Burden of Fate

A LitRPG Progression Fantasy (Ashes of Vaeltharion, Book 1)

De: Steve Harthun

Narrado por: Kenneth Fuentes

A kingdom summoned a hero. They got Trace Veeran instead: a Level 1 drunk passed out in a Kentucky alley. So they tried to poison him. Bad move. The System made him immune to toxins. All of them. Which means the one thing that kept the nightmares quiet? Gone. No more drinking. No more numbness. Just stone-cold sobriety in a world that wants him dead.

They dump him in the lower city with no gear, no skills, and no way out. But Trace Veeran is an Army Ranger with nothing left to lose. And he's always been good at one thing: refusing to die.

Burden of Fate is a gritty LitRPG progression fantasy for fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl and He Who Fights with Monsters.

©2026 Steve Harthun (P)2026 Steve Harthun

so far love this

I love the narrator and the story just keeps getting better and better.. i will definitely get the next book.. yep im a fan.. its been a long while I have gotten into a book. glad I decided to snatch this one up.. its been a freakin great ride and I can see it just getting better.

Such a great listen

Really a great lesson. A really engaging main character and just a great way to spend time. Very much looking forward to the next one.

Trace and his burden of fate

Burden of Fate pulls you in fast with Trace as the kind of character that actually feels human. He’s not overpowered or perfect, and that makes the story better. The world is dark, the stakes feel real, and the progression never feels forced. It’s easy to get invested in where things are going next. Solid start to the series.

Serviceable, repetitive.

The narrator reads this as if he is on perpetual Gloomy Gus mode, it was very one note. Still, it was pretty good and I may be being a little too fussy.

The story is pretty decent. Hero starts weak, works hard, has adventures, gets strong. However, there are elements that are repeated all the time, almost to the point that I began to suspect some AI augmentation. Our hero gets triggered by certain situations and does a breathing exercise. The first 30 times, I thought it was nice he had a soothing habit to avoid backsliding. After about 200 times of the MC inhaling for 4 seconds and exhaling for 6 seconds while being a moody/angsty boy...it's like the AI or author just has a hot key that they use all the time, for no good reason.

Also, the MC likes meat on stick. Hot, greasy, and tasty. How do I know this? Because it is detailed a million times. How does an author come to the conclusion that extreme repetition is the secret to an enjoyable reading/listening experience? Odd and irritating choice.

Finally, there are endless similes and metaphors that I suspect are the result of the author trying too hard, or just AI dreck. Nearly every description is, "the sunrise had the moribund flavor of defeat" or "the hot chocolate held the rank of corporal." Please note that those aren't actual quotes, but they give you an idea. The sheer volume of phrases that seem a half-bubble off plumb made this book feel a little sketchy to me, and it did adversely affect my enjoyment.

Overall, decent, mindless fun...but also a bit disappointing.

Great listen for a first time author

Having read this book upon its initial release, I was intrigued to find it available as an audiobook. For a debut author, the book was quite complex, prompting me to listen to the audio version. The narration excellently brought the story to life.