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Metaworld Chronicles #1
Metaworld Chronicles: Vol.1
Everyone dreams of reliving oneʼs life, starting over, but when Gwen Song awoke in her fifteen-year-old body, she found herself in a world of urban sorcery. Though her troubled child- hood remained, the familiar society she had once lived in had all but disappeared, replaced by a parallel reality. Back in her teenage body, she must navigate her new world, once again forging friendships, filial bonds, and gain mastery over the skills necessary to survive in a 21st century Earth ruled by Mages and Magic, where humanity lives in enclaves shielded from Magical Beasts, Demi-humans, and otherworldly beings in a meta-world made unreal by a sorcerous apartheid
553 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2019
162 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 23, 2020
This is a really popular one where nothing worked for me.
Reborn/Reincarnated novels are oft maligned for being populated by an abundance of overpowered characters that never feel as if they are in peril. That being said, the very fact that the genre exists is because of the inherent appeal of the idea of going back with what you know now to change your mistakes in the past. Having the power to change is what makes the genre work.
The author of Metaworld Chronicles clearly has some measure of feeling about OP characters because they immediately try to subvert this expectation. I've seen it done well before, so this isn't a major problem. After all, tropes exist to be subverted do they not? The problem is they do not do it well.
The main character is supposedly a 30 something year old business magnate of great success at the height of her power, reincarnated into the body of her 15 year old self. I would expect a certain level of Power here. 20 or so years of experience aught to be good for something, right? No. The main character acts like a 15 year old, reacts like a 15 year old, all of her behavior corroborates her stated physical age rather than her supposed mental age. This is a problem.
By all reports the novel's later world building is solid, but the suspension of disbelief is shattered by the lack of harmony between the character's stated level of experience and her actions.
This reminds me of "The Mech Touch" - another novel that didn't understand what it wanted to be. There, the author clearly had a story to tell about mechs. Unfortunately they chose to make a System novel instead, presumably because the format was popular, but the main character consistently failed to utilize the very System the whole novel was built around. Translation? The author didn't really have a heart for the very system he designed; he just wanted to write about mechs. All the mech parts were great, and then the system parts were half baked, shoddy nonsense that could be written out by a quick "He studied harder" or a training montage or something.
Same goes here. If you want to tell a fantasy story about a girl in magic school then do so. Bringing in half thought out reborn nonsense and then failing to have it make any sense from the very beginning fractures your foundation and it lost me pretty quickly. Alternatively, it might be that the author was really trying to write convincingly but were 15 when they wrote this and thus didn't know how a 35 year old business magnate would act. Totally possible.
If you like fantasy novels and don't mind catty 15 year old drama... then this does have a strong following out there. It is not my cup of tea though.
Reborn/Reincarnated novels are oft maligned for being populated by an abundance of overpowered characters that never feel as if they are in peril. That being said, the very fact that the genre exists is because of the inherent appeal of the idea of going back with what you know now to change your mistakes in the past. Having the power to change is what makes the genre work.
The author of Metaworld Chronicles clearly has some measure of feeling about OP characters because they immediately try to subvert this expectation. I've seen it done well before, so this isn't a major problem. After all, tropes exist to be subverted do they not? The problem is they do not do it well.
The main character is supposedly a 30 something year old business magnate of great success at the height of her power, reincarnated into the body of her 15 year old self. I would expect a certain level of Power here. 20 or so years of experience aught to be good for something, right? No. The main character acts like a 15 year old, reacts like a 15 year old, all of her behavior corroborates her stated physical age rather than her supposed mental age. This is a problem.
By all reports the novel's later world building is solid, but the suspension of disbelief is shattered by the lack of harmony between the character's stated level of experience and her actions.
This reminds me of "The Mech Touch" - another novel that didn't understand what it wanted to be. There, the author clearly had a story to tell about mechs. Unfortunately they chose to make a System novel instead, presumably because the format was popular, but the main character consistently failed to utilize the very System the whole novel was built around. Translation? The author didn't really have a heart for the very system he designed; he just wanted to write about mechs. All the mech parts were great, and then the system parts were half baked, shoddy nonsense that could be written out by a quick "He studied harder" or a training montage or something.
Same goes here. If you want to tell a fantasy story about a girl in magic school then do so. Bringing in half thought out reborn nonsense and then failing to have it make any sense from the very beginning fractures your foundation and it lost me pretty quickly. Alternatively, it might be that the author was really trying to write convincingly but were 15 when they wrote this and thus didn't know how a 35 year old business magnate would act. Totally possible.
If you like fantasy novels and don't mind catty 15 year old drama... then this does have a strong following out there. It is not my cup of tea though.
July 15, 2022
This was a spur of the moment read, I quite liked the idea of a successful woman being transformed back to her teenager self in a different reality. Unfortunately the melding of the two didn’t work for me. I really couldn’t work out what the author was trying to do with this transformation as he ignored the ‘older personality’ and her extra twenty years of experience. What he has written is just a teenage magic school populated by teenage mages with a ridiculous system of magic. Even worse the author has literary pretentions.
I got to chapter sixteen when I decided I’d had enough, this was really an over-the-top, rather silly comic book and really wasn’t for me.
I got to chapter sixteen when I decided I’d had enough, this was really an over-the-top, rather silly comic book and really wasn’t for me.
July 22, 2020
Mostly good.
While I like the idea of someone waking up as their younger self in an alternate, yet similar world, it feels like the fact is never really important throughout the book. The only impact it seems to have is that Gwen is "very mature" (which is debatable), and that she sometimes comments on the differences between the two worlds. It has about zero impact story wise and I feel like the way her character is portrayed, she could easily be "just" a teenager.
The world-building is solid enough, and the story itself mostly decent (up to chapter 77 where I ended things, you know, as long as it's still good). The characters are stereotypical and would seamlessly fit into your average run of the mill anime series. There's a somewhat uncomfortable focus on the bodily aspects of our mainly female (underage) character cast, that borders on voyeurism, and the amount of sexual harassment scenes is a little worrying, especially since some of them are pictured in a normalizing way.
Our protagonist is for the most part pleasant. As mentioned, she does (sometimes) act mature, but could still easily be a simple teenager. *Spoiler warning* What I enjoyed most about her was that, while she developed some rarer abilities early on, she was still for the most part a normal girl. I kept waiting for her to become the typical super-mage that can do everything, and everything better than everyone around her, but for the entirety of the first book (i think), she stayed normal. Then, of course, everything changed, when the fire nation attacked. Which is the reason I wont be reading any more of this, probably. That, and the looming tournament arc. *End of spoiler*
Lastly I have to say that the writing left a bit to be desired. I read this on Royal Road and the amount of grammar mistakes, typos and sentences that were aborted halfway through, is staggering. The language was surprisingly nice, but I often-times felt like this wasn't written by a native speaker of English, to the point where it looked like a google translate job. From what I saw in the reading sample on Amazon, the actual book version might just be directly copied from the page. This really needs an editor.
While I like the idea of someone waking up as their younger self in an alternate, yet similar world, it feels like the fact is never really important throughout the book. The only impact it seems to have is that Gwen is "very mature" (which is debatable), and that she sometimes comments on the differences between the two worlds. It has about zero impact story wise and I feel like the way her character is portrayed, she could easily be "just" a teenager.
The world-building is solid enough, and the story itself mostly decent (up to chapter 77 where I ended things, you know, as long as it's still good). The characters are stereotypical and would seamlessly fit into your average run of the mill anime series. There's a somewhat uncomfortable focus on the bodily aspects of our mainly female (underage) character cast, that borders on voyeurism, and the amount of sexual harassment scenes is a little worrying, especially since some of them are pictured in a normalizing way.
Our protagonist is for the most part pleasant. As mentioned, she does (sometimes) act mature, but could still easily be a simple teenager. *Spoiler warning* What I enjoyed most about her was that, while she developed some rarer abilities early on, she was still for the most part a normal girl. I kept waiting for her to become the typical super-mage that can do everything, and everything better than everyone around her, but for the entirety of the first book (i think), she stayed normal. Then, of course, everything changed, when the fire nation attacked. Which is the reason I wont be reading any more of this, probably. That, and the looming tournament arc. *End of spoiler*
Lastly I have to say that the writing left a bit to be desired. I read this on Royal Road and the amount of grammar mistakes, typos and sentences that were aborted halfway through, is staggering. The language was surprisingly nice, but I often-times felt like this wasn't written by a native speaker of English, to the point where it looked like a google translate job. From what I saw in the reading sample on Amazon, the actual book version might just be directly copied from the page. This really needs an editor.
March 18, 2020
This one's all over the place.
We have a story of an adult returning to her teenage body in a world with magic. This setup is pretty useless though. Mostly she just acts like a precocious teen that can spout some deep sounding quotes from literature, and in a lot of cases where her adult status should help her out the author introduces some unexplained mystical factor that prevents her from acting.
The magic system is poorly developed, confusing, and feels sort of inconsistent. Theres a sense that there's some sort of underlying plan but it's not really presented that well, and there's also the fact that our MC seems to break the rules which gets in the way.
The politics and character development is about average.
The writing style is inconsistent. There aren't glaring spelling or grammar mistakes, but sometimes the sentence structure is challenging. Some plot sections are very well developed while others read like an outline. There are chevrons that seem to be used to indicate disjoint chunks of code, but they seem to be placed oddly sometimes (possibly that's just the Kindle).
My main complaint was that the material and style presented in the free preview was much better than much of the rest of the novel, which isa about 80% as good as the preview and has a high variance.
We have a story of an adult returning to her teenage body in a world with magic. This setup is pretty useless though. Mostly she just acts like a precocious teen that can spout some deep sounding quotes from literature, and in a lot of cases where her adult status should help her out the author introduces some unexplained mystical factor that prevents her from acting.
The magic system is poorly developed, confusing, and feels sort of inconsistent. Theres a sense that there's some sort of underlying plan but it's not really presented that well, and there's also the fact that our MC seems to break the rules which gets in the way.
The politics and character development is about average.
The writing style is inconsistent. There aren't glaring spelling or grammar mistakes, but sometimes the sentence structure is challenging. Some plot sections are very well developed while others read like an outline. There are chevrons that seem to be used to indicate disjoint chunks of code, but they seem to be placed oddly sometimes (possibly that's just the Kindle).
My main complaint was that the material and style presented in the free preview was much better than much of the rest of the novel, which isa about 80% as good as the preview and has a high variance.
September 3, 2023
There really is no apparent reason why the main character Gwen "needs" to go back in time to her 15 year old self. At least it's not apparent in this first book of the series. There are a lot of inconsistencies. Even though the story seems organized and written better than most. The author even uses idioms from other languages (French) in this first book of his series.
Okay, Gwen, main character is still in High-School, training her "super-powers" and getting special training and arduous training schedule by her teachers from the tower. But what is the point of working for the "Black Cats"?? Rescuing an abducted girl that the organized crime from this world has already made addicted to drugs and is endangering Gwen's life?? What experience could be worth it?? What is the point of this story then?? It's not to save the world, it's not to save her family, it's not to "undo" a wrong...without any training in rescuing victims, in investigation or detective work, law-enforcement, etc. why does the author change the point of the story so much??
So, the story has no real main theme, except that the main character Gwen is "training" all the time but it is unclear for what purpose??? Then about the magic powers that she supposedly has, an incredible "thunder" affinity and then dark/"void" affinity as well that don't really mix well, but again, in her first life, she became a successful business woman without magic, and in this "redo/reset/do-over" everything that was positive of her "first life" is being undone so that she can train to become a mage??? A mage for what?? Mages are the most powerful beings of this other world, but the author really doesn't sell the "need to change the main character's life, the second time around"???
Book one has no maps, no inside illustrations, no character summaries, no real world building. with geopolitical, economic, social, religious systems described and explained in this other world. Gwen's family is terrible, the Grandfather seems to be someone good, then her little brother Percy, is not really in the story that much...
So, why all the "fighting organized crime" job experience?? as an underage and underdeveloped mage? in a second try at life?? when in her first life she did not pursue magic, and was a successful business woman?? There are more questions than answers in this first book. But Gwen overall, seems "mature" when casting magic and surviving with magic skills she has never ever used before, and then completely naïve and immature when handling life-issues and controversies related to human-trafficking, drug-addiction, organized crime, etc. etc. which is contradictory, illogical and nonsensical.
Okay, Gwen, main character is still in High-School, training her "super-powers" and getting special training and arduous training schedule by her teachers from the tower. But what is the point of working for the "Black Cats"?? Rescuing an abducted girl that the organized crime from this world has already made addicted to drugs and is endangering Gwen's life?? What experience could be worth it?? What is the point of this story then?? It's not to save the world, it's not to save her family, it's not to "undo" a wrong...without any training in rescuing victims, in investigation or detective work, law-enforcement, etc. why does the author change the point of the story so much??
So, the story has no real main theme, except that the main character Gwen is "training" all the time but it is unclear for what purpose??? Then about the magic powers that she supposedly has, an incredible "thunder" affinity and then dark/"void" affinity as well that don't really mix well, but again, in her first life, she became a successful business woman without magic, and in this "redo/reset/do-over" everything that was positive of her "first life" is being undone so that she can train to become a mage??? A mage for what?? Mages are the most powerful beings of this other world, but the author really doesn't sell the "need to change the main character's life, the second time around"???
Book one has no maps, no inside illustrations, no character summaries, no real world building. with geopolitical, economic, social, religious systems described and explained in this other world. Gwen's family is terrible, the Grandfather seems to be someone good, then her little brother Percy, is not really in the story that much...
So, why all the "fighting organized crime" job experience?? as an underage and underdeveloped mage? in a second try at life?? when in her first life she did not pursue magic, and was a successful business woman?? There are more questions than answers in this first book. But Gwen overall, seems "mature" when casting magic and surviving with magic skills she has never ever used before, and then completely naïve and immature when handling life-issues and controversies related to human-trafficking, drug-addiction, organized crime, etc. etc. which is contradictory, illogical and nonsensical.
May 15, 2019
OUTSTANDING
I loved this book. Deep world building, interesting characters, lots of action and adventure, with a bit feel good. It has it all, and I can't wait to read the next book.
I loved this book. Deep world building, interesting characters, lots of action and adventure, with a bit feel good. It has it all, and I can't wait to read the next book.
February 29, 2024
The book is pretty bad. I understand it’s probably just not my cup of tea but the constant disrespect towards women in this book is unbearable. I am definitely not the target demographic.
The amount of scenes there are with sexual harassment towards minors is insane. She is a 30 year old in a 15 year old body, yet she gets sexually assaulted and harassed by men of all ages, multiple times, in almost every other chapter. I understand if those themes are there to illustrate the poor state of the world but it gets old after the first time. You can tell a man wrote this and it shows, in the worst ways possible.
The only reason I’m giving it two stars instead of one was because of a kick ass action scene halfway through the book. I liked that part, but it was short lived. I also liked the magical creatures and familiar creatures. Those two things that make up 1/3 of the book didn’t start happening until half way through.
I highly recommend finding something else to read if you were considering reading this book.
The amount of scenes there are with sexual harassment towards minors is insane. She is a 30 year old in a 15 year old body, yet she gets sexually assaulted and harassed by men of all ages, multiple times, in almost every other chapter. I understand if those themes are there to illustrate the poor state of the world but it gets old after the first time. You can tell a man wrote this and it shows, in the worst ways possible.
The only reason I’m giving it two stars instead of one was because of a kick ass action scene halfway through the book. I liked that part, but it was short lived. I also liked the magical creatures and familiar creatures. Those two things that make up 1/3 of the book didn’t start happening until half way through.
I highly recommend finding something else to read if you were considering reading this book.
July 29, 2023
Poor Gwen Song.
Following a night of drinking, the thirty-year-old business consultant anticipated awakening to the sound of a familiar musical alarm.
However she was surprised to discover that the customary song was actually blasting from a device she had never before encountered.
Furthermore, she finds herself situated in her uncomfortable teenage bedroom, rather than the well-appointed one in which she had fallen asleep.
To make matters worse, there seems to have been a fusion of her older soul with that of younger self, resulting in conflicting memories and a fifteen-year-old body.
Over time, Gwen discovers she has entered a parallel reality, where the players in this new life might be the same, but the environment was most definitely not.
In her former world, monstrous entities were her fellow human beings.
However, she now finds herself traversing a realm filled with Magical Beasts, Demi-humans, and otherwordly creatures, where one's standing in society is determined by their own magical aptitude.
Though marked for greatness, Gwen has to learn to balance her combined sensibilities to survive in this new world.
Facing trials, power plays and shadow games of the magical elite, she must also grapple with her own dysfunctional family who had subjected her to a terrible childhood in her previous existence and continue to do so in this life.
Welding rare magic, Gwen Song is about to experience a wild ride in this new world, a place where failure could mean death.
While on another of my unending quests for binge-worthy reads, I stumbled across this gem of a series.
This was definitely a lucky find for me, and, to my delight, I discovered after completing the book, the original story had been a web novel on the epic website, Royal Road.
Imagine my happiness to learn that, while I never miss an opportunity to purchase a new release of Metaworld Chronicles, I can also continue to follow Gwen's story to this day.
As a sidenote, those who have been watching my channel know I am a real fan of Royal Road.
If you'd like to learn more about this vast repository of amazing stories, I'll add the link to this site below.
I will admit I am a bit of an addict when it comes to a well-written book and this fascinating world, filled with mythologies and genres interwoven with complex and coherent historical, political and socioeconomic principles, had me hooked from the beginning.
From the moment I began reading this non-typical Isekai-style fantasy, I was drawn into the elevated nature of the writing.
While this required a bit more cognitive processing to fully comprehend the depth of the story, I could see from the beginning this was a fully fleshed out world with a great magic system and amazing character development.
I was thrilled to find the protagonist was not your typical heroine, driven only by altruistic motives and struggling valiantly for the greater good.
Yet, neither is she an anti-hero, focused solely upon herself. Rather, she is a woman who has fought her way to achieve her desired position in life, only to be unexpectedly thrust back into her fifteen-year old self.
Now facing a world beyond her wildest imagination, the fantastical circumstances will irrevocably alter her perception of reality as she tries to adapt to a new world of magic and science.
There is no doubt it's extremely difficult for authors to create a story which is both fresh and innovative within any genre, but Mr. Wujo manages to do just that.
While certain elements of the Metaworld Chronicles may seem to follow conventional tropes, such as time loops, magic, and monsters, he imbues these concepts with a wholly unique quality, and then he pushes those boundaries even further.
The result can be likened to a tangled brier winding itself into a beautiful cohesion of intricate facts and knowledge of this alternate world, and capitvating the reader as we experience Gwen's journey.
From the first page to the conclusion of the very series itself, it's clear each scene was meticulously designed and implemented which is a phenomenal achievement in my opinion.
The characters portrayed in the story were remarkable and complex showing a depth in both virtues and flaws.
In particular, I enjoyed the way Gwen demonstrated incredible progress throughout the story.
As someone who values a powerful female protagonist, I found her struggles and eventual triumph over her enemies to be inspiring, and, despite her imperfections, she was able to achieve her goals.
Further, I found the side characters to be filled with personality, each with individual and distinctive dialog and places within the story.
The author also crafted a vast and interesting background, complete with intricate historical, political and cultural nuances which I have rarely encountered in novels, online or in print.
This is undoubtedly one of the most gripping aspects of this book, apart from the narrative itself.
The world itself is meticulously conceived, with logical dynamics that are rational within an irrational realm.
It was as though I was actually transported to that parallel place.
I empathized with the struggles of the NMO's, or Non-Magical Human Beings and contemplated ways to acquire LDMs or HDMs, which is the currency of this world while becoming overly apprehensive about the Tower's internal politics with its potential to destablize the entire city.
What a wild ride.
For me, this is an exemplary work of literature.
While a few other reviewers might disagree, I found the author's rich command of language evident throughout.
This made the experience a rare and delightful treat.
Moreover, the concept of the story is brilliant, as it takes the reader on an unimaginable journey with a flawed, yet brilliant, woman-turned-girl who is a genius in many respects.
Overall, the experience of reading this story is nothing short of fantastic.
As I previously pointed out, the elevated level of writing in comparison to other novels may not be deemed favorable by some readers.
For example, if you are seeking a quick and lighthearted read before bed which can be completed within a few hours, then you can be sure this is not that book.
Let me tell you, I had many nights of little sleep as I journeyed with Gwen through her new life.
The language is intricate and elaborate and I would recommend it rather for someone wanting to take on an intense and immersive reading experience.
An additional aspect that might not be to everyone's liking is the way in which the author provides detailed descriptions of the technical aspects and intricacies of this universe, which, while bearing a striking resemblance of our own, is wholly unique.
December 5, 2024
So this book is not a book. Its a published web serial. As a result, the first "book" is not really a whole story in and of itself, which many other people are pointing out. Gwen won't make any use of her business degree in this story because she's BUSY LEARNING MAGIC. It's kindof important to her future and shes 16 years behind where she should be. What's more, she's not just 'learning magic' she's essentially being groomed to be a future head of state, by virtue of being a powerhouse. What's more than that, the author chose to start Gwen off as a 'barely above a squib,' which means the lag time between the start of the book and the beginning of the first "real" steps on her destined path are a long time coming. Perhaps too long.
That being said, it's hard for me to hold things like that against the author because others are sooooo much worse. Gwen's arc through awakening, through highschool, through the field trip, through **the climax** is as much of a complete character arc as you're going to find in the genre of former web serials turned book. Sad, but true.
Having read ahead, I can tell you that Gwen's buisness degree is implausibly important to the future of the story, to the point where one might even argue that a funcional knowledge of economics is her REAL OP MC superpower and her magic is just a convenient macguffin. So don't fret, those of you in the comments section who feel the author is wasting your time with the reincarnation malarkey, or who don't understand why you might train a 16 year old girl to be a spy/ law enforcement/ diplomat/ single point of failure for an entire city's defense unnecessarilly, he has a plan. The story is far, far, far from over.
*Note: 4 stars is the rating for book 1 alone. As I said, there's a full book here, it's well written, though it could have been edited down, I think. It has everything you want in a story, character/world building, a clear beginning, middle and end, a conflict that needs resolution and is ultimately resolved, and that's just half the book. This is why it's a 4 star novel. I will agree that the writing is on the juvenile side of things. The MC is very... Emotional for 35 year old. It would be better if the author had edited down some of the web serial fluff. Nobody wants to listen to an audiobook that's twice as long as it needs to be.
______________
Now then. The complaints.
- This book/series is hyper-feminist, anti-male. The men in this book/series are cardboard. There is an uncomfortable amount of homoerotic behaviour on behalf of the MC, though it is unclear if that's just a persoality quirk, or whether it's legitimate interest on the behalf of the MC. The MC has a habit of cribbing her rants and diatribes from history, and thus being presented as a 'genius' whether her opinions make sense or not. This 14+ book series (counting RR) does not pass the (reverse) bechdell test.
That being said, it's hard for me to hold things like that against the author because others are sooooo much worse. Gwen's arc through awakening, through highschool, through the field trip, through **the climax** is as much of a complete character arc as you're going to find in the genre of former web serials turned book. Sad, but true.
Having read ahead, I can tell you that Gwen's buisness degree is implausibly important to the future of the story, to the point where one might even argue that a funcional knowledge of economics is her REAL OP MC superpower and her magic is just a convenient macguffin. So don't fret, those of you in the comments section who feel the author is wasting your time with the reincarnation malarkey, or who don't understand why you might train a 16 year old girl to be a spy/ law enforcement/ diplomat/ single point of failure for an entire city's defense unnecessarilly, he has a plan. The story is far, far, far from over.
*Note: 4 stars is the rating for book 1 alone. As I said, there's a full book here, it's well written, though it could have been edited down, I think. It has everything you want in a story, character/world building, a clear beginning, middle and end, a conflict that needs resolution and is ultimately resolved, and that's just half the book. This is why it's a 4 star novel. I will agree that the writing is on the juvenile side of things. The MC is very... Emotional for 35 year old. It would be better if the author had edited down some of the web serial fluff. Nobody wants to listen to an audiobook that's twice as long as it needs to be.
______________
Now then. The complaints.
- This book/series is hyper-feminist, anti-male. The men in this book/series are cardboard. There is an uncomfortable amount of homoerotic behaviour on behalf of the MC, though it is unclear if that's just a persoality quirk, or whether it's legitimate interest on the behalf of the MC. The MC has a habit of cribbing her rants and diatribes from history, and thus being presented as a 'genius' whether her opinions make sense or not. This 14+ book series (counting RR) does not pass the (reverse) bechdell test.
February 21, 2024
I really like several aspects of this series: an Eurasian mixed race female main character, not a romance, fantasy (magic and dragons, dungeons) but darker, with humanity on the edge of extinction. It begins when an adult wakes up as her fifteen-year-old teenage self, but the world/reality isn't what she remembers. It's progression fantasy/isekai/wuxia/cultivation, so it has the positives and negatives of those genres. Mainly, that is the whole power leveling, OP MC. But this is a feature of the genre, not a bug, I guess.
This novel starts with Gwen's awakening into an alternate earth circa 2003 with magic playing the role of science, and with history changed greatly from what Gwen remembers. Thirty-year-old Gwen merges with her younger self, so there's some internal conflict and she's not her adult CEO self pretending to be a teen. Basically, her financial savvy is the main way her actual experience shows. Past Gwen had a lesbian relationship, but overall her emotional history is messed up.
Good world building with a complete and well-drawn magical system based on D&D make this more compelling than the typical online isekai light novel. This series is massive with millions of words, so there is a lot of detail given that some readers will find too detailed. Like, there is so muchon fashion. This long-winded description is typical of the genre, though.
I read this fantasy originally on Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141...
There are five published novels on Amazon (audiobook format also available). Book 1 is about Gwen Song adapting to her situation as a high schooler in Australia, learning magic, and building relationships with family, friends, and allies. She has a ton of familial drama to deal with, a sort of maternal relationship to her younger brother, and an abusive mother and distant, indifferent father.
This novel starts with Gwen's awakening into an alternate earth circa 2003 with magic playing the role of science, and with history changed greatly from what Gwen remembers. Thirty-year-old Gwen merges with her younger self, so there's some internal conflict and she's not her adult CEO self pretending to be a teen. Basically, her financial savvy is the main way her actual experience shows. Past Gwen had a lesbian relationship, but overall her emotional history is messed up.
Good world building with a complete and well-drawn magical system based on D&D make this more compelling than the typical online isekai light novel. This series is massive with millions of words, so there is a lot of detail given that some readers will find too detailed. Like, there is so muchon fashion. This long-winded description is typical of the genre, though.
I read this fantasy originally on Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141...
There are five published novels on Amazon (audiobook format also available). Book 1 is about Gwen Song adapting to her situation as a high schooler in Australia, learning magic, and building relationships with family, friends, and allies. She has a ton of familial drama to deal with, a sort of maternal relationship to her younger brother, and an abusive mother and distant, indifferent father.
June 18, 2019
Please get an editor!
At the very least, this book was in dire need of a proofreader. I have a habit of making notes in Kindle ebooks whenever I find a spelling error or weird grammer or I just don't understand. I lost count of how many notes I was making in this one and eventually stopped trying to catch them all. This was made worse for me because the author frequently used British spelling of words so I wasn't always certain it was incorrect. Every time I saw "sceptical," my brain went to sewage systems and infected wounds. But I googled it and sure enough, that is the British spelling of skeptical.
All of that being said, I enjoyed the story and the detail that went into the world and magic system. I'd have given it 4 stars if not for all the frustrating errors.
At the very least, this book was in dire need of a proofreader. I have a habit of making notes in Kindle ebooks whenever I find a spelling error or weird grammer or I just don't understand. I lost count of how many notes I was making in this one and eventually stopped trying to catch them all. This was made worse for me because the author frequently used British spelling of words so I wasn't always certain it was incorrect. Every time I saw "sceptical," my brain went to sewage systems and infected wounds. But I googled it and sure enough, that is the British spelling of skeptical.
All of that being said, I enjoyed the story and the detail that went into the world and magic system. I'd have given it 4 stars if not for all the frustrating errors.
May 5, 2021
Not bad but slow
Good books but a bit slow for me. I like the character and her evolution for the most part but the story unfolds slowly. That wouldn't be so bad but there is little action and battle.during her progression. There is a intricate story being told and the MC becomes more complexes the story progresses. We readers are witnessing something new in this world and we follow Gwen as she learns her powers and abilities. If I were to complain about the world it world be the magic and powers are a bit nebulous and vague. The abilities are not well described over all and not much goes into that part of the telling. Over all a decent read and I will read the next book.
Good books but a bit slow for me. I like the character and her evolution for the most part but the story unfolds slowly. That wouldn't be so bad but there is little action and battle.during her progression. There is a intricate story being told and the MC becomes more complexes the story progresses. We readers are witnessing something new in this world and we follow Gwen as she learns her powers and abilities. If I were to complain about the world it world be the magic and powers are a bit nebulous and vague. The abilities are not well described over all and not much goes into that part of the telling. Over all a decent read and I will read the next book.
September 8, 2019
Fantastic start of a new series!
If this was a game, I'd be going around learning as much of the lore of the land, fauna and flora as possible. Especially on the technical aspects of Magic.
Gwen is well written, brought into the strange world and giving us a view of how such a world would appear to us. Schooling environment help explains why things work as they do. Beats the tried and trusted method of traditional rpg games - kill stuff for experience to improve stats, gain skills and learn lore...who'd have thunk it?? Can't wait for the 2nd book!!
If this was a game, I'd be going around learning as much of the lore of the land, fauna and flora as possible. Especially on the technical aspects of Magic.
Gwen is well written, brought into the strange world and giving us a view of how such a world would appear to us. Schooling environment help explains why things work as they do. Beats the tried and trusted method of traditional rpg games - kill stuff for experience to improve stats, gain skills and learn lore...who'd have thunk it?? Can't wait for the 2nd book!!
May 10, 2020
Mostly good
Great premise. But Gwen, supposedly a successful and self-assured thirty year plus old adult, reborn into a younger body.... is written as the pre-teen she outwardly appears. There is no realization of that interesting idea. Plus as usual Gwen develops amazing powers beyond everyone else.... Flipped pages to see the story develop. May read second if nothing else on hand.
Great premise. But Gwen, supposedly a successful and self-assured thirty year plus old adult, reborn into a younger body.... is written as the pre-teen she outwardly appears. There is no realization of that interesting idea. Plus as usual Gwen develops amazing powers beyond everyone else.... Flipped pages to see the story develop. May read second if nothing else on hand.
Read
March 17, 2022This is some of the worst trash I've seen in some time. The reborn in a new world is always a premise I enjoy but I tried to find anything of interest in this book for 1 and half hours and there was 0. It was full of boring monologue and even more yawn worthy dialogue. It's like the author didn't know how too make anything even remotely interesting. I don't understand people that give this a 5 stars or even 3.
April 13, 2023
What a wonderful story.
The beginning is a bit rough but gets better and better. Wonderful detailed magical system and theory behind it as well as very nice characters with lots and versatile "level ups" and magical items for the MC. One of those few stories i couldn't stop reading and had a hard time to go sleeping or to work.
Also the story is not repeating itself all the time. There are always totally new things coming.
The beginning is a bit rough but gets better and better. Wonderful detailed magical system and theory behind it as well as very nice characters with lots and versatile "level ups" and magical items for the MC. One of those few stories i couldn't stop reading and had a hard time to go sleeping or to work.
Also the story is not repeating itself all the time. There are always totally new things coming.
April 3, 2020
This is a great read!
I read the series on Royal Road and felt motivated to support the author by purchasing the book. The characters are endearing and the combat is thrilling. The transposition of real world economics into the book’s setting is a bonus. I’ll be purchasing every book in this series as it comes out.
I read the series on Royal Road and felt motivated to support the author by purchasing the book. The characters are endearing and the combat is thrilling. The transposition of real world economics into the book’s setting is a bonus. I’ll be purchasing every book in this series as it comes out.
Read
September 19, 2022It just didn't grab me, sadly. I disliked how a grown woman of 30+ acts like a child from the start of the book. Confusion about the situation and trying to fit in I get, outright reverting to a teenager mentally? Not really. Wouldn't be much of a point to the whole reincarnation theme then, at least in my opinion.
October 7, 2023
Dragons rule the skyies, humans are terrified.
But every few thousand normal humans, there is a special one with magical powers.
Today, its the day of the awakening.
There are 7 types of magic. First, clairvoyance. Clairvoyace consists of... Next, energy ball, which is the ability to...
And so on.
In short, you are going to fall sleep no matter how hard you try.
But every few thousand normal humans, there is a special one with magical powers.
Today, its the day of the awakening.
There are 7 types of magic. First, clairvoyance. Clairvoyace consists of... Next, energy ball, which is the ability to...
And so on.
In short, you are going to fall sleep no matter how hard you try.
July 18, 2020
Well thought out
Worth a read. It is a thoughtful and fun story with great characters and diverse motivations.
Only minor complaint is whenever the MC is in public some kind of sexual harassment ensues.
Worth a read. It is a thoughtful and fun story with great characters and diverse motivations.
Only minor complaint is whenever the MC is in public some kind of sexual harassment ensues.
February 6, 2021
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December 17, 2021
Solid
I didn’t really like the MC until half way through the book, but I was rooting for her by the end. I wasn’t as interested in the old Mages soap opera. I’d rather she had more proper adventures and killed a few evil students.
I didn’t really like the MC until half way through the book, but I was rooting for her by the end. I wasn’t as interested in the old Mages soap opera. I’d rather she had more proper adventures and killed a few evil students.
June 1, 2019
Davids a good man with a good book?
June 1, 2019
Good book
This is a very interesting and well thought out fantasy world. I definitely recommend this book. Also has an online serial version.
This is a very interesting and well thought out fantasy world. I definitely recommend this book. Also has an online serial version.
June 13, 2019
Great book
When us volume 2 coming out? Kinda sucks almost feels like I only read half a book, need to know when is volume 2 coming out
When us volume 2 coming out? Kinda sucks almost feels like I only read half a book, need to know when is volume 2 coming out
September 4, 2019
Good book
The story can feel disjointed at times but the main story greatly compensates for it. Overall a great start and value for cost per word.
The story can feel disjointed at times but the main story greatly compensates for it. Overall a great start and value for cost per word.
August 29, 2020
It is an amazing story that draws you in deeply. It does get dark near the end though, that is why I took off one star. Overall it is a very compelling read.
March 13, 2021
Някакво YA фентъзи което като идея не е чак лошо, но се развива толкова бавно, че ... немам нерви.
August 14, 2022
It’s so long and detailed. I love it I’m currently on probably the fifth volume. I would love for it to have a audiobook however, audiobook stop at volume three, but it is a great book or books.
January 30, 2023
I only made it through the first 25% of this book. The MC vasilates between fairly competent to pathetic and I do not read fantasy for family drama ranging from stupid to bizarre.
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