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Born Different: A Monster Evolution LitRPG
Deep within the caverns of a secluded dungeon, a spider with impossible intelligence evolves far beyond the laws of nature, in this fantasy adventure.
Hatched from an egg along with their many brethren, a singular arachnid is driven by a survival instinct to hunt and feed. Unlike their siblings, they remain cautious and observant, aware of the dangers that lurk in the dungeon they call home. They watch as larger and more powerful beasts prey on other reckless, foolish spiders, developing a sense of self-preservation and a cunning intelligence they alone seem to possess.
Now identifying as Click, the spider has matured, discovering they are capable of an array of amazing abilities . . . of both body and mind. They can spin and launch webs, not only to catch prey but to sense the vibrations of those who stray onto their silken strands. Influencing the colony with their hunting strategies, Click can command other spiders to do their bidding, forging an army capable of attacking—and killing—even the most dangerous of the dungeon’s predators.
But the monsters roaming the dungeon are not Click’s most dangerous enemies. An Alpha Hunter Spider rivals Click for dominance over their brethren, spreading chaos throughout the colony. And a group of beings Click has never encountered before raid the dungeon, disturbing the natural order. They wield objects and conjure incredible energy in their quest to acquire strange treasures, slaughtering all in their path.
These invaders are called “humans,” and Click must lead the spiders in a merciless war against them in order to defend their home and ensure the very survival of their colony . . .
The hit LitRPG adventure—with more than 500,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
Hatched from an egg along with their many brethren, a singular arachnid is driven by a survival instinct to hunt and feed. Unlike their siblings, they remain cautious and observant, aware of the dangers that lurk in the dungeon they call home. They watch as larger and more powerful beasts prey on other reckless, foolish spiders, developing a sense of self-preservation and a cunning intelligence they alone seem to possess.
Now identifying as Click, the spider has matured, discovering they are capable of an array of amazing abilities . . . of both body and mind. They can spin and launch webs, not only to catch prey but to sense the vibrations of those who stray onto their silken strands. Influencing the colony with their hunting strategies, Click can command other spiders to do their bidding, forging an army capable of attacking—and killing—even the most dangerous of the dungeon’s predators.
But the monsters roaming the dungeon are not Click’s most dangerous enemies. An Alpha Hunter Spider rivals Click for dominance over their brethren, spreading chaos throughout the colony. And a group of beings Click has never encountered before raid the dungeon, disturbing the natural order. They wield objects and conjure incredible energy in their quest to acquire strange treasures, slaughtering all in their path.
These invaders are called “humans,” and Click must lead the spiders in a merciless war against them in order to defend their home and ensure the very survival of their colony . . .
The hit LitRPG adventure—with more than 500,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
- GenresFantasy
204 pages, Paperback
Published December 3, 2024
110 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 24, 2026
Born Different is a litRPG novella told mostly from the point of view of a highly intelligent dungeon-born spider. I didn't know what to expect going in and I'm glad I read it. This was a very unique experience as we follow the life of the dungeon spider named Click.
The story starts out with Click being born and just learning about the world it finds itself in and this weird thing called a system that keeps sending it messages. It was interesting reading about how Click worked things out and the logic the spider used based both on its unusual intelligence and its innate instincts. Click goes on quite an arc in 200 pages as it levels up and learns both about itself and the world around it. The leveling comes fast and furious making things slightly repetitive initially with all the character stats/skills and that part never truly goes away though it does tone down somewhat.
The story really ramps up a bit over halfway, with the introduction of . I actually didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would as I think it took away from the uniqueness that was Click's story up to that point. Things do come together in a satisfying manner and just as the story really gets going, it's done.
The book feels like the start to a series. I hope the author writes more about Click's adventures some day. The novella is currently stand alone and does read entirely as self contained.
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Initial thoughts: This was very different, having a book based on the POV of a newly born dungeon spider. I'm glad I gave it a try. The story really got going right when it ended which makes the book feel like the first in a series though it is very self contained. I hope the write decides to write more of Click's adventures.
The story starts out with Click being born and just learning about the world it finds itself in and this weird thing called a system that keeps sending it messages. It was interesting reading about how Click worked things out and the logic the spider used based both on its unusual intelligence and its innate instincts. Click goes on quite an arc in 200 pages as it levels up and learns both about itself and the world around it. The leveling comes fast and furious making things slightly repetitive initially with all the character stats/skills and that part never truly goes away though it does tone down somewhat.
The story really ramps up a bit over halfway, with the introduction of . I actually didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would as I think it took away from the uniqueness that was Click's story up to that point. Things do come together in a satisfying manner and just as the story really gets going, it's done.
The book feels like the start to a series. I hope the author writes more about Click's adventures some day. The novella is currently stand alone and does read entirely as self contained.
------------
Initial thoughts: This was very different, having a book based on the POV of a newly born dungeon spider. I'm glad I gave it a try. The story really got going right when it ended which makes the book feel like the first in a series though it is very self contained. I hope the write decides to write more of Click's adventures.
May 16, 2025
The book was a solid start to a story. The general concept was Intresting but I felt like was just starting to pick up when the book ended.
Looking forward to reading an eventual part 2 Hope it builds well on the foundation of this book.
Looking forward to reading an eventual part 2 Hope it builds well on the foundation of this book.
January 8, 2026
finished already?!
I loved the premise for this book! Click is such an interesting character and seeing how they grew and developed their own consciousness and morality was so different. The sections at the beginning of each chapter to show what was happening outside the dungeon was a fun and unique way of showing what was going on in the surrounding world through lectures, books, letters, and even a resume! The character sheet wasn’t overwhelming with numbers and growth the way a lot of litRPGs can be, too. I love a stat update every now and again, but simply telling me that their strength has gone up twenty points seems much more effective than me having to compare two stat sheets. Much appreciated!
I can’t believe I finished the book already and there isn’t another out yet. I need the sequel YESTERDAY!
I loved the premise for this book! Click is such an interesting character and seeing how they grew and developed their own consciousness and morality was so different. The sections at the beginning of each chapter to show what was happening outside the dungeon was a fun and unique way of showing what was going on in the surrounding world through lectures, books, letters, and even a resume! The character sheet wasn’t overwhelming with numbers and growth the way a lot of litRPGs can be, too. I love a stat update every now and again, but simply telling me that their strength has gone up twenty points seems much more effective than me having to compare two stat sheets. Much appreciated!
I can’t believe I finished the book already and there isn’t another out yet. I need the sequel YESTERDAY!
June 18, 2025
Born Different: A Monster Evolution LitRPG is a fantastic book told from a totally unexpected point of view—you’re following the main character… a spider. A FREAKING SPIDER.
I know what you're thinking: How the heck is that supposed to be interesting? Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect either, but this book completely blew my mind.
The biggest win here is the character growth. Watching this little arachnid evolve, gain abilities, and deal with challenges is surprisingly engaging. Add in some fun antics and a clever portrayal of spider behavior and abilities, and you’ve got a book that’s equal parts creative and entertaining.
It’s a wild, fun-filled read and absolutely worth picking up if you want something fresh in the LitRPG genre.
I know what you're thinking: How the heck is that supposed to be interesting? Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect either, but this book completely blew my mind.
The biggest win here is the character growth. Watching this little arachnid evolve, gain abilities, and deal with challenges is surprisingly engaging. Add in some fun antics and a clever portrayal of spider behavior and abilities, and you’ve got a book that’s equal parts creative and entertaining.
It’s a wild, fun-filled read and absolutely worth picking up if you want something fresh in the LitRPG genre.
September 8, 2025
No spider-human interaction. At least not by 41% of book completion. I am unwilling to read further.
Almost nothing has happened in the first 41% of the book. Spider kills a couple grubs, fights a couple mobs, commands a couple other spiders. WHERE is the PLOT?
The constant use of "they" for the pronoun of the spider, is really annoying. It makes it hard to figure out who the author is talking about. I keep thinking he is talking about others, when he's not. Just give the spider a gender. You are the author, you can misgender the spider, nobody will know.
Since this is not a series, and it has basically no plot... I can't see this ending in some interesting way.
DNF 41%
Almost nothing has happened in the first 41% of the book. Spider kills a couple grubs, fights a couple mobs, commands a couple other spiders. WHERE is the PLOT?
The constant use of "they" for the pronoun of the spider, is really annoying. It makes it hard to figure out who the author is talking about. I keep thinking he is talking about others, when he's not. Just give the spider a gender. You are the author, you can misgender the spider, nobody will know.
Since this is not a series, and it has basically no plot... I can't see this ending in some interesting way.
DNF 41%
January 2, 2025
I highly enjoy the altered perspective of monster led LITRPG's and as a result this one was up my alley. The chapters are short but easy reads, the character is learning things as they go and growing constantly by observing and taking into account actions. I love that initially they couldn't read the system but just felt the changes intuitively. The quotes of the number of disgraced scholars was funny. I did find our main spider a little condescending at times however given her intellect is so much higher and she is 2 days old I think I can let it slide. Am looking forward to future books coming over from Royal Road!
September 9, 2025
Finally, a great monster novel!
I've been looking for a monster novel for a while, but most fall apart into dispassionate lists or are too focused on making jokes and puns to actually write a compelling story. Born Different has been a breath of fresh air in that it has a consistently good story to tell, and actually writes it in such a way as to make me care about the little spider MC, Click. If I had to have one complaint, it would be about how short the story is, but even at 200 pages, all I have to complain about is that I can't wait for a sequel or more content from the author.
I've been looking for a monster novel for a while, but most fall apart into dispassionate lists or are too focused on making jokes and puns to actually write a compelling story. Born Different has been a breath of fresh air in that it has a consistently good story to tell, and actually writes it in such a way as to make me care about the little spider MC, Click. If I had to have one complaint, it would be about how short the story is, but even at 200 pages, all I have to complain about is that I can't wait for a sequel or more content from the author.
January 8, 2025
A different side of the genre
I like perspective of the monster and it thinks. It does make it interesting how Click reacts to situations. The dungeon itself feels like something fun to raid.
Now, I don’t play a lot of RPGs because I’m not a fan of numbers. So there’s a lot in here and I do feel the pacing gets bogged down by all the descriptions of every ability and names. But that’s how RPG elements work so I cannot complain.
All I can say so far, I haven’t found the LitRPG for me yet. But this isn’t a bad one especially utilizing a different perspective.
I like perspective of the monster and it thinks. It does make it interesting how Click reacts to situations. The dungeon itself feels like something fun to raid.
Now, I don’t play a lot of RPGs because I’m not a fan of numbers. So there’s a lot in here and I do feel the pacing gets bogged down by all the descriptions of every ability and names. But that’s how RPG elements work so I cannot complain.
All I can say so far, I haven’t found the LitRPG for me yet. But this isn’t a bad one especially utilizing a different perspective.
September 29, 2025
This was so good! Definitely an unusual read, what with the main character being a spider, but that's what makes it all the more interesting. I liked that there were so many stats, evolutions, and level-ups. I didn't care about the adventurers' dialogue, but thankfully, most of the book is told from Click's perspective. Speaking of Click, I think they are absolutely adorable (especially if the cover is anything to go by) and they deserve all the hugs in the world. It could have been a bit longer but hopefully there's going to be a book 2 out sometime?
May 12, 2025
I enjoyed the story of Click the little spider monster a lot. What made me decide on 4 instead of 5 stars, is that when listening to the book, there are so so many skill listings for all the different creatures and you can't really skip them as they are strewn throughout the story. i think of the first half of the book, a quarter of the book is stats.
The second thing is that the story is only 5+ hours long, which is really short for an audiobook.
The story is great though!
The second thing is that the story is only 5+ hours long, which is really short for an audiobook.
The story is great though!
October 27, 2025
A LitRPG Novel Written in the Spirit of "Watership Down."
This novel is a fine example of the LitRPG genre, but is, predominantly, written from the point of view of one the monster spiders, Click, from the moment of their hatching. Telling the tale from the animal's, or in this case the monster's, point of view as Click works to save their home and the rest of her "tribe" somewhat parallels the plot of _Watership Down.
An excellent read for those who like LitRPG novels.
This novel is a fine example of the LitRPG genre, but is, predominantly, written from the point of view of one the monster spiders, Click, from the moment of their hatching. Telling the tale from the animal's, or in this case the monster's, point of view as Click works to save their home and the rest of her "tribe" somewhat parallels the plot of _Watership Down.
An excellent read for those who like LitRPG novels.
September 30, 2025
This book is a delight. There are so many innovative ways to look at a character, but this is a unique outlook. Follow the journey of Click, a spider that’s born different. Enjoy the unique point of view as Click struggles with the challenges of a tiny dungeon spider. A wonderful journey of discovery while overcoming challenges. A perfect book for every junior high library.
October 3, 2025
Quite a good start
This was a really interesting take on dungeon diving from the perspective of a dungeon monster.
I'll hold the rest of my judgement until more books come out, but it has my attention.
This was a really interesting take on dungeon diving from the perspective of a dungeon monster.
I'll hold the rest of my judgement until more books come out, but it has my attention.
December 21, 2024
Amazing book, I love books from a different perspective :)
March 3, 2025
Lovely spider
A little spider takes on a big world it's refreshing to see a character that is neither weak nor the top dog
A little spider takes on a big world it's refreshing to see a character that is neither weak nor the top dog
February 19, 2026
Short and sweet. Altogether pretty delightful and I'm looking forward to a sequel if there is one.
March 9, 2026
Good read.
I enjoyed reading this book and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression types of books with lots of action.
I enjoyed reading this book and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression types of books with lots of action.
May 28, 2025
Fun, but short, felt like it was just getting started.
August 29, 2025
A paint by numbers LitRPG
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews