Having read a number of light novels, we figured we would share a few that stuck out for us, and why that was the case. If you are interested in querying us with an OELN (Original English Light Novel) then this is probably the best cheat code you could have...
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: A simple story about an adventurer who gets killed by a dragon while at a low level and is brought back as a skeleton. From then on, it's him trying to regain his humanity and ability to live among human beings. The way the dungeons are worked out is really neat, as is the guild system. Very much a LitRPG.
How Not To Summon A Demon Lord: Humour is often hard to do, and this novel captures it perfectly. Containing a fair amount of lewd humour, it is just enough not to ruin the novel. The characters are actually interesting, and even though the protagonist (this is an isekai novel btw), though overpowered, is hard not to love because of his inexperience and introvert manners.
That Time I got Reincarnated As A Slime: Another isekai novel, this one takes a lot of LitRPG tropes and and places a lot of humour on them. This blends into a wonderful story with likable characters, even if the protagonist is (like all isekai) over the top with their power levels. One neat point was even though the protagonist is surrounded by attractive women and men, as a slime he no longer feels lust, so he recognizes their attractiveness, but doesn't feel the need to do anything about it.
Konosuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World!: Another light novel filled with humour. An isekai that doesn't take itself very seriously, this novel series makes the reader laugh over and over. Each party member is quirky in their own right, and that helps to bring them all together in another LitRPG. The battles are crazy, and they show a good idea of what guilds would have to do for collateral damage.
Overlord: Yet another isekai novel, this one puts the protagonist in the roll of the bad guy. What is interesting about this is that the player's own personality is subdued by the fact that he is undead, and that he is doing everything to preserve the guild he built with his friends (who aren't in this alternative world with him). Unfortunately, because of this, he takes a lot of things from the viewpoint of the undead, and thus there are some brutal moments in this series. One thing of note is the simplistic titles for the books, and the completely different style of art.
Bluesteel Blasphemer: What if the protagonist in a fantasy novel had guns? That is the premise of this light novel and one that works really well. The action is intense and the characters are interesting. The concept of gods living among the people and controlling their lives and bringing about good crops despite being nothing more than uplifted animals is pretty crazy. The only thing that didn't work well in this series' favour was the deus ex machina ending of the first book. It would have been far better had the protagonist worked things out using his own cunning and abilities rather than a super power...
Grimgar Of Fantasy And Ash: Lawst, but not certainly least, this isekai novel series is amazing. It handles a lot that LitRPGs don't, like player deaths and the grief that follows it. It also brings forth just how brutal a fantasy world would be, as even a lowly goblin would be fighting for its life, and thus would fight with everything against party members just to stay alive. When every battle means you could die, just how far are you willing to push yourself into new areas and to fight new monsters?
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