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I’ve been reading almost exclusively LitRPG books for years now. It’s a genre that leans heavily into fantasy while appealing to the side of me that loves diving deep into the mechanics of a chunky RPG. Having characters that level up as the series goes on is the kind of simple, yet addictive story development that really just hits the spot for me. I just can’t get enough.
With Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series bringing LitRPG to mainstream media in 2026, I feel it’s my duty to point out that there are other good books out there with similar elements. If you’re looking for another well-written story with very likable characters who grow in power, I highly recommend checking out Will Wight’s Cradle series.
Unsouled (Cradle Series)
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It’s worth noting that the Cradle series is not LitRPG, It’s actually considered to be part of the similarly popular progression fantasy genre. While the main character does slowly cultivate power and “level up” to higher ranks as the story goes on, it doesn’t include the same video game mechanics that a modern LitRPG has. It’s this distinction that drew me into the story in the first place, as it ditches the need for some sort of portal or AI takeover to explain the mechanics and skills introduced. Instead, you get an already fully-developed fantasy world that gradually reveals itself through the main character’s struggles.
The story itself follows a young man named Wei Shi Lindon. Born into a small village where spiritual martial arts rule, Lindon is what his people call an “Unsouled” due to his complete lack of spiritual power. When catastrophic cosmic events befall his village, Lindon is given a second chance and a vision of a potential path forward that could help him save everyone he loves. Driven by this opportunity and the changing of fate, he embarks on a quest for power that takes him beyond his village and into a world filled with god-like enemies. Armed with only intense purpose and clever resourcefulness, his only option is to grow stronger or die.
At it’s heart, the Cradle series is the ultimate underdog story. The main character starts at the absolute lowest level of power and climbs the ladder to the higher ranks of the Sacred Arts. There’s an ultimate goal set in book one as well as cosmic-level stakes that tie into the ground-level story over time. It’s essentially an anime series in book form and you get epic training arcs, intense action, and massive leaps in power as the series goes on. If you like shows like Dragon Ball Z or Solo Leveling for similar reasons, you’re absolutely going to love Cradle.
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.
