Splinter Angel: Book 1

Splinter Angel #1

by Avaritiabona

Ana just wanted to get home. To slip out of her dress and her heels, take a shower, and get into her PJs. Maybe have some hot chocolate before bed. It had been that kind of night. Instead, the kid she was bodyguarding got dragged through a hole in reality, and she went with him.

The bad news is that once the smoke settled, once she’d dealt with the idiots who dragged them through time and space or whatever, Nic was dead, Ana had no way home, and she had to deal with magic and floating text and a forest full of demons.

The good news? The locals are friendly — when they’re not trying to kill her. And Ana just keeps getting stronger.

Genres: Fantasy, Litrpg, Magic

461 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2025

Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is pretty good as an isekai LitRPG power fantasy. Ana has some unique twists that the author does a pretty good job of characterizing and her background helps make a clean break with her life on Earth.

And I liked Ana and that always helps. She is disconnected from people in general, but knows it. It's not sociopathy, but along those lines. A barrier of empathy. But she not only does her best to pass as normal but she does her best to be a good person (though that's my read because that isn't how she internalizes it). She isn't a user and she cares about people even if at least part of that is because they can do things for her and maintaining relationships has social utility. And all of that sounds way more clinical than it is. As I said, the author does a good job with the characterization and without a bunch of navel gazing while doing it.

And the worldbuilding is interesting as Ana finds herself in a splinter, a dimensional world space that people are trying to "stabilize" because it's a useful summer aspect that could be a valuable addition to the "Primes". So it's kind of a company town but with a more altruism and honest desire of those in charge for the people to thrive. So when Ana shows up as an "accidental", they welcome her and help her and that doesn't feel at all out of place.

So it's a good power fantasy, with an interesting "system" and supporting characters that I enjoyed getting to know. I'm going to give it 4½ stars that I'll round up to five. The weaknesses are mostly that the story is a bit bland, alleviated somewhat by having some good action and relationships that I liked seeing grow.

A note about Chaste: As a part of not being connected to people, Ana is also pretty textbook asexual. She doesn't feel attraction as such and doesn't feel the need for sex, though she isn't opposed exactly. Which I appreciated because that meant she isn't a love 'em and leave 'em type that would be tempting with a character who doesn't attach to people. All that to say this is pretty chaste.

[Issy Waldrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of aspects of litrpg stories that are the same - it is part of the genre, after all. A system is a give. Isekai is also common, and being the chosen one, inadvertent or not? Yeah. And the mc being OP to some degree? Yup. But that's not a bad thing, and it really does come down to how well it is done. Splinter Angel has all of these, and it's done well, and is highly enjoyable, enough that I found myself binge reading the first book, and then the following one as well.

There's a lot to like about this story. The system is present by not overbearing, the worldbuilding is intriguing, and while Ana has an overpowered class, she still struggles and faces a lot of challenges, both without and within. She also doesn't do it alone. She has friends with her who help her, one who means the world to her (yay for both ace and sapphic rep), and they story is just as much about them.

It has its sweet moments, plenty of dark ones, and as is common for the genre, plenty of action and battles. It is all done well, and it's easy to get absorbed in the story. And as I said above, thoroughly enjoyed.

[Fat Frog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far too much explaining. Terrible writing. Every step is over-explained, and the pacing is horrendous.

Isekai type setting, but the book reads more like a drama novel.

The main character is not very likable. I think she's supposed to be a good person, who can't understand her own feelings, has muted feelings, and seems callous to others. She is a self-identifying asexual person, who is possibly a lesbian who does not believe she is a lesbian.

I hate that in these books the MC can never just have a normal sex life. Either they are asexual with Asbergers syndrome, or they assemble a whole harem. Why does it always have to be an extreme? Why can't there just be a nice story about young love?

The drama between all the characters is not very interesting. The main storyline is pretty non-existent. You have to skim read to move the plot along, and even then it is slow.

Constant idiotic logic. Not spending points even though it might save her life. Choosing to spend in categories that make so sense. Not spending points on vitality because she might "unwittingly moan" in front of others in the group. WTF are these reasons? Cmon. Please stop.

Main character does endless stupid things. She walks around in an extremely dangerous forest without her armor, and her weapon packed away. This is the same forest that a large group was barely able to kill a monster bull. This is the same forest 2 people died in recently. Same place that has possessed humans with crystal disease. But now she just "thinks it was safe".... It makes NO SENSE.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Great new first book in the series. It has a good story where the litrpg elements have an impact. The MC and the side characters are unique and interesting and very likeable. It’s great and can’t wait for the next.

[Steven]

DNF @ 40%

Aggressively boring/bland. After the first initial combat, there isn't any action at all until 40% of the way in. Lots of talking, some training, nothing bad - just nothing good, either. No real draw, no real excitement or momentum in the narrative. And yet another 'hiding their class or power' book. ugh.

[bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read ahead on Royal roads

The first book sets up a genuinely compelling premise. The protagonist describes themselves as a high-functioning sociopath transported into a system-based universe where apotheosis—literally becoming a god—is possible. Early on, the story strongly suggests a ruthless, goal-driven climb through power tiers: temporary alliances, disposable relationships, and a main character focused entirely on survival, growth, and eventual godhood. That promise is what hooked me.

Unfortunately, by the second book—and unmistakably by the third—the series takes a sharp turn into what feels like a teenage harem fantasy. Multiple female characters are introduced in rapid succession with heavy romantic focus, and the protagonist’s behavior shifts dramatically. Rather than a detached, calculating sociopath, the main character begins acting like an emotionally driven teenager obsessively in love. On its own, romance isn’t a flaw—but it directly contradicts the tone, characterization, and expectations established in book one.

What’s frustrating is that the first book clearly positioned itself as something different: a system universe story focused on progression, mechanics, and a protagonist who would discard distractions in pursuit of power. Instead, the narrative increasingly centers on relationship drama and the clear setup of a multi-partner harem. Based on what’s already available (including later content on Royal Road), it’s difficult to see the story returning to its original trajectory—especially given how much encouragement that direction receives from readers.

If you’re looking for another harem fantasy series, this will likely work for you. However, if you’re expecting a hard progression fantasy with a morally detached main character relentlessly pursuing apotheosis, you should adjust your expectations accordingly. The series ultimately becomes something very different from what it initially promises.

I don’t regret reading the first book, and I was genuinely excited to see how the author would tackle the philosophical and practical problems inherent in their original setup. Sadly, those problems are resolved not through clever storytelling, but by fundamentally changing the character and genre. That shift may appeal to some readers—but it’s not what the early chapters led me to believe I was signing up for.

And as I did read ahead on Royal roads I will leave a at least a small amount towards the author because I do believe in supporting independent authors even if I am not a huge harem fantasy aficionado or even remotely interested in becoming one

[Roberto Flores · Rating 2 out of 5]

This very much focuses on the relationships between people, not my cup of tea. But the low rating comes from the story feeling tacked on. It's more of an afterthought than any driving force.

[Jim Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different

New take (as far as I know) on an Iseki novel. Superbly intriguing Main Character with unique motivation. Well maybe not unique. But how she views it is. Martial framework stands and is very good. Jury is still out on the magic and crafting parts.
Interesting epilogue.

[Liam Cahill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good isekai

Relatable MC, good pacing and interesting side characters with a good mix of personalities. Also, a small smidge of yuri ftw.
Will pick this up on audible and check out the authors other work.

[Azhure · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I think the writing of the book is really engaging, and there was never really a moment when I was reading where I was bored and anxiously checking the page count to see how much I had left. If anything, it was the opposite, I was so into this book that it was keeping me up when I should've been sleeping, just so that I could read an extra chapter or two. The system/levels in this book are pretty standard/intuitive. It was interesting to learn more about how it worked, but it's also familiar enough that it doesn't get in the way of the story. I really loved the character of Ana. I enjoyed seeing different sides of her, learning more about her background, and seeing her interact with the other characters. I like the powerleveling loner type character as much as the next person, and when the system initially set it up so that she was getting extra rewards for being her own object of devotion I thought that was what this was story was going to be like. But I really appreciated that, no, instead there's a lot of teamplay, and I appreciated that Ana is good at working in/with a team. As far as the story goes, I was a big fan of the pacing and the general scope of this first book. We're introduced to this world, and we get some big fights, but the fights we do have feel very appropriate for where we are in the story (i.e. the beginning). Moreover, I really enjoyed the more slice of life aspects of this book. Yes, there are fights and level-ups, but Ana is a total stranger in this place, and there are a lot of moments of her integrating herself into this new community, and I felt that it really helped make her/the world feel more fleshed out and lived in. I wasn't really expecting a romance, but I'm always down to read a sapphic pairing. I think the way the author has chosen to write Ana, in regards to feelings/attachments/romantic/sexual/etc is interesting, and I'm definitely curious about how that'll shape up further along in the series.

Really, I don't have any complaints about the book. One that I initially had was that there were a couple of times of Ana's monologue just explaining different ways she could distribute the points. It does help to make sure you're clear with how the leveling works, but I found myself thinking "If you're going to do it this way, at least have it be her explaining why she would be considering these different options instead of just telling us what the options are", and then later in the story that's exactly what the author does, so I was like ah, okay, I take my complaint back.

Overall, loved the story. Excited to see what happens in the next book. I'm definitely going to be recommending this book to others.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually marked 3.5 - fun little book to pass the time. Initially I considered dropping this around 30% because it was literally Ana doing training and going to the tavern with her newfound friends. However from the start of the casual expedition things picked up. I do sometimes find Ana's tortured and 'unfeeling' attitude a bit much, but I have warmed up to her, particularly when she explained her asexuality to Mess and her attitude towards people, even saw a tiny bit of myself and my attitude in her. Aside from Mess' and Ana's relationship other highlights in the book were Touanne, the storyline with the infection, the Wayfarer herself, the Huntress and the elf guild administrator. Overall, a classic OP MC progression fantasy with interesting characters, which picks up in the latter 2/3rds -with the third even having a nice mystery-, and that does not have a creepy attitudes towards women, a heroine written by a man and weird portrayals of sapphic relationships, again, written by a man. Bonus points for the ace MC ^^. Fun book to pass the time.

[Levitate · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are elements of a good story here, the characters and their relationships are honestly well done and somewhat believable which is nice to see. On the flip side though, the pacing feels rather slow and the plot only really starts heading out of slice of life direction in the last few pages of this book, leading to an abrupt ending. The protagonist deciding to hold onto XP instead of leveling up can be rather confusing at times and the random insertion of litrpg elements can be off putting (more editing might have been needed). My biggest gripe though is that the world building feels rather nonexistent and confined, this confinement to one location only exacerbates the slow pacing and lack of momentum. Enemies are also incredibly one dimensional punching bags (mindless possessed). I may pick up the sequel for the characters/interactions and the plot hinted at in the ending but I’ll likely drop it if there’s no world building/intrigue exploration beyond the current setting/location.

[MG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong female lead for a fantasy story, one who is believably strong and effective in battle. I like how modern Ana, who works as a bodyguard, somehow gets sucked into an interesting fantasy world, only the town is a "splinter," a pocket dimension separate from the main world she has entered and has the vibe of being a frontier town in a dangerous setting. That was a fresh angle. My main complaint is that there is too much explanation and not enough plot. Ana simply grows and gets better and develops a community of friends. I don't see a larger larger story arc developing yet. A smaller complaint, which is a problem shared by many fantasy authors, is that the MC is mostly asexual. When this is occasional, it can be an interesting aspect of a unique personality. But mostly this occurs because the author seems uncomfortable with sexuality, which then makes the character seem incomplete, especially an attractive character developing a circle of friends. I suppose later volumes will reveal which is the case here.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reasonably fun.

A slightly different take on the Transport to another world story.

Check the boxes for modern fiction :
- Someone on the spectrum
- LGBTQ character(s)
- strong female lead

Overall, the editing is very solid , no noticed continuity issues, good word choice, solid text layout, good pacing.

My only real gripe, is that it sort of ends with a cliffhanger. The mitigation to this is the next book is already set to be released in January of next year so it’s less than a 30 day wait, and the film is in the can so to speak rather than having to wait two years for the author to catch up.
Second mitigation is it where the book “ends” there’s a follow on chapter that at least cleans things up a little bit and put us in a better state than a pure cliffhanger.

Overall, I enjoyed this book . It’s appropriate for adults, but deals with some personality, background, violence issues that I would not expose teenagers or younger too.

[David Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantasy isekai LitRPG series where a bodyguard named Ana is accidentally transported to a fantasy world, gets a powerful class, and has to adjust to everything. She is stuck in a splinter world which is sort of a planned pocket universe where one town exists. This limits the scope of the world. She had a rough upbringing and is a high functioning sociopath with no reservation on killing those who attack her or her friends. This series has a ton of female characters and also a sapphic romance. I normally don't like too much romance in a LitRPG series and there were times it was annoying but it was OK overall. Gods and goddesses exist in this world and they do interfere. I liked the system and look forward to how Ana develops further.

I read the three books that were available then read what I could on RR. I will happily reread this series once more is available or it is complete.

[Trek Lunden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very nice surprise that popped up in my rec'd reading. Very tight isekai adventure in a small and enclosed wilderness biome that lends to a linear path of standard lit progression. It follows a lot of common themes: strong OP OC, reluctant hero, stat and level progression through experience and usage, god(dess) chosen. But some differences too: Experience can be traded for money rather than used, every possible role that needs doing is its own class, the biome is closed, no one in or out until it runs its course.

The plot is light and comes on sudden near the end of the book. I gave this 4/5 stars due to the abrupt way it basically forces you to read the next book. A cheap tactic I am never fond of no matter how good the story was before then. Despite that I'll keep reading.

[Adam Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting MC with a fun story setup

So the MC is isekaid/summoned in a semi standard format, but she got grabbed by accident. She proceeds to have to dispense the violence as things have gone wildly off the rails for her night. Pretty normal stuff yah? But what makes this interesting is that the MC is a stone cold sociopath, and she makes no bones about that from the get go. This colors the relationships and such she builds across the story, and adds a fun layer to all of her interactions as she navigates trying to be a good person while feeling very limited emotions. An enjoyable read about an MC facing a different type of challenge after having their life turned upside down and ending up in a fantasy world.

[Alison M.D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book three days ago, and I have absolutely blown through it! I genuinely like the writing style and the diverse set of characters, with just the perfect amount of dry humor😆 Ana is a lot like me, and I haven't seen any representation before. So it was a very nice surprise to see it!🥰 The book goes through just some everyday things, needing clothes washed, taking a bath, just eating with friends, etc. Some books are all about important things or a shit ton of just beating bosses back to back, I personally like it when a book slows down. Even though there are fighting scenes, and Ana flexes her big bad muscles when needed, we are getting to know the characters that other authors might have passed over. All in all, a great book that has quickly become a favorite

[Andrew H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with the slow pacing in book 1. It's a very generic Iseki book with nothing original. It takes forever to explain basic concepts. The story doesn't really go anywhere.

I quit the series 1/3rd of the way through book 2. I gave up any hope of it being an action book, and it became clear the series is based on annoying characters and their emotions. It would be 1 page of story and things happening, then several pages of the MC crying and needing cuddles and comfort. The MC who is supposed to be a badass butch asexual no feeling lesbian. Just all around not relatable and very confusing.

[Victoria Nonagesimus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun, shockingly refreshing isekai! It's very, very rare that I read an isekai and recommend it to someone, but I read this book in a weekend and had a lot of fun with it! Ana is a wonderful and interesting protagonist, and the pragmatism that her background gives her is deeply satisfying to read. The characters are deeply, and I loved seeing different relationships bloom as Ana lets her walls down.

Now, that being said, the narrative is pretty shallow and there isn't a whole lot to the story other than being fun and exciting. But hey, on a weekend in the year of our Wayfarer 2026, who couldn't use a romp through an ever-summer Splinter.

[Holwanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ana is an intriguing character and enjoyed her rather unique perspective, as she progresses through each day in a new world. There are plenty of fascinating features that the author creates as Ana adjusts, and I enjoyed that, the "system," and the slice of life aspects of the first volume. But they story does take a couple of sharp turns in the last third or fourth, and reading ahead, I feel it will not be for me. I'm not interested in a heavy battle-centric story or a harem-type focus. But I do appreciate the writing skill of the author and I am glad I read the first installment.

[Akos · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started as an interesting book with a good story promise. But at some point it became a lesbian drama or something about discovering the sexuality of oneself. I don't understand why was this important, i don't care about MC sexual orientations until it becomes the main point of the book or a lecture.

This story could be so good but it had to go into some extreme and unreasonable stuff.

Anyway I read it, but won't continue.

I'm giving it a 3 stars because I only give 2 and 1 for AI writers.

[Trippentigger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rocks

Have to say this has been the most enjoyable Litrpg read to slip through my brain. Yes, the MCs is overpowered, but this author actually pulled that off, without ruining the character. It’s really well done, even if you’re kinda out at the Litrpg genre, I say give the book a shot. Will need the next book, the ending has a bit of a steep drop off.

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Splinter Angel: book one of the series of the same name, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). Good plot concept, but I never connected with the FMC, Ana. Her ethics and emotions, or lack thereof, made it hard for me to sympathize with the character. I can see others may enjoy the book, so I give it a neutral rating.

[Samuel J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read

The world building was done very well. The MC's initial confusion. The life or death first conflict was great. The story developed slowly throughout the chapters. Add in the slow realization of the MC of how the world around them works, and you end with a very well written first book. My take... I can't wait to dive into the next book.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters and world make as much sense as the nonsense random numbers used for the LitRPG system. It's so cringe listening to the special snowflake talk about how she's emotionally detached and asexual but it suits her as she's also a special snowflake with a special hidden class that's better than everyone else's advances faster, and oh, she can talk to a Goddess. Of course.

[Al Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was decent read. It’s too bad that it’s the total opposite of the regular teenage boy sex fantasy bullshit. I mean having the MC totally asexual. Probably because it’s a female MC. You wouldn’t get away with that if it was a man.

[Shelta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! I hope this series never ends!

I want to know about every single side character’s back story! Great worlds building, story progression, and all the things. 10/10 highly recommend!

[Noodle The Naughty Night Owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Interesting Isekai Protagonist

I wrote a really good review and lost it. Bugger! Long lost review short, Ana is clearly on the spectrum. Unable to form bonds or love. But her Class makes her a guardian angel. She's loyal. She's protective. And she kicks butt. Good book.

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

a surprisingly fun adventure

It was a unexpected surprise. I really enjoyed this book. The adventure the story the flow everything just clicked together and worked so well. Really enjoyed it thank you