Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Tower #1

Forge Master

Rate this book
Ascending should have been the easy part...

But after being thrown into the void, Thorn finds himself stranded in a strange world filled with even stranger creatures.

Together with his cute battle pet, the mysterious god beast Hati, and a sentient AI named Eve, Thorn must forge a place for himself in this new world. Unfortunately, the local guilds all have other ideas and soon the Titan finds himself embroiled in plots that even his famed strength cannot help him with.

Rallying his strengths and learning how to fix his weaknesses will be the absolute minimum Thorn needs to survive, but if he wants to thrive, he’ll be forced to take risks that put his life and the lives of his friends on the line.

Forge Master is the first book in the Tower Series, a GameLit/LitRPG series from Seth Ring, bestselling author of Battle Mage Farmer and The Titan Series. Set in the world of Nova Terra and starring the unforgettable Thorn, if you like immersive storytelling, rich fantasy, and epic adventures with a slice of friendship thrown in, you’ll love this page-turning series.

Pick up Forge Master today and escape to a grand world of epic adventure!

502 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2023

1890 people are currently reading
1180 people want to read

About the author

Seth Ring

58 books852 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
2,123 (58%)
4 stars
1,072 (29%)
3 stars
341 (9%)
2 stars
73 (2%)
1 star
34 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
Profile Image for Edward Rydbeck.
139 reviews3 followers
March 16, 2023
Very boring and uninteresting

I love the Battlefield Mage series by Mr. Ring, so I picked up this book. Big mistake. It is very boring and uninteresting and hard to read. I had to force myself to read it. Please do yourself a favor and don't get this book.
Profile Image for Steve.
1,612 reviews60 followers
March 24, 2023
4.5 stars. I only made it about 6 books into Nova Terra before it bogged down and got boring. For that reason I didn't know if it would be worthwhile to read this, having missed whatever set it up.

As it turns out (and validates my skipping the last 1/2 of Nova Terra) it didn't make much difference as this book kinda stands on its own. Not 100%, but it's possible to read this without having read NT, although you'd miss enough that it'd be frustrating.

Whatever. This one is paced pretty well and kept me interested, so it was definitely a good refresh on Thorn's saga. We'll see in June if that keeps up.
1,089 reviews15 followers
June 21, 2023
DNF at 72%. Fast food.

The protagonist kind of a Gary Stu - he is very strong, a skilled fighter, a master smith, a master enchanter with a legendary summonable magical forge and a strong magician. As this is not enough he also has to OP legendary animal companions and nanobots... The obstacles he has to overcome throughout the book pale in comparison.

His goals to level by smithing and enchanting constantly seem rather lacklustre.
331 reviews5 followers
March 8, 2023
New worlds, new adventures, more problems

So, Thorn has ascended, and things didn’t go quite as he expected. Thanks Dad(I’m guessing)! Anyway, on to more info! So idk about you, but I was expecting the tower climbing part to start in this book, and it didn’t. Which seems a little odd to me, but ok. I enjoyed the book well enough, but I admit to being displeased with the direction that Seth has gone in with Thorn. He’s been nerfed quite a lot, which after the end of the last book he had to be knocked back down from godly levels. But now he’s not even a middle of the pack level of power. And by the end of the book he’s mostly abandoned his status as a front line fighter in favor of crafting and being a mage. One of the biggest things I liked about Thorn was that he was a melee fighter first and foremost. Magic was a supplement to that. So i don’t care for this change over to being more of a pure mage/artificer. Heck he doesn’t even get experience from combat any more, it all comes from forging and crafting now. So if you like more of a “mage” MC and more focus on crafting then you’ll probably love the changes.
Profile Image for Clint Young.
849 reviews
March 9, 2023
KU Review

I’m sure it was planned all along but how fun is it to continue a story with beloved characters by sending them to a new world where their powers are meaningless and they are essentially starting over! Great story.

As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
2,524 reviews71 followers
March 17, 2023
While it is good that the MC is not so overpowered anymore, . . .

It still has him acting recklessly and succeeding despite the odds. This seems like a reboot of series one, I had hoped there would be something new to this one.
Profile Image for Sergiusz Golec.
198 reviews9 followers
August 24, 2023
I could not enjoy 'Forge Master' the way I enjoyed the 'Battle Mage Farmer' #1 and #2 by Seth Ring.
I wish I could.
Still. It could be of interest if you want to decipher & reflect upon Seth Ring development as an author.
Profile Image for Shonari.
432 reviews29 followers
April 10, 2023
Well it looks like Nova Terra got an expansion pack!

The story was engaging, and felt fresh even though the protagonist is fresh out of a 10-series adventure. This is mainly because Thorn is no longer a front line tank, but now more of a crafter, which throws his story in a whole other direction. Looking forward the this series.



176 reviews1 follower
March 11, 2023
Geat!

As always Thorns adventures deliver a great sense of growth. Mr Ring is doing an excellent job writing this follow up series Thorn. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Tony Hinde.
2,138 reviews76 followers
June 18, 2023
I've mostly forgotten the details of Thorne's prior adventures. I didn't even finish the series but... I was happy to dive back into his life in this new ascended chapter. While his physical abilities were no longer over-powered, his knowledge of runes has the potential to let him dominate the inevitable technomagical revolution.

It's light and fun and I'm up for more.
Profile Image for M.
584 reviews21 followers
March 10, 2023
Loved the crafting angle and looking forward to all the future adventures of Akira and Thorne
Profile Image for Pablo García.
855 reviews22 followers
July 7, 2023
This first book of an isekai (teleported to another world) fantasy novel series seems organized and thought out. The action is slow though. The theme is boring. It seems to be the continuation of a previous series with the same main character, Thorn and his familiar retinue. The main character, used to have super over-powered (OP) skills and abilities, but because of the "rules that govern this new world" his skills and abilities have been drastically reduced. The author never really explains why the main character, Thorn has his abilities and skills reduced, while his familiars are completely OP (Over-Powered) in this other world. While stating that Thorn, main character has his abilities and skills reduced, the main character seems to be able to do anything (anyways), much better than the natives of this new world. So, Thorn might have had God-like skills and abilities before.
The story seems to not have a real main theme or purpose of being. It's like a journal-style, every day of the main character and his familiar retinue. Main character, Thorn, purchases a Forge in this other world. Thorn seems to be able to do anything superbly (without any explanations or facts to back up his abilities or skills).
The Lit-RPG part of this Isekai-Fantasy novel series seems to only work inside the mind of the main character. This is kind of nonsensical and illogical because, the "voice in the head" of the main character gives him quests and prizes (improvements in his abilities and skills) but the voice has no real authority or reason for being in this other world. Other than improving the character in an irrational manner (without real merit or skill). At least, until the end of this first book of the series. It might change as the series and story progresses, but the only one to hear the voice is Thorn, in this first book.
The story has inside maps, which are always a plus, it does not have character summaries, even though the author includes the skills and abilities (improvements) of the main character in a copy/paste manner, instead of a proportional improvement list of skills and abilities.
This first book is above average in the genre (isekai-fantasy-with-game-like-characteristics) but it lacks action, lacks purpose and lacks vision. The author never really explains why the main character sends himself (or is sent) to this other world. Never really explains what the main character is trying to go (vision of future/big picture) so that the readers can understand the main plot theme of this story series.
Profile Image for Steven Brown.
396 reviews9 followers
March 11, 2023
Seth Ring keeps it interesting.



I would love to see what Seth Ring can do outside of the litrpg genre, but I do enjoy his writing nonetheless. Voice actor Eric jason Martin continues to bring Seth Rings characters from Nova Terra to life and the story remains a good read. it is appropriate for young adults and above with no foul language, And keeps to a mostly 3rd person limited point of view with a few pov shifts.

Forge Master does rely a bit on the previous series in a way that I think new readers need to have read Nova Terra series or be perpared to feel left behind when the protagonist starts to apply previous abilites in way that will feel out of the blue if coming at the character for the first time. Nova Terra is a Kindle Unlimited series and well worth the read. I added the series to book my kindle and audible libraries and looked forward to book and a new series with Thorn. I wasn’t disappointed but I think that the abrupt cliffhanger ending does suck because it feels more like stopping half way through a chapter with the next book due out in a few months.

Overall this first book was interesting because of how much our protagonist has had to adapt. Flipping the script in a way were he has to start from behind others and rely on his own determination to get through. I do think the story suffered a bit from a lack of a clear and interesting main antagonist. When the big reveal is given it feels a bit off simply because there was zero foreshadowing of it. When we get the explanation it does feel like there were oppertunies to plant some seeds and character tells. As it was it felt random and the antagonist flip in character makes it all the weirder.


Profile Image for Steve Naylor.
2,483 reviews127 followers
July 30, 2023
Rating 3.0 stars

It had been a long time since I read the Titan series. I wasn't sure if this was part of that or not. I actually stopped after reading the 4th book as it was a little boring. It took me a while to realize this is the same character from that series in a new series. You don't really need to read the previous series to get the gist of what is going on in this book. In fact, it might be better that you didn't read the previous series as I had a lot of questions. I didn't care for this book that much. There were parts that were okay, but overall, I didn't care for it.
Profile Image for HaZyBLuE .
69 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2023
The wait for this continuing series was totally worth it!

I have devoured everything the exceedingly talented Seth Ring has written and released. All of his works are extremely intelligent and entertaining, and the evolution of the entire cast of characters in this detailed, intricate world had me extremely impatient to learn what comes after Ascendance. After what seemed like a very long wait, I finally clicked on Kindle and there it was, the first installment of the series promised to continue Thorn and his lovable group's story. Without hesitation, let me say that even though book 1 barely scratches the surface, I already know the story will be worth every moment of waiting. Though, to be clear, the waiting is excruciating.

Despite the fact that I forego sizable discounts by doing so, I pre-ordered both the Kindle version and the Audible version (I always get both with my favorites so I can listen to the extremely talented narrator while reading along). It should say everything that even before I was done with Forge Master, I had already secured my copy of the Kindle and Audible editions of book 2, Reforged. The wait until June cannot pass quickly enough. Thank you for adding light to the world, Mr. Ring! Please keep up the good work. To my fellow readers: If the author has touched you as well, please consider leaving reviews and pre-ordering his next works, so we may ease his path to finished works as much as our support can!
Profile Image for Travis.
2,878 reviews48 followers
April 10, 2023
Click to purchase your own copy

This was a pretty good book. It's labeled as book number 1 in a series, but it's obviously part of a larger overall world. If you haven't read any of the books in the world before diving into this one, things will still be readable, but sometimes, things won't make sense, as it refers to things that happened (or were explained in earlier books). This makes for some awkwardness if you're new to the world in which this series takes place, but overall, the story is good enough to stand alone, just be aware there's more to it all if you start here.
I liked the story, though I would have preferred an introduction, or a prologue, explaining where the story begins, since without knowing this wasn't book 1 in the world, you're expected to hit the ground running, and even for me, who has read (some) of the previous books, it was still difficult to place where things were at the start of the story. Otherwise, the story was a good one, and although it would have been nice if the main character hadn't leaned on his previous top-of-the-world status so much during this story, feeling sorry for himself, the story would have flowed a bit better. Despite all of that, I can still recommend it, as it is a good story, and something many (though not all) LitRPG fans should enjoy.
5 reviews
November 2, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment in the Titan series, following up on the events of the previous book. The author, Seth Ring, has once again woven an engaging narrative that kept me hooked throughout. However, there were a few aspects that left me wanting more.

One minor issue I had was the explanation of Thorne's loss of strength and abilities. I felt that this pivotal development could have been explored in more detail to provide a deeper understanding of the character's journey. A bit more backstory or context would have enhanced the overall experience.

While the story was compelling, I couldn't help but wish for a longer book. The plot and character arcs had so much potential that I believe expanding the book's length could have allowed for even more depth and exploration.

Nonetheless, this book is undeniably a great addition to the Titan series, and I eagerly anticipate revisiting the entire series from the beginning every time a new release comes out. Seth Ring's writing has a unique allure, and I'm excited to see where the series goes next.

For readers interested in the GameLit RPG genre, I'd also recommend the 'He Who Fights with Monsters' series by Shirtaloon. It offers another captivating adventure in this exciting genre
Profile Image for Auntie Maurae.
11 reviews
June 15, 2025
I started reading Seth Ring’s books with Battle Mage Farmer, and while I was waiting for the fifth or sixth one of those to come out, I started Nova Terra, and when I finished ALL TENN of those, I started The Tower, which led me, naturally, to Forge Master.

I’ll start by saying I wasn’t disappointed in it. It was actually very interesting to watch Thorn struggle without his usual advantages. He grew a LOT, and getting to see that kind of development was such a departure from his previous appearance in Nova Terra that I couldn’t help but be intrigued.

Side note- Akira is, as always, the best Ailuridae. 😁

The introduction of a new system of magic and stats at once much more game-like and more fantastical. New characters, new quests- and now that his internal voice has become a dialogue, this book was clearly about setting up for the rest of the series and exposition of things that were different from Nova Terra.

I very much enjoyed the new characters and the evolving relationships between Hati and Thorn and Akira. I missed Mina, Velin, and Corvo in particular, but Zelix was actually one of my favorite new additions. I’m looking forward to the ascensions of the ‘old guard’ into the higher planes. Onward to Reforged!
Profile Image for Lara R..
380 reviews10 followers
September 20, 2025
Forge Master kicks off Seth Ring’s new series with a mix of LitRPG progression, political intrigue, and good old-fashioned adventure. Thorn, fresh out of the void and into a strange new world, has to figure out how to survive when brute strength alone isn’t enough. Between guild politics, shifting alliances, and unexpected betrayals, the story balances action with character growth in a really satisfying way.

One of the highlights for me was Hati — honestly, I want a beastly companion like that for myself. Thorn’s bond with him adds so much personality and depth to the journey. I also liked how the book emphasized that power isn’t everything; Thorn has to learn strategy, trust, and when to lean on others.

This is a fantastic start to the series. It sets up plenty of mysteries for what’s coming next while still giving a great adventure in its own right. Definitely recommended if you like LitRPG fantasy with heart and grit.
Profile Image for Jim.
388 reviews9 followers
October 21, 2023
A new direction for Thorn as he is now an underdog

Thorn being Thorn, he has the drive to turn his abilities to his advantage but he needs to pick a direction to focus on in a new world where he no longer has overwhelming strength or endurance and is no longer a big fish. He is learning that he is a minnow surrounded by piranha, sharks and worse in this new world. Thankfully he is no noob and trained hard in many areas of life from when he was young and had to overcome the disadvantages of his oversized body. The nanites completed their full body rebuild before Thorn ascended and now he has to decide what to do with the nanite colony within the atlas star that is his heart.
No matter what he does, Thorn will be causing waves throughout this world with his understanding of runes and magical crafting.
128 reviews3 followers
June 21, 2025
best of the bunch

If you have made it this far you are a fan of the series. I didn’t know how I felt about the book at first. Thorn is on his own in a whole new world. None of his friends. Nothing to do with all the other books. However in my opinion this is the best book in the entire series. It is an incredible journey of self discovery. Thorn was always the richest, the biggest, the fastest, the most gifted. Now in this new world he is none of those things. He only has himself to rely on. He is at the bottom of the heap. He is easily disposable and only his smarts and his planning and will to live can get him through. A true journey of discovering how bad do you truly want it. 5 stars alllll day!!!!
Profile Image for Kevin.
1,710 reviews30 followers
June 9, 2023
I enjoyed the author's Battle Mage Series, so I hope this works out. I never touched the series this branched out from (Nova Terra) because it was an online/ simulation type novel. I really dislike "online" books.
I would rather the story take place in a world that has a strange / different reality, than it being "lol, we are in a game. so much fun!!".

Hopefully there is no mention that this is in some server or something.

I enjoyed this enough that I want to read the sequel. Although I don't know how I feel about this "large party of friends" that was supposedly in the the last series.
Don't know how I would feel if they show back up.

3/5 Stars
Profile Image for Josiah Michaelson.
66 reviews
July 26, 2025
2.75 stars. I almost DNF

Every bad guy encounter “I’m here to kill you. I’m so much more powerful than you are! Oh you want to ask questions to each other for +20mins? Sure why not you’re about to be dead anyways! Oh no I’ve been defeated!”
Literally 3-5 bad guys and this continued to happen.

Not the worst LitRPG but far from the best. That little raccoon with the tails is one of the most annoying characters.

Oh also NOT THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS STORY! Which I had just DNFd a book for that reason. However this one was slightly better setting up a standalone story. But still too many references back to a story I never read.
Profile Image for Michelle.
921 reviews38 followers
did-not-finish
June 19, 2023
This did not work for me. I am DNFing at only chapter 3. Maybe that is because I didn't realize this was based on a prior series that I haven't read, so I am missing background knowledge. But maybe it is because of the way this was written. It was like watching a video game being played with a heavy focus on stats and the boring parts of a game. Or maybe audiobook is a bad choice of format for this. I liked the narrator just fine. I was intrigued by the premise. So, if you finished this and liked it, you might convince me to resume listening.
Profile Image for Alice.
1,899 reviews103 followers
December 11, 2023
I didn't realize that this was a series that was a continuation of the author's Titan series before I started reading, but I developed a pretty good idea about the backstory and character abilities based on the context given as the story unfolded, and someone jumping straight in shouldn't have any issues following along. Jumping back to finish the other series before continuing with the next book - although I know a decent amount of spoilers, I think I'll still enjoy the journey!
Profile Image for AHCuteArt.
1,178 reviews27 followers
April 16, 2024
DNF (did not finish). What made the book unfinishable, in your opinion?
I didn’t make it very far into this book before I realized that this story wasn’t for me. I felt like it opened in the middle of a story and not in a good way. It seems like there were things about the world and character I should have known but didn’t. So much information came at me quickly with little to no explanation. It didn’t entice me; it overwhelmed me and made me uninterested in the story. Maybe it gets better later, but I never found out. That’s why I am giving this story an average rating.
472 reviews2 followers
January 3, 2025
I didn't read the other series because the reviews said it was boring and way to long.. I like this but half of the stuff he is doing or saying is confusing because I have no idea what he is talking about. Don't think 🤔 I want to continue only about a 1 1/2 hours in and im confused 😐 the new world he was thrown into is a big jungle with a bunch of different guild's and alot of strangeness... plus where are the level ups?? The stats?? The skills?? The loot???. This is more like a fantasy book 📖 not a litrpg.
Profile Image for GiGi.
922 reviews5 followers
June 19, 2025
Oehhhh, It's good to be back with Thorn and his big brain. I also love how he approaches going from being an apex predator to being at the bottom of the food chain--even though I wish the author would've used "bottom of the food chain" less, he started to sound like a broken record. Ditto for "Eve's assessment was, as always, spot on". There must be different ways to convey those two sentiments.
I still don't fully grasp all ways in which Intra Mundum differs from Angoril. The general gist of things is clear but the strata, levels, ranks etc... hurt my brain😵
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.