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Rise of the Living Forge #3
Rise of the Living Forge 3: A LitRPG Adventure
The Menagerie is finally free.
With the Iron Hounds defeated, the future is opening up before them. Their guild has started to make a name for itself and Arwin has plans to push them farther into the kingdom’s stage. He’s got the magical materials to work with to make some truly powerful weapons, and he doesn’t plan to just stop at swords and armor.
But a powerful guild doesn’t fall silently. Players that moved in the shadows of Milten see the new power vacuum and begin moves to claim it for themselves. Some seek revenge. Some seek power. Some seek something else entirely. The Menagerie, as it tends to find itself doing, stands in their way.
Bonds are tested. Foes, new and old alike, arise as Milten finds itself the face of an ever-growing battleground. Enemies aren’t the only ones moving. The Menagerie has drawn attention from all sorts of people…
And some of them might be exactly what they need to continue their quest against the Adventurer’s Guild.
Book 3 in the next epic LitRPG Saga from Actus, bestselling author of Return of the Runebound Professor. With nearly 7-million views on Royal Road, this definitive edition is perfect for fans of Seth Ring, Jonathan Brooks, Michael Chatfield and lovers of all things Progression Fantasy and Crafting.
About the Series: Features a healthy mix of crafting and combat, a strong-to-stronger MC, power progression, a detailed magic system, item enchantment, smithing, unforgettable characters, and much more!
With the Iron Hounds defeated, the future is opening up before them. Their guild has started to make a name for itself and Arwin has plans to push them farther into the kingdom’s stage. He’s got the magical materials to work with to make some truly powerful weapons, and he doesn’t plan to just stop at swords and armor.
But a powerful guild doesn’t fall silently. Players that moved in the shadows of Milten see the new power vacuum and begin moves to claim it for themselves. Some seek revenge. Some seek power. Some seek something else entirely. The Menagerie, as it tends to find itself doing, stands in their way.
Bonds are tested. Foes, new and old alike, arise as Milten finds itself the face of an ever-growing battleground. Enemies aren’t the only ones moving. The Menagerie has drawn attention from all sorts of people…
And some of them might be exactly what they need to continue their quest against the Adventurer’s Guild.
Book 3 in the next epic LitRPG Saga from Actus, bestselling author of Return of the Runebound Professor. With nearly 7-million views on Royal Road, this definitive edition is perfect for fans of Seth Ring, Jonathan Brooks, Michael Chatfield and lovers of all things Progression Fantasy and Crafting.
About the Series: Features a healthy mix of crafting and combat, a strong-to-stronger MC, power progression, a detailed magic system, item enchantment, smithing, unforgettable characters, and much more!
644 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2025
About the author
Actus
68 books274 followersActus has been writing fantasy stories since the age of twelve, and he's been telling them since he could talk. He's currently working on three main series - Morcster Chef, Steamforged Sorcery, and My Best Friend is an Eldritch Horror. You can find his works on RoyalRoad & Patreon as well as on Amazon.
In addition to his passion for writing, Actus is capable of clearing a two story building with a single jump. That isn't true, but writing about himself in third person gives Actus delusions of grandeur.
In addition to his passion for writing, Actus is capable of clearing a two story building with a single jump. That isn't true, but writing about himself in third person gives Actus delusions of grandeur.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 28, 2025
Mostly filler
This book is like 80% irrelevant dialogue between Arwin and the various other characters. Little of not actually happens that advances the story and as a result the Menagerie are in mostly the same position they were in at the beginning.
This book is like 80% irrelevant dialogue between Arwin and the various other characters. Little of not actually happens that advances the story and as a result the Menagerie are in mostly the same position they were in at the beginning.
May 3, 2025
Each book is just more of the same. If anything the thought-rambles while crafting get longer, and longer, and longer, and yup, longer.
April 19, 2025
Witty and fun
“Grave robbing was one thing. It was practically half of adventuring. Things got a little murkier when it came to taking the belongings of people that were still alive. Some adventurers would just fix the state of their target so things went from robbery to very fresh grave robbing,”
“Grave robbing was one thing. It was practically half of adventuring. Things got a little murkier when it came to taking the belongings of people that were still alive. Some adventurers would just fix the state of their target so things went from robbery to very fresh grave robbing,”
September 30, 2026
Points off for: the most useless bow ever (seriously, it shoots one big charge up shot at a time and that's it) and in general for the narrative acting like no one uses regular ranged weapons; acting like a skill that needs you to study your enemy and learn their patterns in order to fight them better is a "berserking" skill in complete disregard for what the actual definition of "berserk" is, and likewise one that uses up a lot of energy to let the user break snares and temporarily move fast also being called a berserking skill; A skill that protects the mind from magical influence somehow defending the main character from a NEUROTOXIN because "neuro" has to do with the brain by definition, never mind that that's NOT EVEN WHAT NERVE TOXINS DO.
Honestly the series is really up and down for me. Overall the writing is solid and polished, and very entertaining, but there's lots of weird gaps like Arwin being turbo impulsive and just kind of doing random tasks rather than making a good stock of things to sell and building his business foundation, and Arwin always acting like he can't have any attention on him whatsoever, despite needing a reputation to build his business.
I reckon I've had enough of the series after this one. It's fine overall, with surprising moments of quality, but there's lots of inconsistencies and one of my biggest gripes is too often the characters are stupid or smart or otherwise act against what I thought was their nature to move a scene. I'm also starting to get quite bored with the long crafting sections, since they all generally turn out successful, with Arwin getting either what he wanted or needed no matter how much antagonizing was built up over the process.
Honestly the series is really up and down for me. Overall the writing is solid and polished, and very entertaining, but there's lots of weird gaps like Arwin being turbo impulsive and just kind of doing random tasks rather than making a good stock of things to sell and building his business foundation, and Arwin always acting like he can't have any attention on him whatsoever, despite needing a reputation to build his business.
I reckon I've had enough of the series after this one. It's fine overall, with surprising moments of quality, but there's lots of inconsistencies and one of my biggest gripes is too often the characters are stupid or smart or otherwise act against what I thought was their nature to move a scene. I'm also starting to get quite bored with the long crafting sections, since they all generally turn out successful, with Arwin getting either what he wanted or needed no matter how much antagonizing was built up over the process.
April 19, 2025
Ohhhh! Man! Soooooooo good! Actus is golden! Every book they've written has always been one of my top favorite reads for the year! Yeah, I've read them all! And Rise of the Living Forge 3 has now been added to that list... I adore Arvin and Lillia, plus the entire guild, The Menagerie. Hey it's really a small team as far as guilds go, sitting as just 7 members. And first there's a dungeon to dive into and conquer, looking for loot and well things to cook, because what Innkeeper doesn't want to serve up Wyrm meat to their guests! 😆 Plus what Smith doesn't want scales, teeth, and claws? So as the story progresses we get into Anna and Rodrick's back story and it's a doozy. But believe it or not Madiv actually has some very thoughtful comments for Anna to mull over 🤔!
So yeah go grab the audiobook to find out what happens. To double check on Arvin, Lillia, and the Menagerie to see how their all doin with the power-ups and their new skills! And you really don't wanna miss out on Peter Berkrot's nuanced performance... Ohhhh and yeah as a side-note of the last 4 audiobooks I've listened to 3 were done by Peter Berkrot so that may be telling!
So yeah go grab the audiobook to find out what happens. To double check on Arvin, Lillia, and the Menagerie to see how their all doin with the power-ups and their new skills! And you really don't wanna miss out on Peter Berkrot's nuanced performance... Ohhhh and yeah as a side-note of the last 4 audiobooks I've listened to 3 were done by Peter Berkrot so that may be telling!
June 2, 2025
Is Actus's Native Language English?
The story is interesting. The characters are well developed, complex, and consistent. The plot pacing is good and the author has managed rising and falling tensions well; and managed some excellently comedic scenes as well.
However, the author, Actus, consistently uses the word "hearth" to refer to the forge in the smithy and occasionally makes errors of grammar, or syntax, which lead me to question: is English is Actus's second language, or do they speak, and write, in a dialect which is greatly different from the Midwestern American English dialect which is my native tongue? Despite these linguistic stumbling blocks, which have interrupted the flow of reading these novels I have enjoyed them greatly. I hope the author continues this series to a satisfying conclusion and look forward to reading those novels.
The story is interesting. The characters are well developed, complex, and consistent. The plot pacing is good and the author has managed rising and falling tensions well; and managed some excellently comedic scenes as well.
However, the author, Actus, consistently uses the word "hearth" to refer to the forge in the smithy and occasionally makes errors of grammar, or syntax, which lead me to question: is English is Actus's second language, or do they speak, and write, in a dialect which is greatly different from the Midwestern American English dialect which is my native tongue? Despite these linguistic stumbling blocks, which have interrupted the flow of reading these novels I have enjoyed them greatly. I hope the author continues this series to a satisfying conclusion and look forward to reading those novels.
April 26, 2025
Solid world, a great story, and genuinely one of the best sets of side charaters I have read in a while. The reason it gets 4 stars is personal taste. I have grown tired of books that introduce a limit or a lack of something, and the MC is the only person who has this thing in abundance. In this case, it is the availability of magic items and the ease of which the Mc shits them out. Then, he reminds us 20 times that he needs to keep this information hidden, we get it, you need to hide the stats.
April 28, 2025
Plot midway got more interesting as new characters join in and the complexity of Anna's lore was def good to listen to
I am also glad to see other characters exist and interact outside of Arvin, especially seeing Lilia advance in her powers
That being said, as these books go on I tune in and out bc the writing feels cheesier and cheesier
The amount of words dedicated to affection between the Arvin & Lilia and a lot of space dedicated to jus restating how important bonds are, friendship is, Arvin roaring and putting his whole blacksmithussy into his work is getting very repetitive
I am also glad to see other characters exist and interact outside of Arvin, especially seeing Lilia advance in her powers
That being said, as these books go on I tune in and out bc the writing feels cheesier and cheesier
The amount of words dedicated to affection between the Arvin & Lilia and a lot of space dedicated to jus restating how important bonds are, friendship is, Arvin roaring and putting his whole blacksmithussy into his work is getting very repetitive
July 16, 2025
First of all, I enjoyed the camaraderie between the two main characters. My issue with the story is that the characters are not growing as fast, the demon Queen‘s Hotel is not growing as fast as the Smithy. The powers of the characters are not growing very fast Maybe since the other book will not be out till October. Some of these issues can be adjusted. I am a softy and I like the possibility of the romance between the two main characters but other stuff has to stop shaping up in the storyline to keep us all interested.
November 16, 2025
I liked a good amount of the character interactions. It’s cool to see more of the side character stories begin to expand and deepen. I didn’t really like many of the crafting developments and got bored with the vision fights—they drag on too long. Though I guess the continuous cycle of juggling projects with the active threats can be said to add tension, it’s still starting to feel a bit stale. Maybe that’s exacerbated by the serial form? I mostly want some resolutions or something? Like, at least he could outfit his guild? Harrumph.
2.75
2.75
May 28, 2025
Good Read
Another good book in this series. I enjoyed learning Madiv and other characters and seeing the guild starting out on a high note with the new dungeon. But I didn't care for Anna and Roderick's lie of omission, their back stories, and how quickly it was accepted and forgiven. No one gave a real minute of pause or concern that they had basically been lied to; so that's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Another good book in this series. I enjoyed learning Madiv and other characters and seeing the guild starting out on a high note with the new dungeon. But I didn't care for Anna and Roderick's lie of omission, their back stories, and how quickly it was accepted and forgiven. No one gave a real minute of pause or concern that they had basically been lied to; so that's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
June 24, 2025
So still awesome
The author is very good about fleshing out his characters. They are not just puppets. They all have a job and have very unique histories, backgrounds, and wants. Each character adds something to menagerie, even if they're not the main character. I am enjoying this series and binge the last 3 books. I would say things are ramping up in the storyline, but it's always doing that..
The author is very good about fleshing out his characters. They are not just puppets. They all have a job and have very unique histories, backgrounds, and wants. Each character adds something to menagerie, even if they're not the main character. I am enjoying this series and binge the last 3 books. I would say things are ramping up in the storyline, but it's always doing that..
July 19, 2026
Actus keeps the momentum rolling without skipping a beat. The stakes continue to climb, and by this point you’re so locked into Arwin’s journey that every setback hits personally and every victory feels genuinely satisfying. The world building deepens, new layers of the story’s larger conflict come into focus, and the Menagerie continues to be one of the most enjoyable ensemble casts in the LitRPG genre. A masterclass in keeping a progression fantasy series fresh deep into its run.
June 27, 2025
For a world bursting with potential, this book somehow manages to drain all the excitement out of it. The plot meanders through half-hearted schemes and clumsy progress, never quite delivering on any of the interesting ideas it hints at. What’s left is a boring slice-of-life slog that makes it hard to care about anything or anyone. I kept waiting for the spark, and it just never came.
May 15, 2026
Rise of the Living Forge, book three of a LitRPG Adventure series by the same name, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). Well, Arlin sure takes advantage of the Living Forge title, bringing the meaning to a whole new level. Intense action, great characters, and solid world-building makes this series a step above.
April 26, 2025
Great
This has been a brilliant instalment in to the series and just leaves me wanting to read the next book right now. Looking guard to the next book, just need to catch up on runebound now.
This has been a brilliant instalment in to the series and just leaves me wanting to read the next book right now. Looking guard to the next book, just need to catch up on runebound now.
November 26, 2025
A little slower...
... action-wise than the first two books in the series, but we learned a whole lot more about the main characters' pasts and their motivations. It was a nice interlude story. I'm guessing the next one will have a little more action. Moving on!
... action-wise than the first two books in the series, but we learned a whole lot more about the main characters' pasts and their motivations. It was a nice interlude story. I'm guessing the next one will have a little more action. Moving on!
January 24, 2026
Needs an editor
I enjoyed the story, but the book has too many mistakes to be rated higher.
The author should really figure out what an adverb does. There were some object/verb disagreements. One weird spot where the MC starts talking in the first person.
It's distracting.
I enjoyed the story, but the book has too many mistakes to be rated higher.
The author should really figure out what an adverb does. There were some object/verb disagreements. One weird spot where the MC starts talking in the first person.
It's distracting.
August 27, 2026
amazing!!!!
I was recommended this series by my boyfriend and was skeptical at first, but this series does not disappoint. Character and plot development make it a must read for anyone interested in a story that keeps giving!
I was recommended this series by my boyfriend and was skeptical at first, but this series does not disappoint. Character and plot development make it a must read for anyone interested in a story that keeps giving!
April 18, 2025
Very good book
This a fine gamelit fantasy adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the vampire and the old curse witch. I anxiously await the sequel.
This a fine gamelit fantasy adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the vampire and the old curse witch. I anxiously await the sequel.
April 20, 2025
Great series
I have read the first 2 of this series and love everything about it.
Great characters, great magic, great premise.
Ned to read book 4!
I have read the first 2 of this series and love everything about it.
Great characters, great magic, great premise.
Ned to read book 4!
April 20, 2025
Fanfreakingtastic!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
May 14, 2025
The series just gets better
I really like the mixture of crafting, guild building, and dungeon clearing. It is a rare book that does all of this well.
I really like the mixture of crafting, guild building, and dungeon clearing. It is a rare book that does all of this well.
June 5, 2025
good book
Enjoyable book. No cons. Great book. Good plot, decent characters, the characters and plot continues to evolve. I’ll continue the series for sure.
Enjoyable book. No cons. Great book. Good plot, decent characters, the characters and plot continues to evolve. I’ll continue the series for sure.
July 31, 2025
easy fun read
Very easy and fun read. Worth checking out if you like this type of genre. Cant wait for the next one!
Very easy and fun read. Worth checking out if you like this type of genre. Cant wait for the next one!
September 9, 2025
Not sure I like where the author is taking the story with cursed items but overall a good story. Will decide on the next one whether I continue
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2026
I think I'm over this series. It's like playing a super grindy game on easy mode. The characters hardly feel challenged, Arwin has opportunities raining upon him him, and nothing much changes.
August 9, 2026
Book 3 slows the series down deliberately, using Milten’s power vacuum to widen the Menagerie’s orbit rather than escalate the central guild conflict. The dungeon-dive structure gives Actus room to develop Anna and Rodrick’s backstory, and the found-family dynamic among the seven-member guild remains the strongest throughline in the series. It’s a connective installment that deepens the cast at the expense of narrative urgency.
April 25, 2025
I burned through these books very fast (only 3 in the series at this point).
I have enjoyed all the characters in the book! New and old characters exist and their stories are fun. I enjoy the relationships and the additional the histories of each!
Love story is pretty good (for those characters)
Crafting data is a bit much.
Can't wait for book 4
Book 4 has come out so I reread this series. As noted above, I burned through them very quickly. Fun and easy and still a little mystery.
I have enjoyed all the characters in the book! New and old characters exist and their stories are fun. I enjoy the relationships and the additional the histories of each!
Love story is pretty good (for those characters)
Crafting data is a bit much.
Can't wait for book 4
Book 4 has come out so I reread this series. As noted above, I burned through them very quickly. Fun and easy and still a little mystery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews