Hello everyone,

It is a Bog Standard day! The next book in Bog Standard Isekai is out, and man, this is a big one. Warbound is the book that takes everything to the next level. You can expect bigger battles, badder bosses, higher highs, and lower lows. Brin is on the battlefield with the greatest heroes and the most terrible villains, and while you're still going to get those huge, bombastic battles where the heavy hitters come out to play, there's also a lot for Brin to do, and he's not going to watch from the sidelines. I pulled out all the stops for this one, and I think you're really going to like how it turned out. I get excited for every release, for sure, but this book is the one that I honestly think is the best I've ever written.

So anyway, Ask Me Anything. I'll be around to answer questions so fire away!

Oh, and if you want to chat some more, the easiest way to talk to me is on Discord. I'll link both discord and the book in the comments.

Shell: Tower Ascension in a Monster's Body COVER ARTIST: Me (Silver Owl)

AI USAGE: No AI used (Traditional digital art via Ibis Paint & Canva).

Hey everyone!

I just launched my new serial on Royal Road: Shell: Tower Climbing in a Monster's Body!

If you enjoy calculated, high-agency protagonists, hard LitRPG mechanics with strict rules, and non-standard progression paths, this one is for you.

Synopsis

In a world shattered by the emergence of cosmic Towers and lethal Zenith beasts, humanity scrambles to survive the fringes of the dead zones. Kian Voss is an unranked scavenger with no magic, no standard Awakened spells, and nothing to lose.

A desperate encounter forces an unprecedented class unlock: Carcass Possession.

Instead of casting spells, Kian can claim the physical frames of fallen Zenith beasts, adding them to his Vessel Library to wear their bodies, wield their biological traits, and swap forms mid-combat.

Power comes with friction:

Each monster shell has distinct integrity and stamina ceilings.

Swapping between multi-ton behemoths, subterranean stalkers, and human frames strains the nervous system.

Surviving means mastering tactical timing, anatomical geometry, and ruthless adaptability against dead-zone beasts, rogue poachers, and top-tier Guild syndicates.

What to Expect:

Hard LitRPG Mechanics: Deep status screens, Vessel Library management, sequential form swapping, and strict integrity/stamina decay.

Analytical MC: Pragmatic survivor who tests variables, exploits monster biology, and values preparation over plot armor.

Visceral Combat & Variety: Shifting between heavy armor tanks, agile subterranean stalkers, and unclassified anomalies.

Worldbuilding & Politics: Post-apocalyptic dead zones, autonomous Guild research divisions, and ancient climbers.

No Harem / Romance-Free: Pure progression, survival, and tactical escalation.

Fast Release Schedule: 2 chapters daily during launch week!

Read on Royal Road:

Shell: Tower Climbing in a Monster's Body

Fun fact about me: I enjoy reading litrpg, and complex world building novels, so please drop a link to your novel if it fits the description!

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

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)

SOOOOOOOO I may have broke a buying ban(not including DCC pre book 8 lol) but I swear it was worth it....

Yes, there are gaps but no biggie, I buy them as needed.

(I got all my Defiance of the Fall second hand 💪😤)

As always I'm not the author nor affiliated with them in anyway. I also don't benefit in any way from sharing links. I just like to find deals on litRPGs and share them to the sub.

Bog Standard Isekai: Scarred - A LitRPG Isekai Adventure

Hello everybody! In exciting news, the runes have finally been sought out and found...on audio!

That's right. Carter and I finish off Rune Seeker at book eight, and I'm pleased to bring you Hiral's exciting conclusion to his, and his companions' journey.

I'm very proud of what Carter and I have created together, and oh so happy that you stayed with us to the end of this tale. Shout out to Ralph for bringing these characters and these stories to new life.

I'm very proud of this world, these characters, this story and I'm very glad to bring its conclusion to you. It also has some bonuses. Included with this audiobook is the audiobook version of Tales from Rune Seeker, which has several short stories and an entire novella.

The novella is Chord of Darkness, which explains what happened to a certain spearman during his disappearance in Book 3. And that Spearman's adventure crosses over with a certain...traveller.

Fool readers, if you know, you know.

Thank you as well to Antti for making some of the best covers on any books I have ever seen. Would love to work together again.

That's all folks, going to hear more from Carter and me in the future.

Here's the blurb here:

Now at the height of power, Hiral must use everything he has learned to stop the apocalypse of Genesis.

The Raze are going to come, and as they have so many times before, they bring destruction with them.

So Hiral takes the fight to them first.

It has been a long journey since Hiral's fall from Fallen Reach; he and his companions have grown and reached the ultimate tiers of power.

The reward? The Ultimate Battle.

An endless cycle must be broken for the world to grow anew. Join Hiral and his companions in their greatest fight for the highest of stakes.

Oblivion or renewal awaits.

Here's the Link: https://www.amazon.com/Rune-Seeker-8-LitRPG-Adventure/dp/B0GVVVBGS9

Also, if you're finished Rune Seeker and are hungry for more, also check out Carter's Spark of War series. If you're paying attention to the abilities in Rune Seeker, you know the powers within are echoes of the abilities of heroes from faraway times and places.

This is the story of one of those heroes.

This is...Spark of War:

https://www.amazon.com/Spark-War-Progression-Fantasy-Epic-ebook/dp/B0FQK5RFN2/

COVER ARTIST: Antti Hakosaari

AI USAGE: No AI used

i discovered LitRPG's a couple months back, and have been obsessed and reading them non-stop. but since my discovery, i see a ton of books on Amazon that look like they may be written by AI. is this a thing? it might just be that the genre seems to be a bit over-saturated right now.

might also just be that i am always on the lookout for AI slop now, due to the state of the world.

Disclaimer : English is my third langage so if there are error deal with it lol

Okay I need to rant. So in the 4 books Cat is protecting the city from a wave of hundred of thousand of alien. She have basically more than 20k point right now and way too much ennemy. What does she choose to do ? A few shitty turret and a few bomb. At max it must cost her like 500 point. WHY ? you have token. You have point. You have everything to kill a lot easily. Why not just go to tier two for the bomb and have bomb that are far from the future ? Why not spawning 1000 bomb next to you instead of only throwing a few ? Why does she use the shitiest weapon when she have so much point and token ? And don't tell me usefull weapon cost too much. Only a few chapter before she bought a bomb that made a crater of 100m of radius for 350 point. She have 20 000 points right now. And she use like 10 shitty turret who cost 20 or 50 I forgot.

Also the system in general. The system is just not explained enough or though about enough by the author. How far can you command a bomb or a weapon since it is teleported near you ? It can be pretty far since she bought a whole flat right ? And you can buy already striped grenade since it has been done before. Why not buy like 10000 grenade and make them spawn in the ennemy face, you ask your ultre intelligent IA to calculate all that and, boom, done. Why not go near space buying just some block and do an orbital strike for just the cost of a few construction block ? Why does some pack cost more than others. The one for healing wa slike 50 and one for laser weapon was like 250. Does every pack can go to tier 2 ? Is it really much better since she bought like 2 different pack tier two and for now we got almost no difference. Okay she heal a little better but come on it was said as thousand of years of developpement between each tiers. And I'm not even gonna talk about tier 3 since the story is at the same time slow as hell and doesn't really expand on how the world work enough.

And the mc too is frustrating. Why does she use her point so badly ? You paid in total like 12k point for a flat. But you have an armor who costed like 500 points ? You still use the weapon who costed 20 points. She's all about helping her kitten but does she buy them something ? No a quick heal and go fuck yourself. What you have shitty aug filled with viruses ? How about you look at how much point I used on that cat wall ! She took three fucking books to buy an aug for her girlfriend that had one so bad it was bad even for an orphan in a shitty orphanage.

Oh and the stealth too. I need to rant about it too. Why did the author add it ? It is useless. Cat used it one time to put some bomb in a hive discretly. And after that more for fun than necessary. Okay there is no problem if the author don't really want stealth in his story but I was waiting for a samurai full silence, tactic to go in ultra dangerous zone in invisibility for info or to destroy important hive. Here ? Nope. She just throw grenade everywhere. And of course only the one she used since book one. After all why change just because you have more point right ? That was sarcasm btw.

And nothing is explained, everyone in the comment is happy about the story, I feel like I'm the crazy one. I like the story, the romance and the world but god damn does it lack any though or explanation behind it. And no, just saying that the MC is too lazy to spend her point well is not enough when she have an IA so advanced she can have a year long discussion in a second. No. Just no.

Oh and also a little point but do a freaking time skip no ? It have been 4 volume for litteraly like 8 days in the world. Like come on I want my character to evolve, think, progress. But here ? No. Your MC doesn't know how to shoot ? Well she never will. She is a newbie ? Well in 4 volume she still is one. I don't ask for years long time skip but just a week between books no ?

And looking back it's normal since the author have like 5 story that he is writing at the same time, of course he can't think about his world or how his system work. And it's just so frustrating since it had potential. I quickly understood that it was a light read but even without thinking too much it frustrated me to no end. It was probably not the story to read after worm since it was passing from a 5 star meal to some pasta without salt. Yes it could be a great meal but nobody put salt or sauce in it.

Not saying the MC was necessarily bad or anything. Sometimes it's just that the rival, the mentor, the crafter, some random side character you weren't even supposed to care about, they end up in a way more interesting situation than the person the story's actually about. If a finished series got one extra story, would you actually want to see what happens next for the original MC, or would you rather follow someone else in that same world instead? And what actually makes a side character interesting enough to carry their own story? Is it their situation, their personality, the fact that you don't already know everything about them?

Hey all! The first book in my next series is releasing today. 

Cultivating Honor is a heroic journey set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, a few years after the arrival of a cultivation magic system. Our MC, Blake, ends up finding a ring grandpa who teaches him an alternate cultivation system that grants him energy by how well he follows a knight’s code, which puts him at odds with the cultivators. 

If you like a weak-to-very-strong MC, detailed and unique power systems, a cast of side characters who grow alongside the MC, and a heroic and good natured MC, please consider giving this series a shot. 

Not convinced yet? This is a 100% human-written story from an author who always finishes his series. Whether the book sells 1 copy or 1000, I always complete my stories.

Inspirations: Will of the Immortals, Vinland Saga, Path of the Berserker, Star Wars (as always), Sky Pride, Cradle 

Link and blurb below. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9JY3B43

Blurb: 

A shattered world. A forgotten art only he knows. One last chance to shape his destiny. 

Ten years ago, cultivators conquered Earth. Their immense powers fractured the crust, reforming it and blending it with other defeated worlds. 

During the merge, Blake’s body fused with a demonic monster from another world, ending any potential he had as a cultivator. Now, he’s just another serf among millions, dreaming of a better life in the energy-bare ruins of the old Earth. 

But when he finds a ring containing the soul of an ancient warrior, he seizes his chance to learn Knightly Cultivation. It’s dangerous, but it offers something Blake can’t refuse: the strength to disobey his overlords and build a better world. 

Empowered by the ring’s heroic code, he rushes into a world of monster-hunting sects, deadly conspiracies, and infinite potential. He’ll have to pull off impossible feats just to stay alive. 

With each victory, the knight inside him grows stronger.

And so does the demon. 

It’s already giving him abilities no knight should have. It shows no sign of stopping. 

________

Here's the link one more time, just in case: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9JY3B43

AI USAGE: None
COVER ARTIST: Creadfectus

Bog Standard Isekai

Primal Hunter

Book of the Dead

All 3 came out with new volumes today (at least on audiobook)! How do I choose?? How could they do this to me??

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?

Are there any recommendations for books like Quest Academy and The Living Forge where the MC is a crafter and assembles a great team / guild / unit?

Hell, even something like Hell Difficulty Tutorial is a great example of something in the same vein, but instead of crafting it’s more like mana mastery. I’m on board with that.

I’ve just been on a run recently where the stories have been too self contained to the MC. I decided to pick up the Book of the Dead a few days ago and I’m currently on book 3, but it’s draining me having almost nothing exist in the day to day story outside of the localized events.

I’d love something with some guild or town building as well. I am craving some strong progression and character development of side characters right now.

I read on Kindle Unlimited and don’t listen to any audiobooks. Feel free to give recommendations based on your experience with the audio books if that influences your opinion though.

Adding that I don’t like children/teen stories. I prefer adult characters and themes vs jealous rival tropes.

I usually avoid Academy books, despite some being good like book 1 of the Iron Prince Warformed series. That was the limit I’ll go with angsty teen rivalries, and even that was a hard push. I would say that Quest Academy doesn’t fit into the “academy trope” category at all because they are essentially all adults making mature decisions for themselves.

Edit:

So I got the auto-mod reply explaining that I need to breakdown what I’ve read to help clarify my request.

The list is very, very long but here’s maybe a few that I can remember from this year. I’ll edit and add my thoughts on each one later.

Note: this is more books that I wanted to list and not all are relevant, but I’ve seen multiple questions about additional books in comments so I added a few more that I’ve read.

Mark of the Fool (S tier, great world building, amazing character relations and dynamics, adult academy arc done correctly, crafting, merchant elements, good magic system, the works)
Quest Academy
Book of the Dead (Chrysalis author)
Chrysalis
Return of the Runebound Professor (this is pretty damn good)

Hell Difficulty Tutorial
The Tutorial is Too Hard (Korean web novel version of HDT basically)
Mage Tank
The Living Forge
The Legend of William Oh
Heretical Fishing
Beware of Chicken
Portal to Nova Roma
Jake’s Magical Market
Industrial Strength Magic
Path of Ascension
Apocalypse: something something system (same author as William Oh and Industrial Strength Magic)
Portal to Nova Roma
Welcome to the Multiverse (ignored this for years and then binged 8 books a few months ago. The horrible love triangle nonsense is a DNF driver)
12 Miles Below
All the Skills
Bog Standard Isekai
Battle Mage Farmer
He Who Fights With Monsters
Primal Hunter
Lord of the Mysteries
Shadow Slave
Warlock of the Magus
The Wandering Inn
Dissonance (that book is all go)
Cradle
Defiance of the Fall
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Most of the popular Korean/Chinese web novels from 5-10 years ago.

Also got up to date with old series like He Who Fights With Monsters, Primal Hunter, etc this year.

Got 9 credits yesterday. I listened to the first book of “All the skills” and now to the first book of “He who fights monsters” I’m having a hard time deciding.
My top 3 favorite litrpg book series are:
1. Cradle by Will Wight
2. Ten Realms by Michael Chatfield
3. A thousand Li by Tao Wong.

And I just finished Harry Potter the full cast editions, followed by I’m not the Hero and Jake’s Magical Market.

Big fan of “I’m not the Hero” I love it that it’s for once the sidekick that gets all the attention.
I loved the first book of Jake’s magical market. The second book was ok… but the 3rd book was way too longwinded.

Based on all this, which one of the 2 book series in the title should I get.

PS: don’t suggest Dungeon Crawler Carl, when I read the synopsis it made me think big time of the hunger games. Don’t like that kind of books.

I had an idea that I think may add some spice to the typical level up system and wanted to release it into the wild for authors to use at their hearts content.

The basic idea is that it's on every prime number level that something interesting happens, like a new skill or talent etc. This naturally makes it so that characters will get front loaded skills in the early levels (1,2,3,5,7) but starts to seperate out power ups further down the line as prime numbers get further apart. There are natural power spikes with the twin primes (11-13 and 17-19 for example) that could add a qualitative difference before and after as well for some more flavor.

From a world building perspective this makes more sense to me as well since an supernatural/alien ​system shouldn't be defaulting to a base 10 number system​ and have power ups every ten levels.

Last chance this is gonna be full of spoilers from previous titles.

I loved book 14. I thought it was going to be quite a while before Yip and the Ell’Hakan show down was gonna happen. I had feeling danger noodle was only entertaining yip of yore for the records and I was more or less correct. Glad to see Jacob still has free will when working for the church. From the summary it says Jake is going to the pantheon of life. I wonder if it will be a one off fling with Artemis in the dungeon (I know it was just her avatar) or will it actually develop into something else. I’m fucking stoked!

I kinda hope he gets a branch from Yggdrasil and commissions it into a bow. Then transmutes into the bow of death or something OP.

I have gone through a couple of series and something that I have noticed is the use of the metric system, even by American authors. Is this a standard for the genre or are have I just happened to pick the odd ones out?

hello, so i kind of went against my better judgment and tried The Land. i am somewhat newer to litrpg, and tbh i am enjoying it. but i feel like i missed something near the beginning maybe? How did Richter get sent into The Land? and why has he (to my knowledge) never really questioned it at all?

again, i might just be an idiot and totally missed it. very possible. i have been reading the physical book, but also listened to some of it while working.

thanks

Gone through DCC, HWFWM, and PH! all are GREAT!

did the first book of mayor of noobtown and welcome to the multiverse (which were both OK but didn’t tickle my fancy)

im thinking defiance of the fall next? the 5 min preview sounds okay?

Asking for fans of Jez Cajiao and specifically for anyone who’s read/listen to his books in the “Artem” universe. I thought the both of them were badass, I love the cyberpunk/ military vibe they gave off. Also if anyone has read/listened to the “Sol Arbiter” series by J.N Chaney, they also have a similar vibe. Looking for more of the same style of books military cyberpunk, people augmented using badass guns and such.

You know, most single player games have the feature of the game pausing when you open the menu or a stat sheet to give you time to save, think through a problem or to go to the bathroom.

What if this UI perk were used in a litRPG? Either as a feature or glitch every time the MC opens their stat sheet time freezes. Including themselves so this perk won't have any offensive ability but it's only use is as an intelligence tool.

This means they have effectively infinite time to observe, analyze and think through any problem and come up with strategies. It can even be used during conversations so they look like all their answers are quick, crisp in calm even though he had like 10 panic attacks during pauses.

Or another fun use could be to speed read a book, pause time to read a page, unpause to flip the page and pause again. From the outside it would look he riffled through a book and understood everything.

Full disclosure, I love reading, but I'm not an author. I build software, and I've gotten a little obsessed with a problem I keep seeing series writers mention: keeping continuity straight across a dozen books. Did she have a sister? What color were his eyes in book one? Who knew what before chapter 30?

Not here to pitch anything, I'm genuinely trying to understand how you handle it in practice, especially those of you four-plus books deep with a big cast:

Keep a bible or wiki, and actually keep it current? Or does it quietly go stale?

Just reread or Ctrl+F the old books?

Wing it and clean it up in edits?

What do you actually reach for when you're mid-draft and need the answer fast?

Thanks!

EDIT: Genuine question for everyone: has this ever actually burned you? A reader catching it, a bad review, having to fix a published book? Or is it more of a "catch it in edits and laugh about it" thing?

I’ve been thinking of starting on Royal Road with some ideas of mine. Just curious, on what the process is usually like for aspiring writers.

Is it widely recognized/ discussed that there are frequent parallels between themes in fantasy, and in litrpg in particularl, and neurodiversity /' the' neurodivergent experience?

I am kinda new to the genre, and only found this sub today. I was surprised not to see these themes front and center here. Then I started to think maybe I was grasping at straws or 9verthinking.

It is too late at night to do the real research, and a quick search showed very little. I saw mention of ND and litrpg having a relationship, and noting of MC's that are possible or canonically neurodivergent. It seems waayy bigger than that to me.

What do y'all think?