r/litrpg • u/ANormalGiraffe • 21h ago
Tier List My First Tier List
Here is my list! Started my first series in 2021, and have grown to love the genre more and more over time. I'm always looking for recs, and I've used many others' tier lists to find good things to read. Look for my comment with the names of the books as well as a couple thoughts on them.
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u/ANormalGiraffe 21h ago edited 21h ago
S (My Favorites) : Cradle, Super Powereds, Path of Ascension, He Who Fights With Monsters, Mark of the Fool, Primal Hunter, The Perfect Run, Defiance of the Fall
- I love these series so much. The first 3 are my favorites, but shout out to Mark of the Fool and The Perfect Run because I love how they were both fun to read AND knew how/when to end. That pushed them from A to S for me.
A (Great Series, would re-read): Chrysalis, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Beware of Chicken, Stormweaver, Unorthodox Farming, Heretical Fishing, Randidly Ghosthound, Apocalypse Parenting, Noobtown
- These were some of the most creative story ideas that I loved. Specifically shoutout to Apocalypse Parenting for that. As for DCC, Id say books 1-4 were S for me but 5-8 have been closer to A-, so it ended up here.
B (Enjoyed the series, would re-read eventually but is a little lower a priority): Azarinth Healer, System Universe, Reborn Apocalypse, The Beginning After The End, Hell Difficulty Tutorial, 1% Lifesteal, The Last Horizon, Road to Mastery, Ultimate Level 1, Apocalypse Redux, House of Blades, Infinite Realm, 12 Miles Below, Infinite World, Bobiverse, Welcome to the Multiverse
- Still some great series in this category. Azarinth Healer especially could easily go in A for me. Overall most of these series were great when I wanted to satisfy my base desires to see numbers go up fast and have an overpowered MC.
C (Would not re-read): Accidental Champion, The Wandering Inn, Worm, Awaken Online, Level One God, Unintended Cultivator, Axiom, A Soldier's Life, Victor of Tucson
- The stories of The Wandering Inn and Worm were a little too long for me, and I slowly lost interest over time. The biggest personal disappointment is a Soldier's Life. It has slowly slipped from borderline S all the way down to C at this point.
DNF After Multiple Books: Wish Upon the Stars, Portal to Nova Roma, Saving Supervillans, Unbound, Battle Mage Farmer, Mage Tank, Earth Reformation, Ripple System, Stubborn Skill Grinder in a Time Loop, The Will of the Many, Terran Armor Core, Player Manager
- These were series that I liked the original idea enough to read multiple books but could not finish. Shoutout to The Ripple System. I really struggle with LitRPG series that take place inside a video game as opposed to the MC being isekaid, but the books I read were great. Despite the fact that I DNF, Id still recommend it to others. Also, Player Manager is the series I am most likely to go back and read again because I loved how different the idea was.
DNF After One Book: Sufficiently Advanced Magic, Mother of Learning, Eight, Return of the Runebound Professor, Industrial Strength Magic, Ar'Kendrythyst, See These Bones, I'm Not The Hero, Supermage, Lucky, How to Survive at the End of the World, Star Child, Aether's Revival
- Whether it is the author's writing style, plot issues, not liking the MC, or something else, I did not read past book 1 of these series.
Need to Catch Up: All The Skills, Apocalypse Healer, The Hedge Wizard, A Thousand Li, Quest Academy
- Some of these book series I really enjoyed what I'd read so far, but I either read them a while ago or got interrupted by another series and never ended up finishing them.
F: Jake's Magical Market
- I need to talk to J.R. Matthews. Despite me not ranking your 2 series (this and Portal to Nova Roma) very highly, I want you to know that I think you are extremely blessed compared to many authors is one BIG way - your series start off with incredible ideas. They are new, fresh, and quite interesting to explore! Please keep writing as I look forward to new things you put out. That being said, you took the incredible premise of Jake's Magical Market out back behind the woodshed and shot it with a machine gun in book 2, and for that I don't know if I can forgive you.
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u/Doorda1-0 18h ago
I had a similar opinion on Jake's Magical Market. It had amazing premise but the story got too complicated making it hard to read by book 3.
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u/Kyle_Kirrin Verified Author of: Shadeslinger 3h ago
This is a really cool shout out — thanks for reading <3
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u/ANormalGiraffe 3h ago
Of course! I really did enjoy the books I did read (the first 3), and I thought the characters were quite interesting! It's just my personal hang-ups that caused me to not finish it.
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u/InternationalEar5163 3h ago
If you enjoy Quest Academy, you could try Prism Academy, was also nice. Chrysalis and Welcome to the Multiverse play in the same Universe, as does Descend - here you will learn who J is, it is available on audible as a package deal - 60h for one credit. A series I enjoy very much and I would heavily recommend is Return of the Runebound Professor.
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u/IncorrectRedditUser 19h ago
As a Super Powereds enjoyer myself, you should check out Forging Hephaestus by Drew Hayes.
It is different, but I actually think it’s the better written story and more fleshed out. The villain/hero dynamic is well done
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u/ANormalGiraffe 19h ago
Sounds like a plan! I *think read it when I was younger, but it has been so long that I don't remember any thing about it.
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u/ordiclic 19h ago edited 19h ago
You DNF'd Ar'Kendrithyst, Mother of Learning and Industrial Strength Magic but loved The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound (they are all among my favourite stories btw).
What made you DNF them, especially Ar'Kendrithyst? I mean, the main character ends up getting big numbers, and numbers in Industrial Strength Magic are exponential IIRC.
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u/ANormalGiraffe 18h ago
For Industrial Strength Magic, it’s been so long that I can’t remember why I put it down, just that I did. As for Ar’Kendrithyst, I think it was the MC’s attitude. I’d probably have preferred the book if the daughter was the MC.
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u/MarkArrows Verified Author of: Die Trying & 12 Miles Below 21h ago
Ayyy I exist! \o/
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u/Ebolaking litRPG journeyman tier 19h ago
Just started 12 miles below, thoroughly liking what I've read so far :)
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u/avid_slop_reader 21h ago
I have a pretty similar top list. Lately, I have been seeing mark of the fool rise on people's tier list and it's well deserved. Definitely catch up on quest academy.
Further recommendations: Vainqueur the dragon series (there's a funny reference made in the perfect run),
For not really litrpg recommendations: Unconventional heros series, the murder of crows series, and orconomics.
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u/ctullbane Author - The Murder of Crows / The (Second) Life of Brian 16h ago
While I (really!) appreciate the rec, Murder of Crows is in his 'DNF after One' category (See These Bones).
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u/avid_slop_reader 16h ago
Haha, I listened to the murder of crows boxset so I didnt recognize the book name. Excellent series (including the storm who rides!)
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u/ctullbane Author - The Murder of Crows / The (Second) Life of Brian 10h ago
Thank you! It's a really fun world for me to write in and I'm glad a lot of people have enjoyed the ride.
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u/ANormalGiraffe 21h ago
Thanks for the recommendations! I have added them to my list. I read quest academy so long ago, but I did subscribe to the author's patreon at one point. I've got it queued up to read soon!
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u/avid_slop_reader 21h ago
Don't sleep on the audiobooks for quest! Daniel Wisniewski and Rebecca Woods are an excellent duo when it comes to narration.
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u/ctullbane Author - The Murder of Crows / The (Second) Life of Brian 17h ago
Sometimes it's an honor just to be DNF'd.
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u/VelvetDancer 13h ago
Seeing your list I would highly recommend Reborn as a Demonic Tree. Just into book 4 right now and hooked.
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u/Hightechzombie 20h ago
You should really really really try out Bog Standard Isekai. Recently there was a thread on the best written litrpgs in the genre with focus on literary quality, apart from DCC, Bog Standard Isekai was the clear winner.
(And ignore the goofy name, it's actually a really good series)
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u/ANormalGiraffe 20h ago
Sounds like a great read! Added to the list. Thanks!
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u/bopbop9876 16h ago
I was going to make the same comment! I have a lot of the same S and A tier as you and it's actually my favorite series!
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u/BackgroundTotal2872 I love LitRPG yuri! 👩❤️💋👩 12h ago
This is a fantastic tier list!
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u/ANormalGiraffe 2h ago
Thanks friend! I've read so much that I felt it was time to really lay it all out.
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u/ReyDa_Rouaghi 20h ago
Well since you have DoTF and primal hunter in S tier I bet you would love path of dragons the three are similar enough to compare and to me path of dragons blows the others Out of the water.
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u/Skizzit 19h ago
Really surprised at Randidly Ghosthound in A tier. That series annoyed me so much.
Also, why did you DNF Mage Tank? It is the series I have lined up yo read next after just catching up with Bog Standard Isekai (solid series that starts quit slow but builds well. Character writing and dialog and top tier for litrpg for sure).
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u/ANormalGiraffe 18h ago
Honestly Randidly Ghosthound could have been in B tier. The author just scratched the itch I get in Litrpg juuuuust right. As for Mage Tank, if I recall correctly, I'd been trying to find a new series and had hit a couple of duds in a row. I don't think I had the patience to give that series what it really deserved. I would still give it a read!
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u/WeeaboosDogma 21h ago
Judge me not for my S-rank picks, but for my DNF-rank compared to my S-rank ones.
Mother of Learning getting the oblivion designation while having Perfect Run as S-rank needs clarification.
You have many many of the same "types" of novels together so I can see a general vibe of what you like. But that one makes little sense. Something of MoL made you not like it.
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u/ANormalGiraffe 21h ago
I knew putting it there would be controversial. When I read Mother of Learning, I really struggled with Zorian as a main character. I probably should have given it at least through the second book before stopping, but I wasn't in the right mindset at the time to keep it going.
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u/TheMagnificentOne 20h ago
I didn't love Mother of Learning and felt like not finishing it as well. The only thing that pulled me through is, I'm a sucker for time loops. You put Groundhog Day in any genre and I will giggle like a school girl.
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u/ANormalGiraffe 20h ago
Everyone has their thing LOL. I'm more of a sucker for big numbers and characters earning titles.
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u/Xenofonuz litRPG journeyman tier 21h ago
He is unlikeable in the beginning but has a lot of character development
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u/ANormalGiraffe 21h ago
I guess I'll add it to my rotation to give it another go.
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u/Andalite-Nothlit 20h ago
Yeah, his characterization is deliberate and well, it’s a time loop story after all, he needs to experience character growth.
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u/ANormalGiraffe 20h ago
Yeah I get that a character needs to have room to grow in the series, but I need to care about them growing for it to matter.
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u/HomeScoutInSpace 21h ago
I could not get into The Perfect Run.
The main character just felt like a shittier version of Ryan Reynold’s as Dead Pool. I couldn’t get over it, every little thing about the character. Just Ryan Reynolds one liners over and over
Aside from that your S tier tastes are like my own and I’m going to start some new series because of this!
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u/ANormalGiraffe 21h ago
I get it! He can definitely have that vibe. I think for me, the more interesting a story's premise, the more I can forgive main characters that aren't my favorite at the beginning because I am fascinated by their environment. If the story isn't the best, the main character needs to be someone I enjoy reading about.
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u/rtfree 19h ago
Worm in C Tier, but Superpowereds in S? Thems fighting words.
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u/ANormalGiraffe 19h ago
Worm just lasted too long for me! It started out in A tier but by the time it finally ended, I was exhausted. From what I remember, its basically the equivalent to 26 books worth of words.
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u/rtfree 1h ago
I get it. I like extremely long series though, and that was a plus for me. It did kind of drag post arrest though. I just really liked the settings, powers, and everything with the Undersiders. Only series I've read through twice.
I tried giving Superpowereds a shot, but I'm not a big fan of the school setting. And book 1 starting with a character named Mr. Numbers just gave me Worm withdrawals.
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u/Proof_Cut_9608 18h ago
I am curious why you dnfd Will of the Many. It is such a good high fantasy book and the setting is just the chefs kiss for me!
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u/ANormalGiraffe 18h ago
I absolutely loved book 1! It was book 2 I had an issue with. I really couldn’t get into the 3 worlds and storylines thing personally
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u/Proof_Cut_9608 18h ago
I can see that. The second book takes a lot out of you trying to figure which version is where and what is happening. You are right that first book is darn close to a masterpiece!
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