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Etherious: Fresh Beginnings: A LitRPG Progression Fantasy Apocalypse (The System's Descent: Etherious Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars 2,292 ratings

When you've hit rock bottom, the only direction to go is up.

Getting hit by a truck didn't Isekai Arthur ward, but he did wake up in a world forever changed.

When Earth evolves, passing a threshold few even knew existed, humanity is whisked away by the Grand System to engage in an educational Tutorial to bring them up to speed, the introduction of the new energy source that has been made available: Ether.

Arthur Ward is left behind, bleeding out on the sidewalk.

The world has evolved; upgraded, and mankind must change with it in order to survive. Animals have become deadly monsters that prowl the streets, dimensional incursions are a constant threat and Arthur is forced to adapt or die.

With new rules to live by and a path to redemption before him, Arthur now has a way to right his wrongs. At least he thinks so. After all, nothing is quite impossible when you can rewrite reality itself.

The path to power, however, is a slippery slope. Achieving his goals will test Arthur in ways he'd never expected.

This is the first book in a LitRPG Fantasy series with 800,000 views on Royalroad. Perfect for fans of Defiance of the Fall, The Primal Hunter, and Road to Mastery!

Credits to my brother for the beautiful front cover, made with one of his Mandela artworks. It's not the usual kind found in this genre, but I loved it.


What to expect:

-MC with multiple magic affinities

-A main character who has learned Muay Thai

-Combination of human progression mixed with monster core consumption

-Title collection

-No Harem

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 See full series
There are 4 books in this series.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DDWN3DXH
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 20, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 708 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 430 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ The System's Descent: Etherious
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 2,292 ratings

About the author

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Em Es
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I started writing on scrap pieces of paper in a maths lesson. One paper became many, then I bought a lined book, and before I knew it, I had a story on my hands.

Things snowballed from there, and here we are now. Hopefully you enjoy my work.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
2,292 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging with interesting plotlines and plenty of action, while appreciating the well-developed characters, particularly the fun overpowered protagonist. Moreover, the world-building receives positive feedback, with one customer noting the unique magic system as a nice twist on the genre. However, the writing quality and pacing receive mixed reviews, with some finding it well-written while others say it's not great, and several customers note a relatively slow start to the story.

43 customers mention "Readability"43 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and fun to read, with one mentioning it kept them engaged throughout.

"...This book is a fun read, get to it!" Read more

"This has been a really fantastic read, even for the 2nd time. There is a promise of intriguing powers, world building, and growth...." Read more

"...The pages are not filled with endless repetition of stats. A very good read, give it a shot. You will not regret it." Read more

"Really enjoyed this book I wish the main character was bit tougher mentally but I get why he's written in such a way looking forward to reading the..." Read more

37 customers mention "Story quality"32 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the story of the book, which features interesting plotlines and plenty of action, keeping their interest throughout.

"The individual stories all make sense. The overall background/milieu a bit less. Post-system, things keep working...." Read more

"...The flow of the story, the growth of the main character...." Read more

"I enjoy the story, and Arthur’s progression, but I’m puzzled by the author’s decision to place this story in California when it would work so much..." Read more

"Really fun read, with an interesting twist on the typical progression saga. I immediately downloaded book 2 in the series...." Read more

23 customers mention "Character development"23 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...The flow of the story, the growth of the main character...." Read more

"...The skill and character development choices make sense. The plotlines are interesting; some are fascinating...." Read more

"...The main is likable enough so far" Read more

"...The shifts in perspective and characters are fine, but when the story is primarily about one character, these additional scenes should benefit the..." Read more

12 customers mention "Interest"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's world-building fascinating, with one customer particularly appreciating the unique magic system that adds a fresh twist to the genre.

"...There is a promise of intriguing powers, world building, and growth. I look forward to reading book 2 and the rest, shortly." Read more

"...He also is proficient in coming up with logical and interesting LITRPG elements. The skill and character development choices make sense...." Read more

"...A number of interesting twists and intertwined story lines of some of the characters with the main hero just add to the flavor of the book...." Read more

"The book as a whole is enjoyable with an interesting System and logical rules to the universe. The writing is well done and interesting...." Read more

21 customers mention "Writing quality"14 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it well written while others note issues with grammar.

"...that is mainly focused on individuals, so the background issues are easy to put out-of-mind." Read more

"...The writing isn’t great and often gets in the way, hindering the story.. I hope it doesn’t debuff the plot too much in the future" Read more

"...book usually has. I was extremely surprised at how well this book was written. The flow of the story, the growth of the main character...." Read more

"...He also is proficient in coming up with logical and interesting LITRPG elements. The skill and character development choices make sense...." Read more

13 customers mention "Start"8 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's start, with some praising it as a great beginning to the series, while others find it lacking in execution.

"...That quibble aside, it's a great series that is mainly focused on individuals, so the background issues are easy to put out-of-mind." Read more

"The book has a rough start with describing the change and the pain of the character...." Read more

"This was a good series, I enjoyed the story...." Read more

"This is a great first book with a fresh take on magic apocalypses. Actually, the magic is off to a slow start, but happily guns are greatly devalued...." Read more

12 customers mention "Pacing"7 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with several noting a relatively slow start.

"Good system so far without being too similar to other works of litRPG. The main is likable enough so far" Read more

"...The pacing is inconsistent, the world logic is broken, and the protagonist’s constant wavering makes the book feel like a chore to finish...." Read more

"...Personal preference. Great job, I’ll be looking out for more." Read more

"...Actually, the magic is off to a slow start, but happily guns are greatly devalued...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Yup! It's an old trope, but a favorite! I don't care what Arthur's stats say, he is a stone headed idiot. Still, it's a lot of fun watching him stumble thru the social aspects of life! You cannot crush the heads of those you are embarrassed by, even when they really deserve it. This book is a fun read, get to it!
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The individual stories all make sense. The overall background/milieu a bit less. Post-system, things keep working. I find it a bit difficult to believe that a world of people suddenly given super-powers would continue to function. Who is going to do all the grunt work of maintaining infrastructure - especially global trade infrastructure required for Internet functionality - when they can cast spells and beat-up their annoying boss? Who is delivering water, food, and electricity to LA?

    That quibble aside, it's a great series that is mainly focused on individuals, so the background issues are easy to put out-of-mind.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The book had an interesting take on the introduction of the new System. The writing isn’t great and often gets in the way, hindering the story.. I hope it doesn’t debuff the plot too much in the future
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This has been a really fantastic read, even for the 2nd time. There is a promise of intriguing powers, world building, and growth. I look forward to reading book 2 and the rest, shortly.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I was expecting the usual sort of style this genre book usually has.
    I was extremely surprised at how well this book was written. The flow of the story, the growth of the main character. The pages are not filled with endless repetition of stats.
    A very good read, give it a shot. You will not regret it.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Really enjoyed this book I wish the main character was bit tougher mentally but I get why he's written in such a way looking forward to reading the next book
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoy the story, and Arthur’s progression, but I’m puzzled by the author’s decision to place this story in California when it would work so much better in London. Granted, the gun situation wouldn’t work in the UK, but the author doesn’t seem to realize that coyotes wouldn’t be encountered in a forest, there aren’t forests within 100 km of LA, you don’t need to go to a wildlife reserve to meet up with coyotes, a garden (or what we Americans call a yard) is not a luxury that is hard to come by, especially in any city in the western US, and we don’t have the NHS, so there aren’t government hospitals.

    Having said that, the inconsistencies were more amusing than they were annoying and I definitely intend to read further in this series.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Really fun read, with an interesting twist on the typical progression saga. I immediately downloaded book 2 in the series. I would recommend to fans of the genre.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Marcio Guerra Serra
    5.0 out of 5 stars recomendo
    Reviewed in Brazil on January 22, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Interessante ideia sobre integração com o sistema e personagem interessante e variados plots e tramas rolando pelos bastidores do livro
    Report
  • Rinalda
    5.0 out of 5 stars Left Behind
    Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I’ve been wanting a story where the MC gets left behind while everybody else gets taken to a tutorial so I was surprised and interested when I saw this book. I stayed up way to late reading this! I thoroughly enjoyed it and looking forward to the next one.
  • Zineb AB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it !
    Reviewed in France on March 21, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Far better and more coherent than Defiance of the Fall, that had a similar premise. Really loved this story. Can’t wait to read the next ones.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is a really great book, brilliant story telling and great characters and fab world building. Looking forward to the next one
  • Tarina Greyling
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fun take
    Reviewed in Germany on March 6, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I liked that this story had a system that didn't just replace or make modern society define but had it work within the existing framework.
    Character is a bit on the slow side for being a genius but interesting support cast.

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