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Stumbling Up #1
Stumbling Up: A Loser's Guide to Progression, Book 1
Meet ‘[Immortal]’ banana slug, emotional terrorist, dungeon life coach…
Then there’s Cole. He just wants to survive. Richard has goals. Neither of them is optimistic.
In a world split between [Mundanes] and [Adventurers], Cole rolled the worst specialization [Self Criticism].
One drunken mistake later, he’s conscripted into the Adventurer's Guild. First stop? A deadly [Trial Dungeon] with a sarcastic slug, a mysterious goth, and two best friends who are absolutely not qualified for this.
Richard is a ‘foot-long’ telepathic jerk with a gift for emotional damage.
Leo is a pink sweater wearing himbo with a double-bladed axe and a hit first mentality.
Tandy is a genius crafter with a deep and irrational hatred of sheep.
And Meredeath? She’s not in Kansas anymore, but she is kicking monster butt in platform boots.
Together, they form [Your Mom’s Party], the dungeon’s least-likely survivors. Join them as they stumble towards glory treasure power adventure.
Welcome to the party.
Try not to die.
Stumbling Up is a heart-wrenching adventure comedy about three friends tackling their quarter-life crisis by pursuing adventure. It's a stat-light LitRPG like Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl, Shirtaloon's He Who Fights With Monsters and James Hunter's Discount Dan series. These are not your average OP main characters. They're the underpowered losers we’re all rooting for.
What to LitRPG mechanics (Skills, specializations, party dynamics—not spreadsheets)Character-driven narrative with emotional arcs and messy growthFound family and friendship front and centerDungeon crawling with unconventional strategies and slice-of-life interludesBanana slug wisdom (or at least loud, sarcastic opinions)Progression through failure (because some of us level up the hard way)
Then there’s Cole. He just wants to survive. Richard has goals. Neither of them is optimistic.
In a world split between [Mundanes] and [Adventurers], Cole rolled the worst specialization [Self Criticism].
One drunken mistake later, he’s conscripted into the Adventurer's Guild. First stop? A deadly [Trial Dungeon] with a sarcastic slug, a mysterious goth, and two best friends who are absolutely not qualified for this.
Richard is a ‘foot-long’ telepathic jerk with a gift for emotional damage.
Leo is a pink sweater wearing himbo with a double-bladed axe and a hit first mentality.
Tandy is a genius crafter with a deep and irrational hatred of sheep.
And Meredeath? She’s not in Kansas anymore, but she is kicking monster butt in platform boots.
Together, they form [Your Mom’s Party], the dungeon’s least-likely survivors. Join them as they stumble towards glory treasure power adventure.
Welcome to the party.
Try not to die.
Stumbling Up is a heart-wrenching adventure comedy about three friends tackling their quarter-life crisis by pursuing adventure. It's a stat-light LitRPG like Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl, Shirtaloon's He Who Fights With Monsters and James Hunter's Discount Dan series. These are not your average OP main characters. They're the underpowered losers we’re all rooting for.
What to LitRPG mechanics (Skills, specializations, party dynamics—not spreadsheets)Character-driven narrative with emotional arcs and messy growthFound family and friendship front and centerDungeon crawling with unconventional strategies and slice-of-life interludesBanana slug wisdom (or at least loud, sarcastic opinions)Progression through failure (because some of us level up the hard way)
552 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 13, 2026
About the author
Reck Well
3 books18 followersReck Well writes books for the impostors of the world—anyone who’s failed upward, fumbled a quest into fame, or accidentally befriended a banana slug. Their stories blend humor, heart, and the occasional stat sheet. A real-life chaos goblin, Reck spends most days wrestling prose, battling demonic spreadsheets, pretending worldbuilding isn’t just anxiety-fueled procrastination, and min-maxing their diet cola intake.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 2, 2026
Absolutely loved this book. The characters are endearing and relatable. I found myself transported and engaged throughout. Highly recommend for anyone looking for an adventure story and a lovable band of friends and an "immortal" slug. Can't wait for book 2!
April 6, 2026
A breath of fresh air, as far as my experience with litrpg thus far. This litrpg is "creamy" which overall I prefer. The 3 initial main characters are native to the litrpg world, so there was no awkward isekai to get thru in order to start the real story.
I appreciated that this was story driven with enough action to keep it interesting but not so much that it was about the main characters proceeding linearly on a quest to save the world until they all manage to become seriously overpowered. Don't get me wrong, I love those stories as well, when they are skillfully written, but this felt more real to me.
The main character clearly has ADHD and anxiety, so much so that he's managed to turn self-criticism into a skill he keeps accidently initiating. He and his best friend Leon have spent their lives, trying a little bit of everything but succeeding at nothing. While they're friend Tandy is too good at the one thing she doesn't want to do. Leon is self-conscious because unlike his other friends, he never activated any kind of class or magic skills. Cole the main character has a bunch of skills that he considers useless and he’s constantly questioning his value to the group. Tandy is a master Weaver but hates it so much she convinces Cole and Leon to join her in becoming adventururs one night when they get drunk.
Bottom line there is something seriously relatable about these characters, their journey, and their struggles. Each have their own doubts about themselves, their own failures and as the stakes are raised some of those doubts begin to bleed into their long standing friendship.
This is the first litrpg I've read where I have felt like, 'Yeah, this is what it would REALLY be like if a world like this were real.'. I'm incredibly impressed by the foundation this first book has laid for the series and I can't wait for me!
I appreciated that this was story driven with enough action to keep it interesting but not so much that it was about the main characters proceeding linearly on a quest to save the world until they all manage to become seriously overpowered. Don't get me wrong, I love those stories as well, when they are skillfully written, but this felt more real to me.
The main character clearly has ADHD and anxiety, so much so that he's managed to turn self-criticism into a skill he keeps accidently initiating. He and his best friend Leon have spent their lives, trying a little bit of everything but succeeding at nothing. While they're friend Tandy is too good at the one thing she doesn't want to do. Leon is self-conscious because unlike his other friends, he never activated any kind of class or magic skills. Cole the main character has a bunch of skills that he considers useless and he’s constantly questioning his value to the group. Tandy is a master Weaver but hates it so much she convinces Cole and Leon to join her in becoming adventururs one night when they get drunk.
Bottom line there is something seriously relatable about these characters, their journey, and their struggles. Each have their own doubts about themselves, their own failures and as the stakes are raised some of those doubts begin to bleed into their long standing friendship.
This is the first litrpg I've read where I have felt like, 'Yeah, this is what it would REALLY be like if a world like this were real.'. I'm incredibly impressed by the foundation this first book has laid for the series and I can't wait for me!
March 25, 2026
This book is an absolute gem.
The characters are incredibly likeable, and the worldbuilding feels fresh and creative without ever getting bogged down. The system and dungeon mechanics clearly have a lot of thought behind them, which makes every challenge feel meaningful and engaging.
What really stood out to me was the balance of humour and heart. Cole and his friends feel real, their struggles are relatable, and the way their childhood dreams and friendships are tested by the harsh realities of life hits surprisingly hard at times. It’s funny, yes, but there’s real emotional weight underneath it all.
As for Richard the banana slug. Behind the humour, there's genuine depth there, which makes him even more loveable.
On audio, Jeremy and Jessica are a fantastic narration duo. They bring the characters to life in a way that really complements the story .
If you enjoy underdog stories with great character dynamics, clever humour, and a lot of heart, this one is well worth your time.
The characters are incredibly likeable, and the worldbuilding feels fresh and creative without ever getting bogged down. The system and dungeon mechanics clearly have a lot of thought behind them, which makes every challenge feel meaningful and engaging.
What really stood out to me was the balance of humour and heart. Cole and his friends feel real, their struggles are relatable, and the way their childhood dreams and friendships are tested by the harsh realities of life hits surprisingly hard at times. It’s funny, yes, but there’s real emotional weight underneath it all.
As for Richard the banana slug. Behind the humour, there's genuine depth there, which makes him even more loveable.
On audio, Jeremy and Jessica are a fantastic narration duo. They bring the characters to life in a way that really complements the story .
If you enjoy underdog stories with great character dynamics, clever humour, and a lot of heart, this one is well worth your time.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was my first introduction to the LitRPG genre and I think I may be hooked. What a fun and exciting read! The world Reck Well built is so imaginative and well put together. The book is filled danger and intrigue, fun, wit, humor, and the love of a found family. I can not wait for the rest of the series!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read as this came out on Royal Road.
I am team Richard for life. The humor hits like Futurama. I just really like this one y'all.
I am team Richard for life. The humor hits like Futurama. I just really like this one y'all.
March 29, 2026
Fun read!
Well written and more importantly FUN!
Can't wait for the next installment! One of the freshest new books I've read in a while.
Well written and more importantly FUN!
Can't wait for the next installment! One of the freshest new books I've read in a while.
April 8, 2026
By rights this book shouldn't have worked so well for me but for whatever reason it did. Looking forward to the next book and hope its just as good as this one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews