A Soldier's Life

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Book 1 is no longer on Kindle Unlimited as of 12/8/25 but the price is reduced to $3.33 on Amazon. I will make an older version of book 1 available on scribblehub.com when I have time to unarchive it Book 2 has been unstubbed and is no longer on KU, it has been added back on scribblehub.com. Unfortunately, Royalroad makes the process of adding back chapters too difficult and time consuming Book 3 will be not be stubbed due to Amazon's KU rules Book 4 published as an ebook on Amazon Book 5 will be published on Amazon in October 2025 Book 6 draft is complete on my Patreon Confused there is no Book 7? Well, book 6 is going to be broken apart since the second half was not well-received on Patreon. I will be adding chapters to book 6 and trying to address the issues in book 7 Book 8 draft is complete on my Patreon Book 9 has been started! (9-24-25) New Synopsis by a reader: Embark on a gripping journey through a mysterious fantasy world where one man's resilience is tested to its limits. He is cast into this unforgiving world with nothing to his name. Our protagonist is swiftly swept into the ranks of the Legion, where survival is a daily struggle. Amidst the chaos of battle and the constant threat of danger, he must hone his skills and unlock his latent potential, navigating a landscape fraught with peril and uncertainty.With each trial and tribulation, he discovers new depths to his abilities, grappling with a burgeoning magic system and the harsh realities of his surroundings. This gripping slice-of-life narrative blends elements of LitRPG with a captivating tale of growth and survival as our hero fights to find his place in a world where nothing comes easy and every victory is hard-earned. Will he rise to the challenge and survive amidst the chaos, or will he succumb to the perils that lurk at every turn?- Dustin R. Book One is up on Kindle. https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CV8MMBFT Book 2 will be stubbed on June 20th or shortly after (changed from June 1st). This was a financial decision by myself, as 80% of my Amazon royalties come from KU. It will be released on KU on July 1st © Copyrighted by AlwaysRollsAOne All Rights ReservedNo permission is given by the author to reproduce, translate, create audio formats, or repost on other sites or distribute.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2022
Author: Alwaysrollsaone

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 9,217
Views: 4,039,353

Chapters(204 total)

What readers say about A Soldier's Life

“Wasn't expecting much but found myself really enjoying the novel. I like how the MC just gets on with it, although it might be unrealistic how emotionally stable he is, it's quite refreshing to see someone just do what he needs to do and see some pretty goo…”
BankruptGreekRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“As one of the other reviewers has already stated the start of the story is a bit rough and feels very rushed. However the actual story when you get into it is very good and has real areas of excellence. the magic system is a little confusing at first with n…”
BlackGreenRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

BankruptGreekRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Wasn't expecting much but found myself really enjoying the novel. I like how the MC just gets on with it, although it might be unrealistic how emotionally stable he is, it's quite refreshing to see someone just do what he needs to do and see some pretty good world building in effect. I think it's a slightly unique isekai story and I like the effort put into side characters, to make them more important and part of the story. Overall really enjoyable, not really any complaints so far, probably just the MC is probably too emotionally stable for his situation but then again that's what I like about the novel too so I don't mind. Thanks the chapters, looking forward to more.
BlackGreenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
As one of the other reviewers has already stated the start of the story is a bit rough and feels very rushed.
However the actual story when you get into it is very good and has real areas of excellence.
the magic system is a little confusing at first with numbers being thrown out with little context for what they mean - what does it actually mean that the MC has gained all these stats? Is he just athletic or superhuman, how does this compare to normal citizens? If nobels can buy essence why aren't they all insanely powerful or are they and its just not shown?
However past all this the story does suck you in and seems far more authentic than most stories on RR. By that I mean the MCs confusion and weaknesses are relatable. They don't do everything easily and have to work to improve. Likewise they don't always win or fin the perfect item. Thier powers are slightly OP but at least they are consistent and clearly limited.
The character interactions are also very well done. While some of the side characters can be a little 2D the conversations are at least believable.
If it were to be published it would need some serious polishing but the core story is good and definitely worth a read and follow.
Bob10Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This fantasy book captivates with its rich, immersive world and vividly drawn characters. The author masterfully shapes an intricate, enchanting realm where each character feels authentic and compelling. The detailed world-building and character development create a deeply engaging and unforgettable reading experience. Highly recommended for fantasy lovers.
i just wish that there where more chapters :)
Detrius VimesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Best book ive read on here in a long time. I think the believability of and realism in this is such a nice change of pace from so many over the top stories (which I love, but the change of pace hits just right). Cool growth opportunities, power upgrades feel earned/not tropey, I'm just an overall fan of this story. I immediately subbed on patreon and am happy I did. 9.5/10
DgpixelerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall I think this is a great story which doesn't fall into the problems of describing every single piece of grass with 10 sentences. If you enjoy a fast-paced story which still has downtime before the main action sections, then I would highly recommend it
I love the style which gets to the point and doesn't have much fluff. Although I would recommend to put more emphasis on fleshing out side characters.
The story itself is quite an interesting take on the generic "soldier in another world". I love that the author describes the grueling parts of being in an army while also not being overwhelming with descriptions of it and making it into a big misery party. There's enough lightheartedness after the gritty parts and I feel like the story is well balanced.
The grammar is fine and I haven't noticed many issues.
My biggest problem is that the side characters aren't well fleshed out. You only see how they interact with the main character but they don't get much description on their appearance and traits. Although I wouldn't recommend to have a 10 page dissection on their traits and tendencies, I'd appreciate it if the main side characters were more fleshed out.
DraconaiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Regular updates, averages 1.5-2 posts a week (Mondays and Wednesdays) with a rare hiatus or delay , good story, all of the big characters, and many of the side characters, are believeable and unique... they feel like actual people.
The story is well written, AlwaysRollsAOne works with an editor and takes notes from his commentors, but the world feels believable and many of the mechanics work really well - MC eventually gets a DeusExMachina that is basically a 1-shot-kill but using it closes off a lot of opportunities (and isn't infallible, just almost.)
Has the stereotypical inventory, but it's both a source of benefit and intrigue as he has to hide exactly how much of a benefit it is.
I've been reading since about chapter 50 was released and I'm always excited to see the "next chapter" button light up.
This is an excellent isekai that feels fair-ish. And the cliffhangers and problems are all very real threats to Erik and his friends/ comrades. I can't recommend this one enough and highly recommend buying the books when they're out
This one, to me, is 5s across the board so far, and I'm thankful to the writer for such a complete and engaging ride
Dreams of MarsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story follows what it proposes, a soldier's life, at least so far, the MC is not one of the most intelligent and makes some stupid but also human mistakes, the magic is interesting and it's satisfying to see the numbers growing. In summary, if you want something that is not so dark but also not a rainbow world, this is the right medium for you.
GarrettttttRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
One of the best books on Royal road.
Where survival is a rough possibility and no one is safe.
I've come to get connected to many of the characters in this book. Many of them feel like actual people that you would end up talking to at one point in your life.
Zero errors of any kind so far.
The world is absolutely interesting and immense.
The power system is well put together with all the bells and whistles of a system, without the system.
The MC is an absolute loot goblin, which speaks to me on a fundamental level.
The enemies are diverse and interesting, often fighting like real beings who value their lives and want to survive.
Most of all, are the supremely grand and crazy ways the MC survives up to this point.
Totally worth every moment you put into this book.
GatesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Honestly i was a little scared by the title.
Expecting a boring soldier slice of life, the author really blew my expectation. The world is really well build and nicely interactive with an online map on his patreon. The characters feels alive which is I believe one of the most important thing in fictive stories. The relationship are well crafted and the POV is well thought through.
Props to Alwaysrollsaone on this one, after a couple of different stories, I think he found his bread and butter. I was transported to his crafted world and enjoyed every second of my read.
The vocabulary might sometimes be simple but i think its just part of the stories charm and didnt bother me.
It's my first review ever and believe me i've been lurking on this site and read a lot of the stories but never really bothered to write one down. This one is worth it
Keep up the good work
Peace
Gordon TaitRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A very well written series of books that draws you in and leaves you wanting more. Highly recommended for those wanting an engrossing read that keeps on giving. You just want to keep on reading to find out how the story line develops. And the first books are on kindle unlimited.