Dungeon Mantle [LitRPG / Slow Burn / FTB Harem]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Atlas Aurox has lived his entire life in poverty. It's hard for an orphan to make ends meet, but his one out is the Mantle Trial where he could be bestowed with the power to become an Adventurer and fight the monsters in the dungeon instead of just picking up the crystals left behind for others. But the world of Adventurers is not the easy life that he'd thought it was. Can he navigate this new world or will he be another casualty for history to forget?

What to Expect:

[+] First-person perspective of a male MC

[+] Weak to strong VERY slowburn progression

[+] Atlas is a guy who starts with nothing and has very little initial agency. This is a series about finding a voice and coming into power without becoming a monster like the ones who currently rule.

[+] This is a HAREM series. Specifically a fade-to-black one. Also, don't expect every woman that's introduced to join Atlas' harem.

[+] Short chapters. ~800-word average.

[+] Release Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

[+] Published on Amazon, KU, and Audible as Dungeon Mantle by Alex Hancock. Check the launch announcement for book links and stub dates.

Information

Status
Ongoing
Year
2023
Author
Camadt (Alex Hancock)

Tags

LITRPGACTIONFANTASYADVENTUREMAGICSCI-FISUPERNATURALMULTIPLE LOVERSMALE LEADLOW FANTASYMYTHOSSTRATEGYURBAN FANTASYDUNGEON CRAWLERRULING CLASS

Royal Road Stats

Rating
3.9/ 5.0
Followers
584
Views
97,109

Chapters(27 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

  • AlifsigerRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Overall: This turned into exactly the kind of book I was looking for. Action, depth, growth, longevity. I wouldn't have guessed it from the get-go, but this has turned into one of my favorite series, and it just keeps getting better.
    Style: This writing style reminds me of Richelle Mead, which pulled me in immediately! I love books where you feel like you're walking in the main character's shoes. It's so easy to get immersed, but be careful, because that makes it so binge-able.
    Story: Harem is not my thing, so I got turned off by that tag, but I was so pleasantly surprised. It's so tactfully done. It doesn't take away from the story or the LitRPG focus. I LOVE that I can't guess the ending from the first few chapters. There's so much depth to this story, and I feel like I'm digging deeper with each new chapter (and that makes it hard to put down too!)
    Character: WHICH ONE? I love seeing the character building in this book, going back to the author making you feel like you're literally walking in Atlas's shoes. Aelin is my faavvoorriittee, but I feel like so much thought is put into each one, especially the main characters. Each character detail added seems to tie back into the story (I'm not gonna give any spoilers though!)
    Grammar: I can't will myself to read a book with bad grammar. No matter how good the story is, I will full-stop put it down if I'm tripping over grammatical errors. That sometimes makes it hard to find quality stories on open publishing apps like these, so I'm always ecstatic to find authors like Camadt who puts effort into making sure the reading is smooth for his audience.
    TLDR: This story will surprise you in the best ways! Go read it!!
  • DesirRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Overall:
    Mantle Of The Gods takes a very commonly used trope of an MC who cannot reveal his true potential/ability to the world in order to avoid conflict and grow strong enough to defend himself, in a way like no other. At no point does the story feel repetitive or matching to others with similar tropes, and it truly near perfectly reflects how the average person would react in a situation where it was revealed to them that they had to potential to be one of the strongest in the world, in a very realistic way.
    Story:
    To further add on to what I was saying, as Atlas goes from just another Mundane to quickly becoming a protected secret by the ArchBishop, Atlas’ depth and characteristics are clearly seen and established. He doesn’t let the greed or temptation of power consume him, and approaches the situation with a large amount of caution and doubt. Furthermore, at  no point does the story debase itself by throwing in random unimportant aspects to advance the plot, allowing for everything to flow smoothly.
    Character: Aside from Atlas himself who is incredibly well written, with having a good amount of depth and attractive qualities, the other characters are in no way lacking. They all approach the situation or scenario they’ve been thrown into in realistic way. The ArchBishop, thought a bit mysterious, doesn’t falter for a moment in his plan to assist Atlas in going undiscovered while offering him a place to grow under the tutelage or Trent.
    Grammar: There are no visible grammar/spelling mistakes. It is very well written.
  • GordonKingRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Right of the bat, the story started light-heartedly that you know it’s not a grimdark kind of story. The main character, Atlas, is a porter that is tasked with collecting crystals while following with a group of adventurers. It felt a little bit of solo-levelling at the beginning but it immediately deviates on how the system works. At least there is some honour system to protect the little guys.
    Character 5/5
    The character Atlas is grounded and Mundane. No, that is not an insult, it is a faction that is opposite of the nobles. Way to kick us peasants down by calling the opposite of nobility as Mundane dear author.
    Lots of characters were introduced within the first few chapters. First off, you have the MC, Atlas who is likeable and relatable. Not your typical dense or annoying main character which is deeply appreciated. He is doesn’t shy away from conflicts and is willing to stand up for himself.
    Comes along the Archbishop that you know is up to no good (many authors stereotypes, me included). Full of secrets but at least he is willing to guide the MC somehow.
    Then we have Trent and Justin who is supposed to care and train him up but both of them have their own internal issues to contend with making them more fleshed out characters as a whole.
    Grammer 5/5
    For me, as long as the grammar is good with a little typo or error is extremely serviceable. These are not authors who have editors or professional proofreaders so when it good enough, it gets a 5 from me.
    Story 5/5
    The story started off as the coming of age for Atlas. Immediately you are aware there are two important items that pushes the story, Mantle and Crystals. And so, being an orphan, Atlas would eventually rise and don the mantle to become.. The Batman.
    Alright, jokes off. The story’s settings are more towards the current age rather than medieval era. The nobles are what you would think of, rude characters that you would rather not associate. Then you have the mystery that takes place about the MC’s origin
  • KratynRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Overall: This is a slow growth series, and I can appreciate that. The MC doesn't appear to be on his way to ripping through dimensions anytime soon. That's not to say there isn't any action, because there are plenty of fights and life or death struggles.
    Style: The style is very clean, it can be a little slow paced, but that serves to let you see more of this fascinating world the author has crafted. Questions will be answered eventually, but I suspect it will take several books to get there. On the plus side, based on the pace that Camadt is setting, I wouldn't be surprised if this series lasted for a looooong while, which has me excited. This is one of those worlds that I would willingly live in if given the chance.
    Story: The story is compelling, a fun LitRPG in an original world, and no isekai either. Add on top of that the fact that there is a well established Magic system ( I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to magic systems) and it being a clean harem on top of that? What isn't to love?
    Grammar: Very clean grammar. Not to say that typos don't exist, but it is polished and the author clearly takes their time to edit to try and clean it up for us readers.
    Characters: The characters are very complex, and have a surprising amount of depth. For a story that has set team composition semi-linked to the holy trinity, the characters are not defined by their roles in the party. This is definitely a story where the characters feel alive, and we can watch them grow and develop in front of our eyes, which again is something I can appreciate. There are a LOT of characters too, but each one feels distinct enough that even though I sometimes struggle to keep up with names, I can easily remember who they are, since each character is distinctive.
  • McBlasterRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    A half spoiler alert before the review - MC kinda gets treated like crap by pretty much everyone but his party for the first fair bit, but when things get washed out, he finds himself in pretty good shape overall.
    Really solid writing, smooth flowing dialogue, nice descriptions of locations and encounters, great fight scenes.
    No ridiculous plot armour, but do things all turn out peachy and wonderful.... Eh I'll let you read and decide for yourselves
    Early chapters leave you wanting a little more understanding of how the system and parties work but by book 3 we have a fair understanding.
    So my synopsis of the book would be,
    On his Coming of Age day, Atlas our MC receives his Mantle (stats distribution), and we'll, it wasn't anything like what he was expecting. Most people get one of the 6 normal Mantle's depending on which of their stats is the highest, not so for Atlas.
    Whisked away by the Archbishop, who was running the ceremony, to the All-Faith churches' training facility/dungeon, he gets informed that life as he had envisioned it won't be happening.
    Since Atlas is an orphan, and having been made to work as a dungeon Porter for the last 4 of his 18 years, he's happy just to be able to run the dungeons to make some money.
    With the help of his new party, a no-nonsense teacher, he'll have to try to keep his secret under wraps while gaining the power he'll need for his upcoming battles.
    Luckily the monsters on the first floor aren't that hard to kill because for so reason Trent (teacher) seems to believe a sink or swim approach is the best way.
  • Reader6Royal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Great book and can't wait to read more.  The banter between Atlas and Aelin makes this story even better ( Harem anybody?) And what about Rix? Who was she before and where does she keep disappearing?
    The grammar is not perfect but the mistakes do not interfere with the reading. The more Camadt writes the better it gets.
    The story of Atlas, an orphan who hoped to be a lowly adventurer is thrust into a position of responsibility where one mistake could lead a member of his team to be squashed by a god. Atlas is only human and young so he makes mistakes,but he takes his responsibility seriously because his team has now become his family and protecting them is always on his mind.
    While I prefer reading in third person, Camadt does a great job writing in first person. I only hope with all his side characters he doesn't write himself into a corner when one of his characters tries to become another main character.Did I mention Aelin?
    Camadt always has me wanting to read the next chapter to see what trouble this team of characters can get into.
    Can't wait to see where Atlas and his team go next.  Definitely a great read for me.
  • ReyBattyRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    I found it intriguing that the MC was destined for greatness but humbled by everyone whose path he crossed. It made for a very interesting duality for him right out of the gate.
    Note: I reviewed this at Book 1, chapter 10
    Style
    It is very easy to read and quickly gets to the meat of the story. I prefer this style. It matches most of what I read. It is very accessible and doesn't require a lot of trying to decipher what the author is saying. Also, no ego involved in the writing is a huge plus. Very much told in a walking in the shoes of the MC style.
    Story
    I loved the hook that the MC is destined for greatness, far beyond what the people in power around him can ever attain, and so they humble him at every turn. This was very humanizing for the MC, and I suspect the author will use it later to make the MC much more accessible to those who come after.
    Grammar
    This seemed flawless and professional to me. There were no moments where I got kicked out of the story by a sour turn of phrase or any awkwardness trying to explain a scene. Overall perfectly spot on in execution.
    Character
    I loved the MC. He busts his hump just for a chance at greatness and gets delivered an unimaginable boon. The folks around seem jealous and spend so much time humbling him. It made me really feel for him and want him to excel beyond what they can imagine. I found myself rooting big time for him.
  • longwindedone1Royal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Let me start by saying that I dig what this author is doing with their brand and in general how they conduct themselves. They respect the writing craft and the effort that goes into the task, yet they seem to be more prolific that I can even wrap my head around at this time. Okay, I had to get that out. Now onto the formal review (as the RR big brother deems fit)...
    Style: 5/5
    The writing style in this story is something special. There was something familiar and exciting about the world I entered (and I don't mean it has been done before). I think it is the feeling of anticipation that we love from this genre of book (as I seem to have gone down a pretty big rabbit hole). Setup and execution has a flow to it, that I dug.
    Story: 5/5
    I've seen other like-genre stories use the term Adventurers, but the dichotomy between Adventurers and Mundanes in this story is done in a fresh and interesting way. Concerning Atlas's journey and whether he would receive his mantle, was an excellent hook.
    Character: 5/5
    The characters are wonderfully done and compliment each other well. A trio seems like a power-formula that works in good stories. This is no different with Atlas, Trent, and Justia. Other characters, like Paul and Rix, play their parts well (how many spoilers am I allowed to give here?). Also, the ArchBishop has that mentor-type-wiseman-don't-ask-I-just-know-yoda vibe that are necessary for LitRPGs. No complains here.
    Grammar: 5/5
    I hate this category, but understand the need for it. Nobody is prefect (did you see what I did there), but if you don't remember too many mistakes, or in fact, any that took you out of the story. Well... that's a 5 in my book.
    In conclusion- if you like an exciting and well-written story about a MC that started "lowly" but will likely end up very powerful (and maybe there are forces that doesn't want to see that happen), then this is your story. Would recommend (and will continue reading).
  • m.a.cRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    I had a blast reading a mantle of the gods. Initially I had thought it to be another generic story among the many litRPG's that get released on this site.
    The biggest strength of this novel lies in narrative that follows Atlas. The way Camadt writes makes me feel like I'm in the main character's shoes.
    Every interaction feels grounded and every character feels different. Every action Atlas takes feels grounded makes sense, which amplifies the immersion.
    Initially I was detracted from the harem tag. However, I think it's done extremely well. Atlas is not the only well written character when you have a character like Aelin. She has become my favourite character over time and I think she'll maintain that spot as I continue to read.
    There are minor issues with grammar and spelling but it's something that you can only really find if you're being nitpicky. As someone who's grammar suffers greatly every time I write, Camadt does very well.
    I think the only thing that I had an issue with at the start was the shorter chapters which I found quite strange at first, due to RoyalRoad chapters typically being 2k plus words long. However it's not that big a deal and there's plenty of uploads, besides all you have to do is press one button to continue reading.
    tldr: read it, it's good and only gets better as you read
  • spectremagicRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    A different take on a multitude of genres, this series, one of several I am currently reading from this author, has melded a lot of my favorite of them into one weird fun pot that is weirdly SFW. Camadt really likes their page turners, which reminds me of how authors like Dumas used to write, and of which books that share the litrpg-esque genre share many attributes. This for me is to it’s absolute benefit. I get frustrated when I don’t have anything to read, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for them with this story, which I have come to love. Their consistently good writing, for which I tend to be a grammar Karen, is super important, makes these books and chapters feel like a breeze to read.
    I’m not sure which of the characters in the MC bubble are my favorites, apart from the glaringly obvious to me Trent, but all of their interactions from Atlas’ point of view is pure delight. Harley is a ball of pure chaos and Rix seems to always be up to something. I hope we get to get more of their backstories, but the apparent apathy adjacent Rix contrasting the energy of Aelin is enough to give you whiplash sometimes in an adorable and fun way, especially when it is directed at each other!
    I mentioned this in another review on said author, but some of the character growth is not as quick as I would like, but I find myself drawn to their story and progression because of that. Camadt is going to keep their pace, and if they prove to have the longevity that they have displayed so far, this is a series that will continue to delight for the entirety of it’s run.
    Mild Spoiler ahead:
    With some of their other works seemingly related, hopefully we will see crossovers between some of them in our near future, whether in regards to specific characters, or the maybe interconnected universe lore!