Rising Vanguard

Spearbound, Book One

By: S.C. King

Narrated by: Christian J. Gilliland

Kade's life is... fine. After the sky falls, it becomes perfect.

One minute Kade was driving home—the next, monsters spill in, reality rewrites itself, and humanity is thrust into a new paradigm. Earth is drafted by the System as a replacement for a dead world, but there's just one problem: humans, the System decides, are underpowered. The fix? Forcing them to level up.

Most people scramble for survival, but Kade plans to thrive. He hunts levels, laughs at danger, and is determined to build something worth saving—partly for humanity, but mostly because this is the most fun he's ever had.

Some call it an apocalypse. Others, an ascension. To Kade, it's heaven.

©2025 S.C. King (P)2025 Royal Guard Publishing LLC

I didn’t like the MC

The story was good, characters were good, but I didn’t like the MC. One thing I can point at is that the author at times made him seem to be proud of being uneducated. Other authors have written similar stories, but did it better (eg Path of the Berserker).

The MC just didn’t appeal to me.

nothing special

The story has no compelling plot or characters, but is good to listen to in the background. Standard LitRPG fare. If you have a credit really burning a hole in your pocket and have already exhausted most of the other books on offer, then its length makes it worth it. If not, id say move along.

Good start to a new series

I like to read/listen together and the VA is one of my favorites. Medium crunchy progression is a good balance. Also I love a good bound weapon (Hammers and Spears/ or Glaives are my preferred MC weapons) and some epic grinding 👍. I did notice though that Arcana Level ups are inconsistent at end of ch 14 and beginning of 16, as mistakes go it was minor. Looking forward to book 2 audio!

Meh but good narrator

The story has nothing standing out for it no character depth,no compelling plot and the magic and system are not unique just overall mediocre

Really similar to

Savage Awakening. Main Characters seems like they are the same with just this one being slightly more intelligent who uses a spear. Just seemed like a copy to me.