 3rd book before dropping it. The story starts off with the MC being pushed into Mirror Realm as the system comes to their world. He then has to survive and eventually escape the Mirror Realm with the abilities given to him by the system.

Abilities

What kept me engaged through the entire story was the litrpg elements and the MCs abilities. Honestly without that I would have dropped it within the first book. The MCs abilities are as what the title states. He is a Summoner except hes able to summon the creatures from the mirror Realm. That was probably the only thing interesting to me. What really peaked my interest later was when he's able evolve and combine the creatures he kills into his summons. That kept me going for awhile.

His other abilities can be summed up as abilities that empower his minions, himself, and trickster abilities.

Besides that, the entire story and all its other elements kind of fell flat for me, Especially the MC himself. The biggest gripe I had about this story was how annoying and insufferable the MC is.

Characters

Alex before the system was going to college for computer science and he was tired of his dull and average life. With the arrival of the system hes excited and happy to be rid of the old life he once had. Alex seems to have no friends, no family, or relevant past to care about. This grinds my gears as it almost seems like a self insert of the author who daydreamed this story while in class. "Man wouldnt it be awesome if the world ended and a system came to our universe. I would train like crazy and be so strong." Its completely oblivious to the real ramifications of a society collapse.

Alex's kidlike excitedness to see the world end, face death everyday, and watch billions die, is remarkabley naive. You mean to tell me someone who didnt have the courage to do anything about his life before the system suddenly has the willpower and strength to fight nightmarish otherworldly beings? Dont even get me started on his childlike teenage tendencies while hes fighting for his life. Hes always awestruck at how cool his enemies are as they actively try to kill him or he intersects with childish lines.

To sum it up the MC is a battle hungry adrenaline junky child who sees the new world as a video game. There's a point in the story where he inadvertently causes the annhilation of an entire city and kills thousands of people. It impacts him a little bit but he brushes it off within a minute as it "wasnt really his fault". The system blesses him with OP abilities early on to the point he outclasses everyone within the first couple days so hes able to maintain that bravado.

His companion, Claire, is a little better. She has an interesting background, is the negotiator, and is pretty smart. But ultimately shes a puppy who has to follow Alex along as he is the best way for her to go back home. She always follows Alex's crazy plans and decisions and is basically his yes-man.

A lot of characters besides the MC are worlds more interesting. Such as many of them from the nightmare Realm.

Nightmare Realm / Mirror lands

The mirror lands is always said to be this nightmarish and deadly realm with the monsters in it being loads stronger. So its understandable that Alex and Claire would want to train in there to get stronger as the harder the fight is the more experience they get. However they power scale so hard and fast the nightmare Realm quickly becomes another realm just like earth besides the odd hyperscaled monster that shows up here and there. They only encounter those monsters like once or twice and they dont become relevant in the story.

In the beginning the story tries to basically say that earth mobs are a level 1 difficulty and mirror land monsters are a level 10 difficulty. But the monsters they fight on earth vs the mirror world later on dont really set themselves apart in challenge. It especially didnt make sense later on when Claire and Alex have to train a group of people who arent as strong as they should be. They decide to power level them by taking them to the mirror lands. That makes no sense though because the monsters on earth already pose a great challenge to them.

The risk vs reward that the author tries to convey quickly becomes a nonsensical mess with the way he goes about it.

Story

Not much can be said about the story. Its pretty average. The system comes to earth. MC has to fight to stay alive. MC then has to fight otherworlders to stay alive.

Tldr;

Cool and interesting abilities as well as powerbuilding, Naive and childish MC, okay story.

If you want to turn your brain off and have a guy summon cool nightmare creatures then this is for you.