Merchant Crab: A LitRPG Adventure

Merchant Crab #1

by H0st

An unlikely protagonist leads this hilarious new LitRPG, perfect for fans of Heretical Fishing, Chrysalis, and Lunadea!

One Adventurer's junk is another Crab's treasure.
Balthazar was just a random giant crab enjoying his life in a fantasy world full of bothersome human adventurers, but then he had to go and accidentally discover the secret of attributes and levels. And also pie.

With baked goods and coin as his new life goals, he turns to the competitive business of trading the random junk adventurer's loot every day.

Follow Balthazar as he does everything to find a baker... except leave his pond, because exploring the dangerous world out there is for suckers. Witness how adventurers just can't seem to stop dying around his home. And cheer for a crab who makes great new friends by simply buying them.

Genres: Fantasy

698 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2025

Reviews

[Aaron Eichler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The power of Pie

There are very few books that I have laugh at then this one. The crab reminded me of the stereotype of an old grumpy man wanting kids to stay off his land. I loved that even though he was annoyed at first when adventurers came along, but eventually he got used to them. I loved his friendship with the baker, and his rivalry with the bully of a merchant. I am excited to see where the story goes from here.

[Elizabeth Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a laid back LitRPG with hilarious characters that centers on a cantankerous crab that gains access to the system and decides to start trading for access to delicious pastries. I absolutely loved the world building in this. Balthazar's entire life revolves around this tiny pond but so much happens as people bring in fresh items and information. As his skills evolve so do his problems.

[Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The is a review of the Royal Road edition, which may have been edited before being released on Kindle.

This is a fun, and very light, progression litRPG fantasy, with strong cozy fantasy vibes. It could fairly easily be edited up to a three-star rating, and even at two stars, it's a light enough read that it may be worth reading, if you want fun and fast. It is somewhat repetitive, silly, and the character development is intentionally rather heavy handed. The world is a parody fantasy setting, with the world building built entirely on DND vibes. I enjoyed large parts of it, but also skimmed over fair chunks, as the content of paragraphs and even long passages was sometimes so predictable that it simply wasn't necessary to read them in detail.

Minor spoilers: the overall arc is very much a set-up for the next book, with success slowly building to a peak only to end in a series of epic disasters that will surely be solved in the next book... which is fine, I guess, but again, rather heavy-handed.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun

Balthazar just wanted a quiet life in his pond. Then an adventurer stepped on him and things happened. He retrieved a scroll from the adventurer that made him an Adventurer. Still all he wanted was to sun himself on his pond, that is until an adventurer traded him pie for a sword. This a love of sweets and the drive for more was born. He starts finagling deals and becomes a merchant trading left and right all for shiny coins and sweet treats. He takes on the local merchants guild, the tax man, and misunderstandings to reap a profit. He learns that family and friends mean a lot to him. Eventually his status as an adventurer is taken away and so is a friend. So he plans to leave his pond and go get his friend back!

A funny and lighthearted story. The grumpy character learns that he was always a softy. The narrator is wonderful. The pacing is steady and the world is fascinating. Please enjoy

[Shelby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fun at first, I liked the main character,, but about 1/2 way through it began to wear out its welcome becasue the crab kept "learning" the same lesson every couple chapters. Crab would do something that was too crabby, there is a single consequence, he'd realize he has to value other people, and everything would reset. The ending chapters were a slog to get through, as were the six different pieces of the epilogue.

[Cape Rust · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusually Comfortable

How could you pass up a book called Merchant crab？I enjoyed the fresh concept. it was a well written book and the characters were interesting. This is another great addition to the lit RPG genre. a lot of the plot points were telegraphed and that's okay. I look forward to the next installment.

[Danny Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly good. Comedic LitRPGs can be hot or miss for me but this was a hit. The cast of oddball characters were really fun and entertaining. There was an overriding plot which propels the story into the next book. I’ll definitely continue.

[Craig Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one but it was just ok. A little slow for my liking maybe just setting things up for book 2.. I might read the next book but its probably not one I will be jumping on as soon as it comes out.

[Paul Hefka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story.

I really loved reading this book. It was funny and engaging. The story and characters were incredibly interesting and entertaining. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. This book is definitely worth checking out.

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is poor, the lessons are ham-handed, but the idea is novel and I'm still going to read the next book in the series.

[Akshay · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST BOOK EVER!!!