The Secret Sin

Seven Stars, Book One

By: Mike Warren

Narrated by: Kyle Snyder

Ancient dungeons promise a life of power, glory and, best of all, riches. The life of a cultivator. The life of a sinner.

The sinners guild holds a powerful monopoly on this life of glory. The qualification for entry is binding your soul to a powerful item made from a fabled metal called Ardite.

In a world where hidden powers and ancient forces shape every breath, Vy Miller only ever dreamed of a quiet life in the remote town of Ordin. To grow old and take over his father’s mill and marry the girl of his dreams. However, when a mysterious man appears, with a request Vy can’t ignore, he is pulled into a life far beyond what he’d ever imagined. With his fatefully gotten Ardite sword, Vy struggles with learning the ways of a sinner while also learning of a much more secret side of himself. One gifted to him by the mysterious man. A side that must be kept hidden.

For fans of LitRPG, cultivation, dangerous quests, and complex heroes, The Secret Sin is the start of an unforgettable adventure.

©2024 Michael Warren (P)2025 Michael Warren

Its alright just not much to hang on to.

Its a bit bare bones. The concept is good if not old fashoned, being dungeoun core strapped to a blade and all that. After that though theres nothing but some overpowered beings who seem to be ploting, which i couldnt tell if they where good or bad. So it made the parts with the really strong dungeoun cores wierd cause they influence the land and use it as well. Its confusing since i cant tell if their titles of demons make them nobles or villains. Cause their kinda helping. Those parts always felt like wierd cameos.

An Awesome LitRPG!

Vy Miller lives in Ordin, a remote town in the land of Sloth. In Vy's world, everyone comes from a land named for one of the sins--and instead of inflicting curses, those sins grant boons. For instance, those from Sloth--Vy included--are typically bigger and heartier than their friends in Pride or Lust.

When the book begins, Vy is simply a farm boy going about his business. Heartier and stronger than a lot of people, but otherwise unremarkable. Things change when he comes into contact with ardite, a fabled metal that grants additional boons to its users. Ardite comes in all shapes and sizes: weapons, armor, and even accessories like glasses. Once Vy bonds his ardite item, he becomes a "Sinner," basically a member of an adventurer's guild that will teach him how to harness and grow his newfound abilities.

This is where the book really picks up. Along with some newfound friends, Vy starts pulling a nearby dungeon. And that's what we all came for, right? Monsters, traps, and treasure abound!

I read a lot of books in this genre and a lot of them are... a mess. This isn't one of them. The story is well-written, the magic makes sense, and Warren even introduces something novel to the genre though his clever play on the seven deadly sins. The audiobook is also a joy, and narrator Kyle Snyder brings humor, emotion, and depth to all of the characters.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Aleron Kong's The Land series or Shirtaloon's He Who Fights With Monsters. I'm excited for future installments to come out!