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Accidentally a Shrine Priestess on RR has been a surprisingly peaceful slice-of-life serial so far. The first 2-3 chapters are the roughest because the MC does not cope with suddenly finding herself in fantasy land well. After that, it's been an unoffensive and calming read. Extremely low stakes so far, but I'm somehow still invested in reading what happens next.
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May 9, 2022 19:49
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 09:56 |
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Wittgen posted:Arkendrythist Patreon spoilers. I also loved that the majority of the ending of a book was people sitting around and talking, and having a rational discussion about peace. Even though most of the people at the table are bloodthirsty, an agreement was met. I'm just tired of high stakes fight scenes I guess, so good on Ar'Kendrithyst.
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May 9, 2022 19:54
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Ar'kendrythist is unique and special
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May 9, 2022 20:35
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Yeah it rules. Power fantasy is great when it is actually grappling with what power means and how it affects morality. Arkendrythist is pretty unique in doing it with an empathetic, pacifist leaning protagonist. Most power fantasy protagonists are emotionally maladjusted and violent.
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May 9, 2022 21:39
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Has anyone read The Perfect Run and would you recommend it or should I stay away?
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May 9, 2022 21:42
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I finished it a week or two ago. I didn't like it at first, felt the MC was super juvenile and wasn't really meshing with the snarky dialogue, MC who can't lose and thus zero stakes. I kept reading because I had heard that it gets better and it absolutely does, the snark and eyerolling humor is really toned down and it's better the more more serious it gets. I would suggest to read until the first major reset and if it's not your thing by then it's not going to be. I enjoyed the back half way, way more than the front half.
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May 9, 2022 21:46
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Bhodi posted:I finished it a week or two ago. I didn't like it at first, felt the MC was super juvenile and wasn't really meshing with the snarky dialogue, MC who can't lose and thus zero stakes. Agreed, the beginning is okay but it quickly gets better, the opposite of most serials. It is probably the best of that author's stories.
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May 9, 2022 21:50
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The somewhat cringe beginning is really redeemed when you realize the protagonist is absolutely ancient because of his time powers and is doing it on purpose to keep himself free from literally insane boredom. The... I dunno, slapstick phase is over pretty quick. And the parts of it that are actually funny stick around.
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May 9, 2022 22:00
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i think the main issue with The Perfect Run and the authors other works is that he really can't do tone for anything that isn't a humorous work. his first work suited his strengths perfectly, but his efforts to establish pathos never seem to ring true to me. its just too jokey, and not jokey in a black humor way.
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May 9, 2022 22:18
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I started TWI maybe a year ago and have just gotten up to date. It's been a hell of a ride and I agree with all the criticism around pacing. I often found it to be a grind but I'd always be waiting for the story to get back to x which had been building up slowly and I knew the next x chapter was going to be good. They only arc I really felt never excited about was all the Laken stuff and even the climax of that just got totally left behind afterwards in terms of the characters around Laken with one exception.
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May 9, 2022 22:50
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Bhodi posted:I finished it a week or two ago. I didn't like it at first, felt the MC was super juvenile and wasn't really meshing with the snarky dialogue, MC who can't lose and thus zero stakes. Thanks, I had my doubts after the first few chapters but I will definitely stick with it now!
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May 9, 2022 23:20
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LLSix posted:Accidentally a Shrine Priestess on RR has been a surprisingly peaceful slice-of-life serial so far. The first 2-3 chapters are the roughest because the MC does not cope with suddenly finding herself in fantasy land well. After that, it's been an unoffensive and calming read. Extremely low stakes so far, but I'm somehow still invested in reading what happens next. Hey thanks the first 9 chapters of this have been a cool chill read.
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May 9, 2022 23:35
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Aware posted:I started TWI maybe a year ago and have just gotten up to date. It's been a hell of a ride and I agree with all the criticism around pacing. I often found it to be a grind but I'd always be waiting for the story to get back to x which had been building up slowly and I knew the next x chapter was going to be good. I think even Pirateaba got sick of Laken.
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May 10, 2022 00:52
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Bhodi posted:I finished it a week or two ago. I didn't like it at first, felt the MC was super juvenile and wasn't really meshing with the snarky dialogue, MC who can't lose and thus zero stakes. Mostly agree with this. I never liked the protagonist, but I found him completely insufferable early on. Perfect Run also has a certain way of writing women characters that feels very...Western fantasy novel-ish? Not sure how else to describe it. But the general details of the story and the way different scenarios are written is pretty good. Tom Clancy is Dead posted:The ending of 8 had some real Avengers: Infinity War energy with all the characters making their 30 second cameos, except it's pirateaba so it's more like 5,000 words. Wandering Inn is definitely pretty indulgent, though I think that's something true of most web serials (where it can feel like reality is warping to allow characters to be relevant and have "moments"). That sort of indulgence is one of the things that can "take me out" of a story. There are exceptions, though; Outcast in Another World is also quite indulgent, but it doesn't bother me as much, I think because it keeps to a very direct core plot. PracGuide also definitely does this, but it was clever about making it an actual part of the metaphysics of the setting. I think that Forge/Threads of Destiny is probably the only web serial I've read that has a very big cast that isn't dealt with in an indulgent way; characters basically come and go in ways that feel pretty organic and make sense given the events of the story and the protagonist's choices. It's actually pretty rare for a fantasy story/serial focused on a single protagonist to have side characters that genuinely feel like they're living their own lives when the protagonist isn't around. Like they're always doing things, and we only hear much about those things if Ling Qi is going to be involved with them in some way (and even when she is involved, it's usually the sort of thing where it could have been someone else instead).
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May 11, 2022 03:56
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I've been reading Memories of the Fall (starting from the in-progress rewritten book 1) and while it's quite well-written and well-realized, it also has been ten chapters of various viewpoint characters being hosed over politically in one way or another; I'm not sure anybody has gotten a real, whole-hearted win yet. I'm not saying my fiction needs to always be a power fantasy but I really hope somebody gets some catharsis at some point.
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May 11, 2022 05:03
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nrook posted:I've been reading Memories of the Fall (starting from the in-progress rewritten book 1) and while it's quite well-written and well-realized, it also has been ten chapters of various viewpoint characters being hosed over politically in one way or another; I'm not sure anybody has gotten a real, whole-hearted win yet. I'm not saying my fiction needs to always be a power fantasy but I really hope somebody gets some catharsis at some point. As someone doing the same thing, yes, this so much. On the plus side, it's gotten me playing Amazing Cultivation Simulator again.
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May 11, 2022 16:36
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Finally caught up on the last few chapters of TWI, I basically hadn’t read any of the final month’s big writing push. I agree with the general consensus that it felt a little rushed, especially the last quadruple update. I still had a lot of fun reading it, though, and I can respect Pirate’s need to be done - their after volume note is pretty bleak, sounds like they desperately need a lengthy break and were doing anything they could to get there sooner than later. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by Erin’s post revival level ups. We’ll have to see exactly what that quest system entails, but 2 million words worth of being dead and learning from the greats of history seems like it should have resulted in more than a single level in her main class. I get that it was implying by that the dead being gone from the afterlife has broken the system to an extent, but still, I was really hoping for at least level 50 and a consolidation with those Witch levels. Silynt fucked around with this message at 22:54 on May 11, 2022 |
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May 11, 2022 22:45
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Silynt posted:Finally caught up on the last few chapters of TWI, I basically hadn’t read any of the final month’s big writing push. I agree with the general consensus that it felt a little rushed, especially the last quadruple update. I still had a lot of fun reading it, though, and I can respect Pirate’s need to be done - their after volume note is pretty bleak, sounds like they desperately need a lengthy break and were doing anything they could to get there sooner than later. how much innkeeping did she do while she was dead?
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May 11, 2022 22:57
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Lone Goat posted:how much innkeeping did she do while she was dead? I think you could argue that making friends with super high level ghosts is very innkeeper adjacent, at least the way Erin does it, but I suppose that technically all of that experience was represented in the failed level ups instead of Innkeeper levels. She almost became a Level 41 Dragonfriend! That sounds like it’s worth a level or two in Magical Innkeeper to me  .
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May 11, 2022 23:34
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also probably trying to avoid creating a totally OP character that effortlessly solves all the problems.. even though that's already Erin kinda
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May 12, 2022 00:40
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Aware posted:also probably trying to avoid creating a totally OP character that effortlessly solves all the problems.. even though that's already Erin kinda I mean, arguably Erin's real power doesn't come from her skills at all, and is entirely based on how nice/crazy she is.
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May 12, 2022 06:00
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More TWI : I'm a big fan of Erin's big reward for returning from the dead being the ability to put down the equivalent of a world of warcraft golden exclamation point. I'm excited for the possibilities.
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May 12, 2022 19:36
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I just started reading Cradle. Did these books start out as web serials or just really inspired by xianxia web serials? Either way, lol at the main character being so happy to be beat up little kids. Also, I like the super being perspective stuff so far, and I usually don't. Feels well done in a way it didn't in, say, He Who Fights With Monsters. Maybe that will change when she actually crosses path with the main character but here's hoping.
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May 12, 2022 20:20
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Wittgen posted:I just started reading Cradle. Did these books start out as web serials or just really inspired by xianxia web serials? Neither, as far as I know. The author wrote several other series first, and they're all pretty similar. If anything, the earliest books feel more like Zelda. Cradle is the best by far, Will Wright has really improved as an author since he first started writing. Wittgen posted:Either way, lol at the main character being so happy to be beat up little kids.
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May 12, 2022 20:35
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What? No. Lindon beating up pre-teens was what made me keep reading the book when I was about to give up on it.
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May 12, 2022 20:48
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The first few cradle books really emphasized for me how utterly lovely and like an endless prison gang war that cultivator worlds are.
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May 12, 2022 20:56
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Yeah, honestly you need Lindon beating the hell out of much younger kids to really understand where his absolute despair/drive comes from. Because up until the first novel they could (and had) wiped the floor with him brutally for years. Zore fucked around with this message at 21:17 on May 12, 2022 |
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May 12, 2022 21:14
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Yeah, 100 percent sincere when I say it rules to have your main character beating up kids in front of a booing crowd and have it be the happiest the reader has ever seen him. It's part effective encapsulation of how poo poo this culture is and part Adam Sandler playing dodgeball for keeps with grade schoolers.
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May 12, 2022 21:28
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Wittgen posted:I just started reading Cradle. Did these books start out as web serials or just really inspired by xianxia web serials? And yeah Will Wight has a great sense of humor in his books (he often tries too hard in his outside-of-book writing and speaking though). quote:Also, I like the super being perspective stuff so far, and I usually don't. Feels well done in a way it didn't in, say, He Who Fights With Monsters. Maybe that will change when she actually crosses path with the main character but here's hoping.
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May 12, 2022 21:31
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Cicero posted:I mean it's westernized Xianxia, and yeah most of the inspiration comes from translated Xianxia serials. Also benefits from not being periodic fiction where some chapters could be edited down to half size.
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May 12, 2022 21:35
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Double Blind: I need to go back to where it explains summons and see if Talia can be resummoned or is dead. Also wondering if he can summon with a user crystal or monster only. I'm guessing Sae will get reconstituted into a new dungeon later. Maybe as a monster?
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May 13, 2022 01:11
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Kyoujin posted:Double Blind: I need to go back to where it explains summons and see if Talia can be resummoned or is dead. Also wondering if he can summon with a user crystal or monster only. ^5 Double-Blind reading buddy! Honestly, this one is one I’ve been on the verge of dropping. MC is just “this” close to being too unlikeable for me, but it’s been well written enough to keep me on. This next arc will decide me one way or another
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May 13, 2022 07:22
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I appreciate that everyone who knows the protagonist thinks he's a loving idiot who read too many books and needs to take antidepressants. Normally an edgelord character like this is either unchallenged or proven to be right in some way by the narrative. In this case, he's objectively just mentally ill lol.
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May 13, 2022 13:13
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I've been keeping up on Millenial Mage and finding it quite relaxing. At first it seemed like everything was a bit too easy for Tala but it's been made very clear since that yes, she's unique and talented in ways, but there are a lot of gaps in her knowledge and experience to be filled if she can keep from dying long enough to do so, and what she thought was close to the upper tier is only the beginning. Also her obsession with coffee, money, and needing therapy is very relatable. Latest chapter had her finding out that you cannot, in fact, make a magical device that just makes coffee on the fly and it's a lot more complicated than that, and only one person ever pulled it off and made a very expensive prototype. "What was his second prototype like?" "He didn't make one." "Quitter"
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May 13, 2022 18:49
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Larry Parrish posted:I appreciate that everyone who knows the protagonist thinks he's a loving idiot who read too many books and needs to take antidepressants. Normally an edgelord character like this is either unchallenged or proven to be right in some way by the narrative. In this case, he's objectively just mentally ill lol. Yeah, that's really what salvages the serial for me. Any time it seems too edgy after a few chapters in the MC's head we get another perspective like Jinny's that shows what is really up. At some point it may go too depressing to be enjoyable like navyjack was saying but so far its toed the line without crossing it. Really liked how the whole mind control / doublecross subplot was handled with the arachne. Acknowledges the nice 4x perk betrayal reward for a heartbeat then goes into damage control to save the party without any "will he won't he" garbage. Even' the mind control excuse didn't get played out since Nick just hulk mode through the trial and when they meet up Matt immediately shoots the spider.
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May 13, 2022 22:29
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Larry Parrish posted:I appreciate that everyone who knows the protagonist thinks he's a loving idiot who read too many books and needs to take antidepressants. Normally an edgelord character like this is either unchallenged or proven to be right in some way by the narrative. In this case, he's objectively just mentally ill lol.
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May 14, 2022 08:00
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Foxfire_ posted:The protagonist also thinks that about himself, he's just limited on meds and therapy by poverty, family crises, and the plot happening. That's why it's good edgy and not bad edgy. when he's not being extra manic because of magic he seems to be aware that he really needs a drat chill pill most of the time.
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May 14, 2022 08:11
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Anyway to change the subject back to Memories of the Fall, I skipped over that one a few times because frankly it sounded too generic to bother with. And it kind of is, but I really like it. There's clearly a background plot, but I just finished Chapter 11 (they're REALLY long, lol, I didn't count but it felt like a couple hundred pages), and so far I really enjoy this. It's kind of melancholic and grounded in a way xianxia novels rarely are. Our cast so far is mostly the fantasy china equivalent of gentry, bourgeoisie, or minor nobles (with a few exceptions), but since this is a xianxia instead of making them feel rich and privileged (though they are) they mostly come off like, I dunno, mercenary oil prospectors or something. Like probably a solid third of the writing so far has been devoted to stalking through death jungles and tactical feng shui. Like, plenty of xianxia novels give that stuff a brief mention but rarely do any of them really use Chinese alchemy in any way lol. It's cool. Mostly when traditional elements like that exist it basically feels like normal western fantasy but with a theme from the MTX store slapped on top. Anyway I really like this, I kind of hope it stays in this almost slice of life space. I guess Forge does the same thing but that story is a lot more focused. This one feels like it's really about the region or at least their home city as a whole.
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May 14, 2022 10:02
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Unfortunately Book 2 of Memories of the Fall is quite bad in comparison. I’m hopeful Book 3 will be better, since of course it was written by an author closer in time to the author of the Book 1 rewrite, but if it keeps being ”grimdark Azarinth Healer” I’ll probably drop the series. (Spoiler tags for people who really don’t want to know about the general direction of a story before reading it; I suspect most people would be fine clicking the spoiler, since it’s just a general criticism of the story.)
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May 14, 2022 14:32
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the hell does that spoiler mean, exactly, lol. there's so many ways I could take that but the number one is incredibly badly written and also repetitive and dull
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May 14, 2022 14:44
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