Awakened

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Awakened is a sci-fi LitRPG lite that follows Samantha, a graphic designer navigating the typical holiday season: winning over the big client, getting fired, exploring friendship, romance, and oh… just seeing the universe's codebase. Turns out reality is a simulation. No one sent Sam the memo. But after her direct report frames her for corporate espionage and HR escorts her out like last week's leftovers, something in her brain snaps sideways, the static on the wall starts making sense, and a voice in her head announces: LEVEL UP. So that's new. Sam does what any reasonable person would do with the power to rewrite reality: fixes her broken coffee maker, gives herself a raise, and methodically destroys the careers of everyone who wronged her. She documents everything in a leather journal titled "DEFINITELY NOT EVIL PLANS" because she's thorough like that. Awakened combines the progression fantasy of LitRPG with the simulation-reality tension of *The Matrix* for readers who like their existential crises served with a side of dry humor and complicated feelings about a fictional fae king. It's the first in a planned series, with standalone story satisfaction. → Bonus prequel chapter atbooksbymandimay.com

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2026
Author: BooksByMandiMay

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 351
Views: 28,809

What readers say about Awakened

“I’ve really enjoyed the main character’s energy so far. Her mildly obsessive, laser-focused intensity feels very relatable, especially from the perspective of a fellow overachiever. That drive makes her easy to connect with and keeps the story moving at a c…”
buckeyenthemtnsRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“From the first few minutes of reading this I was HOOKED! A story that is new, exciting and at the same time familiar. The main character is so relatable, she could be a close friend. The story gently blurs the line between reality and fiction arriving at a…”
monstermongerRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(9)

buckeyenthemtnsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I’ve really enjoyed the main character’s energy so far. Her mildly obsessive, laser-focused intensity feels very relatable, especially from the perspective of a fellow overachiever. That drive makes her easy to connect with and keeps the story moving at a compelling pace. I do find her profession a bit surprising given her initial lack of creative style or confidence, but I’m open to the idea that this may be intentional and explored more deeply in later chapters. If so, I’m intrigued to see how that contrast develops.
I flew through these early chapters because I’m genuinely eager to understand what is happening beneath the surface and what she’s going to do once everything starts to unravel. There’s a strong sense of momentum and mystery that makes it hard to put the book down. I’m also very curious about the direction of the budding romance and how it will intersect with the larger story.
The author’s writing style is especially enjoyable - clear, immersive, and easy to visualize. It feels like watching a movie play out in my head. The dialogue flows naturally, and I really appreciate not being pulled out of the story by grammatical or spelling errors. Overall, this is a strong and engaging start, and I’m definitely ready for more.
monstermongerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
From the first few minutes of reading this I was HOOKED! A story that is new, exciting and at the same time familiar. The main character is so relatable, she could be a close friend. The story gently blurs the line between reality and fiction arriving at a fantastic read. It has been difficult at times for me to discover something to really get absorbed in. This story left me wanting more! There are so many questions that I want the answers to.
NurrRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It is unfair I found this before the author finished it. I'd really like reading it in one sitting.
The depictions of the main character's thoughts, fears, confusion, and trauma are excellent. As is the confusion and, in the case of FBI agents, anger. We all know the fear and attempts to suborn the MC will begin shortly.
OneZeroXeroRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is the type of story that someone who traditionally does not read a bunch can get into. I can count on 1 hand how many books I’ve read in the past 5 years and I binged (up to chapter 8) in an evening. It’s been quite the journey…at times an emotional one.
The start of the story really sets the tone with a mixture of Sam’s playful inner dialogue and the driving force(s) of the story. It sprinkles in the adorable “bestie” friendship with Sam and her best friend that every introvert needs in their life. And leaves me wondering what comes next with Sam’s new abilities.
I think it was such an easy read for me because the situations have such relatability to either something I’ve experienced or someone close to and the author does a wonderful job letting us inside of Sam’s head experiencing it. The anger of betrayal, the warmth of friendship, the satisfaction of justice, the regret of poor choices.
I got hooked in, can’t wait for more, and hope Sam’s plans remain “definitely not evil”. I hope they continue to explore what Sam can do, and there has to be some type of consequences to her actions? It’s fun, I hope it continues to be fun and will come back and update this when the story is finished.
Keep it up! This is fantastic!
HenryflapjacksRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The way the characters interact, the way the protagonist thinks and acts, the small details and jokes sprinkled throughout… it’s like you’re experiencing a story that’s happening to real people. The core concept that evolves as the story progresses is the kind that sticks with you, and I’ve found myself even thinking about it in my day to day life. I’m excited to read more!
noblechileRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The writing is very fresh so is the story idea. The humor is on point which I dont expect from these kinds of books. At the time of review I have read about 7 or so chapters and I really like how whatever powers Sam has are mysterious instead of being explained all in one chapter. I am excited to see were this goes as more releases!
Perfume ProphetRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
That was really good. The first-person POV puts you right inside Sam's head, and the pacing moves so fast you literally don't have time to get bored. The descriptions are super vivid, too.
Story
The "magic" system feels super fresh, blending digital hacking with real-world physical changes. Every chapter ramps up the tension perfectly. Plus, digging up her creepy CEO's dark secrets adds this awesome mystery layer to the whole thing. The twists genuinely caught me off guard, and the momentum never drops.
Grammar
It is clean. No weird formatting, typos, or spelling mistakes to rip you out of the zone. The sentences flow perfectly, and the vocabulary is sharp without trying too hard to sound fancy. It’s just really smooth reading.
Characters
Sam is an awesome, flawed, and vengeful lead. Watching her go from a burnt-out corporate drone to a reality-bending god is insanely satisfying. Her best friend Kate is even better... Their friendship feels super genuine and really grounds the emotional stakes. Then there's Daniel. POS. It felt natural to hate him. Good job!
Overall
This is just a brilliant mashup of modern workplace drama and LitRPG Elements. It's wildly entertaining. f you're looking for a hidden gem, drop what you're doing and read this!
AedomenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Admittedly, I've only read the initial offering, but this could be interesting to the sci-fi, system, or urban fantasy enjoyers out there. We just don't know. The wit and word choice are great and the humor, dry. Tone is in a good place. Probably needs a good editor to bring it out fully but what RRL story doesn't? It doesn't detract from the story heavily like some. Depending on where this goes, it could be great. Artist to kick-ass heroine, Anti-hero, Villain? We'll have to see.
blackcobra32Royal Road
★★ 2.0
I came here for the matrix stuff, the reality bending powers. But this story is NOT about that. This story is about the life and romance of a sad and lonely woman. i would say 10-15% powers, 90% romance and normal stuff. also the "definitely not evil plans" thing is mentioned once and never again and the name does not even make sense. the character does not have any evil plans or world domiation tendencies.