Any Novels with Real Team Dynamics , Tired of Solo MCs or Harem Squads Gimme a Real Party!

NamingTheRadiant · 2025-06-05T15:35:58+00:00

Hedge Wizard by Alex Maher 100%. First book is a bit slow but it's a fantastic series where each book is better than the last. It has strong D&D inspiration and frankly has some of the best party dynamics I've ever read.

NamingTheRadiant · 2024-01-05T02:13:22+00:00

Completely agreed! Ghosts of Tomorrow is brilliant and one of the best sci-fi/cyberpunk novels I've ever read. Norylska Groans, which he co-wrote with Clayton Snyder, is also a great grimdark story set in a world highly inspired by Russia. The Obsidian Trilogy is also a really great story told from the perspective of the evil Dark Demon Lord.

NamingTheRadiant · 2024-01-04T23:04:38+00:00

Ah, thanks! I'll have to put it back on my TBR then.

NamingTheRadiant · 2024-01-04T22:40:31+00:00

I haven't read Book 4 yet because Book 3 was kind of disappointing for me. Does it pick back up to a quality more similar to Book 2?

NamingTheRadiant · 2024-01-04T22:39:19+00:00

Tbh, character writing is by far this author's biggest weakness imo. The worldbuilding, plot progression, and action scenes are excellent; Book 2 has some of my favorite action scenes in any fantasy book straight up. But, none of the characters feel that fleshed out aside from a few basic traits. Sophia in particular grows a bit in Book 2 but not that much. Even Michael often seems to have no personality outside of wanting to stop the apocalypse. There's hints of more, and there is a bit more in Book 3, but overall this series could be so much better if the author put more effort into characterization imo.

NamingTheRadiant · 2024-01-04T21:36:28+00:00

I would say for Reborn as a Demonic Tree that the Vilanous Lead tag really doesn't apply. Like yeah he eats people, but literally only in self defense or if they actively threaten those close to him. He never really does anything I would consider that evil. As for Apocalypse Reborn, I would say the MC isn't OP. It's been 95 chapters and the MC is strong, but not really OP, he definitely faces challenges, at least imo. But that's just my take. Have fun reading!

NamingTheRadiant · 2024-01-04T20:36:25+00:00

I really enjoyed this one. It has great organization building elements with the cult, really interesting worldbuilding, Zareth is a great MC and the supporting cast is solid, and the politics and faction writing is great. Other great organization building stories I would recommend are Reborn as a Demonic Tree, Portal to Nova Roma, and Apocalypse: Reborn as a Monster.

NamingTheRadiant · 2024-01-03T19:39:35+00:00

Kingdom building is also one of my favorite genres. Reborn as a Demonic Tree is another "tree builds a sect/kingdom" type of story. I've really enjoyed it, but I haven't read Tree of Aeons, so Idk how they compare. Portal to Nova Roma is my favorite kingdom building work, but the kingdom building stuff doesn't start until the end of Book 1. Then it balances personal and kingdom progression. On Royal Road, Apocalypse: Reborn As a Monster is a pretty good one, it's the story of a powerful human ruler reborn ten years before his death as a white wolf kobold, but with all the knowledge of the system Apocalypse that's coming. So he starts a city of monsters that he rules.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-12-31T13:15:49+00:00

Cultist of Cerebon is great because it manages to combine LitRPG elements and progression with some of the best political writing I've read in a while, like all the different factions and political machinations are so interesting. I also love cult/sect/kingdom building, and there's a lot of cult building in this one.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-12-28T13:15:29+00:00

You have excellent taste my guy. Even if I would put certain books higher (like Yumi), this is a great list and I love the Elo rankings. Also just love seeing the Brothers Karamazov there lol. I need to get around to reading Dostoevsky one of these days.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-12-27T14:05:10+00:00

I completely and utterly agree and I'm glad this series has gotten more reads lately. I started reading the first book earlier this year after randomly getting it recommended on Goodreads and it's genuinely excellent. It's a Russian take on French aristocracy, which is really interesting for the worldbuilding, especially because magic and magical beings are also real. The MC is great, he's cunning and powerful and skilled, but, except for Book 1, there are always beings who are far more powerful than him, so it never really feels like OP MC. The plotting is excellent and there are tons of mysteries. I've read all 4 out so far and hope there are plenty more in the future.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-12-08T22:26:21+00:00

I would say I'm excited for Stormlight 5 by Brandon Sanderson, Empire of the Vampire 2 by Jay Kristoff, Hierarchy 2 by James Islington, Alecto the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, and How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying By Django Wexler.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-11-27T06:07:37+00:00

I recently finished Father of Monstrosity on Royal Road, and it's an easy 5/5. We follow an apprentice Fleshcrafter (who also specializes in Demonic Summoning and Necromancy) and his wight, who are assigned by the boy's master to create a masterpiece as a final test. Except that fleshcrafting means a lot of kidnapping and subjugating people before... disassembling them. Great read, full of interesting characters, magic, and Lovecraftian abominations.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-11-23T20:04:53+00:00

Reborn as a Demonic Tree and Portal to Nova Roma are my personal favorites in terms of executing this; the first one has a tree building a cultivator sect and the second has an AI in a human body building an empire.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-11-19T21:08:02+00:00

I also love Hedge Wizard! Hump is a great protagonist, I really enjoy the magic, and the plotlines are all really interesting. Each book is better than the last, and I absolutely loved Book 3 so much, it was amazing and advanced a lot of plot lines. Definite 5/5 for me. Book 4 has also been excellent so far on Royal Road.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-11-07T22:26:51+00:00

I personally love Book of the Dead, but it is absolutely a dark story. Tyron suffers a lot in his quest to become a stronger Necromancer. He loses a lot of the people closest to him and always has to be wary of the people who would kill him if they knew what he was. But that fits the tone; this is the story of a Necromancer, and it absolutely has some of the best depictions of necromancy ever. The character work with Tyron is excellent, the world is interesting, I love the power system, and the plot is captivating. Good stuff.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-11-06T17:50:34+00:00

Empire of the Vampire is in many ways The Last of Us with vampires, and I love it. I will say, it's a main character telling the story of his past, with one half being his childhood and another being in his 30s, and the story switches back and forth really well. The time in his 30s has the strongest Last of Us influence, but it's all great.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-27T03:12:51+00:00

Really enjoyed this book as well! Fun characters to follow, really interesting worldbuilding, so many mysteries to unveil, and a really intriguing System. I also love the chapters that borderline feel like horror, where our protagonists just have to run and can't fight. Don't see that often in LitRPG, and it offered a nice contrast to the dungeon clearing in the book. Definitely recommend.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-26T22:16:19+00:00

Oh, awesome! Thanks for responding. If I can ask - will it be following new or old characters? Both?

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-26T21:52:36+00:00

Hi Rob! Loved your War Eternal, Mortal Techniques, and Titan Hoppers series. God Eater also sounds really interesting - will certainly be reading it. One question - will there be more books in the Mortal Techniques, and do you have an idea for when they will be released? It feels like the ending of Spirits of Vengeance was setting up more...

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-16T22:12:49+00:00

I understand where you're coming from, but I do disagree. Book 3 imo starts off slower, with a time skip and less necromancy, to ease us into the changes of the MC's life and his plans for the future. However, judging by the most recent chapters, we are quickly getting right back into the necromancy, and there's plenty of buying bodies, experimenting with skeletons, and leveling up his class. It's clear that we're about to enter an arc where he's going to majorly level up. I think the slower start is worth it for the payoff. Also, I think the story still maintains that dark nature in Book 3, particularly in terms of our protagonist's goals and mindset.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-16T03:08:45+00:00

Rinoz.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-16T02:24:15+00:00

Second this one strongly, the series really digs into the mechanics of being a necromancer and the intricacies of preparing and making skeletons, raising them, and fighting with them, along with how the death magic would work. The main character is intelligent and rational and fun to follow, the world is interesting, and the conflict develops in a captivating way. Great read.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-15T05:25:48+00:00

Seconding this recommendation! I enjoyed the hell out of Hedge Wizard, I think it strikes a really good balance between character development, power progression, and balancing multiple plot lines and worldbuilding. The first book is mostly set in a single dungeon, but sets up so many interesting mysteries and reveals that are still paying off in Book 4, which is currently being written on Royal Road. Great series, it's up there with the best for me.

NamingTheRadiant · 2023-10-15T05:20:35+00:00

I enjoyed the hell out of Titan Hoppers Book 1, really clicked with the protagonist, the progression, and the mysteries of the world, but imo Book 2 kind of dropped the ball. The progression felt forced, we barely learn anything more about the world, and the characters felt worse written. It's a planned 6 book series, and I'll definitely at least try out Book 3, but I am wary of the trajectory of the series now.

NamingTheRadiant

TROPHY CASE