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**The Wandering Inn** by Pirateaba

A book so long it felt insurmountable to me. Over 1200 pages? Crazy. Plus this was a series so long I was sure I'd never finish it, but FOMO got me starting this as an audiobook so I could listen on my commutes. Plus I had already gotten a taste of the LitRPG genre through Dungeon Crawler Carl.

The start of this book is very rough, and tbh if anyone put this down after the first 10 chapters I wouldn't blame them. The main character, Erin, is fucking stupid at the start, has zero curiosity for anything, and all she does is wander around the Inn or around the outside of the Inn foraging or lamenting that she's in another world, or being confused at something when she forgets she's not on Earth. She acts like a child and it's so so annoying, and even though the writing improves from there and she does improve as a character as well (and the author improves as a writer), you still see scenes of her ignorance which just irritates me.

So I only really got invested in this story about a third of the way through, but once I got there it fully hooked me in!! The worldbuilding is excellent, every character except Erin Solstice is a delight to read (honestly I think Ryoka Griffin is much more interesting), and I think maybe my interest in this just comes from how much Dungeons and Dragons I've played, but I loved it. The worldbuilding especially, the world feels so vast and full that I actually get why this story would last another 25 books or something. I got so invested I even abandoned the audiobook so I could read it on my phone instead.

(Also while I only listened to the audiobook for half of this, I have to say the narrator is amazing.)

Overall, I think the biggest letdowns of this book are the main character and the start of the story, but once it gets going (and critically once the story relies less on Erin's POV) it really shines.

4/5

#BookReview #LitRPG #TheWanderingInn

Unintended Cultivator 8 (Unintended Cultivator #8) by Eric Dontigney
Release Date March 17, 2026
#Fantasy #LitRPG

https://www.risingshadow.net/book/84509-unintended-cultivator-8

The Noob Returns (Noobtown #9) by Ryan Rimmel
Release Date March 17, 2026
#Fantasy #LitRPG #Humor

https://www.risingshadow.net/book/75254-the-noob-returns

#WritersCoffeeClub 16/3: What's the largest cast you've ever written? What made it challenging?

The largest cast ever is in A Goblin's Plight.

I have four PoV characters, plus a bunch of extras. (And that will expand to five PoV chars in the sequel.)

It takes effort to give every character equal screen time. And in this book, I had to keep track of so many animals on top of the MCs, it really was hard not to lose one along the way.

Great fun.

#WritingCommunity
#LitRPG

Level-Up Assassin (The Sworn Sword #2) by Miles Hunter
Release Date March 13, 2026
#Fantasy #LitRPG

https://www.risingshadow.net/book/82068-level-up-assassin

Book Trailer: Levelling Up Together 3 "The Price of Going Right" #litrpg #gamelit #romantasy #fantasy #dd

Wish Upon the Stars 11 (Wish Upon the Stars #11) by Malcolm Tent
Release Date March 12, 2026
#Fantasy #ScienceFiction #YoungAdult #LitRPG

https://www.risingshadow.net/book/84931-wish-upon-the-stars-11

God Slayer (Soul Canvas #3) by KamikazePotato
Release Date March 11, 2026
#Fantasy #LitRPG

https://www.risingshadow.net/book/83157-god-slayer

My Big Goblin Space Program 2 (My Big Goblin Space Program #2) by Scott Warren
Release Date March 10, 2026
#ScienceFiction #LitRPG #Humor

https://www.risingshadow.net/book/83652-my-big-goblin-space-program-2

This Is A Tank
March 8, 2026

we’re trying to tell off adventurers again
going into the dungeon, those negative doofs –
you need a tank, you need a tank, you need –
no, we need you to listen

our tank is just a little guy
they’re built five one and agitated
your colossi with their shattered legs of bone
know nothing of their finest stance
nor their untroubled visage

then laughter, because of course
discount the lass, discount dodge tanks generally
get all up and personal, maybe she should
tank this, until Ellodia, pissed
signs form seven

which is where we jump-scare our tank
unleashing our strongest essential violence
backstabs, hammer to head, lightning
while our innocent little guy
not dodging in the slightest
holds out a raw chicken
glum look on their face

damnit, guys
I thought you were going fire
you know I’m weak to salmonella

* * *

#poem #poetry #writing #LitRPG #ChallengePoem
Akkoma