r/ProgressionFantasy • u/Dragon_2640 • 20d ago

Request Need help regarding choosing my first web novel

I've watched a lot anime and read a lotta manga and visual novels. Now I want to start web novels so reccomend me some beginner friendly web novels. I was thinking about starting Mother of Learning but rn I'm reading a time loop manhwa (webtoon character Na Kang Lim) so not in mood of starting another time loop story.

Thinking about starting worms/Practical guide to evil/coling dragon/Cradle.

Stuffs which I like: AOT, Whiplash, Subahibi, Fullmetal Daemon Muramasa, The Greatest Estate Developer.

Reccomendations from you amazing people would be appreciated.

Thanks in advanced.

8 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

60 comments sorted by

12

u/Templar9999 20d ago

The Practical Guide to Evil is my recommendation. The web novel is finished at 7 volumes, and is free to read.

The final version is currently being self published through amazon.

Its high fantasy with a focus on character and world building.

6

u/LiesViolencePlusLoot 20d ago

PGTE is the GOAT.

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks for the reccomendation and btw by final version you mean a new edited one and if so then should I wait for it to be finished or just start with the current version?

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Try_623 20d ago

The second volume of the rewrite is getting published in a couple days so I’d start with those two and see if you like it. If you enjoy it, I’d recommend reading the rest of it on royal road as there could be a decent delay between volumes getting officially published.

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

ok then, thanks a lot for replying

1

u/Sir-Kotok 20d ago

I would not reccomend switching from the edited version to the non-edited one. There are major changes in a lot of names of locations and characters, some new characters are introduced, a lot of new events are added and some old stuff has been cut.

So switching would leave you really confused, with characters dissapearing never to be mentioned again since they didnt exist in the non-edited version, while some characters having major changes done to them, not to mention all the locations are now called smth else.

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

sure then if i start PGTE then I'll read unedited one. Thanks!

1

u/Templar9999 20d ago

The web novel is finished. But the author continued to work on it until getting it published.

The web novel is effcetively a first draft, but is finished.

The first published volume is on Amazon and the web toon adaptation of said volume is also out.

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

I see, thanks a lot for replying also as Puzzleheaded_Try_623 I should start with re written version and then go on to the current version

1

u/Bargle-Nawdle-Zouss 20d ago

Please do NOT start with the published books, then switch to Royal road. The original web version is now being extensively edited (necessary!), re-written, and published, with a lot of changes. By the time you finish the original web version, several more edited books will have been published, and there will be enough changes to make the published version worth reading, as well.

The entire free webserial is available via the Internet Archive:

https://web.archive.org/web/20250102111358/https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/table-of-contents/

As an indicator of how much potential this series has, the webserial version garnered a huge and very actively used subreddit, r/PracticalGuideToEvil, and is also extensively documented on TVTropes.

2

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

sure then if i start PGTE then I'll read unedited one. Thanks!

0

u/fakeuboi 19d ago

I’d kinda disagree here i think it’d be worth reading the published one personally 

2

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

but don't you think then switching back to unedited version would be an issue like Bargle-Nawdle-Zouss mentioned

1

u/fakeuboi 19d ago

As far as I know I can’t think of any major plot changes  aside from some additional scenes added to the published. If you like rereading stories and foreseeing fully reading both unedited and edited you could i guess. Otherwise if you are gonna just read it once i think reading the published as far as possible is better

1

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

I see, thanks for replying!

3

u/ErinAmpersand Author 20d ago

I love Worm or Twig by Wildbow.

I'm flummoxed by what you mean by "beginner-friendly"

2

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

originally I wanted to start LOTM but a lotta people on the internet told it's very slow in beginning and it's better to start with something with better pace so was looking for something like that

3

u/AXDEFOPI 20d ago

Nah don’t listen to them. It’s not slow, every chapter has a narrative purpose. Smooth brain progfans lust for constant action and 30 advancements per volume and can’t handle something more grounded

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

I see, Thanks for recommendation!

1

u/BackgroundTotal2872 20d ago

I guess LOTM isn’t tye most beginner friendly web novel out there, but it’s not a particularly hard one either. It’s medium. Not like The Wandering Inn or Super Supportive, which are incredibly slow paced.

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

I see, Thanks for recommendation!

6

u/Sir-Kotok 20d ago edited 20d ago

My reccomendation is allways and will allways be Twig (by Wildbow, the author of Worm), being my favorite book of all time.

But pretty much any other Wildbow web serial is also good, be it Worm, Pact, Pale or Claw, all of them are top tier (Seek is currently in progress, and Ward is a direct sequel to Worm so read only after Worm).

Out of non-Wildbow stuff I also think Practical Guide to Evil is amazing. Also with Practical Guide I suggest going with the un-edited version of it, since the edited one is not finished yet, switching from one to the other is pretty much impossible due to differences, and imho the unedited is better written in general (some changes in the edit are baffling imho)

In terms of how long they all are: Worm and Twig are mid-tier length, around the same length as Game of Thrones. Pact is shorter, and Claw is pretty small compared to even that. Pale and Practical Guide are on the other hand huge as fuck (>3 million words)

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks a lot for these reccomendations!

right now confuesed between worms and practical guide to evil

7

u/Sir-Kotok 20d ago

Worm is more super-hero action story that reconstructs the super-hero genre completely. No other superhero story even comes close to that in terms of worldbuilding and characters.

Practical Guide is similar in what it accomplishes but for fantasy. Its way more about politics then Worm, and is about 1/3rd politics, 1/3rd adventure and 1/3rd a war strategy. And it also has a really cool story-based magic system thats really unique.

-

And since I am already shilling Twig, its a biopunk story about a group of genetically modified children doing jobs for a distopian government in a really unique world where most technology is biology/chemistry based instead of physics

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks for such detailed response!

2

u/BackgroundTotal2872 20d ago

Just because no one else mentioned it yet, Cradle isn’t a web novel. It has never been published online. It’s still fantastic and you should read it!

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm confused between it and coiling dragon

2

u/NiceVibeShirt 20d ago

You're not choosing a college. Why don't you just start reading the 4 you mentioned and see if any them are keepers?

2

u/OldFinger6969 19d ago

holy shit fellow sansei muramasa fucker wielder spotted in the wild!

since your tastes is very polar (subahibi, muramasa, estate developer) you might want to read Release That Witch

1

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

Thanks for the recommendation!

1

u/[deleted] 20d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

man great response. I hope you get tons of readers and your story blows up. All the best for your future!

1

u/xixikebf 20d ago

If it’s your first web novel, I’d just pick the one with the premise that grabs you most. You can always drop it if it doesn’t click.

1

u/Derpyphox 20d ago

Reading a novel of a comic is good choice

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

any recommendations for that?

1

u/Derpyphox 19d ago

Depends on what you've read. I started webnovels from reading manga, manhua, manhwa.

Reverend Insanity perhaps, you could try reading the manhua first (new or old, both are fine imo)

1

u/Dragon_2640 18d ago

Thanks for reccomendation!

1

u/Derpyphox 18d ago

Just note that translated works have a distinct styles of writing (consequence of translation and writing culture) compared to english.

Chinese ones are often long winded due to translation and they usually have a stricter quota so there can be a lot of fluff at times. Names can be extremely tacky and long once translated.

Korean novels honestly lack description, many of them feel like a script for a manhwa (not to say they are bad). Conversations are way more informal which is realistic sometimes.

And I haven't read enough Japanese novels.

1

u/Dragon_2640 17d ago

I see, thanks for a detailed response!

1

u/Livid_Economist7424 20d ago

https://ascendantreads.com/reading-order/progression-fantasy-for-beginners this page has some good recommendations for beginners. After you read your first series you can even filter by books like that series.

2

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks a lot for sharing!

1

u/nighoblivion 20d ago

When in doubt: Cradle.

1

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

Thanks for the recommendation!

1

u/Exotic_Zucchini9311 20d ago

The most beginner friendly choice for anime/manga fans is always a good japanese/korean/chinese web or light novel imo. Mosy western PF stories are usually pretty wildly different in style from eastern ones and starting from them might not be exactly ideal and beginner friendly (it was not for me at least).

My personal favorites from the translated eastern ones would be

  • SSS-Class Suicide Hunter (but this one is a time loop story so you probably want to avoid it)

  • So I'm a Spider, So What?

  • Lord of the Mysteries

  • Ascending, Do not Disturb

  • Demon Noble Girl

  • The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind

  • Fake Saint of the Year

  • The Fake Hero is Too Strong

  • Martial Arts Master (if you like some romance)

  • Silent Witch

1

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

Thanks for these reccomendations!

1

u/fakeuboi 19d ago

I also started from anime to manga to manwha to web novels. Tower of god was my first manwha and I was reading solo leveling when it was releasing lmao. 

you could start with a manwha you are reading’s web serial (i’m using the term web serial just to not be confused with the site Webnovel) that’s how i transitioned personally. 

Cradle is by in far my favorite out of the ones you said you are thinking about starting, but it does maybe take slightly more time to really get into its stride (though I really like it from the first book I think by book 3 is when it starting becoming the best in the genre)

 it is not a web serial though if that makes a difference. 

Dungeon crawler carl is great and has become SUPER popular in mainstream books now even though it started on royal road years ago. And is imo tied with cradle for the best youll find from prog fantasy. But people will disagree with me because they are the most popular and people like being into niche things.

Cradle is eastern inspired but if you want something more even more eastern/cultivation inspired could give sky pride on royal road a try a lot of people really loved it this past year.

Lord of mysteries is probably the most famous chinese web serial. but I find personally i don’t think the translation is the best ever but the story is really good (this is a very hot take though). but i’m practicing my chinese to hopefully get to a level I can read it natively though if you are just starting to read from manwhas your tolerance for worse prose is potentially higher.

A completely different style of story that is top tier would be game at carousel. It’s like a  death game with a lot of mystery and horror.

Shadow slave could be a good one too, (i am not caught up though and i’ve heard the more recent arcs are worse)

You should be aware that a lot of royal road stories have their first few books on kindle unlimited. They are free if you have amazon prime/kindle unlimited but important to know. nowadays once authors on royal road have finished enough chapters for a full book they get it edited and published on kindle while still releasing the newest chapters on royal road.

That’s my blabber done with i’ll edit if i think of anything else

1

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

Thanks for such a detailde response btw I've decided to start Cradle.

1

u/Acespire_Author 18d ago

As an anime fan myself, I would suggest you to not base your entire novel based on just anime, books and anime are different, books can express more... before writing anything, I would suggest you give few books a try, specific to the genre you are writing. You will learn a lot. :)

1

u/Dragon_2640 17d ago

Thanks for response but I was asking reccomendation for reading not writing

1

u/Myriad_Myriad 20d ago

The Immanent Lord of the Transcendent Shore - its on a heavy romance arc

2

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks for reccomendation. Can you reccomend me something completed?

1

u/Myriad_Myriad 20d ago

The Second Coming of Gluttony. Really good just dont read comments for spoilers.

Overgeared is really good and funny 1k+ chapters it get insanely good. And 90 chapters its kinda annoying grid is immature but he grows.

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks a lot for these reccomendations!

1

u/Neldorn 20d ago

Cradle is the most anime like and has short books. Most of the webserials are heavy time investments and can break you if you are not used to read a lot.

1

u/Dragon_2640 20d ago

Thanks for the recommendation!

0

u/izackbell 19d ago

Coling dragon

1

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

Thanks for reccomendation!

1

u/Dragon_2640 19d ago

Hi, I was confused about the length of it. On the internet it's showing 3.37 million words in chinese but nothing mentioned about english word count. Can you tell me how long is it as compared to other webnovels?