I’ve been deeply immersed in the LitRPG genre for years now, but the series that got me into these types of books in the first place was He Who Fights With Monsters. Travis Deverell (AKA Shirtaloon) has created a wonderfully fast-paced adventure with incredible dialogue, refreshing characters, and an exciting magical world to explore. It’s everything I love about popcorn fantasy all wrapped up into a single series.
There are currently twelve books in the series, all of which are available to read with a Kindle subscription. As of right now, the Kindle versions of the books are the only way to read them. But that’s all going to change starting next month now that He Who Fights With Monsters is officially getting the hardcover treatment.
He Who Fights With Monsters Hardcover Edition Exclusive Preorder
The first hardcover edition is getting a split release. Barnes & Noble is launching the book exclusively through its stores starting on May 5. That exclusivity lasts until July 6 and then other online book retailers (like Amazon) will be able to start distributing copies.
You can preorder the book at Barnes & Noble right now for $30, which is currently the best price available. Amazon also has preorders live for a bit more, but with a preorder price guarantee attached.
According to the official He Who Fights With Monsters website, the new hardcover edition will include an exclusive bonus story called: When Farah Met Gary.
What is the book about?
He Who Fights With Monsters is a series about cosmic destiny, godlike magical powers, and heroic interdimensional travel. But as Jason would say, it’s really more about the friends we make along the way. The story is centered around Jason Asano, a Japanese-Australian bloke who is suddenly sucked into a magical alternate universe and handed very obviously evil powers. This new world Jason finds himself in has gods, loot, and a political structure centered around the power of essences. Oh and there are a ton of monsters of course, which pretty much always need to be fought with or monologued near.
The video game elements that make this a LitRPG series are fairly subtle, with most of the story focusing on character development and world building. If you like the Dungeon Crawler Carl books or The Wandering Inn, you’re likely going to love what this series has to offer.
Book 2 and 3 Hardcovers Up for Preorder
In addition to the first book, the second and third entries in the series are also up for preorder at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Neither of these books have the Barnes & Noble exclusivity and are coming out in September and October this year. The rest of the series will presumably get the hardcover treatment as well, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor’s degree in communication and 10 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics — from TV series to books and the latest Pokémon games.
