Heretical fishing is great! All around fantastic book
Beware of chicken is good to, more xianxia though.
Battle mage farmer, also seems to have a good balance of action and slice of life so far
I hated that book, and yet it seems to be really well liked. It isn't Litrpg or progression, which isn't a problem, but I just thought that the writing was very weak. Just as an example, everything was so in your face, almost like a children's book. The bad guy was so obviously The Bad Guy and nothing else. The "twist" with the charm was obvious from the first moment. The foreshadowing about the organized crime was more like the book shouting "Hey this is going to happen later!".
problem with battle mage farmer is the only farming done after first book is in the title they just capitalized on the retiring badass troupe but forgot about the retiring part
**Favorite Cozy**: Haley's Cozy System Armageddon
I almost wanted to say Natural Laws Apocalypse, but that's not an *intentional* cozy. Haley and Nana is even a complete series! Pretty short, but it does hit all the system apocalypse touchstones (in an obviously nonstandard way).
**Cozy that doesn't get enough attention**: A Pub in the Underworld
Pretty recent and by a contributor in the sub too!
**I'm going to get lynched for admitting I don't like**: Beware of Chicken
**First two books were good but the third one really feels like they ran out of story but wanted to keep it going**: Demon World Boba Shop
BoC definitely peaked in the first book, coasted in the second, and has started trending downhill in the third. I'll still pick up the next one because it's decent writing, but the concept is wearing thin.
I very honestly don't know if I've thought about it like this before (I might have, and even might have said it, and then forgot. I'm like that) but it's a nice way to think about it.
Another way is the idea that DWBS isn't actually a trilogy like Deadworld and How to Survive were. It's slowly-but-surely morphing into a "Something nice to read every day" plot pace, something that's intended to go on for quite a long time. There are enough people who have said "This makes my hard days a little bit liveable" that I really want to make sure it's structured in a way that can exist for thousands of chapters, if people want to read it for that long.
I don't know if that's a goofy way to think about it, but that's how I'm sort of approaching it right now.
Unless you weren't talking about DWBS at all, in which case I apologize.
Oh I meant it was literally two halves of the same book. On royal road it’s the same book but it was too big so it got split into two books when it was officially released.
The wandering inn. Mix of slice of life and actual story telling. It scratches all itches imo.
Beware of chicken. Pure spice of life. Pretty fun imo.
Dark Lord on the farmstead or something like that. Love story, slice of life, fun loving people. I dropped it because it was TOO much slice of life for me, basically zero action.
The wandering inn is by far my favorite cozy lit RPG if you can call it cozy lol. Full of death, despair, racism and genocide but good and scratches all the itches 😁
For sure!! It doesn't even really warn you it is coming. Just bam racism and death. Slavery is just a thing and is not frowned upon at all and is a part of life in certain places in that universe.
LOVE IT! It'll teach you without being data dumpy or preachy, the characters are very human (except for being...you know...dwarves), it's fun, sweet, funny and just an all around good read.
[Millennial Mage](https://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Mage-8-book-series/dp/B0BX4S6LJG) by JL Mullins is more GameLit than LitRPG, and it is a combat-heavy slice of life series (one of the best examples I know of as to how slice of life diverges from cosy, when trying to explain to people how they are not the same thing). But I think it is an awesome series.
Demon world boba shop
Heretical fishing
Ideas are great. Really comfortable read, but I wish the authors could put more thoughts into writing characterisation for side characters as well as put in more descriptions than mere dialogues.
I Ran Away To Evil. Romance fantasy. Princess heads out on a quest to kill the evil ruler of the neighboring lands. Realizes he does a much better job taking care of his citizens than her parents do, and he's kinda cute.
Beers & Beards. Brewmaster gets isekai'd into a world where dwarven beer is sorely lacking in quality, and sets out to fix that.
Bronze Rank Brewer. Pure fantasy waxing poetic on the magic of beer. Slower paced. About as close to actual brewing as Star Wars is to NASA.
Merchant Crab. Several others have already mentioned the Chicken and the Fisher. How about a talking crab, whose whole goal in life is to milk the rubes for their coin...I mean...provide excellent equipment at great prices to promising adventurers?
Not really litrpg, though game-y and solidly prog-fic, *Legends and Lattes* and it's sequel *Bookshops and Bonedust* by Travis Baldree are both excellent.
By wordcount, removing all the non slice of life/existential horror/war crimes, wandering inn is probably still the longest slice of life series. But that's just because the series is just that big.
For me that's a feature, not a bug. But if you only want slice of life then yeah, that /s makes sense
Millenial Mage and Melody of Mana are two that aren't entirely slice of life/cosy, but are definitely adjacent if not under those categories. I enjoyed both an absolute ton. Millenial Mage in particular is a very slow look at the life of one specific mage. The entirety of book 1 is a single ~2 week caravan journey.
Amelia the Level Zero Hero is also very slice-of-life at its heart, and I always enjoy that one. Silly but surprisngly gentle and fun.
Beware of Chicken and Heretical Fishing are two of my recent reads. I get the feeling Beware of Chicken moves away from slice of life after a few books. Heretical Fishing book 2 comes out in two weeks.
I mix in these types of books in between my normal reads (DoTF, Primal Hunter, Path of Ascension).
Word of warning. Wandering Inn is not a lit rpg. It's not even progression fantasy. Slice of life, yes, but be prepared for moronic MCs and infuriatingly stupid decision making and justifications for it.
Eh it’s a litrpg. It’s definitely with its stats and leveling. It’s long AF and definitely getting super boring with the 4 hrs of progress on a 40 hr book, but that’s the writing not genre.
The MC has 10 progressions in the whole 40hrs of the first book. There are no stats. The skills are barely mentioned or used. The second MC does not level at all. The definition of litrpg is literary role playing game. Please show me a game where your character has no stats. Barely levels and gains skills that aren't used until the last 4hrs.
It is a fantasy slice of life where the author threw some levels in to fulfil a niche requirement.
Many fantasy novels have levels that does not make them a "litrpg"
Well requirement fulfilled. It’s a lit rpg. You often hear others unlocks and advancements.
Plenty of games where you don’t have stats my friend. Look at Mario.
Reluctantly I’m 13 of those thick boys deep (that’s what she said lol) I know what it is and isn’t.
Beware of chicken is def not one, but it’s absolutely fantastic.
Just enjoy the book or don’t suffer though a million words where 100k are progressive. Her books are a few million deep. Losing me with boredom more than anything.
> Wandering Inn is not a lit rpg. It's not even progression fantasy
Uhh, characters get stronger, they level up and gain skills. I'm not sure how you can read something like this:
>[Tactician Level 28!]
>[Skill – Rallying Presence Obtained!]
And not realize that this is a Litrpg.
The MC has 10 progressions in the whole 40hrs. There are no stats. The skills are barely mentioned or used. The second MC does not level at all. The definition of litrpg is literary role playing game. Please show me a game where your character has no stats. Barely levels and gains skills that aren't used until the last 4hrs.
It is a fantasy slice of life where the author threw some levels in to fulfil a niche requirement.
Many fantasy novels have levels that does not make them a "litrpg"
> The MC has 10 progressions in the whole 40hrs
You realize the series is a lot longer than 40 hours right? Just because something is slow, doesn't mean that it isn't a Litrpg. There are a huge number of levels gained, skills obtained, and skills used throughout the course of the series.
>The second MC does not level at all
Ryoka actively refuses to level. She is repeatedly offered the opportunity. She's also one of a dozen primary characters and the only one who doesn't level.
>character has no stats
Characters have stats, they're just unknown. That's why standard rpg potions exist. Strength, Constitution, Speed, Healing, etc. There is even some discussion of various races trading leveling for increased stats.
I listened to the first book on Audible. It does not deserve to be tagged as a "litrpg" 40hrs of nothing. Is still nothing. You do understand it's at best a progression fantasy novel, right? I get that you like the book and want to defend it, but it's not a litrpg because you get a sentence stating.
"Inn keeper level 11"
every 20 chapters.
The characters have stats, they're just unknown? You mean like we do? I have unknown stats just like those you stated that must mean I'm living a "litrpg" experience.
Just sounds like a fantasy novel.
Okay so that's like 0.5% of the story. There will be tons of character development coming. It was frustrating to read but I like TWI because it goes in depth into how confusing being dropped into a system world would be. Do you honestly think you would do better?
It is also absolutely a litrpg, even if there aren't stat blocks and experience. People level from trials and tribulations, in their roles (classes). Idk what else it would be.
The writer is allegedly a woman (but is still anonymous so who knows) but writes women like /r/menwritingwomen .
The MCs come off as these hyper stubborn fools who, despite being CLEARLY transported to a world where literally magic exists, fantasy creatures are your neighbour, and a class/skill system exists, yet they spend every waking moment refusing to change their opinions on anything. It's almost like the writer hates women and sought out to write the worst ones he possibly could.
It has been one of the most painful listens to date. Only the last 4 hours helped to redeem it.
The MC is a mewling moron. Apparently, she is a decent level chess player who is incapable of any logical decision-making while simultaneously unable to make use of her skills and class in any meaningful sense.
The other female protagonist is an arrogant moron who picks fights for no reason except to give the author a reason to have her character monologue about how much she hates everything.
Is the author truly a woman? Who knows, but she hasn't done her characters any favours in book one on audible.
THANK YOU! people defend this book with tooth and nail 'because it all pays off' but absolutely fail to acknowledge that NOTHING is actually paying off, its all purely bullheaded decision making with zero end goal, and in the end they just luck into positive outcomes without guiding themselves there on their own!
Exactly this. Most of the time it feels like the author throws something out there to save the character from certain doom because she's been rambling on about some nonsense too long and the MC's have not been given the ability to make rational decisions so the support characters need to make up the deficit.
Also. Fanboys will fanboy. You have to remember they are normally of diminished capacity and are unable to look at their chosen fanboy obsession objectively.
I read the entire first and half of the second, just because they EVENTUALLY experience positive outcomes from their insane stubbornness, doesn't mean there was any logic used by them on the journey to those outcomes.
The innkeeper eventually gains friendship and shows that the goblins can be good people but she gets stabbed on the way there, and the entire time she's driven by pure stubbornness and zero actual logical reasoning as to why she keeps trying to hold that opinion other than 'I want to believe!'...
Then the running lady basically refuses to participate in the magic/class system because: you guessed it! She's stubborn! She has absolutely zero real idea if it'll pay off, and actually doesn't even spend ANY time thinking about if it'll pay off in any way, because that's not her goal, she completely ignores the class system just because she doesn't wanna. And yea of course in the end she comes out better for it, but there's literally ZERO forethought for her to have gotten there, both of the MC's just stubborn their way into positive outcomes. It's absolutely infuriating!
Not gonna lie, I wrote an extremely similar post at about the exact point you made it to and almost dropped the series. I'm extremely glad I didn't.
You gotta remember that these are literal children being dropped into this brand new world that is completely incomprehensible to them. I actually find TWI's take on it a lot more believable than other system isekai stories because the characters actually get traumatized instead of just rolling with it and getting OP. Also you gotta keep in mind that book 1 is like... 0.5% (if that) of the entire story - gotta leave room for character development.
Erin was very frustrating at first, yes, but again she was a confused and traumatized introverted chess nerd.
Ryoka kinda sucked at first, but she was a little shithead rebel who didn't want to be given anything for free. Her family was rich and she hated it. She thought it was unfair to just be given all that power for basically free. That's why she refused the system. They don't know *what* this system is, it's strange and confusing, it's not surprising that someone brand new to it just says "nuh uh" and refuses, especially if they are prone to rebellion.
Your frustrations with it are valid, I completely understand because I had them myself, almost to the letter. But I urge you to continue reading because it's been one of the most valuable and enjoyable pieces of fiction I've ever read once you get past where you are.
I don't like pure Cozy Fantasy...I do like borderline Slice of Life.
**Beware of Chicken** is my favorite cozy Fantasy. More Xianxia.
**Super Supportive** is awesome and borderline Slice of Life. There are action scenes, but they are few and the book explores their emotional implications.
It's not LitRPG and is a bit rough rough but I like **Demesne**. A wizard who may be autistic and/or sociopathic is trying to create a small frontier settlement Base building with a lot of plot arcs about plumbing. It also kind of makes fun of the sociopathic MC concept by having an MC who may be sociopathic but just...is never in a situation where crushing your enemies is called for.
Most of my favorite of these books got abandoned.
Sacred Cat Island is probably my favorite so far, partly because I love cats. It's also one I don't see recommended often. It's kind of like Stardew Valley with some cat magic thrown in within a "slightly" system world, except without the players (everyone is an NPC I think? It's not really explained) Some kids go to an island with their dad and discover the mysterious of the island full of old retired people, revitalizing the island as they proceed.
As other's have said Heretical Fishing and Beware of Chicken are a couple of my very favourites.
Also, The Cozy Hollow (Amazon and RR) has been amazing but is kind of on hiatus atm. Also, like BoC The Cozy Hollow isn't LITRPG but more Prog Fantasy.
Heretical fishing is great! All around fantastic book Beware of chicken is good to, more xianxia though. Battle mage farmer, also seems to have a good balance of action and slice of life so far
I want to reiterate Heretical Fishing and Beware of Chicken. Legit a couple of the best out there.
battle mage farmer definitely changes to more action in the later books. it's still great though. and while i'm here, my rec is Legends and Lattes!
Legends and Lattes are fun. Narration is done by the author. He also narrates Beware of Chicken which is also wonderful!
Oh gotcha, currently only on the first book. I will have to check that one out too
Im not done with it yet, but it doesn't feel very litrpg or progression fantasy to me yet, does that change?
I hated that book, and yet it seems to be really well liked. It isn't Litrpg or progression, which isn't a problem, but I just thought that the writing was very weak. Just as an example, everything was so in your face, almost like a children's book. The bad guy was so obviously The Bad Guy and nothing else. The "twist" with the charm was obvious from the first moment. The foreshadowing about the organized crime was more like the book shouting "Hey this is going to happen later!".
problem with battle mage farmer is the only farming done after first book is in the title they just capitalized on the retiring badass troupe but forgot about the retiring part
Ya, I have to concur. Had higher hope for a chill series when I started it. Definitely became something totally different.
I absolutely love Beware of Chicken but something about Heretical fishing didn’t click for me
I really like the Cinnamon Bun books, but as an audio listener, I'm really starting to wonder if the next audio book is ever happening... :(
It is!
Yay!
**Favorite Cozy**: Haley's Cozy System Armageddon I almost wanted to say Natural Laws Apocalypse, but that's not an *intentional* cozy. Haley and Nana is even a complete series! Pretty short, but it does hit all the system apocalypse touchstones (in an obviously nonstandard way). **Cozy that doesn't get enough attention**: A Pub in the Underworld Pretty recent and by a contributor in the sub too! **I'm going to get lynched for admitting I don't like**: Beware of Chicken **First two books were good but the third one really feels like they ran out of story but wanted to keep it going**: Demon World Boba Shop
You heard him! He said he didn't like Beware of Chicken! Get the pitchforks and torches!
BoC definitely peaked in the first book, coasted in the second, and has started trending downhill in the third. I'll still pick up the next one because it's decent writing, but the concept is wearing thin.
Book 2 and 3 and two halves of the same book. They work better when you view them that way and the story flows better.
I very honestly don't know if I've thought about it like this before (I might have, and even might have said it, and then forgot. I'm like that) but it's a nice way to think about it. Another way is the idea that DWBS isn't actually a trilogy like Deadworld and How to Survive were. It's slowly-but-surely morphing into a "Something nice to read every day" plot pace, something that's intended to go on for quite a long time. There are enough people who have said "This makes my hard days a little bit liveable" that I really want to make sure it's structured in a way that can exist for thousands of chapters, if people want to read it for that long. I don't know if that's a goofy way to think about it, but that's how I'm sort of approaching it right now. Unless you weren't talking about DWBS at all, in which case I apologize.
Oh I meant it was literally two halves of the same book. On royal road it’s the same book but it was too big so it got split into two books when it was officially released.
Ah, gotcha. I thought you were talking about a different set of books entirely, which I think is just me being weird.
The wandering inn. Mix of slice of life and actual story telling. It scratches all itches imo. Beware of chicken. Pure spice of life. Pretty fun imo. Dark Lord on the farmstead or something like that. Love story, slice of life, fun loving people. I dropped it because it was TOO much slice of life for me, basically zero action.
The wandering inn is by far my favorite cozy lit RPG if you can call it cozy lol. Full of death, despair, racism and genocide but good and scratches all the itches 😁
Love this one so much! I have reminders in my calendar for each new Sunday release
Don’t forget the slavery and body horror! There‘s enough story for an entire website page of trigger warnings
For sure!! It doesn't even really warn you it is coming. Just bam racism and death. Slavery is just a thing and is not frowned upon at all and is a part of life in certain places in that universe.
Slice of life with a side of war crimes is the wandering inn. Fucking excellent!
That time I was reincarnated as a farmer and beware of chickens are some of my all time favorites.
Do you mean Oh Great! I was Reincarnated as a Farmer by Benjamin Kerei (a great book whether or not it's the one you intended)
Totally is lol. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read it. Thanks for the correction!
I ran away to evil is a nice cozy romantasy litrpg. It's a good bridge from cozy to LitRPG.
I'd second this one.
I recommend Beers and Beards by this guy right here since they're too humble to plug their own stuff... Also when's the new one coming out?
How is that book? Been eying it for a while now
LOVE IT! It'll teach you without being data dumpy or preachy, the characters are very human (except for being...you know...dwarves), it's fun, sweet, funny and just an all around good read.
All right finally pulled the trigger on it. It has been sitting in my audiable wishlist for too long.
Looks promising. Bought it along with a book called beers and beards.
Good decisions!
Heretical Fishing is by far the best book i have read this year. Can't recommend it enough and the second one comes out on audible soonish
Just finished it today! So happy! Can’t wait until July 9th or so.
Courier Quest An Adventure Brewing Dark Lord of the Farmstead
[Millennial Mage](https://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Mage-8-book-series/dp/B0BX4S6LJG) by JL Mullins is more GameLit than LitRPG, and it is a combat-heavy slice of life series (one of the best examples I know of as to how slice of life diverges from cosy, when trying to explain to people how they are not the same thing). But I think it is an awesome series.
Millennial mage is one of the goats
I didn't see it anywhere else, but I enjoyed Bronze Rank Brewer and Silver Rank Brewer
I am so ready for the next one!
Demon World Boba Shop. Very cozy LitRPG
Demon world boba shop Heretical fishing Ideas are great. Really comfortable read, but I wish the authors could put more thoughts into writing characterisation for side characters as well as put in more descriptions than mere dialogues.
Haley's Cozy System Armageddon by M.C.A. Hogarth is incredibly cozy.
Small Town Crafter by Tom Watts
Ran Away To Evil: - A Cozy LitRPG RomCom by Mystic Neptune
I Ran Away From Evil. By Mystic Neptune. It's a cosy romance and absolutely adorable. One of my fave reads of the year.
Beers and Beards, is excellent
Beers and beards
I Ran Away To Evil. Romance fantasy. Princess heads out on a quest to kill the evil ruler of the neighboring lands. Realizes he does a much better job taking care of his citizens than her parents do, and he's kinda cute. Beers & Beards. Brewmaster gets isekai'd into a world where dwarven beer is sorely lacking in quality, and sets out to fix that. Bronze Rank Brewer. Pure fantasy waxing poetic on the magic of beer. Slower paced. About as close to actual brewing as Star Wars is to NASA. Merchant Crab. Several others have already mentioned the Chicken and the Fisher. How about a talking crab, whose whole goal in life is to milk the rubes for their coin...I mean...provide excellent equipment at great prices to promising adventurers?
All of Ravensdagger's stuff
Cursed Cocktails by S.L Rowland. Very easy going eith a touch of action and fun restaurant building and relationship antics.
Not really litrpg, though game-y and solidly prog-fic, *Legends and Lattes* and it's sequel *Bookshops and Bonedust* by Travis Baldree are both excellent.
The Wandering Inn /s
By wordcount, removing all the non slice of life/existential horror/war crimes, wandering inn is probably still the longest slice of life series. But that's just because the series is just that big. For me that's a feature, not a bug. But if you only want slice of life then yeah, that /s makes sense
Millenial Mage and Melody of Mana are two that aren't entirely slice of life/cosy, but are definitely adjacent if not under those categories. I enjoyed both an absolute ton. Millenial Mage in particular is a very slow look at the life of one specific mage. The entirety of book 1 is a single ~2 week caravan journey. Amelia the Level Zero Hero is also very slice-of-life at its heart, and I always enjoy that one. Silly but surprisngly gentle and fun.
Beware of Chicken and Heretical Fishing are two of my recent reads. I get the feeling Beware of Chicken moves away from slice of life after a few books. Heretical Fishing book 2 comes out in two weeks. I mix in these types of books in between my normal reads (DoTF, Primal Hunter, Path of Ascension).
BoC isn't a LitRPG though. It's great but there ain't any boxes/system.
True, but OP cross posted this in ProgFantasy so I figured they were just looking for recommendations.
Fair enough.
Word of warning. Wandering Inn is not a lit rpg. It's not even progression fantasy. Slice of life, yes, but be prepared for moronic MCs and infuriatingly stupid decision making and justifications for it.
Eh it’s a litrpg. It’s definitely with its stats and leveling. It’s long AF and definitely getting super boring with the 4 hrs of progress on a 40 hr book, but that’s the writing not genre.
Yeah, I'm not really sure how anyone can say it isn't a Litrpg? Characters level up, and gain new abilities from leveling up.
The MC has 10 progressions in the whole 40hrs of the first book. There are no stats. The skills are barely mentioned or used. The second MC does not level at all. The definition of litrpg is literary role playing game. Please show me a game where your character has no stats. Barely levels and gains skills that aren't used until the last 4hrs. It is a fantasy slice of life where the author threw some levels in to fulfil a niche requirement. Many fantasy novels have levels that does not make them a "litrpg"
Well requirement fulfilled. It’s a lit rpg. You often hear others unlocks and advancements. Plenty of games where you don’t have stats my friend. Look at Mario. Reluctantly I’m 13 of those thick boys deep (that’s what she said lol) I know what it is and isn’t. Beware of chicken is def not one, but it’s absolutely fantastic. Just enjoy the book or don’t suffer though a million words where 100k are progressive. Her books are a few million deep. Losing me with boredom more than anything.
> Wandering Inn is not a lit rpg. It's not even progression fantasy Uhh, characters get stronger, they level up and gain skills. I'm not sure how you can read something like this: >[Tactician Level 28!] >[Skill – Rallying Presence Obtained!] And not realize that this is a Litrpg.
The MC has 10 progressions in the whole 40hrs. There are no stats. The skills are barely mentioned or used. The second MC does not level at all. The definition of litrpg is literary role playing game. Please show me a game where your character has no stats. Barely levels and gains skills that aren't used until the last 4hrs. It is a fantasy slice of life where the author threw some levels in to fulfil a niche requirement. Many fantasy novels have levels that does not make them a "litrpg"
> The MC has 10 progressions in the whole 40hrs You realize the series is a lot longer than 40 hours right? Just because something is slow, doesn't mean that it isn't a Litrpg. There are a huge number of levels gained, skills obtained, and skills used throughout the course of the series. >The second MC does not level at all Ryoka actively refuses to level. She is repeatedly offered the opportunity. She's also one of a dozen primary characters and the only one who doesn't level. >character has no stats Characters have stats, they're just unknown. That's why standard rpg potions exist. Strength, Constitution, Speed, Healing, etc. There is even some discussion of various races trading leveling for increased stats.
I listened to the first book on Audible. It does not deserve to be tagged as a "litrpg" 40hrs of nothing. Is still nothing. You do understand it's at best a progression fantasy novel, right? I get that you like the book and want to defend it, but it's not a litrpg because you get a sentence stating. "Inn keeper level 11" every 20 chapters. The characters have stats, they're just unknown? You mean like we do? I have unknown stats just like those you stated that must mean I'm living a "litrpg" experience. Just sounds like a fantasy novel.
Did you only read the first book or something?
Audible book one.
Okay so that's like 0.5% of the story. There will be tons of character development coming. It was frustrating to read but I like TWI because it goes in depth into how confusing being dropped into a system world would be. Do you honestly think you would do better? It is also absolutely a litrpg, even if there aren't stat blocks and experience. People level from trials and tribulations, in their roles (classes). Idk what else it would be.
The writer is allegedly a woman (but is still anonymous so who knows) but writes women like /r/menwritingwomen . The MCs come off as these hyper stubborn fools who, despite being CLEARLY transported to a world where literally magic exists, fantasy creatures are your neighbour, and a class/skill system exists, yet they spend every waking moment refusing to change their opinions on anything. It's almost like the writer hates women and sought out to write the worst ones he possibly could.
It has been one of the most painful listens to date. Only the last 4 hours helped to redeem it. The MC is a mewling moron. Apparently, she is a decent level chess player who is incapable of any logical decision-making while simultaneously unable to make use of her skills and class in any meaningful sense. The other female protagonist is an arrogant moron who picks fights for no reason except to give the author a reason to have her character monologue about how much she hates everything. Is the author truly a woman? Who knows, but she hasn't done her characters any favours in book one on audible.
THANK YOU! people defend this book with tooth and nail 'because it all pays off' but absolutely fail to acknowledge that NOTHING is actually paying off, its all purely bullheaded decision making with zero end goal, and in the end they just luck into positive outcomes without guiding themselves there on their own!
Exactly this. Most of the time it feels like the author throws something out there to save the character from certain doom because she's been rambling on about some nonsense too long and the MC's have not been given the ability to make rational decisions so the support characters need to make up the deficit. Also. Fanboys will fanboy. You have to remember they are normally of diminished capacity and are unable to look at their chosen fanboy obsession objectively.
Maybe if you only read the first half of the first book lol
I read the entire first and half of the second, just because they EVENTUALLY experience positive outcomes from their insane stubbornness, doesn't mean there was any logic used by them on the journey to those outcomes. The innkeeper eventually gains friendship and shows that the goblins can be good people but she gets stabbed on the way there, and the entire time she's driven by pure stubbornness and zero actual logical reasoning as to why she keeps trying to hold that opinion other than 'I want to believe!'... Then the running lady basically refuses to participate in the magic/class system because: you guessed it! She's stubborn! She has absolutely zero real idea if it'll pay off, and actually doesn't even spend ANY time thinking about if it'll pay off in any way, because that's not her goal, she completely ignores the class system just because she doesn't wanna. And yea of course in the end she comes out better for it, but there's literally ZERO forethought for her to have gotten there, both of the MC's just stubborn their way into positive outcomes. It's absolutely infuriating!
Not gonna lie, I wrote an extremely similar post at about the exact point you made it to and almost dropped the series. I'm extremely glad I didn't. You gotta remember that these are literal children being dropped into this brand new world that is completely incomprehensible to them. I actually find TWI's take on it a lot more believable than other system isekai stories because the characters actually get traumatized instead of just rolling with it and getting OP. Also you gotta keep in mind that book 1 is like... 0.5% (if that) of the entire story - gotta leave room for character development. Erin was very frustrating at first, yes, but again she was a confused and traumatized introverted chess nerd. Ryoka kinda sucked at first, but she was a little shithead rebel who didn't want to be given anything for free. Her family was rich and she hated it. She thought it was unfair to just be given all that power for basically free. That's why she refused the system. They don't know *what* this system is, it's strange and confusing, it's not surprising that someone brand new to it just says "nuh uh" and refuses, especially if they are prone to rebellion. Your frustrations with it are valid, I completely understand because I had them myself, almost to the letter. But I urge you to continue reading because it's been one of the most valuable and enjoyable pieces of fiction I've ever read once you get past where you are.
I don't like pure Cozy Fantasy...I do like borderline Slice of Life. **Beware of Chicken** is my favorite cozy Fantasy. More Xianxia. **Super Supportive** is awesome and borderline Slice of Life. There are action scenes, but they are few and the book explores their emotional implications. It's not LitRPG and is a bit rough rough but I like **Demesne**. A wizard who may be autistic and/or sociopathic is trying to create a small frontier settlement Base building with a lot of plot arcs about plumbing. It also kind of makes fun of the sociopathic MC concept by having an MC who may be sociopathic but just...is never in a situation where crushing your enemies is called for. Most of my favorite of these books got abandoned.
Is Demesne a kindle book? Sho is the author?
Its completely on RR and has almost 4k pages: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40290/demesne
The Chronicles of Emberstone Farm
The wandering inn. ...slice of life + bawling
Sacred Cat Island is probably my favorite so far, partly because I love cats. It's also one I don't see recommended often. It's kind of like Stardew Valley with some cat magic thrown in within a "slightly" system world, except without the players (everyone is an NPC I think? It's not really explained) Some kids go to an island with their dad and discover the mysterious of the island full of old retired people, revitalizing the island as they proceed.
As other's have said Heretical Fishing and Beware of Chicken are a couple of my very favourites. Also, The Cozy Hollow (Amazon and RR) has been amazing but is kind of on hiatus atm. Also, like BoC The Cozy Hollow isn't LITRPG but more Prog Fantasy.
https://preview.redd.it/2692hf4e0x7d1.png?width=1069&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2c6d9fb4e3c6a9c8f2a5e624757b813a6817ed6
Cinnamonbun
Just started a great slice of life pokemon fanfic: New Beginings, it's been great so far.
This might not be the best example of Slice of Life, but The Tipsy Pelican Tavern was a fun read.
Not sure if others agree but I could Beneath the Dragon Eye Moons one of my favorite slice of life litrpgs
The wandering inn is ultimately the best thing I have read in 35 years. And it is slice of life. And war crimes.
Dungeon's Path is fun if you like the whole dungeon core thing. By Akhier the dragon hearted on RR. It does not seem to be on a path to punching god.
I liked Artisan on RR.