Baccharis

5 months ago

Recommended

I have some personal issues with this novel, actually, it’s more like personal issues with Korean novels. So I’m going to use this space to complain about these problems, but before that, I want to make two things clear:

Yes, it’s worth reading, it’s fun, but it’s not anywhere near amazing. It’s simply okay, and there’s nothing wrong with being okay.

I read both the raw version of the novel and quite a bit of the webtoon (I didn’t like the webtoon much).

Now, with that out of the way, I’ll start by categorically stating that neither Japanese nor Korean authors know how to write about ‘magic.’ Even worse when the mage is the protagonist. It feels like they have this irresistible compulsion to put a sword in the hand of every damn person they call a mage in their stories, and it’s always swords! Never a bow, rarely a spear or dagger, but always a close-combat weapon. And guess what? The supposed mage hardly ever uses magic, they fight like a regular warrior. What’s funny is that I actually enjoy reading about and playing close-combat classes, but the problem is when I want to read something different. I contemplate the vast number of works out there and realize that all the protagonists fight the same way, using a sword, hitting fast and hard, with no differentiation or ‘flavor’ at all. That said, I know Japan and Korea have a culture of sword-worship, but I swear to you, I would love to read a good novel about a real mage, or maybe an archer, or even a summoner. But no, it’s always about some idiot swinging a sword. God have mercy on us.

Ghrell

VIP

4 months ago

Recommended

About 50 chapters deep at the time of this review.

If you’re looking for some light reading and want something that leans towards litrpg’s without going overly heavy on stats this is an easy read. It’s not particularly drama heavy, MC is blatantly OP, some things feel a bit rush/glossed over, and there’s a bit of inconsistency in the worldbuilding but it’s not too egregious. I wouldn’t classify this as a must read, but if you’re looking to pick something up while waiting on chapters elsewhere it’s good enough.

Synopsis:

MC’s BFF is like an older sister to him and accompanies him out drinking after MC is dumped. Except she gets plastered like she’s carrying the fate of the world on her shoulders, revealing that she was gifted a chance at reincarnation by her patron god and Earth is about to be put into a ‘tower climbing death game’; rigged for people to fail. The MC is OP, because he just is, and is thus humanities only hope of giving whatever system or gods running the tower two giant middle fingers (yeah it’s not ‘deep’). The MC just handles things, because he’s OP, sometimes literally with a single lucky swing of his axe.

Honestly if that’s all there was to it, it’d be a bit sparse for me. But his BFF, Ha He-Jeong, is interesting and her ‘jaded noona’ character adds a bit of dystopian contrast to the MC’s perspective (to the point that I can’t help but wonder if she might’ve been a better MC, imperfect but trying her best to build up the hero). I can see a future in which the novel could get darker and more dystopian as it progresses with the way that the ‘god system’ is implied to work but realistically this will probably just be a fluffy OP MC Litrpg novel.

Not for everyone, but a fun read for those who’re looking for something in this genre.

Dr. Mistral

5 months ago

Recommended

This is well written, with the translation giving smooth and mostly uninterrupted action, dialogue, and thoughts. Some spaces are clunky, but the story is moved along quickly and after 20 chapters I'm still looking forward to getting to know the characters and to learn which decisions they will make.

The first person perspective is a little reductive, but not yet so much that it becomes annoying. Small holes are addressed relatively quickly. For a light novel, this is pretty solid.

It's the first time since reading Nebula's Civilization that I was curious about the interplay between characters and to learn how the system could be changed/manipulated.

I'll update if anything significant changes, but the first 20 give a good reason to start. Try it for yourself.

Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't

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