The Wandering Inn
| Author | Pirateaba |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy LitRPG web serial |
| Publisher | HarperCollins (first 4 volumes), Podium Audio (audiobook), Cloudscape Comics (comic book) |
| Publication date | 2016–present (web) August 11, 2026 (print) |
| Pages | 15,000,000+ words[1] |
| Website | wanderinginn |
The Wandering Inn is a LitRPG fantasy web series started in 2016, written by the pseudonymous "Pirateaba". The series is known in part for its length. At over 15 million words and growing, it has been called one of the longest published works in history.[1]
Plot
[edit]The story first follows Erin Solstice, a girl from Earth who finds herself transported to a fantasy world ruled by a role-playing-game-like system with classes and levels.[2] Fleeing monsters, Erin finds an abandoned inn and takes on the class of an Innkeeper. Instead of pursuing heroic quests, Erin dedicates herself to running a safe haven for adventurers and outcasts, placing a sign outside her inn that reads, "No Killing Goblins". Her modest business slowly transforms into a global focal point for both local fantasy races—like the Antinium and Drakes—and other transported Earthlings. As the story expands across multiple continents, the series explores diplomacy, magical warfare, the clash of Earth's technology with the people of "Innworld", and struggles to stop world-ending threats.
Publication
[edit]The Wandering Inn is published on multiple mediums. The series originally began as a web serial, often with biweekly chapter updates, with chapters averaging around 20,000 words.[2] Initially, all chapters were available for free, with Patreon supporters able to read the latest released chapter early. In 2017, Pirateaba announced that Patreon donations were high enough for them to write full time.[3] In 2019, Pirateaba had the 7th most patreons on the website's writing category.[4] The serial was published on Royal Road, a serial hosting company, as well as on the author's WordPress blog.[5] The book is available also in ebook format, along with a comic book published by Cloudscape Comics.[6] In 2026, HarperCollins announced that it had acquired the rights to the first four volumes of the series.[7] As a result, the author has limited the previously free access to the first two volumes.[8]
The books are also available in audiobook form, published by Podium Audio, with the first 15 books narrated by Andrea Parsneau.[9] As of Book 19, the audiobook length is 771 hours and 13 minutes. Pirateaba said in an interview they[a] agreed to work with Podium since it had been the first publisher of The Martian.[10] After the announcement of a television adaptation for Dungeon Crawler Carl, Pirateaba said they would prefer an animated adaption of their series. "There are a few western animation styles I like; a lot of anime styles would also work well for the story," but "CGI or live action would surely fail given the complexities of characters like Antinium or even Drakes."[11]
With a length of over 15 million words as of 2026, the Wandering Inn is one of the longest book series ever written.[1][12][13]
The series is cited as an example of using "direct audience feedback and reader-driven plot developments".[14] The author has acknowledged that they take into account reader comments and try to incorporate any noted problems, viewing it as an opportunity for "crowdsource editing".[15]
Print entries
[edit]| No. | Title | Release Date | Pages | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Wandering Inn | August 11, 2026 | 640 | 9780063516380 |
| 2 | No Killing Goblins | September 22, 2026 | 784 | 9780063516403 |
| 3 | Fae and Fare | October 20, 2026 | 848 | 9780063516427 |
| 4 | Immortal Games | November 10, 2026 | 816 | 9780063516465 |
Reviews and awards
[edit]The Wandering Inn is regularly included on lists of top entries in the LitRPG genre.[16] Jacob Kienlen of IGN included the series on his top-10 LitRPG Books list and praised the way the series "unravels the universe through various points of view".[17] Preston Simmons from Reader's Grotto ranked the web serial at #2 in his list of "The Top 10 Best LitRPG Books in 2022", calling it "one of the best LitRPG books of all time". Additionally, he says, "This web serial is many things at once, all done exceptionally well."[18] Similarly, NAG Magazine in South Africa included the series on its list of top 3 LitRPG Books, praising it for being "massive, emotional, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt at times".[19] Eun Yoon from Fugue magazine included the series in her list of best web serials, calling it a "captivating entry to the genre" and a "richly rewarding experience".[20]
Adam Weller at Fantasy Book Review, while noting the web serial is "essentially a first draft", compared it favorably to the Worm series, "where all of your other interests are put aside so you can tear into this story as quickly as possible".[21] The series has also been noted for eschewing the power fantasy tropes common in the LitRPG genre.[22] Nils Ödlund at Read Indie Fantasy praised the series, including the characters and the "over-the-top amazing magic", but also noted that "the overarching plot moves incredibly slow[ly]".[23]
The Wandering Inn won the Stabby Award for Best Serialized Fiction for three years in a row (2018, 2019, 2020) by Reddit's r/Fantasy.[24][25][26]
The audiobook for the series has also received praise.[27]
Spinoff series
[edit]A three-novel spinoff series, The Singer of Terandria, was released in 2025.[28]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ Pirateaba has stated multiple times that they accept any pronouns due to their anonymity, however they/them is typically used.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Donaldson, Kayleigh (January 28, 2026). "Fastest Active Writers in Science Fiction and Fantasy". The Portalist. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- 1 2 Pâquet 2022, p. 8.
- ↑ Pâquet 2022, p. 12.
- ↑ Rowe, Adam (2019-06-29). "The Top 10 Writers On Patreon In 2019". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ "The Wandering Inn | Royal Road". 2021-02-25. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ↑ "The Last Tide". Cloudscape Comics. 2020-06-13. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ Brown, Lauren (April 8, 2026). "HarperVoyager snares four books in LitRPG series The Wandering Inn". The Bookseller. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ pirateaba (2026-03-28). "HarperCollins Announcement". The Wandering Inn. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ "The Wandering Inn - Series". Podium Entertainment. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ Kienlen, Jacob (May 30, 2026). "The Wandering Inn Interview: Pirateaba Talks LitRPG Success and Inspiration". IGN. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Kienlen, Jacob (May 30, 2026). "The Wandering Inn Author Says a Live-Action Adaptation of Their LitRPG Books Would 'Surely Fail'". IGN. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ↑ https://innwords.pallandor.com/wordcount Word Count
- ↑ Santiago Cortés, Michelle. "Killjoy in the Machine Why do so many people use AI to cheat at fun?". The Cut. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Anandharaj, D. (July 2025). "Digital Storytelling and Literary Memory: Exploring" (PDF). International Journal Of English and Studies. 7 (7): 633. ISSN 2581-8333.
- ↑ Pâquet 2022, p. 10.
- ↑ Mulroy, Claire (9 May 2026). "LitRPG is hot. Why fans can't get enough of books like 'Dungeon Crawler Carl'". USA Today. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
- ↑ Kienlen, Jacob (May 12, 2026). "10 LitRPG Books I Recommend You Start Reading in 2026". IGN. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Simmons, Preston (January 21, 2022). "The Top 10 Best LitRPG Books in 2022". Reader's Grotto. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Pieterse, Arielle (5 March 2026). "Level Up Your Reading List: 3 LitRPG Books Every Gamer Should Try". Nag.co.za. NAG Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Yoon, Eun (March 20, 2024). "A Short Introduction to Webnovels". Fugue. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ↑ Weller, Adam (21 November 2019). "The Wandering Inn by pirateaba". Fantasy Book Review. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
- ↑ Drislane, Liamog (May 2024). Speculative Escapism in Contemporary Fantasy: Labor, Utility, Affect (Doctor of Philosophy thesis). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Marquette University. p. 192. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ↑ Odlund, Niles. "Series Review: The Wandering Inn". www.readindiefantasy.com. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
- ↑ "Announcing The 2018 Best of r/Fantasy Stabby Awards!". Reddit.[self-published]
- ↑ "2019 Stabby Winners!". Reddit.[self-published]
- ↑ "Best of /r/Fantasy 2020 - The Stabby Awards! - WINNERS!". Reddit.[self-published]
- ↑ Kienlen, Jacob (5 June 2026). "10 Fantasy Audiobooks That Will Magically Transport You to Another World". IGN. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Singer of Terandria (3 book series)". Amazon. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
Sources
[edit]- Pâquet, Lili (2022). "Publishing Processes For a Digital Age". In Meekings, Sam; Moore, Marshall (eds.). Creative Writing Scholars on the Publishing Trade. Routledge. ISBN 9780367485412.