It’s finally time! We, the judges at Fanfiaddict are ready to reveal our finalist, who will go on to compete against 9 other books in the final round of SPFBO XI. This was a tough choice, as we had a really good selection of books, and there are some deserving books that won’t make the finals just because we can only pick one.
Before we reveal the finalist, here are all 5 of our semifinalists. You should absolutely check them out!
Blackwater by Emily Blakeney
A fast-paced, surprisingly dark fantasy with romance. Pirates, yearning, and so many secrets! If you like a little romance in your fantasy, you want this book! And if you normally don’t love romance in books, you should still try it, because it’s fantastic.
Flint in the Bones by Eva St. John
An urban fantasy set in modern day Norwich, England, only it’s not just modern day there. Maps have been magically damaged and Norwich is home to all sorts of crazy time shifts, magical weirdness, and, of course, murders. Really inventive!
Grave Covenant by Tobias Youngblood
Fast-paced, action-packed urban fantasy with horror vibes. Really cool insectoid shifters and some eerie, bloody moments. If you like action and no-holds-barred off-the-wall plot twists, this one is for you!
No More Levels by Benjamin Barreth
Litrpg but standalone, unlike most of the Litrpg out there. Coming of age vibes, a lovable main character, and really cool uses of charisma throughout. This is absolutely not your standard litrpg, and it’s something even non-litrpg readers can enjoy. No matter what kind of fantasy you enjoy, this is one to check out!
Shadows of the Sundered Lands by Corbin Rook
Epic fantasy with astonishingly cool world-building and a fun cast of characters. This is one for the Sanderson fans out there, but it definitely tells its own story. Character-focused, fast-paced, and lots of fun. Check it out!
And the finalist is……..
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Drumroll!
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With a score of 8/10…
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No More Levels by Benjamin Barreth!
What the judges had to say:
Dave: One of the coolest things about SPFBO is reading genres you wouldn’t ever pick up on your own. No More Levels is a standalone Litrpg novel, something I’ve gathered just doesn’t happen very often. Before I talk about the book itself, I want to say that Litrpg isn’t really my thing. I liked Dungeon Crawler Carl, but I’ve struggled to find any other Litrpg that held my attention. I’ve tried and DNFed several popular Litrpg series. I love playing RPGs, but the conversion to book form just doesn’t often work for me. However, since this is a competition and I’m judging, I had to put my personal taste aside because No More Le/vels is one of our semi-finalists.
And oh my God, I’m super glad I did. No More Levels is, simply put, a fantastic story. Am I a Litrpg fan now? Possibly, if I can find more books like this one!
We follow Rin, a young man getting started on his journey into the dungeons of his world (as a level one potato farmer). He has big plans, but those plans immediately go off the rails. He’s stuck at level 6 forever and is cursed to only be able to add to his Charisma stat for the rest of his life. This landed with me because I’m the kinda guy that always maxes out charisma with my characters so that they can attempt to talk their way out of situations. What’s so cool about No More Levels is all of the ingenious ways Rin uses charisma and some different cursed abilities he finds. He’s especially adept at charming creatures, leading to cool animal companions (thunder rhinos, anyone?) and some really fun moments where he transforms into different creatures.
The bad guys in the story are often in the background and I confess I forgot about them a bit at different points, but Rin and his journey were so fun that I never got bored, even if I sometimes felt like skimming the stats. The first few chapters lead you to believe it might be a relatively normal dungeon crawl journey, but Barreth does a fantastic job subverting those expectations and making this story unique and special.
The prose is smooth, the character enjoyable, and though there were a few minor issues with headhopping, this is a fantastic book, something for any fantasy lover. Even if you’re a Litrpg-denier like me, I promise you that this book is absolutely worth the read! In terms of content, it’s safe for any YA reader but also intriguing enough for adults. Highly recommended!
Will: LitRPG is taking the book world by storm. Don’t believe me? Just stop by your local Wal-Mart or Target to see Dungeon Crawler Carl sitting next to the backlog from Colleen Hoover and James Patterson. It seems like every other week there’s a new crowd-funding campaign for an exclusive hardback of a previous bestseller or the next big thing. There’s so many good ones out there, but for every great book that finds its audience, there are a dozen tedious trips through stat after stat after stat. It also seems to me that there’s no exit plan for many of these series as well…as the main character continues to fight and level up ad nauseum.
So, I was initially a little hesitant to read Benjamin Barreth’s No More Levels, unsure of what to expect from the standalone volume. I’m more than happy to report that I had a blast with the book and would gladly recommend it for a fun indie read.
Standalone novels in the LitRPG genre are rare, so Barreth’s book stands out a bit. Frankly, if he wanted, there are plenty of avenues Barreth could take to continue the story he started in No More Levels, but with his comments after the conclusion of the novel, it’s clear that he took on the challenge of this book fully knowing he was bucking the trend of the genre. No More Levels largely succeeds in what it is, giving readers an entertaining time in a unique fantasy world.
No More Levels follows Rin as he’s about to turn 16 and will be able to finally hit a dungeon, get his first class and begin the process of leveling up. Unfortunately for Rin, he’s marked by a past he doesn’t even remember – an evil stepmother who wants to finally clear him out of the picture to make sure her legitimacy on the throne can’t be questioned. Faced with death, Rin is forced to choose the Cursed class, and is bonded to the god Craven. Up to here, the story is a fairly-standard LitRPG, but then Barreth takes Rin on an unexpected journey — what if your character can’t level up anymore? There’s some fun puzzles Rin has to solve and paths he goes down that people in his world haven’t trod before.
If I had complaints, there were still “stat info dumps” from time to time and it does bog down in the middle just a tad, but for me, those were minor complaints. I felt the propulsion of Barreth’s narrative pushing me from page to page, curious how Rin’s Cursed status would affect both him and those he interacted with.
No More Levels is a very clean read, so don’t expect the crude humor and language from other LitRPG offerings, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. It was wonderful being able to relax and just enjoy Rin’s story, with hints of a cozy story from time to time. In many ways, I might even classify this as Middle Grade/Young Adult in how the author frames the story. There are definite stakes for Rin as well as the world he lives in, but thanks to his unique skills and class, No More Levels is a lively and lighthearted book.
In the end, I couldn’t help but love No More Levels by Benjamin Barreth. As a standalone, it works tremendously well, taking Rin on a complete journey in just one book. I would definitely check out more works by Barreth in the future, even if they aren’t standalone.
Michael: Sometimes you need a book that’s just fun and No More Levels is that book.
Rin is a potato farmer waiting to turn sixteen so he can conquer a dungeon, earn a class in the Game of the Gods, and start grinding his way to becoming someone powerful. It’s a simple, satisfying setup, and Barreth wastes no time getting the adventure rolling. The quips and humor between Rin and the rest of the cast are genuinely entertaining, and while none of the characters are particularly deep, they don’t need to be. Everyone is fun to follow, and the banter keeps the pages turning.
The world and magic system are really well done. Barreth has clearly thought through how everything works, and the result is a LitRPG setting that feels complete and internally consistent without ever bogging you down in mechanics. It’s the kind of system that enhances the story rather than replacing it.
If I have one small gripe, it’s that two of the three main challenges Rin faces never quite felt like they could actually beat him. He was scared, sure, but the tension was more a matter of when he’d succeed rather than if. The third challenge, though, landed perfectly. And the ending tied everything together in a way that left me satisfied and smiling.
The prose is simple and serviceable. It never tries to be more than it needs to be, and it never gets in its own way. That’s exactly the right call for a book like this.
No More Levels is perfect popcorn reading. A great standalone you can knock out in a weekend, ideal as a palette cleanser between heavier, more demanding books. If you’re a fan of The Rising of the Shield Hero or love the feeling of working through a Zelda dungeon, this one is absolutely for you.
Arun: In a genre where a dozen books in a series is considered moderately long, this standalone is a breath of fresh air. Being a self declared veteran of this genre, this strikes a right balance between character level progression and plot progression, which so many similar books find hard to achieve. Loveable MC, fresh take on plot and the overall vibe making this a fun read. Loved this.
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Congrats and good luck to Benjamin in the finals! Please go check out all the other semi-finalists and their awesome books!
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