I really, really liked this book. This book combines 2 web novel tropes (gaming stories and world hopping stories), and does it well. For such a long book, it surprisingly never drags or becomes repetitive the way that some of these world hopping books might.
I felt that each arc was pretty unique and had their own interesting concepts. They sometimes tackle serious concepts, like environmental degradation, the cost of war, or the addictive quality of a good dream when reality feels bleak. Overall, the book also advocates for the idea that people can determine their own destinies, despite innate (un)luckiness or what seems like a predetermined future. I also thought the idea that worlds are created after being tested as quasi-worlds, in a tessellation of 'Centers', was beautifully elegant.
Some might argue the "love" cheat or the main protagonist's "luck" made the worlds a bit too easy, but they still encountered a remarkable range of situations and twists that had to be resolved through guessing at solutions, like in a real mystery video game. The only arc that I felt was shallow was the extra. I wish the author had taken the opportunity to pair up some of the friends, or tell the story of what they went through in the repair world.
I guess the main negative for this book is that the side characters aren't super well developed. The most fleshed out one is the healer, but his story only comes in flashes.
There's a huge plot hole for N, why he started his organization, what he is striving for with the worlds he fails to create, if any of his worlds end up succeeding. I wonder if N is a version of what J would have been if he hadn't forged an unknown future for himself in hopes of meeting Xi Xie, or what J might have been like if his luck had been better day - to - day. Maybe J really did exchange all his luck for one chance at love. Some readers also hypothesize that N is Xi Xie's father, which I find a really fascinating idea. I think the author intends Xi Xie to really not have family though.
The author also hints at a backstory for the character that originally betrays Xi Xie (J Xi?), but this plot hole is even patchier than N's. We just know he had a (best?) friend who falls so in love with the world he creates that he becomes a dragon in it, but the authors kept hinting that there was more to the story. Too bad we never find out this story.