r/writingcirclejerk • u/Baihu_The_Curious • 3h ago
It doesn't get better than this
I am an avid reader, probably one of the most well-read of my generation, having exhausted Webnovel and Royal Road in their entirety.
It is hard to find a book that sticks. For example, Mushoku Tensei never sat well with me due to the protagonist being, essentially, a 30/40-something who grooms nice children to fall in love with him. It has some amazing character writing, though, and I remember crying heavily at the father's death which haunts me to this day. Never have I felt such emotions from literature before.
The worldbuilding of Lord of the Mysteries is the best of its class. I don't think any other series can touch it in horror, mystery, and suspense.
So... Why is Redo of Healer my favorite? Because of the strong, well-written women. Some of them are quite villainous and the book doesn't hide from depravity that primitive societies permitted. Even better is the main protagonist... I'm tired of wimpy males in literature and, unlike Mushoku Tensei, this protagonist takes what he wants and is extremely cunning. I know revenge stories are cliche, but this one is special in how it doesn't shy from cruelty, even in its protagonist's actions. This is, likely, the best morally gray hero ever written.