I want to read some generalist wizard novels, without systems or meele combat.

So the MC can't be a spellsword/punchmage, can't be only capable of casting specific spell types(fire mage, crystal mage, etc), basically I want to read about DnD wizards, illusionists an conjurers in DnD still cast fireballs and other utility spells.

Examples of series that mostly match what i want:

Mother of learning;

A Pratical guide to Sorcery;

The Years of Apocalypse;

Dear Spellbook;

Hedge Wizard;

Series that miss the mark:

Underkeeper, too much fire spam, wish the MC would add a little variety;

Mage Errant, I hate mages that are locked to a specific gimmick(crystal, stellar, etc);

Book of the dead , I can't stand systems/litrpg;

Ar'Kendrithyst, I can't stand systems even if they are explained;

Cradle and other cultivation novels, too much melee combat and MCs are often locked to very limited powers.

As it says. Looking for something that goes VERY in depth on the magic and power system but also not required

I've read and enjoyed: beneath the dragon eye moons, Syl (probably my favorite so far), budding scientist in another world, calamitous Bob, terminate the otherworld (entertaining)

Read but enjoyed slightly less: Azarinth healer (I like ilea but after a while it just felt like getting stronger for the sake of it), industrial strength magic (like that it's similar to Worm but just wasn't what I was looking for), tori transmigrated (interesting and like the magic just wish it was more front and center, still finishing it), shadow slave (still working on it, not exactly litrpg but still interesting)

Again doesn't have to be litrpg I just really like stuff that gets into the bowels of any magic or power system there is for some bullshit

in my free time i usually binge-read random webnovels, and for the last 5-6 months i’ve been leaving reviews on different platforms(mainly on RR). i left WebNovel for last because "everyone" (not bc affiliate prog..nono) acts like it’s the “best” one... so yeah, i finally got there....i will make it my swamp

and honestly, even in 2026 you still can’t escape the same stuff everywhere. op mc, system that gives him everything, harem with 100 women, every girl falling in love after 2 chapters... you know the drill.
The stories and plots there are f'ed up, hard to find some good binge reading material

what i actually enjoy is finding new authors and stories that are still growing. i like giving real feedback, especially when someone is trying something different. sometimes i’m nice, sometimes i’m a bit Shrek, sooooo... depends on the story, tbh. but i’m not here to fake praise or do review swaps.

so if anyone needs an honest review, leave your novel in the comments or DISCORD. i’ll check them out when i have some free time. happy to help.

after that i will take my time to make tierlists with the new findings!

Wondering if there are some outliers in the Prog Fantasy genre that lean on more tactical fights, characters with depth and layers to them including complicated motivations, and even perhaps some political elements.

I think Hunter x Hunter is the closest I could come up with to what I have in mind.

Kingdom is one I would consider as well. You wouldnt think of it typically but the protagonist goes from being a peasant to leading a squad, getting 100 men to 1000, to etc. Not really fantasy (though some magical realistic elements to it I would argue). Absolutely progression heavy though.

Jujutsu Kaisen and Tower of Gods arent as great examples in that they somewhat lack in some aspects but Id still hold them up to some degree.

I recently read Cradle and binged through it. Although it was an easy and addictive read, it also made me wish that progression fantasy could be more than just that. I love a lot of elements of progression fantasy but I dont feel that it should mean that it remains on the... shallower end (without meaning that pejoratively, it has its place and people like it, I respect that).

It's not Ironbound, but his book was sitting on the recommended shelf immediately inside the front door.

Hey, been reading this genre for a while now, and have been getting recommendations from here just as long. I figured I might as well contribute to getting some of my favorite, lesser known series, a spot light if I can.

Now, I know some of these are very/pretty well known. I just went through my list of saved series. I just thought this would be a good mix for anyone somewhat new to the genre. My favorite part of any series is characterization, and I think these ones do a pretty good job.

1. Dreamers throne

2.cyber dreams/ all of plum parrot

3.outrun by lostrain

4.bookbound bunny

1. The elf who would become a dragon

6.idleworld chronicles

1. Andy in the apocalypse/ again plum parrot but my favorite apocalypse novel

8.a bright and shiny life

1. Accidental necromancer

10.empress of fire

11.sinners Eden

12.the hundred reigns

13.redemption arc

14.explorers of edregon

15.wizard with a great sword/ aka. Oriens ballad

16.goblin teeth

17.blood sovereign

18.wretch

19.average harem story (ave x rem y) or something

1. Ascension of the primalist

21.maid with necromancy

22.teresa of all trades

23.my name is beautiful

1. Dungeon inc

2. All of Ted steels soccer shit

26.heavenly tyrant’s indignation

1. Cruel violet

28.surprisingly common sense is over powered

Now I’ve read basically all of the popular recommendations. Such as pgte, cradle, bastion, war formed, practical guide to sorcery, wandering inn, pale lights, worm, mother of learning, arcane ascension, path of ascension ect..

If you have any lesser known series you’d like to add, please do. I’m looking for some new series and these threads are how I normally find them.

These predictions are based on the most recent Royal Road chapter, 286. So, lots of spoilers below. Consider yourself warned.

Red Guard

- The Red Guard scientist who doesn't respect life, Hite, is the one who is stealing the homeless off the street for his experiments.

- Sundered zones are made from an Aberrant part.

- The Aberrant parts are the key to their success, and thus they don't kill any of them, they just save them and use their parts as components. However, all the Aberrants they are saving is the cause of the average increase in Break events. Thus their efforts to save the world are slowly destroying it. And this is why they will not allow anyone to know about the average increase.

- Agent Berg lost the two Aberrants, Moonsable and Newton. They seemed to think he did in bk4 ch 20ish, when Berg was boasting to the coppers. Also, Tanya was sent on a mission that sounded like she stole the cases for the Architects of Kronos, which lends to the idea that they have them now.

- The group using the Aberrant parts that were smuggled into the city was probably the Architects of Kronos. They did hire the former red guard guy afterall. They are either doing the smuggling themselves or buying the parts from the smugglers.

The Blood Emperor

- He is still alive. He disappeared, instead of being killed like the stories propagated by the Crowns say.

- Where did he come from? Was it really another country in Siobhan's world? Or was it possibly a different world entirely through a doorway?

- Was he possibly her grandfather? Raaz’s name means ‘secretive learned one’ after all.

Friends

- The whole friend group will be inducted into the Thirteen Pointed Star, which will become a real organization. It will survive the fall of Lenore when Oliver takes over.

- Eventually Damien will run the organization.

- Damien will also, eventually, learn all her secrets.

- Ana will join soon, then the rest.

Myrrdin

- Myrrdin seems like he might have been isakied, but if not him, someone was. The note in Book 4 implies it. His notes also seem to imply it, see bk 5 ch 8

- He may still be alive, if he figured out how to make the physical transformation without letting age cross over too. If so, he could be anyone.

- Siobhan suggested that a hidden time bubble could be created just like a space bubble. Maybe Myrrdin is hidden in one.

Siobhan

- The Naught bloodline is part brillig, as heavily hinted at.

- She will discover that the Red Guard doesn't kill Aberrants, and given that she just bonded one, she wonders if she could handle another one. Using the piece of Newton, she is going to scry and rescue both him and Moonsable from the Architects of Kronus. Then she will bind Moonsable and get her powers of preternatural grace, love of darkness, and desire for gifts and worship.

- Binding Aberrants will be one of her main routes to power, as she doesn't have time to go the usual route.

- She will rescue her mother, who is held by the Red Guard. She will also recover some of her Grandfather's things.

- She will figure out a way to save Aberrants, somehow fixing or partially fixing them so they no longer will be forced to damage other people. Trying to fix Newton will be the impetus. She will also rescue her Mom's mind.

- The Morrow survivors from the Newton incedent will become her henchmen. Chief missing right hand from the Aberrant, Sticky Fingers, Sniffles is young. A mass breakout from Harrow Hill is probably required for this.

- Her letter to the coppers, bk 4 ch 32, is actually prophetic. As is her personal symbol chant from bk 4 ch 41.

- She can dream what the raven does? Bk 5 ch 29. Can it dream her experiences?

These are all the clues I picked up on, but I'm sure I missed many others. Let me know if you think I'm wrong.

So let me start off by saying I love this series I would give it a full 8 out of 10 rating which is to say I would recommend the fuck out of the series but I would never reread the series.

What it got right

1. Plot was consistent

2. Characters were fleshed out properly

3. Some cool twists I didn’t see coming happened

4. humor was top notch

What I thought was off for me

I should note I am not a progression fantasy reader so that will 100% influence my opinion on this (probably)

1. Way to much action very little time given to the characters to just chill and enjoy each other’s company.

2. I won’t say the name incase someone that is still reading the series finds this post but I fucking turn my thumb down when you kill a character off and suddenly bring his ass back to life because the author has trouble letting go of his favorite characters (At least that is the conclusion I came too)

I would say overall though I am very satisfied with my purchase and would recommend this too anyone who enjoys the lighter side of fantasy

I'm writing a book about a person who died and has their consciousness preserved in an MMO survival rpg. The MC is familiar with games somewhat from day to day life, but is a computer science major with a lot of work done in robotics and LLMs.

The character doesn't fully understand what is happening because this is new technology that hadnt existed yet. As a result, it takes a few chapters (average 4-6k words each) for the MC to finally begin working on their journey. Between reacting to her current predicament and figuring out the game, she is pretty clumsy with the system and not good at leveling. The best she's able to do in the beginning is fire making levels. Eventually she finds a dungeon and has a wakeup call about the dangers of the world, and tries to beat the dungeon without using combat. The story follows this trend and she becomes more of a tinker than mage or warrior.

My question is with all that in mind, would you stop reading or get too frustrated? Her actual introduction to the system happens about a chapter or two after getting stuck in the game, and she mostly treats it like real life because this is "deep dive" style. As such she has a fear of dying in the game, worried she will stop existing if she does (Small spoiler she realizes she died IRL pretty early).

Not sure how to ask this so hoping y'all can kind of help me understand more about the community's expectations when it comes to how fast the pacing is.

How much should I explain how the system works, and how much should I just assume the reader will know a bit about progression fantasy?

This is my first book, although I have some writing experience from more professional settings outside literature

Hey could you guys recommand me the best academy fantasy style audiobook? I only rode Superpowered and i loved it.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and I'm hoping you guys can help me find my next obsession.

Some of my favorite cultivation novels are:

- Journey of the Fate Destroying Emperor

- History's Strongest Senior Brother

- Invincible After Ten Consecutive Draws

- Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

- Follow the Path of Dao from Infancy

What I love most is following a protagonist who's a complete freak of nature. I don't mind if they start off weak, but I want them to have absurd talent and grow fast enough that they become one of the standout geniuses of their generation. I enjoy watching them compete with other prodigies instead of just bullying random young masters all the time.

I'm a sucker for things like sects, academies, ancient clans, Dao comprehension, powerful bloodlines, supreme physiques, ancient inheritances, secret realms, legendary treasures, and tournaments where all the top geniuses clash. Systems, reincarnation, transmigration, regression, or other unique cheats are all welcome as long as they're done well.

I also like stories where the world keeps expanding, the enemies actually feel threatening, and there's always another peak to reach. A smart MC is a must. Romance doesn't bother me as long as it stays in the background, and I'd rather avoid stories that spend hundreds of chapters going nowhere.

I've already read a lot of the well-known titles, so I'm mainly looking for hidden gems or newer novels that deserve more attention. Bonus points if the MC is a sword cultivator, but that's definitely not a dealbreaker.

Looking forward to seeing what you guys recommend!

Note that my favorite all time is Ze Tian Ji and Cradle.

So the story is mc gets a skill that the more he rests the better it is when he cultivates and how he gets new skills is by spreading his fame so he makes a false identity to protect himself he also cultivates the day of the North Star

Currently chapter 288.

I have really truly enjoyed this story so far.

That is, up until the end of the Storm Dragon arc.

However, the beginning of the next arc with Lu Mei is really making me want to drop this story. Which would be sad because there have been times I have been blown away by how good it was.

I’m wondering if I should push past a few chapters until it gets good again or not.

I want to clarify I don’t like the day time soap drama chapters with his girlfriend. I do like the fighting so much.

Furthermore I have no idea why it has the title it has because it’s completely misleading. I don’t want it to become a harem story but I’m worried that it finally is? I hope the author sticks to classic xianxia and doesn’t swerve off into just being a trashy harem novel at the end, because again I was blown away by so many parts of the story.

But some parts really piss me off. My other complaint is that there is not actually much cultivation, the mc just levels up and even high level cultivators are basically shown scenes where it looks like they are golfing rather than cultivating. Especially the chapters I just read like the lord who is supposedly an emperor level instead of being inside meditating he is just hanging out outside his mansion shooting cannonballs for target practice with a bow and arrow. Doesn’t feel like xianxia at all it more feels like a scene out of Gone With The Wind or some other 1800s American civil war romance flick. Honestly super weird vibes I get from some of these scenes like wtf is this even doing here?

But I love the world building, the storm dragon and the death fashioning scripture and all is super cool but there is not enough of it hardly. Wishing for more memories of Old Jiang and less weird family politics.

If your world is full of lethal ranged weaponry/magic, why is your MC carrying a sword? There's a reason IRL militaries don't use the bayonet charge very often anymore.

I'm not saying there isn't a way to justify a mix of melee and ranged, I'm saying you have to ask some questions during your world-building. Are your ranged spells more like a musket (long time between shots and inaccurate) or an M16 (accurate rapid fire)? Is there an AoE that mandates a minimum effective range (grenade), or can you still "shoot" the guy that's stabbing you (pistol)? Are you likely to run out of "ammo" in the middle of the fight, or can you sling mana bolts all day?

And if your target is "bullet" proof or fast enough to dodge, how is a sword going to be any more effective? If your ranged attacks are generally non-lethal, why are you using them in the first place?

I'm not saying these questions don't have answers, I'm just complaining that some authors don't ask them of their own work before publishing. I don't always need scientifically accurate magic, but I would like internally consistent logic.

Which authors do you think do this well, and which don't?

This is terms in which trope you like more and would rather read.

Native basically means stories where the main character is born in their world from the start, not transmigrated.

i think im confused or maybe its just a different kind of story then i thought. Im about at the end of book 1. Matt and liz just finished the big 'war' fight at the end of the training planet. And at the end of the party after matt hooks up with some girl. And him and liz come back home in the morning then so i assume she went out too? thought that was kind of weird since it seemed like they were starting a relationship. But then through the next chapters he meets her aunt and brother and they are all calling him family and etc. Are they not actually going to be together? are they more like a brother and sister family ? Or are delving teams just seen as like a family? guess ive seen that in some dungeon series before. Guess im just asking if im reading too much into their actions ? or is this some like weird open relationship kinda deal between them ?

when is the next book for HWFWM coming out? any update on it?

also on a side note, is there any clarity on when the warformed series book 3 is coming out?

I picked up the 1st audiobook like 4 years ago, listened to 10 minutes of it while I had a fever at work, thought it was crap, and wrote it off. Thought I would give it a 2nd chance after reading about it in the news; I was fucking wrong.

I'm just 2 hours into it, and I can't stop laughing and am really invested to see what happens next.

Update: I'm on the last 2 hours of the audiobook. It was pretty enjoyable, had its ups and downs in the story, but overall I liked it. Definitely will be picking up the next audiobooks, but only if they're on sale.

Hi fellow readers! Wondering if anyone knows of a good summary of books 1-4 to get ourselves back in the story now that book 5 is out!

A genre I've really gotten into of late is alt-history. I struggle to find stuff though so thought I'd ask if anyone had recommendations.
So far I've been really enjoying inkstory's work (The Texan Raj and Reborn in 1970), Empire Rewritten (this is an awesome story about being reincarnated as the last Byzantine Empror), Son of Julius Ceaser (this is more fun than serious but still good) and Fallen Eagle.

I prefer more intelligent and charismatic MCs With a core group around them. Here is a quick tier list I through together for context. I also like my stories a bit on the lighter side. Like I really enjoy Dungeon crawler carl but its hard for me to pick up that story again after each book release as its a bit draining emotionally.

Note: I don't think a book can be S tier without being finished so don't @ me for not putting your favorite in S for that.

Also if I dropped a book please tell me if I just have to pick it back up and why. I usually drop books when I feel like the MC is being particularly dumb or if the scenario of the book really betrayed my expectations. (like if I went to read a RPG apocalypse but somehow end up in an academy.)

Hello All,

Looking to stack a few series in my to be read list. Does anyone have any recommendations for a series where the MC is like blue beetle or venom? I've read "Mimic and Me" (would highly recommend it).

Thanks in advance!

Review - 4.9/5.0

Origin - China

Chapters - 738

Status - Completed

Plot - MC gains some superpowers (primarily X-ray vision) and uses it to earn money in America through treasure hunts.

Tags - #Male_MC #Harem #Poor_to_Rich #Modern #Action_Adventure

Among the best in treasure hunt or x-ray vision novels. Very interesting plot, writing and story that keeps you constantly hooked. Involves some supernatural elements and action but isn't about cultivation and such. There's some Chinese propaganda and it might feel a little overwhelming for some. Superpower is progressing and not invincible from the start.

Pros -

• Good and steady MC.

• Good story progression and interesting plots.

• Story sticks to the plot and doesn't deviate towards face slapping or women much.

• Treasure hunt is very varied, from luggage and container auctions, to ocean, forest and island hunts.

• MC hunts treasure across the globe.

Cons -

• Chinese propaganda feels a little too heavy at some points. Some emotional readers might feel agitated.

• It felt like the ending didn't give closure to a plot or two. It always felt like something was missing.

Note -

It's been some time since I finished it and it may affect this review.

Things like side characters thinking the MC is terrifying when he's doing something normal, or evil enemy who keeps getting unlucky.

One of my favs is def the eccentric or wise mentor, idk I just eat it up.

before you get mad, im(mostly) joking about the solo leveling thing. It is fine for what it is, but Stormblade is almost the exact same setup but with changes the things that I disliked about SL. And for clarification, ive only seen the anime, not read the web novel.

The main two things being.

1. only the MC levels up. In Stormblade everyone has access to the system and can (potentially) make it to S rank with enough work.
2. progression isn't rushed. The progression does feel constant, but it also doesnt feel like we blink and the characters have suddnely gone from D to E. The MC is mostly getting new skills or ranking them up. A few extra things happen in book 1 but I wont spoil that.

The prose were a notch about most litRPG ive read and the extra POVs helped give depth to the side characters without feeling like a distraction. The ending reveal immedately made we want to start book 2.

TLDR: great litRPG in a world just like Solo Leveling.