# How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps

By Andrew Rowe · Error: Hero Not Found, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/how-to-defeat-a-demon-king-in-ten-easy-steps-f4f50160/

The Demon King has had only twenty-three years to conquer the world, and he’s already more than halfway there. The Hero who’s supposed to stop him isn’t due for decades. Yui Shaw decides to go after his sword herself. She’ll need to gain levels and get through dungeons built for someone with a very different set of skills.

## What makes it funny?

Yui’s father taught her that a hero does what’s right even when it puts them in danger. Her world has a more technical definition. True Heroism is a passive skill, and only a Hero can unlock it at level forty-two.

### The comedy at work

Yui starts out with skills for managing inventory, so she has good reason to look for loopholes in the rules that favor the Hero. She asks why a wall that conceals treasure always has a crack in it. Her Sword Saint companion takes tradition far more seriously.

### Try this if…

If you’ve spent time checking cracked walls in Zelda or earning levels in Dragon Quest, you’ll recognize the habits Rowe is playing with. The pleasure for a LitRPG reader is seeing what a clever character can do with abilities most players would pass over.

### Good to know

Yui’s world is separate from the setting of Rowe’s Arcane Ascension books. You can start here without knowing those characters or their magic.

## What to expect

- Genre: Adventure · Fantasy · LitRPG
- On the shelf: Progression fantasy · Quest
- Kind of humor: Parody
- The atmosphere: Whimsical
- Story ingredients: Dungeon adventuring
- Format: Novella
- Published: 2020

## A few distinguishing details

- A rescue that can’t wait for the next Hero
- Inventory skills pressed into service on a dungeon quest

## Sources & further reading

- Author commentary: [Andrew Rowe on his series settings](https://andrewkrowe.wordpress.com/series-info)
- Reading sample: [Opening chapter preview](https://www.everand.com/book/846220541/How-to-Defeat-a-Demon-King-in-Ten-Easy-Steps)
- Book information: [Apple Books ebook and series record](https://books.apple.com/us/book/how-to-defeat-a-demon-king-in-ten-easy-steps/id6743805836)
- Author commentary: [Andrew Rowe on the original ebook](https://andrewkrowe.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/how-to-defeat-a-demon-king-in-ten-easy-steps-kindle-edition-is-out-now)
- Publisher: [Gollancz book page](https://store.gollancz.co.uk/products/how-to-defeat-a-demon-king-in-ten-easy-steps)
- Review: [Mike Finn's review](https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2022/01/02/how-to-defeat-a-demon-king-in-ten-easy-steps-by-andrew-rowe-this-was-a-smile)