LitRPG, as a genre, leans heavily towards longer series, as opposed to mainstream Fantasy, where Standalones and Trilogies are the norm. As such, most of my reading has been the latest books in a series, Defiance of the Fall #16, Primal Hunter #14, and the like. Setting that aside, thought I’d highlight some of the new series/books I’ve gotten into this year.
Discount Dan’s Backroom Bargains by James Hunter
The initial impression of similarity to Dungeon Crawler Carl fades quickly. Though this scratches a similar itch, it sets itself apart quite well. At the end of Book 2, I think of this as Popcorn DCC as this focuses more on the bizzaro and outright rollercoaster action…more straight forward in your face fun!
Well written, crisp prose, immersive world-building, and snarky humour…this is a wonderful insanity of a series that takes you on a roller-coaster ride and is guaranteed to leave you smiling all through.
Solo Leveling (Vol 1-8) by Chugong
A classic. Addictive and binge-worthy. This book is call back to when things were simple(r) and plot lines were more linear. Now, that’s not meant as a criticism, but rather a testament to how this book still remains as the best in the genre and will remain as a fond memory forever!
These are really short books, more like novellas, so the series is straightforward both in plot and in prose. The writing is simple and direct with zero purple prose or extravagant world-building. The characters also fit mostly into good vs bad with few shades of gray. After having read so much grimdark, I found this raw simplicity refreshing. A perfect series for anyone who’s looking to get into the genre and for anyone who loves anime.
Industrial Strength Magic by Macronomicon
The book is a good blend of fantasy and superhero fiction and one that acknowledges that some stuff is just best explained as….magic (albeit as a self-deprecating snark). I loved the science behind the powers to understand and exploit them better, and this aspect also reminded me a lot of Arcane Ascension, another favourite of mine.
Superpowers, magic, mechas, mad science, and lots of fights, guns, explosions, this book was so much fun to read.
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