He Who Fights with Monsters 11

He Who Fights with Monsters #11

by Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell

Book 11 in the bestselling He Who Fights With Monsters Series is here. Grab your copy today!

About the Experience an isekai culture clash as a laid-back Australian finds himself in a very serious world. See him gain suspiciously evil powers through a unique progression system combining cultivation and traditional LitRPG elements. Enjoy a weak-to-strong story with a main character who earns his power without overshadowing everyone around him, with plenty of loot, adventurers, gods and magic. Rich characters and world-building offer humor, political intrigue and slice-of-life elements alongside lots of monster fighting and adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure, Science Fiction

766 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2024

Reviews

[Aidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get on With it! 🤣🤣
Can we please finish this saga? It's amazing but I need closure

[Eyad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The transformation zones dragged on and got a bit boring after a while. I enjoyed the last third way more, after the events in the transformation zone.

[Alesay · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 15%. I have a love-hate relationship with this series. While I wasn't planning on dropping this book, I'm in a bit of a reading slump, and this book isn't helping. I'll pick it back up another time.

[David Brideson · Rating 1 out of 5]

At some point I had to ask myself if I was enjoying reading. The answer was no. Self-deprecated Jason returns... wait he's been around since, what book 5? On top of this, can this still be called litRPG? in the last book we saw no essence gains except Gary who drank from a cup and became demi god... but that isn't really what litrpg is about is it? Where are the gains we see every few chapters, nowhere that's where.

So the Author decides he's going to change style to a multi-character lead. And what does it do other than draw on the exhaustive arc? absolutely nothing, it doesn't make me feel like I understand his party more than I already do. there's no real gain other than adding chapters.

I miss smart Jason, who used his wits and knowledge to complete tasks and adventures. Who teased royals and played petty games. Sadly, this is likely the last read I'll do on this series. Sad to see writing for the sake of writing.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointing book

The author warns at the beginning that the book was split into two parts. The first part being the main storyline and the second part being a collection of epilogues. The way this book was written seemed to greatly downplay a beautiful moment the author created that caused massive crying on my part; I was offended on behalf of this character.

The problem is that part of the storyline epilogue would have been seamlessly fitted into the main story. The rest of the part two was a series of short stories that did NOT push the storyline forward; it felt like a bunch of ideas the author always wanted to share but couldn't find a place to put them.

And the way the book ended did NOT make sense to the actual story.

Good luck. I truly hope you like it better than I did.

[Sensei_cor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanta que después de 11 libros de un tamaño que cada uno de ellos equivale a 2 o 3 libros normales sigas queriendo más.
Una pasada, un enganche. Además cada X libros cambia la ambientación y hay un nuevo arco por debajo del principal para que sigas teniendo la atención.

Una maravilla. No tengo duda de que si no fuera por ciertos prejuicios sobre el género y con un poco de publicidad, esta saga tendría seguidores haciendo teorías al mismo nivel que Canción de hielo y Fuego.

En fin, que si el idioma no te frena y quieres meterte en una serie que te siga sorprendiendo a pesar de la cantidad ingente de páginas y sin pizca de aburrimiento, anímate con esta saga o con Dungeon Crawler Carl , no te vas a arrepentir.

[Russell Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like we should all know what we're here for at this point. We've seen the ups and downs of this series. I'll admit that I felt some serious doubts for the first few chapters. The page count was close to 1,000 and the prose was already very fluffy and redundant. Luckily, the story won me over after a bit. That, and I'm pretty good at skim-reading.

Looking back on the entirety of the series, this was one of the stronger books, even though it was a bit messy. Despite bouncing all over the place, the plot and character arcs moved at a good pace through this volume. So despite most of it taking place in a single transformation zone following a formula we've seen multiple times, there were a lot of developments that kept things moving. That and skim-reading.

The last 20-25% of the book is basically a series of time skips and montages that lead into the events of the next volume. I generally have a mixed reaction to side stories and overly drawn-out epilogues, but I didn't feel impatient while reading through these.

Maybe it's the grace given to a long series after so many volumes, but the bantering dialogues felt like they actually contributed to the progression in this book, whereas in previous ones, they felt like time-waster scenes sometimes.

I somewhat hope this series ends soon because I feel like the power curve is getting out of hand with Jason to allow for any meaningful stakes beyond one or maybe two additional volumes.

[William Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Team Biscuit FTW

Jason isn’t funny anymore. Now it’s Stash, Neil, Clive,…and Clive’s wife…cracking the jokes and confusing everyone.

Now the wait for 12.

[Koffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an amazing continuation of one of the best LITRPG books to ever be written. This was an amazing experience and so worth the wait. I really can't say it enough but this is such an amazing series. I loved how much everything has been building towards this, and the execution of the world building in this book really rose to another level.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm... where to start... I've rewritten this about a dozen times because I'm so torn.

The bad:

Chapters 1 to 69 (hehe) were dog shite 1 /5...

Let's start with the point.

The first 3 books nail, "Jason explores the universe."

For Book 4 and on, its more of, "Jason conquers the universe."

This book nails the theme of Jason continuing to conquer... but... I know it's the natural progression the author has to go, but I just find it boring. I want to find out what happens to the characters, but I don't care about the story and what is going on because of where they are. I want to know if he reaches diamond rank or beyond, because that's what was teased from the beginning. The adventure of progressing from iron to diamond, and maybe beyond!

The author also commits two of the biggest cardinal sins of lit rgs's... 

1. He pulled an Aleron Kong, And sent the main character to a 'cave' nobody gives a shit about,  Separating the main character from the world that we want to see more of. Pocket dimensions are cool, but not for a whole book / half a book.

2. Starts talking about time travel. Wtf, this is not a time travel series. GTFO, this is an adventure series. One thing at a time, please. Progression, world building, cultivation, power play... you have a lot going, don't throw time travel into this...

And lots of filler bullshit...

The first half of the book is about bullshit no one cares about (imo). I want to see the world, Pallimustus... not a pocket dimension. I don't even want to see earth... I want the crazy world from the first three books with wild adventure and danger.

There are not a lot of reasons to care
About Jason's progression because it is either so slow or boring. Which is the whole reason why people love this series, To watch him grow an overcome challenges. Yes he is growing, but he is almost horizontally progressing.

I would rather have a TLDR that's 10 minutes long / spark notes of how the story ends than continue reading... but I don't have that option. I want to know if he reaches diamond, what happens to his friendsnds and the world,, but I'm being held as gun point by more and more books. This book literally starts by the author explaining there will be another book...

The good:

Butt,
Chapter 69 (hehe) and on was 5/5 amazing... the entire book should have been like chapters 69+

I want to read about Jason's adventure... not him creating other dimension and pocket worlds that he controls... I just don't care because there is no reason for me to. I don't feel compelled to care because I don't see the progress like I did when he was leveling up. Is there progress, yes...  do we get to see it, no. There are two points in the book when we are shown how much stronger he has gotten... and oh my, I almost crapped my pants because it was so cool.

The whole second part of the book was perfect and just what I was looking for. It culminated the entire 11 books and made use of relationships that span the entire series.

But not cool enough for an entire book... I want to be shown, the impact of his progress. Not be told about it. There is a different between showing and telling.

Butt!!! Chapters 69 (hehe) plus or, part 2, was so good that it saved the book! It was so so so good. Butt, I have a feeling most people won't make it through part 1 and will just call it a day when the endless shite that is part one.

The book ends very cleanly with a satisfying transformation that we have been waiting for that was worth it... not perfect, but good... with a good, sizable cliffhanger that will make us want another book. Which is why I am willing to give this book a 4 out of 5 and not a three.

TLDR: part 2 and on, saved the book, and honestly should have been the entire book with part one being cut out as filler given to us as a short summary. 4 /5

[Tony Hinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was too much time spent in pseudo-therapy for my taste. It felt like a farewell letter written to each of the major characters.

As to the ending of the Sundered-throne arc – it was unexplained. When did Jason learn to fix the throne? When did he get his hands on it? Oh, and to distract the uber-gods he showcased an ability he seemed to pull out of his arse. Deux Ex Machina much?

It looks like the next book will be the last in the series. I'm glad the series is ending but not in a nasty way. I'm looking forward to Jason's return to Earth and all that entails.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This wasn't my favorite book in the series. In the second half, it seemed like the author was rushing through a lot of years with only highpoints on separate events. Truthfully, I would have been happier with just a time jump to the end of his ascension, and perhaps the other characters could have reflected upon their years later. However, I still enjoyed the book and will be unhappy waiting for the next book to be released.

[TeKiela Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and I’m obsessed! The voices make this story all the more real and fucking hilarious for us Aussies 😂 alright spoilers ahead as these are just my thoughts and feelings in no particular order.

1. NEIL IS MY FAVOURITE AND DESERVES ALL THE HUGS AND SANDWICHES. I cackled so many times with his dialogue and antics especially towards Jason. Those two are the kind of chaotic crazy I love to see!! He definitely deserves better than Cas and should be more appreciated by everyone in general.
2. Colin is a good boy.
3. Stash is a sweetheart and my second favourite character in this series. To see his development, particularly in part 2, brought me so much joy and his particular brand of chaos was hilarious to read.
4. Humphrey and Sophie are a great couple and Sophie’s character development through the series is well developed
5. Belinda is a good team player but I don’t particularly like her character solo… Jory deserves better and I hope we get to see him at some point in a future book cause I love him. I definitely didn’t picture Belinda and Estella together but whatever , I’m keen to see what happens with these two.
6. Clive always has been and always will be the best character in regards to power and all round awesomeness. His ability to use knowledge and skill to battle is insane and I’m so excited to see what he’s able to do once he reaches gold. Plus Onslow is a boss familiar.
7. Farrah was her usual amazing self and I love who she is as a person. The ability to connect with people is a strong characteristic to have and the ability to steer people onto the right path is truly amazing… especially with Jason
8. I’m keen to see how Rufus develops as a character post-Gary’s death and as a mentor towards the new generation of Earth essence-users
9. Gary, obvs being a Demi-god through most of the book, didn’t get as much on paper time as I would like in part 1. Part 2 had me bawling my eyes out through every single one of his chapters. EVERY. DAMN. ONE.
10. Jason was Jason… I think in these later books, it’s getting harder and harder to develop a character who’s already as well developed as Jason. There’s only so much trauma someone can go through and character reflection and development that can come from that. In saying that, the final battle scene between Jason and the great Astral beings was clever and not what I had predicted. The continuous guessing of his next move is one of my favourite things about Jason.
11. I’m very excited to see how Shade levels up now that they’re at Gold rank and he’s become an avatar for Jason
12. Gordon is a god tier familiar and how he evolves is gonna be insane
13. Danielle Geller taking a shot with Jason after years of not seeing each other, cause Gwydion referenced ‘my family runs a school’, had me laughing so hard I almost ran off the road 😂 she is a legend and a great role model and mother for team Biscuit
14. I think the most under appreciated character (aside from Neil) is Arabelle Remore and she deserves a damn medal for all the hard work she has put into keeping those adventurers sane.
15. I don’t have any particular thoughts on Emmy except I’m excited to see how she develops. It’s a little frustrating that she’s already silver rank but being that Rufus changed the rules so that people can’t form teams or do non-supervised missions until silver rank, this makes sense. It’s frustrating that she keeps getting referred to as this magical genius but it’s never actually put into practice anywhere atm
16. Nic and Arbor are interesting additions and I’m keen to see what happens with these two in the future books
17. I miss Dawn.

Okay that’s it I think… soz for the long rant but oh well 🫶🏽

[Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll probably come back to do a more in depth review, I just finished. I'm pretty sure Shirt made me feel almost every human emotion in the last seven hours of this book. I've cried so hard my throat and head hurt, I feel wrung out, and the last line of the last chapter had me yelling out loud. This was the most intense book I've read in a while. ∞/5 Stars - Highly recommend

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another fantastic installment of the series. If you liked the previous book and don't mind your heroes going above and beyond the gods themselves then this is the series for you. That and heroes who complain constantly about authority while being the strongest beings in the universe. Because Jason still does that. A lot.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the setting.

I loved the affliction specialist, witty, underdog Jason.

I hate the petty tyrant, aura master, stare off into the distance, sad boy Jason.

Also, feels like the whole cast slowly becoming copies of Jason’s personality. Don’t care for it.

[Benjamin Sigman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay is he like actually god now? Nice.

[GiGi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a doozy. It was an emotional journey across many story beats and plot points with impactful deaths, (re)births, battles and schemes. Surprisingly quite some philosophizing too. Was this perfect from cover to cover? Absolutely not. But it did well in many areas and took rather novel approaches and liberties.

I love the choice of splitting this book into 2 parts and explaining this choice before starting the book proper. It also helps the reader place this book into the larger whole. We know that book 11 is the end of a major story arc and that it gives an idea of what comes hereafter. Knowing that Shirtaloon is slowly recovering from illness and unable to dedicate himself to writing, I believe it prudent to stop here and await future sequels to have a more satisfactory reading experience of the next arc. Book 12 may be out, but I'll try to resist temptation since I don't want to marinate in the uncertainty of a cliffhanger.

Part 2 shows scenes that happened around the end of the final showdown and in the years thereafter. It felt like a nice, natural progression and not a disjointed summary of a time jump. This was the best execution and usage of a multi-chapter "epilogue" I've ever read. It takes place between major arcs but isn't filler; on the contrary, it gives us important information we previously had no means to. Calling it an interlude is a disservice, but it's not a summary either. Maybe Shirtaloon would like to give this literary device a name.

Ending book 11 of a series with "Welcome to the System" is illegal 😤😫

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

He Who Fights With Monsters 11 is a nice return to form, but it has a couple of things that stick out a little. There remains a lot of Jason-linked obsessiveness, including a chapter related to Cassandra that seemed to exist only to reinforce the point. Overall though, there's quite a lot to like, especially about the character dynamics. For those thinking there will be follow up with the Goddesses of Knowledge or Death, you won't find them in the book. Maybe future iterations will touch on the topic. The arc with Gary was wonderfully written. The Messenger arc have a couple of tortured chapters with regards to the arguments that were made, and it was much better when Jason just simply tried to stop justifying his decisions. For most readers who've made it this far, you'll feel a bit like you're revisiting some old friends. The resolution was an especially nice touch, and was a very cheeky choice to end a book on. I imagine anyone who's sold on Shirtalooon's universe to basically almost immediately start longing for the next book.

[Justin Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I miss something?

Overall, a great 11th addition to the series. However, I almost put it down in the beginning. Why did Shirtaloon have to repeat the multiple times Jason transitioned an astral space? It was almost the same paragraph repeated by several characters MULTIPLE times. Was there some special magical number that it needed to be repeated? Had it not been for that I thoroughly enjoyed the reading. Certain highlights: Clive's wife running joke got some great legs in this reading with great comedic timing. Humphrey didn't have much of role in this volume but he got some great foreshadowing for the next. The politicka were well though out and involved some great solutions and mired in sad realities. Belindas romance was... Meh. It pales compared to the prep and timing of Humphrey and Sophie, and tasted sour compared to the generosity and kindness of Jory.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Was Quite Something

As always there’s quite a lot going on. Not too much to be overwhelming but enough to keep informed about everything. Occasional perspective change is good. I always love books that are a little bit longer. Enough to flesh out the story and leave you with something to look forward to. (I know this may seem a little generic. I’m just trying to bring out point that I like without giving any spoilers.). Good character progression for several of our favorites and a couple of nice surprises as well. Thoroughly enjoyed it as always, can’t wait to start on the next one.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings in this one. Definitely ready to be done with the series. There is a lot of good sprinkled in with the overdone though. I think if this series had some editing/paring down it would be seriously improved. Probably at least a book of babble could be cut from the series as a whole, but that would mess with the niceness of 12 books. Also can tell that this book didn’t undergo the same editing that the early ones did. Lot of grammatical issues and they drop me out of the flow a bit as I try and figure out the intent.

[Randy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent Book

First, I must say I did not like the previous book very much even though I really love this series. But this book really makes up for the disappointment I had in the previous book. This definitely puts the series back on track. Plus, I would say the second part of this book was definitely the best part. Now I am really looking forward to the next book.

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavy

There was a lot of self growth and forgiveness that I couldn't quite identify with thanks to everything going on right now. I could tell it'd be great normally, and was well written.
But I'm too stressed and ready to fight the world for it to absorb.
Still, more excellent world building, literally, and I can't believe there will be more, but excited for it.

[James Thornburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I can't get enough of Jason and his story. This was no exception. I enjoy character building and there as re many characters of note in this book. The series really.

Also shade is a BA MF.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in the series. It’s great to finally see some storylines come to a satisfying conclusion though of course we get plenty more starting up. Can’t wait to see where this one goes!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

so far the most moving of the series.

I was not expecting a 5 star for this but one chapter put it over the top. I do think you should read the books in order. I have read this on Kindle Unlimited

[RickieReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I did enjoy this installment in the series, although I feel like the pacing and character development are starting to slow to a crawl. I can’t foresee the series going on for a whole lot longer.

[Nick Anthrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

All I can say is amazing even the sad parts! The only bad thing is the wait for book 12 lol

[Travis Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Glad to travel back to earth. Good to see the Asano family. The time jumps were pleasant and moved things along nicely. Welcome to the system! 👍🏽👍🏽