A novel with similar settings as Lord of the mysteries

I was referring to reading IET and Er Gen novels on the blind

 

Haven't seen much of this,probably just didn't notice or pay attention to it that much, Otherwise,The man utilizes his Encephalon.

Each have their pros and cons, a good wuxia Banishes western magic from my thoughts and Contrariwise.

I Admit,This is one of the major reasons why people like it.

Including Emperor Roselle's Diary, The Tarot Club member's internal monologues—and Klein's Self-Lampooning moments?.

 

I don't think it is fair to compare a completed novel to an ongoing one. When WMW was being translated it was the best novel for many. Now that it is completed people see it as a whole with an average second half and a lackluster ending. The latter of which is the case for most CN novels. Lord of the Mysteries is still ongoing, the parts translated are good, it provides a fresh narrative than the usual cultivation. From what I've heard the author's other novel (throne of Magical Arcana) had an abrupt/unsatisfactory ending.

On the topic of Er Gen and IET, RI and POT are some of the best novels I've read among CN. ISSTH was ok but last few arcs were bad. AWE is a generic comedy. He is certainly a good writer, though AWE is overrated I would say and he is going downhill. I don't think most readers consider IET as a very good writer, he is famous due to all his novels being the earliest translated and nostalgia.

 

Of course a good Wuxia always wins but we are talking about xianxia/xuahuan.
Wuxia is toned down cultivation so similar to magic and since morality is a core requirement, character growth is a must.

Yes, lampooning instead of reading tsukomi every few lines is better but the comedy is overdone. It feels too similar to Japanese novels, probably why subconsciously people like it. The novel is essentially a Chinese take on a Japanese formula. It seems unique at a glance but it really isn't.
Just like that Qidian dating sim novel, it is more obvious there because Japanese phrases are used.

 

Well some of his earlier works were great but the couple of recent ones and his new novel is without a doubt less than a mediocre. I complained on the comment section for how cliche the plots and events were yet people are turning a blind eye since its author is Er Gen.

PS: I don't want to sound edgy and all but I always thought IET novels all followed a same formula. They are basically copy paste with new characters and events but with same end point.

 

Yeah, but people would attack you if you criticized a novel translated by the great lord translator.
Now that translated books are many like flies, people aren't so dogmatic anymore

 

Basically, it's an edited Webnovel. Which is very rare. You can see that unnecessary fat was trimmed, unlike your average Webnovel that is padded for word count.
Having short arcs helps a lot compared to cultivating 300 years to kill one villain.
The word escapes me but readers get to feel gratified in tens of chapters instead of waiting 100 chapters and dealing with slice of life fillers

 

Exactly, setting and the arcs. The setting extends its reach far: it spices up the characters and their interactions a lot, which makes it enjoyable throughout. In my opinion MAM is better by a margin, but the setting does wonders for LoM.

 

Whats MAM?
Also, I am quite surprised of the praise for this novel, especially from you. In comparison to other unedited webnovels, it is certainly a cut above the rest but what about your average published Western novel?
Or even a Japanese light novel?
I didnt expect such high praise from a novel connoisseur like yourself
It doesn't strike me as unique as you claim

 

Martial Arts Master, by the same author, thought you knew it? I think the characterization there's better done, and I think it's a more coherent. It would be a bit better without the cheat though, it's not obtrusive but doesn't add much either. It's a bit of a strange duckling here on NU.

I'm not that high on light novels. While they're more structured generally, I don't like the way they're written. Specifically the use of language. I've always thought CN novels are closer to Western books in that regard. I can't really stand JP translations generally, can't take them serious. Sometimes the dialogue is also so ... I don't know man.

Am I giving high praise? I don't think it's anywhere near e.g. The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir. The characterization takes shortcuts (via the setting) and I'm still not entirely sold on parts of the potion system in the long term, it can be a bit all over the place. But yeah, I do think the setting and the mysteries it entails is a lot of fun. That's what webnovels are (mostly) about for me, fun.

Western books, let's just say that they don't always deliver either. The editing and structuring might be a lot better but that doesn't mean they don't have problems. The last series I read was Codex Alera, and I was pissed about the direction the author took, to name one thing. Or how he just didn't use the old technology at all despite featuring it heavily into the plot at some point. Or the romance. Just to say that a pretty well regarded published fantasy series isn't necessarily that ... untouchable. If Cuttlefish is actually able to explain the gimmicks and transmigration in a believable way through the setting and overall background, then this could be a fun published fantasy series. With a lot more editing for overall quality and to get it into book shape, of course. It'd need some more coherency. It would end up being a fun young adult series.

Does that make sense?

 

I guess I am the one overpraising western published. I havent read any in a really long time. The most recent I read was SeinLanguage by Seinfeld. Well the most recent that left an impact. I just prefer reading non-fiction books.
I guess starting an original webnovel website will be more successful than I thought if the quality is that crap. I am hoping to publish lots of books but first I will first adapt them into visual novels/interactive novel apps.
Thinking back, Wattpad and Literotica are mostly filled with crap, so I should not be so surprised.
Someone mentioned Masterson Sanderson or some other famous English author before, probably @mir knows who I am talking about
Oh @userunfriendly is a better bet
And I couldnt stand Martial Arts Master, when you have consumed a lot of wuxia(well I mostly watched) it isnt such a big deal and when you have lived with Chinese for a long time, you dont feel the novelty.
I think the biggest drawback of xianxia even Reverend Insanity is removing a moral compass, it is a prerequisite for character development that most books lack. There is usually no consequences because PLOT ARMOR!!
And like you said we get transmigration just for the sake of transmigration
On Japanese light novels, there are two types: the otaku light novel and others that might put even Lord of Mysteries to shame
@Westeller will be the better judge though: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/cop-craft-dragnet-mirage-reloaded/
Sadly, such Japanese light novels are not exactly popular here

 

Sanderson is known for a series which has what’s called “hard” magic system...

The Mistborn series has a magic system that’s explained to the reader, and uses rigorous internal logic and consistency. Much like Mahouka. It’s on my list of stuff to read, so at the moment, I’m going by my research.

He’s also known for finishing the wheel of time, after Jorden died. Not bad, actually.

But I like stories like that...like a Full Metal Alchemist, he seems to excel at world building.

 

Western fantasy is in a sense always at least solid, and non-fiction is a different breed of books. I read one Sanderson book a long time ago and it was great, and he's probably still pumping out quality because he's a consistent writer in every sense of the word. I'll never read the end of the Wheel of Time though, that series can go fuck itself in a corner. Massively overrated. Anyway, I'm pretty sure there's still a lot quality being published.

MAM isn't meant to be full of novelty, it's meant to be good at what it does: sports and romance all within a limited cast of characters. Doesn't have the punch LoM has and people will like LoM better generally, but I think MAM is more modest and better for it. I probably don't value novelty as highly as you do.

The biggest problem I have with xianxia is that cultivation is too central and that the playing field is too large. The first part ties in to the lack of moral compass you're talking about, and the second one eliminates having a coherent cast of characters. You end up with an uncontrolled rocket of a main character.

Yeah I remember reading Rakuin no Monshou and that read like a published Western young adult fantasy. So I'm probably missing out on the better ones.

Actually, the KR novels are what I'm disappointed by. I think I haven't read any really great KR novel yet.

 

My Hero Academia, I think is a good example of combining Western and Eastern qualities for a story.
Lord of Mysteries is a great example of that.
I probably have a higher standard for romance : I grew up on Harlequin and Silhouette books. I can't forget the story about a female POW who always wore long sleeves and pants. Scars kissing etc.
So in summary, western novel writing space is not over saturated with quality like I would like to believe...
I shouldn't be too worried about starting my own original novel platform.
I will take a feather from Sunrise book on Gundam : which actually flopped due to low ratings . They focused on stories that could sell toys.
I will focus building a franchise eg Visual Novels instead of just books

 

I think it depends on what niche you're doing. For example, kingdom building as main focus is almost never done. Not every niche has a viable audience probably, but not my problem.

What you used to read is kind of irrelevant, I disagree. I've read a lot of Western romance too, like, who cares.

MAM knows what it is. It's a warm, simple young adult novel. And it's something I haven't seen done elsewhere. It's not the most original romance, it's not the craziest martial arts novel, it has a relatively normal cast of characters and so on. But that's the point. It's both its strength and weakness, and for me it's a strength.

What's edgier or more complex doesn't always win. Besides, MAM is not even really a romance novel in my opinion. It's about the characters.

 

I guess higher is a stretch. I have a different standard for romance.
MAM doesn't fit the bill one bit.
People have different tastes, it is normal.
When I think a good romance, something similar to the following comes to mind
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperature_of_Love
https://wiki.d-addicts.com/I_Need_Romance_3



Although to be fair, I couldnt even stand the story enough to get to the romance part. Maybe I will give it a try again in the future but no promises.
Cheers!

 

Any suggestions on some good novel on same level of Lord of The Mysteries

 

My house of horrors
Reverend Insanity
Grasping Evil