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The Wandering Inn #11
The Titan of Baleros
Adventuring doesn't ever really end, does it?
Classes evolve, roles shift, and in the city of Liscor, change is happening. The Horns of Hammerad are growing as adventurers, rising in the eyes of the city and the surrounding lands. They've survived, and they've leveled, but new levels also bring new problems. Izril is still facing turmoil as nobles fight and squabble while Liscor breathes again and heals, trying to find a new way forward.
The best cure for dark days? Games! And none know it better than the oldest adventurers, who've lived through countless struggles. Niers Astoragon is the greatest [Strategist] of Baleros, a leader in one of the Four Great Companies, and his students vie for his approval. They'll compete to become the best new generation of talented leaders and commanders. Glory, mischief, and competition await!
What they've forgotten is that there are never low stakes with Niers. Compete for fame, compete for fun, but remember, there's no such thing as a bloodless game when you play against the Titan of Baleros.
Classes evolve, roles shift, and in the city of Liscor, change is happening. The Horns of Hammerad are growing as adventurers, rising in the eyes of the city and the surrounding lands. They've survived, and they've leveled, but new levels also bring new problems. Izril is still facing turmoil as nobles fight and squabble while Liscor breathes again and heals, trying to find a new way forward.
The best cure for dark days? Games! And none know it better than the oldest adventurers, who've lived through countless struggles. Niers Astoragon is the greatest [Strategist] of Baleros, a leader in one of the Four Great Companies, and his students vie for his approval. They'll compete to become the best new generation of talented leaders and commanders. Glory, mischief, and competition await!
What they've forgotten is that there are never low stakes with Niers. Compete for fame, compete for fun, but remember, there's no such thing as a bloodless game when you play against the Titan of Baleros.
Audiobook
First published November 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
April 10, 2024
I was wrong. I am two nights removed from finishing this installment of The Wandering Inn, and I can't stop thinking about it... And the more I did so, the more I realized this was one of the strongest volumes so far. 4 stars just doesn't cut it! It is my prerogative to change my rating and I am doing so immediately 👍😎!
*** 4.83 ***
*** 4.83 ***
February 26, 2025
I'm literally caught in a neverending spiral of storytelling that I can't imagine escaping from.
Each book immediately drives me to the next, and despite them being MASSIVELY long, I rarely feel THIS invigorated or feel the need to keep reading this effortlessly.
That's coming from someone who reads 500 books a year on average. So, let me spell it out: this series is special.
So many damn threads, with fun times, dire times, angry times, funny times, and sad times, I'm utterly losing myself in this world and all its people. Even the people that I know are either evil or close enough as to make no difference. Hell, I even love the people who've betrayed me (them, the characters,) and the god-damned town that keeps having likable people that do such horrible things to others that I also like.
It's driving me crazy. And I love every single second of it. And best of all, there is UNDERSTANDING. There is COMPASSION. It's beautiful. So very beautiful.
Am I right, little doom bringer? Am I right, you damn drakes? Am I right, innkeeper?
*Deep Sigh*
This series has now developed into a gem of surpassing worth--at least to me. Whatever faults it might have, it will never be unwanted or unappreciated. It is always welcome in my heart and hearth.
My synesthesia smells cornered rats, tears, and an immense swelling of hope. It also smells like spring.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
Arctunn.com
Each book immediately drives me to the next, and despite them being MASSIVELY long, I rarely feel THIS invigorated or feel the need to keep reading this effortlessly.
That's coming from someone who reads 500 books a year on average. So, let me spell it out: this series is special.
So many damn threads, with fun times, dire times, angry times, funny times, and sad times, I'm utterly losing myself in this world and all its people. Even the people that I know are either evil or close enough as to make no difference. Hell, I even love the people who've betrayed me (them, the characters,) and the god-damned town that keeps having likable people that do such horrible things to others that I also like.
It's driving me crazy. And I love every single second of it. And best of all, there is UNDERSTANDING. There is COMPASSION. It's beautiful. So very beautiful.
Am I right, little doom bringer? Am I right, you damn drakes? Am I right, innkeeper?
*Deep Sigh*
This series has now developed into a gem of surpassing worth--at least to me. Whatever faults it might have, it will never be unwanted or unappreciated. It is always welcome in my heart and hearth.
My synesthesia smells cornered rats, tears, and an immense swelling of hope. It also smells like spring.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
Arctunn.com
November 26, 2023
I really love this series, I really do…
However, we started this series with only Erin and our runnergirl as sidekick… now we have countless chapters after another with new characters, a series called the wandering inn - yet 80% of the book is about something else.
Don’t get me wrong, get new characters but ease into it - nobody cares about people you haven’t met in 10 books earlier just to then read not one or 2 chapters of their perspective and get to know them but get 5-6 of those, just to switch back to another „not Erin“ and then repeat and repeat and repeat - I’m feeling like the 40h audiobook I was listening to had about 1h of the „original main character“ - I know this is not true and exaggerated but you get my point…
It’s like reading Harry Potter and after book 3 everything switches to Molly Weasleys perspective just to switch to fleurs perspective afterwards to prepare you for the tournament and introduce you to a different school, go back to Harry 20 chapters later to tell the audience why he is still hurting about his dead parents and then switch to Viktor for 10 chapters and explore his life…
It’s too much of everything else and too dense, I’ll soldier through a chapter or two, but more than that imma skip - and that’s dangerous for the series because people might quit if it’s too much…
But that’s just my 2 cents 😉
However, we started this series with only Erin and our runnergirl as sidekick… now we have countless chapters after another with new characters, a series called the wandering inn - yet 80% of the book is about something else.
Don’t get me wrong, get new characters but ease into it - nobody cares about people you haven’t met in 10 books earlier just to then read not one or 2 chapters of their perspective and get to know them but get 5-6 of those, just to switch back to another „not Erin“ and then repeat and repeat and repeat - I’m feeling like the 40h audiobook I was listening to had about 1h of the „original main character“ - I know this is not true and exaggerated but you get my point…
It’s like reading Harry Potter and after book 3 everything switches to Molly Weasleys perspective just to switch to fleurs perspective afterwards to prepare you for the tournament and introduce you to a different school, go back to Harry 20 chapters later to tell the audience why he is still hurting about his dead parents and then switch to Viktor for 10 chapters and explore his life…
It’s too much of everything else and too dense, I’ll soldier through a chapter or two, but more than that imma skip - and that’s dangerous for the series because people might quit if it’s too much…
But that’s just my 2 cents 😉
April 26, 2025
Picking up The Titan of Baleros is like a breath of fresh air in a familiar landscape. This instalment delves deeper into the stories of the secondary characters, making them shine in their own right. In Izril, the nobles are at their usual game of power plays and scheming, adding an intriguing complexity to the narrative. Meanwhile, the city of Liscor itself is facing its own set of political challenges, heating up with internal dynamics and decisions that keep things interesting. Over on Baleros, our favourite Strategist, Niers Astoragon, is up to his usual brilliant antics, making sure that life's never just a simple game. The book seamlessly blends these different elements, creating a story that's both engaging and comfortably familiar, making you look forward to what's next in this vividly imagined world.
July 7, 2025
4.5/5
Love the titan parts.
One of the Best books yet.
Perfect balance of the characters.
Love the titan parts.
One of the Best books yet.
Perfect balance of the characters.
May 3, 2025
RTC - Titans Games and Liscor Election... what isn't there to love.
March 23, 2024
Ahhhh the Wandering Inn 🏨… such an amazing saga, knowing that every time I read a new installment, it will be a top tier book. Easy 5/5. This is probably the 3rd best book in the series behind “The Last Light” and “Tears”. So much action and alternate story lines, that Erin’s POV at the end seems to be the weakest haha. Can’t wait for the newest release this Spring. More to come…
January 9, 2025
Well woven story
Every time the loving way all the little bits and pieces flow back from distant stories into one gorgeous web gets me. This one had so many places to go, but still led back to the inn with such a natural rhythm that I forgot this was a story someone set up to land that way.
Every time the loving way all the little bits and pieces flow back from distant stories into one gorgeous web gets me. This one had so many places to go, but still led back to the inn with such a natural rhythm that I forgot this was a story someone set up to land that way.
December 30, 2024
I started this series at the beginning of last year as audio books (Lon the recommendation of my friend Terry). This is the most recent audio though i think there’s about 30 volumes to come (phew).
Not usually my type of series but it’s hugely entertaining with an ever expanding cast of characters who are all beautifully drawn.
Half of my enjoyment, I think, is from Andrea Parsneau’s narration (maybe more than half). She is extremely good.
Not usually my type of series but it’s hugely entertaining with an ever expanding cast of characters who are all beautifully drawn.
Half of my enjoyment, I think, is from Andrea Parsneau’s narration (maybe more than half). She is extremely good.
May 6, 2024
As always, the best.
August 9, 2025
Another great entry in this series. There's something special here, the characters alone make it worth a try.
February 29, 2024
Ok, I get why they feel the need to separate the ebook/audiobook releases into multiple parts. However, I feel like at this point it's doing harm on the overall reading experience.
Book 10 was overall the weakest entry in my opinion for a variety of reasons but after reading book 11 it's clear this has what 10 was missing. I really feel it's an injustice to read them separately.
Overall I felt this was a great book and while unbalanced it was at least great all the way through. Obviously the game in Baleros was a big part of it and was quite entertaining but in particular I loved returning to the almost normal inn in the later portion. The world building and points of view continue to expand, which most of which is awesome, but it feels like we don't get enough of the inn experience anymore so it was nice.
Book 10 was overall the weakest entry in my opinion for a variety of reasons but after reading book 11 it's clear this has what 10 was missing. I really feel it's an injustice to read them separately.
Overall I felt this was a great book and while unbalanced it was at least great all the way through. Obviously the game in Baleros was a big part of it and was quite entertaining but in particular I loved returning to the almost normal inn in the later portion. The world building and points of view continue to expand, which most of which is awesome, but it feels like we don't get enough of the inn experience anymore so it was nice.
December 15, 2023
I've been holding off commenting on this series. I started reading them because they were free on Audible--long and free. Pirateaba's writing was weak I my opinion, characters were annoying me not so much for their personality, but for the characterization. Inconsistent and rough, the work of a very imaginative writer, full of cool ideas, but still developing and it showed in the writing.
But the story was addicting. Just when I thought I'd dump the book, she'd pull me back and make me give them another chance.
Now I'm on book 11 and I'm glad I was patient. This series has become my new guilty pleasure.
But the story was addicting. Just when I thought I'd dump the book, she'd pull me back and make me give them another chance.
Now I'm on book 11 and I'm glad I was patient. This series has become my new guilty pleasure.
November 23, 2023
Best game of hide and seek ever. I love these characters and pirateaba's style of writing.
July 25, 2024
I love these characters. I love the world. I never want this series to end.
June 14, 2024
I would say that the author, pirataba is steadily building the world bilding even still.
Like someone said this is a metastory, a story of stories, there are multiple books included, like "The Second Antinium Wars", which was ~18500 words, or ~45-50 pages*.
This book is a wonderful continuation, most of the plot is something that has occurred naturally, and has been building up to this point for at least the last 3 books. The world has also expanded a bit to accommodate all the interactions between the countless characters in the scenes.
All in all, one of the best books so far.
*I selected it into word to count, I excluded the commentary from different characters included in between, so I got 18284 words in total
A little opinion with a spoiler: Erin should have gotten a skill to bolster the door at the end, no partial reconstruction, or so I think would make sense.
Like someone said this is a metastory, a story of stories, there are multiple books included, like "The Second Antinium Wars", which was ~18500 words, or ~45-50 pages*.
This book is a wonderful continuation, most of the plot is something that has occurred naturally, and has been building up to this point for at least the last 3 books. The world has also expanded a bit to accommodate all the interactions between the countless characters in the scenes.
All in all, one of the best books so far.
*I selected it into word to count, I excluded the commentary from different characters included in between, so I got 18284 words in total
A little opinion with a spoiler: Erin should have gotten a skill to bolster the door at the end, no partial reconstruction, or so I think would make sense.
May 3, 2025
4.8*
Aquesta entrega et transporta al caòtic continent de Baleros, governat per mercenaris i intrigues, on destaca Niers Astoragon, un estrateg genial… de 30 centímetres d’alçada. Pirateaba barreja batalles estratègiques, moments còmics absurds i una crítica subtil al poder i la fama. L’humor és omnipresent: des de la Companyia de les Nacions Unides enfonsant-se en problemes surrealistes fins a diàlegs que fan riure a crits en tornar a Liscor amb l'Erin, tot sense perdre l’epicitat d’un món RPG immersiu. Ideal per qui busqui fantasia intel·ligent, acció i rialles inesperades en un llibre que demostra que fins i tot un tità petit pot causar un terratrèmol.
Aquesta entrega et transporta al caòtic continent de Baleros, governat per mercenaris i intrigues, on destaca Niers Astoragon, un estrateg genial… de 30 centímetres d’alçada. Pirateaba barreja batalles estratègiques, moments còmics absurds i una crítica subtil al poder i la fama. L’humor és omnipresent: des de la Companyia de les Nacions Unides enfonsant-se en problemes surrealistes fins a diàlegs que fan riure a crits en tornar a Liscor amb l'Erin, tot sense perdre l’epicitat d’un món RPG immersiu. Ideal per qui busqui fantasia intel·ligent, acció i rialles inesperades en un llibre que demostra que fins i tot un tità petit pot causar un terratrèmol.
July 21, 2025
RTC - ending on a such a Bang!!
And in more than one ways as I just noticed... Damn that is a couple I didn't know I needed but I do SOOOOO much.
And about the book: One of the greatest sections of the series so far. Incredible worldbuilding, insane building that I'm sure will have even more payoff when everything shifts together in what I suppose will be the next volume or the one after that.
Also the last arc in here was pure TWI bliss. Just vibes and heartwarming pirate-isms. Loved it even though there were some less interesting parts in the third quarter...
And in more than one ways as I just noticed... Damn that is a couple I didn't know I needed but I do SOOOOO much.
And about the book: One of the greatest sections of the series so far. Incredible worldbuilding, insane building that I'm sure will have even more payoff when everything shifts together in what I suppose will be the next volume or the one after that.
Also the last arc in here was pure TWI bliss. Just vibes and heartwarming pirate-isms. Loved it even though there were some less interesting parts in the third quarter...
December 4, 2023
Book #11 starts with Selys Shivertail (Erin's friend and heiress to General Shivertail's magical armour). We see Selys trying ro adjust to her new-found wealth and, following some serious words from her grandmother, she eventually gets embroiled in local politics. Actually, Krshia and Selys want to convert Liscor into a democracy.
Ksmvr is on his own in a distant town. His team have been arrested for causing havoc in a local adventurers guild (totally not their fault). He decides to undertake a job on his own. A job his team were going to work on together. He's going to take out a group of bandits. Ksmvr ventures out on horseback, finds the bandit den, and thoroughly kicks ass (awesome storytelling here).
The United Nations Company on Baleros are trying to grow through adventuring too. Whilst some members of the company are doing usually trades and jobs others are taking on some rather difficult quests. This time they're up against giant snakes but they might have an option for explosives in future...
Niers Astoragon (the Titan of Baleros) is hosting the latest of his semi-yearly games for his students. A game of hide-and-seek (or capture the flag). One of his infamous former students is the seeker whilst all of his current students have to hide. They all have until sunset to finish the game but to win they have to enter a small circle surrounding Niers in the town square. There are 2,000 soldiers against them. Luan (the rower from the UN Company) is on a delivery for a minotaur amidst the chaos. He gets roped into the whole mess and starts working as a member of the team.
Black roses are sent to the Ladies of Izril (Magnolia Reinhart's allies) because they weren't involved in the human/goblin seige against Liscor. The black roses are a sign of cowardice but each recipient clearly denounces such. Along with the flowers come assassins. Each Lady fends off the assassins in her own way. Ryoka carries a message for one particular Lady to her own army to standby for action and in so doing accomplishes the delivery in time to qualify as a courier.
Erin decides to get involved in the local politics. But she's not going to do so directly. No, she's going to do what she does best; she's going to introduce people that really need to meet each other. Erin begins by going through her magic door to Pallas and brings back Grimalkin (sinew mage) and Maughin (armourer) to Liscor. Amidst the politicking going on, Erin shows her guests around the small border city. A crowd follows along and so they return to Pallas and carry the door around so the folks in the Inn back in Liscor can look through and see the sights. Lots happens, ranging from barbells being introduced (Grimalkin and Relc form a strong friendship) to watching a play in the Inn with good company (Maughin gets lucky with Jelaqua as they bond over memories of Baleros).
----
A book about what's happening throughout the Inn-verse. Several side characters were introduced for the first time or just fleshed out a little more. It feels like a lived-in world where something is always happening somewhere regardless of what the MCs are doing.
The storytelling is great in this one. From Ksmvr"s solo adventure to the Titan's game. From the Ladies fending off assassins to democracy being introduced into Liscor. So much in this one that kept me interested from start to end.
No noticeable spelling/grammar errors that I can recall. The story progressed at a decent pace and the prose was gripping when it needed to be.
This series is 5 stars from me. It's my personal favourite in the LitRPG genre. This book was awesome too and I really loved my time reading it. Can't wait for the next book to come out.
Loved it - 4 stars
++++
MY STAR RANKING SYSTEM:
- 5 Stars - Personal favourite
- 4 Stars - Loved it
- 3 Stars - Enjoyed it
- 2 Stars - Found it lacking
- 1 Star - DNFed / Hated it
Ksmvr is on his own in a distant town. His team have been arrested for causing havoc in a local adventurers guild (totally not their fault). He decides to undertake a job on his own. A job his team were going to work on together. He's going to take out a group of bandits. Ksmvr ventures out on horseback, finds the bandit den, and thoroughly kicks ass (awesome storytelling here).
The United Nations Company on Baleros are trying to grow through adventuring too. Whilst some members of the company are doing usually trades and jobs others are taking on some rather difficult quests. This time they're up against giant snakes but they might have an option for explosives in future...
Niers Astoragon (the Titan of Baleros) is hosting the latest of his semi-yearly games for his students. A game of hide-and-seek (or capture the flag). One of his infamous former students is the seeker whilst all of his current students have to hide. They all have until sunset to finish the game but to win they have to enter a small circle surrounding Niers in the town square. There are 2,000 soldiers against them. Luan (the rower from the UN Company) is on a delivery for a minotaur amidst the chaos. He gets roped into the whole mess and starts working as a member of the team.
Black roses are sent to the Ladies of Izril (Magnolia Reinhart's allies) because they weren't involved in the human/goblin seige against Liscor. The black roses are a sign of cowardice but each recipient clearly denounces such. Along with the flowers come assassins. Each Lady fends off the assassins in her own way. Ryoka carries a message for one particular Lady to her own army to standby for action and in so doing accomplishes the delivery in time to qualify as a courier.
Erin decides to get involved in the local politics. But she's not going to do so directly. No, she's going to do what she does best; she's going to introduce people that really need to meet each other. Erin begins by going through her magic door to Pallas and brings back Grimalkin (sinew mage) and Maughin (armourer) to Liscor. Amidst the politicking going on, Erin shows her guests around the small border city. A crowd follows along and so they return to Pallas and carry the door around so the folks in the Inn back in Liscor can look through and see the sights. Lots happens, ranging from barbells being introduced (Grimalkin and Relc form a strong friendship) to watching a play in the Inn with good company (Maughin gets lucky with Jelaqua as they bond over memories of Baleros).
----
A book about what's happening throughout the Inn-verse. Several side characters were introduced for the first time or just fleshed out a little more. It feels like a lived-in world where something is always happening somewhere regardless of what the MCs are doing.
The storytelling is great in this one. From Ksmvr"s solo adventure to the Titan's game. From the Ladies fending off assassins to democracy being introduced into Liscor. So much in this one that kept me interested from start to end.
No noticeable spelling/grammar errors that I can recall. The story progressed at a decent pace and the prose was gripping when it needed to be.
This series is 5 stars from me. It's my personal favourite in the LitRPG genre. This book was awesome too and I really loved my time reading it. Can't wait for the next book to come out.
Loved it - 4 stars
++++
MY STAR RANKING SYSTEM:
- 5 Stars - Personal favourite
- 4 Stars - Loved it
- 3 Stars - Enjoyed it
- 2 Stars - Found it lacking
- 1 Star - DNFed / Hated it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2024
2024/11/04 Mini-Review: 1st Audio Re-read
Great narration by Andrea Parsneau! =D
The Wandering Inn has been rebuilt and changed for the third time, and this is where I feel the Innverse story comes together as an established series. A lot of growing pains, multiple introductions and hodgepodge events of varying scale have born fruit, exploded, been lost, found and set. After thousands of pages, there's less guessing about who is who, what is where and more attention paid to what's going on. All the characters stay true to character, and hints of the main story arc remain as elusive threads of a chaotic treasure hunt.
Pretty sure it was around Volume 6 that I started to love the series vs just enjoying it.
Erin isn't a clueless airhead. She's a genius at the things she understands and a sloppy newb for the rest. Isn't that the way it generally works? No one is truly omniscient. One of the highlights for Erin would be the hardcore manner she puts forth her ideas into action. If she cares and feels that there should be a change, Erin will bend the world around her to make that change manifest. There's a good bit of that present in this book, but you can't appreciate it without all the setup pages that have come before.
I love many of the Pallas characters that have been introduced and interwoven into the main cast. Totally happy with Niers getting most of the audio and showing off his brain. It's such a fun, twisty spree of mental gymnastics. It's cool how alien aspects of the series have been normalized. Like the exchange between the Antinium Queen & Bird.
My favorite part of the series is the way Pirateaba can show extreme aspects of one character and make you love-hate that part accordingly. The ability to draw reader response can be a curse and a blessing. No reader will want to waste time on a story that doesn't engage them. Yet, when the responses are accurate to the story (exasperation, frustration, disgust, boredom, etc), it could make the reader think that they don't like the story vs the feelings being created on purpose to set the stage for the reader.
If you want a rolling, emotionally and mentally engaged story that requires some patience, the Wandering Inn hits the mark well. It's definitely not a fluff read.
- Niers & Students
- Rufelt & Lasica
- Grimalkin
- Relc & Daughter
- Drake Politics
- Queen of Pop
- Flowers of War
- Corn
- Liscor vs Pallas
- Yellow Splatters
Great narration by Andrea Parsneau! =D
The Wandering Inn has been rebuilt and changed for the third time, and this is where I feel the Innverse story comes together as an established series. A lot of growing pains, multiple introductions and hodgepodge events of varying scale have born fruit, exploded, been lost, found and set. After thousands of pages, there's less guessing about who is who, what is where and more attention paid to what's going on. All the characters stay true to character, and hints of the main story arc remain as elusive threads of a chaotic treasure hunt.
Pretty sure it was around Volume 6 that I started to love the series vs just enjoying it.
Erin isn't a clueless airhead. She's a genius at the things she understands and a sloppy newb for the rest. Isn't that the way it generally works? No one is truly omniscient. One of the highlights for Erin would be the hardcore manner she puts forth her ideas into action. If she cares and feels that there should be a change, Erin will bend the world around her to make that change manifest. There's a good bit of that present in this book, but you can't appreciate it without all the setup pages that have come before.
I love many of the Pallas characters that have been introduced and interwoven into the main cast. Totally happy with Niers getting most of the audio and showing off his brain. It's such a fun, twisty spree of mental gymnastics. It's cool how alien aspects of the series have been normalized. Like the exchange between the Antinium Queen & Bird.
My favorite part of the series is the way Pirateaba can show extreme aspects of one character and make you love-hate that part accordingly. The ability to draw reader response can be a curse and a blessing. No reader will want to waste time on a story that doesn't engage them. Yet, when the responses are accurate to the story (exasperation, frustration, disgust, boredom, etc), it could make the reader think that they don't like the story vs the feelings being created on purpose to set the stage for the reader.
If you want a rolling, emotionally and mentally engaged story that requires some patience, the Wandering Inn hits the mark well. It's definitely not a fluff read.
- Niers & Students
- Rufelt & Lasica
- Grimalkin
- Relc & Daughter
- Drake Politics
- Queen of Pop
- Flowers of War
- Corn
- Liscor vs Pallas
- Yellow Splatters
November 5, 2025
Thank goodness, we are back to quality Wandering Inn content after the painful stretch that was Book 10, The Wind Runner.
As usual, here are The Good, The Bad, and The Meh:
The Good:
- Selys dealing with her hoarding and mental health after becoming rich.
- The election of Liscor. Democracy and the origins of political parties can be dull, but Pirateaba was able to find the right balance of complexity in ideals and how to approach problems in a nonbinary manner.
- Ksmvr leveling up and going on a bandit killing spree. The conflict with the other Celum adventurers felt dated and a little weak, but it made for some strong character development for Ksmvr at least.
- Introducing bombs into Baleros is a great setup for future conflict. I also love spending time with the Lord of the Flies frathouse collective that is the United Nations.
- The Titan's Game was fantastic. We actually got some depth to Niers' students, particularly Umani, Venaz, Wil, and Marian. The stages of the game were constantly exciting and set up a huge underdog story with the introduction of the Iron Vanguard and Tulm the Mithril. Luan joining Venaz and company was a fun character mix. Wil rising to his full potential with a full invasion of soldiers was badass. This felt like The Hunger Games mixed with Capture the Flag and it was a wild and exciting ride. I was hoping Umani's win would be a bit more climactic, but it was a fun twist regardless. Excited to see where these characters’ arcs go next.
- The Bethel and Black Rose storyline. Finally, some follow-up from Tyrion and Magnolia's conflict. The assassins were cool and made for a clever introduction of the trade war Skill and tariffs (despite that hitting too close to home right now).
- Klbkch's plotting and true intentions supporting the election and Kershia. Very down for an expansion of the Walls storyline (and upgrading the inn while we are at it).
- The Free Queen's discussion of what the True Antinium are with Garry and Bird. Also, never hint at Bird's death or I will riot.
- Erin being Erin and connecting everyone in a cunning and somewhat unplanned nature at the same time. It was a bit confusing at times with the intent going between Pallass and Liscor, but it came together nicely in the end.
- Interested in the Zevara and Cal Ruz storyline to come.
- Grimalkin is great, and I will take more of his character for the comedic relief.
The Bad:
- Ryoka. Still not working for me, but perhaps better than the vampire storyline of the last book. The sprint to pass along Bethel's message has a lot of plot armor for why this wouldn't just be a basic spell message, but it was kind of cool.
- Olesm. He is the worst character and acts like a whiny and petty child all of the time. His actions with the election after being supported for his newsletter make him insufferable. I don't understand how he is considered so attractive and smart as a strategist.
- We keep hinting at Octavia being in trouble and have ignored it for a few books already. Let's get on with this storyline and dive into it already.
The Meh:
- The Bushrangers' serpent fight wasn't that exciting and didn't really advance the plot.
- The Embria chapter was a mixed bag. She is genuinely insufferable as a character, but when they lean into the dysfunction of her broken relationship with a childlike father in Relc, it hit some solid emotional beats.
- The return of Yellow Splatters didn't feel necessary and took away from his sacrifice in Book 9. I do like having a talking soldier, though.
- Glad to see The Halfseekers return, but reserving judgment on where the Maughin and Jelaqua relationship goes.
Onto Book 12 - The Witch of Webs. Hoping Laiken is more tolerable this time around.
As usual, here are The Good, The Bad, and The Meh:
The Good:
- Selys dealing with her hoarding and mental health after becoming rich.
- The election of Liscor. Democracy and the origins of political parties can be dull, but Pirateaba was able to find the right balance of complexity in ideals and how to approach problems in a nonbinary manner.
- Ksmvr leveling up and going on a bandit killing spree. The conflict with the other Celum adventurers felt dated and a little weak, but it made for some strong character development for Ksmvr at least.
- Introducing bombs into Baleros is a great setup for future conflict. I also love spending time with the Lord of the Flies frathouse collective that is the United Nations.
- The Titan's Game was fantastic. We actually got some depth to Niers' students, particularly Umani, Venaz, Wil, and Marian. The stages of the game were constantly exciting and set up a huge underdog story with the introduction of the Iron Vanguard and Tulm the Mithril. Luan joining Venaz and company was a fun character mix. Wil rising to his full potential with a full invasion of soldiers was badass. This felt like The Hunger Games mixed with Capture the Flag and it was a wild and exciting ride. I was hoping Umani's win would be a bit more climactic, but it was a fun twist regardless. Excited to see where these characters’ arcs go next.
- The Bethel and Black Rose storyline. Finally, some follow-up from Tyrion and Magnolia's conflict. The assassins were cool and made for a clever introduction of the trade war Skill and tariffs (despite that hitting too close to home right now).
- Klbkch's plotting and true intentions supporting the election and Kershia. Very down for an expansion of the Walls storyline (and upgrading the inn while we are at it).
- The Free Queen's discussion of what the True Antinium are with Garry and Bird. Also, never hint at Bird's death or I will riot.
- Erin being Erin and connecting everyone in a cunning and somewhat unplanned nature at the same time. It was a bit confusing at times with the intent going between Pallass and Liscor, but it came together nicely in the end.
- Interested in the Zevara and Cal Ruz storyline to come.
- Grimalkin is great, and I will take more of his character for the comedic relief.
The Bad:
- Ryoka. Still not working for me, but perhaps better than the vampire storyline of the last book. The sprint to pass along Bethel's message has a lot of plot armor for why this wouldn't just be a basic spell message, but it was kind of cool.
- Olesm. He is the worst character and acts like a whiny and petty child all of the time. His actions with the election after being supported for his newsletter make him insufferable. I don't understand how he is considered so attractive and smart as a strategist.
- We keep hinting at Octavia being in trouble and have ignored it for a few books already. Let's get on with this storyline and dive into it already.
The Meh:
- The Bushrangers' serpent fight wasn't that exciting and didn't really advance the plot.
- The Embria chapter was a mixed bag. She is genuinely insufferable as a character, but when they lean into the dysfunction of her broken relationship with a childlike father in Relc, it hit some solid emotional beats.
- The return of Yellow Splatters didn't feel necessary and took away from his sacrifice in Book 9. I do like having a talking soldier, though.
- Glad to see The Halfseekers return, but reserving judgment on where the Maughin and Jelaqua relationship goes.
Onto Book 12 - The Witch of Webs. Hoping Laiken is more tolerable this time around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2025
If I didn’t know many others also enjoy this series, I would assume the author was some sophisticated AI designed by a secret organization specifically to write books for me. Amid the sprawling narrative there are little moments littered throughout that epitomizes why reading is such a transitive art.
We are in Act III. The last book officially closed the teenage years and now we are grown ups. I wasn’t sure where we would go but the title of this book was a good indication.
I’ll concede that the Titan’s storyline is interesting, but I haven’t been sold yet on all those connected with him. A large chunk focused on his students and the best game of hide and go seek since the movie Tag.
Ryoka’s redemption arc has been a delight. It got to the point with Ryoka that I wasn’t really enjoying her story. Perhaps that was part of the master plan. Her taking ownership and responsibility for her actions is what was needed for me to reconnect. And the discussion of mental health generally. Wow. I think many struggle at times with mental wellbeing, but even if one did not, the writing made it feel so effortless to understand what these characters are feeling. Perhaps the highlight of the book for me. And we also finally got to see her in action again and I’m all for it.
Finally, Liscor. (Skipping over quite a bit of side story.) As always, it feels like coming home. If you come across this review because you are interested in these books, you probably won’t get offended by an author making some veiled social commentary. It is hard not to read the election story line in Liscor without facing some harsh truths about modern society.
I rated this 4 stars because my rating scale is essentially either 5 or 4. A 4 means it isn’t going to be one of my all time favorite books. I think I’ve given two books in this series a 4. So I found this book wildly enjoyable, but not among the best in the series.
We are in Act III. The last book officially closed the teenage years and now we are grown ups. I wasn’t sure where we would go but the title of this book was a good indication.
I’ll concede that the Titan’s storyline is interesting, but I haven’t been sold yet on all those connected with him. A large chunk focused on his students and the best game of hide and go seek since the movie Tag.
Ryoka’s redemption arc has been a delight. It got to the point with Ryoka that I wasn’t really enjoying her story. Perhaps that was part of the master plan. Her taking ownership and responsibility for her actions is what was needed for me to reconnect. And the discussion of mental health generally. Wow. I think many struggle at times with mental wellbeing, but even if one did not, the writing made it feel so effortless to understand what these characters are feeling. Perhaps the highlight of the book for me. And we also finally got to see her in action again and I’m all for it.
Finally, Liscor. (Skipping over quite a bit of side story.) As always, it feels like coming home. If you come across this review because you are interested in these books, you probably won’t get offended by an author making some veiled social commentary. It is hard not to read the election story line in Liscor without facing some harsh truths about modern society.
I rated this 4 stars because my rating scale is essentially either 5 or 4. A 4 means it isn’t going to be one of my all time favorite books. I think I’ve given two books in this series a 4. So I found this book wildly enjoyable, but not among the best in the series.
November 19, 2023
No matter how long pirateaba's books are, they're never long enough! No sirrry, not ever long enough to satisfy my appetite for more of the Wandering Inn-verse. There’s so much to find out about, to look around and see what else is goin on. So much is happening, with so much pulse-pounding action and political machinations it keep us mesmerized.
The way pirateaba writes the Inn-verse, is by grouping a bunch of characters into their own short stories that often cross paths with each other, sometimes it's by location and sometimes just by notoriety. The titular Wandering Inn is often a tipping point where there's a lot the action and where these characters often meet! Whether it's a Drake, Gnoll, Antinium or a Goblin! Pirateaba weaves together a powerful web of stories together to make a completed whole, although there's always more story-threads left dangling. Hense the book's too short!
And we find ourselves starting out our journey in this book with Selys Shivertail a Drake and Heiress, and goin on from there, we run into other really powerful stories! Like for instance the Titan of Baleros a famous strategist as he sets up a game of hide and seek for his graduating class, against one of his most successful and now infamous student that's ever graduated from his school! And another story out Liscor about trying to set up a democratic vote in the city for council members. And thoughout it all happening in Liscor, Erin Solstice the Innkeeper weaves her way through the pages. In general she's just doing her job feeding and keeping her patrons happy, even going as far introducing them to each other and maybe hopefully broadening their horizons at the same time. This is definitely the most feel good selection of stories chosen for this part of the saga, because when Ryoka Griffin smiles 😃 you gotta know that it's gonna be that kinda book!
The way pirateaba writes the Inn-verse, is by grouping a bunch of characters into their own short stories that often cross paths with each other, sometimes it's by location and sometimes just by notoriety. The titular Wandering Inn is often a tipping point where there's a lot the action and where these characters often meet! Whether it's a Drake, Gnoll, Antinium or a Goblin! Pirateaba weaves together a powerful web of stories together to make a completed whole, although there's always more story-threads left dangling. Hense the book's too short!
And we find ourselves starting out our journey in this book with Selys Shivertail a Drake and Heiress, and goin on from there, we run into other really powerful stories! Like for instance the Titan of Baleros a famous strategist as he sets up a game of hide and seek for his graduating class, against one of his most successful and now infamous student that's ever graduated from his school! And another story out Liscor about trying to set up a democratic vote in the city for council members. And thoughout it all happening in Liscor, Erin Solstice the Innkeeper weaves her way through the pages. In general she's just doing her job feeding and keeping her patrons happy, even going as far introducing them to each other and maybe hopefully broadening their horizons at the same time. This is definitely the most feel good selection of stories chosen for this part of the saga, because when Ryoka Griffin smiles 😃 you gotta know that it's gonna be that kinda book!
August 20, 2025
Ah GoodReads Reviews. Remember when people were actually writing reviews instead of 5-starring everything that has fantasy words in it? Yeah, long time ago. There is about 2000 votes on this piece of exceptional crap and most of it is 4* plus. Wow. I mean, do y'all just not read enough or are you really that dim?
Worst book i have ever read by a mile. After about 40% i just ended up skipping entire chapters because these characters are so unrealistic and uninteresting, even within their own context. The plot is horrible. There is 0 editing. The author has literally 0 idea what she is talking about yet finds the need to constantly refer to real world events/inventions/science. If you dont know, GOOGLE IT! Is it that hard? The people who thoroughly enjoy this book have to be either uneducated or absolute simpletons not to get bothered by big mistakes in things like simple physics.
Also, the writing has become so, so much worse since book 1. Where the first books focused more on a small group, it was manageable. Now there is a wide cast, mostly of very uninteresting characters, especially in a fantasy world. Now these boring sidecharacters are often the main characters. And no, the author did not get better at fleshing out these characters. She just runs with it. It sucks.
And btw, if you are writing a LitRPG with a leveling system, dont you think it would be wise for characters to show ANY PROGRESSION AT ALL, besides those completely nonsensical level-up announcements? Erin = exactly the same, Riyoka = exactly the same, every other character is literally exactly the same as book 1. Only now they are "higher level". Does that mean anything meaningful after 11 books? Not. At. All. Nothing. Literally nothing.
Worst book i have ever read by a mile. After about 40% i just ended up skipping entire chapters because these characters are so unrealistic and uninteresting, even within their own context. The plot is horrible. There is 0 editing. The author has literally 0 idea what she is talking about yet finds the need to constantly refer to real world events/inventions/science. If you dont know, GOOGLE IT! Is it that hard? The people who thoroughly enjoy this book have to be either uneducated or absolute simpletons not to get bothered by big mistakes in things like simple physics.
Also, the writing has become so, so much worse since book 1. Where the first books focused more on a small group, it was manageable. Now there is a wide cast, mostly of very uninteresting characters, especially in a fantasy world. Now these boring sidecharacters are often the main characters. And no, the author did not get better at fleshing out these characters. She just runs with it. It sucks.
And btw, if you are writing a LitRPG with a leveling system, dont you think it would be wise for characters to show ANY PROGRESSION AT ALL, besides those completely nonsensical level-up announcements? Erin = exactly the same, Riyoka = exactly the same, every other character is literally exactly the same as book 1. Only now they are "higher level". Does that mean anything meaningful after 11 books? Not. At. All. Nothing. Literally nothing.
October 28, 2025
In this eleventh volume of The Wandering Inn, the story once again moves away from Liscor to explore the sprawling continent of Baleros. Most of the first half of the book follows the Games of Daquin, where Luan, a secondary character from Geneva's arc, is caught in this adventure that depicts, at the scale of a game and a city, the grand conflicts and political schemes that define this chaotic land — a setting where ambition, magic, and colossal forces constantly collide.
While much of the focus shifts away from Erin’s main storyline, Daquin’s arc proves surprisingly engaging. It brings a lighter, more humorous tone to the saga while offering a dizzying sense of scale — a glimpse at just how vast and interconnected the Innworld truly is. Pirateaba continues to expand her universe with remarkable imagination and scope, creating a world that feels alive in every corner.
The return to Erin at the end of the book is a genuine breath of fresh air. Her disarming naïveté, blended with her instinctive gift for persuasion and benevolant manipulation, remains as compelling as ever, and reminds why she remains one of the most fascinating character of the series. After the dark and heavy events unfold during the siege of Liscor, these chapters bring back a welcome sense of warmth and playfulness.
A transitional volume, perhaps — but an incredibly rich and ambitious one, showcasing Pirateaba’s growing mastery of tone and magistral ambition in worldbuilding.
While much of the focus shifts away from Erin’s main storyline, Daquin’s arc proves surprisingly engaging. It brings a lighter, more humorous tone to the saga while offering a dizzying sense of scale — a glimpse at just how vast and interconnected the Innworld truly is. Pirateaba continues to expand her universe with remarkable imagination and scope, creating a world that feels alive in every corner.
The return to Erin at the end of the book is a genuine breath of fresh air. Her disarming naïveté, blended with her instinctive gift for persuasion and benevolant manipulation, remains as compelling as ever, and reminds why she remains one of the most fascinating character of the series. After the dark and heavy events unfold during the siege of Liscor, these chapters bring back a welcome sense of warmth and playfulness.
A transitional volume, perhaps — but an incredibly rich and ambitious one, showcasing Pirateaba’s growing mastery of tone and magistral ambition in worldbuilding.
December 29, 2025
The Titan of Baleros delivers everything I love about The Wandering Inn at its best: layered strategy, cascading consequences, and the quiet thrill of realizing that the world has just shifted, again.
The Titan’s game is the undeniable highlight. Watching his and his students' plans unfold is exhilarating, not because every move is loud or explosive, but because each decision feels like a stone dropped into deep water. The ripples spread across continents, factions, and expectations, and the sheer intelligence behind the maneuvering makes every reveal land with weight. It’s a reminder of how terrifying true strategic genius can be in this world. There are still some hidden components of the Titan's plan with this year's game but very excited to continue reading about it.
The events at Liscor are especially gripping. What starts as something that may be a minor development in the events of this city quickly veers into the unexpected, forcing rapid adaptation, and raising the stakes in ways that feel both surprising and completely earned. Even better, Erin’s involvement felt organic but also so truly Erin.
My only real disappointment is how brief Ryoka’s involvement was. Her presence is always electric, and I couldn’t help but want more time with her perspective. Still, that sense of scarcity is tempered by genuine excitement for what’s brewing in the north. The groundwork being laid promises tension, danger, and momentum that I’m eager to see pay off.
The Titan’s game is the undeniable highlight. Watching his and his students' plans unfold is exhilarating, not because every move is loud or explosive, but because each decision feels like a stone dropped into deep water. The ripples spread across continents, factions, and expectations, and the sheer intelligence behind the maneuvering makes every reveal land with weight. It’s a reminder of how terrifying true strategic genius can be in this world. There are still some hidden components of the Titan's plan with this year's game but very excited to continue reading about it.
The events at Liscor are especially gripping. What starts as something that may be a minor development in the events of this city quickly veers into the unexpected, forcing rapid adaptation, and raising the stakes in ways that feel both surprising and completely earned. Even better, Erin’s involvement felt organic but also so truly Erin.
My only real disappointment is how brief Ryoka’s involvement was. Her presence is always electric, and I couldn’t help but want more time with her perspective. Still, that sense of scarcity is tempered by genuine excitement for what’s brewing in the north. The groundwork being laid promises tension, danger, and momentum that I’m eager to see pay off.
October 10, 2025
Another wonderful installment in my favorite series ever. The Titan of Baleros mainly focuses on the Titan's traditional game of hide and seek played among his students and Liscor's elections, a new political dynamic that is sure to rock the relatively small city in the months and years to come.
Regarding the first, it was downright filthy how much hype was involved in a "simple" game of hide and seek. Despite the somewhat lackluster winner, Wil's performance got me riled up and rooting hard for him.
I viewed Liscor's elections, on the other hand, as a disappointment at first. It was a good play to get those secondary characters involved in politics, but I at first viewed this as a parallel to our society that would tarnish the fun, fantastical nature of the Wandering Inn. However, Pirateaba completely turned this notion on its head. Towards the end, the elections became an opportunity not only to push novelty into Liscor, but also to make plausible the meeting of various characters, culminating into a chapter that represents one of my favorite aspects of the series: the interactions of characters deeply explored through thousands of pages.
Once again, the author blesses us with her divine words, go read it now!
Regarding the first, it was downright filthy how much hype was involved in a "simple" game of hide and seek. Despite the somewhat lackluster winner, Wil's performance got me riled up and rooting hard for him.
I viewed Liscor's elections, on the other hand, as a disappointment at first. It was a good play to get those secondary characters involved in politics, but I at first viewed this as a parallel to our society that would tarnish the fun, fantastical nature of the Wandering Inn. However, Pirateaba completely turned this notion on its head. Towards the end, the elections became an opportunity not only to push novelty into Liscor, but also to make plausible the meeting of various characters, culminating into a chapter that represents one of my favorite aspects of the series: the interactions of characters deeply explored through thousands of pages.
Once again, the author blesses us with her divine words, go read it now!
December 6, 2023
"Oh, this is SUCH a good book!" Repeated three times in my kitchen, with only Toot & Puddle to hear. Ten out of five stars! I'm extremely well-versed in Pirateaba's "The Wandering Inn," a chronic re-reader, and except for the fact it was book one through Audible that lured me in, even causing me to abandon my classic rock on the treadmill to bend over in laughter, etc., this would be the best of the Audible cuts. So a tie... The writing is superb, the characterizations are best possible conception a writer could have, the story lines entrancing, the narration superlative. I would say the actual "games" from which the title is derived were my least captivating segment, but when I first read them, they were fabulous. The outcome much later on is even better. Other reviews summarize and critique in great detail. I won't... Just know, an investment in Pirateaba is one of the best you can make in your literary world. And this one makes me deliciously happy! Thank you Pirateaba and Andrea Parsneau, with all my heart and intellect and emotion. I drew this out so it could have the deserving spot of 100th book of the year.
April 1, 2024
I absolutely loved this entry. It has a lot of cozy and growth and not too much pain, which was nice, since I'm still reeling from the emotional gut-punches of the Liscor volumes. We get to see almost all of our favorite characters (no Laken or Rags, Tom the Clown or King of Destruction in this one, but I really didn't mind). We meet some new folks on the Titan's side of the world, and get to spend some time with the Titan himself too--more than we did with Ryoka in her eponymous volume. Though his muffin-loving second-in-command is largely absent.
A big chunk of the story is given over to politics in Liscor and Pallas, and it was really interesting to see all of the different aspects of each city come into contact with each other. We get more depth and insight into the Antinium and Erin continues to build bridges across all. We don't see a lot of Numbtongue, but the few times he does pop up I was happily surprised to see how much he is talking! There's definitely something going on with Ophelia... but what? We'll have to wait to find out.
A big chunk of the story is given over to politics in Liscor and Pallas, and it was really interesting to see all of the different aspects of each city come into contact with each other. We get more depth and insight into the Antinium and Erin continues to build bridges across all. We don't see a lot of Numbtongue, but the few times he does pop up I was happily surprised to see how much he is talking! There's definitely something going on with Ophelia... but what? We'll have to wait to find out.
January 6, 2025
This is going to be a universal review of the series which I will cut and paste because I read all 14 books in this series (so far). They are all available at the Wandering Inn website for free if you read them as they were written as a web published serial. They are addicting. The basic premise (see my review of book 1) is that people from our world have been transported, solo or in groups, to another world where the ground rules resemble those of a role playing game like Dungeons and Dragons. Erin Solstice is the main character in the first book, but new characters are introduced throughout the book. Goblins, Drakes, Gnolls (bear-like), Lizard People, Humans, Flying Garudas, Antinium,and Dullahans are the people of the world, all of whom are sentient. Magic abounds, but technology is in short supply. This is fascinating world building. I believe that the author is currently at around 10 million words in the series. Much of it is dialogue, which makes for faster reading, but be prepared to give a significant portion of your reading time to these books.
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