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Betrayed by the Hero's Party, I Summoned Their Replacements: A LitRPG Adventure

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Betrayed by the supposed heroes, Reed refuses to waste his second chance at life.

Reed's summoning skill pulled a wooden chair during a boss fight.

A chair. It sat in the summoning circle while a level 35 dungeon guardian tried to cave his skull in. He used it as a shield. That's what [Random Summon] 98% garbage, 2% barely useful, and the reason the Hero's party kept him around as a punching bag instead of a teammate.

For two years, Reed took the beatings. The stolen loot. The healer who patched his bones but never asked who broke them. Then the Hero buried him alive in a collapsing dungeon and filed him as dead.

His skill evolved to Mythic.

Now [Random Summon] reaches into the sealed archives of the dead and pulls back legendary heroines from the moments before their deaths. They arrive wounded, dying, and more powerful than anything the living world has seen in centuries. Reed heals them. They give him their loyalty, their blades, and their bodies.

A Blade Saint who held a gate alone for six hours. A Stellar Warden assassinated by her own council. A Phantom who was burned alive for knowing too much.

The Hero's party threw him away. He summoned their replacements.

Now he's coming for every name on his list.

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2026

280 people are currently reading
30 people want to read

About the author

Ethan Gale

7 books3 followers

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5 stars
432 (63%)
4 stars
146 (21%)
3 stars
56 (8%)
2 stars
27 (3%)
1 star
17 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
339 reviews5 followers
March 19, 2026
could be good, but ai slop

Yet another ai slop story.

Author needs to go and find a tall cliff and hurl himself off of it.

Seriously Amazon, what the hell is going on here?
9 reviews
April 1, 2026
Clearly AI generated narrative with constant loss of details and continuity and that very ai sameness you get to be able to tell after using it to try to play an adventuring game with it.
9 reviews
April 23, 2026
Author ignores their own deadlines (or can’t count). Repeatedly claims that characters were somehow training or gaining experience while they were ‘dead’. Even though they were very specifically dead and none of them can remember what was happening between their death and ‘summoning’; but author hammers this every third chapter that they were so powerful BECAUSE they have 137 years of experience (while they were dead). But she didn’t. She was DEAD. Like unconscious dead. She was well-trained and essentially a hero BEFORE her death. But you never even bothered to ask how old she was when she died.

Main characters repeatedly gain knowledge about things that they have no way of knowing. “Hey, you who was just resurrected and we have no prior knowledge about; do you have a question for us?” “Yes, how long have I been dead?” “Well, I haven’t asked your name or about the events around your death. Nor does my magic which summoned you grant me knowledge about you in any capacity. But you’ve been dead for exactly 84 years and the people who betrayed you (yes, I somehow know you were betrayed and murdered) are all dead (even though 84 years is in the realm of plausibility for someone to still be alive from those events; old, but alive). Author writes like an AI bot or a high schooler who is writing train of thought with ZERO editing. Grammar was ok. Spelling was fine. Plot was interesting.

Leveling and power-scaling in world is completely inconsistent. And MC is constantly doing things they have no training doing. Like whipping out a second sword and dual wielding them successfully. Dual wielding is COMPLETELY different from fighting with a single sword. No matter your training with a single blade. You won’t perform better with two swords than one when you have no training wielding two swords simultaneously. My suspension of disbelief was shattered so many times that I seriously feel this author needs to take these books back to the drawing board, pull them apart at the seams, fill in a heck of a lot more detail, spread all the training out, spread the leveling out, spread the growing relationships out, create timelines (not deadlines), and when you make a deadline make absolutely sure that the MC keeps that deadline. This should be two books with 150% the word count. Author-san, you’ve got some writing chops but you sent out a product that was so far from ready that part of me is REALLY angry. You can obviously do better. All of these mistakes could be resolved by fleshing out your characters and scenes more. But in its current state I’d call this hot trash.
Profile Image for Tucker.
20 reviews
April 12, 2026
really cool idea, poorly written.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But it honestly has too many points of failure.

Incongruities in character knowledge is at the forefront as one sentence will speak about someone not knowing some information and the following sentence will have that same character reciting the exact knowledge they don’t have.


There also seems to be a couple moments where the writer lost track of their own time and setting. Characters went to sleep in one place with someone around and awoke in another with people in different places and times.

There also is a lack of regularity in pacing which makes it a bit hard to enjoy the book.

The idea is really cool, very fun, and a great fit for me but the writing just feels bad.
Profile Image for Robert.
286 reviews
April 18, 2026
AI Slop

I don't know if the author name is an AI construct or a person who uses AI to write, but star because of it is a person, they didn't bother to edit it in any way.
19 reviews
March 21, 2026
Needs some serious editing

The story itself is pretty fun, but there are multiple times where information is mentioned by characters before the conversation that reveals it and other times you end up with three conversations that feel like they were copied and pasted from each other. The book has potential, but someone needs to read through it and get rid of all the plot holes and inconsistencies first.
344 reviews10 followers
March 18, 2026
Way better than the last book from this Author

This book is a noticeable improvement, clear story, the characters could use a little more depth but considering 2 of the main characters are very no nonsense neutral people I think it fits well. The spice is well done and the relationships feels great. The action is well balanced and doesn't waste your time. I look forward to the next one.
1,208 reviews17 followers
May 10, 2026
A soft porn harem litrpg story written in first person #sigh#

1,5 stars

For me the book read like a somewhat annoying parody with way too much soft porn for my taste. It seems that the book was written for horny adolescents. The women were no real characters but supporting sex objects.

While the main plot wasn't bad, the constant repetitions, logical flaws and hilariously dramatic wording like "legendary women" were really grating on my nerves.


Criticism and comments

Why is his sword dull when he only sharpened it and never used it?

Being betrayed by your party causes a legendary skill up? Awfully convenient..

Is the revealing cocktail dress supposed to be the female pendant of strong armour?

Why and how does a blind woman care about her looks?

Why are R's reflexes supposed to be centuries old? She seems to be quite young?

"Different," she said. Not to me. To the air. To the trees." Sounds like gibberish

The repeated "how long" question would be easier to answer if she named the year she died.. #rofl#

"A hundred and thirty-seven years of death hadn't taught her," how should this - until now unknown time teach her anything when she was in stasis?

Then it pulled you." "From the sealed archives." Dead people are in the sealed archives of summoners?

Did author really have to repeat her "against " back story EIGHT times?

Does one lose the sword maiden title if one loses her virginity? Or due to age? I like the variations "sword milf" and "sword hag", personally, come to think about it #rofl#

How does Vessa know that 104 years passed since her death?

"It's fine. I've been dead for a hundred years. Appreciation is welcome." Once again, the logic is wrong as she doesn't remember or lived the time after her death..

He really could have gotten Vessa better fitting clothes..

"Two legendary women. Both mine. Both choosing to be here." Some super annoying, gay satyr would have been funni..

Omg - the author used the term "legendary women" 13 times!

Is the third broad a telepath? That's the only explanation for her instant knowledge.

"Eighty-nine years," Vessa said. "The Mirethane Court. I've read about it. Or I did, before I died." #Rofl# she died 13 years earlier..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
10 reviews
April 18, 2026
This book is clearly AI generated, and the author did not proofread or review what was written. Continuity errors appear frequently throughout, and several stand out as particularly glaring.

One major issue involves timeline inconsistencies. Events that happen early in the book are later referenced as if they occurred weeks or months afterward. The quillfang is one example of this.

Another major continuity failure involves a scene where the protagonist reaches a three way junction after a tunnel collapse. He takes the left path, sneaks past a stone crawler, hits a dead end, and summons an injured sword woman. The book then states they are back at the junction, which is fine, but later the AI writer seems to forget that the only way back past the junction requires getting past the stone crawler again. When they take the middle tunnel, the book suddenly claims they now have to fight the stone crawler because it will notice the sword woman. That makes no sense given the layout already established, and the author clearly did not read it through.

There are also errors that happen within the same page. The sword woman knows the protagonist is level 19, but when he levels up twice from a single monster and announces it, she somehow does not know what level he is.

The leveling system also makes no sense as written. If the protagonist is a level 19 summoner, there is no logical explanation for him being able to kill two level 35 monsters solo with a sword. He then goes on to fight a level 42 stone crawler and deals the majority of the damage himself. This completely breaks the internal logic of the world and further confirms the author never read what the AI produced before publishing it.
Profile Image for GrumpyOldMan.
532 reviews36 followers
March 22, 2026
I really enjoyed this book, when I didn't think I would when I started it.

The MC is a man with the Summoner class at level 19, but his only skill generates random summons, and 98% of the time, his summons are farcical garbage. Summoning a chair during a boss fight. Sometimes summoning hostile creatures that attack him or his party. A party that is lead by the church proclaimed "hero". A hero that's more of a pompous jerk surrounded by mostly sycophants. The MC doesn't belong, but is kept around to be a punching bag of sorts. Then the hero's party betrays him and leaves him for dead. And while trapped deep in a dungeon is has no business surviving, his class skill evolves into a mythic level one. Which promptly summons a level 78 female Sword Saint. And thus starts his tale.

The LIs are somewhat interesting, but fairly mechanical at times. The Sword Saint is almost robotic in her behavior due to the nature of her class devotion to all things blades and their forms. The Stellar Warden (level 72) is more personable. The final LI he summons (a level 81 Phantom) isn't around long enough for any bond to form up, but it will come in the next book.

I liked the "revenge" plot the MC is working. He's dedicated himself to growing in all ways, both levels and skills. He still only has the 1 skill, but his martial proficiency and his ability to make command decisions is improving by leaps and bounds. And his former party leader is now the main antagonist, that the MC is quickly closing in on for levels. The machinations are interesting.

I look forward to book 2.
2 reviews
April 24, 2026
There are some interesting ideas and a story here but this series has issues, not the least of which is that the quality of the second installment has plummeted.

If you're like me and just hate to give up on a series unless it degenerates into something truly awful, you may be faced with a difficult choice if you choose to engage.

I don't have a great deal of experience with LitRPG and similar genres or generative AI content but I'm learning quickly. Perhaps the time investment to read the first two books is worth it as an educational tool to learn what "AI slop" looks like when executed almost adequately, then very poorly.

There IS at least some value here, in terms of an interesting main character special ability and plot development, but it's lacking in other areas such as only very modest character development. The slightly strange, repetitive use of similar language for different passages with slight variations that seem to be indicative of AI use detracts as do basic logic and continuity errors.

Will I read a book three to see how the story progresses? Maybe, but not until it's been out long enough to see just how badly produced it is, and then it will probably merit just a skim-read to see the plot advance. Since the series is on Kindle Unlimited, it's only a waste of a little of my free time, not money. I wouldn't pay a dollar for one of these books when there's so much other superior content out there.
213 reviews4 followers
April 7, 2026
Obvious AI

But not painfully. It was more tolerable than many AI filled stories.

But there were plenty of inconsistencies. A lack of human context and insight.

Examples:
-The dungeon layout gets misarranged in early chapters. A room and monster where it shouldn't have been (the map layout confused and glossed over).
-Over a week that the MC evidently did nothing. (When he had every reason to not be idle).
-One of the women references knowing something about another... which happened 30 years AFTER her death.

Along with other inconsistencies. Like characters knowing things they really shouldn't. (Or an intelligence opperative who I suspect will have the information from a whole network without the time for said network).

Also, some context is never explained. Like how the guild and chirxh seem to have direct controll over the system but the mechanism of said control is never depicted past red tape and finger wagging.

Like I said, I found it less painfull that many others. Hopefully I'm not jist getting used to it... scary thought.

(If the next book is available I'll probably read it but otherwise I'll probably drop it. Because I don't trust where it's going and a lack of human context means a lack of investment on my part.)
Profile Image for Steve.
1,659 reviews67 followers
April 23, 2026
Better than I expected, but not outstanding. I see a lot of reviews calling this AI slop, and yes, there are inconsistencies, but it didn't bother me to that level.

I'm currently writing a book series, and I use the AI to bounce things off, much like an editor. Some of its suggestions are good, some seem to have no concept of what kind of book I'm trying to write, and I need to keep reminding it.

The point here is that this book is better than any of the test sections I've had the AI write to break creative logjams. It's also better than a lot of books that I KNOW were written by a person, so AI or not, it was a decent read.
53 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2026
Analytical hero with some serious problems to overcome.

Went in to this blind with just the description. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing & protagonists inner dialogue. The i guess "way he thinks" interested me right away. The story I found to be satisfying and I look forward to book 2. There is much of the world left un explained in a sense yet I feel its much more "real" than many rpg lvl up type of romance/ fiction ive read on kindel unlimited. 5 stars
10 reviews
April 28, 2026
Good story ruined by the storytelling

While not unique, the revenge-gatcha-harem starts strong, and builds well for maybe the first third.

Then it kinda falls apart. It feels like either the author re-assembled his scrivener cards in the wrong order without a solid re-read, or it was partially written with AI… not sure

Inconsistency is the phrase of the day and it really ruins what could have been a solid platform for a series. But the MCs skill changing wildly, consistent forgetting character levels, and “tell don’t show” make this one a miss.
59 reviews
April 1, 2026
Good story

I was thinking of all the "betrayed by the hero" Manga (Japanese comic books) that i have read starting with that title. I wondered how this book would compare. It compared well. The MC went thru some serious stuff while in the hero party, they tried to kill him, he didn't die and went back for revenge. It was a good story regardless of the unneeded harem. Still, I will read book 2 if it ever comes out.
2 reviews
April 26, 2026
Inconsistent

The story is interesting but with frequent time errors. Example: not knowing how long ago something occurred next sentence stated exact time then 2 pages later the character discovered the time the event occurred. Also samples where a challenged person names a time and place and a page later an official says to the challenger you issued the challenge you choose the place. Or given 30 days for something then on day 18 says we have 20 more days to do this.
994 reviews2 followers
April 1, 2026
A fantastic new series.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and engaging. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. 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.
220 reviews
April 12, 2026
Fairly typical story. Low level guy gets abandoned gets OP and comes back for revenge. But still a decent read. The parts I have problems with are why didn’t he get any levels or loot when they stopped the surge. Why are they still in a single room. What’s happening with all the loot they’re collecting from the dungeons. Clean up these and the story will be much better.
Profile Image for Rob Bartlett.
Author 3 books133 followers
April 16, 2026
this. this is why I read

Read this. In its entirety. Try not to do it in one sitting. I dare you to try.
It has a few flaws like a natural diamond has occlusions. They don’t lessen its value, they make it unique.
This is why I read so much, wade through all the other stuff…
To find this. To enjoy this.
Thank you, author.
Profile Image for Richard.
Author 9 books12 followers
April 21, 2026
Different but there’s nothing wrong with that

I’m not overly fond of LitRPG, but something about this one grabbed my attention and held onto it for the day it took to finish. There were a few mistakes, a few too many repeats, but overall the novel works. I’m looking forward to seeing the next one.
698 reviews11 followers
April 26, 2026
Wow, this was an awesome book

After being betrayed, the MC is alone and wounded in the dark. Thats when his skill evolves and he embarks on a new path with wounded summoned warriors who were also betrayed and left to die. They refuse to take it anymore.

The book was very well written, especially the training montages and the descriptions of the fighting.
15 reviews
May 2, 2026
Overall quite good

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The characters are pretty interesting and so is the world. I have some small issues with the framing. It feels like a lot of things are forced a bit. Why does he stay in the abusive party for 2 years?

If you don’t mind ignoring some obvious plot holes it is a great read and the power set is fun
94 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2026
fun and enjoyable

It takes a few chapters to set up but it’s worth it. You feel the shit he had to deal with before betrayal and after what he does about it. Looking forward to book 2!
21 reviews
April 7, 2026
a great start to a series

This is absolutely one of the better entries in this genre. The bedeviled down trodden underdog who rises from the bottom to try for the to. Read for free through Kindle Unlimited. I would be willing to pay to read additional books.
77 reviews
April 7, 2026
Amazing

Alot better than I expected and it is well thought out and passed nost some half crazy main character that can make it all work because of amazing plot armor he works towards his goals worth readding
53 reviews4 followers
April 9, 2026
Excellent book

I enjoyed this book. I always enjoy good stories, with combat and people learning to be better.

And I enjoyed the buildup, and the
Women that he summoned.

And whoever said that these was computer generated is full of crap!

Buy this book.It was a very good read!
64 reviews2 followers
April 11, 2026
Really Good

Good characters. Good story. So many underdogs start with so much emotional pain due to their unfair circumstances/abusers. This guy is mad and doing something about it and I like that a whole lot better. Good visual imagery. Good sex scenes.
90 reviews
April 12, 2026
Surprisingly Good!

Adult rated material included is not my usual choice for reading. Hodwever, the synopsis caught my interest. This story is so good that I am looking for the next book in the series right now!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews