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Threads of Fate #1
Reincarnation
A cultivation world destined for destruction. A man fated to destroy it. There’s a prophecy to ignore.
Jim was thrust back in time, returned to his body at the moment he started cultivating. Anyone else might have given up, but Jim doesn’t have that option. He’s already made the mistakes that doomed him in his first life, and he knows what to do to make it right. Jim wants to right the wrongs of the past… or, future? All while a pair of angry gods torture him through lack of sleep.
He must find a way to reach the top of the cultivation world without drawing the attention of those who would take his knowledge of the future for themselves. Jim has seen how the world ended, and he is determined to fight his way through the world’s hidden foes and defeat his destiny.
Weakened to merely a shadow of his former strength, he quickly learns that fighting alone may not be his best option, even though fate seems to like it that way.
Luckily for the world, Jim thinks fate is stupid. He doesn’t care what it wants.
Jim was thrust back in time, returned to his body at the moment he started cultivating. Anyone else might have given up, but Jim doesn’t have that option. He’s already made the mistakes that doomed him in his first life, and he knows what to do to make it right. Jim wants to right the wrongs of the past… or, future? All while a pair of angry gods torture him through lack of sleep.
He must find a way to reach the top of the cultivation world without drawing the attention of those who would take his knowledge of the future for themselves. Jim has seen how the world ended, and he is determined to fight his way through the world’s hidden foes and defeat his destiny.
Weakened to merely a shadow of his former strength, he quickly learns that fighting alone may not be his best option, even though fate seems to like it that way.
Luckily for the world, Jim thinks fate is stupid. He doesn’t care what it wants.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2021
912 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Michael Head
8 books153 followersMichael Head is the author of the Threads of Fate series. He was severely injured while serving in the military, and used his time recovering to rediscover his love for books. After medically retiring, Michael went back to college to finish his degree and become a professor. When the coronavirus shut down his school, his wife encouraged him to finally take the leap and try writing his own books. He found his experience in combat allowed him to write detailed and realistic fight scenes. Those battles, combined with his attention to detail and ability to plan vast, elaborate, and comprehensive worlds, make for fast-paced and thrilling books. With, of course, the occasional touches of humor and sarcasm thrown in the mix.
He currently lives in Texas where his wife, who is still currently serving in the military, is stationed. His days are filled with hiding from their three daughters, two dogs, and three cats. He is also losing an ongoing war with the neighborhood squirrels, but he will continue to fight until the bitter end.
To connect with Michael, visit his Facebook Page at:
https://www.facebook.com/author.micha...
For more content, including advanced chapters in the next book, maps, and artwork, check out his Patreon Page at:
https://www.patreon.com/michael_head
To receive Michael’s monthly newsletter, with updates on his progress and any new releases, sign up at:
https://sendfox.com/author-michael-head
He currently lives in Texas where his wife, who is still currently serving in the military, is stationed. His days are filled with hiding from their three daughters, two dogs, and three cats. He is also losing an ongoing war with the neighborhood squirrels, but he will continue to fight until the bitter end.
To connect with Michael, visit his Facebook Page at:
https://www.facebook.com/author.micha...
For more content, including advanced chapters in the next book, maps, and artwork, check out his Patreon Page at:
https://www.patreon.com/michael_head
To receive Michael’s monthly newsletter, with updates on his progress and any new releases, sign up at:
https://sendfox.com/author-michael-head
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
April 6, 2021
Pretty standard wuxia plot.
The wuxia and litrpg genres are often used as training-wheels for new authors... Which is fine, but I hope Michael sees this as practice, and has the ambition to produce something more original and meaningful in the future.
This book is plagued by several issues common to new writers.
Shallow antagonists
Dialog and internal monologue packed with exposition
Excessive focus on the concept and plot, neglecting relationships between characters.
Excessive mechanical details e.g. descriptions of items, weapons, and armour, that have no relevance.
Clunky dialog
Tiresome tropes
A 'feel good' main character.
The wuxia and litrpg genres are often used as training-wheels for new authors... Which is fine, but I hope Michael sees this as practice, and has the ambition to produce something more original and meaningful in the future.
This book is plagued by several issues common to new writers.
Shallow antagonists
Dialog and internal monologue packed with exposition
Excessive focus on the concept and plot, neglecting relationships between characters.
Excessive mechanical details e.g. descriptions of items, weapons, and armour, that have no relevance.
Clunky dialog
Tiresome tropes
A 'feel good' main character.
March 30, 2021
We have 650 years old cultivator who reincarnates in his first cultivation days as 10 years old boy. His plan is to keep low profile and leave as soon as possible, in order to proceed with his revenge and also to save the world. But as it happens in this low level trash novels the opposite happens - His first order of business is to win a tournament(on his second day) in which he kills a girl, several times comments how the beauty of other minors, and provokes the wrath of half the clan. And we all know how it happens right ? There is a ton of elders and yang masters that go and trash talk to our profound 650 years cultivator, and he of course kills or cripples them.
Also, the dialogs between 10 years old children involve complicated math problems, words like "deductive reasoning" and so on. As we all know, how popular this words ware in small rural China villages in the middle ages.
Naturally he is not in the control of his destiny and everting is given to him on a silver plate.
One star for the book.
Zero stars for the readers.
Negative One star for the human civilization :R
Also, the dialogs between 10 years old children involve complicated math problems, words like "deductive reasoning" and so on. As we all know, how popular this words ware in small rural China villages in the middle ages.
Naturally he is not in the control of his destiny and everting is given to him on a silver plate.
One star for the book.
Zero stars for the readers.
Negative One star for the human civilization :R
March 13, 2021
Good book but the character is kind of wierd I mean he is a 600 year old cultivator that in his prime could have supposedly dune some amazing things and yet he surrounds himself with teens, and that just seems unnecessary to me plus these teens are super wired to I mean they all started cuppling up and getting engaged within hours of meeting, I guess this could be attributed to hormones and stuff but come on it's not like the author had any need to just get them engaged and end it there, he could have done the whole accasional glances and blushes thing that is already annoying enough.
and on top of being super horny these teens also are part of the same clan so there RELATED!! And sure one coul argue that there very distant family sill GROSS.
All in all not a bad book it's just that the characters and there interactions are stale and no offence kind of boring , on top of that the character seemed to get a lot handed to him like super loyal friends that just happened to be on his team for a clan tournament and also be super loyal and kind of nice but not really there just sane human beings with that are super horny and inclined towards incest, but the concept is great and some of my favourite books actually have the same reincarnated badass thing going on it's just that there wasn't as much work put into the characters and there interactions as there was in the story development
and on top of being super horny these teens also are part of the same clan so there RELATED!! And sure one coul argue that there very distant family sill GROSS.
All in all not a bad book it's just that the characters and there interactions are stale and no offence kind of boring , on top of that the character seemed to get a lot handed to him like super loyal friends that just happened to be on his team for a clan tournament and also be super loyal and kind of nice but not really there just sane human beings with that are super horny and inclined towards incest, but the concept is great and some of my favourite books actually have the same reincarnated badass thing going on it's just that there wasn't as much work put into the characters and there interactions as there was in the story development
December 21, 2021
To be clear, I couldn't finish the book and dropped it around Chapter 10. It's a standard wuxia power-fantasy story with an interesting magic system. I liked that the protagonist had a (fantasy) disability, though the story doesn't develop how this affected him in any real way, since an overpowered protagonist could steamroll any issues.
Initially, I found the protagonist to be the kind of person I could root for. As the story progressed, I found him (and the other characters) to be shallow, and he himself was particularly annoying.
It's ridiculous that the emotional consequences from (prologue spoilers) were wiped away so easily. Frankly, he's bland. Let him have a little trauma.
He was also unpleasant because, and this may be an issue with the author and not the character, referring to people as "females" and "males" constantly makes it sound like he's talking about cattle. It's especially weird because--
He, a 650 year old adult man, keeps being all "wow! what a pretty female! oh wait, damn puberty!" His body is biologically 10, he's not going through puberty. And he's mentally 650; all of those pretty teenage girls should be registering as children to him... plenty of popular YA novels and anime do similar things, but that doesn't make it any less disgusting.
Our hero is ALSO totally cool with killing kids, which-- I don't think he's supposed to be that type of hero, since he's all remorseful in the prologue. He Considering his behavior, I don't think he can be casting stones and threatening to kill teenage girls for being manipulative/snotty/etc. Hey man, you're like an adultx15. Consider leaving children out of your powertrips if you're trying to lay low.
And my most minor complaint: why is his name Jim?? I was under the impression that this is an Asian fantasy story, set in fantasy Asia, with Asian characters. And then we have our brown-haired green-eyed boy, Jim. If this was adapted into a webcomic or anime, then this wouldn't matter because your characters need to be visually distinct. Unfortunately, this is just text, so it mostly sounds like our hero is some random overpowered white guy saving fantasy Asia from a bunch of corrupt Asian people. It only seems weirder that some of the first characters established are (minor spoilers for cast):
Initially, I found the protagonist to be the kind of person I could root for. As the story progressed, I found him (and the other characters) to be shallow, and he himself was particularly annoying.
It's ridiculous that the emotional consequences from (prologue spoilers) were wiped away so easily. Frankly, he's bland. Let him have a little trauma.
He was also unpleasant because, and this may be an issue with the author and not the character, referring to people as "females" and "males" constantly makes it sound like he's talking about cattle. It's especially weird because--
He, a 650 year old adult man, keeps being all "wow! what a pretty female! oh wait, damn puberty!" His body is biologically 10, he's not going through puberty. And he's mentally 650; all of those pretty teenage girls should be registering as children to him... plenty of popular YA novels and anime do similar things, but that doesn't make it any less disgusting.
Our hero is ALSO totally cool with killing kids, which-- I don't think he's supposed to be that type of hero, since he's all remorseful in the prologue. He Considering his behavior, I don't think he can be casting stones and threatening to kill teenage girls for being manipulative/snotty/etc. Hey man, you're like an adultx15. Consider leaving children out of your powertrips if you're trying to lay low.
And my most minor complaint: why is his name Jim?? I was under the impression that this is an Asian fantasy story, set in fantasy Asia, with Asian characters. And then we have our brown-haired green-eyed boy, Jim. If this was adapted into a webcomic or anime, then this wouldn't matter because your characters need to be visually distinct. Unfortunately, this is just text, so it mostly sounds like our hero is some random overpowered white guy saving fantasy Asia from a bunch of corrupt Asian people. It only seems weirder that some of the first characters established are (minor spoilers for cast):
March 1, 2022
Notes:
Good intro, writing is a bit rough and the plot flow is lumpy for being in first person.
Does anyone else think it's weird that the MC is named Jim? hahah
It seems to stand out like an inside joke for this story.
Character voice has little change from when he's 600+ years old cultivator and 9 year old with a 600 year old's memories.
Good intro, writing is a bit rough and the plot flow is lumpy for being in first person.
Does anyone else think it's weird that the MC is named Jim? hahah
It seems to stand out like an inside joke for this story.
Character voice has little change from when he's 600+ years old cultivator and 9 year old with a 600 year old's memories.
September 19, 2022
Woah... this was brutal AF!
It's hard to believe that this powerful bloke was reincarnated into his 10 year old self, has all the knowledge from his past life and somehow is able to do everything in his 10 year old body. It's crazy!
It's hard to believe that this powerful bloke was reincarnated into his 10 year old self, has all the knowledge from his past life and somehow is able to do everything in his 10 year old body. It's crazy!
February 23, 2021
This is a fun book. The story hops right into the action. Unlike many cultivation novels, this one skips the slow warm-up and basic, step-by-step discovery process of how the cultivation system works. However, skipping those elements does not detract from the book, instead, it allows the reader to get right into the character. This is made possible because a)the author slips the details of the cultivation system into the actual narrative throughout the whole book, giving the reader what they need as they need it (and avoiding info-dumps) and b) the very story is orchestrated in a way that the main character has some big-time advantages (any further explanation would be a spoiler).
I really enjoyed the story and the awkward situations that the main character has to go through due to his unique predicament. The writing is good and that always makes reading the book and staying in the story so much more enjoyable and easier.
I really enjoyed the story and the awkward situations that the main character has to go through due to his unique predicament. The writing is good and that always makes reading the book and staying in the story so much more enjoyable and easier.
March 13, 2021
Wow
What an awesome read. Was one of those books that I just wanted to get back to and finish, whenever I got pulled somewhere else.
I've been digging these return in time stories lately and this was really well done.
What an awesome read. Was one of those books that I just wanted to get back to and finish, whenever I got pulled somewhere else.
I've been digging these return in time stories lately and this was really well done.
November 4, 2022
Super enjoyable cultivator fantasy with a reincarnation twist. Won’t reinvent the wheel but certainly entertains!
March 11, 2021
A well executed novel
While the use of first-person POV felt a bit out of place in a xianxia, it didn’t really detracted from how the story unfolded.
The narrative felt more like a Japanese light novel with overpowered main character, and there has been little in what made xianxia genres worth reading: an endless struggle against people stronger than you, people who looked down on you, and that sweet feeling of getting the better out of bullies.
Probably because the MC was too overpowering for everyone who crossed his way. However, if people who wrote xianxia and wuxia novel translations would write them the way this writer did, pretty sure their novels would reach a higher readership.
It’s been a great start for a new story, with a lot of room for improvement and development, so we’ll see how the author continued his adventures on the next books
While the use of first-person POV felt a bit out of place in a xianxia, it didn’t really detracted from how the story unfolded.
The narrative felt more like a Japanese light novel with overpowered main character, and there has been little in what made xianxia genres worth reading: an endless struggle against people stronger than you, people who looked down on you, and that sweet feeling of getting the better out of bullies.
Probably because the MC was too overpowering for everyone who crossed his way. However, if people who wrote xianxia and wuxia novel translations would write them the way this writer did, pretty sure their novels would reach a higher readership.
It’s been a great start for a new story, with a lot of room for improvement and development, so we’ll see how the author continued his adventures on the next books
February 23, 2021
Man it’s so good!
Yeah if your into progressive fantasy and cultivation stories then pick this book up. It’s very well written, not full of terrible story decisions and the pacing is perfect.
Yeah if your into progressive fantasy and cultivation stories then pick this book up. It’s very well written, not full of terrible story decisions and the pacing is perfect.
March 26, 2021
My first book by Michael Head. Plot was really really good, I was drawn in right away and there were thankfully no weird convoluted side plots going on to muddy the story. Cultivating stories often can involve a lot of info-dumping to explain the cultivation mechanics of the "world", however this book wasn't like that! The book cleverly wove explanations in with plot so you understood what and how things were being done the entire time. Excited to read the 2nd book in the series
February 22, 2021
Wow excellent. Great story and characters. Very enjoyable. Not the most sophisticated writing but it's not needed with a good story and mc. I look forward to the next in the series and hope there are many books to come.
February 23, 2021
Excellent cultivation story
I throughly enjoyed this story. The story is well written and the main character is, thankfully, not an idiot. Highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more of the series.
I throughly enjoyed this story. The story is well written and the main character is, thankfully, not an idiot. Highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more of the series.
February 24, 2021
I'm partial to reincarnation stories and this is one of the better ones. I like how the protagonist is working with others a lot of the time, rather than lone-wolfing it.
August 12, 2021
Very cool book, great writing and a fun premise.
Similar in a lot of ways to books from this genre but has a nice twist to keep it interesting.
Very well developed use of abilities, it was a joy to read things that took some thought to design instead of the usual brute force approach. I am eager to read the rest of the series!
Similar in a lot of ways to books from this genre but has a nice twist to keep it interesting.
Very well developed use of abilities, it was a joy to read things that took some thought to design instead of the usual brute force approach. I am eager to read the rest of the series!
February 25, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: I didn't find anything wrong with this book.
Plot: This is by far the best cultivation book I've read. A man responsible for the destruction of his planet is given a chance to change his fate and the fate of the world......from inside his own ten year old body. However he was allowed to keep all his knowledge from his past six hundred and fifty year life.
Characters: Jim is a spectacularly well written character and I can't wait for book two on March 17th 2021
10/10
Mistakes: I didn't find anything wrong with this book.
Plot: This is by far the best cultivation book I've read. A man responsible for the destruction of his planet is given a chance to change his fate and the fate of the world......from inside his own ten year old body. However he was allowed to keep all his knowledge from his past six hundred and fifty year life.
Characters: Jim is a spectacularly well written character and I can't wait for book two on March 17th 2021
10/10
March 11, 2021
Great start
Jim is an awesome character and does what needs to be done......even at the age of 10 lol. Martial arts, powers and gear all rolled up Into a compelling story, and that's enough to tune me in for part 2
Jim is an awesome character and does what needs to be done......even at the age of 10 lol. Martial arts, powers and gear all rolled up Into a compelling story, and that's enough to tune me in for part 2
February 23, 2021
This review is for the audiobook version. I’d give it a 3.5. Travis Baldree is one of my favourite narrators and he brought the story to life with his unique voice and humour. This particular story wasn’t anything new per say; and there wasn’t any real struggle to obtain important and powerful items. Nevertheless, there was decent world building and the traditional overly prideful elders. I enjoyed it and would definitely read the next instalment.
May 27, 2021
Reincarnated with a gods given mission, centuries of knowledge in a child’s body
That is one way to live a second lifetime, but a suicide mission would not be my first choice. Then again when have gods cared for mortals wants?
A very interesting fate awaits our hero, but is he really a hero or one unlucky soul who somehow crossed the gods and sent reality in a tailspin towards destruction unless he agrees and succeeds in his quest to destroy the nox. Dark mana creatures that only want to corrupt our world.
Over 600 years of life, knowledge and pain that he will have to relive all over again while hiding from his previous friends and colleagues. He has 400 years to succeed or the gods will destroy the planet to prevent the nox from escaping it.
Can he kill them all, prepare the world to fight them and survive the endless trials his advanced knowledge and power will bring to his young child’s body?
If not, this will be a short tale!
That is one way to live a second lifetime, but a suicide mission would not be my first choice. Then again when have gods cared for mortals wants?
A very interesting fate awaits our hero, but is he really a hero or one unlucky soul who somehow crossed the gods and sent reality in a tailspin towards destruction unless he agrees and succeeds in his quest to destroy the nox. Dark mana creatures that only want to corrupt our world.
Over 600 years of life, knowledge and pain that he will have to relive all over again while hiding from his previous friends and colleagues. He has 400 years to succeed or the gods will destroy the planet to prevent the nox from escaping it.
Can he kill them all, prepare the world to fight them and survive the endless trials his advanced knowledge and power will bring to his young child’s body?
If not, this will be a short tale!
May 29, 2021
I really like the reincarnation gimmick. Not sure I am smart enough to write one, but the authors who do, seem to do an amazing job. Michael Head's effort here is no exception.
Great writing, engaging characters, and an engrossing story, I can't wait to read the next couple and hopefully it will be a long series that I can enjoy years into the future.
Great writing, engaging characters, and an engrossing story, I can't wait to read the next couple and hopefully it will be a long series that I can enjoy years into the future.
February 24, 2021
Really enjoyed this book.
So I read a lot and enjoy many types of fantasy. I have to say this has been one of my favorites. The detail and fun way the author put things together made me smile and laugh and get mad. I love that roller Coster . Thanks and can’t wait till the next one.
So I read a lot and enjoy many types of fantasy. I have to say this has been one of my favorites. The detail and fun way the author put things together made me smile and laugh and get mad. I love that roller Coster . Thanks and can’t wait till the next one.
February 28, 2021
Well written cultivation story
I very much enjoyed this story. The writing was smoothly done with very few noticeable issues. While the MC is overpowered, the author does a good job of weaving that power into the story without distracting from the story . Looking forward to the next installment in the series!
I very much enjoyed this story. The writing was smoothly done with very few noticeable issues. While the MC is overpowered, the author does a good job of weaving that power into the story without distracting from the story . Looking forward to the next installment in the series!
October 10, 2022
This was SUCH an awesome read. I devoured it in one sitting and am looking forward to a re-read already.
The world the author has created lures you in and the MC keeps you hooked. I can't wait to see what he gets up to next.
A definite recommended read for any fantasy and litrpg fans!
The world the author has created lures you in and the MC keeps you hooked. I can't wait to see what he gets up to next.
A definite recommended read for any fantasy and litrpg fans!
March 23, 2021
I was a total stranger to the genre of cultivation stories when I picked up this novel. While the magic system and setting were completely alien to me, Head's pacing and mastery of action scenes in his writing quickly hooked me and sucked me into the story. Jim's story was appealing to me because it's a fantasy I feel that many of us have at different points in life- what could I do if I went back in time knowing what I do now? How much of an advantage would that be? While the context of Jim's time travel is less than an ideal situation, he demonstrates how ridiculous of an advantage a lifetime of experience can be even with the limitations he faces as a (for the second time) ten year old boy.
The limitations and challenges Jim faces in his journey are believable and well executed, with the struggles he faces increasing in frequency and intensity all throughout the novel. Every single action scene is a challenge for Jim, and I found the conflict of trying not to tip his hand quite compelling. The only drawback I found in the book was that some of the supporting cast, primarily the characters similar to Jim's age, seemed a little two dimensional. While their action scenes and teamwork are all expertly done, I would have enjoyed just a little bit more development of the comradery and fellowship of the group. All in all, this was a wonderful read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The ending felt like a well earned payoff, and I very much look forward to the rest of Jim's adventures with his budding fellowship of friends!
The limitations and challenges Jim faces in his journey are believable and well executed, with the struggles he faces increasing in frequency and intensity all throughout the novel. Every single action scene is a challenge for Jim, and I found the conflict of trying not to tip his hand quite compelling. The only drawback I found in the book was that some of the supporting cast, primarily the characters similar to Jim's age, seemed a little two dimensional. While their action scenes and teamwork are all expertly done, I would have enjoyed just a little bit more development of the comradery and fellowship of the group. All in all, this was a wonderful read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The ending felt like a well earned payoff, and I very much look forward to the rest of Jim's adventures with his budding fellowship of friends!
February 23, 2022
It's a LitRPG book, so I'm judging it by my enjoyment and not the quality of the book (in which case it would be 3 stars tops).
I've been reading some reeaally badly written LirRPG lately so Reincarnation was a breath of fresh air. It's well-written enough not to cause me to cringe, and it has a lot of really cool ideas as well as fun magic mechanics.
Reincarnation tells a story of a ridiculously powerful 600-year old cultivator (you could say mage, but in these stories it involves using magic to fortify every aspect of being) who gets rewound to when he was 10 years old and just at the start of his power journey. He does retain all his memories, so we get a story of a truly terrifying 10-year old with 600 years of life experience and tons of murder-capable techniques. It's a pleasurable read with an almost godlike main character.
The initial good impression fades a bit over time, because the story focuses mainly on power and seems to ignore the 600 years worth of knowledge such a character would possess. It also has quite a few scenes of self-indulgent power-fantasizing, such as getting revenge on bullies and disrespectful adults. These make for some eye-rolling moments, but the book is overall good fun within the LitRPG genre and better written than some.
If you're into these types of books, then you should know the book was published by Mountaindale Press owned by Dakota Krout, the creator of the Divine Dungeon series. Reincarnation shares some basic ideas for magic systems and themes and has a similar first-person narration style.
The audiobook is performed by Travis Baldree, who reads tons of LitRPG books and is generally very good at his job.
I've been reading some reeaally badly written LirRPG lately so Reincarnation was a breath of fresh air. It's well-written enough not to cause me to cringe, and it has a lot of really cool ideas as well as fun magic mechanics.
Reincarnation tells a story of a ridiculously powerful 600-year old cultivator (you could say mage, but in these stories it involves using magic to fortify every aspect of being) who gets rewound to when he was 10 years old and just at the start of his power journey. He does retain all his memories, so we get a story of a truly terrifying 10-year old with 600 years of life experience and tons of murder-capable techniques. It's a pleasurable read with an almost godlike main character.
The initial good impression fades a bit over time, because the story focuses mainly on power and seems to ignore the 600 years worth of knowledge such a character would possess. It also has quite a few scenes of self-indulgent power-fantasizing, such as getting revenge on bullies and disrespectful adults. These make for some eye-rolling moments, but the book is overall good fun within the LitRPG genre and better written than some.
If you're into these types of books, then you should know the book was published by Mountaindale Press owned by Dakota Krout, the creator of the Divine Dungeon series. Reincarnation shares some basic ideas for magic systems and themes and has a similar first-person narration style.
The audiobook is performed by Travis Baldree, who reads tons of LitRPG books and is generally very good at his job.
April 3, 2021
It is refreshing to find a cultivation story that I actually enjoyed and I look forward to the next installment. While being a fan of Litrpg and progression fantasy in general, most cultivation books end up falling short for me. The two biggest exceptions would be Dakota Krout's Divine Dungeon series and L.M. Kerr's Reborn: Apocalypse.
The crucial difference seems to be the writing style. Most cultivation stories I've read had clunky and redundant prose with flat characters and constant info-dumps about meridians.
This book started similarly with some of the cringiest dialogue (people addressing each other by name every sentence despite it being a single conversation), but when the MC reincarnated into his younger self in the third chapter, there was a noticeable shift in the writing style and I enjoyed things from there.
If you are a fan of litrpg or progressive fantasy and have struggled to find cultivation stories to enjoy on a similar level, then give Threads of Fate a try.
The crucial difference seems to be the writing style. Most cultivation stories I've read had clunky and redundant prose with flat characters and constant info-dumps about meridians.
This book started similarly with some of the cringiest dialogue (people addressing each other by name every sentence despite it being a single conversation), but when the MC reincarnated into his younger self in the third chapter, there was a noticeable shift in the writing style and I enjoyed things from there.
If you are a fan of litrpg or progressive fantasy and have struggled to find cultivation stories to enjoy on a similar level, then give Threads of Fate a try.
March 7, 2021
An amazing debut from a promising author
I've read a lot of litrpg books recently. This is by FAR the best one. All the litrpg books I've read have one thing in common. They all feel very... like they are wish fulfillment of a power fantasy.
Don't get me wrong, Jim is overpowered as heck. But he has setbacks. He isn't all powerful yet. And he isn't treating people like pawns, which is something else I see a lot.
I've pre-ordered the sequel and can't wait!
Normally I don't buy first books in a series when that's the only one published. But I would have missed out. So I'm glad I gave this a chance anyway.
I've read a lot of litrpg books recently. This is by FAR the best one. All the litrpg books I've read have one thing in common. They all feel very... like they are wish fulfillment of a power fantasy.
Don't get me wrong, Jim is overpowered as heck. But he has setbacks. He isn't all powerful yet. And he isn't treating people like pawns, which is something else I see a lot.
I've pre-ordered the sequel and can't wait!
Normally I don't buy first books in a series when that's the only one published. But I would have missed out. So I'm glad I gave this a chance anyway.
March 3, 2025
Suffers from how the plot is advanced. Heavy handed involvement of the gods around every corner hurts it. The way the main character switches from trying to conceal advanced abilities to appearing as the strongest person around without consequence is annoying. While they are constantly involved in battle there's no sense of risk which makes it feel meaningless.
The magic system is quite cool, at least how magic is used as we don't have much more information yet about advancing. The author does a great job describing the magic being used and you can really see what's happening.
The magic system is quite cool, at least how magic is used as we don't have much more information yet about advancing. The author does a great job describing the magic being used and you can really see what's happening.
February 23, 2021
A very auspicious beginning
All hail Mountaidale press another success.
I was worried about power creep for a bit in this novel but it has been lessened as the story continued. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. Still have some questions about a society of cultavators and how that really works for normal folk in this setting. However I eagerly await the next in the series. If you have read and enjoyed the journey of a thousand li xianxia tales then this is for you.
Gnomes Rule!
All hail Mountaidale press another success.
I was worried about power creep for a bit in this novel but it has been lessened as the story continued. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. Still have some questions about a society of cultavators and how that really works for normal folk in this setting. However I eagerly await the next in the series. If you have read and enjoyed the journey of a thousand li xianxia tales then this is for you.
Gnomes Rule!
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