On the day of awakening, 14 year old orphan Shinazu Tsukuyomi was led to his execution room under fake smiles.

The reason: he awakened the world's most feared, mischievous, and hated magic element out of all eleven, Dark Magic.

With his survival-honed instincts and quick-wittedness, he somehow managed to escape his immediate death, but still, he was chased to his death.

And he was supposed to be dead.

But a celestial grace intervened and changed the boy's drowning fate.

He was given a chance to learn at the world-renowned Himetsu Royal Academy of Magic, which he leaped at in order to become strong.

Now disguised as a weak fire mage, he smiles politely, takes the insults of arrogant nobles, and plays the timid scholar.

Behind that fragile mask lies a calculating monster who repays malice a thousandfold.

He will climb the ranks in silence until the empire itself learns to fear the dark.

But not all think alike. Some truly care for him, and began to share a bond with him, though all those feelings of care and warmth are completely foreign for him compared to his street struggle days when everyone looked at him with disgust and every smile was wrapped up in a devious plot.

Will Shinazu accept these foreign feelings? Will he be able to build genuine relationships even after being discovered as a dark mage? Will he be found out and purged, or will he take the path of evil like previous dark mages and turn against the world?

Whatever fate brings him, will he be able to accept it?

That is for the future. Right now, for starters, he has to survive the envious noble eyes and discerning professors, all while collecting wealth and power in disguise.

The Protagonist: Shinazu Tsukuyomi

• Acts like an innocent 14 year old on the outside, but operates with sharp, survival-honed instincts on the inside.
• Never forgets a debt. He will repay kindness tenfold like a benevolent god and return malice a thousandfold like a relentless demon.
• Talented, fast, mischievous, with hidden overpowered abilities, but weak in raw physical strength.
• Easily flustered and shy in front of his favorite princess.

What to Expect:

• Ancient Mysteries: Legendary artifacts, hidden places, magical treasures, lost magical histories, mages, and knights.
• First 100 to 150 chapters: Magic academy dynamics, training, exams, genuine relationships, magic theory, artifact crafting, alchemy, and daily student life.
• As the academy years progress: Rivalries, brutal battles in dungeons or against magical beasts, tournaments, festivals, events, and deeper world lore coming into focus.
• By the end of academy life, which may arrive after 1000+ chapters, the story will transition into high-stakes politics, wars, kingdoms, the Demon King, and overpowered clashes.
• One thing is certain: Shinazu will never abandon either his playful, innocent, flustered side or his mischievous, secret identity.

Read: Twilight Soul on Royal Road

Hey everybody,

My book Rock, Paper, Boss Battle: Intergalactic Rookie started when I asked myself a question: what if future technology allowed our greatest athletes to safely compete in physical D&D-style competitions?

In the game of Battle Quest, five-member professional teams “battle” other teams and menageries of synthetic monsters in massive stadiums across the galaxy. They level up while billions of fans cheer them on.

The book follows two free agent rookies struggling to make their squad. There’s progression, space opera, cyberpunk, retro, and fantasy(simulated), but most of all, there’s fun.

Check it out. I think you’ll find it interesting.

PUBLISHER: Aethon Books

COVER ARTIST: Francell Garrote

AI USAGE: None

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Paper-Boss-Battle-Intergalactic/dp/B0HHKL5GB3/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

Blurb:

Nineteen-year-old Tal Ortiz is a "feeler." In the toxic canyons of the Guatemala City landfill, he uses his toes to sift through the rot for scrap metal, barely earning enough to feed his family.

But in the arenas of Battle Quest, he’s something else entirely: a Level 10 Rogue with the fastest hands on Earth.

When a brutal run-in with a sadistic cyborg clan leaves Tal broken and left for dead, he’s given a choice: die in the mud, or take an experimental upgrade he can’t possibly afford.

Now, Tal has a snarky British AI named Britney living in his head, and a legendary, washed-up Blademaster for a coach who is one alimony payment away from total ruin.

Drafted into the Earth Eagles—a team of misfits including a gentle Atlan giant and a "war-wench" cleric who’s already a viral sensation—Tal must survive the Versai Rookie Challenge.

The stakes are simple: Win a Tier One contract and lift his family out of the mines, or lose and become another piece of salvage in a galaxy that views Terrans as disposable scrap.

With a bone-steel katana in his hand and a billion fans watching his every move, the Intergalactic Rookie is about to prove that heart counts more than modifications.

R. Wines

Hey everyone! It's time for another installment of cyberpunk progression :)

If you're familiar with the series and you read book one, then you know what to expect! Things continue to escalate for Tony and Addie -- lots of Dust abilities, cool tech, dangerous jobs and enemies, and all the while, some specters from Tony's past loom in the background.

If you're new to the series, then I'd love for you to give it a try. Likeable characters gaining power in a dystopian cyberpunk city await you! :)

The audio performance is so fun to listen to--Robb Moreira (Victor of Tucson) and Suzy Jackson (Cyber Dreams) perform duet style, and they really do a fantastic job.

Links: Amazon and Audible

Here's the series blurb:

The Neon Dust cyberpunk series is set in dystopian New Manhattan, where megacorporations control society and survival requires wealth, power, or ruthless skill. At the series' core is the Blast, a dangerous neighborhood where airborne Dust—a dimension-bending mutagen—mutates human DNA and grants some the ability to manipulate its properties. Former corporate operative Tony and indie reporter Addie form a partnership in the high-tech underworld, each possessing unique capabilities and grievances against a system built on exploitation and control.

As their alliance evolves into a deeper connection tested by danger and betrayal, Tony and Addie navigate corporate conspiracies, dangerous threats, and shadows from Tony's covert past. The series combines action-heavy cyberpunk with character-driven narrative, exploring themes of resilience, justice-seeking, and resistance against institutional corruption. Featuring gritty worldbuilding, intense action sequences, and a developing romance amid chaos, this dystopian science fiction adventure appeals to readers seeking protagonists who fight to claim autonomy in an unforgiving world where megacorporations hold all the cards.

Art by: maxprentisvisual

Am looking for recent great fics that have choosing classes as a focus. Like Rinoz Book of the Dead or Defiance of the Fall. The LN Overlord also had a pretty cool Job/Race classes system.

Reccomend your absolute favourite

​

Hey all hoping to get some recommendations from actual readers.

I mostly use Kindle Unlimited but lately it feels like most of what I pick up is AI generated. its exhausting sorting through it and honestly I think Ive read way less this year than previous years just from the fatigue of digging through it. you know the type of author that posts like 12 books in 3 months.

Right now Im really craving some good cultivation books but Im open to pretty much anything. traditional/fantasy /litrpg/ progression fantasy any flavor of romance or adventure whatever is good.

Only real dealbreaker is Im not into the person from Earth gets sent to another world trope. mainly because of the constant pop culture references that come with it. if its portal fantasy between two worlds that arent Earth Im totally fine with that.

Basically just want to read some genuinely good books again. drop your favorites doesnt matter how niche. thanks

*Updating as I read! I am really liking Book 4’s experience so far ✌️

——7/9/26—-
Hmm, what is going on with Jackie, he’s so mysterious? Like back then, MD needed a DoF and Jackie was this football legend who’s also a crazy good coach and also a good friend to MD. So why isn’t he with Chester? Why go work at FC United? Same with what he did with Max, why point Max to Chester? Maybe as a player? Hmm 🤔

Also, surprise hit of tears for me from Idk, loneliness from Max? At him realising that MD and Jackie are really close friends for a much longer time than with Max. I keep imagining that Max feels both jealous of them about the other, at the same time lol. Because I kept going back to that chat he had with Emma about wishing to have a best friend like her and Genma.

——
Okay, I’m not sure I like the many intertwining to 2 different scenes being told in parallel. There wasn’t any distinction of which scene the sentence is going to be about. Then we get to him talking about the Jackie podcast and it was so long I lost the original scene…

—8/9/26—
Dani does something surprising and amazing. Max trying to look calm and unbothered 😆:

I am a pebble on top of a mountain. I may stay for another million years, or I may fall. I am indifferent. I concentrate on being the best rock I can be.

Dani does something else cool, teammates shows skillz and Max responds harder:

I am a sunflower. I turn to the sun. I bask. I show no emotion.

My halftime speech focuses very heavily on the interconnectedness of all living things. At times I forget I’m a sunflower and lean into rock-based imagery.

Guys, I am smiling like no one’s business 😆

———
If she quits, I’ll be gutted. If she stays, I’ll wait a few weeks, and then find the next thing to fix.” I smiled. “I’m no expert but I think if she doesn’t hate me from time to time, I’m not pushing her hard enough.

Dang, what a piece of startling wisdom a bit out of nowhere. I was wondering a bit how his relationships with the kids he likes were going to go because if he’s nice all the time, eapecially with shy/insecure/“weak” type players, it gets a bit boring a stale or they might collapse won’t it? And how will they grow under him? I thought the growing will be done by other peopl and he is there to praise them over some hurdle. But this is so good. Kinda shocking emotional intelligence? Of hyperspecific EI that only works in the world of football for Max. Why am I even noting it down? Because it’s so rare to read something this nuanced and complex in webnovels that isn’t in a life or death situation 😂

———
We finally get the Max+Jackie post awkward talk. And guys. Guuuuys. What the heck. Max grew up, like what the heck. He seriously took his experiences that drove me nuts in the previous books and learnt from it. And gah! He’s like, so cool right now?? That hints of seriously cool x factor + genuine care + something vulnerable peaking out + maturity and growth to draw me in, I love it. I adore it. This scene is like everything that made me go huh, if this becomes something in the future, I would really love the story. Agdhfkglhhs.

———
One thing I definitely do have a bone to pick about this Book is the odd pacing. Some things are focused on but some are completely skipped in favour of Max describing what happened to someone else. It’s jarring sometimes. The back and forth at the first third with the women friendlies and Jackie’s debut and now this with the injury email from FA thing. It seems like something that would be interested to read as it happened and not as being told past tense to someone else. Mostly because without being in his gead, I have a less accurate guess on what led to what happened. I also would have liked to feel the satisfactory catharsis of what Max did. On the flip side, not going through wvery one of those high energy incidents did make this Book a very pleasant and calm experience and I actually really really like that. So give and take. Sigh.

——-
Hmmmm, a bit of a rant here, this whole deaf player in official non-disability sport instead of the disability sport. I am kinda wobbly on where I land. Maybe cause I watch zero real life football and only anime. I kind of support the ref’s decision for Dani? In theory? At that stadium match. And I feel the team and Max were being rather dramatic? As if they were completely the victim and in the right. But the rules are there in black and white no? And Dani is a deaf player with rules that does not accomodate for her. This is the truth. It is what it is.

So you’re gonna have to prepare steps to manage that yourself. You know, work within the established rules so she doesn’t get in trouble with the ref. Isn’t it obvious? Like Idk, hire someone to translate what the ref does at all times or something. And get them to stand at the sides. Maybe the subs to do Dani duty. Something like in baseball where someone will at third base yelling the runner wherher they should run or slide. Or someone at the stands with the audience holding flags or something. So the ref can just do their thing. So Max and team can just inform the ref that this is what they are doing for Dani.

I do feel a bit frustrated with Max. He alrd knows this is a likely to happen a lot but it doesn’t seem he planned anything about it and instead expects to convince every single ref to accomodate Dani. If Dani is accomodated, why not every other disability? Then might as well just change the game to be like the normal disability football right? Where does the line stop you know? It feels like Max is and Dani feels entitled to changes in the rules of the game because Dani is special, aka disabled. And that rubs me the wrong way just a little bit. What about other issues or mental issues? Should the ref accommodate someone with Idk, extreme bipolar disorder who’s in some depressive episode after a lost goal and was just dazed after she blew the whistle? Or someone so mad as losing they just couldn’t hear the whistle over the rage? I completely support everything within the club’s sphere of influence but the ref and their rulings, eh… And Max is comparing carding Dani to carding someone because they are black or foreign or something. I mean yeah, they should get walked out on because the colour of one’s skin doesn’t effect following the rules. But being deaf and not having the ability to follow the rule sounds more concrete. So it makes sense if she doesn’t follow if something happened. There’s a whole other disability football that exists for that. This whole thing feels like why there are women’s football and men’s football you know?

Dang, why am I thinking so much about this lol. I am probably missing something about the whole thing that would make the reaction make sense. Like how referees exist and work. Or how they get into games. Like why does Max keep going, no referee no game. But that is a massive rabbit hole I don’t want to go down so moving on!

Gah, the more I read the more I want to discuss this with someone and not move on 😂 I don’t want to read multiple wikipedia pages of how the whole thing works. Cause now Henri is talking with Max in the middle of the field about the event. Is Max’s reaction correct? Makes sense? Normal? Proportional to what happened? An ideal role model to follow? It seems he sometimes lets a foul pass to continue the game. Now I am puzzled on what a ref even does if they sometimes let things slide.

There are a LOT of teen and child prodigy MCs in progression fantasy, and having recently dipped my toe back into literary fiction I realised there an archetype I don't think I've seen much in ProgFant. The jealous, snow-white-complex parent. Not jealous in an, if-only-I'd-had-your-talent, longing, kind of way, but in a destructive, nasty, I'm going to ruin your prospects from the sidelines kind of way.

I feel like there have to be stories out there somewhere that I've missed, where the kid develops super fast, or is born a prodigy/genius/talented etc. and the parent(s)/guardian(s) actively try to sabotage the MC in the way some parents do IRL. Not from fear, or hate, or resource scarcity and re-allocation, but jealousy. That: I'm gonna ruin your chances and sabotage you. Destroy your equipment or keep you from sleeping before the big exam kind of jealousy. That: 'I didn't have 'x' so you won't either.' 'I never got to 'y' so neither will you.' kind of envy.

I've seen a lot of jealous siblings, lots of jealous rivals, lots of jealous competitors and friends, I've read about step-mothers and fathers; second, third, fourth, fifth husbands and wives etc. being jealous of MC outshining their own offspring, or that their talent will affect succession/status within the family. I've read stories where a child is jealous so a parent will act on their behalf. I've even encountered an alarming amount of guardians/mentors trying to turn MC into a pill/cultivation resource to steal their talent. But I don't know that I've ever read a progression fantasy where our MC's parents acted out of jealouy of their child. Just pure, pathological parental envy. (Wild considering the volume of reincarnated-as-a-baby stories).

I see it often enough in romance, or literery fiction, and I'm genuinely wondering if I've somehow just missed it in ProgFant.

I'm not really asking for recommendations; but if you have read one, I'd be interested to know.

This is going to sound incredibly scumbag-ish, but the best example i can think of is Slave Harem in the Labyrinth of the Other World, to some extent the later arcs of A Soldier's Life and also the Demon Continent arc in Mushoku Tensei(though that one didnt last too long).

If you strip off all the goonbait harem stuff its a very solid story centered around the MC and his party making a living as adventurers by exploring dungeons, answering requests, aquiring rare materials and traveling to sell them, obtaining or crafting better gear to explore the dungeons, and aquiring new party members to balance out the party.

The story has a relatively low power ceiling, and MC's advantages dont allow him to steamrolls everything in his path, so power creep isnt an issue and characters stay relevant through the story. Its slice of life, in the sense that it doesnt have a string of high stake situations occuring on a regular basis, just the steady exploration of the dungeon.

In most stories nowadays that have adventurers will just have the MC completely blow past any 'adventurer guild', become SSS-rank in a week, and have the MC fight country destroying crisis on a daily basis.

N.B. If you are an amateur author or just write for fun, this critique is not about you. The focus of the discussion is on a debate with professional author or those who wish to become professional writers. The subject I am going to address seems to be somewhat controversial here, and I want to bring a different perspective to it. I do not wish to offend any author here, but I would like to share some critiques and tips as a journalist.

It was about a year ago that I discovered this subgenre of fantasy, as I grew up with anime and wanted to read something that more closely resembled the content I followed in my childhood. In recent months, I have noticed two specific topics that always appear and that have a direct relationship.

"A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin; "Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson; "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green; "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden; and "The Nevernight Chronicles" by Jay Kristoff. What all these authors have in common is that they are straight men who wrote straight female characters, and none of these authors had any problem creating a female character in a well-written story. I don't criticize those who enjoy writing queer female characters; that is not the focus I want to bring in any way, but it unsettles me to read when people say they cannot write a straight character.

During a recent discussion here, I came across some opinions about identification with characters, and a phrase often mentioned in the comments section is: "We only write what we live." Something that recurs as an unchangeable truth in many other similar discussions, which is a lie, since the fantasy genre is not real and no one is flying with dragons or controlling lightning with their hands. The phrase that best fits my perception is: "I only write what I read." I sense the existence of a gap, a deficit in literary content. I believe that certain research is lacking because professional authors don't undertake it, and they aren't reading books outside of the LITRPG subgenre or progression fantasy. This, of course, is not limited to straight female characters but includes everything that can escape the usual seen in real life, such as the construction of romantic relationships, the personality of a female character, and mental health.

This leads to my second point: the dangerous way I see some authors treating the mental health of their MC. There is no academic basis for how it is handled; problematic behaviors and red flags that any psychologist would inform about are romanticized. There are many books in which the main character is portrayed as unbalanced and without therapeutic help, such as "American Psycho," but the narrative structure is not romanticized.

Words like depression, BPD, anxiety, bipolarity, and others seem to be thrown into some plots in poorly developed ways, and many young readers seem to accept any negative behavior from these characters because they have a mental illness. So, it is obvious that they can commit heinous acts. This is dangerous, as there is a teenage audience that may follow and normalize things that should not be normalized.

It is perfectly fine not to have knowledge about everything, and we should not have to, and to make certain mistakes in writing. English itself is not my first language, so I may be making some errors throughout the text. However, when you begin to see yourself as a professional in literature, you lose a bit of the glamour of only reading the content you enjoy. It is not an easy thing to do, but believe me, it is very important to read those dull and tedious books because you never know when an original idea might arise after reading the "Twilight Saga" by Stephenie Meyer.

Please help me find a book

Ok, so, the first thing that happens in the book is the main character gets killed by wolves and reincarnated by a bunch of evil gods. Then he wakes up buried alive in a cemetery, and digs himself out before helping a few other people free themselves. The others were reincarnated by good gods. It's a progression fantasy where the characters have a bunch of pillars in their minds that they build to learn magic and spells, and they can also come back to life when they die. Another plot point is they find a dwarf city where the dwarves are turning to stone. The only other thing I remember is that in one of the books the main character gets with an elf, and that the main character can use the power of the evil guy they're trying to kill.

That's all I can remember.

The Impostor — Grimdark / Anti-Hero / Political Intrigue/ long power progession

He's known as a quiet history professor, cataloguing the ruin of fallen empires. But he didn't come to record history — he came to write it himself.

Kings, martyrs, even he himself — all just actors in a script only he controls. As the empire burns by his design, one question remains: who is the man behind the mask?

This starts as a slow-building political mastermind story — think manipulation, orchestration, and a protagonist playing a long game. The power fantasy payoff builds gradually and hits hard once his full plan comes into motion.

Link Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/190269/the-impostor

I just finished book one of Stubborn Skill Grinder - pretty decent! The end started getting a bit anime fight of the day for me, but I'm looking forward to book two.

I want a bit of a break before jumping into that though, so what should I go for next on my existing tbr? I have most of the litrpg and prog fantasy I've read on a tier list I just made, plus the books I have lined up to read...

(also happy to take suggestions to add to my tbr, but I won't be able to purchase anything more for a bit...)

**** also edit to say Stubborn Skill Grinder was meant to be in B tier. Enjoyed the first half much more than the end like I said!

Looking for an MC who is Jorg Ancrath adjacent.

Anything mildly grimdark too.

This was recommended to me and honestly looked completely up my alley. I’m maybe 100k words in and… almost nothing has happened. It’s moving as slowly as the continents drifted apart. The thing is, the story is so large that I’m considering continuing, because I’m assuming that AT SOME POINT things have to start happening.

Can anyone weigh in on if it keeps this pace forever, or at which chapter the story starts progressing (if it does)?

COVER ART BY KIHIRO YUZUKI (柚希きひろ, https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/1752240).

Greetings! After four years of preparation, I have recently released my first story, Cursed Alchemists. It mixes elements from xianxia, shōnen anime and dark medieval fantasy, while deconstructing certain tropes from each genre. Our heroes don’t always win, provoking the young master has consequences, and progression must be earned with many setbacks. Dark themes like abuse and grooming, as well as trauma and recovery are explored, but in a hopeful, non-misery-porn manner. Power progression and healing progression play an equally important role. The prose has been heavily edited; expect a fluid read without bloat.

The story is for you if:

-     You like xianxia and want to see it transplanted into a different setting.

-     You like shōnen anime, especially in the spirit of Naruto.

-     You enjoy seeing character growth, emotional payoff and people making it through a dark time in their lives.

-     You want to see the villains and side characters meaningfully progress with their own arcs.

-     You want a story with young local protagonists (no isekai, no reincarnation).

-     You like to see the characters and the setting established first.

-     You like intense fights with narrow outcomes.

-     You like mysteries with slow reveals.

-     You like healthy slow-burn romance (no harem).

Blurb:

Two souls. One curse.

Eike and Tassila have never met. But they have two things in common: a life they long to escape, and a mysterious symbol on their skin—the Mal. Eike, a peasant, is branded the devil’s child and beaten for it. Tassila, daughter of an impoverished noble, is being rushed into marriage before the Mal devours her like her sister.

However, fate changes when the power of alchemy awakens in them, and with it a dangerous sliver of hope.

When Eike’s and Tassila’s paths cross, neither knows of their common burden, nor whether the other can be trusted. But in the Theudic Empire, where only the mightiest alchemists rule and the weak are swept aside, they must fight as one to survive.

There’s only one path: break the curse, and become the strongest alchemists ever known.

READ ON ROYAL ROAD

I read

Mother of learning

Runesmith

Magic-Smithing

Blacksmith of the apocalypse

Chaotic Craftsman

Trash of the counts family

Mage adam

Warlock of the magus world

Climbing the tower with a time stop ability

Also some that aren't progression fantasy like

Reverend insanity

LOTM

Regressors tale of cultivation

Got dropped in a ghost story

I created scientific magic

I generally don't like incredibly moral mcs but if we'll written I am not against it

I love mage or magic themed worlds but I also want some realism or good world building like mother of learning

And I can't genuinely find anything new to read any suggestions please

Hello! I'm pleased to announce that Incarnation of Sorcery Book 2 is out on Amazon KU today. If you like overpowered protagonists embroiled in all sorts of shenanigans, both academic and otherwise, then you'll have a fun time reading about Ryland's little escapades!

I channelled a lot of my enjoyment as an academic and my appreciation of OP MCs here, and I'm super proud of how the story turned out. One of my favourite moments is a historically infamous exam where hundreds of students in one hall are allowed to use any and all magic to get the right answers, if they can find a way past the MC, Ryland.

Again, to celebrate, I've put Book 1 up for sale! Links and blurb (for book 1) are below:

Link to Book 1

Link to Book 2

Blurb:

The world needed him to win a cosmic war. Even if it shattered his body into a thousand, calamitous pieces in the process.

Marionys Ryland was the most devastating product of the Realmbreaker Wars. He conquered dozens of Realms, invented interstellar travel, and transcended mere spells to manipulate the very language of magic as an Incarnation.

But it came at a cost. Ryland's body shattered, unleashing Calamities ravaging the cosmos. His nails create parasitic dungeons, his blood turns into cataclysmic floods, and the rest of him invites the attention of liches, archdragons, and the cosmos's cruelest mages.

So, Ryland casts off all his old burdens. Instead, he now takes his time to find and prevent the pieces of himself from destroying worlds.

The search takes him to his old academy, where students marvel at his teachings and professors are dumbfounded by his prowess. The passage of time has made people forget him, but his power draws the notice of a nation, of gods and mortal mages alike. Ministers are politicking, oracles are prophesying, and cults are rising, all with their focus on Ryland.

They think they can deal with him, but they all know - one misstep, and they'll have to face a sorcerer who's more apocalypse than man.

COVER ARTIST: Kira L Nguyen

AI USAGE: None

English isn't my native language. I used to write and post my stories within my local home community, but because the genre/style I write didn't quite fit the local market, I decided to transition to international platforms like Royal Road.

Since then, I’ve been using AI and translation tools strictly as assistance for translating and grammar editing, while ensuring the entire plot, worldbuilding, and emotional beats remain 100% my own creation.

As readers in this genre, how do you feel about non-native authors using these tools to bridge the language gap? As long as the plot and pacing are solid, does the translated prose bother you? I’d love to hear your honest thoughts!

Oh boy! It's that time of year! I get to give you all another book!

Last Lord of the Fey: Burgeoning is Book 2 of my Progression Fantasy series. It follows the continuing adventure of Tristan Winterbloom as he travels across the kingdom to the south of his homeland, goes across the seas, tracks down his half-brother who abandoned the family, and build out the Fey Realm.

That's really the focus of this book: Tristan's growth into a proper Elvish Lord. Book 1 was mostly about setting up the basics (the magic, the larger plot, the characters). Book 2 is where the kingdom building elements really get going, as Tristan is going to be unlocking new sections of the Fey Realm and integrating the creatures within (which carries its own level of politics).

The magic system gets deeper as Tristan gains access to new Orders of spells, he starts to learn how to use new weaponry in his arsenal (hammer time), and will even get into some larger scale conflicts.

The story has been polished up and all of the fixes have been made. I spent over 80 hours going over my editor's notes, and making revisions / rewrites. The book is better than ever, and if you haven't read Book 1, well, it's available to read, too!

Links to the places you can read / purchase will be in the Comments below!

Cover Artist: Kart Studios

AI USAGE: None at all.

Voice Actor: Brian Troxell

Blurb:

Tristan Winterbloom, the last of his Elvish bloodline, was forced to flee the Kingdom of Bhant after he was blamed for the deaths of his mother and the household servants. Before his grandfather succumbed to poison, he charged Tristan with a mission: find his half brother, Bertram, and bring him back home.

Tristan must travel south to the Sapphire Coast, a region ruled by mercantilism and filled with danger, thanks to the actions of a powerful archon. Tristan’s travels will see him battle demonic creatures, delve into a Lost Realm, start a merchant fleet, sail across the seas to participate in a civil war, parley with pirates, and face off against the assassins hunting him down.

Along the way, he will have to manage the Fey Realm’s inhabitants, lift the seals locking portions of the realm away, and reintegrate the species kept apart for millennia. He will come into his own as the ruler of the Fey Realm, and begin to build the foundation of his burgeoning domain.

I'm getting tired of cookie-cutter power systems, where everyone falls into neat little categories with their powers. Give me some novels where everyone has a unique power, like in Bastion or Path of Ascension.

Edit: I've read: Legend of William Oh (loved it), Weirkey Chronicles (Dnfed book 4-5), Worm (loved it), Wandering Inn (DNF book 2), Shadow Slave (DNF'd, slave thing icky), Perfect Run (loved it), Super Supportive, Broker.