NR.

Great Story

Revisado: 01-08-25

AF Kay is a top tier writer. Personally I like Divine Apostasy better than this one. And really it came down to predictability and a different narrator. The story did a really good job with foreshadowing and clues, so it was actually really well written but I think it was hard not to see some things coming. It did have on twist which really redeemed all the other stuff so came in clutch there at the end. with the narrator, he just read this story in a very desperate maudlin tone. And I immediately dropped the book after the first chapter. and ever time I'd come back, I'd struggle with the narrator. It just has this weird whimpering whine to his voice. Eventually I got over it and finished the book. I've read other books from this narrator that were great so don't write him off. Just listen to a sample or whatever and make your own mind up.

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Amazing series

Revisado: 01-01-25

I love the characters. less when they are falling over themselves to help each other and more when they razz each other. So much fun.

I love the complexity. I'm sure you've all googled the book and seen the wild claims against it. Most are just hot air with no substance. However, one of them is that he gets too many huge power ups then gets knocked back down. First big power ups are what LitRPG fans live for. Second, finding new paths is kind of his thing. And this book shows how important it is that he has found so many new paths and how important it is that he gets the fast pass and skips the line. he's just got too much to do to take the long way. And who would ever take the slow path to power when they could figure out a shortcut? No one.

The author is top tier and this series (and the new spin off series) will forever be a top tier listing in the LitRPG genre. AF Kay is 100% as good and as prolific as any of the other greats. I have followed some of the hurdles he overcame to make this content and in a lot of ways it's been a real life epic to get us here. I know all the patreon fans are grateful and I'm sure the audible fans are with me in sharing our gratitude as well. Keep up the good fight. Thank you for giving us this whole universe of awesome. I hope this series goes on for a long time coming.

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cool powers

Revisado: 12-07-24

they had cool powers that they barely use or progress.

the story was closer to twilight than Harry Potter if you know what I mean. instead of being a books about superheroes, it was just a dating drama with a X-Men veneer.

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Good flow, weak everything else.

Revisado: 11-14-24

Grammar and prose and all that was well done. Definitely readable. Lots of potential squandered.

The characters were pretty painful. I originally really liked the MC when he was asexual but found it really jarring when he goes insta gay 2/3 of the way through the book. Especially when he had no chemistry with the guy he "falls" for and it did not feel natural. I almost gave up on the book at this point but pushed through. Checking online a lot of readers found this jarring saying they felt sandbagged or bushwhacked. The general reaponse was that it was due to him being gay. I appreciate lots of gay characters and it's not homophobia that make this bad, it's the execution. Why tell the reader repeatedly he's asexual only to not have him be asexual?

The plot was the weakest point. Yes even weaker than the characters. The MC lives in a world where progressing would drive he whole economy and literally dictate how the majority of people spent their time. Yet he's never heard of any of the ways to progress???? It just undermines the world building. Even worse, he's got all sorts of fear and mental hang ups against progressing. So he's basically doomed. A teacher casually mentions that a whole generation ago, her first invention was an artifact that helps you progress. Our intellectually challenged MC (who is tauted as a genius) forgets about this within minutes. But if it was real, every noble would pay through the teeth to have one. And these noble families would make sure their heirs had one from birth. Lots of similar plot holes.

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Way too much exposition

Revisado: 09-26-24

The flow is good and the narrator was good.

The story is unfortunately 40% planning for things that won't happen for 500 years, 25% flashbacks, and 20% complaining and 5% is the actual story.

So we mostly get random info dumps, which leads to excellent world building that unfortunately we don't get much experience with in the actual story.

Lots of potential but I think for a book 1 of a series most readers will find the experience tedious. Hopefully the next book can be more "present tense" and less dreaming about the past and future.

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Puts the ass in hardass

Revisado: 09-22-24

The action was cool. And the world felt real. Little things like how they described the city when driving around it felt like you were there. So action 10/10. World building 10/10

I really didn't like the characters. The MC was an ass. Just always being cruel to those around him fo no reason. He does a few relatively out of character nice things, like save the hot girl. But guess what, every asshole I know would save the hot girl. Every asshole thinks giving a big tip makes their previous rude behavior suddenly ok. Guy needs less swearing and less excuses and more actually redeemable behavior.

The sidekick girl is very pathetic. She is written to be a submissive and puppy-eyed as possible. Still, she's more likeable than the MC (obviously). characters 2/10

The magic/game mechanics were overcomplicated. There's a bunch of factions and then that's compounded by energy types and then every ten years the Gods flip the board with new ly added switch ups and you can combine cards and there's Rules 1-10 which quickly expand to 20 and 100 rules...
...and big surprise none of it really matters except the powers held by the MC. magic 2/10

The plotting was really predictable. This makes the MC seems fairly dumb since he doesn't see the obvious coming. 1/10

The pacing which correlates with the action was mixed. The action parts which are already mentioned were good, the out of action parts, not so much. Out of action he seems to be always injured to the point of barely functioning, yet magically as soon as the next fight starts his old injuries disappeared (quickly replaced by new ones) which is a bit of a continuity issue. So pacing 6/10.

Overall, I finished it and would read another hoping for the MC to improve, but my expectations are low and if the MC wasn't more likeable in book 2, I'd drop it.

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Harem novels should require warning

Revisado: 09-19-24

they should require a "porn" tag. it should literally be in the title. like right in the title too,

Returner's Defiance (Porn)

the bloodlines and the powers were well thought out and if it didn't have the the porn aspect it would have been a top tier novel.

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Ruined by Skiviness

Revisado: 09-10-24

It would be half way decent but, the Author's perviness seeps in and ruins it.

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Ruined by Skiviness

Revisado: 09-10-24

It would be half way decent but, the Author's perviness seeps in and ruins it.

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Ruined by Skiviness

Revisado: 09-10-24

It would be half way decent but, the Author's perviness seeps in and ruins it.

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