Kaffe · a free reading list
Books like Cradle
Progression fantasy: training, tournaments and steady power growth.
Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe
A student climbs magical towers to earn powers. Clever systems and puzzles.
Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaić
A student mage relives the same month over and over, getting stronger each loop.
+ A planned-to-the-end time-loop story where every gain is earned and the ending pays off years of setup.
− The prose is plain and functional, the romance is weak and the side cast is thin. (summed up from Best LitRPG)Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes
Students learning to control superpowers at a hero academy. Friendship and training.
+ A fun superhero-university premise, like Harry Potter meets Marvel, with great characters, creative powers and a driving mystery.
− Lots of college dorm, party and dating material, and the villains are not very interesting. (summed up from Yevgeniy Brikman)The Wandering Inn by pirateaba
A woman runs an inn in a game-like world. Huge, cozy and epic in turns.
+ Massive, emotional, funny and heartfelt, unfolding its world through many points of view.
− It reads like a first draft, and the overarching plot moves very slowly. (summed up from Wikipedia (reception))Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Levelling up in an alien game show. Funnier and more chaotic than Cradle.
+ A wild, funny, action-packed ride with heart that never gets boring; the audiobook narration wins praise.
− One reviewer found some jokes miss and the story repetitive. (summed up from Wikipedia (reception))
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