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Riding high after successfully defending his home country, Calvin is assigned as Kala's bodyguard on a diplomatic mission to Uleis, a merchant nation with whom a deal must be struck to ensure Gadvera's continued survival.

But Uleis is run by a secretive cabal of powerful cultists, and when Calvin crosses them in typical Calvinian fashion, they do to him the same thing they do to all their problems: Toss him in a hole from which there is no return.

997 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2022

192 people are currently reading
58 people want to read

About the author

Macronomicon

16 books254 followers
I could tell you that the author is a middle class, middle age white dude with a generic wife and a generic pet who lives somewhere vaguely rural...but aren't they all?
F%$! that noise! There are Author Bios and then there's Mythos.

Welcome to the Mythos of Macronomicon.

Macronomicon is almost three years old now, hatched on the open-mic writing website Royal Road. The pen name burst from the cocoon of blissful ignorance and deposited his first humble contribution into the world of writing, tired and sticky, yet satisfied. Content in the knowledge his work would be warmly received by thousands of potential fans, and more importantly...friends.

The first comment was, "Can you, I don't know, make the main character less stupid?"

That was sobering.

Macronomicon has no actual weight, because he is a pen name, and while his existence is ephemeral, he does have a presence, often stalking the back-channels of Discord like a novelty vampire, waiting to suck nourishing creativity out of unfortunate* fans.

Macronomicon has a talent for brainstorming and stringing together disparate ideas into a cohesive story. That talent has been strengthened and built upon to form the foundation of his writing career. He once outlined the plot (quality notwithstanding) of an entire book from start to finish in a tiny room with nothing but Cheerios, beef jerky, Pepsi and B.O.**

If you wish to hunt for the elusive Macronomicon, you may find him at Royal Road, where he began, or Patreon, where he works*** at distilling new stories from a raw, chunky slurry of ideas.




*Or fortunate, depending on your point of view. The sucking is consensual.
**Quality of B.O. also notwithstanding.
*** Working is subjective.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
752 (67%)
4 stars
256 (23%)
3 stars
85 (7%)
2 stars
14 (1%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Jacob Proffitt.
3,273 reviews2,112 followers
April 18, 2024
This is second in a LitRPG series. Read in order.

Wow, is that a bad cover! Just ugh. Fortunately, it's second in a series and delivers pretty well on the premise established in the first. Calvin has drive, uses his resources to overcome obstacles, and takes setbacks in his stride.

The biggest downside to this story, for me, is the folks residing in his head working against him. Nadia is a consistent irritant for me and provides the most cringe in the story. And Elliot isn't much better, though at least he is smart enough to support Calvin's long-term growth. Kala offsets that a little, but she is more sidelined than I'd like.

The plot and pace are strong, and I still really like Calvin. So this adds up to a really weak four stars and I'm definitely interested in the final book.

A note about Steamy: There's not a lot of steam and the author, Mr. Con, chooses to pull curtains before you get a ton of detail. But there's enough to throw the tag. Barely.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,139 reviews74 followers
January 10, 2023
Book two

Still reading this on Royalroad. Still want to show the author some support. Great storyteller!
I enjoy his stuff and have everything tagged in my favorite list as I wait for new chapters.
Profile Image for Петър Стойков.
Author 2 books326 followers
January 22, 2024
Дълго и забавно лит-рпг, което тръгва мудно, набира страшна скорост за няколко хиляди страници.

На края малко по малко затъва в нуждата на автора да измисля нови и нови приключения, след като вече главния герой е супер силен и никой не може да му противостои. Също така той и принцесите му вече се шибат редовно и е изгубена червената нишка на еротичното напрежение между тях.

Докато е интересно обаче е мега интересно, препоръчвам! Този автор до сега не е писал нещо слабо, за разлика от много други в този жанр не е тийнейджър и се отличава с широка обща култура, което определено си личи, и бездънен талант да измисля още и още различни приключения.
Profile Image for Akshay.
735 reviews5 followers
January 16, 2024

Plot Hole: The Second Half That Sinks Beneath Its Own Ambitions



Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Plot Hole, the second installment in Macronomicon's Wake of the Ravager series, dives deeper into a world of magic, monsters, and political intrigue. However, it struggles to stay afloat amidst a convoluted plot, underdeveloped characters, and a frustrating lack of resolution.



Plot: A Labyrinth of Twists and Turns, But Not All Lead Somewhere



The story picks up where the first book left off, with Calvin and his companions now tasked with protecting the newly-crowned Queen Dara from a shadowy cabal known as the Uleis. Their journey takes them through treacherous lands, ancient ruins, and hidden dimensions, as they uncover secrets that threaten to unravel the fabric of reality itself.


Strengths:




Imaginative Worldbuilding: Macronomicon's vivid descriptions create a rich tapestry of fantastical landscapes and creatures.
Intriguing Premise: The concept of interdimensional travel and the exploration of alternate realities holds potential for mind-bending twists.


Weaknesses:




Overstuffed Plot: The story juggles too many threads, often sacrificing clarity and pacing for the sake of complexity.
Shallow Character Development: The characters remain largely one-dimensional, their motivations and inner struggles unexplored.
Anticlimactic Ending: The book concludes with more questions than answers, leaving readers with a sense of dissatisfaction and a lack of closure.


In Conclusion: A Frustrating Descent into Missed Opportunities



Plot Hole squanders its potential with a convoluted narrative and underwhelming character arcs. While its imaginative worldbuilding and intriguing premise offer glimmers of promise, the overall execution leaves much to be desired. Readers seeking a satisfying conclusion to the series will likely be disappointed by the lack of resolution.



Final Verdict: A frustrating sequel with typical Macronomicon humor. 3 out of 5 stars. Proceed with caution.

Profile Image for Arnis.
2,086 reviews174 followers
August 22, 2025
Kalvins Gadsons nav kāds bāreņos palicis dzīves pabērns, kuram Liktenis ar lielo burtu lēmis kļūt par karalistes vai visas pasaules glābēju. Sešpadsmitgadīgais galvenais varonis ir vien viens no daudzajiem piedzīvojumu alkstošajiem jaunajiem censoņiem, kurš ar paša cītīgu piepūli un nenoliedzami vienmēr vajadzīgu veiksmes faktoru (no autora Macronomicon puses) izlaužas, lai būtu tas, kurš kļūst par izredzēto varoni.

https://poseidons99.com/2025/08/22/ma...
Profile Image for Neil Holmes.
44 reviews
February 7, 2023
A Psychopath Hero?

I really enjoyed book 1 but Calvin goes a bit psycho in this one. Slaughtering 10s of thousands of people as a side quest while he and Kala both completely forget or ignore the purpose of their trip. It seemed like the author lost the thread and the book reads as undisciplined.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story. The characters and world building are the true stars of the book but a little more storytelling craft would greatly improve the story.

I will certainly be reading the next entry of this series.
122 reviews
January 5, 2023
Fun ride

This is an entertaining story. I will definitely look for the next in the series. The world is well built, the system (mostly) consistent, the characters are well fleshed out, and the plot is engaging and entertaining.

There were two points that hurt the immersion for me, first, Calvin and his system are now unique to him, and super powered compared to everyone else (no one can ever match him as he now has "restricted" skills) this bugs me. His shadowboxing is no longer a mental construct that he uses to practice, now it is a simulated world that he has full control over (for example, the real Karen exists with all her knowledge that Calvin would have no way to know, not just a mental construct of her with all of Calvin's experience with her. Also, he can explore the world in shadowboxing risk free, rather than explore it with his body, finding monsters and their lairs and hideouts). I don't like making characters artificially OP, rather than natural growth.

Second, the adolescent sex emphasis has gotten a bit ridiculous (I get they are 17 year old kids) At first it was a fun comic relief, then it got a bit overdone, now it's actuvely detracting from the book. (Especially the Nadia punishment sex wierdness....) It doesn't ruin the book, but it is definitly is a detracting rather than a bonus at this point.
Profile Image for Sydney.
1,339 reviews68 followers
March 8, 2023
5 Do You Have Identical Octuplets In Black Leather Pulling Your Wagons? Stars

Plot Hole is the second book in the Wake Of The Ravager series by Macronomicon.

How could I possibly love this book more than the last?! I don't know. But, it somehow happened. The by-play between Calvin and Elliot is the most distinct and intriguing draw to this story. Adding Nadia to the mix, tweaked the suspense and interactions into perfection. I'm kind of excited to see what becomes of Dara because this new being will twist the dynamic of the group even more.

Half of the parties' time spent in the Abyss was entirely too fascinating. All of these new and more complex/mutated creatures to survive and convert into utility were intense. The way in which the author varied the aspects definitely added to the story.

I love that we got some Jinnei time back into the works because I legitimately missed his sister. And there's that big reveal that will change the fate Malkerovian after it's been cleansed of the creepy tube monsters that previously possessed and overtook the populace. Who really is The One? I thought it was Elliot, but I am so confused at this point. Because: what is Elliot's ultimate goal? Will he ultimately betray Calvin?

I'm excited to finally see his kingdom come into fruition....
619 reviews9 followers
August 22, 2023
Big book, interesting but got a bit tedious towards the end

The MC fresh off his winning campain is rewarded with a very difficult task to build a fort. He succeeds although they were attacked before it was completed. Still, he overcame 10:1 odds plus 2 powerful mages. His reward was another difficult assignment, bodyguard princess Kala on a diplomatic mission. Things didnt go so well.

The story was very interesting untill it got bogged down in weird stuff in a pocket dimension. Strange warped creatures attempting to eat the MC and his party at every turn. The Harbringers and their human employees was befuddling and the magic system of their world is quite confusing. The storyline with Karen and her daughter vs the cyborg abominations is underdeveloped at the enc of the book.

That said, I look forward to book 3 as the story is pretty intriguing. There are some additional princesses to capture and Calvin still hasnt consumated his relationship with the princesses in the physical realm. They are all very freaky and they will put a fantastic hurtin' on him, when he gets so lucky.
Profile Image for Wisdom.
56 reviews5 followers
December 31, 2022
This is one of the classics to be!

I remember coming across this on RR. I recall the hiatuses, the fixes, even more hiatus, and then a second story arrived, and I was saddened. I had assumed this would die out. This was his first attempt, and I knew it would become a blueprint to his others, mistakes, systems, and techniques all to be made of new then he started on his second story, and I was like, well, this is one of those writers that have the skill, imagination and the drive to be great. Don't read the great reviews. Just read them. Also, I borrowed this from KU. I'm buying both and will be looking for hardbacks; this gets added to my small bookshelf easily. Great work, man!
578 reviews
May 30, 2024
Drags a bit in the second half

The story was progressing nicely until the second half of the book. This is where he spends so much time levelling up skills and abilities that the story progression take a back seat. To be honest I nearly stopped reading it to read something more interesting for a while, but I managed to struggle through. Looks like the next book will pick up the story line more based on how the book ended, but I will probably read a few other books before coming back to see if the book 3 gets back into the story pace I like rather that being a slog of trying to rapidly increase skill levels inside his own head.
9 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2023
Top 5 best writers in this genre

I don’t write many reviews, but I had to write one for this book. This series so far is one of the better of this genre I’ve read. It’s not often an author makes me laugh out loud. This book and it’s predecessor did so several times.

No long winded page long paragraphs for word count!! Good dialog, great story, likeable characters, fantastic writing style! Can’t wait for more from this author.

My only complaint is that I have to wait for more.
151 reviews
March 12, 2024
Going off the momentum of the first book I had higher hopes for this one. It seems once the MC powers up the author lost any point of what he wanted to do with the character. I feel like there was a goal in the first book and there was progression. The progression still happened in this book but it was just... underwhelming. The tension between the threesome was less exciting. I lost any care for the characters themselves and the story felt like it was just a disjointed series of events. Mentally I kept drifting off and it just didn't hold my attention like I hoped it would.
Profile Image for Clint Young.
849 reviews
August 3, 2023
KU Review

I really enjoy the versatility of the MC’s system. A little bit of a cheat compared to everyone else but that’s what makes it fun. Got a little more backstory but the endgame is still unclear.

General disclaimer: I want to be clear in that I do not factor cost into any review and as such, this is simply a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
Profile Image for Kevin.
1,710 reviews27 followers
August 7, 2023
This is so wacky that it is enjoyable. I really enjoy how the author has his protags use their brains to get out of trouble. Will definitely read the sequel.

I was afraid that what happened with the author's other series would have happened here.
Where the second book changed so much, and then the protag had to do a bunch of crap to get things to work.
Really didn't enjoy that shift, but this series kept the steam from book one and kept on going.

3/5 Stars
Profile Image for misspinkeye.
195 reviews
May 24, 2023
I so love this series! Book 2 is cheekier and more hilarious! I super enjoyed listening to this book! It's action-packed, witty, clever, and very entertaining. The snark and sass of the characters made me adore them more.

What else is there to say about Steve Campbell's performance? He's just brilliant as always. Well done.
Profile Image for Vinicius Melo.
82 reviews1 follower
August 21, 2023
The book could have been shorter and avoided some fatigue. Macronomicon tends to do this in his second books. He gives unimportant characters POV'S that don't progress the story and end up bloating the book. The original story is excellent and the world expansion is good, just the multiple Pov's need to diminish
135 reviews2 followers
March 5, 2024
progression apocalyptic fantasy with math

Better than the first. Much more focused now that the world building and exposition is mostly done and the interesting apocalyptic craziness has ramped up to 10. If you were put off by all the teen horniness and suggested polygamy in the first book it's still there, but it isn't as prevalent and is much more digestible than before.
Profile Image for William Howe.
1,750 reviews80 followers
December 21, 2022
it’s so good

Horrifically comical? Comically horrific?

It dances on the edge of insanity. When do you think you figured out what direction the narrative is going, things will go in a different direction.

I laughed out loud more than once.

I can’t wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Steve.
1,582 reviews53 followers
December 26, 2022
Nearly 1000 pages, but still fun and entertaining. I was correct, I had read some of this earlier on RR, and I'm already picking it up there where this left off, not content to wait until April for vol. 3. Which I will undoubtedly read when it comes out.
879 reviews9 followers
January 21, 2023
💜💙💚💛

Wow I am obsessed with this series and our MC is crazy, funny, smart, and interesting. I cannot wait to see what happens next. Also, looking forward to the development of the Wizard King's Empire.
Profile Image for Levitate.
51 reviews6 followers
January 22, 2023
Fun romp of a fantasy adventure filled with unique characters, interesting locations, creative magic and an intelligent protagonist who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if necessary. Glad I picked up this series as it’s quickly becoming one of my new guilty pleasures.
Profile Image for Jeffery Harper.
42 reviews
February 21, 2023
Another great adventure

Another great story. The quest continues. I love the characters. I love the system. I love the world. Read this on royal road a half dozen times. Excited to read the next book (even tho I already know what's gonna happen).
376 reviews2 followers
March 18, 2023
Awesomeness

Just gets better more of everything, fights death etc love this series please sir can i have some more sadistic princesses, evil sand pirates, mutated evil machine people(borg) lol
132 reviews
March 20, 2023
awesome book

I love the progression and humour in this series. Always a constant laugh. The whole technology and system interlocking thing with harvesting warp is confusing but otherwise this was an awesome read.
Profile Image for Thomas.
228 reviews2 followers
April 1, 2023
Still an exciting and rebellious read of a story.

Still an exciting and rebellious read of a story. The MC is slowly working his way up to real power but is still trying to figure out the best way to interact with his friends and princesses. It’s a hoot.
Profile Image for MG.
1,092 reviews17 followers
June 27, 2023
A fun comical LitRPG series that kept me hooked, often reading longer than I had planned. It reminds me most of the HE WHO FIGHTS WITH MONSTERS series, both sharing a young, smart, funny smart-ass who does not see himself as a hero but can't stop helping people in need.
415 reviews5 followers
April 13, 2024
A good sequel to a good first book.

Again, this isn't a super polished book, and you can see the author's lack of experiennce. Still!

Great characters, good world building, lots of fun. Recommended.
Profile Image for DavidO.
1,182 reviews
December 12, 2024
Better than first book in series

The first book in the series was good but a bit unsteady and has a rough start. The author seems to have hit his stride in the book though. Not sure if that's because he's becoming a better author or if it's because he's just bad at beginnings.
Profile Image for tester.
266 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2025
Doesn't seem like this is going to lean into the militarily and romance aspects as much as I would like. Also sets up some pretty obvious foreshadowing of future enemies. writing is getting less tight and some things are frustrating, but there is so much more going on I can ignore it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

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