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The Beginning after the End #12
Apotheosis: The Beginning After the End, Book 12
Volume 12 of The Beginning After the End!
Arthur Leywin's victory has shifted the power scales of his entire world, but the danger is perhaps greater than mysterious waves of mana-stealing energy roll across Alacrya; Dicathen considers an assault on its weakened enemy; and the great lords of the asura meet to determine the destiny of Arthur's world.
Who among them, though, can stand against the whims of Fate itself?
Continue on Arthur's power progression journey in book 12 of The Beginning After the End! Also a hit webcomic and anime on crunchyroll, this hit progression fantasy series has captivated readers worldwide.
Experience the epic finale of Arthur's power progression journey in book 12 of The Beginning After the End!
Arthur Leywin's victory has shifted the power scales of his entire world, but the danger is perhaps greater than mysterious waves of mana-stealing energy roll across Alacrya; Dicathen considers an assault on its weakened enemy; and the great lords of the asura meet to determine the destiny of Arthur's world.
Who among them, though, can stand against the whims of Fate itself?
Continue on Arthur's power progression journey in book 12 of The Beginning After the End! Also a hit webcomic and anime on crunchyroll, this hit progression fantasy series has captivated readers worldwide.
Experience the epic finale of Arthur's power progression journey in book 12 of The Beginning After the End!
Audible Audio
Published May 19, 2026
About the author
TurtleMe
33 books1,479 followersTae Ha Lee, writing under the pen name TurtleMe, is a fantasy novelist and webcomic author. Blending elements of Western and Eastern literature, TurtleMe creates a unique and compelling reading experience that resonates with global audiences. His award-winning series, The Beginning After the End, has been translated into over ten languages and has captivated readers worldwide.
Tae Ha, a proud UC Berkeley graduate, currently resides in Seattle with his beloved wife and dog. To find out more, follow @turtleme93 on Instagram.
Tae Ha, a proud UC Berkeley graduate, currently resides in Seattle with his beloved wife and dog. To find out more, follow @turtleme93 on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 5, 2026
I've been reading TBATE for six years, and was a patron of TurtleMe for half a decade. That's how I initially read TBATE: waiting every Friday for that 1 PM alarm, knowing a new chapter would be posted. I used to love this series very deeply. (If those of you who read know where I spend my time on the internet, then my care for this story is self-evident. I was deeply invested in the community, culture, and sphere surrounding TBATE.)
So, why am I rating the final volume of this series at 1 star? I'll justify it for you.
TBATE started in Volume 1 with Arthur's stated goal being, "I will live this new life better than my last." The series improved dramatically at Volume 6, when TurtleMe began challenging that core motivation for Arthur. In an isekai series about moving past who you've been, TBATE had a little bit of a recursive engagement with its own themes as it improved upon itself, and TurtleMe improved upon his writing and world. Then, at the end of Volume 7, we received an answer to Arthur's core question when Nico returned. "No, you cannot live a new life better than your last. Not until you address the mistakes of your first one."
That inadvertently made the emotional crux of TBATE orient around Nico, Cecilia, and Arthur. Any character arc and development Arthur could have would need to take them into account at the core. Any avid reader of this review ought to notice many other reviews saying the pace was slow, felt like filler, etc., etc., etc. That's in large part because the Legacy plotline, the emotional core of the series, was wrapped up in the same way Alexander dealt with the Gordian knot: cutting it away instead of gently unraveling it satisfyingly. Cecilia and Nico represented potential, but mostly wasted potential.
And then Fate. Oh, Fate, Fate, Fate. That might be the biggest tragedy of this entire thing. Fate is revealed to have always preordained Arthur's successes, his victories, his relationships, everything. For all intents and purposes, that "I'm going to live a new life better than my last!" was rendered completely meaningless. Arthur never had a chance to take meaningful actions. He never had a chance to resist his enemies, to forge bonds, to conquer his own past. In every way that mattered, it was already preordained. That's only a step above GoT Season 8's character assassinations. None of it mattered in the end.
A story cannot end well when it undoes its own emotional axioms and core themes. I still care for this series, for all it helped me accomplish and bring into my own life. But narratively, it failed a long time ago.
So, why am I rating the final volume of this series at 1 star? I'll justify it for you.
TBATE started in Volume 1 with Arthur's stated goal being, "I will live this new life better than my last." The series improved dramatically at Volume 6, when TurtleMe began challenging that core motivation for Arthur. In an isekai series about moving past who you've been, TBATE had a little bit of a recursive engagement with its own themes as it improved upon itself, and TurtleMe improved upon his writing and world. Then, at the end of Volume 7, we received an answer to Arthur's core question when Nico returned. "No, you cannot live a new life better than your last. Not until you address the mistakes of your first one."
That inadvertently made the emotional crux of TBATE orient around Nico, Cecilia, and Arthur. Any character arc and development Arthur could have would need to take them into account at the core. Any avid reader of this review ought to notice many other reviews saying the pace was slow, felt like filler, etc., etc., etc. That's in large part because the Legacy plotline, the emotional core of the series, was wrapped up in the same way Alexander dealt with the Gordian knot: cutting it away instead of gently unraveling it satisfyingly. Cecilia and Nico represented potential, but mostly wasted potential.
And then Fate. Oh, Fate, Fate, Fate. That might be the biggest tragedy of this entire thing. Fate is revealed to have always preordained Arthur's successes, his victories, his relationships, everything. For all intents and purposes, that "I'm going to live a new life better than my last!" was rendered completely meaningless. Arthur never had a chance to take meaningful actions. He never had a chance to resist his enemies, to forge bonds, to conquer his own past. In every way that mattered, it was already preordained. That's only a step above GoT Season 8's character assassinations. None of it mattered in the end.
A story cannot end well when it undoes its own emotional axioms and core themes. I still care for this series, for all it helped me accomplish and bring into my own life. But narratively, it failed a long time ago.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2026
If I could give this two different rating I would but instead I have to meet in the middle.
The beginning of this book is absolutely terrible. You will sit there and think to yourself this is the last book right? Everything reads like you are in the middle of the story instead of the end. This goes on until about 45-50% of the book and then it actually gets good. You could probably skip over this beginning part and not really miss anything. The last half of the book reads as you would expect and wraps up most things nicely. I think the author forgot about a couple of things but maybe he wanted to save that for his next story.
There is a lot of deus ex machina throughout the series and this book is no exception. There is a lot of it throughout the book and it diminishes the story greatly. Once or twice most people accept but more than that, which this book does, and it just reads like the author didn't know how they were gonna get to the end.
Most of the main characters get wrapped up nicely but I felt some of the side characters got left hanging along with some of the main characters.
Overall not the most amazing story I have ever read but not the worst either. A lot of the talk I read online made this series seem as if it was the pinicle of writing. It very much was not but was entertaining to read.
The beginning of this book is absolutely terrible. You will sit there and think to yourself this is the last book right? Everything reads like you are in the middle of the story instead of the end. This goes on until about 45-50% of the book and then it actually gets good. You could probably skip over this beginning part and not really miss anything. The last half of the book reads as you would expect and wraps up most things nicely. I think the author forgot about a couple of things but maybe he wanted to save that for his next story.
There is a lot of deus ex machina throughout the series and this book is no exception. There is a lot of it throughout the book and it diminishes the story greatly. Once or twice most people accept but more than that, which this book does, and it just reads like the author didn't know how they were gonna get to the end.
Most of the main characters get wrapped up nicely but I felt some of the side characters got left hanging along with some of the main characters.
Overall not the most amazing story I have ever read but not the worst either. A lot of the talk I read online made this series seem as if it was the pinicle of writing. It very much was not but was entertaining to read.
June 9, 2026
Not the ending I wanted
Although this last installment was filled with riveting action, multiple viewpoints to aid in storytelling, blossoming love interests, and the discovery of new abilities and unleashed powers I felt the end could have been better. TurtleMe did a decent job of wrapping things up but there were a lot of stories left untold and a lot to be explained with the Fate of Arthur. Hopefully he will write a new story that continues where this one ends. Definitely worth reading.
Although this last installment was filled with riveting action, multiple viewpoints to aid in storytelling, blossoming love interests, and the discovery of new abilities and unleashed powers I felt the end could have been better. TurtleMe did a decent job of wrapping things up but there were a lot of stories left untold and a lot to be explained with the Fate of Arthur. Hopefully he will write a new story that continues where this one ends. Definitely worth reading.
June 8, 2026
Many plot threads, including the main one are left unresolved. It feels rushed, you can tell the author just wanted to be done with it so he can work on his new web novel Soul Forged. Sad..
May 26, 2026
Disappointing 😞
June 12, 2026
3.2/5
Like another review said, the book starts off slow and boring , u have to reach half the book to feel it really get going .
I would say it was a decent enough ending for a hardcore over the top action power fantasy like tbate.
Aa a reader ,arthur's abilities did start to take a very godly/inhuman unrealistically OP route after he fell into the relic tombs all those volumes back in Alacrya
but the end takes this to such a extreme that as u read it's like "Eh sure, yup, that makes sense, ah right now i see" , a bored disatachment develops. But if you can bear with that, they are offset by equally absurd challenges against him.
TLDR : Tbate never leaves the power fantasy manhwa vibe , even as a normal, something you get bored with eventually, as such this would be a hit among the teenage demographic.
But as someone who has followed this series as manhwa and as a novel after the manhwa went on a long haitus, It does provide a satisfactory albeit predictable meh ending.
The title of the last chapter being the series title left something to be desired , it was sort of super trite.
Like another review said, the book starts off slow and boring , u have to reach half the book to feel it really get going .
I would say it was a decent enough ending for a hardcore over the top action power fantasy like tbate.
Aa a reader ,arthur's abilities did start to take a very godly/inhuman unrealistically OP route after he fell into the relic tombs all those volumes back in Alacrya
but the end takes this to such a extreme that as u read it's like "Eh sure, yup, that makes sense, ah right now i see" , a bored disatachment develops. But if you can bear with that, they are offset by equally absurd challenges against him.
TLDR : Tbate never leaves the power fantasy manhwa vibe , even as a normal, something you get bored with eventually, as such this would be a hit among the teenage demographic.
But as someone who has followed this series as manhwa and as a novel after the manhwa went on a long haitus, It does provide a satisfactory albeit predictable meh ending.
The title of the last chapter being the series title left something to be desired , it was sort of super trite.
June 24, 2026
This review is for the whole series.
Frankly a bit of a letdown. Started with an interesting premise, even though it had all the usual wuxia/xianxia/cultivation tropes:
reincarnator, genius prodigy, etc.
In the first few books the novelty of these characters and worlds was enough to hook me, even if the writing — technically speaking — wasn’t all that great. However, by the third book the series starts to fall off hard.
There’s not one but two whole books of the series that are just training montages, another book that is nothing but flashbacks, another book just absolutely lousy with POV chapters from third-tier side characters. The plot slows to a trickle by the third book and then is almost entirely resolved in approximately the latter half of this 12th and final book.
There are rare moments of brilliance within, but overall just a mediocre work.
Frankly a bit of a letdown. Started with an interesting premise, even though it had all the usual wuxia/xianxia/cultivation tropes:
reincarnator, genius prodigy, etc.
In the first few books the novelty of these characters and worlds was enough to hook me, even if the writing — technically speaking — wasn’t all that great. However, by the third book the series starts to fall off hard.
There’s not one but two whole books of the series that are just training montages, another book that is nothing but flashbacks, another book just absolutely lousy with POV chapters from third-tier side characters. The plot slows to a trickle by the third book and then is almost entirely resolved in approximately the latter half of this 12th and final book.
There are rare moments of brilliance within, but overall just a mediocre work.
May 25, 2026
A masterclass in how to finish an epic fantasy series. Apotheosis gave this story the massive, unforgettable conclusion it deserved.
Unmatched Stakes: The author isn't afraid to kill off well-established characters. When lives are lost, you feel the weight of it.
Compelling Antagonists: The villains aren't just evil for the sake of it; they are complex, layered, and brilliantly written.
Flawless Execution: The massive world-building and deep cast of characters tie together beautifully for a perfect landing.
One of my favorite series of all time, with a finale that does the entire journey justice.
Unmatched Stakes: The author isn't afraid to kill off well-established characters. When lives are lost, you feel the weight of it.
Compelling Antagonists: The villains aren't just evil for the sake of it; they are complex, layered, and brilliantly written.
Flawless Execution: The massive world-building and deep cast of characters tie together beautifully for a perfect landing.
One of my favorite series of all time, with a finale that does the entire journey justice.
May 27, 2026
I'm not entirely sure about this one.
On the one hand, it did pull off some world-shattering action and other high stakes. On the other, there was a lot of side characters I just didn't care about. That's a problem for this series in particular. It's not that they aren't important in their ways. It's that I just couldn't care about them when Arthur begged continued center stage.
That being said, it wasn't the worst, and it wasn't the best end to any LitRPG or fantasy series. I guess I wanted a little more focus. Or perhaps there was something else bothering me. Lack of heart, maybe. It's amorphous. Perhaps I just felt like it had run out of steam.
Alas.
On the one hand, it did pull off some world-shattering action and other high stakes. On the other, there was a lot of side characters I just didn't care about. That's a problem for this series in particular. It's not that they aren't important in their ways. It's that I just couldn't care about them when Arthur begged continued center stage.
That being said, it wasn't the worst, and it wasn't the best end to any LitRPG or fantasy series. I guess I wanted a little more focus. Or perhaps there was something else bothering me. Lack of heart, maybe. It's amorphous. Perhaps I just felt like it had run out of steam.
Alas.
June 16, 2026
Just finished the book, and came here straight away. I absolutely loved this book, a fitting end to an epic series. I can’t see why so many average reviews, the book is epic, featuring great fights, awesome storytelling, and most of all, a long ending wrapping the series in the best way possible.
Yes the book is long, but there were many loose ties which needed closing. I really enjoyed reading more of it, and wish there were more coming, but allas, all good things come to an end.
Yes the book is long, but there were many loose ties which needed closing. I really enjoyed reading more of it, and wish there were more coming, but allas, all good things come to an end.
June 26, 2026
Through the power of friendship and logical leaps in power level, 3 feudal monarchy’s discover representative democracy with no real exploration of how that might happen and how ridiculous that is
Don’t worry about how we got here or why this is such a harsh break from the highs of 2 volumes ago
Just the usual YA fantasy neatly wrapped up ending with none of the fire of the last 5+ years of the novel I read
Don’t worry about how we got here or why this is such a harsh break from the highs of 2 volumes ago
Just the usual YA fantasy neatly wrapped up ending with none of the fire of the last 5+ years of the novel I read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2026
Well what a series and man, what a finale! This series has been so much fun to read and I have enjoyed every second with it. This final book was so fun to read. There was only one part where I was confused in the moment but later after finishing, realiized that the whole story was building to that happening. You'll know when you get there. I honestly can't believe that this journey is over, but I'll cherish it forever.
June 19, 2026
The Beginning After The End
I like this series so much that I am sad to see it end. I am however mostly satisfied with the ending. I say mostly, because I am curious what could have come of some things mentioned at the end. The book is very well written, and made me cry more than once. I hope to see more similar fantasy works from this author in the future.
I like this series so much that I am sad to see it end. I am however mostly satisfied with the ending. I say mostly, because I am curious what could have come of some things mentioned at the end. The book is very well written, and made me cry more than once. I hope to see more similar fantasy works from this author in the future.
June 10, 2026
After spending so long reading and rereading TBATE’s other volumes while waiting for this one, finally reaching the long-awaited conclusion felt dissatisfying and rushed, leaving longtime fans with unresolved plot threads and the lingering sense of wanting more.
June 12, 2026
A beautiful conclusion to a story. There's so much to say about it but it felt so satisfying. I don't want to spoil it in any way. Just read it and bask in the feeling that only a completed series gives.
June 20, 2026
Interesting story and ending
The story was interesting and well written. The characters were so unique and well developed. I was only frustrated with the way it was drawn out and how detailed the fighting was. The plot definitely was a twist and I'm glad the hero didn't die.
The story was interesting and well written. The characters were so unique and well developed. I was only frustrated with the way it was drawn out and how detailed the fighting was. The plot definitely was a twist and I'm glad the hero didn't die.
June 26, 2026
Books 1-11 had me HOOKED
Book 12…..hurts chances of my recommendations.
From slow beginnings to lame coincidences and finally pulling feats that were so confusing I tried to replay it twice to understand.
Book 12…..hurts chances of my recommendations.
From slow beginnings to lame coincidences and finally pulling feats that were so confusing I tried to replay it twice to understand.
July 31, 2026
Love this series!
I loved this whole series! Start to finish. The story is about Grey/Arthur Leywin. His determination in saving his family and eventually saving the world, will be one of my favorite series. I'm sad it's over tho!! Oh well... guess I'll just reread it!!
I loved this whole series! Start to finish. The story is about Grey/Arthur Leywin. His determination in saving his family and eventually saving the world, will be one of my favorite series. I'm sad it's over tho!! Oh well... guess I'll just reread it!!
May 26, 2026
best series ever
Been following this since it came out and I’m proud to say it’s been my longest supported book. So sad it’s ending but so happy with how it ended
Been following this since it came out and I’m proud to say it’s been my longest supported book. So sad it’s ending but so happy with how it ended
May 29, 2026
What an amazing end, I'll definitely need to re-read this series back-to-back!
May 30, 2026
4.7/5 ⭐️
June 9, 2026
I wish it never ended
Wow what a roller coaster ride this whole series has been! I will always love these characters and I wish we could get at least o.ne more book!
Wow what a roller coaster ride this whole series has been! I will always love these characters and I wish we could get at least o.ne more book!
June 13, 2026
I need more…
Beautiful ending to an amazing story that truly leans into world-building and character development. An astonishing series that needs a sequel.
Beautiful ending to an amazing story that truly leans into world-building and character development. An astonishing series that needs a sequel.
July 7, 2026
Such a good story
Loved this adventure but not ready for this to be the end. Thank you but I wouldn't be sad if there was a book 13!!!
Loved this adventure but not ready for this to be the end. Thank you but I wouldn't be sad if there was a book 13!!!
July 7, 2026
Awesome
Awesome series. My only regret is that it's over. Can't wait for the next series. Thank you Brandon. Truly appreciate you.
Awesome series. My only regret is that it's over. Can't wait for the next series. Thank you Brandon. Truly appreciate you.
July 12, 2026
i cry so hard i cry i cry i cry i hate this noooooooooooooooo what a beautiful ending. i must complain we didn’t get thorough with everything but it is what it is..
July 23, 2026
i got bored with this series and was happy it finely ended.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews