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The Legend of William Oh #1
The Legend of William Oh
William Oh is not a legend. Yet.
He’s an orphan whose biggest dream is serving his absentee parents a knuckle-sandwich, but the only way to do that is to climb The Tower, the center of the world through which all magic flows.
A betrayal, a bit of generosity, and a knack for surviving impossible odds sow the seeds of a legend.
The only problem is… As the stories about him grow and take on a life of their own, can the boy outrun the legend he is becoming?
He’s an orphan whose biggest dream is serving his absentee parents a knuckle-sandwich, but the only way to do that is to climb The Tower, the center of the world through which all magic flows.
A betrayal, a bit of generosity, and a knack for surviving impossible odds sow the seeds of a legend.
The only problem is… As the stories about him grow and take on a life of their own, can the boy outrun the legend he is becoming?
Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2026
About the author
Macronomicon
17 books278 followersI could tell you that the author is a middle class, middle age white dude with a generic wife and a generic pet who lives somewhere vaguely rural...but aren't they all?
F%$! that noise! There are Author Bios and then there's Mythos.
Welcome to the Mythos of Macronomicon.
Macronomicon is almost three years old now, hatched on the open-mic writing website Royal Road. The pen name burst from the cocoon of blissful ignorance and deposited his first humble contribution into the world of writing, tired and sticky, yet satisfied. Content in the knowledge his work would be warmly received by thousands of potential fans, and more importantly...friends.
The first comment was, "Can you, I don't know, make the main character less stupid?"
That was sobering.
Macronomicon has no actual weight, because he is a pen name, and while his existence is ephemeral, he does have a presence, often stalking the back-channels of Discord like a novelty vampire, waiting to suck nourishing creativity out of unfortunate* fans.
Macronomicon has a talent for brainstorming and stringing together disparate ideas into a cohesive story. That talent has been strengthened and built upon to form the foundation of his writing career. He once outlined the plot (quality notwithstanding) of an entire book from start to finish in a tiny room with nothing but Cheerios, beef jerky, Pepsi and B.O.**
If you wish to hunt for the elusive Macronomicon, you may find him at Royal Road, where he began, or Patreon, where he works*** at distilling new stories from a raw, chunky slurry of ideas.
*Or fortunate, depending on your point of view. The sucking is consensual.
**Quality of B.O. also notwithstanding.
*** Working is subjective.
F%$! that noise! There are Author Bios and then there's Mythos.
Welcome to the Mythos of Macronomicon.
Macronomicon is almost three years old now, hatched on the open-mic writing website Royal Road. The pen name burst from the cocoon of blissful ignorance and deposited his first humble contribution into the world of writing, tired and sticky, yet satisfied. Content in the knowledge his work would be warmly received by thousands of potential fans, and more importantly...friends.
The first comment was, "Can you, I don't know, make the main character less stupid?"
That was sobering.
Macronomicon has no actual weight, because he is a pen name, and while his existence is ephemeral, he does have a presence, often stalking the back-channels of Discord like a novelty vampire, waiting to suck nourishing creativity out of unfortunate* fans.
Macronomicon has a talent for brainstorming and stringing together disparate ideas into a cohesive story. That talent has been strengthened and built upon to form the foundation of his writing career. He once outlined the plot (quality notwithstanding) of an entire book from start to finish in a tiny room with nothing but Cheerios, beef jerky, Pepsi and B.O.**
If you wish to hunt for the elusive Macronomicon, you may find him at Royal Road, where he began, or Patreon, where he works*** at distilling new stories from a raw, chunky slurry of ideas.
*Or fortunate, depending on your point of view. The sucking is consensual.
**Quality of B.O. also notwithstanding.
*** Working is subjective.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 11, 2026
Macro has the *good* drugs
It’s the only explanation for how the chaos somehow holds together in a ‘coherent’ narrative. As a bonus, it also explains how each series published has such differences while still having similar elements.
The usual teen MC getting his first powers, incapable of talking to gurls, and winning by surviving. The ‘hype man’ being inexplicably effective is hilarious.
I will be pre-ordering the next book.
It’s the only explanation for how the chaos somehow holds together in a ‘coherent’ narrative. As a bonus, it also explains how each series published has such differences while still having similar elements.
The usual teen MC getting his first powers, incapable of talking to gurls, and winning by surviving. The ‘hype man’ being inexplicably effective is hilarious.
I will be pre-ordering the next book.
March 18, 2026
A fun system progression novel. The occasional tall tale created to promote the hero reminded me of stories written about Paul Bunyan. That's my sort of poetry.
William Oh himself may turn out to be too simple and direct to support a series. Perhaps his scaley companion is smart enough to take up the slack. I'm keen to find out.
William Oh himself may turn out to be too simple and direct to support a series. Perhaps his scaley companion is smart enough to take up the slack. I'm keen to find out.
March 13, 2026
I really think it’s closer to 3.5 but only because the tabs on the phone version of the book were like half the page. Otherwise, I think books by Macronomicon are easy to read and good candy books. Morally dubious main characters with strange powers run around and do stuff. It’s good old fashioned fun.
March 31, 2026
Reading this series over on royalroad
It’s a good but silly and over the top tower climbing adventure. Lots of action and just some silliness.
Got this series in my favorites list.
8/10 pretty good series
It’s a good but silly and over the top tower climbing adventure. Lots of action and just some silliness.
Got this series in my favorites list.
8/10 pretty good series
May 9, 2026
A long as you remember this is a comedic author, you should be fine.
April 26, 2026
Fun. Its the perfect book to take a break. 4.5/5
March 31, 2026
Отново занемявам в благоговение пред гения на Macronomicon и му прощавам тъпия псевдоним, който си е избрал, вероятно на младини. Той отново пише хиляди страници на същата история, която е писал винаги, със същия главен герой и отново написаното е завладяващо и интересно за четене във висша степен.
Не, главния герой не е буквално същия, но е твърде подобен както на протагониста в The Outer Sphere, така и този на Wake of the Ravager, че даже и на Industrial Strength Magic. И трите поредици са супер дълги и много интересни.
Този път Macronomicon малко променя стила и се насочва към "класическото" фентъзи лит-рпг. Колко класически може да бъде един стил на 10 години не знам, но разрастването му за тоя период беше така лавинообразно и произведе такова количество еднотипни произведения, че мисля мога да си позволя тоя израз.
Наистина, повечето лит-рпг книги са като излезли по шаблон и писани от деца - най-вероятно причината е точно, че ги пишат хора с най-силно казано незабележителен писателски талант и ги четат хора в подрастваща възст в лекия спектър на аутизма.
Macronomicon обаче пак показва, че е класи над всички авторчета и дори шаблонното му фентъзи рпг оглавява всякакви класации за тоя вид литература и определено ще остане като един от малкото представители на тоя жанр (сещам се само за Vainqueur the Dragon, Azarinth Healer, Mother of Learning и Worth the Candle), които са четими за човек който не е малолетен аутист.
Не, главния герой не е буквално същия, но е твърде подобен както на протагониста в The Outer Sphere, така и този на Wake of the Ravager, че даже и на Industrial Strength Magic. И трите поредици са супер дълги и много интересни.
Този път Macronomicon малко променя стила и се насочва към "класическото" фентъзи лит-рпг. Колко класически може да бъде един стил на 10 години не знам, но разрастването му за тоя период беше така лавинообразно и произведе такова количество еднотипни произведения, че мисля мога да си позволя тоя израз.
Наистина, повечето лит-рпг книги са като излезли по шаблон и писани от деца - най-вероятно причината е точно, че ги пишат хора с най-силно казано незабележителен писателски талант и ги четат хора в подрастваща възст в лекия спектър на аутизма.
Macronomicon обаче пак показва, че е класи над всички авторчета и дори шаблонното му фентъзи рпг оглавява всякакви класации за тоя вид литература и определено ще остане като един от малкото представители на тоя жанр (сещам се само за Vainqueur the Dragon, Azarinth Healer, Mother of Learning и Worth the Candle), които са четими за човек който не е малолетен аутист.
March 24, 2026
I loved it. It's funny.
This is definitely for the LitRPG folks out there, as it just jumps in with the usual teenager (14? 16?) leaving the orphanage to attempt some kind of trial with his best friend so he can climb The Tower levels. The explanations are for what they see and what they do, not for all that other basic crap.
There really isn't a lot of emotional stuff here, though, even when something bad happens to him and his friend. So, there's not a lot of personality development unfortunately.
As to the funny: in his world the sun doesn't move. It's only in The Tower that the sun moves. Totally backwards. And this freaks out William Oh. Every now and then the author throws in a little oddity like this that I find amusing.
He off-handedly talks one of his orphan "brothers" to start eating well so he, too, can be a trial runner like William. Oh, and by the way he needs to start hyping up William, and man, does that go badly, or well, depending on who you are. All of a sudden everyone is talking about William Oh, and he hasn't even reached level 2 yet! The reactions are funny. Not hilarious, but it definitely made me smile.
His eventual companions are interesting. You slowly start learning more and more about them. That's good. They aren't just cardboard characters.
The action is good. There is no over the top stuff. It feels like it's hard for them. I found I wanted to know what happens next.
And I definitely want to read the next book in the series.
This is definitely for the LitRPG folks out there, as it just jumps in with the usual teenager (14? 16?) leaving the orphanage to attempt some kind of trial with his best friend so he can climb The Tower levels. The explanations are for what they see and what they do, not for all that other basic crap.
There really isn't a lot of emotional stuff here, though, even when something bad happens to him and his friend. So, there's not a lot of personality development unfortunately.
As to the funny: in his world the sun doesn't move. It's only in The Tower that the sun moves. Totally backwards. And this freaks out William Oh. Every now and then the author throws in a little oddity like this that I find amusing.
He off-handedly talks one of his orphan "brothers" to start eating well so he, too, can be a trial runner like William. Oh, and by the way he needs to start hyping up William, and man, does that go badly, or well, depending on who you are. All of a sudden everyone is talking about William Oh, and he hasn't even reached level 2 yet! The reactions are funny. Not hilarious, but it definitely made me smile.
His eventual companions are interesting. You slowly start learning more and more about them. That's good. They aren't just cardboard characters.
The action is good. There is no over the top stuff. It feels like it's hard for them. I found I wanted to know what happens next.
And I definitely want to read the next book in the series.
March 14, 2026
Its a good story.
The protagonist having a hype man that is raising his reputation in the background is a nice premise.
I do have one tiny nitpick about the story. I generally prefer protagonists who min-max, assuming five stat points is the max you could get from a single sacrifice. That would mean the protagonist is losing out on three stat points per level. You could have shaped the story in such a way that he received the max amount of stats.
What if the backpack leather he sacrificed was a gift from his caregiver from the orphanage. Who I recall was once the 12th ranked climber. Just make the leather come from a very powerful goat monster that originates from the upper floors. As for sacrificing his arm, that was a creative choice.
Again you could have justified the five stat points by stating he was a child that was conceived by two of the strongest climbers in the tower so his constitution and genes are better than the average human.
If a wealthy lord can get his hands on Uru Drake, then what makes the protagonist unique in comparison to all these other people who possess greater resources than him? People who can provide their children the strongest sacrifices in the best possible combinations.
If you are going to have a hype man, at least provide your protagonist the necessary foundations to live up to that hype.
The protagonist having a hype man that is raising his reputation in the background is a nice premise.
I do have one tiny nitpick about the story. I generally prefer protagonists who min-max, assuming five stat points is the max you could get from a single sacrifice. That would mean the protagonist is losing out on three stat points per level. You could have shaped the story in such a way that he received the max amount of stats.
What if the backpack leather he sacrificed was a gift from his caregiver from the orphanage. Who I recall was once the 12th ranked climber. Just make the leather come from a very powerful goat monster that originates from the upper floors. As for sacrificing his arm, that was a creative choice.
Again you could have justified the five stat points by stating he was a child that was conceived by two of the strongest climbers in the tower so his constitution and genes are better than the average human.
If a wealthy lord can get his hands on Uru Drake, then what makes the protagonist unique in comparison to all these other people who possess greater resources than him? People who can provide their children the strongest sacrifices in the best possible combinations.
If you are going to have a hype man, at least provide your protagonist the necessary foundations to live up to that hype.
March 26, 2026
I'm a fan of 95% is Macronomicon's work (with a large portion attributed to how well Stephen Campbell pairs as a narrator for their works), and this book is something special (but far too short IMO).
This special sauce comes from the fact it will appeal to fans of their more kookier books, while also following some unknown recipe to make it universally appealable, to fans of the genre or newcomers. I think it stems from never taking itself too seriously, teetering on the edge of grimdark / adult while never committing, and having a plethora of characters that don't make you regret learning how to read.
Sadly that last hurdle is a high bar these days with authors being so socially unaware / inept that they don't realize how annoying, cringeworthy, 1-dimensional, unlikable, mentally impaired their MC is even after four books worth of reviews with people pointing it out. It's like the authors are reading the 'Thomas Covenant: The Unbeliever' series and trying to replicate Stephen R. Donaldson's miracle of combining the protagonist and antagonist into a single character.
My armchair critic rant aside, listen to the audiobook; it's great. If you liked this, I highly recommend checking out "Apocalypse: Generic System" [audiobook] and its sequels. It takes a bit to get going, but expect absurdity with an open mind and it won't disappoint.
This special sauce comes from the fact it will appeal to fans of their more kookier books, while also following some unknown recipe to make it universally appealable, to fans of the genre or newcomers. I think it stems from never taking itself too seriously, teetering on the edge of grimdark / adult while never committing, and having a plethora of characters that don't make you regret learning how to read.
Sadly that last hurdle is a high bar these days with authors being so socially unaware / inept that they don't realize how annoying, cringeworthy, 1-dimensional, unlikable, mentally impaired their MC is even after four books worth of reviews with people pointing it out. It's like the authors are reading the 'Thomas Covenant: The Unbeliever' series and trying to replicate Stephen R. Donaldson's miracle of combining the protagonist and antagonist into a single character.
My armchair critic rant aside, listen to the audiobook; it's great. If you liked this, I highly recommend checking out "Apocalypse: Generic System" [audiobook] and its sequels. It takes a bit to get going, but expect absurdity with an open mind and it won't disappoint.
March 30, 2026
3.5/5
Enjoyable popcorn read with a few issues that held it back. The story itself leans towards the absurd, never taking itself too seriously which allowed the wacky situations to flourish as we follow the travels of William Oh. William himself is decently likeable with some flaws, being a bit rash in his actions. We meet a cast of side characters throughout the book that are...serviceable. Some are better than others but overall only Loth was really interesting. My biggest gripes with the book are definitely the world building and scenic descriptions. Both are lacking making it difficult to imagine the world and the scenes where the actions themselves are taking place. Overall still a fun read and will continue.
Enjoyable popcorn read with a few issues that held it back. The story itself leans towards the absurd, never taking itself too seriously which allowed the wacky situations to flourish as we follow the travels of William Oh. William himself is decently likeable with some flaws, being a bit rash in his actions. We meet a cast of side characters throughout the book that are...serviceable. Some are better than others but overall only Loth was really interesting. My biggest gripes with the book are definitely the world building and scenic descriptions. Both are lacking making it difficult to imagine the world and the scenes where the actions themselves are taking place. Overall still a fun read and will continue.
April 4, 2026
Yeah buddy!
Macronomicon is just getting better and better. A true gem in our beloved genre that often feels like interminably trawling a turgid morass while waiting for your favorites to release their next supply drop.
He always has had a great attention to detail and crafting fun and interesting systems with protagonists that survive through pluck and ability with meaningful build choices rather than plot juggernauts with depressingly underutilized god skills.
This has been yet another refinement in prosidy, storytelling, and character building. Really excited to see where this yarn goes. Hats off!
Macronomicon is just getting better and better. A true gem in our beloved genre that often feels like interminably trawling a turgid morass while waiting for your favorites to release their next supply drop.
He always has had a great attention to detail and crafting fun and interesting systems with protagonists that survive through pluck and ability with meaningful build choices rather than plot juggernauts with depressingly underutilized god skills.
This has been yet another refinement in prosidy, storytelling, and character building. Really excited to see where this yarn goes. Hats off!
March 17, 2026
Wow he did it again!!
I always worry when an author has an amazing series that it was a one off situation. Now I can safely say that is NOT the case! The Legend if William Oh already has me addicted to the characters. Interesting magic and abilities with creative applications and action that leaves you begging for more. And all done with a great sense of humor and dialogue that will cure your loneliness! If you want more amazing books to read, definitely check this one out as well as his other series Industrial Strength Magic. It's just *chefs kiss*
I always worry when an author has an amazing series that it was a one off situation. Now I can safely say that is NOT the case! The Legend if William Oh already has me addicted to the characters. Interesting magic and abilities with creative applications and action that leaves you begging for more. And all done with a great sense of humor and dialogue that will cure your loneliness! If you want more amazing books to read, definitely check this one out as well as his other series Industrial Strength Magic. It's just *chefs kiss*
April 21, 2026
This was an enjoyable listening experience overall, with the narration team at Sound Booth delivering excellent work. Regarding the story itself, it was both unique and engaging. I particularly appreciated the world-building, character development, and skill integration. The plot kept me guessing about what would happen next, which was a refreshing surprise, as I typically tend to predict outcomes. Overallall, a must read you will not regret it.
March 11, 2026
Good banter, likeable berries, really enjoyed
This is slightly different portal fantasy. It acknowledged the game mechanics and Earth specific terms "like Latin" but no one is from "our world" feels like portal fantasy Before the outsider arrives.
Good dialogue and diverse types of characters that go beyond the white and black hats.
This is slightly different portal fantasy. It acknowledged the game mechanics and Earth specific terms "like Latin" but no one is from "our world" feels like portal fantasy Before the outsider arrives.
Good dialogue and diverse types of characters that go beyond the white and black hats.
March 12, 2026
Oh another so very good book by Macromicon
Looking forward to book book. As usual he takes us to a new rich world with lore and history and rules.
The legend of William Oh and how the stories about him get started are hilarious. Great dialog, funny and insightful characters, intelligent people trying to plan surprises on the others. Like I said can't wait for book two.
Looking forward to book book. As usual he takes us to a new rich world with lore and history and rules.
The legend of William Oh and how the stories about him get started are hilarious. Great dialog, funny and insightful characters, intelligent people trying to plan surprises on the others. Like I said can't wait for book two.
March 28, 2026
Incredibly fun and fast paced. This should be a new standard for LitRPG. The voice acting is superb as usual, SBT team does an incredible job here. The story starts off immediately and never throttles back, always getting momentum and craziness. The characters are pretty lovable, especially the main 2. And I'm very curious on what happens next, I genuinely can't wait.
Amazing book overall!!
Amazing book overall!!
April 1, 2026
best author ever
Sometimes Brandon Sanderson is my favourite author but then macro comes out with another book! Macros style of writing really intelligent protagonists is really refreshing. Especially because he shows you how smart the mc is rather than just saying over and over again. Great book I’m hooked!
Sometimes Brandon Sanderson is my favourite author but then macro comes out with another book! Macros style of writing really intelligent protagonists is really refreshing. Especially because he shows you how smart the mc is rather than just saying over and over again. Great book I’m hooked!
May 3, 2026
Different style
I really enjoyed the book although it was slow at the start. The characterization is good, story flow is interesting and different. The world view is quite different and interesting. I love the mythology being generated and the problems that causes.overall a good read.
I really enjoyed the book although it was slow at the start. The characterization is good, story flow is interesting and different. The world view is quite different and interesting. I love the mythology being generated and the problems that causes.overall a good read.
May 13, 2026
Absolutely Awesome Stuff
This story of an orphan climbing the Tower for loot, power, and the chance to punch his climber parents was fantastic. He gives some money to a younger orphan to be his hype man and he gets a Chunk Norris like legend as other climbers gets in on the legendary stories. Fantastic Story
This story of an orphan climbing the Tower for loot, power, and the chance to punch his climber parents was fantastic. He gives some money to a younger orphan to be his hype man and he gets a Chunk Norris like legend as other climbers gets in on the legendary stories. Fantastic Story
March 12, 2026
everything Macrinomicon writes is gold
I have read this series on RR, and have been waiting for the release and audiobook. Very good quality. I love the story and the characters. They are flawed and complex people and did I mention it’s very funny? love this book.
I have read this series on RR, and have been waiting for the release and audiobook. Very good quality. I love the story and the characters. They are flawed and complex people and did I mention it’s very funny? love this book.
March 14, 2026
Great Read and listen
The book flows very well and the main chat gets you invested in his story. The Author just gets better with each book and series.
I listened to the audiobook as well, very worth it with all the well known voices added in.
The book flows very well and the main chat gets you invested in his story. The Author just gets better with each book and series.
I listened to the audiobook as well, very worth it with all the well known voices added in.
April 11, 2026
So Good
Didn’t really know what I was getting into based on the book description. This book was absolutely amazing and I recommend it to anyone. Hilarious and fun after you get through the start.
Didn’t really know what I was getting into based on the book description. This book was absolutely amazing and I recommend it to anyone. Hilarious and fun after you get through the start.
April 25, 2026
Legendary
It isn't quite legendary, but the joke is too good.
It is smart, funny, scrappy, deadly, and oddly positive. A solid PG-13 adventure for a hero's journey. Will is something special and I look forward to reading more.
It isn't quite legendary, but the joke is too good.
It is smart, funny, scrappy, deadly, and oddly positive. A solid PG-13 adventure for a hero's journey. Will is something special and I look forward to reading more.
May 3, 2026
This was so much fun. It's a great story with a MC who isn't overpowered and doesn't have the best of starts. I loved every minute of it. If you can pick up the audiobook you should. The acting was fantastic.
March 11, 2026
Looking forward to more.
Interesting set up and love the bits at the beginning of most chapters. Can’t wait for the next book. May have to head to Royal Road.
Interesting set up and love the bits at the beginning of most chapters. Can’t wait for the next book. May have to head to Royal Road.
March 13, 2026
Another great series from macrononicon
If Chuck Norris and MacGyver had a love child, that child would wish to grow up to be William Oh.
If Chuck Norris and MacGyver had a love child, that child would wish to grow up to be William Oh.
March 15, 2026
Fantastic story
Been reading this series on Royal Road and what i series. I can't wait to see what crazy ideas Mr OH comes up with next.
Been reading this series on Royal Road and what i series. I can't wait to see what crazy ideas Mr OH comes up with next.
March 15, 2026
Great As Always
Every book I have read from Macronomicon has been worth it and this was no exception. Really excited to read the follow ups!
Every book I have read from Macronomicon has been worth it and this was no exception. Really excited to read the follow ups!
March 18, 2026
Great fun
The excerpts at the beginning of each chapter cracked me up. And the chapters themselves were very enjoyable. Can't wait for the next book.
The excerpts at the beginning of each chapter cracked me up. And the chapters themselves were very enjoyable. Can't wait for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews