Golem Master: A LitRPG Arena Adventure

by TJ Lombardi, Catherine Dunn (editor), Vanessa Bruhm (editor)

Unleash the Power. Enter the Arena. Claim the Title of Golem Master.

In a world rebuilt after the Rift Wars, where steel titans and elemental magic collide in high-octane arena combat, one teenager dares to dream beyond the ruins.

Pepper Walker isn’t a hero. He’s just a high schooler working dead-end shifts at Rocket Burger, dodging bullies, and obsessing over Golem League matches. But when fate catapults him from fan to fighter, he'll need more than heart to survive—he'll need strategy, skill, and a golem of his own.

Welcome to The Golem League, where mechanical beasts powered by arcane runes clash in electrifying battles. Where legends are forged through grit and determination.

Packed with heart, humor, and pulse-pounding action, Golem Master is a LitRPG Arena thrill ride for fans of Pokemon, Pacific Rim, Reel Steel, and the underdogs who never stop fighting.

Gear up. The match has already begun.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Book 4 is currently being written and will be published in early 2026. Book 3 is currently with my editor. You can also get early access on my Patreon. ]

[ #1 Rising Star in Contemporary on RoyalRoad for 1 Month straight!]

So what are some of the elements you can come to expect in this epic adventure?
- Slice of Life pacing.
- Pokemon Arena Battles
- Crafting
- High School Setting to Start With
- Demonic Threat Looming Around the "Rift Gates"
- Historical Lore Regarding the "Rift Wars"
- More Easter Eggs and full throttle cast of LitRPG community members than I can count.
- Post-Apocalypse (In the rebuilding stage)
- Rated T for Teen
- Young Love (Again, rated T for Teen.... not T for Trouble.)
- Currently looking at 4 books in the series, (Maybe more)

516 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2025

Reviews

[Michael Hazan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️– This book definitely had a lot of heart and silly moments which I appreciated. I love things like giant robot battles and would've appreciated more descriptions of the actual Golems. It was sometimes hard to picture the actual Golems. There were some great action scenes of the professional Golem gladiators, but it would've been cool to see a bit more description of battles on Pepper & Co's side in the local tournaments. The same could have been said for the short GolemCon arc–I felt like it wasn't developed enough and I was sad to see that we didn't really get to interact with many other Rising Stars/newbies.

Furthermore I thought the dialogue was a bit cheesy at times. There were lots of Owen Wilson references, Big D jokes, and a couple other things that took me out of the book after their umpteenth mention. The characters did feel realistic. Despite all of the above, I did like this book and already purchased the second one. I'm excited to see how Pepper's adventures unfold!

[Heather Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Golem Master immediately scratched the same itch I had growing up watching Pokémon battles. If you loved the idea of forming a bond with a powerful creature, learning its strengths and weaknesses, and winning fights through strategy, not just brute force, this book hits that sweet spot!!!

What I appreciated most was the tone. There’s humor, heart, and a seriously satisfying underdog energy that kept me turning pages! Pepper’s setbacks actually matter, and his wins feel rewarding because you’ve watched him struggle for them. It’s the kind of book where you catch yourself thinking, okay, just one more chapter, and suddenly you’re halfway through another match.

If you ever dreamed of being a Pokémon trainer, but wished the battles were just…more?! Then Golem Master delivers that exact feeling!!! It’s a great underdog story with strong Pokémon vibes and enough action to kept me hooked from match to match.

[Scott Widener · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a soft LitRPG in my humble opinion as there is not a ton of "progression" of the MC. But what we do get is world building, character development, and a look into the life of our MC. This is the first book of TJ's, I have read but it will not be the last. I look forward to seeing where he plans on taking our MC and if there will be "progression" of our character or golem. I didn't mind the lack of true "progression" in this book because I started to really like the characters both big and small and the fight scenes between the golems brought in action to break up the ho-hum of daily life as it was scribed in this story.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this book is a mind blower, I was thoroughly entertained with the creative ideas of golems and the story of P Dub, the MC. I relived my childhood and youth reading this, epic battles with golems, entertaining trainers, I especially liked the Yeti lead by the great Stephen Landry. There's a ton of name-drops of littpg and gamelit authors.BTW if you like golden eggs, this book had many references to TJ's previous works that gave me chill and thrills. The antagonist, Tamin ....total douchebag, he fit the part perfectly. The golem battles range quite differently which gave a great variety. I totally recommend if ever interested in the nerd ways... For example if you like transformers, TMNT, Reel Steel, Pokemon, Yugi-OhD&D(there's only so many I can name)...hopefully by now you can recognize that this book has many epic cool moments.

[Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

great narration! the story is pretty set in a teenager's perspective, but it's got real heart. Looking forward to the next installment!

[A Wai · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Epic Blend of Heart and Imagination!

This book was such a great read. The worldbuilding is one of the highlights for me. It’s creative and immersive without feeling overcomplicated. You’re dropped into a world that’s clearly been through a lot, but it’s full of hope and innovation, which makes it so interesting to explore.

Pepper, the main character, is easy to root for. He’s determined, but he’s also human, making mistakes, learning as he goes, and pushing himself forward. The other characters add so much personality to the story, and their interactions feel natural and engaging.

The balance of action and quieter moments was perfect. The battles were fun and vivid without taking away from the emotional weight of the story. Everything felt like it had meaning, and it kept me hooked from start to finish.

If you’re into stories with great characters and a world that feels alive, I’d definitely recommend this. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Amanda Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is slower in pace, but was a great blend action, character depth and world building. The further I read in the story, the more I came to enjoy this pallet cleanser from other books on my TBR. It was a nice escape, feeling like I was young again and discovering all my early childhood favorites, Pokemon, Monster Rancher, Mummies Alive, Power Rangers... this story is such a throwback and one I couldn't help but love. I'm excited to see where the story goes and will absolutely being continuing this series.

[Perry Grimme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. The story and characters are very well developed. Narrators are excellent. Highly recommend this book to anyone.