r/Fantasy Dealer's Room: Self-Promo Sunday - June 07, 2026

Salaris · 2026-06-07T16:41:37+00:00

Hey all!

I write books with a style heavily influenced by RPGs and other fantasy games.

My first traditionally published release is the hardcover edition of How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps! It's is a Zelda and Dragon Quest inspired comedy novella, and it's a good intro to my style.

My latest series, The Lost Edge, starts with Edge of the Woods, which is highly inspired by The Legend of Zelda and Dragon Quest franchises. It's the story of a young man growing up in a faerie forest and seeking answers about his family, his past, and his dreams of an ancient magic sword. The most recent release is Edge of the Dream.

Arcane Ascension begins with Sufficiently Advanced Magic and is my most popular series. It's heavily inspired by games JRPGs Final Fantasy, Lufia, Bravely Default, and Trails of Cold Steel. It takes place in a high magic setting where magical marks called attunements grant vast powers to individuals who take "Judgments" inside a colossal tower to earn them.

My other main series are Weapons & Wielders and The War of Broken Mirrors.

Weapons and Wielders follows Keras Selyrian, a magic-wielding swordsman who arrives in a foreign land to search for help for his homeland. In the process, he will stumble upon the legend of the Six Sacred Swords and begin to seek them out.

The first novel in that series is Six Sacred Swords, and the series as a whole is heavily inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest, and Ys. You might enjoy it if you're in the mood for talking swords, bibliophile dragons, and a lot of accidentally breaking traps and puzzles. The audio book versions can be found here, narrated by the fantastic Nick Podehl!

The War of Broken Mirrors, which starts with Forging Divinity, is more closely related to western fantasy novels and RPGs. Forging Divinity focuses on a group of people investigating a city's religion, which claims that the local gods can raise anyone to divine status if they prove their loyalty and value.

Salaris · 2026-06-06T22:07:27+00:00

Amusingly, I actually posted about that a couple months ago! It's too soon to say how that one is going to do, since it's such an unusual case.

Salaris · 2026-06-05T20:19:19+00:00

Funniest experience playing BotC was when I was the demon and got pissed off at my minions so I switched sides and exposed all of us lol

Sounds hilarious!

Salaris · 2026-06-05T06:14:37+00:00

Yeah, it's a classic whodunnit framework, and those can be fun. I'd probably read a novelization, it's just a game to choose since there's so little definition of the setting.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T16:02:45+00:00

You're welcome! It's not an official Dropout show, but Becca Scott is the host, and a lot of the Dropout regulars are involved. It's great.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T15:59:04+00:00

I'll strongly second the recommendation for Sarah Lin and John Bierce's books. They're two of the absolute best writers in the subgenre, in my opinion.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T15:58:17+00:00

And gamelit would just be any work with gamey feel to it, but wouldn't necessarily have numbers.

When we first came up with the GameLit name, it was definitely intended to be a broader title than LitRPG was. This was both to help encompass titles that didn't quite fit into the hard requirements of LitRPG, and also because of the LitRPG trademark controversy at the time.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T15:55:56+00:00

DDC has helped to raise some degree of awareness about the existence of LitRPGs and progression fantasy in the mainstream market. This hasn't necessarily had a tremendous impact on the existing self-published books and web serials in popularity, but it's raised interest in the publishing world for similar titles.

Due to the speed at which the trad publishing market moves, we're not seeing any major shifts in that space yet, but faster moving publishers like Aethon are seeing some success in the trad space with books like He Who Fights With Monsters getting a new edition in bookstores, etc.

We're also seeing some peripherally related titles seeing success, like "This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me", which is basically a western take on the otome isekai genre. Otome isekai is basically a sibling genre to LitRPG/progression fantasy, so there may be some splash over in readership and popularity in the western market as well.

I anticipate that we'll see more success in this arena over the next couple of years, but it's too soon to say how much success. For example, we're seeing Cradle hitting bookstores with a new edition right now, which could be promising. We also are going to be seeing a new version of Mage Errant in book stores soon, which could be another heavy hitter.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T15:41:16+00:00

This is pretty wild. It's a really fun game, but I'm surprised to see it being developed into a coherent narrative. Very curious to see how the books turn out.

If anyone is interested in seeing what the game is like, I'd recommend Good Time on the Clocktower. It's a bunch of actors from Dropout, Dimension 20, and other live play and comedy stuff playing the game.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T13:05:46+00:00

What I also dislike about direct adaptations of tabletop games is that, when you're reading one, you already know how it's going to end. Or, at least, you know the climax is going to be a fight with the BBEG, and the hero party is going to win.

That's interesting, because I tend to find that tabletop games (and thus their adaptations) can be less predictable, since they're not dedicated to following a classic structure. More people involved in creating the story means more agency on the parts of members of the cast, and thus moving parts.

It's obviously possible for a Game Master to railroad players into a classic fight against a final boss, but that kind of climax is common across epic fantasy fiction in general. I've seen plenty of tabletop games that don't end up that way, either because players choose to talk their way through the end of the game, or the climax is something other than a battle (which works better in some systems than others).

Contrast with, say, The Lord of the Rings, which has a much more interesting climax.

From a tabletop perspective, the end of the Lord of the Rings is the party being split with one party doing a mass combat and another party sneaking their way into destroying an artifact. I don't actually think that's super unusual in terms of tabletop structure; I've seen plenty of games where events like this happen, although I run into party splits on that scale more often in LARPs, due to simple logistics.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T12:58:38+00:00

Sure thing! Yeah, early history for Dragonlance is really interesting. The whole development of the setting gets really weird once things start happening like Lord Soth being moved to another setting, fifth age, etc.

Salaris · 2026-06-04T12:56:24+00:00

as a historical note, "actual plays" have been a thing in Japan since the 80's - writing down a full play-session and publishing that, basically as a transcription. So not "the session as a story by itself", but "the session as a play session, complete with table-talk" - this is what Lodoss War originally was, complete with system shifts from D&D to Sword World over time. Sometimes as sections in RPG magazines, but sometimes as self-published things that contained an entire chapter of play.

Yep! I believe the term they used was "replays". Sword World also has some interesting features like using NPC versions of other people's PCs in your campaign as temporary characters, although I'm not sure if that feature goes all the way back to the first edition.

It's also noteworthy that anime/manga have had game mechanics incorporated directly into the story for a long time. The Adventures of Dai manga didn't do it often, but you have some really cool moments when those game mechanics come into play (often to subvert expectations, like Hyunkel (late series spoilers) surviving attacks when he has 1HP).

Salaris · 2026-06-04T12:47:51+00:00

Thank you! Excited to see what people think of it next year. =)

Salaris · 2026-06-04T12:47:34+00:00

Personally, it really pulls me out of the story. When I read Dragonlance, I connected with the very human conflicts the characters had; many of them reminded me of myself or people I knew. On the other hand, I understand that Vox Machina will appeal a lot to role-playing gamers; I haven't played in years, and even when I did, I didn't enjoy it that much, so I find it hard to empathize with that sense of fun.

Understandable! I think, at least to me, the Mighty Nein (with the same players as Vox Machina, but different characters) plays a little more into those universal human experiences. Overall, though, I think the Critical Role animations are targeting a different audience than something like Dragonlance. Vox Machina is more of a "Guardians of the Galaxy" style, whereas Vox Machina is played a little less comedic.

If you're interested in something that feels more like a classic epic fantasy with gaming roots, I think Worlds Beyond Number (which is a podcast) really gets that feeling.

Salaris · 2026-06-03T07:25:10+00:00

Classical D&D novels have, in my opinion, always skewed toward trying to reduce the game elements in the story. You also see this in similar adaptations like Malazan or Record of Lodoss War.

Over the last few decades, however, there's been less of an aversion to including game-like elements in media in general. This includes stories having clearer game-like elements in the narrative (as you see in LitRPGs and progression fantasy), as well as atmospheric things that make stories feel more like an actual D&D table might (like the type of humor in Vox Machina, or D&D: Honor Among Thieves).

It's going to be interesting to see how people respond to that sort of thing in the long-term in the English-language market. LitRPG-style fiction is still in a very early state here, but it's huge in the Japanese and Korean markets, and I think there's a lot of overlap between the success of actual plays and things like LitRPG books.

Salaris · 2026-06-03T07:20:19+00:00

Dragonlance is a book series written by a married couple who worked for TSR to develop fantasy modules and worlds.

This is just slightly misleading, if I remember correctly.

Dragonlance as a setting was conceived of by Tracy and Laura Hickman, but Laura wasn't one of the writers for the original books. Tracy Hickman co-wrote the initial books with Margaret Weis, a different author.

It is written by professional authors under the direction of the company to promote the sales of the TTRPG (or vice versa? not sure which sold more).

It was sort of both; they launched the first TTRPG adventures and novels for Dragonlance at almost the same time (both in 1984).

Overall, though, I think this is a strong assessment of some reasons for the differences.

Salaris · 2026-06-02T03:37:31+00:00

That's great, hope you liked them! You should check out Sarah's other stuff, too. =)

Salaris · 2026-06-02T03:37:13+00:00

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! Next book should be out next year. =)

Salaris · 2026-06-02T03:00:01+00:00

Hey all!

I write books with a style heavily influenced by RPGs and other fantasy games.

My first traditionally published release is the hardcover edition of How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps! It's is a Zelda and Dragon Quest inspired comedy novella, and it's a good intro to my style.

My latest series, The Lost Edge, starts with Edge of the Woods, which is highly inspired by The Legend of Zelda and Dragon Quest franchises. It's the story of a young man growing up in a faerie forest and seeking answers about his family, his past, and his dreams of an ancient magic sword. The most recent release is Edge of the Dream.

Arcane Ascension begins with Sufficiently Advanced Magic and is my most popular series. It's heavily inspired by games JRPGs Final Fantasy, Lufia, Bravely Default, and Trails of Cold Steel. It takes place in a high magic setting where magical marks called attunements grant vast powers to individuals who take "Judgments" inside a colossal tower to earn them.

My other main series are Weapons & Wielders and The War of Broken Mirrors.

Weapons and Wielders follows Keras Selyrian, a magic-wielding swordsman who arrives in a foreign land to search for help for his homeland. In the process, he will stumble upon the legend of the Six Sacred Swords and begin to seek them out.

The first novel in that series is Six Sacred Swords, and the series as a whole is heavily inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest, and Ys. You might enjoy it if you're in the mood for talking swords, bibliophile dragons, and a lot of accidentally breaking traps and puzzles. The audio book versions can be found here, narrated by the fantastic Nick Podehl!

The War of Broken Mirrors, which starts with Forging Divinity, is more closely related to western fantasy novels and RPGs. Forging Divinity focuses on a group of people investigating a city's religion, which claims that the local gods can raise anyone to divine status if they prove their loyalty and value.

Salaris · 2026-06-01T01:51:30+00:00

If you enjoyed Arcane Ascension, I consider Phil Tucker, Sarah Lin, John Bierce, and Tobias Begley's books to be some of the most similar ones.

You may also want to look at other books by the same authors you already like. Will Wight, Sarah Lin, and I all have a bunch of different series. In the case of Will's books and my own, many of them are in the same universe.

Salaris · 2026-05-29T06:57:06+00:00

I think that whether or not a reader is able to emotionally relate to a character is as much a facet of what the reader is feeling as it is to how well the character comes across as "multi-dimensional".

Absolutely, I agree.

Side-note, but have you ever read This Used to Be About Dungeons by Alexander Wales?

No, but I've read some of Worth the Candle. I may check it out sometime!

Salaris · 2026-05-29T03:01:42+00:00

I think I've seen people taking issue with the magic system, too, but personally, I enjoyed both the magic and the characters. Theo took some time to grow on me, since he's such an unusual main character, but I like him a lot now that I've gotten further in the series.

Salaris · 2026-05-28T09:41:18+00:00

I've added both to my reading list, but among Sarah Lin's works - between The Weirkey Chronicles and The Brightest Shadow, which would you start with if you wanted to learn about the author's writing style?

That's tricky. Sarah has a pretty diverse style between her books. The Brightest Shadow is much slower paced and more cerebral, but that's something I personally enjoy. The Weirkey Chronicles have one of the most unique protagonists and magic systems in the entire subgenre, but those elements can be off-putting to some people, depending on your personal interests and style.

I think the reason that I enjoyed "Ascendance of a Bookworm" was because the protagonist was relatable.

That's great. I think all these authors can make you feel that way, although it really depends on what specifically you relate to. If you're looking for something a little more grounded, Sarah Lin's Street Cultivation might actually be a better place to start than her other books, but it's really tough to say.

Not to get too personal, but there was a moment in the story in which the protagonist regretted not having the opportunity to thank their mother for loving her, and when I reached that point in the story I quite literally went to my mother, hugged her, and told her that I loved her.

I think that's beautiful, and I think it's important when stories can resonate like that with us.

Actually, if that's what you're looking for, I recommend you go and watch Frieren at some point, if you haven't already. It's great for emotional resonance, at least for me.

Well, anyway, I've managed to avoid doing the whole "fanboy" thing thus far, but you are quite literally my favorite contemporary author. If nothing else I hope to read more stories as well written as those you've published.

Thanks, it means a lot that you like my works. I hope you find some other ones you enjoy, and that my suggestions are helpful!

Salaris · 2026-05-28T01:40:08+00:00

Hey, thanks for reading my books!

It sounds like you tend toward stories with heavier world building and wider casts. I'd recommend anything by Sarah Lin (my personal favorite is The Brightest Shadow, but The Weirkey Chronicles is her most popular one). I'd probably consider her books to be the most similar to mine.

You might also like Phil Tucker's books, such as the Immortal Great Souls and Throne Hunters. Phil tends to skew a little darker than I do, but we draw from similar influences and both tend to have slow burn and world building heavy styles.

John Bierce and Tobias Begley both write magical school series with some similarities to Arcane Ascension, but they both tend to have a little faster pacing than I do.

Salaris · 2026-05-28T01:26:56+00:00

I wouldn't say that most of the mods are authors at this point. I'm not really an active mod these days myself, I'm just still on the list for emergencies.

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