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The Wandering Inn #1
The Wandering Inn
Enter the the massive epic fantasy world created by pirateaba that has become a LitRPG sensation, now for the first time in a physical edition!
“No killing Goblins.”
So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.
It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.
In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn. She’s an [Innkeeper].
Thus starts the first volume of The Wandering Inn, an epic fantasy series filled with heart and fear, magic, dragons, and monsters, adventurers and chess players…and humans pulled from the real world into a wondrous and deadly land where the game is to survive and these new pieces could decide who’s the winner.
“No killing Goblins.”
So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.
It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.
In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn. She’s an [Innkeeper].
Thus starts the first volume of The Wandering Inn, an epic fantasy series filled with heart and fear, magic, dragons, and monsters, adventurers and chess players…and humans pulled from the real world into a wondrous and deadly land where the game is to survive and these new pieces could decide who’s the winner.
640 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
July 7, 2026
Okay. Here’s the deal. There’s a new genre of book fiction called “LitRPG” – not really a new genre, since it’s been around for a while, but more so becoming popular and recognized by readers and social media.
I was recently introduced to Matt Dinniman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl” (DCC) series and quickly devoured all eight books in fairly fast time. I would not consider myself a big fan of LitRPG, but Dinniman’s series is way different and unique in so many ways, including awesome immersive worldbuilding, dark sarcastic social satire, and endearing characters that demand our attention. For me, DCC is like Douglas Adams’ classic “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe“ series told from a trailer park point-of-view on high grade steroids. You have to read it to believe it.
Because of DCC’s success, we are now we seeing several other LitRPG related series getting attention and moving from self-publishing to major publishing houses. Some of those include Shirtaloon’s “He Who Fights with Monsters” series, James Hunter’s “Discount Dan”, and Pirateaba’s “The Wandering Inn” to name a few. I should mention that two of them have been around longer than DCC and now have their series being reintroduced this summer in new hardcover and paperback editions.
After watching several YouTube video reviews, I decided to give one of them a try, and I chose “The Wandering Inn” to experiment with. It is considered to be LitRPG, portal fantasy, epic fantasy, fantasy meets slice of life, and one of the most prominent and massive web serials in the world. After reading the first book, I find it to be much like Terry Brooks long-running fantasy “Shannara” series in plotting, worldbuilding, style, and pacing. That’s not a bad thing at all.
“The Wandering Inn” Book 1 Part 1 is a story about Erin Solstace, a young earth woman and college student, who is unexpectedly and magically transported to a fantasy world. There she meets and flees from a dragon and goblins, finding an abandoned inn in the countryside. With nothing better to do, she explores it, cleans it up, and discovers that she’s earned an [innkeeper] status.
The rest of the book is about her learning to survive in this dangerous new world and the introduction of characters that cross her path (and some in other parts of the world). We meet guards from the nearby city of Liscor - Relc, a lizard-like creature called a Drake, and Kibkch, a bug-like ant creature referred to as Antinium. Erin also encounters Pisces, a young Necromancer that doesn’t always obey the laws and cannot be fully trusted. There is also another earthling transported to this world while jogging, Ryoka Griffin, who works as a city runner, delivering messages and items like UPS without a truck.
There’s a lot more going on in this introduction to the world of Izril, including history, races, magic systems, wars, economics, political power, geography, and social relations. However, this is good enough for now, and I can cover more in future reviews of this series.
Let me start my review by using reverse psychology and start with the things about this book that you may not like. This series does have its detractors and is probably not for everyone. When the book begins, the pacing is very slow in its slice of life and stream-of-consciousness style of storytelling. It also has a definite soap opera-ish feel to it that gives it a bloated feel at times. For me this went away after a while and the author got her footing on where things were going, but I can certainly understand others becoming more impatient with the slower pacing.
Some of the characters are not necessarily very likable either. For example, two of the primary protagonists – Erin and Ryoka – are considered polarizing among some the fandom, which considered them to be stubborn, slow to adapt, and even a bit whiny. For me, I didn’t have that reaction and found myself being drawn to them for their effort to survive and succeed in a world vastly new and different to them. I would also suggest that they are young, Erin is 20 years old and Ryoka is in her early 20’s I think, which contribute to their personal reactions and behaviors facing such new and bizarre cultures and customs.
Several chapters were long and bounced around between multiple viewpoints and narratives. Don’t be surprised to be focused on one character’s POV and then shift to another individual, and then back to the prior character. Sometimes history and mysterious clues are dropped and then not followed up There is a lot of self-dialog and conversational dialog that takes place. Actually, it is the primary approach the writer uses to tell the story.
In addition, this is an ongoing, massively long story that has not been finished yet. it is my understanding that this series is now at somewhere around 15 million words in length, which includes Books 1 and 2 being broken into two parts each, and 19 more novels without an ending in sight. To be this in perspective, Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” (“WOT”) series had about 4.4 million words across its 14 main novels and 1 prequel. That makes “The Wandering Inn” almost four times the length of the “WOT”. Talk about a serious reading investment.
Now, having said all of that, I fully understand why this series is not for everyone. And I fully get that I have only read about 250 thousand words out of 15 million, so I can only speak to a small portion of the overall work. Basically, I have only wet my appetite and will only speak to that.
The important thing is that there were things I liked. Sticking through the early chapters took some patience for the plotting to really get moving, but I found myself being drawn to Erin, her stubbornness and refusal to give up in the face of adversity. Trust me, she has a lot of that in this book. She starts with nothing – no food, no money, and no clothes (other than what she is wearing. She is seriously attacked multiple times. She is mistreated by others she meets in Izril. But she finds ways to overcome those challenges, including being stubborn, which I rather appreciated. I loved her demanding that goblins would not be killed in her inn. She really stood up for her beliefs and demanded others (primarily males) to accept her expectations. I liked Ryoka for the same reasons and found both of them to be strong young women.
This turned into an immersive read. The worldbuilding is presented methodically and with focus, one layer at a time, much like Terry Brooks “Shanarra” novels in style and pacing. The farther you get into the book, the more creative and highly imaginative you discover the worldbuilding to be. There is history, many races and creatures, multiple types of magic, and wars that are referred to and hinted at. There is also inclusion of the day-to-day activities of the characters much like reading a Robbin Hobbs novel. You get deeply involved in their work, tasks, and development at a micro level – most of which, turns out to be interesting more than not. For example, I loved how Erin’s mastery of chess influenced the people and creatures that came into contact with, as well as Ryoka’s teaching Magnolia Reinhart how to make ice cream.
Although it does it slowly, in my opinion, this book starts to work on multiple levels, relying on a combination of its characters, interesting worldbuilding (that gets more complex as you go), and a back-and-forth blend of small scope focus on daily activities contrasted with the large scope plotlines that are mostly introduced and hinted at in this first book.
Over the second half of the book, storylines develop serious complexity, mysteries, and creativity that make it a compelling read that drives you discover what happens next. There are a lot of questions and clues dangled in front of the readers, but we are just beginning this massive journey of discovery. There are also some very serious scenes of violence and danger throughout that keep you on your toes, along with some well-timed moments of light-hearted humor to balance the constant challenges Erin faces. In addition, there was an underlying level of subtle sarcasm that the author brings out in her characters and their circumstances.
Overall, “The Wandering Inn” Book 1 Part 1 turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected. It’s Terry Brooks, Robin Hobbs style and feel helped keep me going until the plotting got going, and by then I was emotionally connected to Erin and the world she was a stranger in. What started like a cozy fantasy turned into a much more complex and intricate world filled with historical wars that shape its current state, political intrigue, and powerful secrets that propel the characters forward. In addition, the worldbuilding and serious themes addressing societal prejudice, family relationships, justice, and the tragedies of war impacted me more than I expected and kept my attention.
More importantly, the level of detail that could have hampered the story development, ended up contributing to a very satisfying reading experience. The key element for me, was that once I got about 100 – 120 pages into it, I found that I couldn’t put the book down, and now I can’t wait to get my hands on Book 1 Part 2 to see what happens next.
As for my overall rating, the first half was 2.5 – 3 stars. The second half was 4 stars. Average them out and I give it 3.5 stars overall (and yes, I know that Goodreads forces a rounded score).
I was recently introduced to Matt Dinniman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl” (DCC) series and quickly devoured all eight books in fairly fast time. I would not consider myself a big fan of LitRPG, but Dinniman’s series is way different and unique in so many ways, including awesome immersive worldbuilding, dark sarcastic social satire, and endearing characters that demand our attention. For me, DCC is like Douglas Adams’ classic “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe“ series told from a trailer park point-of-view on high grade steroids. You have to read it to believe it.
Because of DCC’s success, we are now we seeing several other LitRPG related series getting attention and moving from self-publishing to major publishing houses. Some of those include Shirtaloon’s “He Who Fights with Monsters” series, James Hunter’s “Discount Dan”, and Pirateaba’s “The Wandering Inn” to name a few. I should mention that two of them have been around longer than DCC and now have their series being reintroduced this summer in new hardcover and paperback editions.
After watching several YouTube video reviews, I decided to give one of them a try, and I chose “The Wandering Inn” to experiment with. It is considered to be LitRPG, portal fantasy, epic fantasy, fantasy meets slice of life, and one of the most prominent and massive web serials in the world. After reading the first book, I find it to be much like Terry Brooks long-running fantasy “Shannara” series in plotting, worldbuilding, style, and pacing. That’s not a bad thing at all.
“The Wandering Inn” Book 1 Part 1 is a story about Erin Solstace, a young earth woman and college student, who is unexpectedly and magically transported to a fantasy world. There she meets and flees from a dragon and goblins, finding an abandoned inn in the countryside. With nothing better to do, she explores it, cleans it up, and discovers that she’s earned an [innkeeper] status.
The rest of the book is about her learning to survive in this dangerous new world and the introduction of characters that cross her path (and some in other parts of the world). We meet guards from the nearby city of Liscor - Relc, a lizard-like creature called a Drake, and Kibkch, a bug-like ant creature referred to as Antinium. Erin also encounters Pisces, a young Necromancer that doesn’t always obey the laws and cannot be fully trusted. There is also another earthling transported to this world while jogging, Ryoka Griffin, who works as a city runner, delivering messages and items like UPS without a truck.
There’s a lot more going on in this introduction to the world of Izril, including history, races, magic systems, wars, economics, political power, geography, and social relations. However, this is good enough for now, and I can cover more in future reviews of this series.
Let me start my review by using reverse psychology and start with the things about this book that you may not like. This series does have its detractors and is probably not for everyone. When the book begins, the pacing is very slow in its slice of life and stream-of-consciousness style of storytelling. It also has a definite soap opera-ish feel to it that gives it a bloated feel at times. For me this went away after a while and the author got her footing on where things were going, but I can certainly understand others becoming more impatient with the slower pacing.
Some of the characters are not necessarily very likable either. For example, two of the primary protagonists – Erin and Ryoka – are considered polarizing among some the fandom, which considered them to be stubborn, slow to adapt, and even a bit whiny. For me, I didn’t have that reaction and found myself being drawn to them for their effort to survive and succeed in a world vastly new and different to them. I would also suggest that they are young, Erin is 20 years old and Ryoka is in her early 20’s I think, which contribute to their personal reactions and behaviors facing such new and bizarre cultures and customs.
Several chapters were long and bounced around between multiple viewpoints and narratives. Don’t be surprised to be focused on one character’s POV and then shift to another individual, and then back to the prior character. Sometimes history and mysterious clues are dropped and then not followed up There is a lot of self-dialog and conversational dialog that takes place. Actually, it is the primary approach the writer uses to tell the story.
In addition, this is an ongoing, massively long story that has not been finished yet. it is my understanding that this series is now at somewhere around 15 million words in length, which includes Books 1 and 2 being broken into two parts each, and 19 more novels without an ending in sight. To be this in perspective, Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” (“WOT”) series had about 4.4 million words across its 14 main novels and 1 prequel. That makes “The Wandering Inn” almost four times the length of the “WOT”. Talk about a serious reading investment.
Now, having said all of that, I fully understand why this series is not for everyone. And I fully get that I have only read about 250 thousand words out of 15 million, so I can only speak to a small portion of the overall work. Basically, I have only wet my appetite and will only speak to that.
The important thing is that there were things I liked. Sticking through the early chapters took some patience for the plotting to really get moving, but I found myself being drawn to Erin, her stubbornness and refusal to give up in the face of adversity. Trust me, she has a lot of that in this book. She starts with nothing – no food, no money, and no clothes (other than what she is wearing. She is seriously attacked multiple times. She is mistreated by others she meets in Izril. But she finds ways to overcome those challenges, including being stubborn, which I rather appreciated. I loved her demanding that goblins would not be killed in her inn. She really stood up for her beliefs and demanded others (primarily males) to accept her expectations. I liked Ryoka for the same reasons and found both of them to be strong young women.
This turned into an immersive read. The worldbuilding is presented methodically and with focus, one layer at a time, much like Terry Brooks “Shanarra” novels in style and pacing. The farther you get into the book, the more creative and highly imaginative you discover the worldbuilding to be. There is history, many races and creatures, multiple types of magic, and wars that are referred to and hinted at. There is also inclusion of the day-to-day activities of the characters much like reading a Robbin Hobbs novel. You get deeply involved in their work, tasks, and development at a micro level – most of which, turns out to be interesting more than not. For example, I loved how Erin’s mastery of chess influenced the people and creatures that came into contact with, as well as Ryoka’s teaching Magnolia Reinhart how to make ice cream.
Although it does it slowly, in my opinion, this book starts to work on multiple levels, relying on a combination of its characters, interesting worldbuilding (that gets more complex as you go), and a back-and-forth blend of small scope focus on daily activities contrasted with the large scope plotlines that are mostly introduced and hinted at in this first book.
Over the second half of the book, storylines develop serious complexity, mysteries, and creativity that make it a compelling read that drives you discover what happens next. There are a lot of questions and clues dangled in front of the readers, but we are just beginning this massive journey of discovery. There are also some very serious scenes of violence and danger throughout that keep you on your toes, along with some well-timed moments of light-hearted humor to balance the constant challenges Erin faces. In addition, there was an underlying level of subtle sarcasm that the author brings out in her characters and their circumstances.
Overall, “The Wandering Inn” Book 1 Part 1 turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected. It’s Terry Brooks, Robin Hobbs style and feel helped keep me going until the plotting got going, and by then I was emotionally connected to Erin and the world she was a stranger in. What started like a cozy fantasy turned into a much more complex and intricate world filled with historical wars that shape its current state, political intrigue, and powerful secrets that propel the characters forward. In addition, the worldbuilding and serious themes addressing societal prejudice, family relationships, justice, and the tragedies of war impacted me more than I expected and kept my attention.
More importantly, the level of detail that could have hampered the story development, ended up contributing to a very satisfying reading experience. The key element for me, was that once I got about 100 – 120 pages into it, I found that I couldn’t put the book down, and now I can’t wait to get my hands on Book 1 Part 2 to see what happens next.
As for my overall rating, the first half was 2.5 – 3 stars. The second half was 4 stars. Average them out and I give it 3.5 stars overall (and yes, I know that Goodreads forces a rounded score).
June 12, 2026
They've started splitting all these in two, and I've definitely read this first half. Giving it 3.5 because it took me over halfway through the full 1300+ page book to really really get into it emotionally. But rounding up bc I can.
[3.5 stars]
[3.5 stars]
April 28, 2026
This could have been 200 pages shorter. 😅 I'm not gonna lie, the first 150 pages were so hard to get through. This book was sluggishly slow and it feels like the plot was going nowhere in the beginning. 🙃 But slowly, as slow as a snail, it moved.
Erin reminds me of Emily in Paris and that lowkey pissed me off. 🫠 "When in Rome, do as Romans do." But she insisted on sticking to what is normal for HER and never listened when people told her what was normal here. She would be a horrible tourist. She would go to Japan and force servers to accept her tips and complain there wasn't enough trash cans around. 😒 When you're in a new place, YOU need to adapt to THEM, not the other way around.
However, the world was quite interesting and the otherworldly characters were fun. 💗 Chess was a curious choice to bring in but I'm not mad at it. I think I generally had an issue with the pacing. 🥲 It was nearly 800 pages but it was a bit repetitive - Erin spares the goblins and gets attacked and almost dies. She treats them to food and gets attacked and almost dies. 🤦♀️ It was also very draggy, focusing a lot on the mundane tasks and trivial descriptions.
I picked this book up out of curiosity, but I don't think I'll read any more of this series. 🙏 But this was still kinda fun at some points.
Erin reminds me of Emily in Paris and that lowkey pissed me off. 🫠 "When in Rome, do as Romans do." But she insisted on sticking to what is normal for HER and never listened when people told her what was normal here. She would be a horrible tourist. She would go to Japan and force servers to accept her tips and complain there wasn't enough trash cans around. 😒 When you're in a new place, YOU need to adapt to THEM, not the other way around.
However, the world was quite interesting and the otherworldly characters were fun. 💗 Chess was a curious choice to bring in but I'm not mad at it. I think I generally had an issue with the pacing. 🥲 It was nearly 800 pages but it was a bit repetitive - Erin spares the goblins and gets attacked and almost dies. She treats them to food and gets attacked and almost dies. 🤦♀️ It was also very draggy, focusing a lot on the mundane tasks and trivial descriptions.
I picked this book up out of curiosity, but I don't think I'll read any more of this series. 🙏 But this was still kinda fun at some points.
August 10, 2026
Cozy fantasy litRPG packed with emotional depth, high stakes plot and a dynamic cast of characters. I was unsure about this book for the first 25%, it read like a very lighthearted read and almost a bit silly but as the story progressed i started to realize how layered it was. I love the characters and even found myself shedding a few tears. Was very pleasantly surprised and can’t wait to get into part 2!
July 22, 2026
surprisingly bad
Surprising because despite being published by a mainstream press this book reads like self indulgent, self published, unedited twaddle. It’s long winded. The scenery is both overly detailed and confusing. There are even author self-insert footnotes. No redeeming qualities exist in the first four chapters. Deserves DNF.
Surprising because despite being published by a mainstream press this book reads like self indulgent, self published, unedited twaddle. It’s long winded. The scenery is both overly detailed and confusing. There are even author self-insert footnotes. No redeeming qualities exist in the first four chapters. Deserves DNF.
June 1, 2026
Different , Please Let It Continue Thus
I'm hoping this series develops as a story not just as an endless spiral of "levelling-up". I'm so bored by all the LRPG identikit books that I almost didn't read this one. So far, it has strong characters, an interesting world, and a STORY. If it continues in that vein, it will be great. It has many unique features and a great deal of underlying intelligence. Keep the LRPG aspect, but, in the name of the Guild of Wordsmiths, remember this, it's only part of the initial inspiration: THE STORY IS THE IMPORTANT PART. And this has the makings of a damn good one.
I'm hoping this series develops as a story not just as an endless spiral of "levelling-up". I'm so bored by all the LRPG identikit books that I almost didn't read this one. So far, it has strong characters, an interesting world, and a STORY. If it continues in that vein, it will be great. It has many unique features and a great deal of underlying intelligence. Keep the LRPG aspect, but, in the name of the Guild of Wordsmiths, remember this, it's only part of the initial inspiration: THE STORY IS THE IMPORTANT PART. And this has the makings of a damn good one.
Did Not Finish
May 5, 2026Errrr...LitRPG just isnt for me. And I can imagine this book gets better, but it isn't my cup of tea
August 1, 2026
Buckle up bitches. I have a beef. Having read both the Dungeon Crawler Carl and He Who Fights With Monsters series, I had high hopes for this book series (it's surprisingly well recommended).
And I have to be honest, I REALLY struggled to get through this book. The worst part, is that I technically haven't finished the first book - just part 1.
I am just so frustrated with the main characters!
*Spoilers*
They are literally and magically plucked from earth and plopped in a new magical world. AND NEITHER OF THEM ARE CURIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE WORLD. They're both infuriating.
Erin is some kind of chess prodigy, but can't even make a list when she finally figured out she needed to go grocery shopping?? She imposes her beliefs on cultures and situations without thinking or bothering to ask about the culture and people around her. LIKE FOR REAL?! I know people have different experiences and ways to approach life - but come on! I spent more time rolling my eyes and frustratedly sighing at her than liking her character and whatever fucking growth she experienced (11 levels, a dead bodyguard, and 0 exposure or interest in THE MAGICAL WORLD AROUND HER. LIKE ??????). Also don't even get me started on the period chapter. I get it, it's cool to talk about menstruation in books now, but god was pointless and NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
Then we introduce Ryoka. I disliked her even more 🙃 "I like to run, and I don't like talking to people." That's it. That's her character. Tada.
Every time her chapters would come up, I wanted to lose my Kindle behind the couch. Such a stupid and frustrating character. I would like to write more about how much she annoyed me, but honestly i don't want to waste my time. Apparently I can't stand books where I don't like, or can't get interested in a main character.
Overall, complete waste of time. Why the fuck is this (entire) book 1300+ pages? 90% of this book was pointless and really didn't add to the story or convince me to want to invest time in these characters.
In fact, the most interesting characters are a side character goblin with no lines, an ant warrior (who dies - of course), annnnnd a rich noble lady who eats a shit ton of ice cream.
I'm struggling to figure out how there are *20* books in the series and how it's supposed to keep people's attention this long.
I might finish part 2 of the book, but it will literally only be out of obligation - and supposedly it gets better. If you want to read the series, skip book 1 and just read recaps until the story actually gets good.
Ugh.
And I have to be honest, I REALLY struggled to get through this book. The worst part, is that I technically haven't finished the first book - just part 1.
I am just so frustrated with the main characters!
*Spoilers*
They are literally and magically plucked from earth and plopped in a new magical world. AND NEITHER OF THEM ARE CURIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE WORLD. They're both infuriating.
Erin is some kind of chess prodigy, but can't even make a list when she finally figured out she needed to go grocery shopping?? She imposes her beliefs on cultures and situations without thinking or bothering to ask about the culture and people around her. LIKE FOR REAL?! I know people have different experiences and ways to approach life - but come on! I spent more time rolling my eyes and frustratedly sighing at her than liking her character and whatever fucking growth she experienced (11 levels, a dead bodyguard, and 0 exposure or interest in THE MAGICAL WORLD AROUND HER. LIKE ??????). Also don't even get me started on the period chapter. I get it, it's cool to talk about menstruation in books now, but god was pointless and NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
Then we introduce Ryoka. I disliked her even more 🙃 "I like to run, and I don't like talking to people." That's it. That's her character. Tada.
Every time her chapters would come up, I wanted to lose my Kindle behind the couch. Such a stupid and frustrating character. I would like to write more about how much she annoyed me, but honestly i don't want to waste my time. Apparently I can't stand books where I don't like, or can't get interested in a main character.
Overall, complete waste of time. Why the fuck is this (entire) book 1300+ pages? 90% of this book was pointless and really didn't add to the story or convince me to want to invest time in these characters.
In fact, the most interesting characters are a side character goblin with no lines, an ant warrior (who dies - of course), annnnnd a rich noble lady who eats a shit ton of ice cream.
I'm struggling to figure out how there are *20* books in the series and how it's supposed to keep people's attention this long.
I might finish part 2 of the book, but it will literally only be out of obligation - and supposedly it gets better. If you want to read the series, skip book 1 and just read recaps until the story actually gets good.
Ugh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2026
This is not my normal genre at all but decided to read it. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the slow pace and mundane things of every day life in this new world. I found it very interesting. I didn’t need there to be drama or action every few pages. But I see people thought it was boring. I didn’t find it boring at all and read through the book in a day and immediately picked up the next one. The characters are interesting even if they are just walking around the city talking, playing chess or just doing mundane tasks around the inn. Sometimes with other books I wish they did more mundane things so I can see how they live day to day when there’s no catastrophe going on. So this book is actually perfect for me. I’m not saying the whole book is slow because I have laughed out loud and even cried toward the end and there is action but it’s mainly just living day by day while also being dumped in a magical new world where nothing is familiar and everything could potentially kill you. I absolutely loved it!
July 6, 2026
2.75⭐️
I started this audiobook a couple years ago. The narrator did a great job with all the voices, but I couldn’t get into the story, so I stopped it.
When I saw this was being published I was super excited for the editing process and the rewrites that were happening. Unfortunately, I don’t think this writing is for me.
This book is VERY wordy. Like, too much. I know there is a lot going on, but it seemed to hash out a lot of details that were not relevant to the growth of the plot or storyline at all. I understand we are using the character dialogue to find information out and world build that way, but it felt as if we were talking in circles almost every time. There are numerous POVs throughout this story, and I know these characters all play their own role in the world as the series progresses. The difficulty I had was the constant switching of how those POVs were portrayed. Sometimes it’s in 3rd person from an all-knowing narrator, or sometimes it’s from that character, but that could also be in 3rd person or 1st person…it switches many times within the same paragraph even. That could be due to the format of the eARC I was reading, but it was a little exhausting without being clear enough.
I have heard this series gets very intense as it goes on. I do have multiple of the audiobooks already purchased, so I will be continuing. It just isn’t something that I am invested enough to physically read, if that makes sense. I do see the vision, and how each of these characters can make a big impact later, so I am sticking around for a little longer to see how it plays out.
Thank you pirateaba for building such a large and intense world, and NetGalley & Harper Voyager for sharing it with me ahead of time 🩵
I started this audiobook a couple years ago. The narrator did a great job with all the voices, but I couldn’t get into the story, so I stopped it.
When I saw this was being published I was super excited for the editing process and the rewrites that were happening. Unfortunately, I don’t think this writing is for me.
This book is VERY wordy. Like, too much. I know there is a lot going on, but it seemed to hash out a lot of details that were not relevant to the growth of the plot or storyline at all. I understand we are using the character dialogue to find information out and world build that way, but it felt as if we were talking in circles almost every time. There are numerous POVs throughout this story, and I know these characters all play their own role in the world as the series progresses. The difficulty I had was the constant switching of how those POVs were portrayed. Sometimes it’s in 3rd person from an all-knowing narrator, or sometimes it’s from that character, but that could also be in 3rd person or 1st person…it switches many times within the same paragraph even. That could be due to the format of the eARC I was reading, but it was a little exhausting without being clear enough.
I have heard this series gets very intense as it goes on. I do have multiple of the audiobooks already purchased, so I will be continuing. It just isn’t something that I am invested enough to physically read, if that makes sense. I do see the vision, and how each of these characters can make a big impact later, so I am sticking around for a little longer to see how it plays out.
Thank you pirateaba for building such a large and intense world, and NetGalley & Harper Voyager for sharing it with me ahead of time 🩵
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Welp, I've stumbled into a new obsession. I went into this thinking it was going to be a run-of-the-mill fantasy. Before I had read any of previews, I was even (incorrectly) thinking this was going to be a story about an inn that teleported around the world. Instead, I found a Lit-RPG that might genuinely be a runner up with Dungeon Crawler Carl as great, modern fantasy. (I guess DCC is Sci-Fi, sue me) If you've read DCC and enjoyed it, The Wandering Inn is a
must-read
. In this world, humans are being randomly, and seeming indiscriminately, teleported into a realm that treats your skills/passions as classes that can be leveled up. While humans do already exist in this world, our PoV character(s) are people from the "real world" that were drawn into the fantasy world. What I found most charming about this book is, despite it keeping a solid pace throughout, the world still felt very lived-in. Things here were already established and understood before our characters arrived, and we get to learn about it and ask the same questions they might. If I had any gripe, I feel like it would only be that I don't like when characters blatantly go, "Oh, this is like D&D." There was also a similar line about Minecraft. At around 600 pages, these lines literally only happen once or twice and do not detract from the book in the slightest. It just felt like stubbing your toe on a Hollow-Stone Deceiver. Compared to a lot of other Lit-RPGs, this narrative is immensely heartfelt and wholesome, and I fell in love with almost every character. (With the exception of Pisces, sorry dude, you're just a bum)
May 30, 2026
I absolutely flew through the first few books of The Wandering Inn and remember thinking, wow… this series is something special. The world feels huge, alive, and incredibly well thought out, with so many storylines and characters somehow all weaving together into something that just works.
What really kept me hooked early on was Erin and Ryoka (forgive me if I’m spelling that wrong 😅). Their stories pulled me in fast, and I loved how the series balances emotional moments, humour, chaos, adventure, politics, and genuinely wild worldbuilding. There’s always something happening, and the cast becomes massive in a way that somehow still feels fun rather than overwhelming.
Books 1–3 completely grabbed me. Book 4 felt slower for me, and I actually drifted a bit during book 5 and ended up taking a break. After reading other things and coming back to it though, I found myself enjoying it again and remembered why I liked the series so much in the first place. Even when it slowed down, the world and characters were still enough to keep me invested.
These audiobooks are absolutely gigantic (seriously, they are a commitment 😅), but they feel like living in a world for a while rather than just reading a story. Not every section hooked me equally, and I missed having more Erin in later parts, but overall this has been such a fun, ambitious, character-filled series that I’m still excited to continue. Onto the next one.
What really kept me hooked early on was Erin and Ryoka (forgive me if I’m spelling that wrong 😅). Their stories pulled me in fast, and I loved how the series balances emotional moments, humour, chaos, adventure, politics, and genuinely wild worldbuilding. There’s always something happening, and the cast becomes massive in a way that somehow still feels fun rather than overwhelming.
Books 1–3 completely grabbed me. Book 4 felt slower for me, and I actually drifted a bit during book 5 and ended up taking a break. After reading other things and coming back to it though, I found myself enjoying it again and remembered why I liked the series so much in the first place. Even when it slowed down, the world and characters were still enough to keep me invested.
These audiobooks are absolutely gigantic (seriously, they are a commitment 😅), but they feel like living in a world for a while rather than just reading a story. Not every section hooked me equally, and I missed having more Erin in later parts, but overall this has been such a fun, ambitious, character-filled series that I’m still excited to continue. Onto the next one.
Read
August 15, 2026Wow, what an amazing first book
I was very skeptical going into this series. It's been recommended to me by varying people over the past year, but...it's a series about an inn??
Ohhhh my did my expectations turn out to be short-sighted.
This novel is a beautiful piece of work, and in hindsight I cannot believe it's book one of a series. Most book 1's of good litrpg/fantasy/related series are very hit or miss. Usually it's an authors first time writing, after all, and as a reader it's very noticeable. But...
That is absolutely not the case here. It took a few chapters for me to get invested, however between roughly the 3/5 and 4/5 portion of the book I must have just been sniffing onions off and on for half the day. I was very impressed with how the story was built up, told, and somewhat resolved (with chess!!) into what will surely be a larger conflict.
Love the intermissions, perspective changes, and how REAL it felt at one point reading the MCs 1st person perspective going through some combination of trauma followed by a panic attack and then some (mild?) PTSD. And then, later, for a completely different setup to give similar feels but adding intense grief into the mix that you, the reader, can FEEL. What indelible writing.
Can't wait to crack open book 2.
I was very skeptical going into this series. It's been recommended to me by varying people over the past year, but...it's a series about an inn??
Ohhhh my did my expectations turn out to be short-sighted.
This novel is a beautiful piece of work, and in hindsight I cannot believe it's book one of a series. Most book 1's of good litrpg/fantasy/related series are very hit or miss. Usually it's an authors first time writing, after all, and as a reader it's very noticeable. But...
That is absolutely not the case here. It took a few chapters for me to get invested, however between roughly the 3/5 and 4/5 portion of the book I must have just been sniffing onions off and on for half the day. I was very impressed with how the story was built up, told, and somewhat resolved (with chess!!) into what will surely be a larger conflict.
Love the intermissions, perspective changes, and how REAL it felt at one point reading the MCs 1st person perspective going through some combination of trauma followed by a panic attack and then some (mild?) PTSD. And then, later, for a completely different setup to give similar feels but adding intense grief into the mix that you, the reader, can FEEL. What indelible writing.
Can't wait to crack open book 2.
July 10, 2026
I made it about 30% into this book before unfortunately deciding to DNF it. I really wanted to enjoy this story, especially because the premise and world had a lot of potential, but the pacing was much slower than I was able to connect with.
One of my biggest struggles was that many elements were introduced without immediate explanation. While I understand that some mysteries are meant to unfold over time, I found myself becoming frustrated by constantly trying to piece together how everything connected and where the story was heading.
Once more details were revealed, I found the characters and the world itself to be interesting. However, I wasn't able to get past the feeling that I was missing too many pieces to fully immerse myself in the story.
Readers who enjoy extremely detailed world-building and experiencing a world alongside the characters as they slowly uncover its secrets will likely appreciate this book. Unfortunately, the pacing and gradual reveals made it difficult for me to fully engage with the story.
Pros: Very detailed, great RPG elements
Cons: SLOW pacing, delayed explanations
One of my biggest struggles was that many elements were introduced without immediate explanation. While I understand that some mysteries are meant to unfold over time, I found myself becoming frustrated by constantly trying to piece together how everything connected and where the story was heading.
Once more details were revealed, I found the characters and the world itself to be interesting. However, I wasn't able to get past the feeling that I was missing too many pieces to fully immerse myself in the story.
Readers who enjoy extremely detailed world-building and experiencing a world alongside the characters as they slowly uncover its secrets will likely appreciate this book. Unfortunately, the pacing and gradual reveals made it difficult for me to fully engage with the story.
Pros: Very detailed, great RPG elements
Cons: SLOW pacing, delayed explanations
July 27, 2026
Book one
I was there when this 1st came out online. I would read this Every week had it bookmarked. Then my computer crashed and I lost it. Couldn't find it. Now here it is being printed. 20 some odd books. For a while it was on royal road But it seems to have disappeared. I plan to read the entire series. And that means that I have to reread I managed to read before my Original computer crash. I don't know if that was 2 books or 3 books or 7 books. But reread them I shall.
The only real problem that I have with this story is holy cow how many tables and chairs are in the inn? That girl breaks more chairs and more tables than anybody in any story ever. And at no point did they repair chairs and tables floors yes but that's it oh and a door.
8/10There are 4 books on kindle unlimited And there are 20 plus books total that you can read online.
I was there when this 1st came out online. I would read this Every week had it bookmarked. Then my computer crashed and I lost it. Couldn't find it. Now here it is being printed. 20 some odd books. For a while it was on royal road But it seems to have disappeared. I plan to read the entire series. And that means that I have to reread I managed to read before my Original computer crash. I don't know if that was 2 books or 3 books or 7 books. But reread them I shall.
The only real problem that I have with this story is holy cow how many tables and chairs are in the inn? That girl breaks more chairs and more tables than anybody in any story ever. And at no point did they repair chairs and tables floors yes but that's it oh and a door.
8/10There are 4 books on kindle unlimited And there are 20 plus books total that you can read online.
May 7, 2026
ehhh
This book was slightly interesting but not enough. It moved at a snails pace, and everything bad seems to happen to the main character. The book also switches perspectives from character to character with no warning or headings, so I would think I was reading about one character when it was in fact another. It also randomly introduces a character 50 percent within the book doesn’t explain the persons purpose and just continues with the main character afterwards. I just don’t understand this book at all. The main character isn’t even enjoyable. There’s nothing wandering about the inn and she does very little in keeping at all. Mostly wandering around facing various issues. It was a chore to get through.
This book was slightly interesting but not enough. It moved at a snails pace, and everything bad seems to happen to the main character. The book also switches perspectives from character to character with no warning or headings, so I would think I was reading about one character when it was in fact another. It also randomly introduces a character 50 percent within the book doesn’t explain the persons purpose and just continues with the main character afterwards. I just don’t understand this book at all. The main character isn’t even enjoyable. There’s nothing wandering about the inn and she does very little in keeping at all. Mostly wandering around facing various issues. It was a chore to get through.
Review of advance copy
Read this a few years ago before the physical publications came about, and I have to say that years later I'm still loving the series. It's a slow roll, there's a massive world, and learning how the world works takes a very very long time. Still, I could probably best sum this up as an action slice of life series.
Many people are discovering LITRPG because of series like He who Fights with Monsters and Dungeon Crawler Carl. You won't find that kind of number-crunching chaos action on every page you turn. You're getting a much deeper world here, but it takes a lot longer to explore it. This isn't a series to try and burn through, but a reliable constant you can turn to for years to come when you need a good book.
Many people are discovering LITRPG because of series like He who Fights with Monsters and Dungeon Crawler Carl. You won't find that kind of number-crunching chaos action on every page you turn. You're getting a much deeper world here, but it takes a lot longer to explore it. This isn't a series to try and burn through, but a reliable constant you can turn to for years to come when you need a good book.
August 12, 2026
This is a great book and ending on a "Say What" note. Now I have to read the second book. One of the best things is the chess. As a chess player, with a husband deep into chess, I thoroughly enjoyed the chess references in the book. I read most of this book online, but realized my husband would love to read the book with the chess player having a key role in the book, so I had to buy the book. Lovely imagination, goblins, crab rocks, Antinium, and Drakes (lizards) all living in a troubled harmony. A second human character was introduced partially through the book, so at first I was like, did we go into a new book without me realizing it, but I think there is a chance these two characters meet in the next book. Fun book to read.
Review of advance copy
The Wandering Inn is one of the most compelling works of literature I've ever read. Over the course of the year I spent reading through the end of the ninth volume, there was never a point at which I considered stopping. A length of roughly ~40,000 pages, give or take, and the quality of the writing never once dipped below a 7/10.
The amount of times I've laughed, cried, gotten the chills, and stayed up way too late while reading this series is in the hundreds. I cannot overstate how good this book, this author, this series is. It is a superlative work of fantasy, and if you give it a chance, I'm certain you won't regret it.
The amount of times I've laughed, cried, gotten the chills, and stayed up way too late while reading this series is in the hundreds. I cannot overstate how good this book, this author, this series is. It is a superlative work of fantasy, and if you give it a chance, I'm certain you won't regret it.
May 15, 2026
Bait and switch
This book series is a apparently 22 books long and the first four are available on Kindle unlimited. They're decent quality LITRPG And I felt that they were generally worth reading and I was looking forward to the fifth book. But now I see it only is available for purchase for 10 bucks. It's not worth 10 bucks. So I would recommend that you save the frustration and don't even start. I don't know if they're going to change that or they're going to just charge $10 for every book going forward. But not worth the candle.
This book series is a apparently 22 books long and the first four are available on Kindle unlimited. They're decent quality LITRPG And I felt that they were generally worth reading and I was looking forward to the fifth book. But now I see it only is available for purchase for 10 bucks. It's not worth 10 bucks. So I would recommend that you save the frustration and don't even start. I don't know if they're going to change that or they're going to just charge $10 for every book going forward. But not worth the candle.
July 22, 2026
Good read
I actually saw this book a while ago, before it was a book. It was online. I had a huge bias towards Lit RPG to be honest and I didn’t read it. It’s not perfect. But, it does have a good story and interesting characters, as well as excellent world building. I think that’s what Pirateaba excels at. World building. The world is brimming with creativity from the first chapter. You want to learn more about it. Give this one a shot. It isn’t perfect, but the whimsy will have you clamoring for more.
I actually saw this book a while ago, before it was a book. It was online. I had a huge bias towards Lit RPG to be honest and I didn’t read it. It’s not perfect. But, it does have a good story and interesting characters, as well as excellent world building. I think that’s what Pirateaba excels at. World building. The world is brimming with creativity from the first chapter. You want to learn more about it. Give this one a shot. It isn’t perfect, but the whimsy will have you clamoring for more.
August 2, 2026
sometimes frustrating but always captivating
I started that book with a little bit of trepidation just because I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to enjoy it. I was very wrong, I enjoyed it a lot. I knew I did interesting that the two main characters we followed through throughout the book really seem to struggle with social interactions.
That said, I read through the book a lot quicker than I thought I would! They aren’t cheating when they say it’s a big world, and I love how grounded and real it feels.
I started that book with a little bit of trepidation just because I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to enjoy it. I was very wrong, I enjoyed it a lot. I knew I did interesting that the two main characters we followed through throughout the book really seem to struggle with social interactions.
That said, I read through the book a lot quicker than I thought I would! They aren’t cheating when they say it’s a big world, and I love how grounded and real it feels.
August 4, 2026
This series came highly recommended.
It isn't the type of series that I personally am looking for at this point in my life.
The early story was interesting enough to get my attention, but I kept reading hoping things would progress in a way I personally found entertaining.
Unfortunately it didn't.
It isn't the typical style of LitRPG or Fantasy, and that is okay. One size fits all for people is boring. However, this book didn't do much for me. (I thought it might be a dude first book, so I went to the next two books and it just didn't improve what I was looking for in a book.)
It isn't the type of series that I personally am looking for at this point in my life.
The early story was interesting enough to get my attention, but I kept reading hoping things would progress in a way I personally found entertaining.
Unfortunately it didn't.
It isn't the typical style of LitRPG or Fantasy, and that is okay. One size fits all for people is boring. However, this book didn't do much for me. (I thought it might be a dude first book, so I went to the next two books and it just didn't improve what I was looking for in a book.)
June 27, 2026
“All those that Think—Feel. From Feeling do we Act. It is in Action that we Level. All those who Think have a Class. And it is in that Class which we find destiny.”
This started off a bit slow, but I could immediately feel it had promise. I am so glad I didn't put it down.
I have no idea how I have never come across Pirateaba before now!
I was SOBBING 70% in.
I will definitely continue reading in this series.
Highly recommend for fantasy fans with a slice of life driven plot line.
This started off a bit slow, but I could immediately feel it had promise. I am so glad I didn't put it down.
I have no idea how I have never come across Pirateaba before now!
I was SOBBING 70% in.
I will definitely continue reading in this series.
Highly recommend for fantasy fans with a slice of life driven plot line.
July 26, 2026
I’m on the fence about this book but will try one more. The MC is young a traumatized. She makes really stupid decisions, for example she is literally dieting of thirst but doesn’t remember there is a stream nearby? The world is also very brutal and lacks any humor. It’s hard to follow who is talking in discussions. Lastly it brings in another MC halfway through the book and also has multiple perspectives throughout as minor MCs.
Read
August 2, 2026Accidentally listened to the Audible version and wanted to stop in less than 1 hour. After the 2nd hour, I was completely hooked and I am now 19 books in. This is my 1st RPGLit and I am a fan. I am interested to see how much I enjoy the print version. (The narrator is AMAZING so I fell hard for her performance of all of the unique characters but it continued when there was a change umpteen books later.)
August 10, 2026
It's been a long time since I read the beginning of this story so I figured it was time to start again. The beginning is definitely a bit rough. The story will turn out absolutely amazing and one of the best book series I've ever read but it definitely takes a little bit to get into it and I definitely forgot how some things went and I can see why some people struggle with this series from the start.
June 7, 2026
Main character is incredibly annoying
This girl is a complete idiot. Oh woe is me, I can’t get my crap together and do much of anything. I heard the series was good so I’ve been slogging through it. The pacing is slow. Very little happens. If you like action and adventure, this is not for you.
This girl is a complete idiot. Oh woe is me, I can’t get my crap together and do much of anything. I heard the series was good so I’ve been slogging through it. The pacing is slow. Very little happens. If you like action and adventure, this is not for you.
July 22, 2026
Amazon seems to have lost my start and finish date but I finished this book in like 3 days i have rarely been this addicted to a book i just found it so easy to read and enjoyed it.
A lot of people seem to have problems with Erin in these early books but I loved her right away I found her endearing and funny, I love her empathy and her ability to basically flip off the current social ideas of this world. Anyone that is kind to her and shows no violence is welcome in Erin’s Inn
It’s a very refreshing angle to focus a fantasy story on the innkeeper IE the person that would usually be the side character in somebody else’s story.
Please give it a chance.
A lot of people seem to have problems with Erin in these early books but I loved her right away I found her endearing and funny, I love her empathy and her ability to basically flip off the current social ideas of this world. Anyone that is kind to her and shows no violence is welcome in Erin’s Inn
It’s a very refreshing angle to focus a fantasy story on the innkeeper IE the person that would usually be the side character in somebody else’s story.
Please give it a chance.
August 12, 2026
I've been with this series since 2019 and it is one of the best constants in my life. <3 I'm so thrilled to get to re(re-re-)read the series yet again, on paper! It's honestly one of the best things I've ever read and I tell everyone to read it! I don't do that with most books, but I do it with this one.
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