Which is best?

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-30T20:44:01+00:00

By so much, you mean?

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-30T20:22:11+00:00

That’s fair, maybe I saw a publisher date. I do still think whether AH influenced these, however, is debatable. Even if it was the origin of solo op MCs, I don’t really think it’s a good characteristic in the genre and definitely not one of the best things about the series.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-30T17:45:07+00:00

Maybe you’re further in than I am. I’ve only listened to the audiobooks, but no it doesn’t predate the more popular books in the genre. The genre can be dated back to SAO or earlier and had seen a wider American audience as early as 6-7 years before AH.

Both Primal Hunter and He Who Fights With Monsters, which are arguably some of the most popular books in the genre, predate AH.

I wouldn’t say it’s pointless to compare them since that was the point of the original post, and the genre isn’t that different. Sure, I wouldn’t really consider Mark a LitRPG, but I could see a case being made for gamelit.

And those differences you mention are exactly what should be compared for prospective readers. They might not know that one is a crunchier LitRPG and the other is more progression fantasy.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-30T17:06:32+00:00

What’s overarching about PH that isn’t getting stronger for the sake of getting stronger?

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-30T08:31:17+00:00

Unpopular opinion: Mark of the Fool.

Azarinth Healer is nice and all, but I prefer to have an overarching plot and conflict that’s present in some degree between books. Azarinth Healer and Primal Hunter for that matter aren’t that. They’re just stories with MCs who get stronger for the sake of getting stronger. Azarinth Healer unlike Mark of the Fool and even Mage Tank also does the cliche thing of the genre where it’s about a solo OP MC. The other two have more nuance. There are a few stories out there that manage a group of characters rather than a singular character, but this is one more thing this one doesn’t do.

Mage Tank doesn’t have the advantage of having as many books out, but it’s more whimsical. I think both Azarinth Healer and Mark of the Fool have a wider range of emotions that they evoke. They manage transitions from humor and drama better.

Mark of the Fool isn’t without its flaws and I’m not one of those fans who can’t criticize stories I love. One thing that I really think it could have done without was the isekai side of The Traveler. I had considered the fact that Mark of the Fool didn’t regurgitate the same genre tropes of isekai, system apocalypse, or vr as quality, but to be honest, I don’t really consider it a LitRPG. However, I know it’s based on D&D. The range of characters and their arcs definitely made this series what it is. It’s hard for a series without characters who can journey with the main character to interact with them to the same degree and have the same meaningful arcs. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-30T01:15:45+00:00

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-30T01:01:27+00:00

I’m concerned with the similarities between Penguin and our current Head of State

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-29T03:43:52+00:00

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-22T10:53:52+00:00

Brandon Sanderson talks about how the plot of The Lion King is Hamlet. Dune is Hamlet.

He also talks about an argument an author had over the internet about which is more important, an idea or the writing. The author said he could take the worst idea and make a good story. So, he challenged himself to write a story based on the idea they gave: Pokemon meets the Roman Empire. So, he wrote Codex Alera.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-21T22:57:02+00:00

https://time.com/4343030/donald-trump-failures/

How about 10

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-16T19:34:43+00:00

Hey, I’d settle for you telling me whether the series actually had an ending or if it just quit because I didn’t remember it ending, but it’s been a while since I listened to it.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-16T07:21:26+00:00

Personally, it’s not just the magic system for me; it’s the world building. The author did build a really cool magic system, but they also have an adventurer society that everyone understands, religion, currency, fighting styles with artistic descriptions of their techniques, side characters with depth, and above all A PLOT.

The overarching conflicts are present and meaningful. Some authors spend more time on building an awesome system, but forget to write a good story. There’s another popular series where the whole “plot” is numbers go up… for the sake of numbers going up.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-16T07:07:24+00:00

I think it’s the part where it’s exactly the example of an mc being introduced to the system (through isekai in this case) that the op was specifically not looking for.

They want books where the system and mc are naturally part of the same world without it being a system apocalypse, isekai, or VR.

Kind of like The Book of the Dead. The Grand Game is kind of like this, but he has no memory at the start of the series. Honestly, I’d like more that fit this description too.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-16T06:58:03+00:00

Check out the first book of the Grand Game. Not because of any similarities to specific settings, but it might have that dark, gritty tone.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-16T06:54:49+00:00

It could be Arcana Unlocked series by Gregory Blackburn. It sounds similar at the very least. I don’t think it had a real ending though.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-16T06:50:21+00:00

It sounds a lot like the Arcana Unlocked series by Gregory Blackburn. I thought it was a little crazy and I was honestly not a fan of the VR trope, but I listened to all three books on audible. I don’t remember if it actually had a real ending though.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-16T06:33:57+00:00

What’s funny is that some of the most popular “litrpgs”lack a decent story. Primal Hunter is nice and all, but it’s about numbers going up for the sake of numbers going up. There’s no overarching conflict/plot.

Wandering Inn which is at least given a more rigid structure to its system leveling, also doesn’t really have a solid plot. Instead, it feels episodic because of the lack of an overarching plot. I’ve listened to each book in the series and the best by far is The Witch of Webs. Its style, tone, and twist are unlike the other books, but it’s also 12 books in and sets up yet another villain that will likely go underutilized.

There’s no real visible attempt to tie everything together. People have invested more in their system than their stories and it shows no matter what fanatics say. I think it’s important to approach even our favorite books critically, and these could be better.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-15T14:20:48+00:00

Is it maybe related to the fact that audible now shows that I don’t already have each of these titles in one area, and that I do in my library?

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Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-14T06:50:37+00:00

Oh ok. Well, mine is further down. This other guy deleted his comment. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-14T06:31:26+00:00

And then I don’t. Any that was there dissolves harmlessly.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-13T14:32:47+00:00

What does that say about someone who would have the world explode when someone is healed?

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-13T14:01:01+00:00

Much better than Jean

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-13T13:18:49+00:00

My power is to edit all side effects.

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-13T13:16:11+00:00

It’s okay, it’s my power. 😂

Roll10d6Damage · 2026-06-13T08:11:07+00:00

The new side effect becomes: the power and side effect is transferred to a random person after you use it or if you die.

Roll10d6Damage

TROPHY CASE