Books like 'Playing For Keeps'
Readers who enjoyed Playing For Keeps by Daniel Schinhofen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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He Who Fights with Monsters 4 by Shirtaloon
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAn old friend brings comfort while an old acquaintance brings trouble as Jason and Farrah get the change of scenery they've been longing for.The kingdom is in peril, which seems like small beans compared to saving the world a few times. It isn't even Jason's job to deal with as, for once, the powerful people around him are living up to their responsibilities...Categorized as:
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Beware of Chicken 2 by CasualFarmer
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsJin Rou wanted to be a cultivator who defied the heavens, and surpassed all limits.Unfortunately for him, he died, and now I’m stuck here. Arrogant young masters? Heavenly tribulations? Cultivating for days on end, then getting into life or death battles?Yeah, no thanks. I'm getting out of here.In which a transmigrator decides that the only winning move is not to play... -
He Who Fights with Monsters 2 by Shirtaloon
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe path from retail middle management to interdimensional wizard adventurer wasn’t easy, but Jason Asano is settling into his new life.Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone, competing for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer...Categorized as:
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Noble Solutions by Daniel Schinhofen
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSean had been through something close to hell— he’d taken out Klein Denmur and Knight Evan Sharpeyes, along with a few of Lord Truestrike’s servants, but Chastity and Lilly died on the fields outside the city. At the end of that battle, he claimed Helga Helsdottir, Soul Bonding her and renaming her Helga Oathsworn. With a Valkyrie by his side, Sean hoped never to lose another loved one to death... -
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Unintended Cultivator: Volume Two by Eric Dontigney
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe left to see the world, but the world is a cruel master…Setting out to be a wandering cultivator, Sen has high ideals. Half-remembered stories of honorable cultivators and the kindness of his teachers shaped his expectations.The world he finds is something else entirely. Thrust into deadly conflict, Sen finds himself fleeing the death of a sectcultivator in fear of retribution...Categorized as:
litrpg ancient-china ancient-civilization wuxia heroic-fantasy fantasy xianxia action-adventure -
Dungeon Diving 104 by Bruce Sentar
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith Ken on the run and Crimson missing, he goes to the Elven world with Neldra and Fayeth to hide out until Crimson returns.Lady Rendral isn’t quite what he expected, her reclusive life leads her to happily accept Ken and Fayeth for the summer. But the future Empress of the Elven people isn’t without her own struggles... -
Dungeon Diving 103 by Bruce Sentar
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKen and party are training with his grandparents, preparing themselves to the next semester of Haylon.Yet, even after the Gransmens' deaths there are still plots from the Kaiming targeting Ken. After thwarting an attack on him at the Nagato Clan, Ken heads back to Haylon to get the strength he needs... -
Defiance of the Fall 2 by TheFirstDefier, JF Brink
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEarth is crumbling from the pressures of not only the invaders, but from nature itself...Zac has managed to secure his island for the time being, growing into a true powerhouse through his endless struggles. However, becoming the strongest man in the world does not come without complications.A target has been placed on his back. Natives, aliens—everyone has their eye on the throne...Categorized as:
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Accord by Daniel Schinhofen
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBeing a noble is not something Sean ever wanted, but life just propelled him along noble paths. First, he was an Aspirant, then a Knight, and finally, he had become a Lord. In the end, he stopped fighting it, realizing that he would need the social status to keep his promise to Myna and avenge the deaths at Oakwood... -
Forged Bonds by Daniel Schinhofen
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSean and his Bonded settled in Hearthglen to learn, train, and grow. Taking on an apprentice, setting up his shop, and Bonding both Chastity and Andrea to him, Sean felt like he would finally be able to learn about this world and try his hand at new things... -
Bloodline by Will Wight
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsIt’s time to go back home.In the years since Lindon left Sacred Valley, he has attained power beyond anything his family thought possible. Now he’ll have to put those powers to the test, because a Dreadgod is on its way.Lindon and his allies set out to evacuate the valley before the arrival of the Wandering Titan, but their sacred arts are weakened by an ancient curse...Categorized as:
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Magic's Mantle by Bruce Sentar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsArden was left in the village by a dying mage, who never returned. With no way out of the village on his own, he had always held onto the hope that one day his magic would awaken and give him access to his spheres. But he’s about to turn eighteen, and it’s never come. Instead, he’s settled into his lot as a sarcastic and quick-witted innkeeper... -
Defiance of the Fall 7 by TheFirstDefier, J.F. Brink
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Dimensional Seed is about to mature. The battle for it will decide Earth's fate.Urged on by the System itself, Zac has set his sights on the heart of the Mystic Realm. That's where the Dominators are heading, and it might be where the answers to his bloodline can be found.However, the followers of the Great Redeemer are not the only ones Zac and his companions have to worry about... -
Noble Bearings by Bruce Sentar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsArd and his anchors are off to the capital, but not without his Congratulations-you’re-a-mage horse. Ard has to figure out what it means to be a noble as he struggles with the politics of the capital, fierce beasts and even fiercer rivals. All the while a goddess slips into his household as the staff and works to watch over him and his mother... -
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Beware of Chicken 4 by CasualFarmer, Travis Baldree
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratings17 hours and 26 minutesA laugh-out-loud, slice-of-life martial-arts fantasy about . . . farming????Jin Rou wanted to be a cultivator. A man powerful enough to defy the heavens. A master of martial arts. A lord of spiritual power. Unfortunately for him, he died, and now I’m stuck in his body.Out in the middle of nowhere, I’ve managed to escape a life of cultivation and politics. Until now, that is...Categorized as:
magic litrpg ancient-china ancient-civilization demons paranormal heroic-fantasy fantasy -
Aether's Blessing by Daniel Schinhofen
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery year, the empire administers the rite of passage into adulthood. That rite serves to identify those blessed by Aether to become magi. The new magi are shipped to the academy to learn the arts of magic. The academy is a dangerous place; the tournaments held twice each year can cripple or kill the students, and the clans of the empire will go to great lengths to recruit the students they want... -
Paladin of the Shield by Marvin Knight, Marvin Whiteknight
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeneath the Sacred Seas, demons are stirring.An ancient evil rises. An army from the depths of hell comes with her.In the heavens above, a seraph with more ambition than the heavens can contain is coming to confront her.The Sacred Seas have become a playground for forces beyond their power to contend with. In the war between the Heavens and the Hells, only one man can stand for humanity... -
He Who Fights with Monsters 11 by Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBook 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...Categorized as:
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Defiance of the Fall 6 by TheFirstDefier, J.F. Brink
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Lich King Adriel is gone and Earth has avoided being drowned in deadly Miasma.Yet an even greater dangers lurks in the dark, and Zac is running against the clock. The Great Redeemer bears down on their planet, guided by Void's Disciple and his children.Everything points toward the mysterious base built by the Technocrats... -
Vampire Gate by Apollos Thorne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter surviving Mistress Nava’s wrath, Elorion is banished from Sanctuary and everything he holds dear. He finds himself on an impossible quest to retrieve something from Lord Darius’s vault for the Head Mistress in hopes of bringing everyone back together...Categorized as:
epic heroic-fantasy litrpg magic paranormal shapeshifters action-adventure audiobook -
Exiled Lands by James T. Callum
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA journey through exiled lands to build and fight for a Sanctum’s survival. And a Beastborne that must transcend the boundaries of his monstrous abilities and rise above his primal nature, or else lose it all.To claim his powers as Founder and secure their freedom, Hal and his cohort fight to build a Sanctum where no other living kingdom dares to tread...Categorized as:
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Heretical Fishing 2: A Cozy Guide to Annoying the Cults, Outsmarting the Fish, and Alienating Oneself by Haylock Jobson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPower is returning to the world after millennia, ancient constructs are stirring back to life, and one man is doing his best to ignore all that noise...Categorized as:
litrpg wuxia ancient-china ancient-civilization paranormal heroic-fantasy fantasy audiobook -
Secrets and Spellcraft by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNow a student at Wurthaven, Will is confronted with the truth of the present. The powerful magic embodied by wizards like his grandfather is but a distant memory, while the practice of the current day is timid and uninspired, and yet he needs the knowledge still preserved and managed by the college... -
The Fifth Realm by Michael Chatfield
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter taking and defending Vuzgal, Erik and Rugrat have a new task to complete: build a city.They have been racing through the realms at this point, but Vuzgal is a prize that they can't simply give up on. Alva is mobilized, as are their allies, to build out the new city. It is time that they solidify their gains, working on their crafts, their fighting ability and cultivation...Categorized as:
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Castle of the Noobs by Ryan Rimmel
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJim and his shoulder demon have survived everything the world has thrown at them. So far. However, there is an encroaching war between two great kingdoms. In between the two armies stands an ever-growing town, led by a Noob... -
Heretical Fishing: A Cozy Guide to Annoying the Cults, Outsmarting the Fish, and Alienating Oneself by Haylock Jobson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA world abandoned by the gods, mystifying cosmic forces, unimaginable power for those willing to ascend, and a hero who would rather . . . go fishing???When summoned to a fantastical world and granted powers by a broken System, most freshly minted protagonists would strap on their big-boy boots and get ready for their stats to start climbing. But Fischer isn’t like most MCs... -
Heretic Spellblade 2 by K.D. Robertson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsChanging history is harder than it appears. Every time Nathan thinks he has stopped a world-ending war, he learns that somebody is trying to start it again. But once this is over, he’ll be free to relax and spend some quality time with his Champions.As the war heats up, Nathan finds himself caught up in the schemes and fluffy tails of one of his former Champions, Narime... -
Right of Retribution 2 by William D. Arand
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWarner spent his days like no one else.He got up, went to work, forced people to balance their scales— either through taking lives or forced penance— went home, spent time with his daughter, slept with one of his girlfriends, and went to sleep.Only to repeat the pattern over and over and over.Life was the furthest thing from mundane that it could ever be... -
Mandate of Heaven by Selkie Myth
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSentinel Dawn has returned.As Sentinel, Elaine has no end of tasks. From a shakedown run to find a fellow Earther, to Iona's new kitsune [Squire] Nina, to a whole new set of skills and abilities from [Loremaster], Elaine is busy. Her name is starting to be known on the world stage, whether she likes it or not...Categorized as:
magic litrpg ancient-china ancient-civilization harem epic paranormal heroic-fantasy -
Ocean of Tears by Michael Head
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDarkness seeps deeper into the world. The gods can only watch from afar. Time is running out.Jim and his friends found a way to stop the evil infesting the leadership of the Empire, but the shadows of the world are not all cast by the demon incursion. There's plenty of darkness already dwelling within the corrupted heart of the Empire...Categorized as:
ancient-china ancient-civilization epic heroic-fantasy litrpg magic wuxia action-adventure -
Extermination by E. William Brown
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsGaea's favored children have put her ancient plan to cleanse the Earth of humans into motion, and Kozalin stands high on their list of targets. Uncertain alliances, scheming gods and an implacable foe will push Daniel to his limits... -
The Second Expedition by Tao Wong
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEven the great may fall.Wu Ying's idle winter, one filled with training and recovery, is thrown awry when his Master and Elder Yang return, injured. The Three Seasons poison fills Master Cheng's veins, slowly killing the powerful Elder. His only hope - a rare antidote. But the ingredients for such an antidote are scarce and located in the deepest wilds...Categorized as:
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The Omen by Edward Brody
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook 5 of the bestselling Eden's Gate series! After the turmoil in the Arena, Gunnar retreats from Highcastle and attempts to maintain a low profile while the heat regarding Reborns subsides. Avoiding the human cities, he sets out to unexplored lands with guild mates and a potential new recruit...Categorized as:
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For The Guild by Michael Chatfield
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter four months of training, Party Zero is ready to join up with the Stone Raiders and test out their newfound power. Forces have their eyes on the Stone Raiders for their own reasons. The Stone Raiders and Party Zero will be vital to the plans of higher powers and the future of Emerilia. They just have to survive long enough to make it there...Categorized as:
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Reborn: Apocalypse Volume 1 by L.M. Kerr
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIf you could turn back the clock and fix all the mistakes you ever made, would you? From the author of the award-winning Web-novel 'Reborn: Evolving From Nothing' comes the tale of Micheal Care, a swordsman that could only be considered a middling warrior in Humanity's Last Army. Micheal's answer to that question would be quite simple. Yes. A million times yes...Categorized as:
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Proven Strength by Daniel Schinhofen
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGregory’s year-long posting along the northern wilds was done. He’d had to face corrupt magi, assassination attempts, aether-using bane beasts, and even deal with the loss of some of his men. The year had left a mark on his soul. He’d accepted the burden of leadership fully, knowing that his men could and would die under his command... -
The Upheaval by Michael Sisa
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsVOLUME 2 OF LEGEND OF THE ARCH MAGUS An Arch Magus dies, only to find himself in the body of a young man in a medieval Kingdom. He finds out that he is the second son of a Duke, exiled to a desolated town by his own family. Shackled by the notorious reputation of his new shell, he tries his best to develop his domain, implementing new policies and innovations, leading his subjects to prosperity...Categorized as:
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Head Down by Jan Stryvant
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThings are starting to look up for Sean, he has a safe place to stay, allies, way too many wolves and a couple of dangerously cute werefoxes around now as well. However the other Councils now know that he's serious, after the raid on Gradatim that left several important people dead...Categorized as:
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Desperate Measures by Jan Stryvant
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThings are starting to heat up for Sean and for some of his allies as well. The Sacramento Vestibulum council is starting to act in ways that no one had anticipated, and the Gradatim national council is by no means standing idly by either...Categorized as:
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Forbidden Region by Michael Sisa
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsVOLUME 6 OF LEGEND OF THE ARCH MAGUS An Arch Magus dies, only to find himself in the body of a young man in a medieval Kingdom. He finds out that he is the second son of a Duke, exiled to a desolated town by his own family. Shackled by the notorious reputation of his new shell, he tries his best to develop his domain, implementing new policies and innovations, leading his subjects to prosperity...Categorized as:
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The Great Cleric: Volume 1 by Broccoli Lion
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne moment, a certain salaryman is on cloud nine, that promotion finally within his grasp, and the next, he’s keeled over pain, and that was all she wrote. Luckily for him, fate had a bit more to say. A world of magic, monsters, and other such life-shortening entities await his newly reincarnated self for a second shot at life... -
Herald of Shalia 4 by Tamryn Tamer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSebastian Frost created a territory where demihumans lived peacefully.Whether they were a snake-haired gorgon, a colorful slime woman, or a fifteen foot tall Oni, they were free to live peacefully in Pluma Territory. For many of the creatures, living peacefully was something they never dared even dream of so it was only natural that they traveled from all over the continent to reach his territory... -
Kindling by Patrick G. Laplante
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn a Jade Moon between the stars, Cha Ming finds true love. But can he save her? Cha Ming’s qi core is broken. Practicing martial arts is difficult and painful. But the Monkey King is fading fast, and he’ll need something stronger than mortal medicine to recover.To that end, Cha Ming must cross the Bridge of Stars...Categorized as:
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Demon's Throne 2 by K.D. Robertson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRys is still shaking dust from his hair after a thousand years of sleep, and he already finds himself in a two-front war. The sorcerers of the Malus League are summoning a demon lord, while his northern neighbor marches south. Now that Rys has claimed a kingdom, he needs to keep it.Naturally, he'll expand his territory while crushing his new enemies... -
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Test Flight: Otherworld Academy 03 by Deacon Frost
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Venture has taken flight and set off to explore the dimension of Taryl. Their trip should have been an easy one, traveling from town to town, instead they're facing monsters and mayhem at every turn... -
Incubus Inc. III by Randi Darren
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings(Minor Spoiler and Warning at the bottom of the blurb. Please read all the way through.)Sameerixis, or Sam for those who actually know him, isn’t what you’d call normal.He had been a door-to-door salesman, of sorts.One that peddled wares, wishes, and whims to anyone willing to pay his prices.Except that life is gone now.His old business model had been modernized... -
This is Our Land by Michael Chatfield
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe Aleph were nearly wiped out for tampering with technology borne from Jukal Portals. The Demon's of Devil Crater were almost turned to a footnote in history for rebelling against the Dark God. The Beast Kin were seen as a threat with their natural high affinities. Now all of these races have started to come back, the first stage in Bob's plan to save Emerilia...Categorized as:
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The Pantheon Moves by Michael Chatfield
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWins and losses, there is no time to celebrate or mourn. The Pantheon in the chaos has once again risen to power, some trying to take power from one another, others supporting the people of Emerilia. As the people of Emerilia finally getting ahead of the war against the Event of Myths and Legends of those that were spawned in and those that entered through portals...Categorized as:
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When It Falls by Jan Stryvant
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter having their success against the Ascendants used by the Vestibulum as a cover for the mass murder of their old enemies, Sean has discovered that the Vesti's are far more ruthless and dangerous than the previous two councils he's fought...Categorized as:
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Benvari Mountains by Michael Chatfield
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAs the fight for Boran-al’s Citadel draws to a close Dave’s learned one important lesson. To protect what he cares for, he’s going to have to become stronger. He can’t just sit back in Cliff-Hill and take things easy. Emerilia is filled with danger as well as possibilities. It’s time Dave became a Master Smith...Categorized as:
ancient-china ancient-civilization heroic-fantasy litrpg magic paranormal wuxia action-adventure
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