LitRPG
I’ve mostly been drawn to scifi, fantasy and military books like Tom Clancy. Growing up I had a period while I was deep in the Dragon Lance series and all of its offshoots.
I never played D&D growing up, or any other role playing game, mostly because the son of a pastor couldn’t be caught dead playing with the devils tool. lol
However, last year, maybe a bit earlier than that, I discovered the fantastic series, He Who Fights With Monsters, by Shirtaloon (Travis Deverell). As I predominately consume my stories via audiobook these days I purchased book one on Audible, narrated by the wonderful Heath Miller.
I was hooked within the first few sentences
“Jason woke up naked, face down in the grass. That was not how he expected to wake up, since he had gone to sleep in his own bed, and in his own Darth Vader boxer shorts.”
At the time, I had no idea what to expect from a LitRPG, but Heath’s voice was exactly what I wanted in a narrator, and the story drew me in with the first few words.
In the time since I’ve learned about character sheets, buffs and debuffs, power ups, astral beings and all sorts of other things a character does as they move through a world.
I’ve read, well, listened, to the whole series, of which there are ELEVEN books, twice through. I am currently on book three, for my third time. Book twelve is coming out soon, and I thought it was a good time to binge the series again before I read the next gripping instalment.
He Who Fights With Monsters, Book 1. By Shirtaloon, Read by Heath Miller. Artwork by Harry Bui
If you’ve never listened to, or read, a LitRPG, or literary Role Playing Game book before, it can take a little getting used to, but in a good way. As the story progresses, you are slowly introduced to the series’ magic system, which, in Jason’s case, involves having an ability to read screens that pop up in front of him explaining and detailing what is happening.
The screens are his character sheets, which, having not played D&D etc before are where the player knows what his character can do and is capable of.
During the book, you momentarily pop out of the story well Jason discovers new things about his abilities, or the loot he’s gathered. But, this doesn’t happen in a brutish way. Shirtaloon wonderfully crafts the experience in a POV style that lets you learn right beside Jason. It adds a layer of complexity to a book that I had not experienced before. It is more nuanced information that the reader needs to keep track of, however the author ensures you are always reminded and updated, so you don’t get lost.
The addition of character information sheets aside, the story is fantastical in its own right.
You follow Jason, the erstwhile, displaced protagonist as he discovers a new world, his understanding of its working, deshrouding as he takes his first few steps, much like his map ability.
I can’t say enough about the series. From Jason’s slightly abrasive whimsical facade to Gary the Leonide, Shirtaloon introduces us to a world, not unlike our own, but filled with magic and abilites, we the readers can only dream of having.
You can find the series at Shirtaloon’s own website, or anywhere you go to consume your favourite adventures.
