I haven't actually read any LitRPG books yet, just stumbled across the idea, liked it, went looking for more information, and stumbled across a chance to place a hex on NCSoft. You can never pass that up. Anyway, I'd definitely like to give the genre a try but I only have a bit of money to spare right now. Even shopping at Kindle prices, I can really only buy a couple of books, so I'm calling on this forum to help me figure out which ones those should be. Tell me why your favorite LitRPG book/series is the one I should buy and read first. I'm down with authors unashamedly boasting about the merits of their own work, so don't be shy about self-promotion if you've got stuff in the genre.
Ok. Suggestion, if you can afford Kindle Unlimited, there are quite a few books on there that can be read. The monthly fee for a borrowing library can sometimes prove more economical than just grabbing one or two books. It might not get you the whole series, but, it can be a good beginning. Also, some have their works fully available on KU, but, your mileage may vary. Survival Quest (The way of the Shamen: Book 1) patch 17 : Realm of Arkon, Book 1 Alterworld : Play to Live Book 1 - This was the first LitRPG book I've ever read, it's good, but, be aware, the writer jumps the shark in an m1a1 tank after book 3. Also if you want to go very budget there's always http://royalroadl.com/ Royal Road Legends, it's a free site where people post their stories. It is chock full of LitRPG and GameLit, however, do keep in mind these are oft beta copies and some can more rough around the edges than others. Here's some I would recommend on RRL https://royalroadl.com/fiction/3468/loser-of-tarinath Loser of Tarinath, I like this since it doesn't start with the OverPowered character slaying Gods within the first two pages https://royalroadl.com/fiction/4801/earth-tactics-advance Also, some of Scottie Futch's stuff can be found of RRL
If you have a limited budget I'd suggest Kindle Unlimited first, that way you get a month of all you can read. Secondly I will unabashedly throw my books at you. Alpha World- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XC6YJSH Apocalypse Gates- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LGZ12S
Kindle Unlimited is the way to go. For the cost of ~3 cheap books a month ($10.99), you get access to hundreds of thousands of books.
I have considered it. The thing is, while I have access to more books than I could ever read, I am only going to actually read so many of them. If I'm busy enough, I may pay more through Kindle Unlimited than I would normally pay for regular books. On the other hand, being able to drop a book halfway through if I sour on it without feeling like I've lost anything would be a nice.
I find that the more books I have access to, the more books I read. Your mileage may vary, of course.
If you want Sci Fi LitRPG then i suggest you read. the Perimeter defense series and the Phantom server trilogy
Awaken Online by Travis Bagwell is fantastic and the first book I recommend when readers are new to the genre, since it's the book that made me fall in love with LitRPG. The Weirdest Noob by Arthur Stone is lots of fun and The Divine Dungeon by Dakota Krout has a nice twist by making the dungeon itself the main protagonist.
Awaken Online is my go-to book when other authors ask about what to read to grok the genre. That and Ready Player One.
Depends on what you like. I don't write fantasy though, I'm mostly Horror/LitFPS/Scifi in my works. With that being said many people have liked them. All of my books are on Kindle Unlimited as well. Here is my Horror GameLit series which is my Amazon Bestseller. Angel's Nightmare Adventure (Horror): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0791KX4ZH/ The Thousand Years War (Scifi/LitFPS/GameLit): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077G9T38X/
I know I wanted to binge a bunch of litRPG last month so I used my free trial of KU. A lot of great litRPG is in KU. I will always suggest Ascend Online first. It is fantastic writing, great character development, and so much action in between city building. It shows some of the best parts of litRPG. Next I would probably suggest Bone Dungeon as a great dungeon core introduction. It's easy to follow, has good characters, some parts that make you laugh, and some that make you worry. I also love the fact that this dungeon isn't just trying to be the biggest baddest dungeon, he still has a bit of a heart.
