Rise of the Bone King

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Rise of the Bone King I’d love to say death changed me, but really, it just stole my skin. I used to work in customer service. Now I’m a lich with eight hours to prepare for my first dungeon raid. No big deal—except my most loyal minion, Grib, is a goblin who thinks mud traps are peak strategy and insists on dragging me into his madness one bucket at a time. Adventurers are coming. A game like system with really horrible timing whispers promises of power and prices I don’t understand. And what the hell is a soul counter? The deeper I go, the clearer it becomes: this dungeon wants something from me. Every choice I make to stay human feels like another step toward becoming a monster. And I’m running out of time to figure out what kind of monster I’m willing to be. (Oh, and my name’s Edgar, by the way. Apparently blurbs are supposed to introduce the main character? Who knew.) This is a story about love, loyalty, and loss—disguised as dungeon management. About found family, broken systems, and what it really means to be a monster. If you like comedy and dark fantasy with actual emotional stakes, then welcome to the Bone King’s dungeon! WARNING:The MC gets his ass kicked. Repeatedly. He makes dumb choices because he's not a power fantasy—he’s a human(lich) mess. If you’re here for instant badassery and flawless leveling, you’re in the wrong story. This is more Adams/Pratchett meets emotional damage than Primal Hunter. He's better in Book 3, but will ALWAYS be flawed--those flaws are just darker along the way. You’ve been warned. What to Expect: Emotional Support Slime– Don’t ask. You’ll see.Light LitRPG (No stats)– No number crunching or stat sheets. But a system with a purpose and dungeons with a reason.NO FILLER– None. Books 1 and 2 are complete, working on Book 3. Side stories a plenty--but those are for later!Dungeon Delve Meets Character-Driven Storytelling– This isn’t just “numbers go up.” The world, characters, and stakes evolve over time.Found Family in a Broken World– Edgar never asked for a goblin with a bucket, but sometimes, family finds you.Dark Humor & Emotional Gut Punches– Snark, goblin antics, and devastating moments that will wreck you. No, really. I can’t tell you how many times I cried writing some of the later arcs.Slow-Burn Kingdom Building– From dungeon floor boss to ruler of a sanctuary for monsters… to something else entirely.Big Story, Bigger Lore –Hidden truths, ancient history, and a world built on blood and mana. Nothing here exists without reason. If it’s introduced, it will eventually be explained. (Also, there’s a whole ass lore book for when the story ends)A completely mapped out story with an ending –Yes, I’ve already planned it. No you don’t get it to see it yet. Yes, it’s amazing. No, I don’t have a big head. (maybe slightly oversized)

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: AsChavez

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.4/ 5.0
Followers: 1,053
Views: 24,179

Chapters(4 total)

What readers say about Rise of the Bone King

“It's a good read about a guy doing his best even after he fails, it's been a while since the author posted so I think it might be done for but it's still a good read (After this is just the industrial revolution meme for word count) The Industrial Revolutio…”
lazymesaRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Been enjoying this so far. A good central character who doesn't seem to completely forget his past life after 30 seconds except for when convenient for the plot. A supporting cast of varied and interesting characters and a wider world that we are starting t…”
DisapointedVoidRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

lazymesaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's a good read about a guy doing his best even after he fails, it's been a while since the author posted so I think it might be done for but it's still a good read
(After this is just the industrial revolution meme for word count)
The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. They
DisapointedVoidRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Been enjoying this so far. A good central character who doesn't seem to completely forget his past life after 30 seconds except for when convenient for the plot. A supporting cast of varied and interesting characters and a wider world that we are starting to see echos of creeping into the dungeon.Can't wait for more.
Remfrey, theRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a nice take on the necro trope. It feels familiar yet fresh. I honestly laughed quite a bit at parts which I found surprising. I enjoyed the system not being stats and levels; I think that the author did a good job at keeping things simple but with a clear path of progression. I just finished book 2 here on royal road and am looking forward to more. This novel was a good find.
Void QuillRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story had me laughing out loud within the first few paragraphs! The protagonist, Edgar (or should I say, Bone King?), is both hilarious and relatable with his sarcastic outlook on his new undead life. The goblins are just as ridiculous as you'd hope, and Grib is especially endearing in his misguided enthusiasm.
The author does a great job balancing humor with just enough intrigue to keep me hooked. Edgar's journey from confusion to reluctantly taking charge feels fresh, and the writing flows effortlessly. It’s clear that there’s more to this story than just quirky goblins and undead confusion, and I’m excited to see where it goes!
The tone is perfect, lighthearted but with some emotional depth. If you’re into funny, fast-paced fantasy with a touch of existential dread and a lot of goblin nonsense, give this a read! I’m definitely looking forward to more!
dragonqueen17Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is such a fantastic story and I can’t wait for more! Well written, phenomenal characters (the authors ability to create such unique and individual characters is phenomenal) I cannot recommend it enough. I’m very excited to read more. I truly don’t have any complaints or suggestions (I mean, some of the MCs actions aren’t my favorite, but they fit the character so perfectly I can’t complain)
AbbyJamzRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
ok so i did not expect to feel feelings about a skeleton and a bunch of goblins but here we are.
this thing is hilarious, first of all. like genuinely laugh out loud funny, especially the early chapters with the dungeon setup and the goblins arguing about mud traps. thought it was just gonna be goofy fun.
but then it hit me with EMOTIONS. like?? what the hell. i got way too attached to these little idiots. grib deserves better. everyone deserves better. i was just trying to read a dumb skeleton story and now i’m upset about goblin death?? rude.
writing’s super readable, good pacing, good jokes, good vibes until it rips your heart out. 10/10 would suffer again.
(for the bone king!)
PureChanceRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I picked this is, expecting the fairly usual fare of rapid power growth and a protagonist that crushes their opposition, with a large dash of comedy.
Instead there is an undercurrent of sadness throughout the whole thing - sure it's fun, and with funny moments, but it never lets you forget that behind all this there is feeling. The constant brutal reality of the morning after brings into focus both the highs and the lows. It's like watching Blackadder goes forth, but instead of just one gutwrenching last episode, they alternate between comedy & sadness.
Overall I'd say it's well written, without excess filler. Our MC is human, and makes mistakes based largely on hope and a complete lack of knowledge. Whilst this early will irritate some readers I don't think every protagonist should be some genre savvy super powerful monster. My only concern is the slight trope that seems to be playing in of "actually it's humans that are the real monsters" and "the good church is secretly evil!" It would be nice to see some side stories that demonstrate that most humans are just scrabbling to survive with their own challenges (or not I suppose!) to hit this on the head.
JdWRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This irreverant dungeon keeper with a twist romp has been written in an irresistable dry wit style with an MC that struggles to conform to his role but slowly but surely pragmatism wins over apathy.
It's equally funny, adventurous and emotional with the beginnings of an interesting world and arc.
The writing is actually very good indeed in places towards the end, far above average for the genre and platform. A great start to a series that's already shaping up to be one of my favourites of the year.
An additional particular delight are the author's notes which are plentiful and amusing. And they come with a promise of more lore in the future, which is always good.
In conclusion - just read it already.
YsojdRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Do not read this story if you want your MC to be a powerhouse who seeks revenge on everyone looking at him wrong.
Edgar is a rather timid individual, he prefers to cooperate and talk, but he ends up in a world that does not cooperate with him, and the ones who can talk want to kill him.
In most books he would quickly get angry and start the killing spree.
Here he tries to stay what he is and keep everything from crushing down on his mind. He is not a leader but has to be. He fumbles, a lot.
It can be a bit frustrating, because he is a bit naive, but let's be real: who would really throw away his humanity like a coat that has been in the closet unworn too long?
I would not go on murder-hoboing in a fantasy world, so why expect Edgar to do it?
Maybe he breaks later on, but for now he holds.
MonarchRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
In these types of Isekai stories, we expect the character to adapt quite quickly to the challenges that are thrown at them. But, this guy is not that. He fumbles. A lot. It's probably a skill issue at this point.
And that's why it's important to read this with realistic expectations in mind: how well would you do, in a foreign world, where you become a skeleton, and you would get teleported right after reading this review?
Not gonna lie, the first few chapters and his usage of his 8 hours before the adventurers came got me really frustrated. I was this close to unfollowing this book. But, I'm glad I pulled through. Hope you do, too.
Still waiting for more fight scenes and dungeon-building-esque things, hence 4 stars.