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Infinite Realm #1
Monsters and Legends
34 hours and 30 minutes
The world has ended, and those worthy of it have received the chance for a new life in a new reality.
Zach grew in power and thrived in the post-Framework world. He became a respected leader, a shining example of what it meant to be good. But as the world ended, he had only one thought: to punish the monster that had killed the world long before the Framework ended it. Yet not even with his incredible power was he able to stand against the World Ender. His arrival in the new realty, the Infinite Realm, gives him the chance to grow stronger, to find the monster again—and make it pay.
Ryun survived the chaos after the arrival of the Framework by pushing harder than anyone else. He grew in power until he became the most powerful being that had ever walked the planet; but he is hated by the world, called a monster by all others, the World Ender. As the world ends and he steps into a new one, where people stronger than him have lived for centuries, he finds himself lost and without purpose. The only thing that had mattered to him had been lost to him long ago. He truly was the monster that people considered him to be, and he now finds himself wondering if this new reality has a place for someone like him—but he had never been one for lying down and dying without a fight. One world fell to his power, and another might follow.
WARNING: This book contains RPG mechanics and tables, cultivation, profanity, gore, mature themes, unconventional morality, and multiple complicated main characters. This story follows several main characters, both male and female, who are introduced into the story at different times. This story is a mix of LitRPG and Xianxia, and it will have Classes as well as Cultivation systems.. It also takes place in two timelines (the past chapters are not the main focus, only an addition).
Author's note:
This story is the e-book version of my webserial.
The world has ended, and those worthy of it have received the chance for a new life in a new reality.
Zach grew in power and thrived in the post-Framework world. He became a respected leader, a shining example of what it meant to be good. But as the world ended, he had only one thought: to punish the monster that had killed the world long before the Framework ended it. Yet not even with his incredible power was he able to stand against the World Ender. His arrival in the new realty, the Infinite Realm, gives him the chance to grow stronger, to find the monster again—and make it pay.
Ryun survived the chaos after the arrival of the Framework by pushing harder than anyone else. He grew in power until he became the most powerful being that had ever walked the planet; but he is hated by the world, called a monster by all others, the World Ender. As the world ends and he steps into a new one, where people stronger than him have lived for centuries, he finds himself lost and without purpose. The only thing that had mattered to him had been lost to him long ago. He truly was the monster that people considered him to be, and he now finds himself wondering if this new reality has a place for someone like him—but he had never been one for lying down and dying without a fight. One world fell to his power, and another might follow.
WARNING: This book contains RPG mechanics and tables, cultivation, profanity, gore, mature themes, unconventional morality, and multiple complicated main characters. This story follows several main characters, both male and female, who are introduced into the story at different times. This story is a mix of LitRPG and Xianxia, and it will have Classes as well as Cultivation systems.. It also takes place in two timelines (the past chapters are not the main focus, only an addition).
Author's note:
This story is the e-book version of my webserial.
35 pages, Audible Audio
Published November 1, 2021
820 people are currently reading
1128 people want to read
About the author
Ivan Kal
42 books384 followersIvan Kal writes science fiction and fantasy, and is the author of the space opera series Rise of the Empire.
For most of his life he had been studying in the fields of electronics, IT, and web design.
But because of his great love for books and his need to tell stories, he decided to start writing.
His other interests include martial arts, movies and tv, and gaming.
For most of his life he had been studying in the fields of electronics, IT, and web design.
But because of his great love for books and his need to tell stories, he decided to start writing.
His other interests include martial arts, movies and tv, and gaming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
December 29, 2021
Mini-Review:
Great narration by Phil Thron. I missed listening to him narrate stories. Hopefully, Space Team will be back at some point and I'll hear Thron narrate that zany series.
- This writer needs an editor. Great ideas, but poor plot flow and mash up of polished writing mixed with rough writing. There are repeated use of certain words and phrases in close proximity to each usage. It happened a lot and detracted from the story + desired reader impact.
- The changes in POV were not that abrupt, but the timeline jumps from present to past or vice versa were not well done. No real transitions. The story flopped from one to the other. Towards the end of the book, I saw why the writer used the jagged format, but it could have been done better.
- Overall character development for Ryun was the best part of the book. There's some potential for fun world building, but not enough of it was done to be a sure thing here.
- Game mechanics and leveling were not as interesting as it could have been. For me, part of the fun about cultivation stories are the realizations that the characters make during their trials and hardships. Perhaps more of that will happen in the next book.
Great narration by Phil Thron. I missed listening to him narrate stories. Hopefully, Space Team will be back at some point and I'll hear Thron narrate that zany series.
- This writer needs an editor. Great ideas, but poor plot flow and mash up of polished writing mixed with rough writing. There are repeated use of certain words and phrases in close proximity to each usage. It happened a lot and detracted from the story + desired reader impact.
- The changes in POV were not that abrupt, but the timeline jumps from present to past or vice versa were not well done. No real transitions. The story flopped from one to the other. Towards the end of the book, I saw why the writer used the jagged format, but it could have been done better.
- Overall character development for Ryun was the best part of the book. There's some potential for fun world building, but not enough of it was done to be a sure thing here.
- Game mechanics and leveling were not as interesting as it could have been. For me, part of the fun about cultivation stories are the realizations that the characters make during their trials and hardships. Perhaps more of that will happen in the next book.
January 27, 2021
Very entertaining book, but GET AN EDITOR..
I really really really loved this story. Super great cultivation novel for those looking for something to read while we all wait for more of The Cradle, Dragon Heart and Silver Fox novels. But jesus christ the amount of errors in this book was atrocious. Misplaced random words, forgotten words, accidentally repeated passages, typos, and poor grammar abound throughout this book.
I read litRPG on the reg and this book has by far the most errors out of any book I’ve ever read. Truly embarrassing for this author! Fortunately the length of the story was perfect and the world building and characters were engaging enough to completely redeem the book in my eyes. GET AN EDITOR DUDE your story deserves it and your fans will appreciate it.
I really really really loved this story. Super great cultivation novel for those looking for something to read while we all wait for more of The Cradle, Dragon Heart and Silver Fox novels. But jesus christ the amount of errors in this book was atrocious. Misplaced random words, forgotten words, accidentally repeated passages, typos, and poor grammar abound throughout this book.
I read litRPG on the reg and this book has by far the most errors out of any book I’ve ever read. Truly embarrassing for this author! Fortunately the length of the story was perfect and the world building and characters were engaging enough to completely redeem the book in my eyes. GET AN EDITOR DUDE your story deserves it and your fans will appreciate it.
December 15, 2021
You think you are reading a LITRPG book? Nope, you are reading a LGBTQ romance novel.
First book was good. Author went off the rails in the next two books in series, turning every character gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or genderless. I really hate it when authors ruin a decent series 2 or 3 books into the series by changing every aspect of their book to LGBTQ fanfic.
I won't be reading any more of this series, and probably nothing else from this author.
First book was good. Author went off the rails in the next two books in series, turning every character gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or genderless. I really hate it when authors ruin a decent series 2 or 3 books into the series by changing every aspect of their book to LGBTQ fanfic.
I won't be reading any more of this series, and probably nothing else from this author.
January 12, 2021
Spoiler alert: this is based on the early web version, before final editing.
This is litrpg of the highest quality. 10 years ago, the System Apocalypse happens - the system installs, offering everyone the usual package of skills, classes or even cultivation choices. And at the end of ten years, Earth gets destroyed, and the top 10.000 people in term of power get moved to the Infinite Realm... just like the six previous earths.
Except that, minutes before the ascension of the 10.000 rankers, there are only seven people left alive... and six of them are trying to execute the #1 on the rank scale for the crime of exterminating mankind.
And this is why you get to cheer for the villain of the story when he and his old friend that failed to kill him by two seconds become the only persons to enter the titular realm, much to the surprise and incomprehension of everyone.
Separated, they have to recreate themselves, because Earth is gone. And M. Kal does an impressive job to make you understand why, in a world where personal power gives you basically Superman-level strengths, someone can end up a sociopathic monster that killed nearly everyone. It's stupid, it's wrong... and everyone in there is very, very human.
Kudos on what should probably be one of the best series in 2021.
This is litrpg of the highest quality. 10 years ago, the System Apocalypse happens - the system installs, offering everyone the usual package of skills, classes or even cultivation choices. And at the end of ten years, Earth gets destroyed, and the top 10.000 people in term of power get moved to the Infinite Realm... just like the six previous earths.
Except that, minutes before the ascension of the 10.000 rankers, there are only seven people left alive... and six of them are trying to execute the #1 on the rank scale for the crime of exterminating mankind.
And this is why you get to cheer for the villain of the story when he and his old friend that failed to kill him by two seconds become the only persons to enter the titular realm, much to the surprise and incomprehension of everyone.
Separated, they have to recreate themselves, because Earth is gone. And M. Kal does an impressive job to make you understand why, in a world where personal power gives you basically Superman-level strengths, someone can end up a sociopathic monster that killed nearly everyone. It's stupid, it's wrong... and everyone in there is very, very human.
Kudos on what should probably be one of the best series in 2021.
December 20, 2021
Surprisingly good book. Was debating whether to give it 3 or 4 stars, but having read the sequel, I'm going to stick with 3 as the author did not improve on the weaker points of the book.
So whats good? Interesting enough story that hooks you from the start. The protagonist is what I think people would call as anti-hero although I'm not 100% sure as to what that means. Lets just say he's a person with gray morals, although in some sense he's also a very simple character. The one thing that massively helped though, and almost made me cry tears of relief, is that characters actually acted their age. There's no bratty main character that sounds like a 10year old trying to make wise cracks that don't impress anyone. Its the opposite in fact. There is a heavy and almost dark feel to much of the story, as we wait for revelations to unfold that are clearly going to be very unpleasant.
The character development of important characters is also decent. Nothing extraordinary, but at least it doesn't feel lacking or artificial.
The writing style is good enough that the story doesn't feel rushed or slow, although there were grammatical oddities here and there.
Moving onto the bad points then. The biggest negative is unfortunately the system that the author has created. There are basically 3 ways people can progress - by classes, by cultivation or by just skills. It can also be a combination of any of those things. And the way they interact, or develop or stack up against each other is not impressive.
There are so many small contradictions that the author writes. Sometimes we're told levels are not important, its the stats. Sometimes we're told stats are not important, its the perks. Sometimes we're told that skills don't rely on stats, but then perfecting skills rewards lot of stats, so what it is that they rely on?
Same is the case with cultivation, which is very badly done. Here also we're told that cultivation doesn't rely on stats, but on qi and techniques, but lot of those same techniques are just buffs that improve stats or attacks that depend on a certain stat.
There's the usual rubbish of the main character finding the best ways to progress himself ridiculously quickly. Every time he progresses, he seems to get exactly what he needs, and its always very rare or precious.
Then also there is the ridiculous 'first' titles and achievements that give absolutely illogical bonuses. I don't understand the obsession LitRPG authors have over someone to do something first. 'First to lvl 10', here have some bonus stats; 'First to clear dungeon' here have bonus stats; 'First to advance to xyz cultivation' here get these bonus stats. Being first at something doesn't mean you're good at it. It only means other people have not got around to doing it yet. There are also a plethora of other absurd titles that are tailor made for situations the MC is going to fall in.
Another thing that doesn't work in the book's favour is abrupt chapters that tell of the past. The author shoves them in randomly when he realizes the readers are going to need more context. Overall the flow between the 'present' and 'past' chapters feels very jarring.
And also what ends up bringing this book down slightly, and the next book down completely, is the number of chapters devoted to Zach, who I consider to be a side character. Maybe the author intended it as a dual main character story, but that is hard to swallow when the whole purpose of one of the character is to try and kill the other.
Maybe the author felt that it adds drama and tension, which it does, but Zach as a character is so boring that I simply could not get invested in him or his story, which is also not at all interesting. But there will be more to rant on that for the 2nd book's review, so I'll just leave this one here.
On the whole the positives outweigh the negatives, and this is worth a shot for good LitRPG stories.
So whats good? Interesting enough story that hooks you from the start. The protagonist is what I think people would call as anti-hero although I'm not 100% sure as to what that means. Lets just say he's a person with gray morals, although in some sense he's also a very simple character. The one thing that massively helped though, and almost made me cry tears of relief, is that characters actually acted their age. There's no bratty main character that sounds like a 10year old trying to make wise cracks that don't impress anyone. Its the opposite in fact. There is a heavy and almost dark feel to much of the story, as we wait for revelations to unfold that are clearly going to be very unpleasant.
The character development of important characters is also decent. Nothing extraordinary, but at least it doesn't feel lacking or artificial.
The writing style is good enough that the story doesn't feel rushed or slow, although there were grammatical oddities here and there.
Moving onto the bad points then. The biggest negative is unfortunately the system that the author has created. There are basically 3 ways people can progress - by classes, by cultivation or by just skills. It can also be a combination of any of those things. And the way they interact, or develop or stack up against each other is not impressive.
There are so many small contradictions that the author writes. Sometimes we're told levels are not important, its the stats. Sometimes we're told stats are not important, its the perks. Sometimes we're told that skills don't rely on stats, but then perfecting skills rewards lot of stats, so what it is that they rely on?
Same is the case with cultivation, which is very badly done. Here also we're told that cultivation doesn't rely on stats, but on qi and techniques, but lot of those same techniques are just buffs that improve stats or attacks that depend on a certain stat.
There's the usual rubbish of the main character finding the best ways to progress himself ridiculously quickly. Every time he progresses, he seems to get exactly what he needs, and its always very rare or precious.
Then also there is the ridiculous 'first' titles and achievements that give absolutely illogical bonuses. I don't understand the obsession LitRPG authors have over someone to do something first. 'First to lvl 10', here have some bonus stats; 'First to clear dungeon' here have bonus stats; 'First to advance to xyz cultivation' here get these bonus stats. Being first at something doesn't mean you're good at it. It only means other people have not got around to doing it yet. There are also a plethora of other absurd titles that are tailor made for situations the MC is going to fall in.
Another thing that doesn't work in the book's favour is abrupt chapters that tell of the past. The author shoves them in randomly when he realizes the readers are going to need more context. Overall the flow between the 'present' and 'past' chapters feels very jarring.
And also what ends up bringing this book down slightly, and the next book down completely, is the number of chapters devoted to Zach, who I consider to be a side character. Maybe the author intended it as a dual main character story, but that is hard to swallow when the whole purpose of one of the character is to try and kill the other.
Maybe the author felt that it adds drama and tension, which it does, but Zach as a character is so boring that I simply could not get invested in him or his story, which is also not at all interesting. But there will be more to rant on that for the 2nd book's review, so I'll just leave this one here.
On the whole the positives outweigh the negatives, and this is worth a shot for good LitRPG stories.
July 25, 2021
This was a no at first
I did not like the setup at the beginning. Too impersonal, too complex, too…I don’t know. So I set it aside.
Obviously I picked it back up. The narrative *is* complex, especially as it bounces between two different MCs *and* some chapters deal with the past (not to mention the occasional chapter from the POV of principle secondary characters). But that very complexity holds the key to understanding that your assumptions from the beginning are wrong, or at least should be tempered. What if the ‘bad guy’ isn’t?
Some prose issues, mostly with more complex words (regimen/regiment) that may not be clearly different to all readers.
I’m going to read the sequel immediately.
I did not like the setup at the beginning. Too impersonal, too complex, too…I don’t know. So I set it aside.
Obviously I picked it back up. The narrative *is* complex, especially as it bounces between two different MCs *and* some chapters deal with the past (not to mention the occasional chapter from the POV of principle secondary characters). But that very complexity holds the key to understanding that your assumptions from the beginning are wrong, or at least should be tempered. What if the ‘bad guy’ isn’t?
Some prose issues, mostly with more complex words (regimen/regiment) that may not be clearly different to all readers.
I’m going to read the sequel immediately.
April 13, 2023
There is a lot going on in this book. A lot of mistakes as well. Unfortunately this book did not allow me to do a review or list my notes when I finished reading.
You have two different over powered MC to start off with, but you also get chapters from other characters as flash backs. Honestly I skipped most of the flashbacks. As well as some of the chapters from other characters. I'm just interested in the world ender character.
I do know that if you are caught up on the published books that you can read more on Royalroad.
6/10
You have two different over powered MC to start off with, but you also get chapters from other characters as flash backs. Honestly I skipped most of the flashbacks. As well as some of the chapters from other characters. I'm just interested in the world ender character.
I do know that if you are caught up on the published books that you can read more on Royalroad.
6/10
January 21, 2023
A progression fantasy with a back story and a great future!
Told through the POVs of Ryun and Zach, last 2 humans on earth, who ascend to the Infinte Realm, this story will make you question the basis of right and wrong. What does the villain deserve: Redemption or Retribution? Read and find out! Flitting between past and present, the plot keeps you engaged through this long journey, as you discover the depths of the world built by Ivan Kal. Must read.
Told through the POVs of Ryun and Zach, last 2 humans on earth, who ascend to the Infinte Realm, this story will make you question the basis of right and wrong. What does the villain deserve: Redemption or Retribution? Read and find out! Flitting between past and present, the plot keeps you engaged through this long journey, as you discover the depths of the world built by Ivan Kal. Must read.
July 26, 2025
What I’m learning about LitRPGs is that nearly all of them are WAY too long.
I enjoyed this for the most part, but some of it felt like straight up filler. The characters are cool, and I liked the powers and abilities the author explored with the characters.
The fight scenes are a lot of fun!
I do wish the author would stop repeating massive walls of text of character sheets every other chapter. We didn’t forget where he was at from fifteen minutes ago just because he unlocked something new.
Light spoilers:
My biggest annoyance with the book, other than the length, is that the author wanted so desperately for characters to not follow all three progression paths (cultivation, class, and skill) and kept pushing this idea, even though it makes zero sense in how everything is portrayed.
I may read the second one of this series at some point, but I’m taking a break from the series for a bit.
I enjoyed this for the most part, but some of it felt like straight up filler. The characters are cool, and I liked the powers and abilities the author explored with the characters.
The fight scenes are a lot of fun!
I do wish the author would stop repeating massive walls of text of character sheets every other chapter. We didn’t forget where he was at from fifteen minutes ago just because he unlocked something new.
Light spoilers:
My biggest annoyance with the book, other than the length, is that the author wanted so desperately for characters to not follow all three progression paths (cultivation, class, and skill) and kept pushing this idea, even though it makes zero sense in how everything is portrayed.
I may read the second one of this series at some point, but I’m taking a break from the series for a bit.
February 28, 2023
I bought Monsters and Legends (Infinite Realm Book 1 by Ivan Kal) awhile ago but just now got around to it. Right from the opening chapters, I knew I was in for quite an action-packed ride and the book did not disappoint.
What I appreciate the most is how well the leveling system blends Cultivation and Classes. The author definitely put a lot of thought into their structure and it shows. There’s tons of action and, yes, quite a bit of the internal/ existential exploration that is a hallmark of cultivation-based progression fantasy.
Plot-wise, it’s more meandering than HWFWM or DCC, more on par with Unbound (another great series). It’s got enough stat pages to keep you number-crunchers happy, too.
What I appreciate the most is how well the leveling system blends Cultivation and Classes. The author definitely put a lot of thought into their structure and it shows. There’s tons of action and, yes, quite a bit of the internal/ existential exploration that is a hallmark of cultivation-based progression fantasy.
Plot-wise, it’s more meandering than HWFWM or DCC, more on par with Unbound (another great series). It’s got enough stat pages to keep you number-crunchers happy, too.
January 14, 2021
Pure awesomeness
I was completely captivated from the beginning to the end of this book. It was highly entertaining and had several new concepts at least to me. I am not usually a big fan of cultivation but this book was far more than that. Going to read the next volume on RR now
I was completely captivated from the beginning to the end of this book. It was highly entertaining and had several new concepts at least to me. I am not usually a big fan of cultivation but this book was far more than that. Going to read the next volume on RR now
January 13, 2021
Wonderful Story
From start to finish I was enthralled. The 3 systems to power are unique and exciting. How users mix and match them is always interesting as well. Cannot wait for book 2 and the rest of the series.
From start to finish I was enthralled. The 3 systems to power are unique and exciting. How users mix and match them is always interesting as well. Cannot wait for book 2 and the rest of the series.
April 11, 2025
As far as about 75% of the way through this book, my view was that I was unsure why I wasn't more drawn into the book. Without question, the premise is engaging, the writing is perfectly fine, the story unfolded well with good pacing, and there were many complex and engaging characters. Yet, for some reason, I just wasn't finding myself drawn in. The last quarter did a much better job, and once I finished the book, I knew I would be reading the next, but I feel compelled to state that this is a rare book where it might check all the boxes yet still not draw you in.
While the overall premise is likely not new, what set this book apart from other LitRPGs I've read is that the story unfolds primarily from the point of view of the antagonist. Yet, as you go through, you realize that perhaps "the monster" is not really the monster but just a man (Frankenstein nod). There are more philosophical questions to ask and ponder throughout the book, but I don't think I've read something like this, where you get to follow both the pursued and pursuer and realize that as you get to know them both better, they are both flawed and both just doing the best they can in a crazy world.
The book starts just like most LitRPGs: people are living their life when suddenly they are thrust into this new game-like world. From the start (chronologically) you can see tension and lines being drawn and you know that it can only go one way, but much like the original Star Wars saga, seeing how Darth Vader becomes the most hated man, the real story is much more interest and less black/white and more grey.
The tone is slightly more serious than most other LitRPGs I've read. One thing I will note is that the opening to this book is perhaps the highlight of the whole thing. It reminded me of the opening to a Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington (which might just be the best opening scene to a book I have ever read) in that it had an immediate impact that set the tone and stage for the rest of the book. If you are like me and get swept away in tales of fantasy, this is an opening that is both shrouded in mystery and very clear with the impact. Masterfully done.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. I think Ivan Kal did a great job on all the basics of good storytelling. Would I say that everyone is going to like it? No. Quite frankly, I'm not even sure what it was that made me tepid on the book for the majority of it. As I stand here today, I don't know and I likely will never know. I think the issue is that there were some aspects of the book - intentionally done - that prevented me from connecting with some of the characters. Again, some of this was intentional and I won't say more because it is central to the plot. But I also believe that it is because of the shifting perspectives that I wasn't really able to connect with any of our speakers until closer to the end of the book.
All said and done, I think this is a series where it will only get better in book 2. We have a lot of the elementary and worldbuilding elements completed and now we can really get the narrative going. Moreover, Kal has set up quite a few different plot threads where we know things will get interesting. Overall, this is a good opening book, one that started strong, plateaued, but ended well.
While the overall premise is likely not new, what set this book apart from other LitRPGs I've read is that the story unfolds primarily from the point of view of the antagonist. Yet, as you go through, you realize that perhaps "the monster" is not really the monster but just a man (Frankenstein nod). There are more philosophical questions to ask and ponder throughout the book, but I don't think I've read something like this, where you get to follow both the pursued and pursuer and realize that as you get to know them both better, they are both flawed and both just doing the best they can in a crazy world.
The book starts just like most LitRPGs: people are living their life when suddenly they are thrust into this new game-like world. From the start (chronologically) you can see tension and lines being drawn and you know that it can only go one way, but much like the original Star Wars saga, seeing how Darth Vader becomes the most hated man, the real story is much more interest and less black/white and more grey.
The tone is slightly more serious than most other LitRPGs I've read. One thing I will note is that the opening to this book is perhaps the highlight of the whole thing. It reminded me of the opening to a Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington (which might just be the best opening scene to a book I have ever read) in that it had an immediate impact that set the tone and stage for the rest of the book. If you are like me and get swept away in tales of fantasy, this is an opening that is both shrouded in mystery and very clear with the impact. Masterfully done.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. I think Ivan Kal did a great job on all the basics of good storytelling. Would I say that everyone is going to like it? No. Quite frankly, I'm not even sure what it was that made me tepid on the book for the majority of it. As I stand here today, I don't know and I likely will never know. I think the issue is that there were some aspects of the book - intentionally done - that prevented me from connecting with some of the characters. Again, some of this was intentional and I won't say more because it is central to the plot. But I also believe that it is because of the shifting perspectives that I wasn't really able to connect with any of our speakers until closer to the end of the book.
All said and done, I think this is a series where it will only get better in book 2. We have a lot of the elementary and worldbuilding elements completed and now we can really get the narrative going. Moreover, Kal has set up quite a few different plot threads where we know things will get interesting. Overall, this is a good opening book, one that started strong, plateaued, but ended well.
March 16, 2025
This book was not at all what I expected going into it... In fact, it wasn’t even what I expected after getting started. The book opens with an interesting selection of prologue chapters that introduce you to the situation, the main characters, and set the stakes for the novel. It masterfully tells you a lot of information in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you are taking in a lot of information.
Therefore, as soon as the first chapter starts, I feel like I am revved up and ready to go. Therefore, I was a little disappointed to see a flashback chapter as it felt like it was throwing away the momentum the excellent beginning opened up. The story had already masterfully set the stage for what was coming next, why go back and try to set it up further? Well, the good news is that though there are a lot of flashbacks in this book, they aren’t overwhelming at all, and they tell a story I was not expecting. It turns out that the black and white situation set up in the opening chapters is not nearly so black and white as you think, and the novel is going to take the reader in a direction you aren’t quite expecting at the start.
It is surprising to find that this story is essentially a long character study of one of the two protagonists. I don’t want to say much more because of spoiler reasons. But I will say that the author did a masterful job of creating an unusual character with some character traits that aren’t at all common in a main character, and that following this character’s story is a bit of a rollercoaster ride that was fascinating to be on.
This strong character work achieves what all good character work should; it makes everything else in the story richer. This could easily have been another LitRPG cultivation novel like so many that have come before, as all the common elements are here, but this character study elevated that content into something much greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore, when we get to all that familiar good stuff that fans of the genre are interested in, it’s just all the better for it.
That being said, though, this book is not without its flaws. Being as long as it is, it could certainly be a little tighter. One way to do that would be to spend less time with the secondary protagonist. He wasn’t in this novel anywhere near as much as the other main character, but I was frustrated at the time we had to spend with him anyway. I am not nearly so emotionally invested in his story as I am with the other main character, and every time we were with him I was just counting off the minutes until we could get back to the story element I was interested in.
However, this is a subjective flaw and one that I won’t hold against the book. Overall, this was an excellent read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I am really looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Therefore, as soon as the first chapter starts, I feel like I am revved up and ready to go. Therefore, I was a little disappointed to see a flashback chapter as it felt like it was throwing away the momentum the excellent beginning opened up. The story had already masterfully set the stage for what was coming next, why go back and try to set it up further? Well, the good news is that though there are a lot of flashbacks in this book, they aren’t overwhelming at all, and they tell a story I was not expecting. It turns out that the black and white situation set up in the opening chapters is not nearly so black and white as you think, and the novel is going to take the reader in a direction you aren’t quite expecting at the start.
It is surprising to find that this story is essentially a long character study of one of the two protagonists. I don’t want to say much more because of spoiler reasons. But I will say that the author did a masterful job of creating an unusual character with some character traits that aren’t at all common in a main character, and that following this character’s story is a bit of a rollercoaster ride that was fascinating to be on.
This strong character work achieves what all good character work should; it makes everything else in the story richer. This could easily have been another LitRPG cultivation novel like so many that have come before, as all the common elements are here, but this character study elevated that content into something much greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore, when we get to all that familiar good stuff that fans of the genre are interested in, it’s just all the better for it.
That being said, though, this book is not without its flaws. Being as long as it is, it could certainly be a little tighter. One way to do that would be to spend less time with the secondary protagonist. He wasn’t in this novel anywhere near as much as the other main character, but I was frustrated at the time we had to spend with him anyway. I am not nearly so emotionally invested in his story as I am with the other main character, and every time we were with him I was just counting off the minutes until we could get back to the story element I was interested in.
However, this is a subjective flaw and one that I won’t hold against the book. Overall, this was an excellent read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I am really looking forward to seeing what comes next.
dnf
February 11, 2022I might revisit this in the future but for the time being, I was 15 chapters in and already sick of the constant POV and timeline changes.
Might just be me but for me, the pacing was dissatisfying when both characters are doing nothing, then one is about to get exciting and all of a sudden you're the other character and it's slow again. Not to mention jumping between timelines in order to tell two full stories out of order. I get how each character will have their own separate story pacing but to me it just seems like a lot of chaff and a lot the same information twice (because both Zach and Ryun have to get through their own exposition). From what I've read, I would definitely prefer to have >=80% Ryun and some occasional filler on Zach's perspective as we go.
The issue sort of reminds me of the debate on which order to watch the Star Wars movies in though. Honestly, I'm tempted to split the book into two "short stories" and read it chronologically, one character at a time, i.e. Ryun's past through present, Zach's past through Zach's present. It seems like it may be more enjoyable that way.
Might just be me but for me, the pacing was dissatisfying when both characters are doing nothing, then one is about to get exciting and all of a sudden you're the other character and it's slow again. Not to mention jumping between timelines in order to tell two full stories out of order. I get how each character will have their own separate story pacing but to me it just seems like a lot of chaff and a lot the same information twice (because both Zach and Ryun have to get through their own exposition). From what I've read, I would definitely prefer to have >=80% Ryun and some occasional filler on Zach's perspective as we go.
The issue sort of reminds me of the debate on which order to watch the Star Wars movies in though. Honestly, I'm tempted to split the book into two "short stories" and read it chronologically, one character at a time, i.e. Ryun's past through present, Zach's past through Zach's present. It seems like it may be more enjoyable that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2023
Infinite Realm #1: Monsters and Legends by Ivan Kal
[Story]
Ryun and Zach were best friends before the Framework came to Earth... 10 years later Ryun has all but destroyed the world and Zach has amassed the last 9 souls on the planet to end him for what he's done, minutes before they're due to ascend. As the last living humans fall around him Zach is able to cut Ryun off from his cultivation, leaving them both at their weakest as they move into the Infinite Realm; a flat plane with a developed core and wild lands that truly extend into infinity.
With Zach and Ryun separated for the safety of other mortals in their Iteration, they struggle to find their bearing in this new reality.
[Progression Mechanics]
The Framework is a combination of 3 systems: Classes, Cultivation, and Skills. When first introduced to the Framework you are set before The Dealmaker, who takes a measure of your life experiences before converting it into a value called 'essence'. With this essence you are able to purchase items, armor, weapons, even classes. Whenever one enters The Dealmaker's realm, their inhibitions are muted and they are driven to make choices to their truest nature. You can even gamble, one of the MC's betting his life in exchange for a powerful path.
Anyone within the Framework can possess 1 Class, 1 cultivation Path, 3 active skills, and 3 passive skills. You can explore all 3 with enough essence, though all major Rankers focus on 2 of the 3. Classes are structured, molding you in that classes image even down to your ideals as you level. Cultivation strengthens the person's body and spirit. Both are capable of learning 3 unique techniques, though Cultivation includes combat and breathing forms.
Essence becomes a staple of the universe, acting as ambient mana and currency on this post-Framework Earth. You can gather this by killing monsters, cycling (if you're a cultivator), or completing quests. To level up a class you need to invest a certain amount of essence into it. This amount is negligible for people with a Class while Cultivators will see themselves spending hundreds of thousands of essence to expand their core before breaking through to the next stage.
Leveling up brings perks and bonuses, as do achievements. There's more here, very ROBUST system, but this covers most of it.
[Characters]
Ryun Nacht is our primary focus, with a bulk of chapters focusing on his point of view. At first an aimless and emotionally stunted college student, being introduced to the Framework represented a new start for him. To the point that he and Zach butted heads initially due to him treating life and death like a 'game'. It's heavily implied though not outright stated that Ryun has a form of Asperger's and struggles to connect with people... which makes him perfect for the isolating lifestyle of Cultivation. After gambling with The Dealmaker and earning the Path of the Final End, Ryun relies on Zach to carry him as he develops his Foundation.
After the 10 year time skip, Ryun is a vastly different person. Known as the monster who ended the world, he's responsible for taking the souls and essence of every surviving human being on Earth before they transitioned to the Infinite Realm. This has allowed him to cultivate into the early Lord realm, distinguishing him as the most powerful entity on Earth and well ahead of where he should be upon entering the Infinite Realm. He received this power by painstakingly hunting down every monster on earth and consuming their essence, Reaving it from their flesh and inhaling it. At the end Ryun is something like a vampire, completely absent a soul.
Except something in the Infinite Realm stirs him. Witnessing the same injustices in the Realm as on Earth, he's compelled to act when a Sect Leader attempts to kill a defenseless woman and child before his eyes. As the story develops, we learn what made Ryun the monster he is and if there's a chance for a monster to change.
Zach Gardner was Ryun's best friend and the most powerful Classer on the planet Earth, becoming the defender of humanity and final bulwark against the darkness Ryun represented. At the end of the world he had sacrificed everything to learn a skill called the 'Sealing Slash', which cut Ryun off from his Cultivation. It barely wounded the man... only for them both to be teleported away from each other before he could act again. Still seeking revenge against 'the monster', Zach is quick in his attempts to find civilization and join up with the Realm's 'Law'. Their information network seems to be the best way to find the bastard.
[Final Thoughts]
There was a lot turning me off to this book at first, including the Reverend Insanity-like opening and a few other areas that I found derivative of other series. It wasn't until about 1/3 through the book that it finally hooked me, providing some characters that were less experienced with the system and having OP characters like Zach and Ryun contribute something to their growth while receiving information about their new world in return. The book flips between the past and the present often and while its clumsy at first, the author finds a stride in it by using both viewpoints to inform the reader about events or occurrences in their specific timeframe. There's an interesting breakdown of Ryun as this... Chaotic Neutral and Zach as this Lawful Good and how both extremes can hurt people in horrifying ways. I like that they're both GUILTY except one doesn't quite realize what he was perpetrating yet.
The relationship writing is clumsy, as are some of the resolutions to plot threads in the book. Certain characters are left in the wind and again, as with all litRPG serial-likes, this one has poor final act pacing and doesn't know when to end.
8/10
[Story]
Ryun and Zach were best friends before the Framework came to Earth... 10 years later Ryun has all but destroyed the world and Zach has amassed the last 9 souls on the planet to end him for what he's done, minutes before they're due to ascend. As the last living humans fall around him Zach is able to cut Ryun off from his cultivation, leaving them both at their weakest as they move into the Infinite Realm; a flat plane with a developed core and wild lands that truly extend into infinity.
With Zach and Ryun separated for the safety of other mortals in their Iteration, they struggle to find their bearing in this new reality.
[Progression Mechanics]
The Framework is a combination of 3 systems: Classes, Cultivation, and Skills. When first introduced to the Framework you are set before The Dealmaker, who takes a measure of your life experiences before converting it into a value called 'essence'. With this essence you are able to purchase items, armor, weapons, even classes. Whenever one enters The Dealmaker's realm, their inhibitions are muted and they are driven to make choices to their truest nature. You can even gamble, one of the MC's betting his life in exchange for a powerful path.
Anyone within the Framework can possess 1 Class, 1 cultivation Path, 3 active skills, and 3 passive skills. You can explore all 3 with enough essence, though all major Rankers focus on 2 of the 3. Classes are structured, molding you in that classes image even down to your ideals as you level. Cultivation strengthens the person's body and spirit. Both are capable of learning 3 unique techniques, though Cultivation includes combat and breathing forms.
Essence becomes a staple of the universe, acting as ambient mana and currency on this post-Framework Earth. You can gather this by killing monsters, cycling (if you're a cultivator), or completing quests. To level up a class you need to invest a certain amount of essence into it. This amount is negligible for people with a Class while Cultivators will see themselves spending hundreds of thousands of essence to expand their core before breaking through to the next stage.
Leveling up brings perks and bonuses, as do achievements. There's more here, very ROBUST system, but this covers most of it.
[Characters]
Ryun Nacht is our primary focus, with a bulk of chapters focusing on his point of view. At first an aimless and emotionally stunted college student, being introduced to the Framework represented a new start for him. To the point that he and Zach butted heads initially due to him treating life and death like a 'game'. It's heavily implied though not outright stated that Ryun has a form of Asperger's and struggles to connect with people... which makes him perfect for the isolating lifestyle of Cultivation. After gambling with The Dealmaker and earning the Path of the Final End, Ryun relies on Zach to carry him as he develops his Foundation.
After the 10 year time skip, Ryun is a vastly different person. Known as the monster who ended the world, he's responsible for taking the souls and essence of every surviving human being on Earth before they transitioned to the Infinite Realm. This has allowed him to cultivate into the early Lord realm, distinguishing him as the most powerful entity on Earth and well ahead of where he should be upon entering the Infinite Realm. He received this power by painstakingly hunting down every monster on earth and consuming their essence, Reaving it from their flesh and inhaling it. At the end Ryun is something like a vampire, completely absent a soul.
Except something in the Infinite Realm stirs him. Witnessing the same injustices in the Realm as on Earth, he's compelled to act when a Sect Leader attempts to kill a defenseless woman and child before his eyes. As the story develops, we learn what made Ryun the monster he is and if there's a chance for a monster to change.
Zach Gardner was Ryun's best friend and the most powerful Classer on the planet Earth, becoming the defender of humanity and final bulwark against the darkness Ryun represented. At the end of the world he had sacrificed everything to learn a skill called the 'Sealing Slash', which cut Ryun off from his Cultivation. It barely wounded the man... only for them both to be teleported away from each other before he could act again. Still seeking revenge against 'the monster', Zach is quick in his attempts to find civilization and join up with the Realm's 'Law'. Their information network seems to be the best way to find the bastard.
[Final Thoughts]
There was a lot turning me off to this book at first, including the Reverend Insanity-like opening and a few other areas that I found derivative of other series. It wasn't until about 1/3 through the book that it finally hooked me, providing some characters that were less experienced with the system and having OP characters like Zach and Ryun contribute something to their growth while receiving information about their new world in return. The book flips between the past and the present often and while its clumsy at first, the author finds a stride in it by using both viewpoints to inform the reader about events or occurrences in their specific timeframe. There's an interesting breakdown of Ryun as this... Chaotic Neutral and Zach as this Lawful Good and how both extremes can hurt people in horrifying ways. I like that they're both GUILTY except one doesn't quite realize what he was perpetrating yet.
The relationship writing is clumsy, as are some of the resolutions to plot threads in the book. Certain characters are left in the wind and again, as with all litRPG serial-likes, this one has poor final act pacing and doesn't know when to end.
8/10
April 13, 2022
The three stars is because the writing style isn't something I like, don't get me wrong it's well written and imaginative, a fresh take on the genre.
The reason I'm giving it three stars is the (to me) jarring constant flipping of perspective between two MCs, and on top of that the constant jarring flipping between past and preset every other or every few chapters. I really dislike that type of story telling.
The story is well written. I just want to rip every chapter out and put them in order so that I get the story told straight instead of constant jumping around. I hate rambling story telling.
The reason I'm giving it three stars is the (to me) jarring constant flipping of perspective between two MCs, and on top of that the constant jarring flipping between past and preset every other or every few chapters. I really dislike that type of story telling.
The story is well written. I just want to rip every chapter out and put them in order so that I get the story told straight instead of constant jumping around. I hate rambling story telling.
February 1, 2021
Cultivation, litRpg and skills. What more can you ask for!
Very interesting read. I’d give it a 4.5, mostly because the MC’s arrogance and thought processes for a majority of the story got him into stupid situations. Apart from that, I actually enjoyed this read. Amazing world building and power structure. I always found myself routing for the “villain MC” and I’m hopeful for the second book in Royalroad.
Very interesting read. I’d give it a 4.5, mostly because the MC’s arrogance and thought processes for a majority of the story got him into stupid situations. Apart from that, I actually enjoyed this read. Amazing world building and power structure. I always found myself routing for the “villain MC” and I’m hopeful for the second book in Royalroad.
November 8, 2021
Obvious sociopath is obvious.
May 25, 2021
Blurb
The world has ended, and those worthy of it have received the chance for a new life in a new reality.
Zach grew in power and thrived in the post-Framework world. He became a respected leader, a shining example of what it meant to be good. But as the world ended, he had only one thought: to punish the monster that had killed the world long before the Framework ended it. Yet not even with his incredible power was he able to stand against the World Ender. His arrival in the new realty, the Infinite Realm, gives him the chance to grow stronger, to find the monster again—and make it pay.
Ryun survived the chaos after the arrival of the Framework by pushing harder than anyone else. He grew in power until he became the most powerful being that had ever walked the planet; but he is hated by the world, called a monster by all others, the World Ender. As the world ends and he steps into a new one, where people stronger than him have lived for centuries, he finds himself lost and without purpose. The only thing that had mattered to him had been lost to him long ago. He truly was the monster that people considered him to be, and he now finds himself wondering if this new reality has a place for someone like him—but he had never been one for lying down and dying without a fight. One world fell to his power, and another might follow.
Story
This begins as the story of the two best friends Zach and Ryun whose lifes get thrown into the blender by the arrival of framwork and the subsequent destruction of the world except for the 10.000 strongest people who get portaled to compete in the Infinite Realm.
Both make it to the Infinite Realm, one a shining paragon of justice and one driven to near madness and slaughter. One yearns to right the wrongs the other did while one seeks purpose and a new beginning, but both subjected to the ginsurmountable power of people who already domineered the Infinite Realms for thousands of years.
How they will prevail you ask? Well see for yourself.
Advancement System
Infinite Realms has a three pillared advancement system. Classes which can give you activatable [abilities] with a cooldown cost, cultivation which is about cycling Qi and using it for your Qi based {techniques} and |Skills| that you have to understand to level like |Evasion|, |Sword Mastery| and so on.
Now these three can be combined in any way you want with certain positive and negative effects which makes combat quite interesting and diverse since each and every enemy is fundamentally different.
A minor SPOILER about the different builds one can achieve:
E.g. they fought against a stone shaman that could summon stone armors and weapons with his cultivation while his class allowed him to do rituals to reap the enemies essence for his own progression.
One of the main characters was for some time a dual wielder with a wind based swordsman class that is slowly turning into a spirit warrior while his |tempest dance| swords fighting style skill helps with fighting and his cultivation buffs him with some lightning based dexterity skills.
Another one goes full tilt into the fire summoner archetype with his cultivation to conjure flame elementals, gigantic walls of fire and devastating fire beams while enhancing and controlling his spells via |Skills| like |Control Flames|, |Enhance Flames| and |Heat Resistance|.!<
Style & Grammar
The series is very well written and you really can burn through the pages while completly forgetting about the time spend reading. The story itself is split in multiple MC point of views as well as in the past on Terra and the present in the Infinite Realms. The past is mostly used to explain the system and flesh out the background of the characters. Later on they become nearly non-existant so don't fear of him hopping around between too many timelines.
Characters
The characters are really well written and fleshed out instead of being 2D cardboard copies which is a very rare treat in the LitRPG genre. One of the MC's Zach, get's fleshed out in Volume 2 though since Volume 1 was more the book of the MC Ryun. Later on even more MC's will join the cast and each and everyone of them is different and has their own goals and motivations.
TL;DR
Do sum it all up, you get a LitRPG with very well written characters, a great story, tons of action and one of the most thought out advancement systems in I've seen in a LitRPG. How could one go wrong with that? ;)
The world has ended, and those worthy of it have received the chance for a new life in a new reality.
Zach grew in power and thrived in the post-Framework world. He became a respected leader, a shining example of what it meant to be good. But as the world ended, he had only one thought: to punish the monster that had killed the world long before the Framework ended it. Yet not even with his incredible power was he able to stand against the World Ender. His arrival in the new realty, the Infinite Realm, gives him the chance to grow stronger, to find the monster again—and make it pay.
Ryun survived the chaos after the arrival of the Framework by pushing harder than anyone else. He grew in power until he became the most powerful being that had ever walked the planet; but he is hated by the world, called a monster by all others, the World Ender. As the world ends and he steps into a new one, where people stronger than him have lived for centuries, he finds himself lost and without purpose. The only thing that had mattered to him had been lost to him long ago. He truly was the monster that people considered him to be, and he now finds himself wondering if this new reality has a place for someone like him—but he had never been one for lying down and dying without a fight. One world fell to his power, and another might follow.
Story
This begins as the story of the two best friends Zach and Ryun whose lifes get thrown into the blender by the arrival of framwork and the subsequent destruction of the world except for the 10.000 strongest people who get portaled to compete in the Infinite Realm.
Both make it to the Infinite Realm, one a shining paragon of justice and one driven to near madness and slaughter. One yearns to right the wrongs the other did while one seeks purpose and a new beginning, but both subjected to the ginsurmountable power of people who already domineered the Infinite Realms for thousands of years.
How they will prevail you ask? Well see for yourself.
Advancement System
Infinite Realms has a three pillared advancement system. Classes which can give you activatable [abilities] with a cooldown cost, cultivation which is about cycling Qi and using it for your Qi based {techniques} and |Skills| that you have to understand to level like |Evasion|, |Sword Mastery| and so on.
Now these three can be combined in any way you want with certain positive and negative effects which makes combat quite interesting and diverse since each and every enemy is fundamentally different.
A minor SPOILER about the different builds one can achieve:
E.g. they fought against a stone shaman that could summon stone armors and weapons with his cultivation while his class allowed him to do rituals to reap the enemies essence for his own progression.
One of the main characters was for some time a dual wielder with a wind based swordsman class that is slowly turning into a spirit warrior while his |tempest dance| swords fighting style skill helps with fighting and his cultivation buffs him with some lightning based dexterity skills.
Another one goes full tilt into the fire summoner archetype with his cultivation to conjure flame elementals, gigantic walls of fire and devastating fire beams while enhancing and controlling his spells via |Skills| like |Control Flames|, |Enhance Flames| and |Heat Resistance|.!<
Style & Grammar
The series is very well written and you really can burn through the pages while completly forgetting about the time spend reading. The story itself is split in multiple MC point of views as well as in the past on Terra and the present in the Infinite Realms. The past is mostly used to explain the system and flesh out the background of the characters. Later on they become nearly non-existant so don't fear of him hopping around between too many timelines.
Characters
The characters are really well written and fleshed out instead of being 2D cardboard copies which is a very rare treat in the LitRPG genre. One of the MC's Zach, get's fleshed out in Volume 2 though since Volume 1 was more the book of the MC Ryun. Later on even more MC's will join the cast and each and everyone of them is different and has their own goals and motivations.
TL;DR
Do sum it all up, you get a LitRPG with very well written characters, a great story, tons of action and one of the most thought out advancement systems in I've seen in a LitRPG. How could one go wrong with that? ;)
February 3, 2024
Monsters and Legends, Book 1 of Ivan Kal's Infinite Realm series, was a breath of fresh in a crowded space filled with countless self-published, unedited, serialized-to-nowhere messes. It doesn't have the best prose - the author really needs to use contractions in dialogue more often and could definitely edit the e-book versions better - but it certainly improves over time. It also has solid LitRPG-meets-Cultivation mechanics (an imposed System with multiple paths to power), though the stat sheets do become a bit long and overshared by the end.
Ultimately, what I really enjoyed about this book and what sets it apart from most stories in this genre (especially from places like Royal Road) is that the author has built in multiple POVs and uses flashbacks. I can't tell you how much these structural elements help bring life and tension to what might have otherwise been a solid but quite standard Imposed System LitRPG/Cultivation mashup.
To be clear, I mean multiple primary POVs, not just the occasional interlude for the sake of plot or worldbuilding. There are at least two (though others are emerging) distinct perspectives with unique voices, goals, thought patterns, interpretations of the same events, etc. This shouldn't be novel - it's been standard in fantasy for as long as I can remember - but it is pretty rare in what is usually a deeply self-centered genre, one where Might Makes Right and the singular protagonist is, more often than not, shooting to the top. The author does a great job with this kind of characterization.
And then we have the flashbacks. This storytelling mechanic is used really well to build tension around what happened in the past (two best friends dealing with a newly imposed system) to the present (a decade later, a final confrontation between these former friends, now enemies, at the end of the world). It's a wonderful conceit that is driven just as much by flashback chapters as by LitRPG mechanics. What could it mean for Ryun to have a series of awful-sounding titles, how did that happen? What did Zach do to gain enough power for their final confrontation? Bits and pieces are teased throughout the novel, in the flashbacks, in the stat sheets, and through brief present-day reflections, and it really adds so much to both the character development and plot propulsion.
Ultimately, what I really enjoyed about this book and what sets it apart from most stories in this genre (especially from places like Royal Road) is that the author has built in multiple POVs and uses flashbacks. I can't tell you how much these structural elements help bring life and tension to what might have otherwise been a solid but quite standard Imposed System LitRPG/Cultivation mashup.
To be clear, I mean multiple primary POVs, not just the occasional interlude for the sake of plot or worldbuilding. There are at least two (though others are emerging) distinct perspectives with unique voices, goals, thought patterns, interpretations of the same events, etc. This shouldn't be novel - it's been standard in fantasy for as long as I can remember - but it is pretty rare in what is usually a deeply self-centered genre, one where Might Makes Right and the singular protagonist is, more often than not, shooting to the top. The author does a great job with this kind of characterization.
And then we have the flashbacks. This storytelling mechanic is used really well to build tension around what happened in the past (two best friends dealing with a newly imposed system) to the present (a decade later, a final confrontation between these former friends, now enemies, at the end of the world). It's a wonderful conceit that is driven just as much by flashback chapters as by LitRPG mechanics. What could it mean for Ryun to have a series of awful-sounding titles, how did that happen? What did Zach do to gain enough power for their final confrontation? Bits and pieces are teased throughout the novel, in the flashbacks, in the stat sheets, and through brief present-day reflections, and it really adds so much to both the character development and plot propulsion.
August 16, 2024
This is a review for book 1 - 4
I love this author, and have read three of his other series. I saved this series until it was finished, and was excited to engulf myself into it when I saw book 6 was the last.
Book 1: It felt odd starting the book after earth was destroyed and then slowly learning how it happened over the next two or three books, but was enjoyable nonetheless. Character development was great, progression was great, and while it was slightly boring to read Zach's POV, it was still an enjoyable book.
Book 2: This felt like a continuation of book 1, although it began introducing more and more POVs, which I disliked. Stat tables get longer and longer and longer. The author also posts every single person he meets' stats that are a full chapter in length. It gets annoying.
Book 3: Far more POVs are introduced, and I start to force myself to read through it. You do get a big payoff of the two MCs finally meeting again, but it felt like a bit of a let-down. On the other hand, Zach begins to be interesting.
Book 4: So many POVs that I start to get bored. About 150 pages of this book are devoted to just stat tables, and another 200 pages are for non MC POVs. On the plus side, Zach's POV is very entertaining in this book and enjoyable to read.
I did not get to book 5 because I realized I was forcing myself to keep reading just to finish it. I want to know what happens and how it is achieved, as well as what power levels are reached. However, I don't want to slog through hundreds of pages of filler to get there. It actually kind of upset me to not finish the series, especially since the author's other series are so good.
I love this author, and have read three of his other series. I saved this series until it was finished, and was excited to engulf myself into it when I saw book 6 was the last.
Book 1: It felt odd starting the book after earth was destroyed and then slowly learning how it happened over the next two or three books, but was enjoyable nonetheless. Character development was great, progression was great, and while it was slightly boring to read Zach's POV, it was still an enjoyable book.
Book 2: This felt like a continuation of book 1, although it began introducing more and more POVs, which I disliked. Stat tables get longer and longer and longer. The author also posts every single person he meets' stats that are a full chapter in length. It gets annoying.
Book 3: Far more POVs are introduced, and I start to force myself to read through it. You do get a big payoff of the two MCs finally meeting again, but it felt like a bit of a let-down. On the other hand, Zach begins to be interesting.
Book 4: So many POVs that I start to get bored. About 150 pages of this book are devoted to just stat tables, and another 200 pages are for non MC POVs. On the plus side, Zach's POV is very entertaining in this book and enjoyable to read.
I did not get to book 5 because I realized I was forcing myself to keep reading just to finish it. I want to know what happens and how it is achieved, as well as what power levels are reached. However, I don't want to slog through hundreds of pages of filler to get there. It actually kind of upset me to not finish the series, especially since the author's other series are so good.
July 26, 2023
Unimersive
This review is for the books 1- 5 of the series.
The story starts intriguing. Unfortunately however, the author insists on constantly forcing a lot of - mostly dull - stories of side characters and flash backs upon the readers thus killing any immersion. Even the main characters are flawed: Ryun is a driven unregretting sociopath and Zach comes across often as weak and boring which makes it hard to identify with either of them. The constant entitlement of only the female side characters throughout the books reminds me of the horrible contemporary trend in Hollywood of empowering women artificially without them having to work for it.. The tendency of the male characters to seemingly willingly sacrifice themselves for them repeatedly just strengthens the inclination...
Both main protagonists are unbelievably OP and progress way too easily. Ryun comes across as omniscient regarding his progress. He hardly makes mistakes and triumphs against (almost) everything. It is preposterous!
The antagonist group of the unfeathered are criminally insane revolutionaries.
The story reads like fan fiction on a commentary of a RPG. I found the "social life", the theorising about the skills and later on most times even the battles dull and frustrating.
Be prepared for sheer endless stat sheets of dozens of characters. I stopped caring very soon...
Conclusio: a huge but rather wasted potential
This review is for the books 1- 5 of the series.
The story starts intriguing. Unfortunately however, the author insists on constantly forcing a lot of - mostly dull - stories of side characters and flash backs upon the readers thus killing any immersion. Even the main characters are flawed: Ryun is a driven unregretting sociopath and Zach comes across often as weak and boring which makes it hard to identify with either of them. The constant entitlement of only the female side characters throughout the books reminds me of the horrible contemporary trend in Hollywood of empowering women artificially without them having to work for it.. The tendency of the male characters to seemingly willingly sacrifice themselves for them repeatedly just strengthens the inclination...
Both main protagonists are unbelievably OP and progress way too easily. Ryun comes across as omniscient regarding his progress. He hardly makes mistakes and triumphs against (almost) everything. It is preposterous!
The antagonist group of the unfeathered are criminally insane revolutionaries.
The story reads like fan fiction on a commentary of a RPG. I found the "social life", the theorising about the skills and later on most times even the battles dull and frustrating.
Be prepared for sheer endless stat sheets of dozens of characters. I stopped caring very soon...
Conclusio: a huge but rather wasted potential
August 27, 2024
This book was really good. I loved the premise and the ambitious way the story was framed by simultaneously telling the past and present stories. I was worried the framing would take the stakes out of the past POVs, since we'd already know most of what happens, and while there were countless obvious hints I still asked myself throughout the story "what THE HELL did Ryun do? What THE HELL happened to him?"
Also, it's amazing how much I liked and felt sympathetic to and rooted for Ryun despite him slaughtering almost our entire population. I mean, almost every step of the way I was with him and felt he made decent choices, though he really is awful at talking and explaining his reasoning AND I obviously stop my sympathy when he started slaughtering mooostly innocent people. But again, he was blacked out with rage and grief during the first slaughter and the dealmaker fucked with his brain and memories after that, meaning that he was still responsible for his actions, but... Idk, can he be entirely blamed?
The fact that I'm even posing the question and feeling this sympathetic to Ryun shows how well he was written. Thank you, author.
Also, it's amazing how much I liked and felt sympathetic to and rooted for Ryun despite him slaughtering almost our entire population. I mean, almost every step of the way I was with him and felt he made decent choices, though he really is awful at talking and explaining his reasoning AND I obviously stop my sympathy when he started slaughtering mooostly innocent people. But again, he was blacked out with rage and grief during the first slaughter and the dealmaker fucked with his brain and memories after that, meaning that he was still responsible for his actions, but... Idk, can he be entirely blamed?
The fact that I'm even posing the question and feeling this sympathetic to Ryun shows how well he was written. Thank you, author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2022
This book was written three years after the last book of Kal's that I read. The grammar has improved significantly but is still sub-par. I can see improvement in other areas as well... to the point where I'm probably going to read book two in this series.
The start of the book leads the reader into thinking that Zack, a straightforward good guy, will be the protagonist, but the story focuses more and more on the antagonist figure, Ryun. He's portrayed as a neuro-atypical character. He understands no social subtleties and has a black and white personal morality. Oh, he's also over-powered... so if you enjoy seeing arrogant ass-hats get beaten up, this series should hit the mark.
It's not a redemption story either. Despite Ryun being mostly responsible for the death of the entire planet, he shows no remorse. From his perspective, he's not unlike Cassandra. He warns everyone that to attack him is death. Naturally, he is not believed and they all die, and die, and die. It's fun for the whole family!
The start of the book leads the reader into thinking that Zack, a straightforward good guy, will be the protagonist, but the story focuses more and more on the antagonist figure, Ryun. He's portrayed as a neuro-atypical character. He understands no social subtleties and has a black and white personal morality. Oh, he's also over-powered... so if you enjoy seeing arrogant ass-hats get beaten up, this series should hit the mark.
It's not a redemption story either. Despite Ryun being mostly responsible for the death of the entire planet, he shows no remorse. From his perspective, he's not unlike Cassandra. He warns everyone that to attack him is death. Naturally, he is not believed and they all die, and die, and die. It's fun for the whole family!
March 24, 2025
I’m currently reading this. I’m 40 chapters in and considering dropping. it’s somewhat interesting but only from the fact that we get both the hero and the villains pov.
What really bothers me about it is the constant switch from past to present. The changing timelines takes you out of the story too much.
I also think knowing the future of the two main characters makes it boring too. I’d rather see the build up of the characters until one of them unexpectedly snaps and causes chaos. Take me through their 10 years on earth where they grow instead of the start and stop pacing. Endear the villain but keep him morally gray. Give me a plot twist when one of them enters their villain era.
Knowing who goes bad and the characters present timeline spoiling the past plot line, is annoying. Zach sitting in a bar 30 chapters in and giving us the full past plot summary, is annoying. I want to be surprised by the book. Trying to run a redemption arc in the beginning of the story so we think maybe he isn’t so bad when he does end up going bad, is annoying.
What really bothers me about it is the constant switch from past to present. The changing timelines takes you out of the story too much.
I also think knowing the future of the two main characters makes it boring too. I’d rather see the build up of the characters until one of them unexpectedly snaps and causes chaos. Take me through their 10 years on earth where they grow instead of the start and stop pacing. Endear the villain but keep him morally gray. Give me a plot twist when one of them enters their villain era.
Knowing who goes bad and the characters present timeline spoiling the past plot line, is annoying. Zach sitting in a bar 30 chapters in and giving us the full past plot summary, is annoying. I want to be surprised by the book. Trying to run a redemption arc in the beginning of the story so we think maybe he isn’t so bad when he does end up going bad, is annoying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 5, 2022A Solid Foundation to Build Upon
In many ways this book mirrors the actions of one of the main characters. Ryun, while extremely powerful, is missing a large portion of himself that makes it hard for him to interact with people. His sword work is strong but lacking an essential element of precision, and his path is largely undefined for most of the book.
Similarly, this book has a great concept and system that has just enough stat building and progression to be crunchy without bogging down in a data dump every chapter. But occasionally odd choices in description or how characters spoke were jarring enough that it pulled me out of my immersion.
Overall, I found multiple points that pulled me along at high speed while others required me to work through, cycling my own patience to get through them. At the end, I can confidently state that I will be reading the next in the series, with the necessary foundational work to get to the next tier of reader strength.
In many ways this book mirrors the actions of one of the main characters. Ryun, while extremely powerful, is missing a large portion of himself that makes it hard for him to interact with people. His sword work is strong but lacking an essential element of precision, and his path is largely undefined for most of the book.
Similarly, this book has a great concept and system that has just enough stat building and progression to be crunchy without bogging down in a data dump every chapter. But occasionally odd choices in description or how characters spoke were jarring enough that it pulled me out of my immersion.
Overall, I found multiple points that pulled me along at high speed while others required me to work through, cycling my own patience to get through them. At the end, I can confidently state that I will be reading the next in the series, with the necessary foundational work to get to the next tier of reader strength.
August 9, 2024
This book is surprisingly good.
The LitRPG elements are handled well enough and are interestingly designed. They synergize well with the combat scenes, which are also well written.
The world design(s) are a bit generic, but the second world has some entertaining elements that don't change things a great deal, but that do have a few interesting effects.
But the real strength of the book is its characters. None of the main characters is exactly what one might expect from a typical LitRPG, and the primary protagonists are fascinatingly drawn. They both have elements of both hero and villain and the reader is left to decide how to categorize both. The primary focus of this book is Ryun, who has been severely psychologically damaged by events revealed in flashbacks throughout the book. (I generally dislike flashbacks, but the way they are used here is quite deft.)
This book is highly recommended, and if the following books can sustain this level, this will become a new favorite LitRPG series.
The LitRPG elements are handled well enough and are interestingly designed. They synergize well with the combat scenes, which are also well written.
The world design(s) are a bit generic, but the second world has some entertaining elements that don't change things a great deal, but that do have a few interesting effects.
But the real strength of the book is its characters. None of the main characters is exactly what one might expect from a typical LitRPG, and the primary protagonists are fascinatingly drawn. They both have elements of both hero and villain and the reader is left to decide how to categorize both. The primary focus of this book is Ryun, who has been severely psychologically damaged by events revealed in flashbacks throughout the book. (I generally dislike flashbacks, but the way they are used here is quite deft.)
This book is highly recommended, and if the following books can sustain this level, this will become a new favorite LitRPG series.
September 12, 2025
He blinked, she blinked. Oh how the characters in this book blink. They blinked over here, they blinked over there. They blink constantly, I mean I know we all blink but I don't think I've been reminded of such a common bodily function this often. Regardless, this is a fantastic cultivation novel
The only disagreement I have with the author is on the concept of morality and law and its relation to power and the framework. To be fair, I am operating under the assumption that Earth iteration 7 is similar to our current shared reality. If so, it's not like people with power aren't using it to do whatever they want to those who can't oppose them. The power of laws to curtail those who can rewrite them is slim so that dynamic wasn't (imo) created because of the framework. Exacerbated, maybe? I'd say their power was able to be exercised in a different way than before the framework. Still, this was really enjoyable to read!
The only disagreement I have with the author is on the concept of morality and law and its relation to power and the framework. To be fair, I am operating under the assumption that Earth iteration 7 is similar to our current shared reality. If so, it's not like people with power aren't using it to do whatever they want to those who can't oppose them. The power of laws to curtail those who can rewrite them is slim so that dynamic wasn't (imo) created because of the framework. Exacerbated, maybe? I'd say their power was able to be exercised in a different way than before the framework. Still, this was really enjoyable to read!
August 17, 2025
3,7
All in all, an interesting story; I didn’t like the way the POVs alternated, especially at the beginning, and Zach seems like a character who really has very little to say. Ryun is definitely more interesting, although the fact that he has no goal other than becoming stronger, without any real destination in mind, is a bit disappointing—thankfully, he seemed to improve towards the end. Unfortunately, I know from other reviews that the later books are of lower quality, juggling far too many POVs of characters who aren’t exactly interesting. I’ll verify this myself, of course, but I think overall this series is of lower quality compared to Vae Victis, which I consider the best work this author has ever produced in terms of story, characters, POV management, and narrative—unless he ends up ruining it with the next books too. In any case, I’m interested enough to read the second book.
All in all, an interesting story; I didn’t like the way the POVs alternated, especially at the beginning, and Zach seems like a character who really has very little to say. Ryun is definitely more interesting, although the fact that he has no goal other than becoming stronger, without any real destination in mind, is a bit disappointing—thankfully, he seemed to improve towards the end. Unfortunately, I know from other reviews that the later books are of lower quality, juggling far too many POVs of characters who aren’t exactly interesting. I’ll verify this myself, of course, but I think overall this series is of lower quality compared to Vae Victis, which I consider the best work this author has ever produced in terms of story, characters, POV management, and narrative—unless he ends up ruining it with the next books too. In any case, I’m interested enough to read the second book.
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