Last Save Dave: A LitRPG Adventure

Last Save Dave #1

by Michael James Ploof

A hilarious LitRPG Adventure featuring an underdog MC with the ability to manipulate time and return to his "Last Save".

Saving the world is a dirty job. He's plunging the multiverse, one Boss Fight at a time.
Dave Deranger, a middle-aged plumber, was the 1990 Nintendo Champion and an Olympic silver medalist in boxing. Since then, his greatest challenge has been trying to quit smoking and plunging toilets.

That all changes when an immature deity named Tyme abducts him to be her champion in a "intergalactic scavenger hunt." The prize? His world is spared. The penalty for losing? Earth gets vaporized by a massive laser pointer from space.

Transported to the Tree of One Thousand Worlds, Dave is armed with nothing but his cherished 44-pound, heavy-duty cast-iron pipe wrench, Vevor, and a set of god-given time-manipulation abilities. In this cosmic game, death isn't the end—it's a mechanic.

With the power to 'Save Progress' and 'Return to Last Save', Dave can undo his most gruesome mistakes, provided he has the magical talismans to pay the cost.

Who says a washed-up, out-of-shape plumber can't be Earth's greatest hero?

Ride along on this laugh-filled LitRPG adventure that's like Dungeon Crawler Carl meets Prince of Persia, where victory is just one "Last Save" away! The series features a grizzled underdog MC with a wrench, unique time mechanics, steady power progression, crunchy stats, and loads of legendary loot.

Perfect for fans of Discount Dan, The Perfect Run, and An Unexpected Hero!

Genres: Litrpg, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Audiobook

518 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 9, 2026

About the author

I spent my youth in the land of make believe. School was a bore, and growing up in the "Boonies" without cable television forced me to use my imagination. If I wasn't holed up in my bedroom playing with my vast collection of action figures, I could be found in the forest with a wooden sword or staff in hand, battling the forces of evil. As an 80's kid, I was raised on a healthy diet of movies like Star Wars, The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Goonies, and endless other classic (but strange) movies.

As a reader, I enjoy books that take off right out of the gate, sweep me off my feet, and whisk me away on an epic adventure. As an author, I try to create books that do the same for my readers. I write fantasy, and I suppose that I still live in a land of make believe, except now I get to share the adventure with others.

I hope that you will join me on my next adventure, and together we can escape reality, if only for a time.

Yours in Magic,

Michael James Ploof

Join the mailing list at www.whillofagor(dot)com.

Books by Michael James Ploof

Epic Fallacy

Book #1: Champions of the Dragon

Book #2: Beyond the Wide Wall

Book #3: The Legend of Drak' Noir

Book #4: The Mother of Zuul

LEGENDS OF AGORA

Book #1: Whill of Agora

Book #2: A Quest of Kings

Book #3: A Song of Swords

Book #4: A Crown of war

Book #5: Kingdoms in Chaos

Book #6: Champions of the Gods

Book #7: The Mantle of Darkness

Book #8: Dark Echoes of Light

Book #9: The Warcrown Legacy

THE WINDWALKER ARCHIVE

Book #1: Talon

Book #2: Sea Queen

Book #3: Exodus

BLACKTHORN

Book #1: Blackthorn Rising

THE ORION REZNER CHRONICLES

Book #1: Afterworld

The Dragon Throne War

Book #1: A Dream of Fire

Doomsday Sheriff

Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

Dragon Rider Academy

Episode #1: Ascension

Episode #2: Transcendence

Episode #3: Initiate

Episode #4: Dragon Heart

Episode #5: Accursed

THE SOCK GNOME CHRONICLES

Book #1: Billy Coatbutton and the Wheel of Destiny

Book #2: Billy Coatbutton and the ring of Sockchild

Harem books written as Mike Ploof

Rebirth online

Rebirth Online #1

Rebirth Online #2

Rebirth Online #3

Rebirth Online #4

Rebirth Online #5

Rebirth Online #6

Monster World

Monster World #1

Monster World #2

Warwick

Episode #1: Galactic Arena

Episode #2: Galactic Fugitives

Episode #3: Galactic Vengeance

litRPG Published By Aethon Books

Arcane Veterinarian Book 1 - August 6, 2024

Arcane Veterinarian Book 2 - Fall 2024

The Family Jewels Book 1 - Coming Soon

Reviews

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope not for me. I find anything about time travel and going to different locations beyond unbelievable! I believe that an author is suppose to start a book by getting a reader engaged in the story and making it so the reader does not want to put it down. Well this book does not engage you. I found the first chapter boring and not engaging, it made me want to put in down. Which I did and came back continued to read and it was more of the same.

[LordTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s-a me... DAVE!
The latest LitRPG adventure from Aethon gives us an everyman, complete with plumber's crack and 44lb wrench, with the ability to save and revert to last save in the multiverse - all to prevent Earth from being vaporized.
Really enjoyed this one.

[Whiskeyjack · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Last Save Dave offers solid pacing and decent action, but it ultimately falls short of the brilliant humor and depth of Matt Dinniman's work. Picked this up as a way to scratch the "Carl itch" of course, and while it’s an entertaining listen with a competent narrator, it lacks the exceptional character work and wit found in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I'm holding off on reading the sequel. Two and a half stars.

[Emily A · Rating 5 out of 5]

laughs, gas and a whole lot of world saving ass from Dave

Long read but no filler. Story keeps you gripped . There’s lots of humour and heartfelt moments . You fall in love with Dave and his dad jokes and Lyra with her steadfast loyalty and our good boy Reggy. Can’t wait for the next one

[Logan Horsford · Rating 2 out of 5]

After (audio) an hour and 15 min, I was just not sucked into the story. At all.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ **4.5 stars**

**Last Save Dave** was just ridiculously fun. 😂

I went into this one not really knowing what to expect, and at first I wasn't completely convinced by the whole “Last Save” mechanic. Being able to rewind after dying initially felt like it might take away the danger and tension. But once it became clear that Dave's ability is tied to being the Champion of the Time God, that the talismans are limited, and that every use matters, the whole thing became much more interesting.

Dave's ability isn't simply a free reset button — he has to be incredibly careful about when he uses it. And considering how often this man manages to get himself into absolutely ridiculous situations, that's a pretty important limitation. 😂

What really made the book for me, though, was the **humour**. There were so many moments that genuinely made me chuckle. Dave getting himself into increasingly ridiculous situations, desperately trying to avoid using one of his precious saves, and somehow making everything worse was brilliant.

I also really enjoyed watching him build his little team. There's an interesting dilemma developing around his secret: Dave can literally go back and change events, including bringing his teammates back from the dead, but he doesn't want them to know he can do it because he's worried they'll never fully trust him. I can completely understand why he's anxious about telling them, even though part of me is screaming, **“Mate, they've literally been brought back to life by you — I think they'll probably appreciate it!”** 😂

The book also leaves plenty of room for the story to grow. Dave's relationship with his team, his connection to the Time God, the other Champions and the limitations of his ability all give the series somewhere interesting to go.

Overall, this was a **really entertaining first book**. It wasn't perfect, but I had a bloody good time reading it, and that's worth a lot. I'm definitely interested in continuing the series — although I'll probably wait for Book 2 to get an audiobook release rather than jumping straight into the ebook.

**Final rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️**

A genuinely fun LitRPG with a great sense of humour, an interesting time-rewind mechanic, and a protagonist who seems to possess a supernatural ability to get himself into increasingly stupid situations. 😂

[Jamal A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining read, and this was a good break from reading DCC.

The MC, Dave is a pretty likeable character and he has some pretty similar resemblance to a mustachio plumber...

The world building is pretty good, although I would have appreciated a little more exploration on certain worlds.

I think the story moved a little too fast and I honestly wouldn't have minded an extra 200 pages to explore more of the worlds.

A quick rundown: Dave is 1 of 12 champions selected to participate in this game created by these "child gods" and Dave was selected by Tyme because he was the Nintendo champion in the 90s or something like that. And he was an Olympic boxer.

So each champion has a special ability and Dave's is...time!

One of his special abilities is "Last Saved" so when he dies he is able to return to where he last saved. This is an ability that he only has. So any other champion who dies, dies for good along with their planet getting destroyed.


I still don't understand how the other child gods can't see this because honestly "Last Saved" is such a huge cheat code ( he does have to use a talisman which is something they have to collect and is also used to Level Up.

He also has a cool, big, red wrench named Vevor

Anyway, I enjoyed this overall and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid LitRPG but it does have a couple of caveats and/or manage-your-expectations moments.

For one, expect it to be a LitRPG that leans more heavily into super mario bros mixed with light leveling, with a focus on temporary powerups and a restart option.

If you like that kind of thing, you're gonna love this NY plumber in action.

I personally read it for the novelty factor, and it has that.

It also has a light riff on DC Carl going on, but that part's very light.

Still, it's all pretty amusing and heartwarming in the right ways. And like many of these LitRPGs, there always seems to be little DARK easter eggs hidden in here. Story element that usually would derail other kinds of novels with the emotional weight, but don't do that in LitRPGs because the MCs are just TOO DAMN BUSY. :)

[Maurice S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but the characterization and development are just terrible. It feels like the author started with a character sheet, and built a profile for Mario, but with a tragic backstory.

It just doesn't work for me...paper thin characters who instantly bond, and very little development that isn't enterly driven by the need to move to the next sequence of events. It all comes down to characters doing video game stuff, but nothing tangible that drives any of the characters beyond the scene.

Nothing feels real or tangible, the author seems to forget aspects of his characters from one scene to the next...and there is no real sense of growth or consistency which ultimately makes the book forgettable.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just starting out, but it’s not looking good. Already there’s one F bomb on the first page that’s completely unnecessary. Use profanity if there a purpose, not just because you think your readership is ignorant.

Also, this uses a first-person narrator and he is supposed to be a middle-aged plumber, but he uses words like “languidly” to describe the way he got out of bed. When is the last time any of us written “I languidly got out of bed”?

I’ll keep listening because I’m interested in the premise, but I have a bad feeling about this.

[Michael S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most compelling storytelling but the plot, characters, and action were enough for me to recommend this book to a few friends while enjoying it when i had a few minutes
The basic plot is this: take Mario, our kind hearted plumber, with his many lives and pension for collecting coins. Add 200lbs, and throw him into a Stargate SG-1 setting (many self contained worlds each with a miniature story)

Just read the sample and you'll know if the story is for you.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun!

Even though I've read the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, I feel like I'm still new to LitRPGs as a genre.

I really love Dave's last save mechanism. I love how he's trying to save them all from these demented gods. It gives me hope.

All of the characters are interesting and unique. Aside from Dave, I really love Regulus and Lyra.

Can't wait for book 2!

[Jennifer McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book has a slow start. I wish there wasn’t the tutorial part but after that it’s a decent book. I enjoyed that the main character wasn’t a 19-year-old super buff guy but instead a middle-aged out of shape man. It’s a fun adventure! I think I’ll read the second one. I normally don’t like books with time traveling, but it didn’t feel repetitive after the tutorial.

[Justin Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make sure you Save this one!

Fun and a joy to read! I love the set up for this Lit RPG and not only was it a fun read, the audio book was so great! Dave sounds just like you think he would! I just need Aethon to come out with a hardback sprayed edge edition of this one asap so I can have a shelf trophy!

[Danny Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another entry in the growing subclass of LitRPGs inspired by DCC. It definitely has a quirky MC with an interesting and weird background. There is also a cat… anyways the magic system was cool and the MC had a time related ability. Overall it was an enjoyable story.

[Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Dave ain't the most fit person in the world but he is all that stands between earth and total destruction. Will he be the hero we need? I think he will be. It's a great start to an interesting story that has a lot of potential.

[David Fedor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining

This book is just what I have come to expect from this author: ENTERTAINING and a FUN READ! I definitely recommend this or any of the other series he has written. Definitely looking forward to part 2!

[BatDuckie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Curious to see where it leads and if Dave can Win or not

[Nicholas Lazio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool take on this genre, I pile the power ups and leveling system. The last save mechanic is interesting too. Stoked for Book 2!

[James Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

“As far as I was concerned, time sucked. When you are bored, it passes too slowly; when you’re having fun, time fast-forwards you right to Monday morning. People, including me, are always running around, trying to save time, and all the while it’s just ticking away, every passing moment alive for but a heartbeat, then gone forever. We look forward to the future, as if somehow that version of now is going to be better than the version of now we’re currently in. And once we’ve finally grown up and checked off all the fun boxes leading to adulthood, we begin to look back with longing at what used to be”

This Was a fun book and I’m sure I’ll continue the series down the road, Just Not Now. It’s well written and pretty well edited, which is rare in this genre, and the story itself is entertaining enough to want to finish and see it through. I didn’t particularly like the ending, but I do like that Dave is sticking to his own morals.