Ripple System Books in Order: Shadeslinger to Book 7
8 min readBy LevelUpShelf EditorialLast reviewed
TL;DR: Read the books by number: Shadeslinger, Black Sand Baron, Gilded Ghost, Shattersoul, Emperor's End, Lunatic's Landing. That is 4,296 Kindle pages or 116 hours 2 minutes of Travis Baldree on Audible. Book 7 has no release day yet; Portal Books says "Expected Early 2027".
The Ripple System books by Kyle Kirrin number six so far, from Shadeslinger (2021) to Lunatic's Landing (November 14, 2025), and a seventh that Portal Books lists only as "Expected Early 2027". It is a VRMMO LitRPG with a talking axe, and every audiobook is read by Travis Baldree, the narrator of The Primal Hunter. Below are all six books in order with Kindle dates, page counts and audio lengths, plus what is known about book 7, all checked on October 11, 2026 (book 7 status rechecked October 22). Nothing past book 1's premise.
Key Takeaways
- Six books, no side novels: Amazon numbers every Kindle edition "Book N of 6", and Audible and Goodreads both count six.
- One narrator from the start: Travis Baldree reads all six audiobooks for Portal Books, 116 hours 2 minutes in total by our sum.
- Audio keeps pace: books 3 to 6 came out on Kindle and Audible the same day.
- Book 7 is undated: Portal Books' upcoming list says "Expected Early 2027" (October 22, 2026), with no pre-order on Amazon (October 11) or Audible (October 22).
- A frequent DCC recommendation: 20 top-level comments in our five-thread tally of books like Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Overview
The Ripple System is a LitRPG series by Kyle Kirrin, published in ebook and audio by Portal Books. Portal's series page lists it as LitRPG, "First Published January 2021", with the series marked ongoing.
The premise comes from Audible's summary for book 1: "Corporate flameout Ned Altimer dreams of leaving his world behind. So, when Earthblood Online splashes onto the VRMMO scene, he dives in and never looks back." He gets "exclusive access to the game's three-day Head Start period, and a ridiculously handsome talking axe named Frank". Some readers refer to the whole series by the title of book 1, Shadeslinger.
It turns up often in what-to-read-next threads. In our books like Dungeon Crawler Carl tally it was named in 20 top-level comments across five threads. In the 13 listener threads behind our best LitRPG audiobooks list it came up in 24 comments, in 8 of the threads.
Cover: Portal Books (portal-books.com)
Every Ripple System Book in Order
"Kindle" is the publication date and print length on each book's Amazon Kindle page. "Audible" is the release date and length from each audiobook's Audible page. Audible ratings are as of October 11, 2026 and will drift.
| # | Title | Kindle | Pages | Audible | Length | Audible rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadeslinger | Jan 18, 2021 | 646 | Jan 27, 2021 | 21 h 32 m | 4.73 (8,439) |
| 2 | Black Sand Baron | Sep 23, 2021 | 636 | Sep 22, 2021 | 20 h 1 m | 4.88 (6,890) |
| 3 | Gilded Ghost | Aug 8, 2022 | 862 | Aug 8, 2022 | 21 h 28 m | 4.86 (5,029) |
| 4 | Shattersoul | Jun 2, 2023 | 877 | Jun 2, 2023 | 20 h 15 m | 4.85 (1,920) |
| 5 | Emperor's End | Jun 4, 2024 | 725 | Jun 4, 2024 | 16 h 18 m | 4.91 (2,292) |
| 6 | Lunatic's Landing | Nov 14, 2025 | 550 | Nov 14, 2025 | 16 h 28 m | 4.82 (1,203) |
| 7 | Ripple System #7 | "Expected Early 2027" (Portal Books) | not listed |
On Goodreads, Shadeslinger has 4.32 from 4,939 ratings on the series page, as of October 11, 2026. Every later book scores higher there, from 4.36 (Lunatic's Landing) to 4.59 (Emperor's End). As with any series, later books are rated mostly by people who chose to keep going, so read that as "readers who stay are happy", not as proof that the series improves.
Cover: Portal Books (portal-books.com)
Step-by-Step: How to Read The Ripple System
1. Start with Shadeslinger: 646 pages on Kindle, or 21 hours 32 minutes on Audible, the longest of the six audiobooks.
2. Read books 2 to 6 by number: Black Sand Baron, Gilded Ghost, Shattersoul, Emperor's End, Lunatic's Landing. The cover of each Portal Books edition prints "The Ripple System - Book #" with its number, and no novellas or side stories are listed in the series.
3. Pick either format: since book 3, the audiobook has come out the same day as the ebook, so listeners are not a book behind readers.
4. Watch for book 7: Portal Books lists it as "Expected Early 2027". Our release calendar adds books once a publisher or store gives a firm date.
5. Keep track on the series page: the Ripple System series page lists all six books with a checklist for the ones you have finished.
The Audiobooks: Travis Baldree
Travis Baldree narrates all six Ripple System audiobooks, and Audible lists Portal Books as the publisher on each (book 2's page says "Portal Books Ltd."). The six lengths add up to 116 hours 2 minutes, about 19 hours 20 minutes per book. The first four books run between 20 and 22 hours; books 5 and 6 are shorter, at 16 hours 18 minutes and 16 hours 28 minutes.
Audio has kept up with the ebooks closely:
- Book 1: audiobook 9 days after the Kindle edition.
- Book 2: audiobook dated September 22, 2021, one day before the Kindle date.
- Books 3 to 6: same day as the Kindle edition.
Compare that with The Primal Hunter, the other big Baldree series, where books 13 to 15 reached Audible 147 to 189 days after the ebook. Listeners make the same connection. u/CuchilloJoe, answering an audiobook request in March 2026: "Shadeslinger - ripple system, narrated by the same guy that reads primal hunter" (comment, March 12, 2026).
Ripple System is my top 3 with DCC/HWFWM, audiobook is great.
Our Travis Baldree audiobooks guide covers the four other LitRPG series of his we have checked book by book.
Cover: Portal Books (portal-books.com)
GODEEPER: The Ripple System sits among the shorter long-runners. LitRPG reading orders: every big series in order →
When Is Ripple System Book 7 Coming Out?
There is no release day yet. As of October 22, 2026:
- Portal Books: its "Upcoming Releases" block on the home page reads "Expected Early 2027 | Ripple System #7 | Kyle Kirrin". On October 11 the same block said "Expected 2026". The series page already counts "7 Books" and calls the series ongoing.
- Amazon: no Kindle page or pre-order for book 7 on October 11. Lunatic's Landing still read "Book 6 of 6".
- Audible: the series page shows 6 books, and no book 7 audiobook is listed.
Lunatic's Landing came out November 14, 2025, and the gaps between earlier books ran from about 8 months (book 1 to book 2) to about 17 months (book 5 to book 6). We found no title beyond "Ripple System #7", no cover and no exact date for book 7 on the official pages. If a date appears on a fan wiki or a book database before Portal or Amazon lists it, treat it with care.
How Many Ripple System Books Are There?
Six, with a seventh announced. The sources line up once you see what each one counts:
- Amazon: "Book N of 6" on every Kindle page, ending with Lunatic's Landing.
- Audible: "6 books in series", all read by Travis Baldree.
- Goodreads: "6 primary works • 6 total works".
- Portal Books: "7 Books" on the series page, which includes the unreleased book 7.
We did not find the series on Royal Road when we searched it, so unlike many LitRPG series there is no free web-serial version to read ahead on.
What Readers Say
The most common warning is about the main character in book 1. u/Random1634, in a January 2026 r/litrpg thread: "I'm currently enjoying Ripple System but the first book is kind of hard to like because the MC isn't very likable." (comment, January 23, 2026). u/ShameOk156 felt the same and stayed: "I enjoy The ripple system series first book is shade slinger, started of [sic] disliking the MC but his humor and banter with Frank won me over by the end." (comment, March 15, 2026).
Others point to the tone and the setting. u/RogueNPC: "If you like some comedy in your books, The Ripple System is a lot of fun. But it's a full-time VRMMO series, which I don't see any on your list." (comment, March 23, 2026).
Cover: Portal Books (portal-books.com)
Tips Before You Start
- Give book 1 time. The two readers above both found the main character hard going at first; one says the banter with Frank won him over by the end of book 1.
- Know it is a game story. Readers describe it as a full-time VRMMO series, so it is not a system-apocalypse story set in the real world.
- Listen or read, either works. Same narrator throughout, and audio has matched the ebook date since book 3.
- Spoilers: later blurbs give away earlier events. Read only the blurb of the book you are about to start.
Our take
Based on the facts above, the Ripple System is one of the easier long LitRPG series to start in 2026: six numbered books, no side stories, one narrator, and audiobooks that come out with the ebooks. At 116 hours it is a big listen but well under half of Unbound, another Baldree series that runs over 300 hours. The two questions are fit and timing. Readers warn that Ned is hard to like early on, and book 7 has no date beyond Portal's "Expected Early 2027". If you already enjoy Baldree in The Primal Hunter and do not mind a VRMMO setting, it is a safe next pick.
How we checked this
On October 11, 2026 we opened the Amazon Kindle page for each of the six books (date, print length, "Book N of 6"), the Audible product page for each audiobook (narrator, length, date, publisher, rating) and the Audible series page, the Goodreads series page, Portal Books' series, author and home pages (book 7 status), and a Royal Road search. We re-checked the book 1 and book 6 audiobooks and the Portal "Expected 2026" line ourselves the same day. On October 22, 2026 we re-read Portal's home page, which now says "Expected Early 2027", and the Audible catalog (still six audiobooks). Reader comments were copied from Reddit thread data saved on October 10, 2026. Totals and day counts are our own arithmetic. A site-agent then compared every number in this article with our source table before publication.
Related Reading
- Defiance of the Fall reading order: 17 books, also with same-day audio for most of the run.
- Dungeon Crawler Carl reading order: the series behind our books-like tally.
- Books like He Who Fights with Monsters: reader picks for after HWFWM, ranked by comment count.
- All reading-order guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ripple System reading order? Shadeslinger, Black Sand Baron, Gilded Ghost, Shattersoul, Emperor's End, Lunatic's Landing.
How many Ripple System books are there? Six out; a seventh is listed by Portal Books as "Expected Early 2027".
When is Ripple System book 7 coming out? No release day as of October 22, 2026.
Who narrates the Ripple System audiobooks? Travis Baldree, all six.
Is the Ripple System a VRMMO series? Yes, it is set in a VRMMO called Earthblood Online.
Do the Ripple System audiobooks come out with the ebooks? Since book 3, yes, on the same day.
References
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The LevelUpShelf desk reads the store pages and the reader threads so you can pick book 1 with the numbers in front of you. Every count is dated and linked.
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About this article
LevelUpShelf is independent: no ads, no sponsored posts, and nobody pays to be on a list. Some store links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you buy through one, and it never decides what we list (affiliate links). Book counts, release dates, audiobook lengths and ratings are snapshots from the date we checked them; publishers and stores change listings, so check the store page before you buy. Recommendations come from cited reader discussions, not from reading we claim to have done. Articles are researched and written with AI tools, and every fact is checked against its source before publishing. See how the desk works and how we use AI.