- #1
This novel is an absolute hidden gem.To be honest, I'm mad at myself for not having discovered it sooner, yet relieved that I only found it now due to having so many chapters to read. I made a Novelupdates account just so I could leave a review for this novel in the hopes of perhaps stirring people's interest in it.Recently, I've been craving for and reading novels that fall under the kingdom building genre. This one is absolutely my favorite and has instantly shot itself to the top of my all time favorite novels list. The translation is pretty high-quality for the most part, which I must give great thanks to the translator for as the writing itself contains many complex descriptions. Though the author does ramble at times with inner thoughts and descriptions of processes or settings, I love the thorough and vivid descriptions they provide. It really helps give the reader a sense of what the world is like and immerse themselves in it.Needless to say, the world building and lore is incredible. The author did an amazing job of crafting a fantasy world with a backdrop that actually makes sense. Much of the plot is realistic. There haven't been too many things that I took issue with so far or had trouble believing. The cast of characters is quite lovable too, there are even a few characters who surprised me with their character development and/or the way they redeemed themselves. For a novel about war and kingdom building, I also appreciate that the author manages to inject a fair amount of humor into it as well. Good humorous moments for that matter, that genuinely had me laughing out loud.Other people have commented and left reviews on it as well, but the novel does employ a lot of historical anecdotes or "spoilers" throughout the story. For example, the author will describe some of the MC's achievements in the future and how it is perceived by future historians, then backtrack and tell the events leading up to those future historical moments in present-time. I personally don't hate these little glimpses into the future since they don't really spoil too much in my opinion. From the start, I already believed that the MC would most likely go on to accomplish grand things, so I find the anecdotes rather charming in that they set up anticipation and excitement for how the MC will get there. I do understand, however, that even these spoiler-like anecdotes might be off-putting to some readers.Now, the MC... He's a regular high schooler tossed into another world with no cheat abilities or powers. A true underdog trying his hardest to live on in this new world he's in. I like how the author has been very realistic with portraying the MC's inner turmoils and thought processes so far. The strategies the MC employs are sound and draw references from real strategies that worked back home. There's no harem in this novel btw (the author mentions as much in their note in the prologue), so if that's a major factor for you in selecting a novel to read, please keep that in mind.I'm sitting here looking at what I've written so far and holy mother of pearl, I wrote much more than I thought I did. My conclusion: please give this novel a try if possible. I was surprised at the quality which greatly surpasses many other novels, both in translation and writing. It manages to both set up a fantasy world with immersive lore properly as well as keep the plot realistic. Things, more often than not, do not come easily to the MC, and it makes you want to cheer him on and read further to see what will unfold. For anyone who loves kingdom building focused novels, I highly recommend this one.And now, I'm off to finish the chapters I have yet to read.