This is currently my favorite LitRPG Series. Great characters, a great system, and amazing action sequences. This is a series worth reading for sure.

Unlike previous books by Sean Oswald, this one moves and feels totally real. I almost didn’t buy this because I was kind of tired of his stuff, but this series is a reboot for him and totally amazing.

Realism abounds, this even extends to the plodding nature of the books. The progression system feels natural, and the trouble Juliet gets into feels real. Plum Parrot writes women extremely well and the relationships feel fresh, each unique. This to me, is thrilling. Also, the author is a good writer which is unfortunately a rare thing in the progression fantasy world. I like Dan am in the middle of book 2 as I write this, unlike Dan, I have already bought book three.

Book one starts a little slow, but it gets going near the end. Book 2 is great, book 3 is amazing, etc. This one just rolls on. If you haven’t yet met Eithan Arelius, then you have not read far enough. I laughed, I cried, and I cared. This is an awesome series and a must-read.

Victor of Tucson Series by Plum Parrot: A LitRPG Saga That Punches Above Its Weight

Buckle up, folks, because Plum Parrot's Victor of Tucson series is the literary equivalent of finding a five-dollar bill in your old jeans—surprising, delightful, and worth every minute you spend with it.

From the moment Victor Santiago gets yeeted into this fantasy world after a scuffle in Tucson, it's clear this isn't your typical hero's journey. Victor isn't some chosen one; he's just a guy who's really good at getting into trouble and even better at getting out of it. The series kicks off with "Pit Fighter," where Victor's thrown into the literal and metaphorical pits, fighting for his life and his dignity. But here's the twist: it's not just about the physical battles. It's about battling his own demons, too.

Parrot's world-building is like a delicious stew; you can taste each ingredient but they all blend into something unexpectedly harmonious. The magic system? It's got enough rules to make you think you could actually use it, but it's also as unpredictable as a cat on a hot tin roof.

Where many LitRPG series focus heavily on stats and skills, Parrot focuses on the heart. Victor’s relationships are the real MVPs. Whether it's his bond with Gorz, the mentor with the patience of a saint, or his evolving connection with Valla, there's a depth here that makes each character more than just a supporting role in Victor's story. These relationships push Victor to grow in ways that hitting level 10 in strength never could.

The humor is as sharp as a goblin's dagger, slicing through the tension with witty banter and Victor's inner monologue that's both self-deprecating and self-aware. But when it's time to get serious, Parrot doesn't pull punches. The emotional depth when Victor faces his past or when he's forced to make hard choices adds layers to this otherwise action-packed series.

In sum, the Victor of Tucson series by Plum Parrot is like a roller coaster that also serves a gourmet meal at the top. It's got the thrill of the genre with the depth of character development that makes you care about every step of Victor's journey. If you're looking for a LitRPG that's more than levels and loot, this series is a must-read.

I was slow to pick this one up but did so on the strength of Audible reviews. I have tried out some card-based LitRPG in the past and have been disappointed. This one is a lot better than the others I have read and has quickly become one of my top series. Such good stuff here.

This is a fun series. The MC is pulled into a world where the game system is standard, the place she finds herself and the class she receives are not. The MC becomes a little OP for my likes over time, but her struggles always outpace here power so it is all good. One of my personal faves.

A bearded axe has shown up in many other LitRPG stories. I wonder why. This is an absolutely classic series, and if you like to laugh, you will love it. Frank the Axe, Ned, and House form a nearly perfect comedy trio as you are pulled into one of the best gamelit series ever.

This is one of my personal favorites. It's a little hard to get going initially, but it has incredible scope and a vibrant world once it does. The MC is the gruff, ‘get off my lawn’ type, but it makes him fun to read. The progression is also very interesting as it follows paths the user can choose. The paths the system gives seem to follow the actions the user takes, so when Randidly does something a little you can expect that in the future, after a path is established in the system, he will do it a lot.

As the series grows, the scope of the world continues to grow and that is fun too with new things to explore and learn about. Some series grow stale after a while, but not this one. I have read the first five books, and book six just dropped. Here we go!

So, this is one you need to keep reading to enjoy. I had stopped at book 3, and I would have given the series 3.5 start at that point in time. But, I had already purchased books 4 and 5, so decided to pick it back up, and boy, am I so glad that I did. Book 4 totally changes the setting and is so much fun it is amazing. I will come back and update this after each book I read. But the bump in book 4 was easily worth 1.5 stars, so 5 stars from me.

Overall I am not a huge fan of time loops but this one seems to progress in a more natural and organic way than others.

This series is a little out of my usual fantasy litRPG genre as it mixes an outside world that is dystopian sci-fi with a game world that is fantasy. This series is creatively written and follows a young lady who is highly talented but also vulnerable at the same time. She gets wrapped up in things that are way above her head, both in the real world and in the game. Over time, she moves to the center of a very interesting story that more and more joins the game and real world. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this series until I just got bogged down with the evil god he is connected with. It was interesting for a while but after a time it just started wearing on me morally. Not that there was anything specifically evil that the god made the MC do, just that it got old after a bit. Overall a well written series, I just burned out after 5 books.

This series is wonderful. This well-written story moves along at a good clip. Lots of intriguing things to discover in the system of the world the MC is pulled into. Highly recommended. Bonus for the story being clean from bad words or sex. Some extreme violence later in the series but it fits the story.

Most of it is free on Audible.

I really enjoyed this series until I had a moral issue with the use of Tarot cards. I am probably weird that way, but I loved the series. Highly recommended.

This is a solid entry in the “Farmer” LitRPG sub-genre. The MC is a way OP mage who is retiring to a peaceful valley away from the action in the empire, but things never turn out that way. Well written with great characters this is a must-read.

Good idea and the first book played out the promise well, but I think the author got stuck and book two was not nearly as good.

An early entrant into the genre the Red Mage series is solid but in no way exceptional. Characters are okay, system is okay, nothing is great.

This is a solid series that gets a little repetitive after a while. While the idea of a person running away from having been chosen by the gods is interesting, not much else here is really unique.

I liked this series, but it gets a little repetitive. The first book is great, even a must-read, but book two is a little dry and not as well written. The relationships between characters are overstated, not sure that is the right word, maybe in your face. I will read the next book when it comes out, so I am giving it a four. Depending on how the next book is, I will update this review.

I read through book 3 and just sort of got bored. Some of the themes from early in the book never pan out and in the end it ends up being just a series of events like so many other LitRPG books.

Big cringe here on the way the series rolls out. Just not that great.

Probably not worth your time.

If you like reading the Manga version of this then you might be okay. But, they basically copied the exact words into the book. Manga is a great storytelling device but it is different than a book. Just describing the panels and including every grunt and moan in the text of the book is no way to move a great work from one medium to another.