Glass Kanin: An Isekai LitRPG Adventure

by Kia Leep

As a rising actor, Kanin's body is his career. His identity. His life. All that is taken from him when he dies and is reborn as a bottle of ink.

Now living as the heart of a magical glass servant, Kanin's new purpose is to perform a senile wizard's yard work—a role this world's magic system seems intent on enforcing. That might have been manageable if a murderous shadow monster wasn't hunting his very soul.

But he's not in it alone. Teaming up with an elf whose soul has likewise been trapped in a toy octopus, they recruit help from a devilishly handsome rogue and set off on a journey to break the spell that's trapped them in this state.

A wizard owns his body. The magic system has determined his fate. A shadow monster wants to control his mind. But as long as Kanin's soul remains his own, he'll fight to win back his autonomy—or die trying.

...Again.

Glass Kanin's blend of whimsy, humor, and horror will appeal to Ghibli fans looking for queer characters on a quest for their agency while exploring what it means to be human.

With over half a million views on Royal Road, this LitRPG and monster-evolution is now available in print, ebook, and audiobook form across Amazon, KU, and Audible!

Genres: Fantasy

461 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2025

About the author

Kia is the author of quirky, creepy, and queer fantasy books. Before turning to fiction, they built spaceships to send people to the Moon. When not roller skating or walking their dog, they can be found with a cup of tea working on any of their dozens of in-progress stories.

Reviews

[Emma Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual genre, but this was a surprisingly engaging read! The concept of being reborn as a bottle of ink is both bizarre and fascinating, and the mix of humor, horror, and adventure kept me hooked. Kanin’s struggle for autonomy in a world that constantly tries to control him adds emotional depth, and the quirky characters (especially the elf in a toy octopus!) make the journey fun. A unique take on LitRPG with plenty of heart—definitely worth a read!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jellybean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book about struggling against the odds. I love stories that explore the experiences of being something other than human, and this takes that in a unique direction by putting the protagonist into a body that isn't even alive. He starts at such a low place that every success (even something as simple as defeating a cockroach) feels monumental.

Also, Noli is delightful. She's just the peppy deuteragonist our overwhelmed main character needs.

[S. Kaeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Glass Kanin, the debut novel of Kia Leep, readers are immersed in a story of one man’s struggle against his own lost autonomy that still manages to be packed full of whimsy, humor, and heart. This is a charming LitRPG that made LitRPG lovers out of my family (we didn’t read much of this genre before, though we do play lots of D&D. Now, my teenage son has dived into the genre).
Kanin’s a great introduction to the world, as the reader can fumble along with him even if you haven’t read much LitRPG before— you can echo his thoughts of “what is going on”. Kanin’s extremely sympathetic, for all his faults, especially as he comes to terms with being attached to a soul-eating void monster and wonders what that means for him. How can he be a good person worthy of friends when at a violent, malevolent being can take over his tiny glass body and murder people with horrific levels of violence? Noli is a pure bundle of sunshine, and the fact that she’s deaf and knows sign gives her a way to teach Kanin how to communicate, throwing him a lifeline when he feels like he’s drowning in this new world.
Every character is fully fleshed out and leaps off the page, so that the adventure feels like you’re right there with your new friends (and honestly, you can’t get a better friend than Nol!). I love the way sign is naturally integrated throughout the plot, along with Kanin’s efforts to learn and improve at the language. Kanin is gay and Noli is lesbian (and eager to get back to her wife) but the plot isn’t about being gay, just like it’s not about Noli’s disability. It’s just another piece of who they are as people, another brushstroke of color on the canvas of the world.
And that’s another thing. The ridiculousness is embraced in this book (including the title pun!). Kanin, an actor, is stuck as a bottle of ink. Gone is his body and his voice and everything he honed for his career, and now he has to depend on his wits and on his friendship. Kia has a gift for weaving together strong feelings of grief and horror and determination together with laugh-out-loud humor in a way that feels entirely normal, rather than giving whiplash. The diversity of her characters and the pure brilliance of her creativity shine throughout the gripping plot.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glass Kanin is the first book in an isekai LitRPG series. Just as he gets his big break, actor Kanin dies in an on-set accident and wakes up in a fantasy world as a sapient bottle of ink. Alongside Noli, an elf soul trapped in a toy octopus, they must find a way to break the wizard’s spell that trapped their souls before time runs out, all while Kanin is also trying to figure out and work with the world’s magic system of levels, HP and Mana.

This was a delightful and quirky read with a bizarre but also oddly refreshing concept. You really can’t know what to expect when the protagonist is a glass ink bottle. To compare with some of its contemporaries (most of which got their start from Royal Road too), it’s a more cozy and low stakes Dungeon Crawler Carl and a non-Asian and less over-the-top Beware of Chicken/Heretical Fishing. I wish it had actually leaned into the coziness more and I could have used without the deaths.

Kanin really grew on me as a protagonist as we got to know him when challenges came his way. There is a twist mid-book that took me by surprise and really allowed Kanin to shine. Noli too had her moments as a bubbly sidekick of sorts. There were also a few other supporting characters that made for an informal found family, and One I wanted more of was definitely Zyneth who came and went in the story.

Glass Kanin delightfully odd and packs a lot of heart.

[Heather Marrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG was this book absolutely fantastic! I didn't want the story to end and can't wait for book two. I should mention, for the sake of transparency, that I was given the chance to read an advanced copy of this book and am sharing my honest review of it voluntarily. From the beginning, so many things about this book caught my attention. They made me wish I could be transported into the world from the book. The cover is just awesome. It really helped me to have the visuals of the characters because I don't like when everything in a story from the characters, to the setting, to the ending can be interpreted/ imagined differently by every reader. The fact that Noli uses sign language is so cool. I have only come across one other series that incorporated it into the story. Last but not least, I am always happy to see the LGBT representation. I can definitely say that I have found myself a new favorite author, and I can't recommend that others give this book a try more.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

What starts off as a seemingly ordinary story soon takes an interesting twist, and from there it’s just one big adventure you don’t want to miss! Leep draws you in quickly with vivid imagery, and it makes you feel like you’re right there, watching everything unfold. I love that instead of being reincarnated in a new, living body, Kanin and Noli find themselves in normally inanimate objects. They’re unique characters that are well-fleshed out, and handle things about as well as you can expect them to, given the circumstances. There’s plenty of tension threaded throughout the story that pulls you from page to page and keeps you interested. If you’re looking for a book with diverse characters, LGBTQIA+ rep, excellent world-building, and a captivating story, you need to put this LitRPG at the top of your TBR!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Junior · Rating 3 out of 5]

So very slow

I have no idea why this has so many 5-star ratings other than it being "different". The MC is whiney, there is little real progression/growth (and the interesting stuff gets nerfed anyway), and what should be a few chapters is stretched to an entire book. This has the content of a light novella drug out to hundreds of pages. It's well written, just the kind of writing that compels.

Note to self: do not continue

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a strong start to the Glass Kanin series, it had that fantasy element that I was wanting and enjoyed from the description. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and was hooked from the first page. Kia Leep has a strong writing style and was glad it this was a strong opening chapter.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tony Fecteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I was really blown away by this book. It caught me by surprise and I really enjoyed the characters in this book. It leaves me wanting to read all of the future books in this series. Who knew that an ink bottle could generate so much interesting stories.

[Joseph Argento · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel. First LitRPG I've read, and I was sucked into it right away. Kanin and Noli make a great and well-rounded duo, and I loved the inventiveness of them coming to grips with their new world. Glass Kanin checks all the boxes from a thrilling midpoint to a heartfelt climax.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nifty. Second read is second book on rr.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really unique and excellently written. I hope we get more Kanin progression and power-ups… and more shoulder time with Z in the sequel. (4.5/5)