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Rise of Mankind #7
Age of Expansion: A Dungeon Core Dark LitRPG Adventure
The Age of Expansion dawns, but will humanity rise or shatter beneath its weight?
Matt's journey from desperate survivor to Dungeon Lord has forged him in blood and terror. With the Coronaught Queen vanquished and his domain flourishing, the days of scavenging scraps are over. But as his towers pierce the sky and his followers multiply, the drums of war beat ever louder.
Far to the south, an undead horde swells, their relentless march spanning continents. As Matt races to unlock the true potential of his abilities, rival dungeons declare their allegiances, not all siding with the living. The line between ally and enemy blurs, and every decision exacts a toll.
Now, Matt must transcend mere leadership. To shield his people from the coming storm, he must become something more – a beacon of hope, a force of nature, perhaps even a god in truth. But in a world where loyalty splinters like glass, how much of his humanity is he willing to sacrifice?
Step into the Age of Expansion, where every triumph balances on a knife's edge, and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Will Matt's dungeon become the stronghold of humanity's last hope, or just another tomb in a world of the undead?
This is a Dark Fantasy Epic LitRPG. Expect graphic violence, strong language, and morally complex themes. Reader discretion is advised.
Matt's journey from desperate survivor to Dungeon Lord has forged him in blood and terror. With the Coronaught Queen vanquished and his domain flourishing, the days of scavenging scraps are over. But as his towers pierce the sky and his followers multiply, the drums of war beat ever louder.
Far to the south, an undead horde swells, their relentless march spanning continents. As Matt races to unlock the true potential of his abilities, rival dungeons declare their allegiances, not all siding with the living. The line between ally and enemy blurs, and every decision exacts a toll.
Now, Matt must transcend mere leadership. To shield his people from the coming storm, he must become something more – a beacon of hope, a force of nature, perhaps even a god in truth. But in a world where loyalty splinters like glass, how much of his humanity is he willing to sacrifice?
Step into the Age of Expansion, where every triumph balances on a knife's edge, and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Will Matt's dungeon become the stronghold of humanity's last hope, or just another tomb in a world of the undead?
This is a Dark Fantasy Epic LitRPG. Expect graphic violence, strong language, and morally complex themes. Reader discretion is advised.
574 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2024
210 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 13, 2024
I'm even more convinced now that Jez Cajiao is also Logan Jacobs, author of Backyard Dungeon and about a billion other copy/paste series. Between referring to every enemy as "fuckers" ad nauseum to now apparently forgetting which series he is writing and adding a completely unnecessary and god-awfully awkward sex scene into this book, the evidence is pretty conclusive in my mind. I'm tempted to do one of those writing analysis comparisons, I'm that convinced, but I'm also super lazy.
But as for this book/series, nothing annoys me more in these "System" universes than a freaking moron main character that purposely avoids reading his notifications when they have proven to be immensely useful more times than I can count. Sure, plenty of them are probably a nuisance, but countless times they could have made the difference in a battle, or a prep phase, or whatever. But nooooo, Matt actively suppresses them, and tells us about it like we should agree with how annoying he thinks they are. Of course, they are nothing more than plot devices to make certain things happen when the author wants them to, which gets tiresome. I also feel like the author is doing it on purpose just to annoy me, personally, because at this point it is just stupid.
Still, I want to like the series more than I do, hence the 2.5 stars rounding up to 3. I look forward to Book 43 when Matt finally remembers to do all of the things he keeps putting aside.
But as for this book/series, nothing annoys me more in these "System" universes than a freaking moron main character that purposely avoids reading his notifications when they have proven to be immensely useful more times than I can count. Sure, plenty of them are probably a nuisance, but countless times they could have made the difference in a battle, or a prep phase, or whatever. But nooooo, Matt actively suppresses them, and tells us about it like we should agree with how annoying he thinks they are. Of course, they are nothing more than plot devices to make certain things happen when the author wants them to, which gets tiresome. I also feel like the author is doing it on purpose just to annoy me, personally, because at this point it is just stupid.
Still, I want to like the series more than I do, hence the 2.5 stars rounding up to 3. I look forward to Book 43 when Matt finally remembers to do all of the things he keeps putting aside.
November 9, 2024
Level Up, Level Up
Being a God isn't easy even if your only a small G rather than the capital but with so much at stake the action goes into overdrive with a massive battle and lead up raids and conflicts before it. This is a big book but kinda quite small as you get lost in Matts adventures, so each page just increases your love of this series and the epic conclusion that has built up from each book.
Being a God isn't easy even if your only a small G rather than the capital but with so much at stake the action goes into overdrive with a massive battle and lead up raids and conflicts before it. This is a big book but kinda quite small as you get lost in Matts adventures, so each page just increases your love of this series and the epic conclusion that has built up from each book.
January 18, 2025
amazing LitRPG!!!
Very unique LitRPG novel! Jez is the top LitRPR author, for sure. His ideas of incorporating levels, classes, and magic into a wonderful fantasy story are more realistic than any other. The Rise of Mankind series offers a unique twist on the apocalyptic concept that many LitRPG novels are based on. The characters are so realistic, with engaging dialogue, amazing growth, and believable personalities. The plot twists are awesome and completely surprising. And, Jez knows how to write a battle scene like no other: puts you right into the fight and draws graphic fight scenes in the mind just like you're watching an epic fight scene in a movie! And, the depth of the characters' growth with magic! Wow! It's as if Jez knows how to cast these spells and control Mana and is just teaching us... well, he sure does know the spell of being a Master Wordsmith! Thanks Jez for another stellar novel! And, if you haven't read his other books, when you finish Rise of Mankind, you have to read Arise and UnderVerse!
Very unique LitRPG novel! Jez is the top LitRPR author, for sure. His ideas of incorporating levels, classes, and magic into a wonderful fantasy story are more realistic than any other. The Rise of Mankind series offers a unique twist on the apocalyptic concept that many LitRPG novels are based on. The characters are so realistic, with engaging dialogue, amazing growth, and believable personalities. The plot twists are awesome and completely surprising. And, Jez knows how to write a battle scene like no other: puts you right into the fight and draws graphic fight scenes in the mind just like you're watching an epic fight scene in a movie! And, the depth of the characters' growth with magic! Wow! It's as if Jez knows how to cast these spells and control Mana and is just teaching us... well, he sure does know the spell of being a Master Wordsmith! Thanks Jez for another stellar novel! And, if you haven't read his other books, when you finish Rise of Mankind, you have to read Arise and UnderVerse!
November 19, 2024
It's an excellent book highly recommend
I'm not going to go into the plot of this book. If you like the previous ones in the series you're going to enjoy this, I can tell you that right off the bat, he does a great job of having the main character make great decisions with the information he has and have setbacks that are understandable and not just plot contrivances. There's plenty of good action scenes. Good use of magic. Good characterization really lots of little things like taking time to research, spells and work on further development of the main character's abilities and the abilities of other people are dealt with some interesting fights setbacks that actually make sense. It was a really good read. Really looking forward to the last book in the series. 👍👍 Two thumbs up 😁 I apologize for any spelling errors. I'm writing this review with voice to text to help boost the author's algorithm stuff because he deserves all the money I can shove his way
I'm not going to go into the plot of this book. If you like the previous ones in the series you're going to enjoy this, I can tell you that right off the bat, he does a great job of having the main character make great decisions with the information he has and have setbacks that are understandable and not just plot contrivances. There's plenty of good action scenes. Good use of magic. Good characterization really lots of little things like taking time to research, spells and work on further development of the main character's abilities and the abilities of other people are dealt with some interesting fights setbacks that actually make sense. It was a really good read. Really looking forward to the last book in the series. 👍👍 Two thumbs up 😁 I apologize for any spelling errors. I'm writing this review with voice to text to help boost the author's algorithm stuff because he deserves all the money I can shove his way
February 1, 2025
Incredibly exciting conflict action story with great snark and metaphors
The MC continues to grow as a showdown with the lord of unlife draws nearer. They reach out to potential allies, some of whom come thru, others try to hold off on committing so they can gain a greater advantage. The MC and his forces are always on the ragged edge, holding on by the skin of their teeth til the very end.
If anything, its too exciting without breathing room for recovery and consolidation. Instead its jump from danger to crisis then to near death and back to mere danger. I do enjoy the metaphors and snark since the MC and other survivors are definitely not sunday school children. In fact, they beat up the monsters and take away their lunch money.
The MC continues to grow as a showdown with the lord of unlife draws nearer. They reach out to potential allies, some of whom come thru, others try to hold off on committing so they can gain a greater advantage. The MC and his forces are always on the ragged edge, holding on by the skin of their teeth til the very end.
If anything, its too exciting without breathing room for recovery and consolidation. Instead its jump from danger to crisis then to near death and back to mere danger. I do enjoy the metaphors and snark since the MC and other survivors are definitely not sunday school children. In fact, they beat up the monsters and take away their lunch money.
February 27, 2025
Hello,
the story continues and it comes to the expected show down with the undead.
For me it was an enjoyable read. Some things could have been improved on for example the relationship with some characters (e.g. Emma). Most parts of their interactions seemed over the top for me. Also the second guessing of actions taken is grinding to read.
On the bright side there is plenty of action and funny moments.
Best regards and have fun while reading,
Nifflor
the story continues and it comes to the expected show down with the undead.
For me it was an enjoyable read. Some things could have been improved on for example the relationship with some characters (e.g. Emma). Most parts of their interactions seemed over the top for me. Also the second guessing of actions taken is grinding to read.
On the bright side there is plenty of action and funny moments.
Best regards and have fun while reading,
Nifflor
November 18, 2024
Hot diggity
As much as I love these books, I kind of want to insist the author slows down. Only for a purely selfish reason. If he burns out then we may never see the end of the series. Of any of them.
Honestly a fantastic tead. The systems so well crafted and expanded. I love this series and the others. Keep up the good work but maybe chill?
As much as I love these books, I kind of want to insist the author slows down. Only for a purely selfish reason. If he burns out then we may never see the end of the series. Of any of them.
Honestly a fantastic tead. The systems so well crafted and expanded. I love this series and the others. Keep up the good work but maybe chill?
November 23, 2024
Definite improvement from book six
Way better than the previous book which just felt like filler and chaos. Still a bit tedious with the plan changing every five minutes. And the jokes every other paragraph. Still a good read. Little less of the segue into nonsense before getting back on track
Way better than the previous book which just felt like filler and chaos. Still a bit tedious with the plan changing every five minutes. And the jokes every other paragraph. Still a good read. Little less of the segue into nonsense before getting back on track
June 1, 2025
3.5* rounded up to 4, still enjoying the series but like most in the LitRPG genre this gets a bit overly complex.
I also don’t care for the filler cultivation type disruptions, like story is getting interesting then bam 20 straight minutes of overly complicated cultivation, I d prefer those get majorly abbreviated
I also don’t care for the filler cultivation type disruptions, like story is getting interesting then bam 20 straight minutes of overly complicated cultivation, I d prefer those get majorly abbreviated
June 29, 2025
This was great, for the most part. But the final battle scenes ... idk if it's the writing or me. I just can't picture Cajiao's world well. Can't picture his fight sequences at all.
On another note, there must be a better way to incorporate those long lists from the system in the audiobook. The current method ain't working 😔
On another note, there must be a better way to incorporate those long lists from the system in the audiobook. The current method ain't working 😔
November 10, 2024
lather, rinse,…oh that’s going to leave a mark
Gotta deal with the aftermath of book 6, complete the upgrade, then…well, damn. The System decides to force things to move forward.
Raiding dungeons, making mobile dungeons, and fighting a massive UnLife army.
Fun ending.
Gotta deal with the aftermath of book 6, complete the upgrade, then…well, damn. The System decides to force things to move forward.
Raiding dungeons, making mobile dungeons, and fighting a massive UnLife army.
Fun ending.
November 22, 2024
War!
When the aliens take over earth and give you magical powers, what do you do? You form alliances, capture territory and take out the bad guys! Fun reading, great characters and good plot and lots of action! Next book please!
When the aliens take over earth and give you magical powers, what do you do? You form alliances, capture territory and take out the bad guys! Fun reading, great characters and good plot and lots of action! Next book please!
November 23, 2024
My god what a ride!
Worth every minute spent reading after a 12 hr workday. What a beauty of a story. The climax pf the story was beautiful and raw poetry in stark and grim humorous detail. Cheers to perfection!
Worth every minute spent reading after a 12 hr workday. What a beauty of a story. The climax pf the story was beautiful and raw poetry in stark and grim humorous detail. Cheers to perfection!
November 24, 2024
another great installment
Be prepared for a cliff hanger 😤. I can’t wait to see where this goes. Jez has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Now I gotta find something else to read for 3 or 4 months dang it.
Be prepared for a cliff hanger 😤. I can’t wait to see where this goes. Jez has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Now I gotta find something else to read for 3 or 4 months dang it.
May 15, 2025
To much BS
The story is really good... the fluff BS is really bad. Constant stacking of conflict is annoying, especially when they are minor annoyances. I felt Thor when he appeared at the end. It was like he was shouting out the annoyance I felt all through the book.
The story is really good... the fluff BS is really bad. Constant stacking of conflict is annoying, especially when they are minor annoyances. I felt Thor when he appeared at the end. It was like he was shouting out the annoyance I felt all through the book.
July 27, 2025
Jez might just be a genius
These books are incredibly good I usually just leave five stars without leaving a written review but man these are awesome I highly recommend everyone read this
These books are incredibly good I usually just leave five stars without leaving a written review but man these are awesome I highly recommend everyone read this
November 13, 2024
I love these books
Just a great series. I hate having to wait for the next one. Don't miss this book and the fantastic world it brings to life.
Just a great series. I hate having to wait for the next one. Don't miss this book and the fantastic world it brings to life.
November 15, 2024
Great book 7
Great book ,can't wait to read the next four books in the series.
Great place to vist.
Same bat time,same bat channel.
Paz
Great book ,can't wait to read the next four books in the series.
Great place to vist.
Same bat time,same bat channel.
Paz
November 20, 2024
Another fun read!
Great addition to the series with the usually hilarious laugh out loud moments. Can't wait for he next addition and see how the story continues to grow!
Great addition to the series with the usually hilarious laugh out loud moments. Can't wait for he next addition and see how the story continues to grow!
December 7, 2024
Excellent continuation of the series! Can't wait for the next installment
April 19, 2025
Daaaamn, other dungeon lords are nasty 🤢 The dragon is sweet af, though. Seriously, I loved this addition to a fantastic series.
April 26, 2025
Great book
Stellar work once again from Jez Cajiao! Lots of action and adventure, magic and monsters. Looking forward to the next one.
Stellar work once again from Jez Cajiao! Lots of action and adventure, magic and monsters. Looking forward to the next one.
May 3, 2025
Yesss!!!
Absolutely amazing series love your work mate keep it up
So hard to put down have to force myself or I won't get any work done
Absolutely amazing series love your work mate keep it up
So hard to put down have to force myself or I won't get any work done
June 9, 2025
Great read
Once again Jez has crafted a highly enjoyable story.
Matt and company continue to provide a deeply entertaining experience.
Really looking forward to the next book.
Once again Jez has crafted a highly enjoyable story.
Matt and company continue to provide a deeply entertaining experience.
Really looking forward to the next book.
July 2, 2025
fun and fast-paced. not a litterairy masterpiece but fun and one of the better Lit-rpg.
August 3, 2025
Fun and enjoyable :)
August 25, 2025
Nailed it again! The last one was just a tad better but still this one was an easy 5 stars. I am already trying to get the next one!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews