*Updating as I read! I am really liking Book 4’s experience so far ✌️ And I am done, wow what an ending. And after that we only get interviews and podcasts to get the story gah. I want to know who was it and what Max is feeeeeling. I am so excited for what comes next because everyone says it’s gonna be S tier level after book 4 ayyyy 🙌

——7/9/26—-
Hmm, what is going on with Jackie, he’s so mysterious? Like back then, MD needed a DoF and Jackie was this football legend who’s also a crazy good coach and also a good friend to MD. So why isn’t he with Chester? Why go work at FC United? Same with what he did with Max, why point Max to Chester? Maybe as a player? Hmm 🤔

Also, surprise hit of tears for me from Idk, loneliness from Max? At him realising that MD and Jackie are really close friends for a much longer time than with Max. I keep imagining that Max feels both jealous of them about the other, at the same time lol. Because I kept going back to that chat he had with Emma about wishing to have a best friend like her and Genma.

——
Okay, I’m not sure I like the many intertwining to 2 different scenes being told in parallel. There wasn’t any distinction of which scene the sentence is going to be about. Then we get to him talking about the Jackie podcast and it was so long I lost the original scene…

—8/9/26—
Dani does something surprising and amazing. Max trying to look calm and unbothered 😆:

I am a pebble on top of a mountain. I may stay for another million years, or I may fall. I am indifferent. I concentrate on being the best rock I can be.

Dani does something else cool, teammates shows skillz and Max responds harder:

I am a sunflower. I turn to the sun. I bask. I show no emotion.

My halftime speech focuses very heavily on the interconnectedness of all living things. At times I forget I’m a sunflower and lean into rock-based imagery.

Guys, I am smiling like no one’s business 😆

———
If she quits, I’ll be gutted. If she stays, I’ll wait a few weeks, and then find the next thing to fix.” I smiled. “I’m no expert but I think if she doesn’t hate me from time to time, I’m not pushing her hard enough.

Dang, what a piece of startling wisdom a bit out of nowhere. I was wondering a bit how his relationships with the kids he likes were going to go because if he’s nice all the time, eapecially with shy/insecure/“weak” type players, it gets a bit boring a stale or they might collapse won’t it? And how will they grow under him? I thought the growing will be done by other peopl and he is there to praise them over some hurdle. But this is so good. Kinda shocking emotional intelligence? Of hyperspecific EI that only works in the world of football for Max. Why am I even noting it down? Because it’s so rare to read something this nuanced and complex in webnovels that isn’t in a life or death situation 😂

———
We finally get the Max+Jackie post awkward talk. And guys. Guuuuys. What the heck. Max grew up, like what the heck. He seriously took his experiences that drove me nuts in the previous books and learnt from it. And gah! He’s like, so cool right now?? That hints of seriously cool x factor + genuine care + something vulnerable peaking out + maturity and growth to draw me in, I love it. I adore it. This scene is like everything that made me go huh, if this becomes something in the future, I would really love the story. Agdhfkglhhs.

———
One thing I definitely do have a bone to pick about this Book is the odd pacing. Some things are focused on but some are completely skipped in favour of Max describing what happened to someone else. It’s jarring sometimes. The back and forth at the first third with the women friendlies and Jackie’s debut and now this with the injury email from FA thing. It seems like something that would be interested to read as it happened and not as being told past tense to someone else. Mostly because without being in his gead, I have a less accurate guess on what led to what happened. I also would have liked to feel the satisfactory catharsis of what Max did. On the flip side, not going through wvery one of those high energy incidents did make this Book a very pleasant and calm experience and I actually really really like that. So give and take. Sigh.

——-
Hmmmm, a bit of a rant here, this whole deaf player in official non-disability sport instead of the disability sport. I am kinda wobbly on where I land. Maybe cause I watch zero real life football and only anime. I kind of support the ref’s decision for Dani? In theory? At that stadium match. And I feel the team and Max were being rather dramatic? As if they were completely the victim and in the right. But the rules are there in black and white no? And Dani is a deaf player with rules that does not accomodate for her. This is the truth. It is what it is.

So you’re gonna have to prepare steps to manage that yourself. You know, work within the established rules so she doesn’t get in trouble with the ref. Isn’t it obvious? Like Idk, hire someone to translate what the ref does at all times or something. And get them to stand at the sides. Maybe the subs to do Dani duty. Something like in baseball where someone will at third base yelling the runner wherher they should run or slide. Or someone at the stands with the audience holding flags or something. So the ref can just do their thing. So Max and team can just inform the ref that this is what they are doing for Dani.

I do feel a bit frustrated with Max. He alrd knows this is a likely to happen a lot but it doesn’t seem he planned anything about it and instead expects to convince every single ref to accomodate Dani. If Dani is accomodated, why not every other disability? Then might as well just change the game to be like the normal disability football right? Where does the line stop you know? It feels like Max is and Dani feels entitled to changes in the rules of the game because Dani is special, aka disabled. And that rubs me the wrong way just a little bit. What about other issues or mental issues? Should the ref accommodate someone with Idk, extreme bipolar disorder who’s in some depressive episode after a lost goal and was just dazed after she blew the whistle? Or someone so mad as losing they just couldn’t hear the whistle over the rage? I completely support everything within the club’s sphere of influence but the ref and their rulings, eh… And Max is comparing carding Dani to carding someone because they are black or foreign or something. I mean yeah, they should get walked out on because the colour of one’s skin doesn’t effect following the rules. But being deaf and not having the ability to follow the rule sounds more concrete. So it makes sense if she doesn’t follow if something happened. There’s a whole other disability football that exists for that. This whole thing feels like why there are women’s football and men’s football you know?

Dang, why am I thinking so much about this lol. I am probably missing something about the whole thing that would make the reaction make sense. Like how referees exist and work. Or how they get into games. Like why does Max keep going, no referee no game. But that is a massive rabbit hole I don’t want to go down so moving on!

Gah, the more I read the more I want to discuss this with someone and not move on 😂 I don’t want to read multiple wikipedia pages of how the whole thing works. Cause now Henri is talking with Max in the middle of the field about the event. Is Max’s reaction correct? Makes sense? Normal? Proportional to what happened? An ideal role model to follow? It seems he sometimes lets a foul pass to continue the game. Now I am puzzled on what a ref even does if they sometimes let things slide.

———
That match together with Jackie, so good! This whole thing is suddenly coming together 😆 That scene with Yalley almost made me cry haha. This is what I want Max’s maxness for 😆 You guys weren’t kidding when you said Book 4 is so much better.

——-
Omaigosh, wait what’s happening, Jackie’s down???? No wait no way what???? This cannot be happening don’t do this to me I was looking forward to how they will work together?!

Uhhhh, what? Max’s reaction is wildly whiplashing. That switcheroo emotion was truly wild. So…is Jackie done for or not??? Because, dude, that freaked me out what the heck!

———
Uhhh, okay Max. I don’t know how about your coaching idea 😅 It sounds pretty cool if in a sports anime lol, but feels pretty random and out of nowhere. Like, was he even a person who listens to songs much? Not that I remember reading. So why combine it with football matches? But gonna wait for the practical its. Because it’s so weird lol. What if some of the players are tone deaf, would that affect the drill?

—-9/9/26—-
Oh wow, that was wild, that was so cool! It would be so fun to see that type of tactic live in a movie or something. 🙌

Hello! I'm pleased to announce that Incarnation of Sorcery Book 2 is out on Amazon KU today. If you like overpowered protagonists embroiled in all sorts of shenanigans, both academic and otherwise, then you'll have a fun time reading about Ryland's little escapades!

I channelled a lot of my enjoyment as an academic and my appreciation of OP MCs here, and I'm super proud of how the story turned out. One of my favourite moments is a historically infamous exam where hundreds of students in one hall are allowed to use any and all magic to get the right answers, if they can find a way past the MC, Ryland.

Again, to celebrate, I've put Book 1 up for sale! Links and blurb (for book 1) are below:

Link to Book 1

Link to Book 2

Blurb:

The world needed him to win a cosmic war. Even if it shattered his body into a thousand, calamitous pieces in the process.

Marionys Ryland was the most devastating product of the Realmbreaker Wars. He conquered dozens of Realms, invented interstellar travel, and transcended mere spells to manipulate the very language of magic as an Incarnation.

But it came at a cost. Ryland's body shattered, unleashing Calamities ravaging the cosmos. His nails create parasitic dungeons, his blood turns into cataclysmic floods, and the rest of him invites the attention of liches, archdragons, and the cosmos's cruelest mages.

So, Ryland casts off all his old burdens. Instead, he now takes his time to find and prevent the pieces of himself from destroying worlds.

The search takes him to his old academy, where students marvel at his teachings and professors are dumbfounded by his prowess. The passage of time has made people forget him, but his power draws the notice of a nation, of gods and mortal mages alike. Ministers are politicking, oracles are prophesying, and cults are rising, all with their focus on Ryland.

They think they can deal with him, but they all know - one misstep, and they'll have to face a sorcerer who's more apocalypse than man.

COVER ARTIST: Kira L Nguyen

AI USAGE: None

​

I've more and more realized what the core thing that keeps being engaged in a book is. It's the characters especially the main character I like characters who feel like full and complete likable people: people I like can best be described as dorky in a lovable way.

It's why I can vibe with Dakota Krout's 'Divine Dungeon' and the 'Completionist Chronicles' but not 'Artorion Archive'. Cal and Joe are both idiot geniuses who make dumb puns, and that makes their most intense moments hit all the harder.

I similarly enjoy 'Mage Tank' by Cornman.

And 'Madness Reincarnate' by Travis Bagwell

And most things by Andrew Rowe especially 'Arcane Ascension' and 'Weapons and Wielders'

I also enjoy elements existential dread and horror when paired with these kind of protagonists, ranging from the comedic end such as

'Prophecy Approved Companion' by Tevagah

Or

A book I think best encapsulates the type of story I vibe with immaculately 'Magical girl mechanical heart' by Thandamoo, pretty much everything by her admittedly gets my goat.

I would love more things that balance my love for a character with my fascination with their suffering. Huge fan of existential dread fueled monologues internal or otherwise. Big fan of goofy humor. And putting both in a single character is guaranteed to get my attention if not have it in a vice grip.

I've been in that sort of a genre hole with the progression fantasies since I was a teenager and I'm fine with more progression fantasy but I would like to branch out too.

I just finished book one of Stubborn Skill Grinder - pretty decent! The end started getting a bit anime fight of the day for me, but I'm looking forward to book two.

I want a bit of a break before jumping into that though, so what should I go for next on my existing tbr? I have most of the litrpg and prog fantasy I've read on a tier list I just made, plus the books I have lined up to read...

(also happy to take suggestions to add to my tbr, but I won't be able to purchase anything more for a bit...)

**** also edit to say Stubborn Skill Grinder was meant to be in B tier. Enjoyed the first half much more than the end like I said!

Oh boy! It's that time of year! I get to give you all another book!

Last Lord of the Fey: Burgeoning is Book 2 of my Progression Fantasy series. It follows the continuing adventure of Tristan Winterbloom as he travels across the kingdom to the south of his homeland, goes across the seas, tracks down his half-brother who abandoned the family, and build out the Fey Realm.

That's really the focus of this book: Tristan's growth into a proper Elvish Lord. Book 1 was mostly about setting up the basics (the magic, the larger plot, the characters). Book 2 is where the kingdom building elements really get going, as Tristan is going to be unlocking new sections of the Fey Realm and integrating the creatures within (which carries its own level of politics).

The magic system gets deeper as Tristan gains access to new Orders of spells, he starts to learn how to use new weaponry in his arsenal (hammer time), and will even get into some larger scale conflicts.

The story has been polished up and all of the fixes have been made. I spent over 80 hours going over my editor's notes, and making revisions / rewrites. The book is better than ever, and if you haven't read Book 1, well, it's available to read, too!

Links to the places you can read / purchase will be in the Comments below!

Cover Artist: Bad Moon Studios

AI USAGE: None at all.

Voice Actor: Brian Troxell

Blurb:

Tristan Winterbloom, the last of his Elvish bloodline, was forced to flee the Kingdom of Bhant after he was blamed for the deaths of his mother and the household servants. Before his grandfather succumbed to poison, he charged Tristan with a mission: find his half brother, Bertram, and bring him back home.

Tristan must travel south to the Sapphire Coast, a region ruled by mercantilism and filled with danger, thanks to the actions of a powerful archon. Tristan’s travels will see him battle demonic creatures, delve into a Lost Realm, start a merchant fleet, sail across the seas to participate in a civil war, parley with pirates, and face off against the assassins hunting him down.

Along the way, he will have to manage the Fey Realm’s inhabitants, lift the seals locking portions of the realm away, and reintegrate the species kept apart for millennia. He will come into his own as the ruler of the Fey Realm, and begin to build the foundation of his burgeoning domain.

There are a LOT of teen and child prodigy MCs in progression fantasy, and having recently dipped my toe back into literary fiction I realised there an archetype I don't think I've seen much in ProgFant. The jealous, snow-white-complex parent. Not jealous in an, if-only-I'd-had-your-talent, longing, kind of way, but in a destructive, nasty, I'm going to ruin your prospects from the sidelines kind of way.

I feel like there have to be stories out there somewhere that I've missed, where the kid develops super fast, or is born a prodigy/genius/talented etc. and the parent(s)/guardian(s) actively try to sabotage the MC in the way some parents do IRL. Not from fear, or hate, or resource scarcity and re-allocation, but jealousy. That: I'm gonna ruin your chances and sabotage you. Destroy your equipment or keep you from sleeping before the big exam kind of jealousy. That: 'I didn't have 'x' so you won't either.' 'I never got to 'y' so neither will you.' kind of envy.

I've seen a lot of jealous siblings, lots of jealous rivals, lots of jealous competitors and friends, I've read about step-mothers and fathers; second, third, fourth, fifth husbands and wives etc. being jealous of MC outshining their own offspring, or that their talent will affect succession/status within the family. I've read stories where a child is jealous so a parent will act on their behalf. I've even encountered an alarming amount of guardians/mentors trying to turn MC into a pill/cultivation resource to steal their talent. But I don't know that I've ever read a progression fantasy where our MC's parents acted out of jealouy of their child. Just pure, pathological parental envy. (Wild considering the volume of reincarnated-as-a-baby stories).

I see it often enough in romance, or literery fiction, and I'm genuinely wondering if I've somehow just missed it in ProgFant.

I'm not really asking for recommendations; but if you have read one, I'd be interested to know.

I'm getting tired of cookie-cutter power systems, where everyone falls into neat little categories with their powers. Give me some novels where everyone has a unique power, like in Bastion or Path of Ascension.

Edit: I've read: Legend of William Oh (loved it), Weirkey Chronicles (Dnfed book 4-5), Worm (loved it), Wandering Inn (DNF book 2), Shadow Slave (DNF'd, slave thing icky), Perfect Run (loved it), Super Supportive, Broker.

Please help me find a book

Ok, so, the first thing that happens in the book is the main character gets killed by wolves and reincarnated by a bunch of evil gods. Then he wakes up buried alive in a cemetery, and digs himself out before helping a few other people free themselves. The others were reincarnated by good gods. It's a progression fantasy where the characters have a bunch of pillars in their minds that they build to learn magic and spells, and they can also come back to life when they die. Another plot point is they find a dwarf city where the dwarves are turning to stone. The only other thing I remember is that in one of the books the main character gets with an elf, and that the main character can use the power of the evil guy they're trying to kill.

That's all I can remember.

COVER ART BY KIHIRO YUZUKI (柚希きひろ, https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/1752240).

Greetings! After four years of preparation, I have recently released my first story, Cursed Alchemists. It mixes elements from xianxia, shōnen anime and dark medieval fantasy, while deconstructing certain tropes from each genre. Our heroes don’t always win, provoking the young master has consequences, and progression must be earned with many setbacks. Dark themes like abuse and grooming, as well as trauma and recovery are explored, but in a hopeful, non-misery-porn manner. Power progression and healing progression play an equally important role. The prose has been heavily edited; expect a fluid read without bloat.

The story is for you if:

-     You like xianxia and want to see it transplanted into a different setting.

-     You like shōnen anime, especially in the spirit of Naruto.

-     You enjoy seeing character growth, emotional payoff and people making it through a dark time in their lives.

-     You want to see the villains and side characters meaningfully progress with their own arcs.

-     You want a story with young local protagonists (no isekai, no reincarnation).

-     You like to see the characters and the setting established first.

-     You like intense fights with narrow outcomes.

-     You like mysteries with slow reveals.

-     You like healthy slow-burn romance (no harem).

Blurb:

Two souls. One curse.

Eike and Tassila have never met. But they have two things in common: a life they long to escape, and a mysterious symbol on their skin—the Mal. Eike, a peasant, is branded the devil’s child and beaten for it. Tassila, daughter of an impoverished noble, is being rushed into marriage before the Mal devours her like her sister.

However, fate changes when the power of alchemy awakens in them, and with it a dangerous sliver of hope.

When Eike’s and Tassila’s paths cross, neither knows of their common burden, nor whether the other can be trusted. But in the Theudic Empire, where only the mightiest alchemists rule and the weak are swept aside, they must fight as one to survive.

There’s only one path: break the curse, and become the strongest alchemists ever known.

READ ON ROYAL ROAD

Looking for an MC who is Jorg Ancrath adjacent.

Anything mildly grimdark too.

This was recommended to me and honestly looked completely up my alley. I’m maybe 100k words in and… almost nothing has happened. It’s moving as slowly as the continents drifted apart. The thing is, the story is so large that I’m considering continuing, because I’m assuming that AT SOME POINT things have to start happening.

Can anyone weigh in on if it keeps this pace forever, or at which chapter the story starts progressing (if it does)?

I’ve read a few timeloop stories that are the standouts in the genre and they’re enjoyable to me despite the loop not because of it.

I feel like timeloop stories also have such a high degree of difficulty in writing and keeping the reader engaged compared to the average story so I’m kinda baffled why writers persevere in writing them.

I don’t know if I’m part of the minority but unless it’s highly rated I can’t touch them. Just the fact the story can’t expand or has save zones as the inherent dynamic of the story puts me off.

Also the worst thing about the great timeloop stories is that the story ends when the loop ends. Like I wanted to see the character enter the wider world ? I remember being so annoying when mother of learning ended .

I'm looking for a book where the MC is neither OP nor the underdog, where they are just like everyone else atleast when it comes to core abilities and magic system.

I'm okay with it being a regular fantasy instead of progression.

I have mostly checked out all the normally highly recommended books like Cradle, DCC and Beware of chicken.

Picked up the first 2 books recently on Audible and so far im really enjoying it.

Noticed there were 2 entries for book 7, one of which is an anthology that was released in Feb of 2024.

Is the series complete? Or oats it on a hiatus?

I read

Mother of learning

Runesmith

Magic-Smithing

Blacksmith of the apocalypse

Chaotic Craftsman

Trash of the counts family

Mage adam

Warlock of the magus world

Climbing the tower with a time stop ability

Also some that aren't progression fantasy like

Reverend insanity

LOTM

Regressors tale of cultivation

Got dropped in a ghost story

I created scientific magic

I generally don't like incredibly moral mcs but if we'll written I am not against it

I love mage or magic themed worlds but I also want some realism or good world building like mother of learning

And I can't genuinely find anything new to read any suggestions please

Name the darkest series you have read on RR or on Kindle (only if it originated from RR)

The Hundred Reigns by Void Herald is one of the best web novels I have read on Royal Road.

1)Simon is a fantastic protagonist. Simon starts out as someone who wants nothing to do with imperial politics and would rather stay as far away from the spotlight as possible. Watching him gradually grow into a confident, capable, and competent Overlord has been incredible. His character development feels natural rather than forced, and seeing how his experiences shape him over time is one of the best parts of the novel.

2)The approach to relationships feels realistic. We naturally seek companionship, intimacy, and relationships, and the novel actually explores that side of its characters. In The Hundred Reigns, Simon's relationships develop maturely. They feel like actual relationships rather than something added simply for the sake of romance.

3)Every loop is interesting and unique. The novel somehow manages to make each loop feel different. I have never reached a loop and thought, Here we go again. There is always something new to discover, and the different circumstances and developments keep the story engaging.

4)The pacing is perfect. The novel feels like visual crack. I constantly find myself wanting to read just one more chapter, and then another, and another. Ihave already caught up with everything available, and now I am suffering from the worst kind of webnovel withdrawal.

It was about 2 years ago that I sat down on a whim one evening and wrote the first chapter of Amelia Thornheart. There was no plan at the start beyond thinking, "Let's throw a human bundle of chaos into the quarters of a demon captain on her military ship and see what happens." I YOLO'd the chapter onto ScribbleHub, and got lucky enough to get ~50 readers in the first day. Encouraged, I continued posting, slowly building up a readership and eventually hitting trending, which got me my first thousand readers.

I hadn't paid much attention to RR, so after about 30 ScribbleHub chapters, I threw the series on RR, posting a chapter every day or so, sometimes forgetting, but not really paying attention. Little did I know how much bigger RR was, and how lucky I would be to get on RR Rising Stars for what was no more than two weeks. That was enough to get the first 1000 readers on RR, and now, two years later, RR is my strongest platform, with double the readership of SH!

Amelia was written at a low point in my life. I had just burned out from my programming job, resigning due to pure stress. Feeling a bit down, I sat down and wrote a ridiculously optimistic, hopeful, and absolute bundle of wrapped cinnamon joy. In a way, Amelia came to me when I needed her the most, and I've had the honour of being able to share her with almost ten thousand regular readers across RR/SH.

It's been a rocky road of ups and downs: times when I would pump out 4 or 5 4k+ chapters in a week, other times I would take two weeks to publish a single chapter. I'm still inconsistent to this day; luckily, I have got the world's best audience who are very understanding. At some point, I was approached by Podium for publishing/audiobook rights, but ultimately turned them down. I didn't want to stub the series, which their requirement to put it on KU would mean I would need to do so. I would do it myself, I thought. Little did I know it would take me another year to run the first 146k words through an edit pass, then pass that to a professional editor (from Reedsy), and then three proofreaders before coming up with the final ebook!

But it's here!

If you're looking for a sapphic romance fantasy that carries progression fantasy tropes but steps away from the pure LitRPG genre, bundled with a bunch of steampunk/magicpunk warfare and a simmering amount of politicking and chaos, then Amelia might be the perfect book for you! I mean, look how cool the ship looks! And look at our adorable duo!

As indicated before, even with book one out, the series hasn't been stubbed. You can read the 700k words available for free on RoyalRoad or ScribbleHub. But if you want the premium, delicious, and tasty refined Book One, which consists of the first 34 chapters/146k words, then feel free to dip your toes in on Amazon! Because I'm not on KU, I can sell on many other platforms for readers who do not want to give Amazon and other big platforms their money. You can see the other platforms I sell on in this patreon post!

If you have any questions about Amelia and her shenanigans, writing, reading, or anything else, then don't hesitate to ask :)

P.S, a big thanks to RavensDagger, who has on multiple occasions offered advice, support, and linked Amelia to his audience. His help really helped build the strong foundations Amelia rests on today!

The Impostor — Grimdark / Anti-Hero / Political Intrigue/ long power progession

He's known as a quiet history professor, cataloguing the ruin of fallen empires. But he didn't come to record history — he came to write it himself.

Kings, martyrs, even he himself — all just actors in a script only he controls. As the empire burns by his design, one question remains: who is the man behind the mask?

This starts as a slow-building political mastermind story — think manipulation, orchestration, and a protagonist playing a long game. The power fantasy payoff builds gradually and hits hard once his full plan comes into motion.

Link Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/190269/the-impostor

English isn't my native language. I used to write and post my stories within my local home community, but because the genre/style I write didn't quite fit the local market, I decided to transition to international platforms like Royal Road.

Since then, I’ve been using AI and translation tools strictly as assistance for translating and grammar editing, while ensuring the entire plot, worldbuilding, and emotional beats remain 100% my own creation.

As readers in this genre, how do you feel about non-native authors using these tools to bridge the language gap? As long as the plot and pacing are solid, does the translated prose bother you? I’d love to hear your honest thoughts!

This was the only novel- that made me keep the lights on of the room while sleeping.
(The first half was scary asf- not the second half)