Here’s a little peek into what I’ve been working on…

Hello darling,

from the desk of S. M. Boyce

Today marks a moment I’ve been anticipating for months—Blood Reaper is finally live on Royal Road!

As I sit at my desk, watching the first 6 chapters go public, I’m filled with a mixture of excitement and vulnerability that comes with sharing something so personal with the world.

This story has lived in my mind for so long—a dark, blood-soaked journey where every kill reshapes the hunter. Where a Marine reborn as a vampire must navigate a world ruled by a psychotic 12-year-old “System” with a penchant for tormenting her summoned heroes. Where power comes at a cost that alters not just your abilities, but your very essence.

What began as a simple “what if” question has blossomed into a grimdark LitRPG with a progression system I haven’t seen elsewhere—one where you literally become what you kill. Every slain monster, human, vampire, or dragon permanently rewrites Logan “Ace” Blackwell’s DNA, reshaping his body and warping his mind in ways both wondrous and terrible.

I’m publishing two chapters daily throughout April, and I invite you to join this journey from the beginning. The raw connection between author and reader during a serial release is unlike anything else—your reactions shape the story in real-time as it unfolds.

Your feedback is the lifeblood of this creative process. More than ratings (though those help tremendously with visibility), your reviews provide insights that help me grow as a storyteller. What characters resonate with you? Which moments made you pause? What aspects of the “EXP Solute” system intrigue you most? These questions keep me awake at night, eager to know how the story lands in your imagination.

If you enjoy military fantasy isekai with vampire progression, dragon shifters, base building, and unforgiving combat—if you’re drawn to stories where every choice has consequences and power always demands its price—I believe Blood Reaper might find a home in your reading library.

For fans of He Who Fights with Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, and Dungeon Crawler Carl, I’ve crafted something that I hope honors what makes those stories great while carving its own bloody path.

The first chapters await you on Royal Road.

With gratitude and anticipation,

Boyce

P.S. Those reviews truly mean everything. Even a few thoughtful sentences about your reading experience help more than you know—both for visibility and for my growth as a writer crafting this world for you.

Blood Reaper

YOU BECOME WHAT YOU KILL.

When US Marine Master Sergeant Logan “Ace” Blackwell dies in the heat of battle, he awakens as a vampire in a brutal world of monsters, dragons, and powerful dark magic. 

This place is governed by the System—a psychotic 12-year-old girl who delights in tormenting her summoned “heroes.”

In this grimdark LitRPG realm, killing doesn’t just earn EXP—it rewrites his DNA. Every slaughtered monster, human, vampire, or dragon permanently alters what Ace is becoming. Each kill reshapes his body and warps his mind as he evolves through a unique “EXP Solute” progression system where prey becomes predator, and where reckless predators can easily become prey.

Though he starts at the bottom of the food chain, Ace earns a Legendary Class that evolves as he does. Seven vast Floors await—each an entire consumed world with its own horrors and secrets. To survive, Ace must master metallurgy, crafting, and shadow magic while leading a found family of ragtag misfits through the most dangerous landscape he’s ever seen. 

Death games, labyrinthine dungeons, and quest-driven adventures test this Marine as he battles through this vamp-eat-vamp world.

But as the numbers go up and the loot piles high, Ace uncovers an ancient mystery that threatens everything he is becoming. The corrupting influence of power, the battle against his growing inner darkness, and the consequences of his every choice shape his evolution from reluctant hero to something far more terrifying.

Kill. Evolve. Conquer. Repeat. In this new life, Ace is going to thrive.

Blood Reaper is a military fantasy isekai LitRPG with vampire progression, dragon shifters, a hard magic system, base building, monster evolution, chaotic characters, and unforgiving combat. This slow-burn leveling journey with no level cap delivers blood-soaked pages of dark humor, crunchy stats, epic loot, and life-altering consequences. For fans of He Who Fights with Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. 

Clicky, clicky. Your next addiction has begun.

Posting Schedule: 2x per day for the 1st month.

What to expect:

unique “become what you kill” evolution mechanicthe System is a cheerfully sadistic 12-year old a LOT of vamp-on-vamp violenceweak to overpowered MCheavy LitRPG with no level capdeath games, dungeons, quests, and more 

Read Chapter 1 for FREE