Cultivating Chaos 5

VeilVerse: Cultivating Chaos #5

by William D. Arand

Ash’s life is anything but normal these days.

Having discovered his Dao, he’s grown in power. Grown to the point that others are now aware of him and that he could be a danger.

In this world of martial arts, only the strong and the ruthless survive.

Everyone else is merely a stepping stone on their path of Cultivation, or an obstacle to be overcome.

Or knocked down.

It’s a world where the strong rule, and the weak die.

Utilizing the Hall, the voice in his head that calls itself Locke, those who have aligned with his faction, and all the powers available to him, Ash has begun his own journey of Cultivation.

Except that as a Fated One, his journey is a narrow and winding path between two cosmic forces. Each one vying for dominance.

The prison that he had been sent to has become little better than yet another tool.
Another resource.

Ash is planning his complete take-over it and to immediately leave it behind as well in an escape.

This is his fifth step in his life as a Cultivator.

Genres: Harem, Fantasy, Magic, Gods

450 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 10, 2024

Reviews

[Akshay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: Cultivating Chaos 5 (VeilVerse: Cultivating Chaos) by William D. Arand

Introduction

"Cultivating Chaos 5" is the fifth installment in William D. Arand's VeilVerse: Cultivating Chaos series, a work that blends elements of LitRPG and cultivation genres. Set in a world where martial arts and magic intertwine, this novel continues the journey of Ash, a protagonist whose path to power is as complex as it is perilous.

Plot and Narrative

The story picks up with Ash's ongoing cultivation journey, now fraught with new challenges and responsibilities. As a "Fated One" caught between two cosmic forces, Ash must navigate a precarious balance of power while continuing to grow stronger. The narrative focuses on Ash's efforts to escape from a prison, which he intends to take over and leave behind, marking a significant milestone in his cultivation path.

The plot weaves together elements of martial arts progression, cosmic conflicts, and personal relationships, creating a tapestry of action and intrigue. However, some readers have noted that the narrative structure can be confusing at times, with transitions between chapters and storylines sometimes feeling disjointed.

Character Development

Ash, the protagonist, continues to evolve in this installment. His character arc sees him transitioning from a learner to a leader, though some readers have criticized this shift, feeling that he has become more of a support figure to his companions. The supporting cast, including characters like Locke (a voice in Ash's head) and various women in Ash's group, also see development. These characters, such as Hui, Xiuying, and Ren, are noted for their growth from broken individuals into a supportive system for Ash.

The harem dynamic, a consistent element of the series, remains present in this book. While some readers appreciate the complex relationships, others find this aspect repetitive and potentially distracting from the main plot.

Themes and World-Building

"Cultivating Chaos 5" continues to explore themes central to the LitRPG and cultivation genres:

Cultivation and Power: The novel delves deep into the cultivation journey, emphasizing personal growth and the overcoming of obstacles through strength and strategy.

Cosmic Forces and Destiny: Ash's role as a "Fated One" introduces themes of destiny and the struggle between opposing cosmic powers, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

Complexity and Confusion: The book's exploration of Dao mysticism and multiple plot threads has been noted for its complexity, which some readers find engaging while others find overwhelming.

The world-building continues to be a strong point, with the VeilVerse universe expanding to accommodate new challenges and revelations about the nature of cultivation and cosmic forces.

Writing Style and Pacing

Arand's writing style remains consistent with previous installments, blending detailed descriptions of cultivation techniques with action sequences and character interactions. However, the pacing of this book has received mixed reactions. Some readers find the story fast-paced and interesting, while others feel that the narrative has become cluttered with unnecessary elements, particularly focusing on sexual content, which they feel detracts from the potential of the original concept.

Comparison to Previous Books and Genre Conventions

"Cultivating Chaos 5" maintains the series' adherence to LitRPG and cultivation genre conventions, with its focus on character progression and power accumulation. However, some readers have noted a disconnect between this book and earlier installments, suggesting a shift in tone or focus that may not align with their expectations based on previous books.

Reception

Positive reviews praise the book's action-packed narrative, character development, and the expansion of the VeilVerse universe.

Critical reviews point to issues with narrative coherence, pacing, and the balance between plot progression and character relationships.


Conclusion

"Cultivating Chaos 5" by William D. Arand is a complex addition to the VeilVerse series that continues to push the boundaries of the LitRPG and cultivation genres. While it maintains the core elements that fans of the series have come to expect - intricate world-building, character progression, and a blend of martial arts and cosmic forces - it also introduces new challenges both within the narrative and for its readers.

For dedicated fans of the series and the genre, "Cultivating Chaos 5" offers a continuation of Ash's journey with increased stakes and deeper exploration of the VeilVerse universe. However, new readers or those looking for a more straightforward narrative may find the complexity and established character dynamics challenging. The book's strengths lie in its ambitious scope and the author's commitment to expanding the series' mythology, while its weaknesses stem from the difficulties in balancing multiple plot threads and character arcs.

Ultimately, "Cultivating Chaos 5" stands as a testament to the evolving nature of the LitRPG and cultivation genres, offering a rich, if sometimes overwhelming, experience for readers willing to immerse themselves in its intricate world. As the series continues, it will be interesting to see how Arand navigates the balance between complexity and accessibility in this unique blend of martial arts fantasy and cosmic intrigue.

[Roberto Flores · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't who anyone was.

And this did nothing to help that. At a certain point you can see that this is just meandering about with no point anymore.

[Tracy S McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite series by this author and top 5 of all series I've read!!!

I absolutely reread this series several times while I await the next book in it!!! This world is incredibly well detailed and the characters and their interactions are always first rate!!!

[LaziMantis Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

It was a good book but not as good as then others all the baby talk and how gushy they have been acting and a bunch of stuff I didn't care for

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 40%

Over the past week I've blitzed through the previous four books, and DNF'ed at 40% in this one. The overarching story behind Ashley and his growing alliance was interesting, compelling even. I endured the harem aspect of these books, and Ashley started with a reasonable reaction to women throwing themselves at him. It's since gotten worse and worse, to the point where all he seems to do is compliment them at length, and they act coy in return.

It's reached a point where I can't continue to ignore it; it's half the damn book.

Additionally, the author seems to simply repeat cycles in the book(s):

- Ashley realises he must be proactive, not passive in all things.
- He finds a woman who has a unique power, brings her into his harem, and she becomes useful.
- There's one of his 'wives' he needs to sleep with or fix in some way.
- His dao gets stronger and he deus-ex machina's a situation.

I put a lot of this aside because the overall story was good; it's not anymore. It's a never-ending spiral that doesn't really seem to be going anywhere, and the bad by far outweighs the good. Additionally, Ashley himself is a bit useless. It's his wives doing all the heavy lifting. Ashley is now just a glorified battery bank and cheerleader for his team. At the beginning he was learning, growing, and doing interesting things - a lot in part due to Locke, his support spirit of sorts.

Now Locke has turned out be one more horny woman in a string of horny women, whose only objective seems to be to get praise and compliments from Ashley, and a baby somewhere down the line.

This is where I'm getting off this deteriorating ride; I think if the author had taken some more time to craft a better story, he had some interesting characters and arcs to tell. Instead, he seems to have decided to skip anything of interest, and give a rather dull harem tale a spin instead.

[Glenn S · Rating 1 out of 5]

After Book 3....

The series became a cluttered up mess with sex. A total waste of time. Very disappointing. The concept had so much potential. All he had to do was "Keep it Simple". There are so many plot junctions, it's like a cluttered up closet of thoughts, ideas, mistakes and junk.

[Bert Babb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuation of a great cultivator story

Really like some of the additional characters, Hui, Xiuying and Ren. These characters developed from very broken people into a great support system, especially when his original cohort got injured. I did however find the harem management somewhat disjointed and confusing.

What I didn't particurlarly care for is the esoteric deep dive into Dao mysticism. I found it distracting and made the story tedious to read. I actually stopped reading the story 3-4 times because I was so bogged down in the mysticism. I was also off kilter by the Shen alliance world hopping from the prison vale to the warden's office in the sky. Then fighting the horned man, a fallen deity, in different mindscapes. I got lost from the original attraction of the storyline.

However the ending peering into a low-Qi earthlike vale to purse an escaped adversary sets up for interesting possibilities. Hopefullly the next installment will be a return to the roots of what made the first 3 books so intruiging, namely weak to strong cultivation as the MC yries to chart a path through a hostlie new world.

[Lamar Logan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The 3rd, 4th and this 5th books are not really connected with the 1st and 2nd books. I re-listened too the first 4 books right before starting this one and I was lost from the start.

The momentum of this series has become a hot mess. How have I changed? How has the author changed? What happened that I no longer enjoy the work?

I'm sad or upset because I really wanted to enjoy this book. I was looking forward to it.

The author might benefit from writing some standalone novels. That start, grow, climax and have endings. That aren't part of any existing world they created.

I started skipping ahead when the fortunes favored character was introduced. This book and the previous book have nothing at all in common with the first books.

[Vance Olmstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who wrote this book

Who wrote this book? Gave it 4 stars just to support William Arand, but should have been lower. This read nothing like any of his other books in this series, or for that matter books in his other series. It was horrible, and skipping pages constantly. It felt like he had a bad ghost writer or AI take over this book. I unfortunately already bought Wild Wastes, so I'm hoping whoever wrote this book didn't write that one. This series was one of my favorites and to see this happen was just atrocious unfortunately.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things get interesting

If you haven't read the rest of the books in this series, please go start from book 1 or else you'll be completely lost that said things start happening in a big way in this book ash and crew make a prison break create a new realm Lord and then accidentally cause a fight between various Xinxia Gods all in all a great book

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, but felt like it lacked a bit

I loved the prior books. This one was just OK to me. There was just a feeling of being lost and a bunch of confusion in the transitions between chapters. Honestly it felt a bit rushed. I still liked some of the directions, but just felt it was a bit lacking compared to the other books.

[Allan A. Des Vignes Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many things to say!!

Mr. Arand,

I have read this whole series and I must say that I truly enjoyed every word, every character whether good or bad or indifferent.
I hope that this not the end, nor lack of great story telling.

In my mind you're a great writer and I truly keep looking for all of your work!!

[Monty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the time nor the audible credit. - returned.

This was to disappointing and off putting a read.. it left me depressed by how dull and awkward it was.
I don't know but maybe it would seem better without the audio even.
I think this will be the last Veil Verse story I try.. at least of the stories about Ashley.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story was fine for the starting part, although I find that this author goes (at least to me) on weird tangents in his story telling. I often find some gaps, and think I missed something somewhere in the story. These combined make for this to be an unpleasant read and I've given up at about 62% of the book.

[Andrew Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great instalment

Another fun Acton packed instalment in the series. Love the further development of ash and the bride's and knights. Really enjoyed xui and he cheery disposition makes a change from the cultivator mindset. Really looking guard to the next book.

[Mark Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one also

It was worth reading, I suggest you read the other ones first. I enjoyed every word. you have to read the other ones before you read this book or some of it won't make sense to you. enjoyable worth reading.

[James Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

It's was worth the wait ,that was one wild ride . The Mc is getting even more powerful and so is his harem. Look forward to to the next one ,hopefully we won't have to wait as long

[Paps · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an individual book is not a bad read, as part of the series it doesn't help it. Cleary it is deviating from its initial premises as the author odd habit of discarding memebers of the absurd harem he created for reasons unknow to the reader.

[Nicole Klopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

Just wow! Another great installment with more revealed and even more questions! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Tom Maxey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good continuation of the series.

[david goldberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series is getting metaphysical and the author seems to throw around god like powers whenever he feels like boosting the hero out of a problem. The beginning of this series was better: then the author seemed to get stuck and took the series in a new direction after a pause.

[Robert L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

This is a fine harem fantasy adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the bunny girl Tala. I anxiously await the sequel.

[Tiffany Taylor whiting · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

I really enjoy this series. It’s disconnected for all the other book series , but is really enjoyable and fun!

[Justin Chesnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 done

I still very much enjoy this story and these characters. Had a good bout of growth here, with even more plot development. I'm truly curious as to what is coming next.

[David Schimelpfenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

decent

Enjoyable other than being completely unrealistic that any young guy would resist hordes of gals wanting to sleep with him.