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Return of the Archmage #1
Return of the Archmage: OP MC Regression Litrpg Apocalypse
The Greatest ArchMage in human history dies to the claws of a juvenile WyrmKin.
That’s how mankind’s climb ends—wiped out by Level 34 in a Tower with over four hundred floors, crushed by ancient races that treat human magic like a joke.
Jonah refuses that ending.
He wakes up regressed to the beginning, hours before the System initializes, armed with decades of hard-earned knowledge and one chance to rewrite everything. He knows which “helpful” classes are actually cages. He knows where the first real caches are buried, which early choices create ceilings, and which paths forge monsters. He knows what floors break people, what wars ignite, and exactly how fast extinction comes when humanity wastes time arguing instead of climbing.
This time, Jonah doesn’t just cast from the backline.
He takes a Spellsword body and forces it to keep up with an ArchMage mind. Learning to fight in the mud, on the wall, blade-in-hand, while he drags impossible spells out of a Tier-locked System that insists he shouldn’t be able to.
The Tower wants humans weak, divided, and predictable.
Jonah makes them none of those.
That’s how mankind’s climb ends—wiped out by Level 34 in a Tower with over four hundred floors, crushed by ancient races that treat human magic like a joke.
Jonah refuses that ending.
He wakes up regressed to the beginning, hours before the System initializes, armed with decades of hard-earned knowledge and one chance to rewrite everything. He knows which “helpful” classes are actually cages. He knows where the first real caches are buried, which early choices create ceilings, and which paths forge monsters. He knows what floors break people, what wars ignite, and exactly how fast extinction comes when humanity wastes time arguing instead of climbing.
This time, Jonah doesn’t just cast from the backline.
He takes a Spellsword body and forces it to keep up with an ArchMage mind. Learning to fight in the mud, on the wall, blade-in-hand, while he drags impossible spells out of a Tier-locked System that insists he shouldn’t be able to.
The Tower wants humans weak, divided, and predictable.
Jonah makes them none of those.
616 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 17, 2026
AI Slop
Sloppiest of sloppy AI.
Yet another.
Nothing to see here, definitely avoid, not worth reading, don’t reward the scammer who ‘published’ this.
Sloppiest of sloppy AI.
Yet another.
Nothing to see here, definitely avoid, not worth reading, don’t reward the scammer who ‘published’ this.
May 13, 2026
No killing the badguys cuz its like bad
I had high hopes for this returner series but just out of the sample the first fight happen with the evil bad guy and the mc give a speech before had of no killing in a fight to the...well not death i guss cuz "humanity's" needs every single person...
Really lang and in an apocalypse/returner from the future to save everything. Some people literally have to die to make that happen.... but not today! Just light humiliation to a crazy narcissist...yea that will work....not solid pass on this one.
I had high hopes for this returner series but just out of the sample the first fight happen with the evil bad guy and the mc give a speech before had of no killing in a fight to the...well not death i guss cuz "humanity's" needs every single person...
Really lang and in an apocalypse/returner from the future to save everything. Some people literally have to die to make that happen.... but not today! Just light humiliation to a crazy narcissist...yea that will work....not solid pass on this one.
June 4, 2026
The 3 goblin waves at the beginning make no sense and is completely inconsistent with the rest of the story. In his previous timeline, his tutorial cohort survived all 3 waves while he was useless. And yet now with his knowledge and preparation, his cohort barely survives despite everything he did differently and "better". This makes no sense. How did his cohort survive such an assault in the first timeline? It'd be impossible. Either he replaced someone who helped them survive the first time, or he was actually doing a worse job of protecting people the second time. Neither of those are true according to the plot, leaving a large plot hole.
It's still entertaining, and actually my type of subgenre. The action is good. It's unpredictable. But the characters are flat. The System appears evil, literally saying shit like "no mercy" and whatnot in case you had issues with such systems, but it was fair and does reward crafting and even manual labor.
Overall I'm not too bothered by the problems because it scratches an itch.
It's still entertaining, and actually my type of subgenre. The action is good. It's unpredictable. But the characters are flat. The System appears evil, literally saying shit like "no mercy" and whatnot in case you had issues with such systems, but it was fair and does reward crafting and even manual labor.
Overall I'm not too bothered by the problems because it scratches an itch.
June 12, 2026
Book one
This is another bit of AI trash. I don't believe That if you use AI for a story you can be allowed to call yourself an author. You're not writing it you're having a robot string words together and hope they make sense and you're trying to make money off of it. You're stuff should be banned.
.01/10 I strongly dislike AI written stories. Haven't found a good one yet.
This is another bit of AI trash. I don't believe That if you use AI for a story you can be allowed to call yourself an author. You're not writing it you're having a robot string words together and hope they make sense and you're trying to make money off of it. You're stuff should be banned.
.01/10 I strongly dislike AI written stories. Haven't found a good one yet.
April 30, 2026
An exciting ride
A great first installment from a new author taking a more visceral approach to the overly used OP time loop story breaths fresh air into this book. Looking forward to reading more.
A great first installment from a new author taking a more visceral approach to the overly used OP time loop story breaths fresh air into this book. Looking forward to reading more.
May 1, 2026
One to Watch For
This is another really good read for a time when you want to relax and just envision the story in your head. Yes, the MC is OP but humanity starts to pay for it by encountering far tougher adversaries. I look forward to the next book!
This is another really good read for a time when you want to relax and just envision the story in your head. Yes, the MC is OP but humanity starts to pay for it by encountering far tougher adversaries. I look forward to the next book!
June 5, 2026
excellent storytelling
Well done! Interesting, competent protagonist. Well thought out plot, with twists and turns. Challenges are detailed and contain reasonable villains, that portend future risk.
Well done! Interesting, competent protagonist. Well thought out plot, with twists and turns. Challenges are detailed and contain reasonable villains, that portend future risk.
May 3, 2026
A great new regression story
Jonah was the greatest archmage humanity ever knew, and he died, overwhelmed too early to make a difference for humanity. Now he has a chance to do it all again and better this time. His rise may mean hope for humanity in the tower, but will everything go as planned? If you like regression stories, this one is off to an amazing, gripping start. I can't wait to see what is next for Jonah as he works to climb the tower and drag humanity towards a better future.
Jonah was the greatest archmage humanity ever knew, and he died, overwhelmed too early to make a difference for humanity. Now he has a chance to do it all again and better this time. His rise may mean hope for humanity in the tower, but will everything go as planned? If you like regression stories, this one is off to an amazing, gripping start. I can't wait to see what is next for Jonah as he works to climb the tower and drag humanity towards a better future.
May 4, 2026
Good
I enjoyed this a lot. To be fair I’m a sucker for reborn/ regression stories, add litrpg, even better. This is a good start to what could be a truly colossal series. This book is the introduction to a tower climb that is 441 levels, and they have yet to walk in! I love it. Only minor complaints are some editing issues, a couple characters do pronoun swaps and the narrative sometimes speeds up a lot- the group improved a lot in the next three days- feels like a loss for real character development. Still, can’t wait for more!
I enjoyed this a lot. To be fair I’m a sucker for reborn/ regression stories, add litrpg, even better. This is a good start to what could be a truly colossal series. This book is the introduction to a tower climb that is 441 levels, and they have yet to walk in! I love it. Only minor complaints are some editing issues, a couple characters do pronoun swaps and the narrative sometimes speeds up a lot- the group improved a lot in the next three days- feels like a loss for real character development. Still, can’t wait for more!
May 5, 2026
It was a 2 star For me but I know there will be some who really like it.
It was decent enough at the beginning. A pretty standard regression plot with a weak to begin MC. Some standard plot devices like bullies and over confident people. I stopped at the 34% point. I don't know why, but lately I've been seeing a lot of authors writing their characters into impossible situations and then having to dues ex them out. This story is no different. The author puts humanity in such a bad position that there was no way it should have survived. What makes it worse is that it only survives because of the knowledge of the MC from his first life which was not available during his first life. In other words, there should have never been a regression. The MCs first life should have ended in the tutorial phase not 40 years later. If I can't suspend my disbelief because of the constant need for plot armor and dues ex, then there is no enjoyment reading the story.
It was decent enough at the beginning. A pretty standard regression plot with a weak to begin MC. Some standard plot devices like bullies and over confident people. I stopped at the 34% point. I don't know why, but lately I've been seeing a lot of authors writing their characters into impossible situations and then having to dues ex them out. This story is no different. The author puts humanity in such a bad position that there was no way it should have survived. What makes it worse is that it only survives because of the knowledge of the MC from his first life which was not available during his first life. In other words, there should have never been a regression. The MCs first life should have ended in the tutorial phase not 40 years later. If I can't suspend my disbelief because of the constant need for plot armor and dues ex, then there is no enjoyment reading the story.
May 3, 2026
op main character regression story
I enjoyed reading this op regression story. The main character was methodical and had unwavering commitment to fixing his past mistakes. Commands people around him like a general saving the human race.
I enjoyed reading this op regression story. The main character was methodical and had unwavering commitment to fixing his past mistakes. Commands people around him like a general saving the human race.
October 15, 2026
Intersting premise, sloppy execution
The world/use of regression trope, characters were on the right track to make a good read. Unfortunately the writing was a bit of a let down for me, but I did finish the book to give some of my feedback.
There’s a weird cadence to the narration where there’s a fair bit of repetition, more than your typical litrpg of restating/summarizing abilities/stats. For example, injuries sustained keep getting mentioned before/after combat sequences but with no real impact during the sequence. It feels redundant and doesn’t contribute to the story. The same pattern repeats throughout the book for all aspects of actions the characters take. It just takes me out of being able to put myself in the characters shoes and experience it.
I also didn’t really love the main character not having any real consequence for not explaining his knowledge and never having to confront it in any way. It just feels hard to believe that this disparate set of extremely stressed out people would just be ok with it.
I also feel like there were some terminology or naming that seems to appear out of nowhere, such as the initial battle being called Event War or the ending where he is called Black Death or Avatar of Doom. I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be foreshadowing but it mostly just left me confused. It would make more sense if that was reflected through the narrative.
All in all I think there’s some potential/good bones in there but it could use more refinement. I don’t think I’ll be continuing to read the rest but I do love a good tower climb and I hope the story telling improves for future readers.
The world/use of regression trope, characters were on the right track to make a good read. Unfortunately the writing was a bit of a let down for me, but I did finish the book to give some of my feedback.
There’s a weird cadence to the narration where there’s a fair bit of repetition, more than your typical litrpg of restating/summarizing abilities/stats. For example, injuries sustained keep getting mentioned before/after combat sequences but with no real impact during the sequence. It feels redundant and doesn’t contribute to the story. The same pattern repeats throughout the book for all aspects of actions the characters take. It just takes me out of being able to put myself in the characters shoes and experience it.
I also didn’t really love the main character not having any real consequence for not explaining his knowledge and never having to confront it in any way. It just feels hard to believe that this disparate set of extremely stressed out people would just be ok with it.
I also feel like there were some terminology or naming that seems to appear out of nowhere, such as the initial battle being called Event War or the ending where he is called Black Death or Avatar of Doom. I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be foreshadowing but it mostly just left me confused. It would make more sense if that was reflected through the narrative.
All in all I think there’s some potential/good bones in there but it could use more refinement. I don’t think I’ll be continuing to read the rest but I do love a good tower climb and I hope the story telling improves for future readers.
June 5, 2026
The storytelling skill is very good. Respect to the author.
The story itself is not my cup of tea.
a. The protagonist is too Dudley Do-Right and altruistic for my taste. A LitRPG Moses leading his people to the promised land. He is so righteous that he likely starches and irons his blue jeans. :-)
b. The story is two dimensional and focuses too much on tactical combat and Lord of the Flies politics. Well written, but not what I like reading for fun, personally.
I am still reading, but I doubt that I will read any other books in this series later.
ADDENDUM: This author does not bother with details like explaining logistics/resources (Where is the food for 700 people coming from? Where does the mortar to build stone defensive works come from?)
However, the book ending was entertaining enough that I WILL look for the next book in the series. This despite the fact that a perusal of the writer's other works indicates that they are fond of "optimistic/altruistic" characters/protagonists. In general, I can't invest myself in reading about such delusional fiction (Heh! I worked in government most of my adult life...I'm jaded).
The story itself is not my cup of tea.
a. The protagonist is too Dudley Do-Right and altruistic for my taste. A LitRPG Moses leading his people to the promised land. He is so righteous that he likely starches and irons his blue jeans. :-)
b. The story is two dimensional and focuses too much on tactical combat and Lord of the Flies politics. Well written, but not what I like reading for fun, personally.
I am still reading, but I doubt that I will read any other books in this series later.
ADDENDUM: This author does not bother with details like explaining logistics/resources (Where is the food for 700 people coming from? Where does the mortar to build stone defensive works come from?)
However, the book ending was entertaining enough that I WILL look for the next book in the series. This despite the fact that a perusal of the writer's other works indicates that they are fond of "optimistic/altruistic" characters/protagonists. In general, I can't invest myself in reading about such delusional fiction (Heh! I worked in government most of my adult life...I'm jaded).
May 4, 2026
This is one of my favourite genres and this one is...........ok....ish. Its not bad, its just meh. The prose is weirdly written and it just doesnt flow, everything is short and choppy. Conversations between characters are not a dialogue, its a list of declarative statments with little interaction between them. Time seems to be malleable, sometimes its days, then suddenly its weeks and then back to days again. At the start there are only a handful of magic users, then suddenly hundreds of magic attacks are launched at once. There is some miss gendering with a female healer being called Oliver, numbers seem to be flexible as well, one minute there are fifty, then the next there are twenty left, and one of the weirdest ones for me was for two chapters in the middle of the book the narative changed from third person to first person for no apparent reason, then went back with no comment about it at all.
This one is a miss, Id give it 2.5 out of 5 - rounded up to 3 here to give it a bit of a break as its not bad, just flawed.
This one is a miss, Id give it 2.5 out of 5 - rounded up to 3 here to give it a bit of a break as its not bad, just flawed.
May 16, 2026
Good premise, poor AI
The premise behind the story is good, if not commen. Humanity's strongest, isn't strong enough, dies, and for no explainable reason gets a do-over.
Now for the bad... really poorly edited AI slop. There are so many inconsistencies it's hard to get into the story about ten days into the "tutorial" it talks about how every one is coming together into an army after WEEKS of fighting and surviving. Survivors go from being everyday normal people to skilled stone cold killers with any reason and explanation. Things happen just because they need to, not because there is build up, or the story leads to it, it just happens. Characters have knowledge they shouldn't have as the only regresser is the mc, no one else should have knowledge of system mechanics, yet all if a sudden they do, in order to back up the MC.
It honestly could have been a great story if it was written by a real person.
The premise behind the story is good, if not commen. Humanity's strongest, isn't strong enough, dies, and for no explainable reason gets a do-over.
Now for the bad... really poorly edited AI slop. There are so many inconsistencies it's hard to get into the story about ten days into the "tutorial" it talks about how every one is coming together into an army after WEEKS of fighting and surviving. Survivors go from being everyday normal people to skilled stone cold killers with any reason and explanation. Things happen just because they need to, not because there is build up, or the story leads to it, it just happens. Characters have knowledge they shouldn't have as the only regresser is the mc, no one else should have knowledge of system mechanics, yet all if a sudden they do, in order to back up the MC.
It honestly could have been a great story if it was written by a real person.
June 6, 2026
The devil is in the details
The overall story is actually pretty good; however, it becomes abundantly clear later in the story that this is HEAVILY written using AI assistance. I believe that the author actually wrote out prompts and tried to edit a lot of the story, but the details keep changing and not matching up.
Timelines don’t match. They’ve been there for days but the MC talks about them drilling for weeks. The system says he needs 3 days to recover, but doesn’t actually recover for a week. The flow of events doesn’t match the time expressed.
Also one supporting character was named Oliver, described as a woman, then became a man, then a woman again. This person changed genders 4-6 times in the span of like 3 pages! Lol.
The story has a lot of potential, but the author needs to actually write it and not use AI to fill in the gaps. There are a lot of inconsistencies in the story. Way too many to list on here.
The overall story is actually pretty good; however, it becomes abundantly clear later in the story that this is HEAVILY written using AI assistance. I believe that the author actually wrote out prompts and tried to edit a lot of the story, but the details keep changing and not matching up.
Timelines don’t match. They’ve been there for days but the MC talks about them drilling for weeks. The system says he needs 3 days to recover, but doesn’t actually recover for a week. The flow of events doesn’t match the time expressed.
Also one supporting character was named Oliver, described as a woman, then became a man, then a woman again. This person changed genders 4-6 times in the span of like 3 pages! Lol.
The story has a lot of potential, but the author needs to actually write it and not use AI to fill in the gaps. There are a lot of inconsistencies in the story. Way too many to list on here.
June 6, 2026
Loved it but...
I absolutely loved this book, but there is one thing that I can't get over. Throughout the book everyone is constantly asking the MC how he knows what he knows and for some unexplained reason his internal dialogue keeps telling him he's better off not telling people he's a regressor. It makes no sense to me that a normal person would see someone with prophetic like intuition during an apocalypse would scoff at the idea they're from the future and that's how they know what is going to happen. I could see not telling people before the apocalypse started since no one pays doomsayers attention when things are fine, but if the fan has already been hit they should have no problem grasping the truth. Anyway sorry for ranting but it happens so often that it was weighing on me. I don't mind when there's a logical reason to not reveal information but it legit feels like he just wants people to not ask.
I absolutely loved this book, but there is one thing that I can't get over. Throughout the book everyone is constantly asking the MC how he knows what he knows and for some unexplained reason his internal dialogue keeps telling him he's better off not telling people he's a regressor. It makes no sense to me that a normal person would see someone with prophetic like intuition during an apocalypse would scoff at the idea they're from the future and that's how they know what is going to happen. I could see not telling people before the apocalypse started since no one pays doomsayers attention when things are fine, but if the fan has already been hit they should have no problem grasping the truth. Anyway sorry for ranting but it happens so often that it was weighing on me. I don't mind when there's a logical reason to not reveal information but it legit feels like he just wants people to not ask.
July 9, 2026
Awesome yet disappointing
First what is good: the author didn't do the typical stereotype of goblins and cobalt. The author ended up making them actual creatures that you could expect to find that would cause humanity problems. Instead of some five year old being able to take on a group of goblins , like some author to have done, these goblins, actually Pose a problem. There are many other instances where a More advanced and thought out enemies occur... Bravo
What is 3 star rating: the story is filled with and consistencies on practically every page... Eight becomes twelve, 3 becomes 2, statements made in one paragraph are contradicted in the next, skill ups that the Mc claims are logical because he used them in the battle , but there's no mention in the battle of him using them.
The frustration of the contradictions make this less than enjoyable. Would I consider continuing the series? At this time i'm not sure.
First what is good: the author didn't do the typical stereotype of goblins and cobalt. The author ended up making them actual creatures that you could expect to find that would cause humanity problems. Instead of some five year old being able to take on a group of goblins , like some author to have done, these goblins, actually Pose a problem. There are many other instances where a More advanced and thought out enemies occur... Bravo
What is 3 star rating: the story is filled with and consistencies on practically every page... Eight becomes twelve, 3 becomes 2, statements made in one paragraph are contradicted in the next, skill ups that the Mc claims are logical because he used them in the battle , but there's no mention in the battle of him using them.
The frustration of the contradictions make this less than enjoyable. Would I consider continuing the series? At this time i'm not sure.
June 8, 2026
Excellent Regression Novel, Excited for future installments!
Decent writing style, very engaging plot, and a good balance between having a regressor with advantages while still demonstrating challenges and dangers that felt meaningful.
One area I wish could improve a bit is Characters besides the MC. They are not paper cutouts, but they are fairly shallow and don't feel like they have a great deal of individuality/agency. The groundwork is certainly there, and I feel like they could/should be meaningful characters, but the depth is lacking for them, and therefore any of their losses have minimal meaning to me or the story.
Would love to see a bit more depth to the side characters in future installments.
All that said, I very much enjoyed this novel, and will be looking forward to the next installment when it releases!
Decent writing style, very engaging plot, and a good balance between having a regressor with advantages while still demonstrating challenges and dangers that felt meaningful.
One area I wish could improve a bit is Characters besides the MC. They are not paper cutouts, but they are fairly shallow and don't feel like they have a great deal of individuality/agency. The groundwork is certainly there, and I feel like they could/should be meaningful characters, but the depth is lacking for them, and therefore any of their losses have minimal meaning to me or the story.
Would love to see a bit more depth to the side characters in future installments.
All that said, I very much enjoyed this novel, and will be looking forward to the next installment when it releases!
June 10, 2026
The story has it's problems but I actually really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the next book.
Criticism and comments
The scene with his phone made no sense. The idea that a phone would somehow survive almost 50 years despite his constant fights to the death, that he somehow kept it working the whole time in the system world AND that it then regressed back with him containing all his notes is utterly absurd!
Why is a female teenager a "they/them"?
Jonah's supposed low mana during the second wave is contrived.. he didn't use any for hours as far as i remember..
The author forgot about the threat of rising dead very fast..
I disliked the abrupt and unannounced change of protagonist, which strangely was written in first person view..
The story is very inconsistent with numbers! 280 is not bigger than 400, 8 become 12, 12-1 become 12 again..
Criticism and comments
The scene with his phone made no sense. The idea that a phone would somehow survive almost 50 years despite his constant fights to the death, that he somehow kept it working the whole time in the system world AND that it then regressed back with him containing all his notes is utterly absurd!
Why is a female teenager a "they/them"?
Jonah's supposed low mana during the second wave is contrived.. he didn't use any for hours as far as i remember..
The author forgot about the threat of rising dead very fast..
I disliked the abrupt and unannounced change of protagonist, which strangely was written in first person view..
The story is very inconsistent with numbers! 280 is not bigger than 400, 8 become 12, 12-1 become 12 again..
July 27, 2026
Started as a 4.5 and went downhill.
The story started with some inconsistencies and parts that didn’t make much sense, but overall it was a fun story with potential. Then those problems just kept adding up and getting worse towards the end of the book. This story desperately needed an editor and a couple volunteer readers. I think typing up all the issues readers run into would take too much effort for a series I will not continue. Just one though: I hated when people started randomly using terms or saying they studied up on something with ZERO explanation or where they “read” about it in the few days of post apocalyptic fighting and traveling. Also, shouting out orders for hundreds of brand new fighters that are fighting thousands of enemies with a couple hours of training…
The story started with some inconsistencies and parts that didn’t make much sense, but overall it was a fun story with potential. Then those problems just kept adding up and getting worse towards the end of the book. This story desperately needed an editor and a couple volunteer readers. I think typing up all the issues readers run into would take too much effort for a series I will not continue. Just one though: I hated when people started randomly using terms or saying they studied up on something with ZERO explanation or where they “read” about it in the few days of post apocalyptic fighting and traveling. Also, shouting out orders for hundreds of brand new fighters that are fighting thousands of enemies with a couple hours of training…
November 1, 2026
26%
The premise is good and I’ve started to expect the unnecessary holding of critical info from the masses on regression. But the battle tactics discussed, the use of material and terrain to create advantageous conditions is really bad. So bad I stopped at only 26% read. As if leaning sheet metal against some debris is an effective wall. Not immediately talking to other portions of the walls to explain what to expect and how to use their natural terrain and obstacles for an overall strategy for everyone. Just expects them to know what to do and criticizes for not doing better all the while the mc takes a moral high ground about the need to save as many possible, he’s just not a good character which is a shame because this had potential I think. Author writes well about things he doesn’t know or describe well enough to be convincing
The premise is good and I’ve started to expect the unnecessary holding of critical info from the masses on regression. But the battle tactics discussed, the use of material and terrain to create advantageous conditions is really bad. So bad I stopped at only 26% read. As if leaning sheet metal against some debris is an effective wall. Not immediately talking to other portions of the walls to explain what to expect and how to use their natural terrain and obstacles for an overall strategy for everyone. Just expects them to know what to do and criticizes for not doing better all the while the mc takes a moral high ground about the need to save as many possible, he’s just not a good character which is a shame because this had potential I think. Author writes well about things he doesn’t know or describe well enough to be convincing
June 9, 2026
serviceable
Mana Apocalypse plus Regression, so well trodden ground. But it moved well and kept a good focus. The MC is willing to make hard choices and does not agonize over decisions.
There are a few mistakes in the narrative, where numbers jump up and then down and back up without reason. Time gets a little loose in the later parts of the book. Some of the prose can be repetitive, restating facts already established.
Overall, I am not unhappy about having read this. It worked well enough. I won’t specifically seek out the next book, but I am willing to purchase it.
Mana Apocalypse plus Regression, so well trodden ground. But it moved well and kept a good focus. The MC is willing to make hard choices and does not agonize over decisions.
There are a few mistakes in the narrative, where numbers jump up and then down and back up without reason. Time gets a little loose in the later parts of the book. Some of the prose can be repetitive, restating facts already established.
Overall, I am not unhappy about having read this. It worked well enough. I won’t specifically seek out the next book, but I am willing to purchase it.
July 9, 2026
Decent, but inconsistent
I like a regression story and this one is no exception. However, it felt as if the side characters also knew too much and their progression was glossed over. How would someone with minimal experience with magic know how long it would take for a mana related issue to recover? It doesn’t make sense within the framework set by the author.
Additionally, as is the case with many books in this genre, there is too much explanation of each action rather than the action and dialogue doing the heavy work.
That all being said though, the magic system, the powers and the main plot is entertaining enough. I’ll keep reading
I like a regression story and this one is no exception. However, it felt as if the side characters also knew too much and their progression was glossed over. How would someone with minimal experience with magic know how long it would take for a mana related issue to recover? It doesn’t make sense within the framework set by the author.
Additionally, as is the case with many books in this genre, there is too much explanation of each action rather than the action and dialogue doing the heavy work.
That all being said though, the magic system, the powers and the main plot is entertaining enough. I’ll keep reading
June 11, 2026
I was surprised this was a pretty good book. I would read the next one in the series.
I have to admit this was a pretty good book. So so MC not very much of a personality because he’s extremely driven. Don’t usually like team based stories but this one I read all the way through. Plenty of action, interesting storyline will definitely read the next book. He’s really not OP because he gets hurt a lot, OP characters don’t get hurt that’s why they’re OP. Anyway, read the story you will like it.
I have to admit this was a pretty good book. So so MC not very much of a personality because he’s extremely driven. Don’t usually like team based stories but this one I read all the way through. Plenty of action, interesting storyline will definitely read the next book. He’s really not OP because he gets hurt a lot, OP characters don’t get hurt that’s why they’re OP. Anyway, read the story you will like it.
July 5, 2026
My reviews are my own. If you enjoyed this book, I'm glad you did. If not, I respect your opinion, so please respect mine. This is simply my perspective, so let's keep the discussion courteous. My review is honest and voluntary. As a reader, I read to escape the world and its issues, and my reviews reflect that.
I couldn’t get into this one. It started with a huge info dump, then felt robotic. I didn’t care about the characters, so I couldn’t care about the story. Not for me.
Onward and forward to my next adventure. Happy reading!
I couldn’t get into this one. It started with a huge info dump, then felt robotic. I didn’t care about the characters, so I couldn’t care about the story. Not for me.
Onward and forward to my next adventure. Happy reading!
July 22, 2026
Return of the Archmage is a pretty good story about a top tier mage that dies on floor 34 of the tower, then is regressed back to the start of the system coming to earth. The subsequent story is how he handles the system arriving again, and his struggle to save as many people as possible. It's a well done story, and I've already finished book 2, so now I guess it's on to book 3 if it's available yet.
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September 28, 2026Progression is satisfying. The pacing is slow considering how many floors the tower has. I find the dialogue a little tedious. The constant questioning, badgering and repeated explanation. Even by the end of the book his closest allies still object to his decisions despite having proved his competence time and time again. I prefer protagonists who keep their secrets close to their chest but at this point. I would prefer he chose to reveal his regressor status if it meant everyone around him shut up.
June 16, 2026
Disappointingly poor execution
This is basically 4 stars of story brought down to a 2 star book because of awful timeline management, failed basic math and constant repetitions of the same sentences or paragraphs.
The book would benefit greatly from an editor's help. Even simple proofreading. But apparently it received neither before being published.
Although not a very expensive book, I'd still say it's not worth the price, and no way I'll spend more on this author.
This is basically 4 stars of story brought down to a 2 star book because of awful timeline management, failed basic math and constant repetitions of the same sentences or paragraphs.
The book would benefit greatly from an editor's help. Even simple proofreading. But apparently it received neither before being published.
Although not a very expensive book, I'd still say it's not worth the price, and no way I'll spend more on this author.
July 16, 2026
Missing context
Its a good story, but the author tries so hard to keep the MC from revealing too much to the other characters that they forgot to explain the system to the readers! Floor 1 but then the tower has levels. And talks about building up settlements but no word on what happens when they move up the tower. If you're going to invent a new system, try explaining it better to the readers instead of stringing us along with little tid bits here and there.
Its a good story, but the author tries so hard to keep the MC from revealing too much to the other characters that they forgot to explain the system to the readers! Floor 1 but then the tower has levels. And talks about building up settlements but no word on what happens when they move up the tower. If you're going to invent a new system, try explaining it better to the readers instead of stringing us along with little tid bits here and there.
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