Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for He Who Fights with Monsters 6 by Shirtaloon starting on April 27, 2025.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

Anyway. Series!
1. He Who Fights with Monsters (July 27) [link]
2. He Who Fights with Monsters 2 (Dec 27) [link]
3. He Who Fights with Monsters 3 (Jan 27) [link]
4. He Who Fights with Monsters 4 (Feb 27) [link]
5. He Who Fights with Monsters 5 (Mar 27) [link]
6. He Who Fights with Monsters 6 (Apr 27)
7. He Who Fights With Monsters 7 (May 27) [link]
8. He Who Fights With Monsters 8 (Jun 27) [link]
9. He Who Fights with Monsters 9 (TBD)
10. He Who Fights with Monsters 10 (TBD)
11. He Who Fights with Monsters 11 (TBD)

Audio: All are Audible Exclusives.
Ebook: All on KU, #11 currently on Royal Road pre-publication

Repost from the #7 thread, where I accidentally put this 4hrs ago:

Started this at work last night...

Had a nice, integrated recap at the start, considering the previous book ended on the first mid-volume cliffhanger in my memory...

Altho, in the end, it felt like more of a Doctor Who cliffhanger, in that it resolved almost immediately with little consequence... makes the gold ranker much smarter character, tho...

I noticed a couple recappy moments throughout the book, honestly, including recaps on how/why Jason's skills allow him to fight above his weight class so often...

I've really been liking this book/trilogy alot... and all the foreshadowing on things to come in books 7-12++...

I think my favorite vampire buddy from book 5 made a cameo, too...

I thought the end of the first portal dimension was pretty funny... (view spoiler)[get excited for a Kaiju Battle... fire a rocket launcher, over immediately... (hide spoiler)]

I'm around 60%... 5-6hrs remaining in 15-16hr book...

Pretty much finished now... the story just ended and there's 2hrs and 6 epilogues to go...

There's a nice author's note in this one, that explains that these epilogues actually were spread out through the release of books 4-6 on Royal Road, and fill in details of what was happening on the other planet during this trilogy, so span multiple years...

I think some of the epilogues at the end of book 3 were the same, and cover the earliest aspects of that... an author's note like that makes a big difference... I bet he got some feedback from people like WTF is with these 8 epilogues at the end of book 3 (like I said in the BR thread)... doing MANY epilogues is a fair solution, over random Interludes throughout the story...

I don't feel like book 6 resolved the Earth plot 100%... but it resolved the JASON ON EARTH plot... and at a certain point, I think it was the right decision to be like "I'm just one man, I did the heavy lifting, I don't have to solve everything... just the important stuff"... time to move on and get back to Fantasy World and his friends / found family... and bring some blood family along with him...

Honestly, these epilogues were awesome... I forgot how much I missed the crew from books 1-3...

I was left wanting more at the end... but I think it was kinda perfect, too...

HYPE!!!

EDIT: I also finished this at 11:59pm local time... just need to copy this feat on Halloween ;)

Meant to read this last weekend, but didn't get around to it, so saved it for this one. :) Through Chapter 33 and of course enjoying... (view spoiler)[Was not expecting Jason to get beheaded and have to use up a phoenix charge... and it sounds like this might be the last one?

Bunch of funny parts so far too--I loved the exchange between the Russian and French Vampires (?)--
"It's Elli!"
"Yes, Ellie!"
"No! Why don't you learn Russian?"
"Why would I want to learn Russian? I already speak French!"
"Russian is the language of men. French is the language of women!"
"Yes, exactly. And they looove it." (hide spoiler)]

He gets one resurrect per Cultivation Rank... but it gets harder and harder to rank up, as he progresses from Iron to Bronze to Silver to Gold eventually, and presumably Diamond/Transcendent/Astral Being... I think it's expected to take years/decades/lifetimes to progress past Gold... even Silver isn't supposed to be as fast as Jason is going, I don't think...

Okay... so he's Silver now... that means... he has two? And has used two?

Through Chapter 37, and had to LOL at (view spoiler)[Shade trying to read Lord of the Rings, stopping at Tom Bombadill (which is fair) and then going back to read Remains of the Day again. Because he's seen way too many dwarves and elves in his life but Butlering is a noble profession. (hide spoiler)]

Yea... I don't think they're bankable... if he doesn't use one while he's the rank, it's gone... it's more of a refilling bar... ofc, the first time it happened he ranked up almost immediately...

Hopefully he risks death less when he returns to Isekai World... at least there, he's not "the only hope" in most situations... on Earth, he's a bit of a Chosen One, and Big Fish in a Small Pond, power-wise... despite also being Underdog on official ranks...

Got to the point where he opens up his menu and shares info. I guess I don't remember two.

Timelord Iain wrote: "Honestly, these epilogues were awesome... I forgot how much I missed the crew from books 1-3...

I was left wanting more at the end... but I think it was kinda perfect, too...

HYPE!!!

EDIT: I als..."

LOL Finished last night and also feeling that HYPE!

Also agree with your comments on the earth plot--I like your description of "I did the heavy lifting," and now hopefully the earth folks will stop sitting around with their thumbs up their bums and start working together for the good of all...

I enjoyed the Earth excursion but the epilogues just made me so happy we are going back.

Ditto that! Like I didn't realize what I was missing.