- #1
I did not rate this because this series makes it clear from the very start what kind of series it is... and I can respect that. There is absolutely an audience for pure self-insert wish fulfillment type novels, and I think the writing itself is fine (for that genre, which I'm not fond of).Edit: Except for the line in the summary going "fair and equitable race for supremacy". It's fair only in that that MC believes anyone could have lucked out with the angel faction at start. Whoever gets that is clearly the designated victor.The initial arc has a moment where all the other players are scrambling like their lives depend on it (because it does) while the MC is relaxing at his castle trying to figure out how to relieve his BOREDOM. Honestly, the novel does a fine job of setting the reader's expectations (unending effortless triumph) and then meeting those expectations. The MC doesn't have to lead his angels - just tell them to go forth and kill/conquer/etc and they make it happen. Upkeep? His faction doesn't have it. Loyalty? His faction 100% loyal forever. Gear? They have magic and can also summon weapons. This pattern continues - the perils of leadership are for *other* players, not the MC! The MC is the #1 castle lord in the first arc (effortlessly), and that's clearly never going to change. The rest of the setting is the underdog, and it is surely doomed. The reviewer that noted the MC feels like he's playing a mobile game is quite apt - that's basically the amount of effort the MC is putting into this.I'm only following this series because the setting is quite interesting, and there can be some fun gleaned by imagining what the story would be like if it focused on literally any other player than the MC. I have long since started skipping/skimming any section focusing on the Angel faction - a brief look now and then confirms that, yep, it's still just describing how the MC is effortlessly coming out on top and how any new difficulties are auto-resolved by his extreme OP-ness.Spoiler
The Angel of Love resolving the possible issue of the MC not concerning himself with long-term alliance planning (via what's basically mass [and surely irreversible] brainwashing of the native races) is really something I should have seen coming. Of course he's going to effortlessly be the best at recruiting natives.
[collapse]I mostly wanted to see how the beast tide mechanics worked / how the players with lower-tier units fared, tbh, so I'll likely be shifting to a more periodic check-in to see if the author's come up with any other interesting game mechanics. Those mechanics, of course, will either help the MC, be neutral to the MC, or be challenges to *other* players but not the angels.