Shrubley, the Monster Adventurer: Shrubley, the Monster Adventurer, Book 1

Born an outcast weakling monster. Destined to be an S-grade hero.
As a monster, Shrubley is forbidden from joining the adventurers guild. In a world where essence artists rank up in power and most monsters are feral beasts, Shrubley is among the weakest of creatures and is treated as an outcast that is worth less than dirt.
With curiosity essence bound to his spirit, Shrubley might be weak, but he's intelligent and determined. Against all the odds, he discovers a loophole from the Druid that gave him life—but there's a deadly catch.
For a chance of ever being accepted as a true adventurer, he must challenge an otherworldly realm threatening to consume everything. A realm rife with dangers and opportunities in equal measure.
With a band of fellow low-tier monsters—a tiny slime, an undead skeleton mage, and a koblin—Shrubley sets off to prove that monsters can be heroes too. Even if he must die trying.
Join Shrubley's perilous journey with his band of misfit monsters as he slowly evolves in power from a weak, hunted creature to a high-rank adventurer who wields a sword and shield with healing druid essences! Expect a diverse cast of monsters with unique monster-race powers, a deep class and color-based magic system, silly puns, and of course a hefty dose of optimism. Perfect for fans of Final Fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons, and listeners of epic progression fantasy, LitRPG, Beastborne Chronicles, He Who Fights with Monsters, and Cradle.