Faves
These are my favorite LitRPG series. I am a software engineer but I don’t think that effected my list. I am a conservative Christian so I try (and sometimes fail) to keep the list free of language. No harem stuff here at all.
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1 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. Ongoing Welcome to the Multiverse
The apocalypse is coming but only those lucky or perhaps unlucky few know.Silas is inducted into the System becoming the last in a long line ofEarth's 'Forerunners.'The rewards are great but the danger is greater.We are not alone in the universe. The fate of five worlds hangs on how their forerunners perform.Will Silas have what it takes to win Earth a place in the multiverse or will Earth become another miningworld stripped of all resources and left a barren husk floating in the cosmos?A system enforced secret... a deadly challenge... and only a year to go.The countdown begins now!
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2  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. Ongoing All the Skills
In a world where all magical spells have been captured into cards, those who can build a deck have the most power. The most Arthur could ever hope for was to someday earn a trash-tier spell card. When fate grants him a legendary Master of Skills card, he's thrust into a world of opportunity and danger. To survive and grow strong, Arthur must learn skills. All the skills.
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3 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. Completed The Bad Guys
Just yesterday, Ben was a petty criminal getting by on fleecing New York’s one-percenters. Today, he's got a new face, a new name, and a new world to navigate. And Ben’s thinking maybe this time around, he’ll use his skills at disarming and deceiving to help out people other than himself. Maybe. Watching a medieval City Guard fight off a 20-foot-tall ooze that crawled up from the sewers will make you think twice about life decisions. Tomorrow, he'll need to save a girl, steal a crown, join a guild, and most importantly, convince an innkeep to make a decent bacon egg and cheese. Scamps and Scoundrels is the witty, action-packed entree into The Bad Guys, a new series from epic LitRPG writer Eric Ugland. If you like immersive world-building full of magic, monsters, and mischief, this is the book for you.
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4 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. Ongoing Shadeslinger
Corporate flameout Ned Altimer dreams of leaving his world behind. So, when Earthblood Online splashes onto the VRMMO scene, he dives in and never looks back. His advantages are twofold: exclusive access to the game’s three-day Head Start period, and a ridiculously handsome talking axe named Frank who has knowledge of the game’s deepest secrets...if the magnificent Frank ever feels like sharing them. But those advantages also make Ned a target. Once the Head Start period ends, his fellow players will stop at nothing to rip that suave, violent, yet disarmingly charismatic axe right out of his hands. In 72 hours, the greatest manhunt in gaming history is set to begin. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.
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5  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. Ongoing Victor of Tucson
Victor can’t wait to get the hell out of high school, go to the local community college on a sports scholarship, and start his own life. But that’s all put on hold when he enters his abuela’s house and somehow ends up stepping into a world unlike anything he’s ever known, filled with fantastical meta-humans; walking, talking devils; and other creatures one usually needs some serious pharmaceuticals to see.Fanwath is no dream, though. In fact, it’s a nightmare. Sold into slavery as a pit fighter, Victor quickly learns his new home is controlled by the “System” and the only way to get ahead is to fight, kill, and collect the precious “Energy” that means the difference between a long life and an early grave. And according to his stats, Victor’s starting out at a solid zero.Lucky for him, no one in this world has ever met his kind before—which means they have no idea what he’s really capable of. But they’re about to find out . . .
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6  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. Completed Cradle
Lindon is born Unsouled, the one person in his family unable to use the magical Paths of the sacred arts. He uses every trick and technique he can borrow or steal to improve his life, but it seems he will never be able to join the ranks of the truly powerful. Until the heavens descend and show him the future. When Lindon becomes the only one who sees the approaching doom, he must leave his homeland to save it... and to see how far he can go by walking his own Path.
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7 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. Completed Azarinth Healer
Ilea likes punching things. And eating. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many career options for hungry brawlers. Instead, the plan is to quit her crappy fast-food job, go to college, and become a fully functioning member of society. Essentially - a fate worse than death. So maybe it's lucky that she wakes up one day in a strange world where a bunch of fantasy monsters are trying to kill her...? On the bright side, ‘killing those monsters right back’ is now a viable career path! For she soon discovers her new home runs on a set of game-like rules that will allow her to punch things harder than in her wildest dreams. Well, maybe not her wildest dreams, but it’s close. With no quest to follow, no guide to show her the way, and no real desire to be a Hero – Ilea embarks on a journey to discover a world full of magic. Magic she can use to fight even bigger monsters. She’s struggling to survive, has no idea what will happen next, and is loving every minute of it. Except, and sometimes also, when she’s poisoned and/or has set herself on fire. It’s complicated.
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8  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. Break Tower of Somnus
The Galactic Consensus arrived on ships as large as skyscrapers, crafted from glittering alloys that no human scientist could even begin to understand. They followed the trail of century old television transmissions to welcome us into the galactic community… only to recoil in horror at what they found. They concluded that humans were unfit to be trusted with the advanced technologies that member-states of the Consensus freely traded with each other, installing a relay to warn other ships that we were under embargo, but more importantly, allowing humans entrance into the Tower of Somnus, a multiplayer game of sorts that could be played in one’s sleep. The hope was that humanity would learn proper behavior from playing the game with our more civilized neighbors. Katherine ‘Kat’ Debs, a hereditary employee of one of the megacorporations that ruled the world, eked out a meager existence in a massive arcology of glittering glass and chrome. She dreamt of one day earning enough money to buy her freedom, and was more than willing to break a law here or there in the process. When she is offered an opportunity to enter the Tower of Somnus free of corporate control, she jumps at the chance. After all, the 'game' was more than just a status symbol, players retained the fantastic powers they earned in the game in the waking world as well. A perfect opportunity to take control of her destiny, or die trying.
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9  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. Ongoing Battle Mage Farmer
A world on the precipice of the apocalypse. A secret forged in the flames of war. A chance to start over. For John Sutton, only one of those three things matters. Retired from a decade of brutal war, he wants nothing more than a quiet pastoral life while he does his best to stem the steady increase of his Doom Points before they hit 100, signaling the start of the end. He’s been given a small farm on the outskirts of the empire as a thanks for his service, but no matter how far he travels, it’s impossible to escape the war’s devastating effects on the world. Bandits, suspicious townsfolk, a mysterious pair of siblings, and a secret that lurks in the mountains all threaten John’s peace. It will take all of his considerable power to keep from burning everything to the ground.
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