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Rise of the Cheat Potion Maker #1
Rise of the Cheat Potion Maker #1: A Cultivation LitRPG Saga
In a blink, I found myself in an unknown land, greeted by the textbox of an unfriendly system.
It wanted me to become a great hero, save the world, win the love of the people and all that crap. But this new world already had a hero. Why should I bust my ass, deal with dragons and the unknown, for people I didn't know? Let him deal with that. It's his job! So instead of being tempted by the system's nonsense, I chose a simple class. Potion maker. I wasn't interested in cultivating mana and defying the heavens, courting death, none of that crap.
Unfortunately, the town I spawned near was suffering crippling inflation, merchants and people were leaving, and they themselves lacked high-demand businesses. The town would soon be going under.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
But will it be that easy to escape fate...?
Novel contains: Strong MC in a slice of life environment, dungeon diving, boss battles, cultivation and elements, mana/magic, mc exclusive system but it doesn't do the work for him, treasures, adventurers, slow world building, build-up, features that will not be introduced all at once (upgrades so on), actual good loot at the end of very powerful bosses, romance(no harem). As characters develop throughout the series, issues and emotions and even the mc may find himself in a corner or two. A story of an upcoming potion shopkeeper and his apprentices.
Building an S-ranked Potion Shop is easier said than done...
Edited by Adam Luopa.
It wanted me to become a great hero, save the world, win the love of the people and all that crap. But this new world already had a hero. Why should I bust my ass, deal with dragons and the unknown, for people I didn't know? Let him deal with that. It's his job! So instead of being tempted by the system's nonsense, I chose a simple class. Potion maker. I wasn't interested in cultivating mana and defying the heavens, courting death, none of that crap.
Unfortunately, the town I spawned near was suffering crippling inflation, merchants and people were leaving, and they themselves lacked high-demand businesses. The town would soon be going under.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
But will it be that easy to escape fate...?
Novel contains: Strong MC in a slice of life environment, dungeon diving, boss battles, cultivation and elements, mana/magic, mc exclusive system but it doesn't do the work for him, treasures, adventurers, slow world building, build-up, features that will not be introduced all at once (upgrades so on), actual good loot at the end of very powerful bosses, romance(no harem). As characters develop throughout the series, issues and emotions and even the mc may find himself in a corner or two. A story of an upcoming potion shopkeeper and his apprentices.
Building an S-ranked Potion Shop is easier said than done...
Edited by Adam Luopa.
Paperback
First published August 11, 2022
1183 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Alvin Atwater
55 books137 followersFirst off, thank you for reading: the books and this bio. A little about myself: I'm man of humor, fantasy, LitRPG, and a lover of characters and their dreams. Born in Florida, I did military service, and dropped out of college to foolishly pursue a writing dream.
If you're a fan and want early access to my works, consider subscribing to my Patreon at www.Patreon.com/syr456
It goes a long way in supporting the series, editing, covers, and maybe that one slice of pizza on a cheat day.
I'm humbled to have made this far thanks to your support and hope to push further beyond my current chokehold.
Questions or concerns or just need another online venue, here's the discord channel:
https://discord.gg/t2qVaAR
If you're a fan and want early access to my works, consider subscribing to my Patreon at www.Patreon.com/syr456
It goes a long way in supporting the series, editing, covers, and maybe that one slice of pizza on a cheat day.
I'm humbled to have made this far thanks to your support and hope to push further beyond my current chokehold.
Questions or concerns or just need another online venue, here's the discord channel:
https://discord.gg/t2qVaAR
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
November 15, 2022
I was in the mood for a quick junk food isekai/litrpg experience. I had an itch to scratch and I also don't have a problem with an abundance of cursing, so I naively ignored the multitude of 1-star reviews and gave this a shot. I went 43% on my Kindle (just long enough to get through the character's first dungeon experience) before finally calling it quits.
Character - 2/10, Plot - 3/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 2/10, Writing - 2/10, Enjoyment - 1/10
There was no characterization to speak of, just bland trope-shaped cardboard cutouts. The only bit of personality in the story was from the 1st person pov of the MC, but it was still pretty basic and never really brought anything to the story other than a few juvenile jokes. Yeah, a viagra weed is a rank D component. Har har.
The story began with a decent enough premise, but was just generic as hell and derivative of any number of other recent stories. The story brought nothing new, just watered-down pieces borrowed from others. There were also huge plotholes everywhere and no desire on the author's part to fill in any of the gaps.
The worldbuilding and game mechanics were nonexistent. There's honestly nothing to say here. It was a creatively bankrupt experience.
The writing is probably the worst I've seen in a long time. Most of it, like poor characterization, tension management, etc. is the author's fault. But a fair share falls on the editor as well because the grammar was horrible. There was a lot of subject-verb disagreement, misuse of words, and a weird inability to use prepositions correctly. There was some basic proofreading done to correct misspelled words, but anything beyond that was ignored.
The poor writing is honestly remarkable considering the author has written nearly 50 books. I guess props to the guy's motivation, but he's obviously not learning by doing, so it might be good to read some books on craft or take a couple of online classes. And get a real editor. Just using some basic writing software like Grammarly or ProWritingAid would improve things tenfold.
Failing to improve writing skills as a writer is a dereliction of duty and disrespectful to readers.
Character - 2/10, Plot - 3/10, Setting/Game Mechanics - 2/10, Writing - 2/10, Enjoyment - 1/10
There was no characterization to speak of, just bland trope-shaped cardboard cutouts. The only bit of personality in the story was from the 1st person pov of the MC, but it was still pretty basic and never really brought anything to the story other than a few juvenile jokes. Yeah, a viagra weed is a rank D component. Har har.
The story began with a decent enough premise, but was just generic as hell and derivative of any number of other recent stories. The story brought nothing new, just watered-down pieces borrowed from others. There were also huge plotholes everywhere and no desire on the author's part to fill in any of the gaps.
The worldbuilding and game mechanics were nonexistent. There's honestly nothing to say here. It was a creatively bankrupt experience.
The writing is probably the worst I've seen in a long time. Most of it, like poor characterization, tension management, etc. is the author's fault. But a fair share falls on the editor as well because the grammar was horrible. There was a lot of subject-verb disagreement, misuse of words, and a weird inability to use prepositions correctly. There was some basic proofreading done to correct misspelled words, but anything beyond that was ignored.
The poor writing is honestly remarkable considering the author has written nearly 50 books. I guess props to the guy's motivation, but he's obviously not learning by doing, so it might be good to read some books on craft or take a couple of online classes. And get a real editor. Just using some basic writing software like Grammarly or ProWritingAid would improve things tenfold.
Failing to improve writing skills as a writer is a dereliction of duty and disrespectful to readers.
December 20, 2022
This is an isekai, LitRPG story with some serious trope-busting as a theme. Indeed, one of my favorite parts is the hero arguing with the System and subverting its desire for a butt-kicking hero. All Nate really wants is to help people and be left alone. And he definitely doesn't want to be a murder hobo (a common description of RPG adventurers when they devolve into more killing and looting than anything story-centric).
Nate chooses Potion Maker for his class, despite the System urging him to be something more dramatic. This conflict with the System begins right from the start, making this one of those books where a sample is going to tell you all you need to know. One of his first friends is a nearby dryad who becomes a friend before becoming a love interest. From there, he accumulates a number of apprentices, some guardian animals, and a garden.
It's a little unclear where all Nate's unearned power comes from. There are hints that he had it on Earth before being dragged into this new world, it's just that Earth has no opportunities for that power to develop. But the System is suspect-enough in both motive and veracity that Nate is probably right to be skeptical with that as an answer. At any rate, I enjoy that Nate considers his enormous power-source his "cheat" and determines to only exploit it in his own way and for his own purposes.
I'm going to give this five stars but it mostly got that high by subverting the activities of the System into something with a personality infused with snark. This is my favorite kind of humor and Atwater pulls it off with a consistent subtlety that delighted me. Snark is hard. Atwater made it look easy.
A note about Chaste: Nate and Milia come together very fast, moving from friends to more with practically no setbacks. And they even begin sleeping together with her moving in with him above his store. But they are explicitly not having sex. They're planning on marrying and have chosen to abide local custom in not having sex before being married. This is a bit weird, but it's also a great tweak of the whole harem expectation that dogs anime, light novels, and isekai in general. I suspect this is a deliberate choice by Atwater and I kind of liked it. So there's some kissing, but it isn't detailed and I consider this extremely chaste.
Nate chooses Potion Maker for his class, despite the System urging him to be something more dramatic. This conflict with the System begins right from the start, making this one of those books where a sample is going to tell you all you need to know. One of his first friends is a nearby dryad who becomes a friend before becoming a love interest. From there, he accumulates a number of apprentices, some guardian animals, and a garden.
It's a little unclear where all Nate's unearned power comes from. There are hints that he had it on Earth before being dragged into this new world, it's just that Earth has no opportunities for that power to develop. But the System is suspect-enough in both motive and veracity that Nate is probably right to be skeptical with that as an answer. At any rate, I enjoy that Nate considers his enormous power-source his "cheat" and determines to only exploit it in his own way and for his own purposes.
I'm going to give this five stars but it mostly got that high by subverting the activities of the System into something with a personality infused with snark. This is my favorite kind of humor and Atwater pulls it off with a consistent subtlety that delighted me. Snark is hard. Atwater made it look easy.
A note about Chaste: Nate and Milia come together very fast, moving from friends to more with practically no setbacks. And they even begin sleeping together with her moving in with him above his store. But they are explicitly not having sex. They're planning on marrying and have chosen to abide local custom in not having sex before being married. This is a bit weird, but it's also a great tweak of the whole harem expectation that dogs anime, light novels, and isekai in general. I suspect this is a deliberate choice by Atwater and I kind of liked it. So there's some kissing, but it isn't detailed and I consider this extremely chaste.
December 7, 2022
Childish
Over 100 times the f word was used. G*dd*mn was used almost as much. Strange phrases rounded out the mess that this book contains.
It could be a decent book. I liked the premise but the execution was terrible.
It felt like this book was an early teen trying to sound cool rather than an adult telling a story.
Cursing can be useful as a tool to add a dramatic point or emphasis to dialog. In this book, cursing seems to be the only way the author can communicate anything.
If this author can grow up and mature a little, I could look forward to his books. As it stands, he is an author I would read only if nothing else is available.
Over 100 times the f word was used. G*dd*mn was used almost as much. Strange phrases rounded out the mess that this book contains.
It could be a decent book. I liked the premise but the execution was terrible.
It felt like this book was an early teen trying to sound cool rather than an adult telling a story.
Cursing can be useful as a tool to add a dramatic point or emphasis to dialog. In this book, cursing seems to be the only way the author can communicate anything.
If this author can grow up and mature a little, I could look forward to his books. As it stands, he is an author I would read only if nothing else is available.
September 20, 2022
Written With Words
I feel that the bar for LitRPG is pretty low.
This book managed to stumble into the bar, hit its head, and then collapsed.
As my title says, it was definitely written with words. They’re spelled correctly. They are put together on a page with other words. Where I feel it goes wrong is that when read in combination it’s sloppy, missing any sort of build, and it’s… gappy. There are just tons of gaps. A lack of details. Lots of tell. Not a lot of show.
I feel like this book could have promise with an editor, a series of proofreaders, and some work. I can’t recommend it though, because it’s not engaging, it’s frustrating.
I feel that the bar for LitRPG is pretty low.
This book managed to stumble into the bar, hit its head, and then collapsed.
As my title says, it was definitely written with words. They’re spelled correctly. They are put together on a page with other words. Where I feel it goes wrong is that when read in combination it’s sloppy, missing any sort of build, and it’s… gappy. There are just tons of gaps. A lack of details. Lots of tell. Not a lot of show.
I feel like this book could have promise with an editor, a series of proofreaders, and some work. I can’t recommend it though, because it’s not engaging, it’s frustrating.
November 12, 2023
Ratings:-🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
October 29, 2022
Terrible…
Could not make it more than 15%. The plot had me intrigued, but the writing is just so awful as well as cringey I just couldn’t push further. I would not recommend.
Could not make it more than 15%. The plot had me intrigued, but the writing is just so awful as well as cringey I just couldn’t push further. I would not recommend.
October 31, 2022
Nate is taken to a different world and he gets bonuses and extras due to being taken from our world. So far typical Isekai. So the best part is the main character. Nate is down to earth and loving his experience. Because he is living a second life he is taking it a lot easier and enjoying what ever comes to him.
Girlfriend and pets are great. The enemies so far are adequate and I expect it to continue being lite and fun going forward.
Girlfriend and pets are great. The enemies so far are adequate and I expect it to continue being lite and fun going forward.
September 19, 2022
terrible
Not worth reading. There’s no lower rating than 1 star, but this “book” deserves less. Those 5 star reviews are just lies, friends or paid reviews. No other way to explain how something that’s this bad has so many decent ratings.
Not worth reading. There’s no lower rating than 1 star, but this “book” deserves less. Those 5 star reviews are just lies, friends or paid reviews. No other way to explain how something that’s this bad has so many decent ratings.
October 21, 2022
The review I wrote didn’t make it to GoodReads for some reason. You can find my review on Amazon though as it did post there….I think.
October 13, 2022
A fun read.
A book that I found to be really enjoyable. The MC is more down to earth than most and more mature.
A book that I found to be really enjoyable. The MC is more down to earth than most and more mature.
October 15, 2022
He’s a terrible person, but by happenstance he’s a bit less awful than the nobility, which makes him a hero! I didn’t like it.
October 30, 2022
Boring, OP MC, no tension or plot. Very poor overall.
October 26, 2022
At my request I received a copy of this audiobook in order to give a fair and unbiased review
Genre: LitRPG with romance
Explicit/adult material: None.
Nate is suddenly transported to a foreign land with rules and creatures that reminds him of an RPG game.
He is given a set of choices of class, several of which are clearly setting him up to be the main hero of some grand arch.
Wanting to just leave in peace he chooses to become a potion maker and tries to settle in to a nearby village.
Narrator
Voice diversity: Good. So good. Every character has their own distinct voice and that voice is clearly a match for their personality and background.
Pacing and intonation: Very good.
Matt Hicks and Allie Piper are delivering the best narration I have ever heard. I will certainly seek them out when looking for future listens.
Overall: 5 / 5 stars.
Writing
The book is fun, exciting, relatable and despite the wishes of the main character and epic fantasy adventure.
I absolutely love the pets and how they are used and their role in this story.
In extremely well written. I want more.
The book’s strengths.
- Fantastic narration
- The characters are likeable and distinct.
- The setting is fun and communicated with humour.
- I love the pets.
- A main character that could have a harem, but chooses not to.
The book’s weaknesses.
- The rest of the series is not out on audible yet (as of 2022-10-26)
Overall: 5/5 stars
A strong recommendation to anyone into or wanting to try a LitRPG novel.
Genre: LitRPG with romance
Explicit/adult material: None.
Nate is suddenly transported to a foreign land with rules and creatures that reminds him of an RPG game.
He is given a set of choices of class, several of which are clearly setting him up to be the main hero of some grand arch.
Wanting to just leave in peace he chooses to become a potion maker and tries to settle in to a nearby village.
Narrator
Voice diversity: Good. So good. Every character has their own distinct voice and that voice is clearly a match for their personality and background.
Pacing and intonation: Very good.
Matt Hicks and Allie Piper are delivering the best narration I have ever heard. I will certainly seek them out when looking for future listens.
Overall: 5 / 5 stars.
Writing
The book is fun, exciting, relatable and despite the wishes of the main character and epic fantasy adventure.
I absolutely love the pets and how they are used and their role in this story.
In extremely well written. I want more.
The book’s strengths.
- Fantastic narration
- The characters are likeable and distinct.
- The setting is fun and communicated with humour.
- I love the pets.
- A main character that could have a harem, but chooses not to.
The book’s weaknesses.
- The rest of the series is not out on audible yet (as of 2022-10-26)
Overall: 5/5 stars
A strong recommendation to anyone into or wanting to try a LitRPG novel.
October 20, 2022
Very lite very OP
Definitely emphasis on lite When talking about this lite novel. The MC is extremely OP at the start and will continuously be throughout the series. I guess the major point here is that he is a reluctant hero. Does not want to do any of the hero things just wants to make potions make a little money and take it easy. Well that's not gonna happen. It seems that well he's trying to help the towns economy he Is attracting friends, enemies, apprentices like flies on s#!t. It is an enjoyable read but not terribly detailed or in depth. Powers come easy and though it has a Progression the stats are less than minimal. Still the humor is enjoyable. Very tongue and cheek and certainly modern. I wouldn't put this in my favorites but it certainly fun between other books. Nothing really wrong with it Except that it's simple. And sometimes that's good.
Definitely emphasis on lite When talking about this lite novel. The MC is extremely OP at the start and will continuously be throughout the series. I guess the major point here is that he is a reluctant hero. Does not want to do any of the hero things just wants to make potions make a little money and take it easy. Well that's not gonna happen. It seems that well he's trying to help the towns economy he Is attracting friends, enemies, apprentices like flies on s#!t. It is an enjoyable read but not terribly detailed or in depth. Powers come easy and though it has a Progression the stats are less than minimal. Still the humor is enjoyable. Very tongue and cheek and certainly modern. I wouldn't put this in my favorites but it certainly fun between other books. Nothing really wrong with it Except that it's simple. And sometimes that's good.
November 1, 2022
wowza
This was so good! Much better than I expected! One minute Nate is minding his business the next minute he’s transported to a new world. One that is determined to make him into a hero that leads armies, slays dragons, and marries the princess. Only that’s the last thing he really wants. Cue the hilarity of a man born to be a world savior fighting to be the average man
This was so good! Much better than I expected! One minute Nate is minding his business the next minute he’s transported to a new world. One that is determined to make him into a hero that leads armies, slays dragons, and marries the princess. Only that’s the last thing he really wants. Cue the hilarity of a man born to be a world savior fighting to be the average man
September 13, 2023
I'm falling for this style of story. Like some others and feels very OPM.
November 1, 2022
A very different sort of OP Isekai MC. I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. I also found it interesting in how it used tropes in a mocking way.
May 4, 2023
I enjoy the premise but there's an appalling lack of editing when it comes to the details and I think the author has beef with hyphens because he rarely uses them. The tone of it threw me off - the asides to the reader felt over-whelming. I wasn't comfortable with the instalove (marriage is brought up a month and a half after he meets Milia) because there wasn't enough substance between them at 35% through the book.
The stats were fairly crunchy and the System def wanted the main to take the Divine Hero route. I did like that the MC stuck to his principles in wanting to be a potions master, but he was extremely powerful for no reason other than bc the System wanted him to be some sort of heaven-defying hero.
It was stated the MC had an identification ability but we didn't get to examine the ingredients, rarely got to follow the steps when it came to his actual potions profession, and instead the MC was constantly pulled away from his shop for one reason or another.
3 stars bc even though this needs a lot more work editing-wise, if the tone is more your style, I'm sure your mileage will vary and you'll enjoy this story.
The stats were fairly crunchy and the System def wanted the main to take the Divine Hero route. I did like that the MC stuck to his principles in wanting to be a potions master, but he was extremely powerful for no reason other than bc the System wanted him to be some sort of heaven-defying hero.
It was stated the MC had an identification ability but we didn't get to examine the ingredients, rarely got to follow the steps when it came to his actual potions profession, and instead the MC was constantly pulled away from his shop for one reason or another.
3 stars bc even though this needs a lot more work editing-wise, if the tone is more your style, I'm sure your mileage will vary and you'll enjoy this story.
November 14, 2022
Interesting premise but needs a lot of work
I would like to start by saying that I seldom leave reviews on Amazon, but I believe the author needs to receive one. First of all, sincere congratulations on finishing and publishing a complete book, nonetheless with a sequel. I will not concentrate on the system aspect of the book, nor the items, abilities, and so on in this review.
I first found out about this work from RoyalRoad, while casually browsing and noticed the good ratings there as well as on Amazon. The anime-styled cover did put me off for a second, but I thought - what the hell, I love the premise, the power level the MC promised to display and the twist offered to the isekai genre.
The narration handled by Matt Hicks was just awesome. As a terrible listener to audiobooks, this narrator did kick it off for me with his tone of voice, ability to read various characters, and the general way how to engage an audience. Good job on choosing him - I will keep him in mind when searching for other works!
Now on to the part about why I left 2-stars instead of a higher rating. First of all, it boils down to the plot and characters. While the MC spells out his reasoning multiple times, and it is more or less clear what his aspirations are, I found them shallow. Character development is non-existent for the MC, besides gaining some new abilities and trinkets. I do not demonize the approach taken to his cultivation progress - it is fine by me, as it fits the system goals. What puts me off is that it gets repetitive after a while. There is no substance to events and how they are bound (I assume) to lead to something.
Next, supporting characters. Besides the descriptions given of them, they are just that - supporting. I found them poorly written, with little to no mind spent on developing their personalities and how they fit into the overall goal of the story. There are some facts given about them and then they (the characters) just integrate into some sort of position for the MC. That is it.
What the above two points boil down to is basically this - a chain of events described in a slice-of-life style manner, with textbook MC participating in unconnected events. Some fight scenes, with overall good descriptions fitting the genre. But that is it. For me it lacked the “cool moments” that grip your attention and make you want to read more and more, binging it.
To sum up, author-san, please continue to write and polish your craft. I see that you have some cool ideas as to how to twist a genre, and write an overpowered MC. But please study story structures and developing characters more, there are some good books for that. I believe you will be able to write a gripping work in the near future.
Good luck!
I would like to start by saying that I seldom leave reviews on Amazon, but I believe the author needs to receive one. First of all, sincere congratulations on finishing and publishing a complete book, nonetheless with a sequel. I will not concentrate on the system aspect of the book, nor the items, abilities, and so on in this review.
I first found out about this work from RoyalRoad, while casually browsing and noticed the good ratings there as well as on Amazon. The anime-styled cover did put me off for a second, but I thought - what the hell, I love the premise, the power level the MC promised to display and the twist offered to the isekai genre.
The narration handled by Matt Hicks was just awesome. As a terrible listener to audiobooks, this narrator did kick it off for me with his tone of voice, ability to read various characters, and the general way how to engage an audience. Good job on choosing him - I will keep him in mind when searching for other works!
Now on to the part about why I left 2-stars instead of a higher rating. First of all, it boils down to the plot and characters. While the MC spells out his reasoning multiple times, and it is more or less clear what his aspirations are, I found them shallow. Character development is non-existent for the MC, besides gaining some new abilities and trinkets. I do not demonize the approach taken to his cultivation progress - it is fine by me, as it fits the system goals. What puts me off is that it gets repetitive after a while. There is no substance to events and how they are bound (I assume) to lead to something.
Next, supporting characters. Besides the descriptions given of them, they are just that - supporting. I found them poorly written, with little to no mind spent on developing their personalities and how they fit into the overall goal of the story. There are some facts given about them and then they (the characters) just integrate into some sort of position for the MC. That is it.
What the above two points boil down to is basically this - a chain of events described in a slice-of-life style manner, with textbook MC participating in unconnected events. Some fight scenes, with overall good descriptions fitting the genre. But that is it. For me it lacked the “cool moments” that grip your attention and make you want to read more and more, binging it.
To sum up, author-san, please continue to write and polish your craft. I see that you have some cool ideas as to how to twist a genre, and write an overpowered MC. But please study story structures and developing characters more, there are some good books for that. I believe you will be able to write a gripping work in the near future.
Good luck!
January 27, 2024
I wanted to like this. I fought to like this book. Seeing such a high rating, I was confused when I read the first few chapters. Maybe it was just the style, I reasoned, I’ll give it a chance.
Ultimately…I didn’t like it.
This reads as fanfiction - like the author tried to translate harem anime/visual moments into written word and unfortunately didn’t hit the mark. The characters are bland and flat, entirely defined by the stereotypes that they’re supposed to represent.
Milia’s the pretty love interest
Mandi’s the spoiled noble (who is also interested in the main character)
The mayor’s daughter (who also had a crush on the main character)
Ramon’s the Hero who’s a poor attempt at subverting the “good” and “just” hero in typical stories
At one point, I even got confused between who was who - that’s how much they lacked in character.
And then I thought - well, if the main character is going to pick a weak class, maybe it’s not focusing on the side characters but his struggle making his own life with the system against him, yeah?
Incorrect. He’s essentially a god upon arrival, stronger than any other. And for someone who hates to fight and purposefully didn’t pick the Hero role because of it, he seems to do a lot of it. Violence isn’t the only way to solve conflict.
Ultimately…this just reads as fanfiction in an original universe - it’s clear that the main character is based off of the author/the author sees himself in that role, and the rest is just your typical cardboard anime stereotypes without the flavor. I can’t think of any genuine climax/conflict in the story that made any lasting impact other than letting the MC show off how “cool” and “strong” he is.
Ultimately…I didn’t like it.
This reads as fanfiction - like the author tried to translate harem anime/visual moments into written word and unfortunately didn’t hit the mark. The characters are bland and flat, entirely defined by the stereotypes that they’re supposed to represent.
Milia’s the pretty love interest
Mandi’s the spoiled noble (who is also interested in the main character)
The mayor’s daughter (who also had a crush on the main character)
Ramon’s the Hero who’s a poor attempt at subverting the “good” and “just” hero in typical stories
At one point, I even got confused between who was who - that’s how much they lacked in character.
And then I thought - well, if the main character is going to pick a weak class, maybe it’s not focusing on the side characters but his struggle making his own life with the system against him, yeah?
Incorrect. He’s essentially a god upon arrival, stronger than any other. And for someone who hates to fight and purposefully didn’t pick the Hero role because of it, he seems to do a lot of it. Violence isn’t the only way to solve conflict.
Ultimately…this just reads as fanfiction in an original universe - it’s clear that the main character is based off of the author/the author sees himself in that role, and the rest is just your typical cardboard anime stereotypes without the flavor. I can’t think of any genuine climax/conflict in the story that made any lasting impact other than letting the MC show off how “cool” and “strong” he is.
July 26, 2024
This is a good book. I can see the work that went into the story, and the nuanced tropes the author explored. It's got a good pace that doesn't drag on and doesn't leave plot holes.
But it's kinda like the generic version of books I've read before. It feels like the diet coke, the hollow retelling of a trendy trope. It's ticked all the check boxes of Isekai I love. But it's still not resonating with me like others have. I don't sense a burning story that needs to be shared. It just kinda felt like, "I'm bored so I might as well."
Tropes:
This author really likes to play with common anime and Isekai tropes. And at first it was fun to guess and see what the reference was. But it didn't stay fun. It also spoiled things a bit because there's so many tropes that plot points and characters were very predictable.
1. Every girl wants to bang the MC. This Isekai tropes does get to me occasionally but I understand the appeal. However this made meeting every girl character so frustrating. And the exception to the rule was either background, one off NPCs or older women who MC wouldn't be interested in. Very little nuance. The exception was hearing Harmony, the girl apprentice, mentally fawn over Nate (MC). I don't know why that was needed? It just felt frivolous.
I do like that the author made MC monogamous with Amelia, it was a subversion I appreciated. I also appreciated the semi, sorta, almost, maybe lesbian representation where Iris, a female companion of the hero, meets and gets awe stuck by Amelia. It was a subversion of the trope too.
While I'm on the topic, I will say that the book went out of its way to demonstrate the progression of Nate's romantic relationships. So a level I don't care for. I don't need to know whether or not the MC had sex off screen. It just doesn't do anything for me. But there entire book was just littered with updates, 'nope guys. Still no f-ing.'
2. "I don't fight." Fighter.
This one was a bit annoying if I'm honest. The amount of times Nate claimed to not be a fighter, to not be interested, to not want to see violence; just. Shut up. We get it. You've said it so many times I don't care anymore.
And he does fight. And he likes fighting at least as a spectator. He commented several times about Amelia being hot during combat. About how he used to fight back home. About how combat was like in his anime. About how cool the fighting is/was.
And I get the point is the system is giving our Superman endless strength he is wasting. It's ironic. Yes. Let's move on now.
3. Accidentally perfect.
The premise of the world is that reincarnators are all awful. They are all selfish, greedy, power hungry people. And we are given a few examples that prove this to be true. But it's only because of this backdrop that Nate appears as good as he does.
"Oh. He hasn't actively stabbed someone in front of me. He's not like OTHER MAGICIANS." Yet we meet the hero party that all seem decent enough. Even the leader after a while.
I'm just not impressed with Nate as much as the author is telling me to be. I don't find him humble. He isn't realistic. He doesn't have a passion or quest he truly wants to accomplish. He's not even interesting in the opposite direction. He's not mean, rude, cruel, or conniving. He's really boring.
4. Fantasy bc I said so
This header could also work as, lazy world building. It vaguely resembles a fantasy... Japanese/Chinese/western idea of Asia, world. There only reason I sorta know that is because of the blacksmith lady and Nate's second apprentice. But you could easily overlook that part.
Details about the world are rarely given and are often never brought up again. What foods do people eat? What style clothes? What kind of traditions do people have? Any superstitions? What about religions or cultural values? Many of these are briefly touched on or not at all.
There are a few. Like the short explanation of dryad romantic partners. We know that elves idolize dryads. We know that other species exist. But no one is going to be making a video essay about the world building in this story.
Which is ok. Sometimes the world isn't the focus in a story. Even in fantasy stories. But I do feel it's a missed opportunity. My main reason to pick up fantasy is because I want to envision the imaginary worlds people dream up. The ongoing joke about the goddesses butt was funny and it adds character to your world. It makes the reader engaged and asking questions.
Character:
We are introduced to Nate as he enters this fantasy world. But we don't have any names of his family on Earth. He doesn't go through any grief or loss in a major way. Honestly he's more emotionally invested in making a refrigerator than when he loses literally everything. It feels hollow. There's no investment for me as the reader to care. If Nate isn't upset about it then why should I be?
This is honestly my major criticism of the book. The main character feels lackluster and boring. I've had more emotional loss over burning my favorite hot pad than Nate did realizing he will never see any of his family or world again.
He picked potion making because it seemed overlooked. But he didn't have an interest in it. It would've been really funny if he chose potion making because he's a junkie and wanted to get that next high. Or if he always wanted to study potions and learn about the different recipes. Or maybe he closed his eyes and just picked whatever his finger landed on. Those all would've been more interesting than him just picking it. Why that one. Why not a farmer. Or rancher.
Later he gets pretty good at it and I will give credit that it's nice to see a character go from undecided future to living what they are doing. That is a fun idea I don't think gets represented enough.
But recipes are very easily given to him. Boss battles aren't fun to watch because we know he's going to win. And the clever stunt where he distracts the opponent with a surprise attack are one and done.
TL;DR despite my criticism I did like this book. The narrator was great and the story was easy to follow. I find this book a bit forgettable but enjoyable in the background.
But it's kinda like the generic version of books I've read before. It feels like the diet coke, the hollow retelling of a trendy trope. It's ticked all the check boxes of Isekai I love. But it's still not resonating with me like others have. I don't sense a burning story that needs to be shared. It just kinda felt like, "I'm bored so I might as well."
Tropes:
This author really likes to play with common anime and Isekai tropes. And at first it was fun to guess and see what the reference was. But it didn't stay fun. It also spoiled things a bit because there's so many tropes that plot points and characters were very predictable.
1. Every girl wants to bang the MC. This Isekai tropes does get to me occasionally but I understand the appeal. However this made meeting every girl character so frustrating. And the exception to the rule was either background, one off NPCs or older women who MC wouldn't be interested in. Very little nuance. The exception was hearing Harmony, the girl apprentice, mentally fawn over Nate (MC). I don't know why that was needed? It just felt frivolous.
I do like that the author made MC monogamous with Amelia, it was a subversion I appreciated. I also appreciated the semi, sorta, almost, maybe lesbian representation where Iris, a female companion of the hero, meets and gets awe stuck by Amelia. It was a subversion of the trope too.
While I'm on the topic, I will say that the book went out of its way to demonstrate the progression of Nate's romantic relationships. So a level I don't care for. I don't need to know whether or not the MC had sex off screen. It just doesn't do anything for me. But there entire book was just littered with updates, 'nope guys. Still no f-ing.'
2. "I don't fight." Fighter.
This one was a bit annoying if I'm honest. The amount of times Nate claimed to not be a fighter, to not be interested, to not want to see violence; just. Shut up. We get it. You've said it so many times I don't care anymore.
And he does fight. And he likes fighting at least as a spectator. He commented several times about Amelia being hot during combat. About how he used to fight back home. About how combat was like in his anime. About how cool the fighting is/was.
And I get the point is the system is giving our Superman endless strength he is wasting. It's ironic. Yes. Let's move on now.
3. Accidentally perfect.
The premise of the world is that reincarnators are all awful. They are all selfish, greedy, power hungry people. And we are given a few examples that prove this to be true. But it's only because of this backdrop that Nate appears as good as he does.
"Oh. He hasn't actively stabbed someone in front of me. He's not like OTHER MAGICIANS." Yet we meet the hero party that all seem decent enough. Even the leader after a while.
I'm just not impressed with Nate as much as the author is telling me to be. I don't find him humble. He isn't realistic. He doesn't have a passion or quest he truly wants to accomplish. He's not even interesting in the opposite direction. He's not mean, rude, cruel, or conniving. He's really boring.
4. Fantasy bc I said so
This header could also work as, lazy world building. It vaguely resembles a fantasy... Japanese/Chinese/western idea of Asia, world. There only reason I sorta know that is because of the blacksmith lady and Nate's second apprentice. But you could easily overlook that part.
Details about the world are rarely given and are often never brought up again. What foods do people eat? What style clothes? What kind of traditions do people have? Any superstitions? What about religions or cultural values? Many of these are briefly touched on or not at all.
There are a few. Like the short explanation of dryad romantic partners. We know that elves idolize dryads. We know that other species exist. But no one is going to be making a video essay about the world building in this story.
Which is ok. Sometimes the world isn't the focus in a story. Even in fantasy stories. But I do feel it's a missed opportunity. My main reason to pick up fantasy is because I want to envision the imaginary worlds people dream up. The ongoing joke about the goddesses butt was funny and it adds character to your world. It makes the reader engaged and asking questions.
Character:
We are introduced to Nate as he enters this fantasy world. But we don't have any names of his family on Earth. He doesn't go through any grief or loss in a major way. Honestly he's more emotionally invested in making a refrigerator than when he loses literally everything. It feels hollow. There's no investment for me as the reader to care. If Nate isn't upset about it then why should I be?
This is honestly my major criticism of the book. The main character feels lackluster and boring. I've had more emotional loss over burning my favorite hot pad than Nate did realizing he will never see any of his family or world again.
He picked potion making because it seemed overlooked. But he didn't have an interest in it. It would've been really funny if he chose potion making because he's a junkie and wanted to get that next high. Or if he always wanted to study potions and learn about the different recipes. Or maybe he closed his eyes and just picked whatever his finger landed on. Those all would've been more interesting than him just picking it. Why that one. Why not a farmer. Or rancher.
Later he gets pretty good at it and I will give credit that it's nice to see a character go from undecided future to living what they are doing. That is a fun idea I don't think gets represented enough.
But recipes are very easily given to him. Boss battles aren't fun to watch because we know he's going to win. And the clever stunt where he distracts the opponent with a surprise attack are one and done.
TL;DR despite my criticism I did like this book. The narrator was great and the story was easy to follow. I find this book a bit forgettable but enjoyable in the background.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2023
A very different hero! Love him!
What do you do when fate or the system or something (no spoilers) tears you out of your boring life?
Why you take up the job of super hero. Unless your smart and don't want to battle and watch friends and pets perish! You become a little town's potion maker. But fate hands are still pulling you toward your destiny. One potion at a time.
Looking forward to book 2. I only review books that I love. The first couple of chapters were a little rough. Then Mr Atwater finds his stride and delivers a very entertaining read.
What do you do when fate or the system or something (no spoilers) tears you out of your boring life?
Why you take up the job of super hero. Unless your smart and don't want to battle and watch friends and pets perish! You become a little town's potion maker. But fate hands are still pulling you toward your destiny. One potion at a time.
Looking forward to book 2. I only review books that I love. The first couple of chapters were a little rough. Then Mr Atwater finds his stride and delivers a very entertaining read.
October 4, 2022
Cheesy but cute
It's a cute little teen level book, no smut, some crushes, but no harem. The MC is stubborn, a bit unrealistic, but not badly so and stands by his position stubbornly. Probably heading towards either a happily ever after ending or a bit of an apocalyptic one as the MC goes with "I only wanted to be left alone, but you wouldn't, so now you pay the price", and then the happy one.
It's a cute little teen level book, no smut, some crushes, but no harem. The MC is stubborn, a bit unrealistic, but not badly so and stands by his position stubbornly. Probably heading towards either a happily ever after ending or a bit of an apocalyptic one as the MC goes with "I only wanted to be left alone, but you wouldn't, so now you pay the price", and then the happy one.
August 20, 2022
Very light hearted and humorous, this book doesn't take itself seriously. The MC is supposed to be the chosen one, the epic hero. He says no thanks repeatedly throughout the book, no matter how much the system tries to force him into that role.
The MC is extremely OP from the start, and just gets stronger, even without trying. Dude just wants to chill and the universe won't let him.
The MC is extremely OP from the start, and just gets stronger, even without trying. Dude just wants to chill and the universe won't let him.
September 11, 2022
Nate for emperor
Hilarious what would you do if all you wanted was a quiet life and not to be the hero of the story, every trope is tackled the heros party is found to be woefully undertrained, he recruits several animals and apprentice while trying to keep out of being forced into fighting by the system.
Loved this book had to read it from cover to cover.
Hilarious what would you do if all you wanted was a quiet life and not to be the hero of the story, every trope is tackled the heros party is found to be woefully undertrained, he recruits several animals and apprentice while trying to keep out of being forced into fighting by the system.
Loved this book had to read it from cover to cover.
September 11, 2022
Really fun to read.
This is a good one. The writing is great, with a living world and full characters. I just devoured this book! I had to pull myself away to get some sleep, and finished it the next day. It is a little light, but I 5hink with this story that is a good thing. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, as it is not perfect, but it is very enjoyable.
This is a good one. The writing is great, with a living world and full characters. I just devoured this book! I had to pull myself away to get some sleep, and finished it the next day. It is a little light, but I 5hink with this story that is a good thing. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, as it is not perfect, but it is very enjoyable.
August 15, 2022
Didn't expect much
Didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised, really enjoyed the characters. Personalities, can see where this is going but can't wait to enjoy the journey, if you want a good bit of escapism and humour read this book
Didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised, really enjoyed the characters. Personalities, can see where this is going but can't wait to enjoy the journey, if you want a good bit of escapism and humour read this book
September 8, 2022
Hell yea!
One of the best books I've read this year. I love a MC thats not a total retard. This MC doesn't try to be a leader or anything, just live his life. He is overpowered but doesn't care at all. I love it!!
One of the best books I've read this year. I love a MC thats not a total retard. This MC doesn't try to be a leader or anything, just live his life. He is overpowered but doesn't care at all. I love it!!
September 8, 2022
Fantastic book for all ages
This book had a good story line and had me laughing out loud at times. Enough action to satisfy your need for a little violence interspersed with humor from a reluctant hero. Well worth reading!
This book had a good story line and had me laughing out loud at times. Enough action to satisfy your need for a little violence interspersed with humor from a reluctant hero. Well worth reading!
September 10, 2022
Remarkable
Trulia delightful take on many classic tropes. A combination of litrpg anime and general high fantasy. It's been a lot of fun to read I can't wait to read more. Hopefully the sequel comes up soon
Trulia delightful take on many classic tropes. A combination of litrpg anime and general high fantasy. It's been a lot of fun to read I can't wait to read more. Hopefully the sequel comes up soon
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