Thank you to Aethon Vault Books for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Survive an alternate universe and jump into the first installment of the witty and magic-fueled HE WHO FIGHTS WITH MONSTERS series—now with a bonus short story exclusive to this deluxe hardcover edition.
What’s it like to wake up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters?
It’s not easy.
For Jason, making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer is surreal. Jason tries to be heroic, but it’s hard to be good when all your powers are evil.
He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters…and that’s just on the first day.
Jason’s a stranger in a strange land, and if he’s going to survive, he’ll have to find something inside himself he never knew was there.
He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.
Experience the start of this legendary million-copy best-selling LitRPG epic where a snarky underdog takes on everything from corrupt aristocrats to literal gods in HE WHO FIGHTS WITH MONSTERS, Book 1: OUTWORLDER.
My Review
He Who Fights With Monsters opens with a BANG. Jason Asano wakes up naked in a hedge maze, next to a well, in a world he doesn’t recognize, with no idea how he got there. He also has no hair…including eyebrows. We are immediately having fun.
Jason is a genuinely entertaining main character…he’s sarcastic and chaotic in a way that tends to confuse and mildly annoy everyone around him, but in an endearing way that makes people love him anyway. The worldbuilding in He Who Fights With Monsters is one of the highlights. I felt like I could very clearly see and experience everything around Jason (including action sequences, which I usually tend to find confusing), and I loved learning how this new world works. The exposition is heavy in places, but it makes complete narrative sense for a LitRPG character who has just been dropped into an entirely unfamiliar world and is constantly asking questions about how everything works. I really loved the exposition/worldbuilding here!
That said, He Who Fights With Monsters does have some friction points for me. At over halfway through before any real plot beyond leveling up and fighting monsters kicks in, it does feel a little lengthy, which probably comes from its origins as an online serial. The episodic chapter structure is very visible. I also found myself wishing that Jason experienced just a little more hardship along the way…right now, it feels like he’s wearing quite a bit of plot armor. Everything works out for Jason, just a little too neatly and a little too often (maybe he runs into difficulties further in the series??). The wide cast of characters is a delight, but can get a little hard to keep track of.
Even though He Who Fights With Monsters took me a looong time to finish, I downloaded the next book immediately after finishing this one, so make of that what you will!
THE GOOD:
- The worldbuilding is rich, imaginative, and super fun to experience
- Jason is a likeable, sarcastic, entertaining main character
- The LitRPG gaming elements are refreshingly light since only Jason experiences them as an outworlder…we don’t get bogged down with complicated gaming mechanics
- The wide cast of supporting characters is a lot of fun
- Immediately fun from the very first page
THE NOT-AS-GOOD:
- No real plot beyond leveling, monster fighting, and exposition until well past the halfway point
- Jason feels a little flat in places and wears a lot of plot armor
- The episodic structure makes the book feel longer than it needs to be
- The large cast can get hard to keep track of
THE NEUTRAL:
- This book is long and the pacing varies in places, so be prepared to settle in!
- The main character, Jason, will make or break the book for you…you either love him or hate him!
- Heavy on exposition, which I personally love when it works in the narrative, but it may not be for everyone
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
He Who Fights With Monsters is a fun, imaginative, sarcastic LitRPG adventure with incredible worldbuilding and an entertaining lead, even if the plot takes a while to show up to the party.
PERFECT FOR:
- LitRPG and isekai fans looking for something with a lighter touch on the gaming mechanics
- Readers who love rich, imaginative worldbuilding
- Anyone who enjoys a sarcastic, chaotic underdog protagonist
- Fans of wide ensemble casts and lots of monster fighting
- People who don’t mind a slow pace before the plot kicks in
