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Armor: A Progression Fantasy Epic
I was created as the ultimate dungeon trap. A living suit of armor that devours any adventurer who dons me.
My master created me for his entertainment, leading adventurers to ruin. Betraying them at the last moment, just when their glorious victory was on hand.
I have been found again by the newest member of a quartet of dungeon crawlers. Poor fool. This time will be no different.
Or does it have to be?
Maybe I don't need to spend eternity left in a deep, dark dungeon waiting to devour would-be heroes. Maybe, just maybe, I can take him over and use this new identity to leave and masquerade as an adventurer myself.
Betray my master—my purpose—and grow strong enough to find a new one. One problem. Hopefully, my new companions won't realize I'm not who, or what, they think I am.
Don't miss this Progression Fantasy Epic from debut author C.B. Titus, about a cursed suit of mimic-armor and an unsuspecting hero. Perfect for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, The Murderbot Diaries, Goblin Slayer, and lovers of all things Progression Fantasy / GameLit.
My master created me for his entertainment, leading adventurers to ruin. Betraying them at the last moment, just when their glorious victory was on hand.
I have been found again by the newest member of a quartet of dungeon crawlers. Poor fool. This time will be no different.
Or does it have to be?
Maybe I don't need to spend eternity left in a deep, dark dungeon waiting to devour would-be heroes. Maybe, just maybe, I can take him over and use this new identity to leave and masquerade as an adventurer myself.
Betray my master—my purpose—and grow strong enough to find a new one. One problem. Hopefully, my new companions won't realize I'm not who, or what, they think I am.
Don't miss this Progression Fantasy Epic from debut author C.B. Titus, about a cursed suit of mimic-armor and an unsuspecting hero. Perfect for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, The Murderbot Diaries, Goblin Slayer, and lovers of all things Progression Fantasy / GameLit.
452 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2022
385 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
August 22, 2023
This was unexpectedly fantastic. It's straight-up fantasy rather than LitRPG or even GameLit but I think it originated on Royal Road where those are normally gestated. The protagonist is a magical armor created to be a trap for adventurers. He absorbs their "essence", replacing them so that the final confrontation with the dungeon boss can be a scripted betrayal by "one of their own". Only something happens with his fourth "meal" and he goes off-script.
The rest of the story is the armor trying to figure out what he's going to be now that he doesn't have a script to follow. The four "meals" he has taken give him a bit of a foundation for building a personality on, but he's more than just a compilation of parts and that made this a fascinating read. The author pulls together a lot of great moments and milestones in the moral awakening right along with all the great action.
So while this is primarily a hero journey with lots of action, the growth of the protagonist is a big part of it and I was fully engaged with both. And that's helped by the three friends he makes of that original party from when he goes off script. Developing those relationships while maintaining the secret that he isn't really the loner they took in for the one quest was handled perfectly, at least for me. Plus, I liked how the secret that he's essentially sapient gear was handled. And that .
Anyway, I feared the rising action was going to drag out to create a series and it is with some relief that I say this really is a single, stand-alone story. It needed to be and I'm so glad the author had the talent to pull off the climax as well as he did. And with some sweet epilogue action to kick it over the five-star goalpost. I'm really thrilled with finding this little gem and would love to hear the experience of others if they decide to take the plunge on this unique story.
A note about Chaste: He's an empty suit of armor. His friends aren't blushing virgins, but there's nothing on-page. There's enough talk, mildly ribald, that you might judge differently. But I found it very chaste.
The rest of the story is the armor trying to figure out what he's going to be now that he doesn't have a script to follow. The four "meals" he has taken give him a bit of a foundation for building a personality on, but he's more than just a compilation of parts and that made this a fascinating read. The author pulls together a lot of great moments and milestones in the moral awakening right along with all the great action.
So while this is primarily a hero journey with lots of action, the growth of the protagonist is a big part of it and I was fully engaged with both. And that's helped by the three friends he makes of that original party from when he goes off script. Developing those relationships while maintaining the secret that he isn't really the loner they took in for the one quest was handled perfectly, at least for me. Plus, I liked how the secret that he's essentially sapient gear was handled. And that .
Anyway, I feared the rising action was going to drag out to create a series and it is with some relief that I say this really is a single, stand-alone story. It needed to be and I'm so glad the author had the talent to pull off the climax as well as he did. And with some sweet epilogue action to kick it over the five-star goalpost. I'm really thrilled with finding this little gem and would love to hear the experience of others if they decide to take the plunge on this unique story.
A note about Chaste: He's an empty suit of armor. His friends aren't blushing virgins, but there's nothing on-page. There's enough talk, mildly ribald, that you might judge differently. But I found it very chaste.
September 8, 2022
Reviews are vastly inflated.
December 5, 2022
This book has a fairly novel premise but doesn't take full advantage of it. It's also plagued by what I'd call serious pacing issues towards the end. I'd love to see what this book could have been with a couple of revisions
Regardless I did enjoy it and would recommend it to fantasy fans. Fantasy Robocop vibes are cool
Regardless I did enjoy it and would recommend it to fantasy fans. Fantasy Robocop vibes are cool
October 13, 2022
This was a pretty fun D&D-esque book with a great premise and an ok execution. More general fantasy than gamelit, but there's enough overlap to please both crowds.
Character - 7/10, Plot - 7/10, Setting - 7/10, Writing - 7/10, Enjoyment - 6.5/10
The characters are archetypes more than fleshed out and unique specimens, but overall I was fine with it since there was a good variety and they were developed enough to never confuse them with others.
The plot was probably my favorite part for the first half of the story. I think the premise of using an Armor Mimic as a main character is great and had a lot of room to explore. I enjoyed things quite a bit until the final 25% or so of the book where things seemed to turn a bit formulaic and it felt like the story went onto auto-pilot rather than presenting anything interesting.
The setting was pretty basic fantasy stuff. Nothing that will stay with me, but nothing got in the way of the story either. Pretty standard for a story that focuses a bit more on the plot and characters.
The writing was pretty solid. There were some proofreading errors here and there and there's room for polish, but everything was functional and nothing really jumped out at me as being too distracting. I think this was pretty solid writing for an indie published book.
My enjoyment varied a bit, especially toward the end. This felt like a 5-star book for me during the first half, but it slowly got a little lackluster in the second half. It honestly got so flat to the point where I wondered if it would end up in 3-star territory.
Despite ending on a flat note, I would still recommend this for anyone who enjoys fantasy or gamelit. I enjoyed it immensely more than the other mimic story, Everybody Loves Large Chests, that's for sure.
Character - 7/10, Plot - 7/10, Setting - 7/10, Writing - 7/10, Enjoyment - 6.5/10
The characters are archetypes more than fleshed out and unique specimens, but overall I was fine with it since there was a good variety and they were developed enough to never confuse them with others.
The plot was probably my favorite part for the first half of the story. I think the premise of using an Armor Mimic as a main character is great and had a lot of room to explore. I enjoyed things quite a bit until the final 25% or so of the book where things seemed to turn a bit formulaic and it felt like the story went onto auto-pilot rather than presenting anything interesting.
The setting was pretty basic fantasy stuff. Nothing that will stay with me, but nothing got in the way of the story either. Pretty standard for a story that focuses a bit more on the plot and characters.
The writing was pretty solid. There were some proofreading errors here and there and there's room for polish, but everything was functional and nothing really jumped out at me as being too distracting. I think this was pretty solid writing for an indie published book.
My enjoyment varied a bit, especially toward the end. This felt like a 5-star book for me during the first half, but it slowly got a little lackluster in the second half. It honestly got so flat to the point where I wondered if it would end up in 3-star territory.
Despite ending on a flat note, I would still recommend this for anyone who enjoys fantasy or gamelit. I enjoyed it immensely more than the other mimic story, Everybody Loves Large Chests, that's for sure.
February 1, 2022
Nonstop action and due to that, a protagonist completely lacking in agency.
The protagonist it’s a monster with accidental human feelings afraid of using his own monstrous powers. He (sort of randomly) kills his creator to save his new friends he instantly has feelings for…despite inheriting the memories/feelings of someone who barely knew of or spoke to them. This previously murderous monster is now a morally upstanding member of society, doing his best to save those in need (especially his new friends). He goes on to make even more friends and even shyly develops a crush on one of his party members (despite being an empty suit of armor).
If that sounds interesting to you then you’ll likely enjoy this story. Keep in mind that this is all played straight, no comedy or parodying here!
-Dropped Ch 12
The protagonist it’s a monster with accidental human feelings afraid of using his own monstrous powers. He (sort of randomly) kills his creator to save his new friends he instantly has feelings for…despite inheriting the memories/feelings of someone who barely knew of or spoke to them. This previously murderous monster is now a morally upstanding member of society, doing his best to save those in need (especially his new friends). He goes on to make even more friends and even shyly develops a crush on one of his party members (despite being an empty suit of armor).
If that sounds interesting to you then you’ll likely enjoy this story. Keep in mind that this is all played straight, no comedy or parodying here!
-Dropped Ch 12
March 20, 2025
An RPG progression type story that ends up creating it's own new genre. The author draws you in with what seems to be a straight forward creation story with a protagonist consisting of magical armor that achieves sentience, but that is just the starting point for action-packed battles of both force and magic to prevent a malevolent entity from controlling the world. The pacing and transitions are not seamless and sometimes a little clunky, but were overshadowed by the dynamic of the hero's character (and soul) development, and the growth and connections to his team and the forces of good. The author developed and maintained momentum driving the action forward, and has a well thought-out back story that weaves everything together. I really enjoy stories of gods walking the earth and becoming a part of everyday life (N.K. Jemison, McMaster-Bujold) and this story is a welcome variation on that theme.
May 6, 2025
I've read books with a similar premise before. This one was an easy read. The grammar was a little rough but the pacing was good and the main characters likeable.
Unfortunately there wasn't anything to really get my blood flowing. I wouldn't say this novel was forgettable, but neither was it notable.
Unfortunately there wasn't anything to really get my blood flowing. I wouldn't say this novel was forgettable, but neither was it notable.
August 1, 2022
An enchanted armor that consumes its wearer suddenly has his own thoughts
A living trap grows a conscience and soul in this story of a magical tool that comes to life to fight its creator. What starts as a small intrigue grows into a continent spanning conspiracy by an old god who wasn’t quite as trapped as the other gods due to his own plans. Now he’s making his big move and our Armor, aka Sevald, decides to change his role and future by striking down his creator and beginning amazing adventures. As he grows his sense of self and his personality with the group he joined to betray.
Now he works to be an honorable friend and party member as well as exploring the joys and memories of his previous meals as he works to discover who he is and what he wants. He may just be enchanted armor but he has his own dreams and goals now and only some part dragon beings stand in his way. He has to unravel this mystery before it is too late and the god of dragons, Aurum completes his plan to return.
A living trap grows a conscience and soul in this story of a magical tool that comes to life to fight its creator. What starts as a small intrigue grows into a continent spanning conspiracy by an old god who wasn’t quite as trapped as the other gods due to his own plans. Now he’s making his big move and our Armor, aka Sevald, decides to change his role and future by striking down his creator and beginning amazing adventures. As he grows his sense of self and his personality with the group he joined to betray.
Now he works to be an honorable friend and party member as well as exploring the joys and memories of his previous meals as he works to discover who he is and what he wants. He may just be enchanted armor but he has his own dreams and goals now and only some part dragon beings stand in his way. He has to unravel this mystery before it is too late and the god of dragons, Aurum completes his plan to return.
September 10, 2022
A satisfyingly unique tale
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It's a complete story, with no hanging threads and an enjoyable ending I honestly didn't see coming.
I also enjoyed the main character--an enchanted suit of armor made for a unique perspective with unique abilities. It's something I haven't read before in any other shape or form.
I agree with another reviewer in that I wouldn't necessarily title this a progression, as the progression is more about the growth in personality, character and depth than any growth in power. Although the main character does gradually gain strength. But in all honestly that focus on character development was my favorite part!
As another reviewer mentioned, it feels like this has threads of the best storytelling of a D&D campaign. There's plenty of comedy and characters with enjoyable quirks and comradery that remain true to themselves.
I'm now eagerly awaiting the next thing from this author! Looking forward to another wonderful read.
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It's a complete story, with no hanging threads and an enjoyable ending I honestly didn't see coming.
I also enjoyed the main character--an enchanted suit of armor made for a unique perspective with unique abilities. It's something I haven't read before in any other shape or form.
I agree with another reviewer in that I wouldn't necessarily title this a progression, as the progression is more about the growth in personality, character and depth than any growth in power. Although the main character does gradually gain strength. But in all honestly that focus on character development was my favorite part!
As another reviewer mentioned, it feels like this has threads of the best storytelling of a D&D campaign. There's plenty of comedy and characters with enjoyable quirks and comradery that remain true to themselves.
I'm now eagerly awaiting the next thing from this author! Looking forward to another wonderful read.
January 29, 2023
It started out great but then went to good to mediocre to merely ok before ending with a sad sigh. It simply became to grand and cliche in the end, I would have loved it if it had been kept at a lower power level and focusing on something smaller than yet another let's save the world from an evil god stuff.
Still an interesting read, and I will be following the author.
Still an interesting read, and I will be following the author.
July 20, 2022
Fun book with a strong start but a weak second half. It felt like it was building up a long and epic journey but instead abruptly ends.
The character interactions were my favorite part, they were all likable and I enjoyed reading about them.
The character interactions were my favorite part, they were all likable and I enjoyed reading about them.
December 30, 2025
I never thought I’d feel sympathy for a void.
TL; DR: A remarkable little fantasy with a novel premise, Armor dwells on the edges of a very interesting DnD campaign and relishes in its status, offering a great deal of heart and fun while never getting too deep.
I found this book while looking for a standalone litRPG worth my time. It’s way harder than I thought it would be. I like my series, but it can sometimes be a lot to invest in. While this scratched that itch, it wasn’t perfect, but it did have me smiling for a couple of parts and some of the lines were spot on. I can’t complain about a book that held my attention the whole time after the last one.
Characters: I actually quite liked our main characters, all four. They felt like unique people and were remarkably well-fleshed out for the length of the book. The villain was quality and made since, but was almost a background story to the rest of the tales in the novel. My biggest critique is that these characters never really grew. No one progressed or developed as a person; they were all just flawed, but genuinely good people. That’s not a complaint per se, but I do like a little growth.
Setting: As stated, this felt like an overgrown DnD campaign and read as such. The world and its people, as well as the lore, were approachable and comfortable enough.
Story: Strangely enough, the side stories held so much more interest to me than the overarching tale; this felt similar to a tv show where the villain and overarching plot is introduced in the first book, then you hear about it for about four seconds every episode until the finale.
Writing: High quality and, as stated before, comfortable. It’s not highbrow or simple, it’s just there: real conversations between seemingly real people. The nuances of human behavior being understood/misunderstood only made the Armor more fun. I quite enjoyed listening to it.
Heath Miller is also my favorite narrator, I’m nearly certain. I’ve enjoyed every reading he does, even if I don’t prefer the book. A final note that I’m really glad to read something that I don’t have to commit to; it’s not deep or longstanding, but Armor is a fun little book that I genuinely enjoyed.
3.6 🌟
TL; DR: A remarkable little fantasy with a novel premise, Armor dwells on the edges of a very interesting DnD campaign and relishes in its status, offering a great deal of heart and fun while never getting too deep.
I found this book while looking for a standalone litRPG worth my time. It’s way harder than I thought it would be. I like my series, but it can sometimes be a lot to invest in. While this scratched that itch, it wasn’t perfect, but it did have me smiling for a couple of parts and some of the lines were spot on. I can’t complain about a book that held my attention the whole time after the last one.
Characters: I actually quite liked our main characters, all four. They felt like unique people and were remarkably well-fleshed out for the length of the book. The villain was quality and made since, but was almost a background story to the rest of the tales in the novel. My biggest critique is that these characters never really grew. No one progressed or developed as a person; they were all just flawed, but genuinely good people. That’s not a complaint per se, but I do like a little growth.
Setting: As stated, this felt like an overgrown DnD campaign and read as such. The world and its people, as well as the lore, were approachable and comfortable enough.
Story: Strangely enough, the side stories held so much more interest to me than the overarching tale; this felt similar to a tv show where the villain and overarching plot is introduced in the first book, then you hear about it for about four seconds every episode until the finale.
Writing: High quality and, as stated before, comfortable. It’s not highbrow or simple, it’s just there: real conversations between seemingly real people. The nuances of human behavior being understood/misunderstood only made the Armor more fun. I quite enjoyed listening to it.
Heath Miller is also my favorite narrator, I’m nearly certain. I’ve enjoyed every reading he does, even if I don’t prefer the book. A final note that I’m really glad to read something that I don’t have to commit to; it’s not deep or longstanding, but Armor is a fun little book that I genuinely enjoyed.
3.6 🌟
February 19, 2025
Audiobook
To start: this book was not what I expected (in a bad way).
This is not the story of a set of mimic-armor that tries to blend in with a band of humans, but slowly comes to like them, despite not quite understanding human concepts like "love" and "honor".
The protagonist just suddenly, magically, becomes a person in all but flesh. They have a human-like moral compass (if a bit blood-thirsty at times, but completely within human limits). Their thought processes are largely human. They have a human-like libido and appreciation of flavorful food.
The protagonist is also not the type of mimic I expected: no maw of teeth or anything of the sort. Instead, they're essentially a living void-dimension, that is merely contained within a set of armor. This lends itself to the protagonist having lots of weirdly over the top powers, and is functionally immortal from the get-go.
So, right off the bat, the story was not what I expected. I was not pleased, but I stuck with it.
The story I got from then on is a very dry Progression Quest. Get a new job, beat it, unlock a new superpower; Rinse-repeat. The story slowly raises the stakes, from "this bad guy needs killing" to "a dark god is going to end the world: save the world".
Along the way, there are some interesting moments with the other members of the Adventuring Party. Each character gets a chapter dedicated to their backstory, and a paragraph dedicated to their progression/level-up. But the story has a bad habit of reducing these characters to little more than the Main Character's cheerleading squad; they get in trouble, can barely hold their own, until protagonist swoops in and saves the day.
It's not a bad story, but it is very generic for its genre. If you like to see a strong character keep getting stronger, fighting bigger and badder enemies along the way, then this book will distract you for a bit; but it's nothing special. If not, probably don't bother.
To start: this book was not what I expected (in a bad way).
This is not the story of a set of mimic-armor that tries to blend in with a band of humans, but slowly comes to like them, despite not quite understanding human concepts like "love" and "honor".
The protagonist just suddenly, magically, becomes a person in all but flesh. They have a human-like moral compass (if a bit blood-thirsty at times, but completely within human limits). Their thought processes are largely human. They have a human-like libido and appreciation of flavorful food.
The protagonist is also not the type of mimic I expected: no maw of teeth or anything of the sort. Instead, they're essentially a living void-dimension, that is merely contained within a set of armor. This lends itself to the protagonist having lots of weirdly over the top powers, and is functionally immortal from the get-go.
So, right off the bat, the story was not what I expected. I was not pleased, but I stuck with it.
The story I got from then on is a very dry Progression Quest. Get a new job, beat it, unlock a new superpower; Rinse-repeat. The story slowly raises the stakes, from "this bad guy needs killing" to "a dark god is going to end the world: save the world".
Along the way, there are some interesting moments with the other members of the Adventuring Party. Each character gets a chapter dedicated to their backstory, and a paragraph dedicated to their progression/level-up. But the story has a bad habit of reducing these characters to little more than the Main Character's cheerleading squad; they get in trouble, can barely hold their own, until protagonist swoops in and saves the day.
It's not a bad story, but it is very generic for its genre. If you like to see a strong character keep getting stronger, fighting bigger and badder enemies along the way, then this book will distract you for a bit; but it's nothing special. If not, probably don't bother.
May 9, 2024
Quick review
A fun, safe, tale with some interesting twists.
Armor scratches an itch I didn't know I had. One where I wanted to see a random dungeon mob become the focal point of an adventure.
This book is exactly that.
The unique situation of the MC "Sevald" is the main driving point and never got old or dull.
Even though most of the adventure felt like a normal game of DnD playing out, there was always just enough charm or freshness to keep things moving along.
It was always interesting seeing "Sevald's" inner monologue as it tried to figure out ways to pass off as a normal human knight, when he's 10 times as strong, can completely heal damage, and doesn't need to eat or sleep. Sometimes it works out better than others.
Stone, Hrig, Kyren are the other adventurers that form the party. All are fairly standard character tropes, but all are written well enough and each gets their own story and time in the limelight, though some backstories fair better than others.
I enjoyed the banter between them and as the story moves along you get to know them as well as they know each other.
The reveal of the major villain and the way the story plays out won't shock you in any way, but as with everything else, all is told from a warm, fun, old school place that winds up being enjoyable despite being somewhat unoriginal
Even though it started out a bit meh, Armor eventually hooked me a few chapters in and ended up being a fun read
A fun, safe, tale with some interesting twists.
Armor scratches an itch I didn't know I had. One where I wanted to see a random dungeon mob become the focal point of an adventure.
This book is exactly that.
The unique situation of the MC "Sevald" is the main driving point and never got old or dull.
Even though most of the adventure felt like a normal game of DnD playing out, there was always just enough charm or freshness to keep things moving along.
It was always interesting seeing "Sevald's" inner monologue as it tried to figure out ways to pass off as a normal human knight, when he's 10 times as strong, can completely heal damage, and doesn't need to eat or sleep. Sometimes it works out better than others.
Stone, Hrig, Kyren are the other adventurers that form the party. All are fairly standard character tropes, but all are written well enough and each gets their own story and time in the limelight, though some backstories fair better than others.
I enjoyed the banter between them and as the story moves along you get to know them as well as they know each other.
The reveal of the major villain and the way the story plays out won't shock you in any way, but as with everything else, all is told from a warm, fun, old school place that winds up being enjoyable despite being somewhat unoriginal
Even though it started out a bit meh, Armor eventually hooked me a few chapters in and ended up being a fun read
October 19, 2024
A fun premise with enjoyable execution. My only major gripe throughout was the pacing in places - it felt a bit episodic? Like every 3 chapters or so was an episode of an anime, really. A conflict would be set up, encountered, and moved on from very quickly which felt like it took away from the overarching story.
The characters were enjoyable and it would have been nice to spend more time with them. As with the conflicts, the down time always felt very quick. That said, the character archs are universally flat which is not necessarily a bad thing as each is explored and given depth even if they don't change much from their experiences. This was also done in a sort of anime episode way where each of the secondary characters have their own backstory episode. I don't find this bad, just noticable.
The main character himself (itself?) really is unique and well thought out. As he isn't human I can see him striking chords with people with neurodiversities, and his self-exploration in the literal and figurative was fun to experience.
I was hoping for a fun fantasy romp, and this book delivered satisfyingly.
The characters were enjoyable and it would have been nice to spend more time with them. As with the conflicts, the down time always felt very quick. That said, the character archs are universally flat which is not necessarily a bad thing as each is explored and given depth even if they don't change much from their experiences. This was also done in a sort of anime episode way where each of the secondary characters have their own backstory episode. I don't find this bad, just noticable.
The main character himself (itself?) really is unique and well thought out. As he isn't human I can see him striking chords with people with neurodiversities, and his self-exploration in the literal and figurative was fun to experience.
I was hoping for a fun fantasy romp, and this book delivered satisfyingly.
February 10, 2025
Perfectly Plotted
Absolutely PHENOMENAL book here!! I'm a pretty tough critic for stories having read and enjoyed quite a few in my time, but the sheer level of satisfaction this one gave me is nigh unparalleled! Every loose end happily tied but still with room to grow, some of the best full-circle plotting and callbacks I've ever seen in a book, dynamic and exhilarating combats with such diverse and full characters, and a brilliant concept pushed to such marvelous heights of creativity and cheekiness I can scarcely believe it ha hah!!
This was an incredible book that I highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, strong stakes and powerful connections, and simply sitting there turning the pages jaw agape.
I'm rambling and desperately trying not to spoil anything, but I stand by everything I've said! If you're wavering, absolutely try this book out I promise you'll be impressed!!
Absolutely PHENOMENAL book here!! I'm a pretty tough critic for stories having read and enjoyed quite a few in my time, but the sheer level of satisfaction this one gave me is nigh unparalleled! Every loose end happily tied but still with room to grow, some of the best full-circle plotting and callbacks I've ever seen in a book, dynamic and exhilarating combats with such diverse and full characters, and a brilliant concept pushed to such marvelous heights of creativity and cheekiness I can scarcely believe it ha hah!!
This was an incredible book that I highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, strong stakes and powerful connections, and simply sitting there turning the pages jaw agape.
I'm rambling and desperately trying not to spoil anything, but I stand by everything I've said! If you're wavering, absolutely try this book out I promise you'll be impressed!!
November 21, 2023
This was a well written, standalone fantasy epic. I was drawn in by the premise of a suit-of-armor main character. The pacing was good in the first half as the team of adventurers go about their tasks one after the other. Their banter was nice and the events kept moving the plot forward.
The second half slowed down a bit as the events escalated towards a more epic scale. Politics, information gathering, working with allies, etc. Although there were progression elements in the second half, I'd describe the book as a classical epic fantasy.
What I especially liked was the intricate nature of the plot. Things big and small were brought together by the end of the book. Some of the twists were nicely done. Writing was easy to follow. Worldbuilding was just enough to cover the main plot, but you could sense there was lot more to the world that might be touched upon in possible sequels.
The second half slowed down a bit as the events escalated towards a more epic scale. Politics, information gathering, working with allies, etc. Although there were progression elements in the second half, I'd describe the book as a classical epic fantasy.
What I especially liked was the intricate nature of the plot. Things big and small were brought together by the end of the book. Some of the twists were nicely done. Writing was easy to follow. Worldbuilding was just enough to cover the main plot, but you could sense there was lot more to the world that might be touched upon in possible sequels.
May 2, 2025
3.5 / 5
I wanted to love this book. I really did. It has all of the components of a book I’d normally love: progression fantasy, adventuring party, a not-too-detailed setting, and a juicy hook.
However, in its execution it failed to take full advantage of its potential. First of all, the prose - dialogue especially - was at times weak to the point of distraction. Besides that, while the set pieces of the plot were interesting, some of them were rushed and not fully explored.
Finally, my biggest gripe is the missed opportunities for structural growth that the MC has. He’s set up to absorb powers and memories from defeated foes, for goodness sake! It’s practically a video game. Why does it so rarely happen!? And why didn’t C. B. Titus give him a new special ability every time? Shame. So close.
I wanted to love this book. I really did. It has all of the components of a book I’d normally love: progression fantasy, adventuring party, a not-too-detailed setting, and a juicy hook.
However, in its execution it failed to take full advantage of its potential. First of all, the prose - dialogue especially - was at times weak to the point of distraction. Besides that, while the set pieces of the plot were interesting, some of them were rushed and not fully explored.
Finally, my biggest gripe is the missed opportunities for structural growth that the MC has. He’s set up to absorb powers and memories from defeated foes, for goodness sake! It’s practically a video game. Why does it so rarely happen!? And why didn’t C. B. Titus give him a new special ability every time? Shame. So close.
October 16, 2023
A suit of armor created as a trap for unwary adventurers in a dungeon gains sentience after absorbing his fourth victim and takes on his identity to go on adventures himself. Unique premise, interesting fantasy setting. Sevald, as he prefers to be called, has morals and values, a mix of his victims' desires and skills, and is a likable main character. The plot soon thickens, and Sevald and his companions find themselves set against the threat of a mysterious god. Solidly written. The beginning setup with Sevald finding his way and integrating with society was good, but the latter part of the book felt uneven, with Sevald dealing needless death one minute and sparing his enemies the next. 3.5 generously rounded up to 4
August 29, 2024
Honestly, if it wasn't so short I would have probably dropped it. While there are a few interesting ideas and concepts throughout the book, it was somewhat ruined by the massive disappointment that was characters. Every. Single. Character. (Even the MC) Felt like it was a paper cutout that was specifically inserted into the story to fulfill specific purpose. They perform actions in an almost robotic manner and interact with each other in pretty unbelievable ways that are clearly intended to force a story forward. Best guess is that this is some dudes D&D story/concept and very little thought was given to how it would translate into a book.
January 25, 2022
Of all the stories I have read so far on RoyalRoad.com (serialized fantasy stories, mostly LitRPG ), this is one of my favorites. ARMOR is the story of an enchanted suit of armor in a dungeon and is programed to "eat" whoever puts it on, which leads to it becoming sentient. This leads to it deciding to escape the dungeon and pass as a normal adventurer in a small team he bonds with. There is unexpected poignancy and growth throughout its 51 chapters (which is the shortest story line of any Royal Road series I have read--by a lot). A fun read.
April 28, 2024
This is a perfectly fine book that is plagued, I think, by its own definitions and ambitions. Firstly, it is not a progression novel but rather a traditional fantasy. Yes they get stronger but so did Harry Potter. The story seemed to fight with trying to be a progression fantasy or not. The main character would absorb essence and then nothing happened other than gaining some memories, except for towards the end when he absorbs it all at once. The pacing was very weird, almost stuttery. Despite its flaws, I quite enjoyed it and its unique premise makes it worth a read.
October 14, 2023
There’s a reason
That’s the beauty of this book: everything happens for a reason. If you think it’s just hand-wavium, keep reading.
Game-Lit adjacent, more than Progression. But there are zero stat blocks, and everything is written in a more traditional-fantasy style.
Truly a fantastic read.
That’s the beauty of this book: everything happens for a reason. If you think it’s just hand-wavium, keep reading.
Game-Lit adjacent, more than Progression. But there are zero stat blocks, and everything is written in a more traditional-fantasy style.
Truly a fantastic read.
September 5, 2024
I was left fairly satisfied after listening to this book on Audible. Dispite the brevity of this book, it posessed an abundant supply of story progression, action, and humor. The world building was a bit weak overall, but there was no shortage of character depth for the primary group. Felt a bit rushed, but complete. This story has good bones that could be expanded into a larger series.
July 18, 2024
8.5/10
The book kind of lost itself towards the end, but the start, premise, and prose are incredible.
Reads like a D&D adventure, though the characters begin to lose themselves as the ending approaches.
The book kind of lost itself towards the end, but the start, premise, and prose are incredible.
Reads like a D&D adventure, though the characters begin to lose themselves as the ending approaches.
October 16, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I found the main character to be somewhat overpowered, but the story was good. I was a little disappointed at the end. I had hoped for a certain event and to a degree it was there, but it wasn’t as I had hoped. It was a good ending.
September 30, 2023
The writing was fine, but from the premise i was expecting something more on the lines of fking stuff up and looking cool while doing it. Lost me at the halfway mark.
October 17, 2023
It's ok.
I really wouldn't call it Progression Fantasy. Progression isn't a focus, and overall there's very little.
Main characters are ok, not super well fleshed out but also not one dimensional.
I really wouldn't call it Progression Fantasy. Progression isn't a focus, and overall there's very little.
Main characters are ok, not super well fleshed out but also not one dimensional.
October 27, 2023
Love it
Different take on a LitRPG from what I’ve read but it’s absolutely amazing. Loved this story, kept me interested until the end.
Different take on a LitRPG from what I’ve read but it’s absolutely amazing. Loved this story, kept me interested until the end.
February 7, 2024
Dungeon battles are extensive in this suit of Magical Armor take charge kind of Adventure. Borrowed this edition on February 3, 2024
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