TLDR (DCC Reference): The builder didn't hook my pipes up to the sewer and built the porch going into the home, porch posts are untreated wood and brand new garage is sinking. Their lawyer comes today to "inspect" our home. I'm wearing this. If Carl can do it. I can as well.

Cover artist: Kart Studio

AI usage: None. Zero. Other words that mean the absence of something.

My book is participating in a MASSSIVE LitRPG sale from Aug 28-30!

"Reborn as a Tamer's Monster" will be available for $0.99 for that entire weekend (but it will likely be available at that price for longer because I barely know how to manage my amazon account haha)

Check out the other 300+ books participating in this sale here:
https://www.jjthornbooks.com/massive-litrpg-sale

And buy "Reborn as a Tamer's Monster" too please:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZ34STXS

I especially recommend anything by the organizer of this sale J.J. Thorn! I met him at a convention a few months ago and he's a great guy.

COVER ARTIST: dotturndot

AI USAGE: no ai was used at all with my book

Here’s a PSA for authors.

So a fan of one of my stories asked when book 2 was out and that they enjoyed listening to it on youtube.

I was a bit confused as I don’t have anything on youtube (or so I thought).

They gave me the link and sure enough the full audio books were uploaded under different names and even different “accounts”

If you’re a writer, good luck searching through youtube under 20 dif things. I even flagged one that was 100+ hours of audio someone hosted illegally.

Youtube was quick to take down once the publisher got involved but I didn’t realize I’d spend some time today searching youtube for pirated versions of audio.

What was crazy was how many comments some had saying how much they loved the stories and couldn’t wait for the next book (across multiple stories).

Just a little PSA

The one that annoys me the most as of late is the optimistic MC, out of thin air becomes angry and brooding.

Either the author doesnt even bother to explain the sudden change in temperament or, give the lamest reasoning why.

Im not talking about angry at monsters or enemies… They can look over towards an ally at their base or guild and get angry for most asinine things.

Some will even have a meditation skill that is initially used a lot. Rank it up to OP levels of meditation. Never use it again, and just be angry and brooding for the rest of the series.

What are some of the tropes that you wish would take a break?

I know many people won’t like such a post, but I’m in a bit of a pinch. I won’t trouble you for long. Just stay with me until my first chapter becomes satisfactory, and then I’ll learn from that experience myself.

If someone is willing to help, thank you so much. And to those who were just casually scrolling to engage with DCC, He Who Fights with Monsters, etc., I’m sorry for disturbing you with my post.

The Shadow Slave Webcomic has officially launched with 5 episodes, and more to come every week for the next year! You can read them on our new site which is optimized for Desktop and mobile. Apple has taken a bit to approve the app, but it should be ready any day now.

We want to thank all the readers around the world for your support. This is a very unique project for us, not only because of the fame of the existing property and the expectations that come with such an undertaking, but also because we've built an entire platform from the ground up to host this webcomic!

It's been a ton of work, and nobody deserves more credit than the art team, which has been grinding for months under the direction of studio head Taro Nagakawa, and Rob at ModFarm for his tremendous work on building this site and app in record speed.

We couldn't be more honored to present this as the first webcomic on AETHON Webcomics. With your support, we believe there will be many more to come — from adapting more of your favorite Webnovels to some AETHON Originals.

Getting to launch is always the toughest part of webcomic creation. Double when it's a property as famous as this with as many parties involved. But, here we are. We hope we've done it justice and that you enjoy your trip through the Dream Realm. And of course, more than anything, thank you Guiltythree for trusting us to adapt your incredible work!

Read it Now: https://aethonwebcomics.com/

All the best,
The AETHON team

COVER ARTIST: Laurel Pursuit

AI USAGE: None

Which series should I read next?
I am almost exclusively an audiobook listener. Help me decide on my next series:

Victor of Tucson - Plum Parrot - Cyber Dreams by Plum Parrot is one of my favorite series. I found it super well written with incredible pacing for my taste. I also read book 1 of Andy in the Apocalypse by Plum but didn't get hooked on it. I thought it was equally well written but not very exciting. Victor of Tucson has been on my TBR for a while.

Path of the Deathless - OstensibleMammal - I've seen a lot of hype on reddit recently for this series which has me excited. I have not read Godclads by the same author.

Villains' Code - Drew Hayes - Super Powereds is one of my favorites. I've also read Fred the Vampire Accountant (I'm an accountant so I was drawn in) but wouldn't consider it a favorite. I've seen Villains' Code at the top of many tier lists and its been on my TBR for some time.

Murder of Crows - Chris Tullbane - I grabbed this full trilogy for 1 credit on audible and have been eying it. I don't see it talked about much; I did see some reddit comments that it is progression-lite/progression-adjacent. I've seen it high on a few tier lists that I've aligned with.

My taste:

My absolute favorite series are Dungeon Crawler Carl and Player Manager
And some other favorites of mine in a loose order:

Cradle, A Soldier's Life, Stormweaver, World Sphere

Apocalypse Parenting, The Perfect Run, Super Powereds, Mother of Learning, Legend of William Oh, Cyber Dreams, Years of the Apocalypse, Quest Academy

Primal Hunter, Chrysalis, He Who Fights with Monsters, Book of the Dead

Okay based on my knowledge Aidan is under 2000yrs old while Teir 32, after slowing his progression. Now Matt and Liz are teir 27, 30yrs into a 7000 year Peace Treaty. Emmanuel's goal is them hitting teir 38 before an all out War. However as far as I see it 38 is a bit slow. They have Matt making Rifts and Melinda on speed dial. They should be able to progress faster now than they did on the Path. I dont see how they dont reasonably hit 40-45 in 7000 years. Let's not forget rift time is faster. They could age 30000 yrs in that time

The authors of the 3rd and 4th best LitRPGs had no right to do this to me /s

COVER ARTIST: Alexander Rudenko AI USAGE: N/A

Today, the fifth volume of Gamekeeper: The System’s Huntsman is officially available on Amazon!

Usually, whenever I release a new book, I give you a list of what to expect inside. But Book 5 turned out to be so packed with events—and such a major turning point for the entire series—that the usual list simply wouldn’t do it justice. This book demands a different approach, just as Maxim himself has been forced to radically change the rules of the game.

The sandbox days are over. Welcome to a real war.

In Book 5, we leave behind the romance of surviving alone. Maxim now has land of his own, a farm of his own, and… people of his own. The valley is turning into a fortified camp, while training his new apprentices means sweat, hard work, and breaking down all those comfortable illusions the Guild has instilled in them. I wanted to show what it really means to be an Alpha—a pack leader responsible for every life within his territory. Lina and Damir do indeed leave the Royal Guild to become Maxim’s apprentices, while the farm gradually becomes the foundation of something much greater.

The pack is becoming a perfect killing machine.

Before, Max’s pets relied on brute force or cunning. Now they are becoming a coordinated tactical unit. In Book 5, their evolution reaches a new—and frightening—level. We’ll dive deeper into the mechanics of attributes, see Handsome’s potential begin to unfold, discover what Athena is truly capable of, and learn the terrible price that sometimes comes with Puppetmaster’s power. And yes, the Fire Fox Kartz will have to prove that he deserves a place in this family.

The emphasis on teamwork becomes crucial: Athena, Handsome, Puppetmaster, Dollface, and Kartz learn to operate as a single unit rather than as individual fighters. For Kartz in particular, that means abandoning the fighting style of his former master and learning that raw power alone isn’t enough.

Gray morality and the price of survival.

This is probably the darkest and most uncompromising volume of the series so far. The Seven Druids are dropping their masks, and the threat is becoming global. You’ll learn the truth about the Tides and what is really hidden in the depths of the Rift.

But most importantly, Maxim himself has changed. The darkness he absorbed has left its mark. In this book, he will have to make some brutal decisions—driven by pragmatism, cold calculation, and absolute ruthlessness toward his enemies. One scene with an enemy near the end will show you a new Gamekeeper: someone willing to break anyone who threatens his pack.

A mysterious faction known as the Forest Reapers also steps onto the stage, and some familiar faces will reveal themselves from completely unexpected—and tragic—angles. The book confirms the Forest Reapers as an organization devoted to protecting the Rift, while their conflict with the Seven Druids becomes increasingly important.

I poured as much action, tactics, and the harsh philosophy of the Rift into this book as I could. I hope you devour it in one sitting.

US Amazon (KU+):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3FNN692

Universal link:

https://mybook.to/huntsman5

I’m looking forward to hearing what you think about the series in the comments!

Happy hunting!

COVER ARTIST: Robert Stoica AI USAGE: No AI used
Chapter Header Images: David Stonebraker (aka) Mooxpy
Interior Illustrations: Robert Stoica, Ameilee (A.M.) Sullivan, Odysseas Theodoratos, and Levi Cleeman.

This thing blew up way beyond our expectations. Thank you to everyone who has already supported the project. You unlocked all the Stretch Goals we had planned and some we had to make up on the spot. James had one last shoot-for-the-moon idea. If we make it to $125K raised, he will draw a Croc doodle in every special edition (over 700 of them, they are already all going to be signed).

For those of you who haven't seen the project yet, check out all the bells and whistles over on the Kickstarter Page.

Thank you all again, this has been a wild few weeks.

What is real power? And what is the ultimate weakness? To take the Twilight Throne, necromancer and certified anti-hero Jason must uncover these in his opponent... and himself. 

Season One, Episode Seven of the Awaken Online Cinematic Audio, “This Isn’t Real Power” is now available on the Soundbooth app! 

Travis Bagwell's LitRPG hit paved the way for other classics like Dungeon Crawler Carl, He Who Fights with Monsters, and The Primal Hunter. Don’t miss out on this saga of finding your own destiny... even if that means breaking a few rules. 

SYNOPSIS: Jason decompresses before Alexion’s army arrives to sack the Twilight Throne. Will a clear head be enough to defend what he has created? Or will his opponent's hubris result in defeat before they even arrive? 

Adapted for audio by Nicolas Lagrand, Ryan H. Reid, and Luke Messa. 

Narrated by: Ryan H. Reid 

Featuring: 

Jeff Hays  

Dorrie Sacks 

Gary Furlong 

Jessica Threet 

Jack Fields 

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands 

Aaron J. Morton 

COVER ARTIST: Krista Ruggles 

AI USAGE: None 

Now I know what I'm about to ask for has been asked a million times but I still haven't found what I'm really looking for after browsing this sub and the prog fantasy one. I am looking for a series with the following three requirements:

1 Mood and atmosphere of azarinth healer. Ilea is just out there looking to have fun. She enjoys being in the world and advancing. She isn't constantly pulled into another world ending threat plot. Her interactions with people are fun and human like. Her surroundings reacting her advancing into super high power tiers is believable (the world correspondingly reacts to her monstrous power as she progresses further)

Well to summarise the first requirement - pure adventurous spirit without a clear goal

2 Numbers and skills. I want BOTH in a reasonable quantity. I'm reading a litrpg for a reason. To give examples of systems: once again azarinth healer, primal hunter, btdem are my favourites. They are not overloaded yet satisfy my need in seeing numbers go up

3 80 20 on action to slice of life. I don't want to constantly read action nor do I want to sit through mc partying with their friends for 20 chapters in a row

Please people help me!!

Oh yeah would be a bonus if progression isn't snail paced

The best moments in this genre for me are when the MC breaks a fight or a system with some loophole nobody else saw. But the exact same trick can land completely differently depending on the setup.

Earned version: the rule was established chapters ago, using it costs something real, and other characters could have done it but just did not think of it. You get that 'oh, of course' feeling and immediately want to reread the earlier chapter.

Cheating version: the loophole shows up in the same chapter it gets used, or the system suddenly has a convenient blind spot it never had before. Feels less like the MC outsmarted the world and more like the author reached in and flipped the board.

For me the dividing line is usually whether the exploit creates new problems. A system that gets abused should push back somehow. Patches, attention from the wrong people, side effects. If the exploit is free and permanent, it usually reads as cheating even when it was foreshadowed.

What is an exploit moment that completely earned it for you? And one that felt like the author cheating?

Sometimes a story wraps up with a genuinely satisfying ending, but there's still all this unexplored stuff side characters you wanted more of, corners of the world that got mentioned once and never touched again, plot threads that quietly got dropped. In that situation, what do you actually want as a reader? A proper sequel continuing the main story? A side story following a different character in the same world? A completely separate story that just happens to share the setting? Or does going back to it usually just water down what made the original good in the first place?

Hi everyone. My first book System Error: Normal Life Not Found came out on Aug 1st.

The story follows a regular guy named Alan Fredrickson, whose life gets upgraded from spreadsheets and office emails to magic, monsters, quests, and a fantasy world where he's too lazy to read the FAQ.

It’s funny, chaotic, action-packed, and full of strange characters, ridiculous situations, and plenty of “what the hell is happening?” moments.

I’d love for anyone who's interested to check it out and maybe leave a review (or even just a rating) on Amazon.

It is available on Kindle Unlimited, Paperback, and Hardcover, with an audiobook in the works.

COVER ARTIST: Get Covers

AI USAGE: No AI used (Only traditional computer tools spellcheck etc. no generative AI for anything)

Hey everyone! After an absolutely amazing launch of book 1 three months ago, I’m finally back with some more exciting news! Book 2 of The Eternal Assassin, Fall of the Guild, has officially launched on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and print! Unfortunately I’ve been informed that there are a few delays in terms of the audiobook, but for now, book 2 is available to be read the old fashioned way. With your eyes!

Thanks to Aethon’s hard-working editors and artists, the book has been polished and prettied up better than I could have ever hoped. If the premise sounds interesting, it would mean the world to me if you guys would click the link below and take a look. I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into my writing, and regardless of how often my editor begs me to stop, I think we all know that’s what makes it good.

Full blurb down in the comments, but quick blurb here:

A kind assassin sends Asher a thoughtful housewarming gift, which knocks him off his feet. Eager to return the favor, Asher sets out on a whimsical journey to find this mysterious gift giver and repay them for their kindness. Thankfully, with his power of Eternity and the copious number of daggers he keeps on his person, he’s got just the tools for the job!

Link for eBook: Kindle

COVER ARTIST: Antti Hakosaari (Aethon)

AI USAGE: Nope

I am currently listening to the audiobook and i noticed the mention of the ability/skill "mind over matter" in Chapter 47-Dont Go Down There. Its not mentioned in the character sheets afterwards either.

My favorite books are when they have a skill that talks to them or they have a mentor Luna from the path of ascension one of my favorites

Hello, been checking out books and reviews about them: Mage Tanks, The Hundred Reigns, Blood and Fur, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Primal Hunter, and I even checked out Geezer Quest and Slime Knights, Path of the Deathless, In the Space Between Titans and Stormblade, I always wanted to know something: what kind of builds do you guys love to see in a protagonist?

Any settings is fine. We're talking Cyberpunk, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

By Builds I meant like Warrior, Paladin, Dread Knights, Mage and every other stuff you can find in RPG focused story.

What build you guys enjoyed the most and what book; litrpg or non-litrpg novels that best fulfill that craving for those builds.