- #1
As of now, this is a good read with only a couple of arcs I wasn't into. The overall story is very interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.Summary:MC is a Host who gets revenge against scum gongs on behalf of their deceased shou's. In the process, he discovers his system, his duties and the Lord God who gave him both are not as they first appear.Broad Opinion:This is a very well-written novel with great characters and a lot of creativity poured into it. The author worked hard to make everything feel unique even when playing with common tropes. The creative spins it takes makes it a pleasure to read. It is, however, full of triggers, so readers should be conscious of their limits. The reason the Host is being called in is because the originals suffered greatly.If I could nitpick one thing about the Host that I didn't like based on personal preference (major spoiler), Spoiler
I didn't like how he was always holding out for Lou-ge. It's been over a decade. He very obviously likes 061. He very obviously is liked in return. But despite everything he still refuses anything that's not Lou-ge. By this stage, he should have moved on or at least be trying to move on. I found his loyalty, especially when he never had a relationship with Lou-ge in the first place, more annoying than sweet in the end. It made the eventual realization that 061 was Lou-ge sour. It's like he was only in love with the idea of Lou-ge, which in turn made their progress feel insincere.
[collapse]ARC REVIEWArc 1: Genius Canon Fodder's CounterattackRich musician MC falls for a poor boy with no guts and internalized h*mophobia. The ML proceeds to isolate and manipulate him until he falls apart.Interesting MC, arc and satisfying revenge.Arc 2: Getting Rid Of That BigshotHandsome ex-model MC marries a much older, very wealthy man - outwardly a sugar baby situation. What the public doesn't know, is that the older man is a cruel, violent psychopath.This one has some very heavy themes. The revenge definitely pays off though. This arc stuck with me.Arc 3: Love Song on IceMC is a young figure skater who falls for an older figure skater who turns out to be a selfish, Green Tea bit*h type.This has a lot in common with Yuri on Ice. The revenge is harsh and very much a 'what you put out is what you get back' thing. I felt sorry for the villain in this because of his age and immaturity. But I can't say he didn't have it coming. The real winner here though, is the relationships. One of my favorite arcs.Arc 4: I hear I'm a Battle GodABO with a few twists. This is a world at war and uses mechs to fight. Everyone starts as a Beta and becomes an Alpha or Omega through forced participation in a fighting tournament where they must collect qi from the other person to evolve to Alpha. The person who has their power s**ked ends up as an Omega. The Alpha go off to war and the Omega are as breakable and weak as glass, have no rights and are both seen and treated poorly. The MC has sold his body to a noble family to 'take the fall' allowing their son to evolve to Alpha. They form a relationship (Stockholm's Syndrome) that ends in unforgivable betrayal.The suffering is even heavier than the last arc. The oML in this experiences character growth and becomes somewhat sympathetic. But the conclusion here definitely holds up where other webnovels fell. Very happy with it. Might be my favorite arc.Arc 5: The Cycle of Karma, what goes around comes aroundNurse who can see ghosts falls for a guy who gets dragged into a Death Game system. The guy tricks him into joining the system so he can use his ability. He does worse but that's spoiler territory better left for a first read.I looove Death Game stories. So this was an easy win for me. The revenge didn't really hit as hard as it was written. Like, technically it's the perfect revenge, but I kind of didn't feel the suffering enough and I really wanted this guy to suffer. It does, however, have a very sweet relationship and an engaging plot.Arc 6: Raising a Big Cat in the ApocalypseMC is ex-military in a futuristic, AI-controlled world. He gets reunited with his military lover after the AI turns the story post-apocalyptic but gets betrayed in a major, major way.I didn't like this one, and on my second read I skipped most of it. I'm just not a huge fan of post-apocalyptic stories and find them boring. From what I read, the villain gets some heavy redemption at the end. But I didn't like him so it didn't work for me. My dislike for this arc is definitely a matter of personal taste and doesn't reflect on the quality of the story. The author put the work in and it shows. Just not for me.Arc 7: System vs SystemCultivation. The MC is a sweet, naive merman who was the protagonist of an unfinished webnovel. His luck is stolen when he falls in love with a scum Host working for a god in charge of book transmigration.Look, I don't like cultivation stories. You could even say I hate them with exceptions. This one passes fast enough and has enough outside of cultivation that it becomes one of those exceptions. It treads ground as an average arc for me and is boosted by a revelation we've been waiting for.Overall, System vs System and Raising a Big Cat were the only ones I didn't really enjoy and personal taste plays a big role there.