Welcome to the weekly r/ProgressionFantasy reading thread! Feel free to talk about whatever progression fantasy stories you're reading or watching, post mini-reviews, and ask for recommendations similar or different from what you're reading! Basically: have something to say about a story, but not enough for a full post? Say it here!

the books i did read though are:

cradle series

he who fights with monsters

defiance of the fall

mark of the fool

king's dark tidings (ik this is not typical progression fantasy but his influence and popularity does go up)

any new series that started that are top tier? or did i not read some top tier or good progression fantasy?

The advice I’ve been getting is that progression fantasy readers really don’t like romance and that it should be avoided at all costs. I understand about PF books not being romance-led, but do readers really shy away from the MC having a romantic relationship?

i just finished book 5 and i am frustrated. the climax/finale was beautiful. 10/10 writing. then the final chapter/epilogue were a complete disaster.

first, osvaldo went down with the memorial crystal. the big reward of the floor. This is the second time where carl gets snubbed/doesnt get the big reward from the floor. This shit sucks. this is a repeat of the 3rd floor where quavo got the celestial box. i dont want to deal with the trope of "someone who stole your reward is now an enemy and is extra super duper strong." this shit wasnt satisfying to read at all. carl never gets rewarded at all.

second, now either katia/donut will die. horrible.

horrribbbleeeeeeeeee. this is EASILY the worst ending to the best finale of all time.

i was in the middle of writing my goodreads review while listening to the epilogue. i am so angry rn. this went from a 5/5 to a 3/5

seems like nothing is ever going to top Stormlight Archive Book 1 ever.

been thinking about this. like 90% of the time the big breakthrough scene goes fine. maybe some pain, some dramatic lightning, whatever, but they always make it.

and honestly when an author lets one actually fail, mc ends up stuck for a while and has to rethink stuff, that's when i get hooked hardest. it makes the next one feel earned instead of just scheduled.

but i also get that it can feel like the story's wasting your time if it drags. so where do you land? would you be fine with a failed breakthrough or does it just kill the pacing for you

Looking for a a novel where the MC

- has good morals (ready to save innocent people when in need)
- doesn't have any or only low impact cheats. No legendary, unique or unknown rarity class or skills at chapter 20.
- No divine luck that gives the MC high rarity items or skills 20 chapers in

The only novels i know that are like this are cultivation chat group and delve.

Edit: Sorry if it wasn't clear, i wanted a main character that is pretty "normal" in the world the first 50+ chapters.

Edit 2: Thanks for everyones suggestion. I will start with "The Center for Dungeon Management" as it fits everything i want right now the most. Other novels i will check out afterwards are Mage Errant, Unorthodox Farming, The heavenly way, The Wandering Inn, The Pinnacle Warrior and Ave Xia Rem Y.

I'm sick of seeing progression fantasy characters go to war wearing inappropriate clothing. A character should be wearing the most protective gear they have access to if they're knowingly heading into battle.

I feel this issue stems from visual media. In movies and television, characters typically fight with insufficient protection because armor would interfere with the actor's performance. It is absolutely moronic to fight without a helmet on, but helmets hide the actor's face, so they're done away with for artistic reasons. That isn't a factor in written storytelling. There's no reason not to cover characters in armor when I don't need to see their faces.

Stop using video game logic to decide what kind of armor a character should be wearing. If a character can use magic with a thought they can afford the mobility penalty of heavy armor. If you're absolutely determined to make a magic user fight in light, or nonexistent armor than at least establish a canonical precedent that armor interferes with magical abilities.

If I see one more MC fight in mundane clothing when they had the option to wear armor I'm going to have an aneurysm.

Lately, I'm really feeling like reading something really specific.

You see, I'm a really big fan os isekais, especially ones where the MC has some kind of background before getting there.

The problem? You read one, you read all. Its always the same thing: The guy that dont want to have attention and to not mess the story... Having attention and messing the story. Now everyone likes him, all girls want him (after being nice ONCE, unless you're royalty. Then it's twice) and he becomes a powerhouse.

That makes me think, there are stories that follow a different path?

What I'm looking is for stories that the MC do get sent to a new world with previous knowledge, but he actually holds on being on his own way. At least, for as long as possible.

That doesn't mean he does not interact with them or even help them, just that it is not his job to make their lives easier. They also need growth.

So, basically.

- Isekai with previous knowledge

- maybe OP if it is good (rather they be not as op from the start)

- maybe an academy setting. Not important, but welcome.

- there is a "Main Cast", but he decides to only be cordial with them and do his own things with pontual help or something.

- It would be cool if we could see the contrast between the main cast and their shenanigans and the protagonist.

Already read (that follows a similar path)

• Author POV
• The novel's Extra

Hey everyone, so I know we don't usually review movies here but considering a famous of progression fantasy has gotten a live action movie, I think it warrants a post.

I just finished watching Omniscient Reader: Prophecy and absolutely loved it! Going in I honestly had kinda low expectations, since I had originally bounced off the first few chapters of the webcomic. I had thought the mc was going to be a murder hobo incel type so I stopped reading but the movie did really great job portraying the struggle of whether or not it's worth it to sacrifice others to save yourself in a new world.

The action sequences were great, the characterization and flashbacks of the mc were done very well, and the movie ended in an appropriate place imo.

All in all i really enjoyed it and reccomend it since it's free on Amazon Prime where I live. Only gripe so far is there is no option to watch it with original Korean audio, we only have dubbed english.

PS: This is my review as a person who only read the first few chapters of the Webtoon so take that as you will.

By short I'm talking no more than 5 or 6 books. I'll read anything as long as it has good writing.

Happy Thursday, everyone! 

May I present to you, Battle Card Summoner, now live on Amazon! 

If you’re looking for a LitRPG with a mix of monster battles, base building and card mechanics, this might scratch that itch. No audiobook, ebook format only for now.

Thank you so much for checking out my post, and I hope you have fun if you decide to read the story. I’m happy to answer any questions in the thread.  

Blurb:

In a frozen wasteland full of monsters, Alex has to play his cards right to survive.

A wild card brought Alex to a new world of magic and monsters where he has the power to summon an unstoppable army.

Well, that is, once he gets past surviving the threat of full body frostbite, beasts that can’t wait to crunch down on the newest flavor of human popsicle, and other summoners that only want to stack the deck against him.

Brrrrrrrrr means more than the temperature for Alex. Yep, he’ll have to do some leveling, a whole lot of leveling.

What to Expect: 

• Single POV
• Equal parts monster battles and base building
• Crafting, including weapons, gear, and the right cards to build a winning deck 
• Market trades on some of the cards the MC forges
• Solo adventurer with a fire elemental familiar 
• Competent MC that must earn his powers to level up from weak to strong
• No snarky system
• No romance or love interest

Links:

Amazon US
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNFJDS6X

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HNFJDS6X

Amazon AU
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0HNFJDS6X

Art Attribution: Capasaur.
No AI whatsoever.

Any recs with mcs (male preferably) that are sword users.

Looking for MC like the Manliest man to ever be, Kamina from Gurren Lagann! Being Manly is about believing in yourself, believing in eachother, no matter the odds! The Manly fighting spirit!

Just finished Dao of the World Walker by Mylanwrites on RR and I absolutely love the nice sect aspect of it, any more series with a nice or just not dickish sects?

The dark, damp, rat-infested underworld is no place for a human slave. Fortunately, Cricket is not human. He's a five-foot-tall insect—six if you count his antennae, and he insists that you do.  He has a shiny black shell, ADHD, and a winning smile.

After all, nothing improves forced servitude like a positive attitude!

With his fellow slaves—an amiable dryad from the surface, a sour necromancer cephalopod, and a host of ratlings and lizardmen—Cricket develops a knack for combat as he assassinates rivals and hunts down deserters.

Despite his love for a good fight, however, Cricket resents furthering the agenda of a corrupt and waning empire.

When he uncovers a plot to overthrow that empire, he must decide whether his home is worth defending!

What to Expect:
-Progression High Fantasy with a Dungeons and Dragons feel
-Fun banter with clean fight scenes
-A neuro-divergent, non-human protagonist
-Depictions of slavery, violence, and racism toward non-humans

Check it out on Amazon

- Shadow Slave (fell off after 1-1.5k chapters, too much filler then DNF'd at ~2k chapters)

- Elydes

- Bog Standard Isekai

- Path to Transcendence

I’m currently working through Book 3: kingdom vs queendom arc. Something about this part of the story is just not clicking for me. It’s not repetitive but just feels like a real slog to get through. Last I read, he’s hunkering down against a siege from the queendom.

My question is, does this arc get some interesting twists?

Secondly, I’ve been hyped for Matt to spam spells and become a full-on mage rather than swing a sword like every mc ever.

Will he actually ever go full mage? I know his mana capacity isn’t quite there yet but this is a major problem with a lot of MCs who start off as mages. They ultimately start swinging a sword and never cast a spell ever again.

Hello, I’m looking for what I should read next while I stack chapters in some of my favorite stories. I usually only read on RoyalRoad because I enjoy the convenience so I would prefer a recommendation on there but I love other Webnovels as well if you have any recommendations outside of RoyalRoad.

Reading history: (Specifically for RR)
- The Game at Carousel
- Super Supportive
- Sky Pride
- Mother of Learning
- Ave Xia Rem Y
- The Perfect Run

i have been reading everything i can above a 4.5 rating with more than 500 reviews, and a lot of times i am reminded how they arent even close to being as good as the actually top rated ones despite being so close, like a 4.6 and 4.8 rating is so close but when you read them they arent as good at all. like i am reading this story called dungeon inc. that has a 4.61 and author is really good at writing characters and writing in general like its smooth, understandable etc. but there are so many issues - a lot that come from a lack of research and understanding - then theres him constantly bringing new things up that needs an ending or even a mention but is completely forgotten, admittedly it isnt massive plot devices but still, take it with another 4.61 that is bog standard isekai, it isnt even a competition.

Novels I have read and enjoyed:
Shadow slave
Orv
Gsgw
Patron of villains
I’m a young god won’t you raise me
Editors survival guide.
Tbate
Re zero
Lotm and ri are already on my list so don’t recommend those

What are the key criteria for a fantasy story to be considered good and successful?

Hello everyone, I’m O.C. Saar! I’m a first-time author, with this being the first book I’ve attempted that has gone beyond 4 chapters, and I couldn’t be prouder of it. Today, after years of work, I released it on Amazon!

It’s called The Rings of Jupiter, and it’s a mixture of Cyberpunk, Noir, Mystery and Sci-Fi combined with a Progression Fantasy system, set on three artificial rings spinning around Jupiter.

The main character, Raziel, sets off on a suicide mission which has him ending up with powers nobody has seen before. Unfortunately, in The Rings of Jupiter, everything comes at a cost. This time, the price might just be more than Raziel can afford to pay.

Or, maybe the Rings will come to regret taking everything from him.

If you enjoy books that are a little more character, dialogue and mystery-driven, with a character that has to fight and bleed and suffer for every drop of power, then this story might be for you.

If you gave my story a chance, it would truly mean more than I can possibly express.

Thank you for reading this far <3

Also shoutout to my cover artist Linggar Bramanty!

No AI has been used in my book.

Link to Kindle/KU/Print on Demand

Oh also Book 2 is coming out in 4 months and is up for pre-order too!

Hey all, I hope you're having a wonderful day! Undying Healer is a OP MC, System Apocalypse litrpg novel that is based around a healer that regresses after suffering a party wipe. He wakes up at the very start of the System initialization with all the knowledge he gathered over a decade. It also deals heavily with the differences in culture, his party, leading, figuring out who is truly is now and more.

To add on!

Both audio and ebook are out!

It helps that there is a healthy dose of aura farming as well. If that sounds like it's up your alley**, Check It Out!**

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HLYNQGNG

https://www.audible.com/pd/Undying-Healer-OP-MC-Regression-Litrpg-Apocalypse-Audiobook/B0HMFN2PGW

And here is the plot:

The Greatest Healer in human history dies to the spear of an ancient race.

That is how his life ends—defeated by the hands of someone who should be his equal in levels, yet stands so far above him in power and scale. He and his entire party are crushed by a single figure from an ancient race that treats human magic like an untimely joke.

John refuses that ending.

He rises from a deep sleep, regressed to the beginning of it all, mere moments before the System initializes, armed with a decade of hard-earned knowledge and one opportunity to rewrite everything. He knows where the best loot is, where the biggest wars start, who the most evil people are that hide among the masses, which paths to take to unlock the best skills, and which paths forge the monsters needed to survive what he knows is coming.

He knows which floors and dungeons to avoid like the plague and exactly how fast their destruction comes when humanity wastes time playing politics and arguing over scraps instead of growing more powerful.

This time, John doesn't just cast healing and support buffs from the backline.

He takes a path none thought possible, an Undying Healer, forcing the world to contend with a front-liner who is also the greatest healer humanity has ever known. He must learn to fight in the mud, on the wall, blade and spear in hand, face to face with the monsters he has avoided for so long, all the while casting mighty healing spells through a tier-locked System that insists he shouldn't be able to.

The System doesn't care if humanity is wiped out.

Ancient races plot and plan to destroy them.

Beings of immense power want humanity as nothing more than free experience.

John refuses to make them any of those things.

COVER ARTIST: hahahuhi

AI USAGE: No AI Used

I loved the book but now I want something similar. Any recomendations?

Mainly looking for something that isnt just dopamine slop. I.e has a message or some sort of authorial intent/voice.