Maybe - but remember his only sources of info so far are the mage equivalent of yahoo answers, and a random girl that wants to teach herself with unrestricted general knowledge stuff from used bookstores. There's also no confirmation that he's actually right about healing - it could easily be a typical RPG heal style where it's a self guided smart heal and literally impossible to injure someone with it
Web Serials
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
Maybe - but remember his only sources of info so far are the mage equivalent of yahoo answers, and a random girl that wants to teach herself with unrestricted general knowledge stuff from used bookstores. There's also no confirmation that he's actually right about healing - it could easily be a typical RPG heal style where it's a self guided smart heal and literally impossible to injure someone with it
Some other stuff checked out recently :
Newish ones
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Mark of the Crijik - this is fairly typical isekai/litrpg as a baby stuff, but has a certain amount of charm to it. I quite like it so far.
Technomagica - also isekai/litrpg as a baby, but this time with more Russia. This is kind of goofy, but certainly different, with a lot of art and random bits of Russian history. Not bad, but could devolve into silliness, time will see.
Medium aged ones
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Millenial Mage - Uh, high fantasy I guess ? High-tech fantasy ? It's got pretty neat world building and amusing characters. Whether the MC is a millenial due to graduating from mage university with crippling debt and poor job prospects, or because she gets everything handed to her while complaining about how unfair life is is an exercise for the reader ;p
My pick for the most wildly inappropriate pet - the least realistic thing here was that the whole caravan didn't devolve into pants shitting terror the first time it showed up - it was pretty obvious that it could have casually killed any or all of their escort.
Smug Mary-Sue'ism aside, I've liked this one quite a bit.
Chunky backlog ones
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REND - This one is weird to categorize - Dystopian Superhero? Superhero Horror? There's superheroes, but they are under the command of alien hive mind, and they really don't give a fuck about anything that isn't defending Earth against alien threats. The world is under constant minor to major conflict from interdimensional enemies that cause people to turn into various types of monsters, although this doesn't actually have much impact on day to day life when it's happening somewhere else. The author describes this as slow burn psychological drama, although this doesn't really cover large parts of it which are balls to the wall bloodsoaked carnage.
If you feel like you need to empathize with the characters in stories, this one is a big avoid avoid, as the MC is a worthless trashbag with no redeeming features other than the kind of fascination you get watching a car crash. Her getting monsterized actually improved her personality ;p
On the upside, superheroes vs kaiju vs cyborgs vs implacable completely ruthless goverment agents.
I still thought it was pretty good. It's well written, and thought provoking, even if it is about questions like 'If someone does a good thing out of petty vindictiveness, does that actually make it worse than doing it out of kindness, if no-one else knows ?'
Tori Transmigrated - this is almost literally the Villainess anime, modern woman reborn as a character in a female dating sim. It's slice of life school adventures, where the most threatening thing is mean girls. Not sure why I liked this one, but I did, I am embarrassed to admit.
Newish ones
--------------------
Mark of the Crijik - this is fairly typical isekai/litrpg as a baby stuff, but has a certain amount of charm to it. I quite like it so far.
Technomagica - also isekai/litrpg as a baby, but this time with more Russia. This is kind of goofy, but certainly different, with a lot of art and random bits of Russian history. Not bad, but could devolve into silliness, time will see.
Medium aged ones
------------------------------
Millenial Mage - Uh, high fantasy I guess ? High-tech fantasy ? It's got pretty neat world building and amusing characters. Whether the MC is a millenial due to graduating from mage university with crippling debt and poor job prospects, or because she gets everything handed to her while complaining about how unfair life is is an exercise for the reader ;p
My pick for the most wildly inappropriate pet - the least realistic thing here was that the whole caravan didn't devolve into pants shitting terror the first time it showed up - it was pretty obvious that it could have casually killed any or all of their escort.
Smug Mary-Sue'ism aside, I've liked this one quite a bit.
Chunky backlog ones
---------------------------------
REND - This one is weird to categorize - Dystopian Superhero? Superhero Horror? There's superheroes, but they are under the command of alien hive mind, and they really don't give a fuck about anything that isn't defending Earth against alien threats. The world is under constant minor to major conflict from interdimensional enemies that cause people to turn into various types of monsters, although this doesn't actually have much impact on day to day life when it's happening somewhere else. The author describes this as slow burn psychological drama, although this doesn't really cover large parts of it which are balls to the wall bloodsoaked carnage.
If you feel like you need to empathize with the characters in stories, this one is a big avoid avoid, as the MC is a worthless trashbag with no redeeming features other than the kind of fascination you get watching a car crash. Her getting monsterized actually improved her personality ;p
On the upside, superheroes vs kaiju vs cyborgs vs implacable completely ruthless goverment agents.
I still thought it was pretty good. It's well written, and thought provoking, even if it is about questions like 'If someone does a good thing out of petty vindictiveness, does that actually make it worse than doing it out of kindness, if no-one else knows ?'
Tori Transmigrated - this is almost literally the Villainess anime, modern woman reborn as a character in a female dating sim. It's slice of life school adventures, where the most threatening thing is mean girls. Not sure why I liked this one, but I did, I am embarrassed to admit.
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beware of chicken is apparently the #1 subscribed web serial on patreon now, it passed the wandering inn.
he just finished volume 2- which will most likely be 2 books. and is now on a 1 month hiatus.
he just finished volume 2- which will most likely be 2 books. and is now on a 1 month hiatus.
Ritley
Bronze Baron of the Realm
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I’ve been following these two as well, Mark of Crijik started out good but has gotten to be a bit of a snooze. Literally a chapter to walk to a library (during which nothing really happens). And the fact that the MC is like 3 years old at this point which is just weird.
Millennial mage is the one I like better, definitely smug Mary Sueism going on, but the plot is fast paced enough that I can overlook it.
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Ukerric
Bearded Ape
- 8,407
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TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 43,345
- 111,397
I've been enjoying this one. It's sort of like Solo-Leveling but much more readable than the shitty Korean light novel translations. It's the same guy that writes Monarch, but I got a bit bored with that one and its inconsistent updates as of late.
www.royalroad.com
Double-Blind: A Modern LITRPG | Royal Road
Choosing a college when your family is struggling can be difficult, but it isn’t supposed to be world ending. And the falling meteor is seriously limiting Matt’s options. Now in the aftermath, his home city is locked down by a mysterious dome, corporations are looking to monopolize a wealth of...
www.royalroad.com
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Ukerric
Bearded Ape
- 8,407
- 10,499
As I've shelled for the Patreon, so that I could get a peek into the end of book 1 before it arrived on Amazon (it's now on Kindle, but not KU, if you want the last 3 chapters in advance) and early book 2...
There might be disinformation going on, but as privileged observers, we - readers - know better. More than Callum or GAR, in fact.
Callum is weird. Not just weird, but weirder than even GAR can imagine.
And he's getting better and better.
I definitively love that series.
A few impressions of ones I've looked at recently.
Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone | Royal Road
Is fantastic, two-thumbs up.
It's a high fantasy setting, with humanity pushed back by the far stronger magical creatures, and now down to a single island. It starts with the fated savior of humanity, destined to reclaim the world and lead humanity back to glory, getting knifed in alley because he looks a bit too much like the main character.
Checked out the first few chapters on an author recommendation and ended up binging the whole thing. ( Just a little bit over one books worth. The first book is structured as a traditional book and has a satisfying ending. )
Professional level editing, intriguing and well drawn characters, tightly written and well-crafted plot. There's really nothing to complain about here.
www.royalroad.com
Is pretty fun. Monster evolution genre I guess, from the point of view of a tiny snake. Not the 'murder all in it's path and becoming all-powerful' type of story that you might think. It's consistently amusing, and occasionally outright funny. Paradox's 'minions' are pretty entertaining in their own right.
www.royalroad.com
This, I think, fits in the 'girls with Problems', aka, 'bitches be crazy' genre. Setting reminds me of Planescape Torment a bit. The MC finds being Isekai'ed into what is basically Hell, to be less alarming than awkward small talk.
Not amazing, but entertaining enough so far.
Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone | Royal Road
Is fantastic, two-thumbs up.
It's a high fantasy setting, with humanity pushed back by the far stronger magical creatures, and now down to a single island. It starts with the fated savior of humanity, destined to reclaim the world and lead humanity back to glory, getting knifed in alley because he looks a bit too much like the main character.
Checked out the first few chapters on an author recommendation and ended up binging the whole thing. ( Just a little bit over one books worth. The first book is structured as a traditional book and has a satisfying ending. )
Professional level editing, intriguing and well drawn characters, tightly written and well-crafted plot. There's really nothing to complain about here.
The Great Core's Paradox | Royal Road
Book 1 available on Kindle, KU, and Audible! Name: Paradox Species: Snake, ? Description: A tiny snake with great potential. That was who I was. That was what I was. A tiny snake with great potential. The sole creation of the Great Core. It was just us, the Great Core and I, tucked away in our...
www.royalroad.com
Is pretty fun. Monster evolution genre I guess, from the point of view of a tiny snake. Not the 'murder all in it's path and becoming all-powerful' type of story that you might think. It's consistently amusing, and occasionally outright funny. Paradox's 'minions' are pretty entertaining in their own right.
Feast or Famine | Royal Road
Morgan Mallory was a perfectly ordinary college student until she was whisked away to another world full of strange creatures and wondrous magic. She is completely mentally stable, has no childhood trauma to speak of, and has certainly never engaged in self-destructive behavior as a form of...
www.royalroad.com
This, I think, fits in the 'girls with Problems', aka, 'bitches be crazy' genre. Setting reminds me of Planescape Torment a bit. The MC finds being Isekai'ed into what is basically Hell, to be less alarming than awkward small talk.
Not amazing, but entertaining enough so far.
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Ritley
Bronze Baron of the Realm
- 16,051
- 35,192
Read up to current on Fox’s Tongue and it is great. Another data point that shows RR isn’t really good for anything but the litrpg/cultivation type genres though. I haven’t seen any of the more traditional fantasy stories get a reasonable number of followers.A few impressions of ones I've looked at recently.
Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone | Royal Road
Is fantastic, two-thumbs up.
It's a high fantasy setting, with humanity pushed back by the far stronger magical creatures, and now down to a single island. It starts with the fated savior of humanity, destined to reclaim the world and lead humanity back to glory, getting knifed in alley because he looks a bit too much like the main character.
Checked out the first few chapters on an author recommendation and ended up binging the whole thing. ( Just a little bit over one books worth. The first book is structured as a traditional book and has a satisfying ending. )
Professional level editing, intriguing and well drawn characters, tightly written and well-crafted plot. There's really nothing to complain about here.
The Great Core's Paradox | Royal Road
Book 1 available on Kindle, KU, and Audible! Name: Paradox Species: Snake, ? Description: A tiny snake with great potential. That was who I was. That was what I was. A tiny snake with great potential. The sole creation of the Great Core. It was just us, the Great Core and I, tucked away in our...
Is pretty fun. Monster evolution genre I guess, from the point of view of a tiny snake. Not the 'murder all in it's path and becoming all-powerful' type of story that you might think. It's consistently amusing, and occasionally outright funny. Paradox's 'minions' are pretty entertaining in their own right.
Feast or Famine | Royal Road
Morgan Mallory was a perfectly ordinary college student until she was whisked away to another world full of strange creatures and wondrous magic. She is completely mentally stable, has no childhood trauma to speak of, and has certainly never engaged in self-destructive behavior as a form of...
This, I think, fits in the 'girls with Problems', aka, 'bitches be crazy' genre. Setting reminds me of Planescape Torment a bit. The MC finds being Isekai'ed into what is basically Hell, to be less alarming than awkward small talk.
Not amazing, but entertaining enough so far.
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TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 43,345
- 111,397
I know I and others have mentioned it before but the best more recent one Jackal among Snakes. Much like the other really good "LitRPGS" like He Who Fights Monsters it mostly abandoned the actual litrpg aspects and only mentions them in passing from time to time. Solid fantasy otherwise.
It also has a clear ending in mind. Which is a plus.
It also has a clear ending in mind. Which is a plus.
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Ukerric
Bearded Ape
- 8,407
- 10,499
InadvisablyCompelled (the author of Blue Core and more recently Paranoid Mage) said that LitRPG is a trap for inexperienced authors, because most focus on the system discovery and initial progress, and once the system is known and "mastered", then they find themselves lacking a narrative to sustain the rest of the story.
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TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Yeah, in Jackal it isn't even brought up other than mentioning spell rankings. Which works into generic fantasy tropes anyway so its fine. There isn't levels or systems or anything.
It really excels in subversion of the Isekai tropes. Minor spoilers.
It really excels in subversion of the Isekai tropes. Minor spoilers.
The main character has played through the game he is stuck in hundreds of times. He knows where absolutely everything is but it ends up that the NPCs (now just regular people) understand that it isn't that he knows about them. He knows intimate details of their life and most private thoughts. Things he has no way of knowing at all and causing much plot drama. Similarly, items that were just key items that sat in your inventory are a bit different when its actually a talking magical head that fucks with you rather than be something you see on an inventory screen. Very well done.
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Mudcrush Durtfeet
Hungry Ogre
- 2,428
- -757
The Wandering Inn continues to entertain. Amazingly all the myriad plot threads have been coming together.
Ritley
Bronze Baron of the Realm
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Good, it’s something that definitely needed to happen. I put it on hold for awhile because of all of the different plot and storylines led to nothing progressing much (along with the meeting of the tribes taking up so many chapters while being incredibly boring). I’ll have a nice backlog to catch up on.
Mudcrush Durtfeet
Hungry Ogre
- 2,428
- -757
Edge Cases [COMPLETE] | Royal Road
Book one has been taken down for Amazon and is currently available for purchase, with an audiobook narrated by Travis Baldree. I'm extremely thankful to everyone that has helped me get this far; I hope to make the book available for free again one day. Rare classes and powerful skills are...
www.royalroad.com
I've quite enjoyed this one so far. Litrpg'ish with an adventuring party that is mostly made up of characters that would belong to the most obnoxious rules lawyers and vandals in a real tabletop RPG.
You know the whole 'This rule is kind of vague, when it says 'any attack' what does 'attack' actually mean here ?', and 'You know, this ability doesn't actually have a *range* on it' type stuff.
The rest of the party is just completely glitched in amusingly random ways ( arguably the fault of experimentation by the former lot ).
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Ritley
Bronze Baron of the Realm
- 16,051
- 35,192