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Ben's Damn Adventure #1
The Prince Has No Pants
A comedy.
All life on Earth has been stolen away by The System, transported to another world at the behest of a distant galactic empire, who lived in terror of humanity's potential.
Ben was a normal, slightly above average man, and had been about to go on the first real vacation of his adult life. Now he must contend with danger and mystery in a world of monsters, magic and treasure, armed with nothing but his wits, and the special item given to him by The System.
This is his adventure.
Welcome to The World.
All life on Earth has been stolen away by The System, transported to another world at the behest of a distant galactic empire, who lived in terror of humanity's potential.
Ben was a normal, slightly above average man, and had been about to go on the first real vacation of his adult life. Now he must contend with danger and mystery in a world of monsters, magic and treasure, armed with nothing but his wits, and the special item given to him by The System.
This is his adventure.
Welcome to The World.
248 pages, ebook
First published June 29, 2020
87 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 23, 2025
This was hard to get through. (EDIT: Suspected AI)
While it had a few a good ideas and creative imagery I question the execution. Everything is over explained and with so much flowery language that I actually forgot what the aim of that specific scene was.
While "the system" makes sense in a Litrpg, the idea that humans are the center of everything in the galaxy and everything revolves around them is... cheap. Everything else is downgraded to make us, as is, shine and then over explain why we are so amazing. "The system" follows the normal rpg game level up & skill tree except it's random. There are no rules, no rhyme or reason, just whatever sounds fun at the moment. Sadly that means there is no planning so the skills are mostly one shots.
I listened to the audiobook version and while the reader is great the writing style is painfully paced.
The story is=
Humanity gets sucked into THE SYSTEM and start a new game+ in RPG land, our MC is normal guy Ben.
There, one sentence. It's one sentence! Why then did the audiobook require OVER an hour and a half to even get to it?
It wasn't even setting the scene before this just going on tangents after introducing characters with info that amounted to fluff that means nothing and never comes to play later.
There are some good ideas in here but it lacks focus & planning.
While it had a few a good ideas and creative imagery I question the execution. Everything is over explained and with so much flowery language that I actually forgot what the aim of that specific scene was.
While "the system" makes sense in a Litrpg, the idea that humans are the center of everything in the galaxy and everything revolves around them is... cheap. Everything else is downgraded to make us, as is, shine and then over explain why we are so amazing. "The system" follows the normal rpg game level up & skill tree except it's random. There are no rules, no rhyme or reason, just whatever sounds fun at the moment. Sadly that means there is no planning so the skills are mostly one shots.
I listened to the audiobook version and while the reader is great the writing style is painfully paced.
The story is=
Humanity gets sucked into THE SYSTEM and start a new game+ in RPG land, our MC is normal guy Ben.
There, one sentence. It's one sentence! Why then did the audiobook require OVER an hour and a half to even get to it?
It wasn't even setting the scene before this just going on tangents after introducing characters with info that amounted to fluff that means nothing and never comes to play later.
There are some good ideas in here but it lacks focus & planning.
December 9, 2020
Adams-esque
Hints of ‘Hitchhikers Guide’, especially at the beginning. Very little LitRPG, even though ‘The System’ *is* a game and pulls heavily from the System Apocalypse sub genre.
Heavy on the ridiculous, this ends in an odd place, leaving the MC a bit incomplete.
I look forward to a sequel. I want to know what happens with Short Bus, the now ambulatory Great White Shark.
Hints of ‘Hitchhikers Guide’, especially at the beginning. Very little LitRPG, even though ‘The System’ *is* a game and pulls heavily from the System Apocalypse sub genre.
Heavy on the ridiculous, this ends in an odd place, leaving the MC a bit incomplete.
I look forward to a sequel. I want to know what happens with Short Bus, the now ambulatory Great White Shark.
August 18, 2020
I NEED TO KNOW MORE
This is fascinating! The characters are enjoyable (there is a definite sense of Humans Are Space Orcs/HFY, but there’s a fair amount of Humans Are Crazy, too, and it evens out in fun ways), the plot, action and humor are all tightly-paced as an elite parade regiment, and the world building is DRIVING ME MAD with curiosity. I am so eager for the next book!
This is fascinating! The characters are enjoyable (there is a definite sense of Humans Are Space Orcs/HFY, but there’s a fair amount of Humans Are Crazy, too, and it evens out in fun ways), the plot, action and humor are all tightly-paced as an elite parade regiment, and the world building is DRIVING ME MAD with curiosity. I am so eager for the next book!
July 24, 2020
Book one
I found this story on royalroadl and wanted to support the author so I bought a copy of his book.
I found this story on royalroadl and wanted to support the author so I bought a copy of his book.
Read
November 13, 2023DNF at 20%, this isn't a reflection on the book. I hadn't realized it was litRPG, so I'm out.
July 3, 2022
This is a delicious piece where the main character is naked most of the time, I approve. I think that we need more naked-people literature.
With that said, this is light litRPG, which is not for everybody and most stories in this genre feel like a DnD campaign with interesting scenery and characters. I enjoy stories structured this way, but not everybody does.
Also, tons of loose story threads in this book and the other ones in the series.
March 5, 2021
For starters, the reader for this book was having a lot of fun with it. Not sure if I've had a Johnathan McClain read book before, but he is has a very energetic and entertaining delivery.
Howry has a bit of a Douglas Adams feel to his writing style that's hard to describe. He starts off with a lot of setup away from the main character that felt a bit strange at first, but I would say is critical for getting the setting and tone down.
What's interesting is how much science is percolating in the background of this. Not positive but it seems he's drawing heavily on M-Theory of the universe being crated. The membrane is is treated like an infinite improbability drive, where it can be reached into and pretty much anything can be pulled out no matter how improbable. Howry balances this by applying a conservation of entropy. If he's going to pull order out of that chaos and into the world, a certain amount of chaos has to be generated as well to balance it. (that was quite the tangent)
The litrpg aspect comes in as the filter between that chaos and the universe. The generated chaos is pulled into the 'game world' and the beings trapped inside it are conscripted to eradicate it.
This book has a very different feel from any other LitRPG. First, Howry makes vanilla Human awesome, like, really awesome and I love it. Second, while he does have Human, elves, dwarves, ext they are defiantly not 'human, short human, pointy eared human'. They also have . There's a real possibility he'll not only have Centaurs and Naga's in his story, but do them correctly :O. I'm excited for more of this series.
Howry has a bit of a Douglas Adams feel to his writing style that's hard to describe. He starts off with a lot of setup away from the main character that felt a bit strange at first, but I would say is critical for getting the setting and tone down.
What's interesting is how much science is percolating in the background of this. Not positive but it seems he's drawing heavily on M-Theory of the universe being crated. The membrane is is treated like an infinite improbability drive, where it can be reached into and pretty much anything can be pulled out no matter how improbable. Howry balances this by applying a conservation of entropy. If he's going to pull order out of that chaos and into the world, a certain amount of chaos has to be generated as well to balance it. (that was quite the tangent)
The litrpg aspect comes in as the filter between that chaos and the universe. The generated chaos is pulled into the 'game world' and the beings trapped inside it are conscripted to eradicate it.
This book has a very different feel from any other LitRPG. First, Howry makes vanilla Human awesome, like, really awesome and I love it. Second, while he does have Human, elves, dwarves, ext they are defiantly not 'human, short human, pointy eared human'. They also have . There's a real possibility he'll not only have Centaurs and Naga's in his story, but do them correctly :O. I'm excited for more of this series.
March 4, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this as an audio book. The incredible performance by Johnathan McClain contributed greatly to this, but the fiction itself is highly creative, fun, bawdy, and entertaining.
I always feel I have to justify why I don't give something five stars. This novel is fun and entertaining, but it isn't a work of fine literature, isn't a magnificent uplifting epic, and the plot line doesn't survive deep analysis. Don't go there. Just enjoy it.
I always feel I have to justify why I don't give something five stars. This novel is fun and entertaining, but it isn't a work of fine literature, isn't a magnificent uplifting epic, and the plot line doesn't survive deep analysis. Don't go there. Just enjoy it.
July 9, 2020
5 star
This book made me laugh out loud. It's light on the litrpg side of things but a very fun read.
This book made me laugh out loud. It's light on the litrpg side of things but a very fun read.
October 11, 2023
The Prince Has No Pants
"The Prince Has No Pants" by Matthew Howry is a rollicking and irreverent adventure that had me laughing out loud from start to finish. If you're in the mood for a lighthearted fantasy with a healthy dose of humor and a dash of absurdity, this book is a must-read.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the zany world of Ben, a down-to-earth guy who suddenly finds himself transported to a realm of magic, talking animals, and a missing prince without pants. The premise itself is delightfully absurd, and Howry's witty writing and clever wordplay elevate it to new comedic heights.
"The Prince Has No Pants" is a fast-paced adventure that never takes itself too seriously. Ben's adventures in this strange land are filled with hilarious encounters, from a sassy, sarcastic squirrel to a grumpy, pants-obsessed prince. The dialogue crackles with humor, and the banter between characters is a highlight of the book.
The character of Ben is relatable and endearing. He reacts to the bizarre situations he finds himself in with a mix of bemusement and exasperation, making him a fantastic anchor for the story's craziness. As he stumbles through this bizarre world, you can't help but root for him to find a way home.
One of the strengths of this book is its pacing. The chapters are short and snappy, and each one ends with a cliffhanger or a punchline that keeps you eagerly turning the pages. It's the kind of book that you can breeze through in one sitting, and you'll likely want to do just that.
While "The Prince Has No Pants" is primarily a comedy, it also has moments of heart and depth. Beneath the humor, there are themes of friendship, self-discovery, and the importance of embracing one's uniqueness. These moments add a layer of substance to the story that makes it more than just a series of jokes.
My only caveat is that if you're looking for a serious, epic fantasy, this isn't it. But if you want a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud adventure that will leave you grinning, then "The Prince Has No Pants" is a fantastic choice. It's a fun and entertaining read that will brighten your day and leave you eagerly anticipating Ben's next misadventure.
So, in conclusion, put on your imaginary crown, kick back, and enjoy the wild ride that is "The Prince Has No Pants." Matthew Howry has crafted a hilarious and charming tale that is perfect for anyone in need of a good laugh and a break from the ordinary.
June 2, 2023
No story resolution and the author's idea of humor is to have stupid things happen constantly.
Humans, it turns out (if you wade through the background) are the only species to have successfully completed the system. Humans were then isolated on earth and the rest of universe quarantined the Milky Way. The rest of the universe is run by space elves who, thanks to millions of years passing and a newly elected joke of a president, end up letting humans back into the system. The MC ends up in an ocean where he is saved by sentient shark. The shark is also from earth and is of the opinion that the former earthlings need to help each other. To start leveling Ben must touch a city crystal. Ben meets little grey men when he gets to shore and they take him to there city. It turns out the greys know all humans are being turned into fairies by the crystals so they capture Ben once he becomes a fairy. Ben escapes but his actual class is fairy prince so Ben must deal with a bizarre desire to have every increasing fancy crowns and to claim a territory.
Ben ends up claiming a tree with a dungeon in it. With a dungeon reward Ben ends creating a "void storage golem" (I forget what the book called it) which is a fun little character (as is the shark which who, while seperated from Ben ends up taking a new form that allows him onto land).
Ben then meets a sentient magical snail who applies for the position of prince Ben's court wizard. Ben and golem put snail through a somewhat funny interview process. Then Ben sees the dungeon boss is to tough so he leaves the dungeon. Short Bus (the shark) isn't reunited with and basically nothing is resolved. Worse the epilogue reveals that a primordial human from the first win over the system is still around but he is going to join an opposing faction because he thinks the humans will win anyway. So, not only does the author fail to resolve a single storyline, but HE ADDS ANOTHER STORY LINE IN THE EPILOGUE. To me that is the very definition of poor authorship.
Humans, it turns out (if you wade through the background) are the only species to have successfully completed the system. Humans were then isolated on earth and the rest of universe quarantined the Milky Way. The rest of the universe is run by space elves who, thanks to millions of years passing and a newly elected joke of a president, end up letting humans back into the system. The MC ends up in an ocean where he is saved by sentient shark. The shark is also from earth and is of the opinion that the former earthlings need to help each other. To start leveling Ben must touch a city crystal. Ben meets little grey men when he gets to shore and they take him to there city. It turns out the greys know all humans are being turned into fairies by the crystals so they capture Ben once he becomes a fairy. Ben escapes but his actual class is fairy prince so Ben must deal with a bizarre desire to have every increasing fancy crowns and to claim a territory.
Ben ends up claiming a tree with a dungeon in it. With a dungeon reward Ben ends creating a "void storage golem" (I forget what the book called it) which is a fun little character (as is the shark which who, while seperated from Ben ends up taking a new form that allows him onto land).
Ben then meets a sentient magical snail who applies for the position of prince Ben's court wizard. Ben and golem put snail through a somewhat funny interview process. Then Ben sees the dungeon boss is to tough so he leaves the dungeon. Short Bus (the shark) isn't reunited with and basically nothing is resolved. Worse the epilogue reveals that a primordial human from the first win over the system is still around but he is going to join an opposing faction because he thinks the humans will win anyway. So, not only does the author fail to resolve a single storyline, but HE ADDS ANOTHER STORY LINE IN THE EPILOGUE. To me that is the very definition of poor authorship.
July 28, 2022
That's hilarious and well done book.
Since I found that listening to LitRPG books during my runs works very well, I have been immersed in the genre, and while there are a lot of misses, the hits were far more, and this more is definitely a hit.
The story is engaging, absurd, and the way the author manages to connect mundane daily activities with magical world is hilarious.
Johnathan McClain as narrator helps flesh out the characters and so far, I find the characters endearing, kind-of relatable and certainly fit in the story.
The only downside I find is that the series have only couple of books so far, and I will have to wait for the next installment after I read the second book...
Really fun book :)
Since I found that listening to LitRPG books during my runs works very well, I have been immersed in the genre, and while there are a lot of misses, the hits were far more, and this more is definitely a hit.
The story is engaging, absurd, and the way the author manages to connect mundane daily activities with magical world is hilarious.
Johnathan McClain as narrator helps flesh out the characters and so far, I find the characters endearing, kind-of relatable and certainly fit in the story.
The only downside I find is that the series have only couple of books so far, and I will have to wait for the next installment after I read the second book...
Really fun book :)
December 22, 2025
A bit of a mixed bag.
Some truly fantastic humor at times. Lots of really fun moments. Absolutely loved the narration.
The plot it self I'm not so sure about. Space elves have been trying to wipe out humanity, but humanity is just too OP. I feel it's nice to have humanity be the OP ones, but a little goes a long way and the author doesn't know when to stop. Humanity can do anything better an anyone else in the entire universe, humanity has even beaten the game once before. I get the feeling there is going to be a lot of OP bull in this book series. The first book though isn't too bad as the system has fun balancing the humans.
In the end great narration and good humor saved this one
Some truly fantastic humor at times. Lots of really fun moments. Absolutely loved the narration.
The plot it self I'm not so sure about. Space elves have been trying to wipe out humanity, but humanity is just too OP. I feel it's nice to have humanity be the OP ones, but a little goes a long way and the author doesn't know when to stop. Humanity can do anything better an anyone else in the entire universe, humanity has even beaten the game once before. I get the feeling there is going to be a lot of OP bull in this book series. The first book though isn't too bad as the system has fun balancing the humans.
In the end great narration and good humor saved this one
May 8, 2023
One of the better litrpg stories I've read. I'm actually really looking forward to the next book in the series. One of the aspects of these stories is how to get the character from normal life into a game world; some authors spend too much time on it, others practically ignore it altogether. I feel like the balance was perfect here. The cast of characters are wonderful. Short Bus is a gem of a character and I hope he shows up frequently. I used up all of my credits for the month already or I'd already be on book 2. I'm thinking both of next month's credits will go to this series.
June 28, 2023
This book is super meta. While I like that portion of it, it also jumps around so much I had a hard time following it. It feels a bit like the author had so many ideas of cool stuff he wanted to explain or put in the book that it kept losing the thread. The tangents had tangents. When I was engaged there were some good elements and some definite humour, and I wanted to like it, but it was a bit too all over the place. I still may end up reading book 2 as it's a bit longer and hopefully without as much to try to explain up front it'll flow a bit better.
December 13, 2023
I got this as an audiobook, and not only is the text great, the narrator (Johnathan McClain) is fantastically chaotic, and adds to the entire experience. This story reads like Douglas Adam's writes a litRPG and you dont need to look hard to find the influence. There isn't an overload of character sheet readouts to add to the word count, and even things that are overpowered make sense in the context of the story - rather than the usual convenience you see with other books in the genre.
tl/dr: Hidden Gem. 5/5 would recommend.
tl/dr: Hidden Gem. 5/5 would recommend.
August 15, 2025
I was delighted by the humour, and the world building made me laugh out loud more than once. After a while, the story took a sideways turn, and the humour started to swerve sharply between ridiculous and smug.
I think reigning in the tone would have benefitted the flow of the book a lot, and helped the plot line feel more cohesive.
It was a fun read. The audiobook narrator did a great job with the characterisation, which helped make sense of the "unreliable-narrator" style.
I recommend this if you're feeling like something fun and very silly.
I think reigning in the tone would have benefitted the flow of the book a lot, and helped the plot line feel more cohesive.
It was a fun read. The audiobook narrator did a great job with the characterisation, which helped make sense of the "unreliable-narrator" style.
I recommend this if you're feeling like something fun and very silly.
December 18, 2025
4.25 stars. The strongest part of this book is its humor. Despite a dark and often bleak setting, the story is consistently written with a light, absurd tone that kept me engaged throughout.
The plot and character motivations are loose and mostly centered around survival, which would normally bother me. However, the book does not try to be deeper or more structured than it actually is, which made those weaknesses easier for me to overlook. The friendships are not deeply explored, but they feel genuine within the context of the story. Overall, I will most likely continue the series.
The plot and character motivations are loose and mostly centered around survival, which would normally bother me. However, the book does not try to be deeper or more structured than it actually is, which made those weaknesses easier for me to overlook. The friendships are not deeply explored, but they feel genuine within the context of the story. Overall, I will most likely continue the series.
August 31, 2025
The Prince Has No Pants is a funny LitRPG with heart. The fate of humankind is in question but we're following Ben on an adventure that can be suspenseful or ridiculous at any moment. From betrayal and unexpected allies, this adventure keeps moving and I didn't know what would happen from one point to another. The ending isn't a cliffhanger but does feel a little like a book that just got chopped off. So I look forward to moving onto the sequel.
August 11, 2020
Just starting but already love it.
I have barely started this book and I already love it. The most recent reason is rather then trying to explain how some pseudo scientific drive works basically said it works let us get on with the story. I like that better than getting into detail that may very well be wrong.
I have barely started this book and I already love it. The most recent reason is rather then trying to explain how some pseudo scientific drive works basically said it works let us get on with the story. I like that better than getting into detail that may very well be wrong.
October 17, 2020
Funny Apocalypse
Really enjoyed this book. I almost didn’t buy it after reading some of the other reviews. I am really glad I used those extra credits because I enjoyed all aspects of this book. Will definitely be getting the next one. Hope the author transitions to kindle unlimited.
Really enjoyed this book. I almost didn’t buy it after reading some of the other reviews. I am really glad I used those extra credits because I enjoyed all aspects of this book. Will definitely be getting the next one. Hope the author transitions to kindle unlimited.
May 9, 2021
This was "okay". It started slow and had a few funny parts at the beginning. Then the story got going and I liked where it was headed.
Then things changed.
I will read the sequel, but I don't know where this series is headed.
3/5 Stars
Then things changed.
I will read the sequel, but I don't know where this series is headed.
3/5 Stars
March 13, 2022
I listened to the audio version of this book very slowly. I would pause and listen to an entire other book and then come back to this one.
In this matter, slowly but surely, I made my way through it. Let's just say that lit RPG is not my thing. I could care less. It was very uninteresting, the subtle attempts at humor. It didn't do it for me. On to the next book.
In this matter, slowly but surely, I made my way through it. Let's just say that lit RPG is not my thing. I could care less. It was very uninteresting, the subtle attempts at humor. It didn't do it for me. On to the next book.
September 11, 2023
New author for me. Loved this!! I've become a super fan of LitRPGs, especially when they're interesting, unique in their own way, compelling characters, have gamer culture references, and funny. This ticks all the boxes. Calling Greys "xenos scum" is *chef's kiss*, and naming a talking great white shark Short Bus is too funny.
June 24, 2025
I low-key wish I dnfed this one. Too much "this is like a video game 😀." Just embrace it at that point
I didn't quite understand what the goal was for the plot. Saving humankind? idk. Surviving? I guess
Also, I didn't understand why every creature/alien were scared of humans because it didn't really affect the plot a lot. Humans just became another part of the croud
I didn't quite understand what the goal was for the plot. Saving humankind? idk. Surviving? I guess
Also, I didn't understand why every creature/alien were scared of humans because it didn't really affect the plot a lot. Humans just became another part of the croud
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2020
Wow
Amazing read. Had me laughing and tearing up. I'd like to know where you the author has been hiding, because if you keep this level of writing up, there will be no stoping you. Keep the creativity flowing.
Amazing read. Had me laughing and tearing up. I'd like to know where you the author has been hiding, because if you keep this level of writing up, there will be no stoping you. Keep the creativity flowing.
July 27, 2020
Surprisingly good
I was very much surprised to find myself laughing out loud multiple times. This was a very different litrpg story. While it had some game mechanics, it was not fully a standard litrpg story progression but I still enjoyed reading it.
I was very much surprised to find myself laughing out loud multiple times. This was a very different litrpg story. While it had some game mechanics, it was not fully a standard litrpg story progression but I still enjoyed reading it.
August 26, 2020
Awesome story.
This story grabbed my attention and would not let go until I finished the whole book. I laughed, and even kinda teared up at one point. If you're a parent you will know the place. I really can't wait for the next book.
This story grabbed my attention and would not let go until I finished the whole book. I laughed, and even kinda teared up at one point. If you're a parent you will know the place. I really can't wait for the next book.
August 29, 2020
Great read
Very good. I liked the way you did side chapter's and kept them small. I really hate shifting character focus and usually skip whole chapters to get back to the main character. I also liked the way you add comedy. Can't wait to read the next one.
Very good. I liked the way you did side chapter's and kept them small. I really hate shifting character focus and usually skip whole chapters to get back to the main character. I also liked the way you add comedy. Can't wait to read the next one.
July 4, 2021
It was Ok but didn't really hook me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews