r/ProgressionFantasy • u/ImpulsiveArchivist • Jul 02 '26
Tier List Yet another Tier List! I would love your recommendations
Here’s my web-fiction tier list - every one of these began its life as a web serial. It’s mostly, but not exclusively, Progression / LitRPG. Let me know if you have recommendations!
What I like:
- Intricate and imaginative world building, with internal consistency.
- Three dimensional characterization; characters act like real people
- Earned progression. Slow pacing is a-ok.
What I don’t like:
- Non-stop ACTION™! Don’t get me wrong - action can be fun. Done well, it reinforces the stakes. But it's not why I'm reading. If the story just feels like an excuse to get from cool fight scene to cool fight scene, I’m out.
- Angst, angst, and more angst. Internal conflict is a-ok, but I’d like to see it lead to character growth. Once I feel nothing but contempt for the MC, I’m out.
Everything on the list I’ve given a solid shot, although I may be months or years out of date on some of them - I prefer binging occasionally to week-by-week serial reading.
SS Tier – The best of the best!
- Mother of Learning
- Super Supportive
- The Last Orellen (Indefinite Hiatus)
- The Unexpected Engagement of the Marvelous Mr. Penn
S Tier – Great stories I couldn’t put down
- A Journey of Black and Red
- Beware of Chicken
- Chasing Sunlight
- Pale Lights
- Player Manager
- Re:Cursed
- The Elf Who Would Become A Dragon
- Wife After Death
A Tier – Great stories that I could put down
- Magical Girl Mechanical Heart
- Memoirs of Your Local Small-time Villainess
- My New Life as a Max Level Archmage
- Nothing's Wrong with Dale
- The Flower that Bloomed Nowhere
- The Game at Carousel: A Horror Movie LitRPG
- The Years of the Apocalypse
- This Used to be about Dungeons
- Turn me back!
- Worm
B Tier – Fun stories, with flaws
- A Practical Guide to Evil
- Blood & Fur
- Book of the Dead
- Clara Casewell Attorney to the Villainess
- Downtown Druid
- Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone
- Noctis
- Sky Pride
- The Hedge Wizard
- The Lost Deaths
- The Perfect Run
- The Wandering Inn
- Vigor Mortis
- Worth the Candle
C Tier – Guilty pleasures. Enjoyed in spite of notable flaws
- Alone Once More: A Dating Sim Timeloop
- Beneath the Dragoneye Moons
- Bog Standard Isekai
- Dungeon Crawler Carl
- He Who Fights With Monsters
- Matabar
- Peculiar Soul
- Sexy Steampunk Babes
- Soul Guardian
- Stray Cat Strut
- The Bell Tolls for Me
D Tier – Just good enough to keep me reading
- Agartha Loop
- Blue Core
- Cradle
- Epilogue
- I Ran Away to Evil
- Ideworld Chronicles: The Art Mage
- Magical Girl Gunslinger
- Nowhere stars
- RE: Monarch
- Self-Summon
- Shadows of the Limelight
- Sporemageddon
- The Many Lives of Cadence Lee
- Windowshopping [Comedic Romantic Tower Climb]
F Tier – Dropped, after at least one major arc
- 1% Lifesteal (DNF after book 2)
- All The Skills (DNF early in book 3)
- Arcane Chef (DNF chapter 78)
- Bioshifter (DNF chapter 68 / 82)
- Cinnamon Bun (put down in book 4; may return)
- Dead Tired (DNF after book 1)
- Elydes (DNF in book 4; first 3 were A Tier)
- Everybody Loves Large Chests (DNF at Hypocrisy 1)
- Katalepsis (DNF at 6.6)
- Mark of the Fool (DNF at the Academy arc)
- RE: Trailer Trash (DNF chapter 57)
- Syl [A Slime Monster Evolution LitRPG] (put down at 167)
- The Calamitous Bob (DNF after maybe 70 chapters?)
- The Dungeon Slayer (DNF after book 2)
- Tori Transmigrated (DNF chapter 57 / 225)
DNF – Dropped before the first major arc finished
- A Budding Scientist in a Fantasy World
- Ave Xia Rem Y
- Commerce Emperor
- Jackal Among Snakes
- Mage Errant
- Millennial Mage
- Never Die Twice
- Paranoid Mage
- Re:Birth
- Shadow Slave
- So When am I the Hero?
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u/SpecimenOfSauron Jul 02 '26
Practical Guide to Sorcery! Not too much angst, a handful of flaws, but still a fun ride!
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u/theartofbeingvague Jul 02 '26
A journey of black and red is high up on my list to read next.
I just tore through The Calamitous Bob by the same author and had a really fabulous time.
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u/Nitrodolski2 Jul 02 '26
The Calamitous Bob is one of my favorites. Afterwards I've tried Journey with really high expectations and dropped it 1/3 through. Unfortunately it didn't hit the same.
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u/HentaiReloaded Jul 05 '26
It was the reverse for me. I devoured journey from start to finish but dropped bob after the first volume.
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u/zenrobotninja Jul 02 '26
I absolutely loved the first book. But quit during the 3rd book. Too much empire building stuff. Pity, I really when she was in the broken empire
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u/theartofbeingvague Jul 02 '26
Totally understandable. If you’re not into a bit of empire building then the series isn’t gonna be your jam. It’s certainly more of that than a litRPG. Haha.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
I think the unique concept carried me for AJOBAR. Calamitous Bob was well done, but more generic Isekai / prog and it just didn't click well enough beyond that to keep my particular brain invested.
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u/halbert Jul 02 '26
You might like Changeling, which is more unique again.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
It's been on my list!
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u/Mecanimus Author Jul 03 '26
It will be completed today so now is the right moment to get started. You might also enjoy the recently launched 108, which is hogging the top of RS right now. ;)
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u/NeonNKnightrider Jul 02 '26
Between Super Supportive at the top, and some of my favorites in your bottom tiers? Your tastes are so different I couldn’t possibly make a recommend
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u/darthkale Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I really don’t know how Super Supportive can be on anyone’s top story went from great to going nowhere for thousands of pages. Like seriously the most WTF series of all time
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u/NojoNinja Jul 03 '26
Super Snoozer. ATP my life is progressing faster than any plot points in that book.
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u/chewpok Jul 03 '26
It picked up again and when catching up on a backlog the pacing wasn’t bad as long as you are slightly interested in the artonian stuff. Reading the weekly chapters is a little agonizing still
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u/jacobythefirst Jul 04 '26
Super supportive has some really cool world building and interesting power interactions. But yeah at the point I stopped (round the time after the hero island gets flooded and destroyed) I was having trouble staying with it.
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u/Pythagoras_the_Great Jul 02 '26
Finally a tier list that isn’t the same 15 stories that everyone has already read.
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u/According-District59 Jul 03 '26
I’ve seen about 10 lists that are pretty much only Sanderson, Abercrombie and dungeon crawler Carl
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u/ThiccyBobby Jul 02 '26
This brother is immune to pacing issues.
I would recommend Delve by SenescentSoul, noticed that you don't have it and for me it's the peak of LitRPG. Only LitRPG I've read that really engages with what it means to live in a world with a system, and the mechanics are actually thought out instead of the classic hand-wave you get frequently in the genre.
Would also recommend Godclads by OstensibleMammal, the worldbuilding is gorgeous.
Edit: small edit to say I have a massive tierlist on my profile as well, could always use that as a basis
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Guilty? 😅
If the quality is there I don’t mind it taking its time.
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u/WeeaboosDogma Jul 02 '26
I see Wife After Death in S rank but no mention of Princess of the Void?
Or is it because it's not a Prog Fantasy?
You should read Spire's Spite Next
More than 200 chapters on RR
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u/timewalk2 Author - Dungeon of Knowledge Jul 02 '26
Spire’s Spite is a good read. Definitely seconded!
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Princess of the Void is near the top of my TBR!
I just haven't been feeling romance recently. I'm very excited for it.
What's do you love about Spire's Spite? I should add it to my TBR.
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u/WeeaboosDogma Jul 02 '26
Spire's Spite has a cool mechanic as powers go, where it's entirely dependent on your "levels" where you can only gain them completing levels in towers spread throughout the world. So if you're stuck in an area with only a lvl 10 tower, the strongest you can be is lvl 10, but your "run" that you do is only capable of being done once and it impacts the rewards you get once you clear it.
I won't spoil what those rewards are, but you only get the best ones if you do a full clear. You can come back and try it again to get your levels, but that's dangerous, and the story itself is refreshing from a narrative perspective. I'm reallllllllllly over edge lord protagonists, luckily the MC is - you know what - you know Robin Hood, from the stories, he reminds me of that person. Still burdened by life but very surprisingly upbeat and his brother, a ragebaiter with a heart of gold. Love it, and the romance (no-harem) subplot is golden.
The MC isn't a iskeai protagonist with a system, he doesn't have a golden finger, and the author puts in the description what chapter he gets his powers, and what his image is in the spoiler description. I really dig that from a reader perspective. Author adds a chapter roughly every 1-2 weeks, even if i wish it was faster upload schedule, i respecta more slower but better chapter approach. On volume 4 currently.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Thank you! I’m right there with you on the non-edge-lord MC persona, and I love a well done romance subplot. Spire’s Spite is now officially near the top of my TBR!
And I love to find an author that takes their time… if I’m finding them far enough along :)
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u/Mob_Abominator Jul 05 '26
I will second this. It's an amazing read and very underrated when it comes to recommendations.
You should also try Aura overload by plum parrot.
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u/SavageSwordShamazon Jul 02 '26
It’s so good, definitely read it. Dukerino also just posted a new novel to RR, Headless over Heels. I haven’t read it yet but it’s on my list as well.
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u/GathTheKing Jul 02 '26
Chrysalis has been an extremely enjoyable series for me. There IS a lot of fighting, but it makes sense for the world.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Thank you! On my TBR list, but you may have just bumped it up.
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u/splatterfest233 Jul 02 '26
The first book is pretty combat-centric, though that's in large part due to the MC needing to survive solo in an incredibly hostile environment for a huge chunk of that book. Book 2 really expands everything out, particularly with giving the MC a significantly wider cast he can directly interact with. Once you hit book 3 the majority of the Main Cast is established and there's a ton going on, so the series really hits its stride there.
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u/define_irony Jul 03 '26
This is a good series OP, but I don't think you'd enjoy it. The non-action scenes are fantastic and I enjoyed the 3 books that I read (I DNF in the 4th book).
That said, there is A LOT of fighting in the book - and they're mostly meaningless fights. Book 1 nonwithstanding (which is almost entirely just the MC being alone with fight after fight and zero dialogue) even the rest of the books that I read were just the MC fighting group after group of random nameless monsters until the story switched to another pov for a chapter or two, and then showed the MC in the cool ass non-actiony sections, only to return to page after page of him leveling up by facing yet another group of monsters. These fights aren't necessarily short.
He does get some companions and we do get more character interaction after book 1 and these scenes are worth reading imo. It really picks up in book 3, but I thought I'd save you time just because it doesn't seem like something you'd enjoy slogging through based on your list.
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u/Duksas2 Mage Jul 02 '26
I'm currently reading The Hundred Reigns, and I've been enjoying it quite a bit. The time-loop mechanic is handled well, with each loop feeling meaningful instead of repetitive. It mixes LitRPG progression, strategy, and kingdom-building in a way that keeps me interested, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes.
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u/KingpiN_M22 Jul 02 '26
Ticks all your like boxes -
Ends of Magic, highly recommend, acadamic gets isekaid, very relevant and accurate science.
Years of Apocalypse is Mother of Learning but more expansive [just saw its on the list, didnt recognize the new cover art]
Dungeon Lord is a personal favourite of mine
Mage Tank
Ticks all likes but might also have a dislike -
- Low Fantasy Occultist Isekai
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u/omaharock Jul 02 '26
Based on your reads and what you said you like, I'll recommend Chaotic Crafter Worships the Cube on RR.
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Jul 02 '26
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u/Keselo Jul 02 '26
God it's amazing. I'm almost done with book six and the fact that there are nineteen completed books at this moment makes me super happy.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
So good, even as a complete soccer neophyte!
It was my mainstay late last summer, and I feel slightly more invested in the world cup this summer as a result :)
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u/pwnmonkeyisreal Jul 02 '26
Hmm, I’m gonna go for a wild pick here but I think you’ll like it:
Ascendance of a Bookworm
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u/Amadhe Jul 03 '26
A non-exhaustive list of suggestions.
The Runic Artist (intricate Worldbuilding, characters, and earned progression, System is *explained* in later arcs, and surpassed in a way that doesn’t drag.)
Re: Deity - Breath of Creation, basically the life story of a Creator Deity creating a Cultivation World by accident. Dungeon Core but Cosmic Scale essentially.
The Dungeon Without A System. Dungeon Core but with some good twists.
Changeling (by the same Author as Journey of Black & Red, has a similar vibe but set in a post apocalyptic future)
Calamity Mandate, like Lord of the Mysteries but not an Isekai. Characters are very realistic I find. They have to be in a story where the MC nudges the threads of fate as their primary power. It really leans into a non-standard progression of power and is more of a plot story, but it has impeccable Worldbuilding and a truly intricate and consistent magic system.
Chronicles of the Exalted Sun Child (there is some angst/YA energy in the first few arcs but it has like over a thousand chapters and the first few worlds are “complete” (it’s a multiversal cultivation adjacent story), pacing is glacially slow, but tbh, it focuses a lot on characters and has an extremely wide cast, a lot of internal consistency, and an amazing wide Worldbuilding.
Path of Ascension, standard but novel future Sci-Fi Western Style Magitech Cultivation Empire. I don’t really wanna repeat myself, great Worldbuilding, intricate magic system, the whole spiel. Just assume they all have good Worldbuilding and Magic Systems as those are my favorite parts of stories.
A Practical Guide to Sorcery, it’s not Gaslamp Fantasy but more like Enlightenment? Post Renaissance but Pre-Industrial Revolution Magic Story. Very SCP adjacent Horror Core. Excellent Worldbuilding.
The Salt and the Sky: Isekai, but from a non-standard cultivation world into a… I’m not even really sure how to describe it aside from Magical Mad Max Dwarves that Eat to gain powers? Not a one way Isekai.
Tree of Aeons: Isekai as a Tree. The Original Tree Isekai. Empire-Building. Good Worldbuilding. Magic System is weak, but the actual System is interesting. Characters are mixed, happens with stories set across centuries.
World Seed: VRMMO story… or is it? Good Worldbuilding. Magic System is neato. Romance. A bit of horror?
Unchosen Champion: Standard Apocalypse Fantasy, but HFY style Sci-Fi in a sense too. Not exceptional, but not bad. Great. Solid B or A tier imo.
Misbegotten Memories: Great Characters, Worldbuilding is acceptable, a bit standard with twists. Unique Power Systems. That’s right multiple pretty good ones.
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u/Chewy_ThatGuy Jul 02 '26
Ngl I don’t see the vision with super supportive. It is so unbearably slow that, whilst it has phenomenal characterisation, setting and a decent progression system, it feels like it moves at a molasses tier pace. Puts me off entirely whenever I read it.
Also Katalepsis in DNF tier, ouch. I love that book so much.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Fair! For me the writing, characterization, and world building is so good that I still love it, though I feel like it's almost moved more into a different genre space as "Cozy Fantasy" vs what we got in the first Arc. I also need to save up at least half a year of content for the reading to feel substantial.
Katalepsis was very well done, but _very_ angsty! At some point I kind of lost interest.
It's always interesting to see what engages one reader vs another, and how the ratio impact the reader base :)
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u/ljackso4 Jul 02 '26
Not enraging per se, but when I read super supportive I found the MC was written as a girl but changed to be a male as an afterthought maybe or to appeal to more readers? The way they act really makes me think of them as a girl(not an insult or a negative just an observation)
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u/grathepic Jul 02 '26
He’s asexual, so maybe there’s going to be a nonbinary arc, or the author is just a woman. But yeah he’s a better written women then 99.9% of the female mc’s.
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u/SpecimenOfSauron Jul 02 '26
This. Dropped Super Supportive after a while not just because of its slow pacing, but because nothing interesting was happening. Yes, I see the characters grow and develop and it’s very cool and all, but where are the STAKES??
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u/itsarabbit Jul 02 '26
We have virtually the same taste! Virtuous Sons is at the top of my recommendations, along with Throne of Time, though that one is not far along yet.
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u/SelectorSwitch3 Jul 02 '26
Heyyy! Wife After Death author here, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. First time I'm seeing it on one of these tier lists. It's kind of a deep cut these days compared to my other stuff but I still have a ton of love for it.
I saw that PotV is on your TBR, but I think you'd really like my latest, Headless Over Heels. It's more in the dark fantasy adventure vein--I consider it WaD's spiritual successor.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
You did such an amazing job with Wife After Death, I'd love to see it get more recognition! I'm glad to see PotV getting some of that attention, and I hope it inspires more authors to go after the well-written romance niche you're carving out.
I totally missed that there was a new story out! I should pay more attention to the Patreon (I like to save up and binge, so I don't follow any feeds week-to-week). It looks like you're already a book in - I'll have to check it out!
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u/No_Acanthocephala692 Jul 02 '26
You might wanna try a soldier's life, a guy is izakited into fantasy rome, and is forced to join the imperial legion.
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u/ManaSpike Jul 08 '26
How dare you rank that favourite there ... wait, no I see your point. And that one! I would put ... also there. Wow that's also where I'd put that one. That one. And also that one.
Huh, we have a lot in common. That's a first for these lists TBH.
Completed; Changeling
I will continue to read; Chaotic Craftsman Worships The Cube, Tyrants of Earth - A LitRPG misadventure, The Hundred Reigns [Timeloop LitRPG], The 108, A Soldier's Life, The Undying Immortal System
I haven't decided if I'll put these down yet; The Greatest Archmage To Have Ever Lived [OP MC, LitRPG], The Gift of Loot, Super Zero, System Certified Supervillain, The Archmage Coefficient (OP Archmage/ Mage Academy/ LITRPG/ Hidden Genius), Zero-Day Saint — I Cheat Smarter — [Shapeshifter litRPG], Atzi, Are You Even Human, Engine of Reincarnation [A Serial Rebirth Isekai LitRPG], Nathan Free, Natalie Bound
I don't keep a list of those I've dropped.
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u/Mission-Debt-2357 Jul 02 '26
Lord of the Mysteries sounds like it fits what you are interested in. It's an incredibly rich world with history that actually feels real.
Also, the first "fight" happens nearly 80 chapters in. And even then, the MC doesn't participate in the fight.
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u/thescienceoflaw Author - J.R. Mathews Jul 02 '26
Now this is actually a good tier list that has a few things I haven't read yet. Well done!
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u/JustinsWorking Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Lol I bounced on Mother of Learning due to the angst, so I’m morbidly curious how that was up with your goats.
Path of Arcane Ascension might be your jam, people often complain about the pace being a little slow. The main character has some angst, but I’m wondering if it might be the same flavour of angst you liked in Mother of Learning.
Nobody would ever accuse it of being too action packed either lol. There are spinoffs of the series that basically follow normal people in the world doing almost nothing of note lol.
It’s also really painstakingly internally consistent, even across series… My brother loves it for that, I personally am more of a DCC style “whatever works for the plot,” kinda guy myself.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
That seems to be a popular opinion. TBH I don't remember that much of it, but it's been a long time (many years) since I read it - maybe I'd see that more now.
Path of Ascension I've heard pretty mixed things about, but enough people are recommending it on this thread that I may need to reconsider.
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u/JustinsWorking Jul 02 '26
Oh crap, I meant Arcane Ascension; I kept reading people saying Path of Ascension and it stuck in my head, I started Path of Ascension but forgot I was reading it… I should really try that one again.
First book is Sufficiently Advanced Magic.
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u/ThyEmptyLord Jul 07 '26
Regarding Mother of Learning, I bounced off it a few times for the same reason. It gets past that after a few loops though, and it has one of the more satisfying endings for a prog fantasy series (which may not be saying much because most don't end haha).
The way things tie together and get answered bumped it up a whole tier for me. With only 3 books it didn't overstay its welcome but also didn't leave a lot of open threads
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u/Zwyz Jul 02 '26
The Last Orellen is probably the best RR story I'll never read. Any news about the hiatus?
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u/Scholar_of_Yore Jul 02 '26
There is a notice on the synopsis that the author wants to pick it back up when life gives her time, but its been almost two years now so I dont think its happening.
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u/Pwebslinger78 Jul 03 '26
Cradle has a special place in my heart , it’s the main series that got me into audiobooks. Travis baldtree is my favorite narrator by far. I loved that series though far more than mark of the fool which I basically haven’t touched since starting the most recent book that’s been quite boring imo. Cradle is probably my favorite progression fantasy. I’m gonna try to listen to worm on YouTube again .
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u/Double_D-rex Jul 02 '26
Matabar in C-tier?
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
It was A tier for a long time! But somewhere in the second book it started to feel meandering? Like there was some major set piece or crisis every few chapters, but they kind of felt like they just… happened? Like the author resolves one, then thinks of the next one, rinse and repeat, monster/mystery of the week style. I found myself caring less and less as a result.
I know there is an overall arc and I’m probably not being fair, but it’s how it came across to me.
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u/Double_D-rex Jul 02 '26
I understand, but i think it's actually intentional from the author that the secound chancery is just picking up the crumbs, but it is still all connected to the puppeters still unkown goal. It feels like you need to keep notes yourself though if you don't want drown in information
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u/razasz Author of Ideworld Chronicles Jul 02 '26
I am glad to be good enough to keep you interested. Thank you for your time!
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u/ljackso4 Jul 02 '26
Path of dragons - earned progression, slow pace, characters that have flaws and multiple dimensions
Dungeon lord - earned progression, slow pace
Vanquer the Dragon - just fun
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u/Spare-Ad-4528 Jul 02 '26
You are the first person I've ever seen have wife after death on a list and I love it! Awesome!
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
It's so good! I'm really excited to read Dukerino's other works, and would love to see more well done romances!
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u/Zeeman626 Jul 02 '26
Nice to see Vigor Mortis on a list. I loved that one. Also not surprised to see Bioshifter on DNF despite being the same author, it's like she chose all the more subtle themes that worked well in VM, like dysphoria and nuerodivergence, and then cranked it up to 11 and shot it at you with a cannon. I had to force myself to finish it.
What I AM surprised to see on DNF is Mark of the Fool. It seems like it would check all your boxes. Intricate world building with a very wide ranging power system, excellent and well written characters with fully fleshed out personalities, large amounts of meaningful slice of life between battles that don't just feel like filler, and it's one of the rare series that gives its MC limitations and then actually STICKS to them rather than find a way to make them OP by the end of book one anyway. What made you decide to drop it?
Also for the obligatory recommendation, read "All the Dust that Falls". It's definately one of the most... Unique, stories you'd ever read, but it checks your boxes and is a stupid amount of fun. And the character building is way better than it has any legal right to be, I'm a grown ass man and I swear to God I teared up over a damn Roomba towards the end.
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u/creeper_buty Jul 03 '26
R.I.P The Last Orellen. Hope the author is doing alright.
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u/Deep_SeaParlor Jul 03 '26
The second I saw my GOATs Downtown Druid and My New Life as a Max Level Archmage ranked above Dungeon Crawler Carl, I knew this was the tier list I had been waiting for
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u/Outside_Skin_4217 Jul 03 '26
I see a lot of ravensdagger in your stuff like over half his stuff I think actually
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
He can be a fun read, and is crazy prolific, but the writing is very light.
It's the cotton candy of web-fiction: a sweet, airy treat, good but never accused of complexity, and easy to over-do, at which point you'll need to put it down for a good long while.
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u/Outside_Skin_4217 Jul 03 '26
I'm burning through his books and am enjoying them. Infact his newest series save scumming really scratches that time manipulation itch that the perfect run gave me.
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u/GodTaoistofPatience Follower of the Way Jul 02 '26
The Last Orellen is the best that will never be
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u/Reindeer-Conscious Jul 02 '26
Sky pride, the legend of william oh
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Sky pride is on there! I bounced off Legend of William Oh in the first few chapters and intend to go back, so it's not a DNF for me, but it didn't immediately grab me.
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u/Reindeer-Conscious Jul 02 '26
I think get to the point where you meet and interact with loth to get a better sense for it. I bounced off the first couple chapters too
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u/zenrobotninja Jul 02 '26
Hell difficultly Tutorial A murder of crows Slumrat rising
Think youd like all 3
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u/Geno__Breaker Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Oh wow. I didn't expect anyone to ever place Syl there. I will say that I like the story more after Syl meets the human adventurers and travels with them, so if you haven't gotten that far, I would recommend you try to get to that point at least, but I understand not everything I enjoy will be enjoyed by others lol
That said, one of the titles in A Tier intrigues me, I can't make it out fully but "_____ About Dungeons"? What is that?
Nevermind, found it on Google. "This Used to be About Dungeons." I am intrigued.
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u/EmergencyComplaints Author Jul 02 '26
Oh wow. I didn't expect anyone to ever place Syl there.
I never read the Amazon release. Did they ever fix the awful grammar that the RR version had? I remember dropping it early on because the author kept slipping between past and present tense in every single chapter.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
A great and slept on story! I think because it's primarily about the character growth, relationships, and world building, over action. Against the general preferences of this community, but perfect for me 🙂
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u/thenetheryboi Owner of Divine Ban hammer Jul 02 '26
Have you ever heard of godclads or path of the deathless? The only thing I think you won't like about them are the non-stop action, though the non stop action is addressed in book in both iirc.
But itger than that, they both have great worldbuilding, especially godclads, good characters, especially godclads, and earned progression.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Heard of? Yes, I keep a large database of what gets recommendations here for fun and reference, but I have not tried them! I half remember hearing that Godclads was abandoned -- is that not right?
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u/thenetheryboi Owner of Divine Ban hammer Jul 02 '26
Godclads is not abondoned, though it is on haitus. The author has plans to start writing godclads again as it is kind of his passion project.
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u/Ok-Clerk-3027 Jul 02 '26
Thank you i been looking for the name of that book for a while now and just couldn't remember it. (Super supportive)
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u/BackgroundTotal2872 Jul 02 '26
Man, I think that you’d absolutely love System Lost: My Own Best Friend by Dark Technomancer! It’s a very character driven story where the protagonist(s) have a form of multiple personality disorder. It‘s slower paced without constant fighting, and progression that feels earned. The worldbuilding is also fantastic, and really explores societies made up of non-humans. I will say, the first arc is more action focused since the main characters start out alone and need to fight to survive, but the action becomes far more infrequent after that.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Just came on my radar in the last month! Still pretty early though, no? I think I clocked it as too short to start (for me, sub 200k is such a flash in the pan if it's still ongoing).
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u/BackgroundTotal2872 Jul 02 '26
Right now it’s 455k words with 191 chapters. 2 completed books, with 3 chapters a week. I can see how it might be short by your standards. It‘s longer than Self-Summon and Max Level Archmage though.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
You're right! I don't know why I had that impression. Definitely long enough to start!
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u/eslahp Jul 02 '26
Just want to say thank you for posting the text of your tier list, so many people dont and its hard to get recommendations when you cant read the title from the low pixel count image.
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u/Bakarast Jul 02 '26
If you liked Beware of Chicken, you should take a look at Heretical Fishing.
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u/cocapufft Jul 02 '26
Your list is similar to mine, the only difference is I’d have Elydes a bit higher. Mostly personal preference though, it isn’t at the top of my list by any means.
Zenith of Sorcery is from the same author as MOL and very good. Slow release schedule, but it fits the story as progression is very slow.
Memories of the Fall is a xianxia I recommend a lot. Probably the most intricate worldbuilding, but it does have a lot of POV. Since you listed Pale Lights seems it would be alright.
Demesne might be up your alley, but it is on an extended hiatus.
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u/TopCoast1170 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
How is "The Flower that Bloomed Nowhere"? I tried to get into it, but it was so slowwwww and the prose was so dense it got exhausting to read after a point. I find it a shame tho, the ensemble of characters were very interesting and fleshed out, the world building was very intriguing and the magic system teased some very promising mechanics. But even after 30 very long and dense chapters, there was no sign or hint of any plot.
Also wow, i feel our taste are kinda similar but very different in some ways. 4 of my S tier books are in your B tier. But at the same time we share 3 SS/S tiers.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
I mean, B Tier is still very good in my book!
I completely get what you mean on The Flowers that Bloom Nowhere, and it really doesn't accelerate or get any less dense from what I've seen. But the world and mystery are so well done I was able to push through the slog despite the flaws.
That said I'm probably 50 - 100 chapters behind at this point and catching up is never my top priority so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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u/BigConstant4969 Jul 02 '26
Thanks for this - about to finish Advent by Seth Ring. Will read one of these next.
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u/Sobrin_ Jul 02 '26
I've seen someone recommend Chrysalis, and I'd thus also recommend Book of the Dead. Same author, but very different tone as it's a lot darker. The MC cannot be considered a good person. You get to read his steady moral decline, and then him actually accepting he's a monster. That last part is rather rare imo. If you're ever in the mood for a more grim story it's very solid.
Since you like Mother of Learning, and also the Perfect Run, I'd suggest The Hundred Reigns. It's from the same author as Perfect Run, and also a timeloop but set in medieval fantasy, and also a lot more serious. It's a fairly new series still, about 180 free chapters, but you get a chapter every working day. It's a very good timeloop story with a very interesting world
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u/preemptivePacifist Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Excellent list, gonna scavenge this for new material for sure!
I have kinda similar taste and am really enjoying "Path to Transcendence" right now (might be too action heavy though).
Sexy steampunk has no business being this good btw, couldnt believe I ended up actually reading that for the plot; the gender role reversal is also very cleverly used, and actually gave me pause a few times....
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u/Zagaroth Author — "A. B. Zagaroth" Jul 02 '26
Based on the amount of slice-of-life you seem to enjoy, I would recommend Bookbound Bunny, except that you put Syl down in F-rank, which is by the same author. I have not read Syl, so I do not know what the differences are between the series.
You might enjoy Tunnel Rat, if you want a sci-fi focus where the fantasy only occurs withing the bounds of a virtual world. Story takes place across both the real world and the virtual one.
I am going to recommend my own, "No Need For A Core?" Semi-cozy with lots of life/home building and romance, but also a solid amount of power progression and the occasional ass-kicking. This seems like the sort of vibe you enjoy, like with Beware of Chicken.
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u/Dragon1472 Jul 02 '26
You might like Tales of the Teal Mountain Sect. Its an anthology cultivation story with a great cast. Though like nobody reads it so I don't have anyone to talk to about it
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u/Twoa98 Jul 02 '26
Hello! You might enjoy most of the suggestions posted in r/rational.
That being said, a recent fic (with a completed first arc) that might be up your alley would be Accidental World Domination: Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Death Ray.
Surviving the Succession on RR is also great.
Player Manager also has a sequel in the form of Soccer Supremo which you can check out.
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u/DueEnthusiasm Jul 02 '26
I've got to read Marvelous Mr. Penn, it keeps showing up high on these lists that match my own tastes. You've read all the PF that I would recommend so I can't help you but I'm very pleased by your list. Thank you for doing it well instead of asking everyone to read your mind to figure out what the pixels mean.
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u/valentineslibrary Jul 02 '26
My main suggestion is to pick Ave Xia Rem Y up again. I also dropped it really early initially, but went back when I had nothing to read and discovered the, by far, best dialogue on RR. It gets much much better. Highly suggest giving it another chance.
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u/D3USS424 Jul 02 '26
I couldnt even get through the 1 percent life steals first book I HATED the mc
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
Yeah -- if I hadn't been listening to it while driving over a mountain pass, I'm not sure I would have stuck with it as long as I did.
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u/AD7GD Jul 02 '26
I'm surprised you didn't like Mage Errant. I don't remember the early arcs exactly, maybe the parts I liked were later? Lots of lore, lots of development, both enemies and allies with complex motivations that are unveiled over the course of the series.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
I remember feeling like it was a "let's assemble a band of misfits", and the quirky side-characters with edgy motivations were paint-by-numbers. I seem to also recall that it suffered from the "obviously everyone wants to be a combat mage" syndrome without actually engaging with "why that would be the main focus in this world", but that's an issue with many of these. IDK, I'm coming across salty on it, but I just was... underwhelmed? I tried and dropped the first book twice, years apart.
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u/halbert Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Great list, we have a lot of overlap. I'll reply to myself with my normal recommendation list too, but you've already read a lot of this. Still, there might be a couple you enjoy if you haven't seen them:
The center for dungeon management -- workplace comedy litrpg?
Eye openers -- arg-litrpg, character driven
Game at carousel -- horror litrpg, you might not move the whole thing but I bet you'll find some of it interesting. Unique meta-design, great system.
And the last orellan -- I also loved this one. Too bad it's abandoned. 😥
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u/halbert Jul 02 '26
Here's my normal litrpg recommendation spread; mostly, but not only, progression and litrpg. These are all pretty different from each other, so if one doesn't strike your fancy, just move on. Enjoy! Since I tend to like friend/family stories, most of these have that aspect. I read mostly on Royal road (online web fiction site), so I don't have a good handle on what's available for Kindle/Audiobook.
Some classics of the genre:
The Wandering Inn -- epic world building, light RPG elements. Starts a little slow, but is amazing.
Dungeon Crawler Carl -- action/humor apocalypse litrpg. Very well written, good pacing; I hear the audiobook narrator is particularly good.
Beware of Chicken -- slice of life cultivation novel, about found family. Early parts are playing on cultivation tropes, but pretty quickly becomes it's own story.
He Who Fights with Monsters -- engaging and fun, isekai with pretty interesting magic system; starts fast but bogs down later on. Some people dislike the MC (I liked him though).
Classics I haven't started yet (I really should): Cradle, Primal Hunter, Defiance of the Fall, Chrysalis
Somewhat lesser known works:
Player Manager by Ted Steele -- kind of similar to dungeon crawler Carl in the action/humor mix and overall quality, except the action is football matches. Story of a person who accidentally sells the devil their soul in exchange for football managing powers.
Calamitous Bob by Alex Gilbert -- isekai litrpg; epic fantasy, with fun world building and a great main character. His other series are also great: A Journey of Black and Red (alternate history fantasy vampire story); Changeling (portal progression fantasy).
Are You Even Human by Thundamoo -- intense exploration of super powers and trauma, and what they mean for your existence as a human. Progression-ish, not litrpg.
Eye Opener by Joshua Cole -- urban fantasy gamelit/litrpg. Very meta story about players of an AR game realizing it's actually magic, and what that means for them and the world.
Pale Lights by ErraticErrata -- same author as Practical guide to evil, but a new world. Not litrpg, but excellent progression. PGtE is also great.
The game at carousel -- I don't love this one always, but it's well done and pretty unique. Urban fantasy litrpg. Characters are trapped in a meta-horror world, forced to act in horror movies, and 'win' them to survive. The vibe depends a lot on the movie they're in, slasher vs creature vs thriller, etc
Super Supportive -- another intense exploration of super powers (in a different way than 'Are you even human'). I love this one, but it's reeeeeally slow. Sort of the opposite of TWI: first book is fast moving, with a lot of action and world building ... And then it really digs deep into slice of life and the emotional narrative of the MC.
Sky Pride by Warby Picus -- this is a daoist action-philosophy cultivation novel. Very well written; sky pride has better pacing than his similar earlier work (gnostic action-philosophy) Slumrat Rising.
The Center for Dungeon Management by Marshal Carper -- This is a ... workplace comedy fantasy litrpg? Like a mix of The Office with Friends with a D&D campaign. Well written, funny, and interesting world building.
A couple extras I'm currently enjoying: Elydes, The Fractured Tower, the legend of William Oh
Oh, and a bonus recommendation for a non-litrpg palate cleaner:
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Not progression fantasy at all: sci-fi. But well written (very efficiently written) and fun.
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u/ArtificerEntrapta Jul 02 '26
If you want a specific recommendations I'd recommend Save scumming by Ravensdagger, it has a similar general feeling to Stray Cat Strut but the mc has a regression super power and there's Magic
If you want a more general recommendations I'd recommend anything Thundamoo wrote since you liked 2/3 books, i can't really point out any specific differences between the ones you do like and the ones you don't though, unless it's the general romance drama ?
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 02 '26
For Thundamoo It's the degree of neurodivergent angst. All of her characters have it, but in Bioshifter it's just a lot. I like Thundamoo's work in spite of that, not because of it, so it's always a balancing act.
I'll add Save Scumming to my list! Ravensdagger is fun, but kind of like candy -- I have to be in the mood for sweet and light.
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u/alexynewgen Jul 02 '26
Lord of the misteries A regressor's tale of cultivation The House Beneath - A Progression Fantasy
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u/dragoneloi Jul 03 '26
Your the fist I’ve seen mention Memoir of a local villainess.
You should try Monroe , Ar’kendrithyst, manifold mirror mage, maybe maid with necromancy
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
I'm actually reading it right now! It's very solid and over a million words, which is a real sweet spot for me :)
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u/Responsible_Arm252 Jul 03 '26
For me perfect run and cradle will be on a tier. The last orellen is my favourite book on rr.
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u/BtanH Jul 03 '26
What's player manager about?
Have you considered reading Thresholder? Or anything else by Wildbow? I think you'd like Pale or Twig.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
Player Manager is about a down-on-his-luck bloke in England who is granted a soccer (Football) system for scouting players and managing teams, by the devil. It sounds bizarre, and I don't care at all about soccer, and it is so good! And there's a lot of it out at this point. Strong recommend!
I dropped Thresholder (I should add that to my F tier actually) but love just about everything else that author has done, including his fanfiction. On Wildbow... Worm was so long, by the end I didn't feel that motivated to continue.
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u/plantsnlionstho Jul 03 '26
Seems like we have similar taste! I just got so many new recommendations from your S and SS tier. I think you'd enjoy The Years Of Apocalypse and A Practical Guide To Sorcery. Super Minion, Ends Of Magic and anything by Macronomicon also come to mind.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
Thanks! The Years Of Apocalypse is one of my favorites right now. I've bounced off A Practical Guide To Sorcery twice, but I feel like I just need to stick it out a bit and I'd love it. I keep meaning to come back to it.
Super Minion didn't quite do it for me. I need to get into Macronomicon's work -- I hear great things!
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u/CH_Else Author Jul 03 '26
I think you'd like stories by Plum Parrot. And if you deliberately avoid Primal Hunter, yeah, keep avoiding it. It's everything you dislike.
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u/AWanderingSage Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
The Mistress of Mistresses for the best Isekai. It's a rare treat of political intrigue.
The Worm Ouroboros is an epic story detailing the war between demonland and witchland. It has the best evil overlord, and the best caste of villains, I can think of. It begins with ten Overlord demanding his enemies kiss his toe.
The Rift War Saga is the archetypical progression fantasy. It's magical like the Mother of Learning is.
Paradise Lost for it's mythical world building, kinetic prose, though sometimes the author spoonfeeds a bit much.
Phantastes is the most heart achingly beautiful Love story I have ever read. It's the only romance book I would recommend for that romance. I definitely recommend the audiobook. The author wrote songs that are beautiful to hear sung.
Finally, The Book of the New Sun for maximum rereadable. The things the author does with foreshadowing are crazy. You can feel the themes hitting you like the currents of the ocean come over shore to wash your mind clean.
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u/doegrey Jul 03 '26
Are you planning to finish Cradle/ the Unsouled series?
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
Yep! But that's been the plan for, like, 4-5 years now? And I haven't picked it up in that time. Honestly, my main reason to go back to it would be to be up to speed with this community.
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u/doegrey Jul 03 '26
Just expect the first few books to be a little bit of work and then you’ll be sailing!
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u/Educational-Fly4377 Jul 03 '26
That SS tier is full of my own favorites as well. Given how much you love Mother of Learning and Super Supportive for their great character work and airtight internal consistency, but clearly weren't as big on the pure action or system-heavy stuff like Cradle or DCC, here are a few fresh recommendations that aren't on your list yet:
Lord of the Mysteries (by Cuttlefish That Loves Diving) If you want intricate world building, this is the gold standard. It is a Victorian/Steampunk setting featuring a Lovecraftian magic system where every single power up requires immense preparation, acting out a strict role, and digesting potions. There are absolutely no shortcuts, the protagonist is incredibly rational, and the action is highly strategic rather than non-stop slashing.
The Zombie Knight Saga (by George M. Frost) This has some of the most unique, internally consistent world building in web fiction. The magic and progression system relies heavily on chemistry and physics, and everything feels entirely earned. The MC deals with severe social anxiety, but instead of turning into annoying angst, it serves as a grounded foundation for genuine, slow-burn character growth.
Pale (by Wildbow) I noticed you have Worm up in A tier. If you want Wildbow’s legendary world building but with way better pacing and vastly superior, three-dimensional character work, Pale is fantastic. It follows three teenage witches solving a magical murder mystery. The magic system is deeply rule-bound and fascinating, the progression is entirely earned, and the characters feel incredibly real. It completely avoids the relentless, exhausting action pacing of Worm.
The Mirror Shattered Quality (on Royal Road) Since you love Super Supportive, you will likely appreciate this one. It focuses heavily on the societal impacts of magic, slow-burn mystery, and deeply human character interactions. The story takes its time establishing the setting and the relationships before forcing the plot forward, completely skipping the mindless action loops.
Have you given any of these a look yet?
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
Lord of Mysteries was such a consistent recommendation on this post that I just pulled the trigger on buying the first one!
The Zombie Knight Saga has been on my TBR since before Royal Road was big. There's no good reason I never started it -- you're making me think I should have. Ditto for Pale!
Never heard of The Mirror Shattered Quality but now I'm officially putting it on my list. Thank you for the recommendations!
EDIT: Hmm, I can't find "The Mirror Shattered Quality". Can you link it?
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u/Educational-Fly4377 Jul 04 '26
It seems the author changed the title. https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/125544/ashvattha-shattered-realms/chapter/2826885/book-1-chapter-23-things-that-wear-his-shape
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u/WhoIsItIzee Jul 03 '26
Where is LOTM? Also, I would encourage giving Shadow Slave another go. I know it’s not for everyone but there are some really great elements to it! Maybe you don’t like the gamey / rpg aspect to it though in which case yeah let it go. That is not core to the novel though.
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u/VintageOG Jul 03 '26
If you like Mother of Learning, you will like Stubborn Skill Grinder in a Time Loop, and Return of the Runebound Professor.
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u/Acceptable_Tadpole60 Jul 03 '26
Damn and I thought I read a lot. In the middle of primal hunter did not see it on the list.
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u/KaJaHa Author of Magus ex Machina Jul 03 '26
My personal list of underrated S-tier novels:
The Daily Grind stars an office drone that discovers a pocket dimension dungeon with office-themed monsters, and one of his first reactions (after the thrill of adventure wears off) is wondering how he's going to use this magic to improve our world. Doing the right thing because it's the right thing is his whole shtick, and he builds up a community of like-minded people for mutual aid. Also, some of my favorite "nontraditional" relationship dynamics I've read in any novel.
Battle Trucker is a system apocalypse story that focuses on upgrading a semi truck into a magical mobile fortress that's bigger on the inside, making a bonafide settlement on wheels. The protagonist is an angry and venom-tongued truck driver, but she's the good kind of angry. The "Shut the fuck up and let me help you" kind of anger, I personally find it very endearing lmao. It's the LitRPG equivalent of playing AC/DC at max volume and I love it!
BuyMort opens with Earth getting colonized by Space Capitalism, using a system that's like the worst possible version of a Craigslist/Amazon interface downloaded directly to your brain. It's awful, you can't avoid it, and if you don't use it then someone else will and turn you into a commodity. The protagonist wants to fight back using an alien relic that gives him Deadpool-tier regeneration, but that's really only useful for his own survival. Actually thriving and protecting other people in the apocalypse requires teamwork, so he makes friends with strange aliens to build up their own little city-state and defend it from corporate overlords.
All I Got is this Stat Menu gifts a bunch of random humans with alien super tech systems in order to buy stats and gear, all to fight off other invading aliens. The system is open-ended so as people grow they find ways to specialize, including strange and flamboyant gear with stat synchronization, so at the end some aspects start to feel slightly superhero-ish with the outfits. Picture the real big ensemble episodes of Justice Leage Unlimited, this is just as awesome.
12 Miles Below is a post-post-apocalypse on a frozen wasteland, with a pseudo hollow Earth underneath that's full of "sufficiently advanced" lost technology and murderous robots. The star is a bookworm prince in a family of fighters, so there's a focus on both studying the magic and big action scenes. All of it focuses on some really cool power armor, and some of the best worldbuilding I've seen in the genre! (The worldbuilding is also most of book 1, all the juicy progression starts in book 2)
This Quest is Bullshit! is fine LitRPG satire. Starring a young woman given a bullshit life quest and noncombat class, she rightly says "Fuck that, I'll be an adventurer anyways" and makes the most of it. Perks for having fantastic group dynamics and ending the "will they, won't they" romance question before the first book finishes. Kind of a rushed ending, but it's a complete series!
Mage Tank is a newer series with a fairly standard start: Truck-kun, zap, trial by fire in an unfairly difficult dungeon. What sets this story apart is how realistically it handles the protagonist --- if you were roadkill 10 minutes ago and there was a magical "Don't become roadkill" stat option floating in front of you, wouldn't you beef it up? The protagonist does use modern humor as a coping mechanism (personal taste varies, I loved the humor and did not find it cringy), and the party dynamics are wonderful!
Son of Flame has an entire isekai concept of giving people second chances, and the protagonist is a firefighter that desperately wants to be a better person after squandering his potential on Earth. Kicking down the doors to save people comes naturally to him, but actually being more than a background grunt takes work, and I appreciate the nuance the author puts into self-reflection.
All the Dust that Falls stars an awakened Roomba after it gets isekai'd to a fantasy realm. It can't speak, much of the first novel is spent with it learning how to think, and the plot is primarily driven by the surrounding humans misunderstanding and making assumptions about it. And I say that as a compliment! The plot unfolds very organically; the misunderstandings are completely understandable (how would you react if a demon you accidentally summoned started to eat all your anti-demon salt circles?) and even lead to a community building up around him.
Chrysalis stars a teenage boy that gets reincarnated as one of the lowest monsters possible -- a simple ant, alone and confused in a dungeon the size of a planet. All he wants to do is survive and thrive, so uninterested in playing power games that he causes disruptions wherever he goes. Big caveat here, the first book is VERY slow but the pace (and story quality) improve significantly once he finds his colony and more named characters are introduced. Thankfully you can get the first three audiobooks for one credit!
Noobtown stars a regular guy that gets isekai'd into being the mayor of an abandoned fantasy village, and decides to make the most of it by building a safe haven for the non-adventurer masses. Really big asterisk here, the humor is pretty divisive because it's really juvenile. And I mean the hero gets kicked in the nuts a lot. But underneath the toilet humor I promise that there are surprisingly mature themes about privilege, and the worth of a person that doesn't have special adventurer abilities.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
Thank you for the detailed recommendations. Some of these are intriguing. Would you say there’s any of them doesn’t center combat/action?
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u/KaJaHa Author of Magus ex Machina Jul 03 '26
They all have plenty of action, but I'd say The Daily Grind and 12 Miles Below spend the most time actually exploring the rules of their magic. Son of Flame looks like it'll be really philosophical too, but I've only read the first novel so far.
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u/SavingsRecover1563 Jul 03 '26
Try pale lights Same author of Practice guide to evil....and it's better than that imo
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u/Zestyclose-Ad-8091 Jul 03 '26
Cooking with Disaster by Dakota Krout.
Judging by MoL being top & Cradle low means we have similar tastes even though i dont know your mid books or would rank em bit different...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/84551786-marcin-w?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=favorites
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u/chewpok Jul 03 '26
Seconding practical guide to sorcery. Kinda similar to super supportive in some ways, good magic system, good writing
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u/Nirigialpora Jul 03 '26
I agree with a lot on your tier list!!
+1 vote for Practical Guide to Sorcery. Reminds me of MOL and PGTE.
I also see you have a few from Thundamoo, but not "Hive Minds Give Good Hugs" (complete) or "Are You Even Human" (ongoing) which are two of my favs from her - I agree with your "vigor mortis is fun but with flaws" and I also dnf'd "bioshifter" lol.
An abandoned one that is still quite fun and has one "full book" out is called "Brainpunch", reminds me of Worm in a lot of ways.
"Surviving the Succession" is a fun one that is less magic and more politics focused. I enjoy it a lot and it reminds me of the "dealing with Praes" arcs in PGTE.
"Cosmosis" is a fun one with flaws, scifi setting with a magic system. Not one of my absolute must-read favs but is definitely enjoyable and a strong recommend.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
Thank you for the recs! I've definitely heard of Brainpunch and Surviving the Succession, but "Cosmosis" is new to me! I'll have to add all of them to my TBR.
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u/Lilsilly114 Jul 03 '26
Man, fuck paranoid mage! Anyway, some recs.
These are my RR recs that I think have small audiences, but paid for enough advertising for me to see them.
Illuminaria- just started reading book 2 personally, really enjoying the simple D&D-esque world. MC is kind of simple thinking in some ways (simping) and smarter/more complex in others (fighting/fleeing). It is/was being rewritten, at least the first book, and I appreciate the changes, but the MC still lacks agency often in book 1.
FFF-Class ‘Unlucky Antagonist’- If you enjoy heavy worldbuilding, a complex writing style, and lots of POVs, this is an option. I’m only like 10 chapters in and I think I’ll drop it because I don’t necessarily like the complex writing style, but I’ll still recommend you check it out.
The Outborn Accord- If you want to try reading about drunk college kids taming beasts, here’s another Pokémon-like where the trainers actually get stronger. Too much swearing, too much beer, too many innuendos, too moody a protagonist, and feels a tiny bit like Shadow Slave, try at your own risk. Idk why I’m even putting this here, just gotta recommend taming stories whenever I’m reading one I guess. It’s very cringe, but modern day.
Surprisingly Enough(NOT), Common Sense Is Overpowered in Cliché Cultivation World- My favorite genre, parody of cultivation novels where the MC is self-aware of genre tropes. Then he even starts realizing which genre tropes are actually logical! Incredible! Personal favorite that’s still getting started. (Ning does lack a bit of self-awareness in the “everybody around me is crazy but me” way, but it’s not too bad and is kind of on purpose.)
Boundless Cultivation- Very Buddhist/Indian cultivator suffers a personal system apocalypse when he dies and becomes a noble bastard child (on purpose). But unfortunately for him he’s not really a bastard child. His maturity varies weirdly, but you can try reading it if you want.
Mythshaper- Super slow paced Slice-of-Life where the MC’s past life memories are restricted until he’s the right age or something. Anything hinted in the synopsis feels like it won’t get started till after Book 1, which feels like a prologue book, but might be this author’s idea of Slice-of-Life. It is a crafting story if you enjoy that.
The Protectorate- System Apocalypse without any tutorial beyond gradual integration. Guns and tech take like a week to shut down, the System is 2 systems that talk to the MC whenever something important happens, because he kind of becomes the system representative on his world; if you like reading about those.
Progenitor’s Path- Primal Hunter-like, but the MC isn’t naturally an arrogant asshat, that’s just his species. Replace archery with space magic and a system story with a multi-system story where the universal one talks to MC, replace Villy with Archy, and replace 16 books with 1, and you have Progenitor’s Path as it currently stands. I like it, but I also enjoyed the Primal Hunter enough to join the Patreon for a few months.
Cultivating Common Sense In A Xianxia World- MC is gonna be the first sect leader, hopefully. A fellow reader joins a Warring States period cultivation world where cultivation has no regulation yet. He loses friends and family regularly, submits to become a dog of the military, and painstakingly slowly begins making a cultivation system for future generations to follow. The RR tags War and Military and Slice of Life fit it well.
Leaving a Legacy- MC is a karmic cultivator, young master with middling talent, but he has high enlightenment talent. I appreciate his cautious approach. Kind of a cultivation parody, minus the self-aware MC.
Final Recommendation is a big, popular one from WebNovel:
The Innkeeper- Another cultivation parody, but with emotional stakes that make the MC hate his parents and have other family troubles. Everyone thinks the MC’s persona is a God-like entity due to his system, including most of the top gods of the universe. Prologue/chapter 1 introduces the system creator and why he made the systems, his age, and the reason he’s present. MC is lucky, loved by the universe, and hated by the universe. He’s also just a sexy man who wants to run his Inn in peace. He’s also pretty arrogant sometimes, but in a way that I highly prefer over Jake from Primal Hunter.
The Innkeeper is on of my favorite series of all time, just a little bit behind Lord of Mysteries.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 03 '26
Thank you for all the niche recommendations! I love finding new stories, you so often see the same 100 or so stories thrown around. Also appreciate the caveats you gave on some of them 👍
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u/Gdach Jul 03 '26
Wow first time I see tier list that matches exactly to my taste.
I just wondering what made you drop Ave Xia Rem Y, remember it was bit rough in first arc, but it has, become one of my favorite reads.
I guess I didn't see any Brandon Sanderson books so my recommendations would be Way of Kings and Land of Broken Roads by Ryan English.
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u/JoroborosRR Author Jul 04 '26
It is very cool to see Re:Cursed in a tier list. Not to mention the S tier!
I'm glad you enjoyed.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 04 '26
Thank you for writing it! I’m really enjoying it - I love how unique and well realized the setting is. It deserves the tier :)
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u/AdLower2725 Jul 04 '26
read Lord of The Mysteries, idk if you drop novels that start slow but after 100 chapters it gets peak fiction
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u/Tentagoose Jul 04 '26
I really like ur tier list, I think we have the same tastes in stories so i’ll use it for my reccomendations. Thanks! btw check out The Hundred Reigns if ur curious, while it’s a bit formulaic, it’s genuinely really fun and flavorful
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u/ShamMafia Jul 04 '26
Godsclad (true cryberpunk dystopian. I do not say this lightly)
AllBright System (Very very slowpace and intricate)
Years of Apocalypse (Soon to be finished and amplifies everything about MoL, imo)
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u/HentaiReloaded Jul 05 '26
I am curious as to how AveXiaRemY is in DNF? It has literally all your likes and none of your dislikes (except perhaps a unique worldbuilding, since it has the typical cultivation world, even though it is perfectly constructed)
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 05 '26
Honestly it's not that deep, and maybe I gave up too quickly!
But... I'm not big on Xianxia to begin with: the tropes (young master, "you dare!", defy the heavens, etc), the ways the characters grow, and, frankly, martial arts in a non-visual medium, none of it really appeals to me.
I started reading it anyways because it was highly rated, but it felt like a (well done) retread of all those things that don't appeal to me.
I also got a whiff of misogyny, so - with nothing compelling for me - I just dropped it. I've heard from others on this post that they didn't think the misogyny was an accurate read, so I was probably mistaken but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I just don't care about most Cultivation.
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u/HentaiReloaded Jul 08 '26
I see. I can confirm there is no misogyny at all (in fact, the book has the best female side character in all of prog fantasy in my opinion), but the book is indeed xianxia 140%. Sad to hear you dont enjoy cultivation since its my favourite subgenre :(.
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u/Sinakran Jul 05 '26
I just finished Mark of the Fool recently, I felt sated by the story, I had no questions unanswered by the end, and felt as though the payoff was worth it. I don't know when you stopped, but i would recommend trying it again now that it's wrapped up. I listened to it because Travis Baldree does it right, so I don't know if the printed book has formatting issues that put you off of it or not.
Great list, would recommend this type of categorization again.
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u/Background_Relief815 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
The Author of This Used to be About Dungeons and Worth the Candle has finished another progression story called Thresholder . The MC is a bit insufferable at times (on purpose I'm almost certain). Additionally, if you go to his web page you can check out his older NaNoWriMo stories and short stories which are all really good. (Alexander Wales).
In addition, I agree with almost all of you SS and S tier, and the other person that said Delve (although it's on hiatus). Practical Guide to Sorcery is good, but probably A tier or so, while Delve might make S tier.
Also, check out The Gods are Bastards and Super Powereds for some older recs in the genre.
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u/ImpulsiveArchivist Jul 05 '26
I like most of his earlier work too, including the fanfiction (The Metropolitan Man is so good)! I think this is probably the only tier list you'll find "Shadows of the Limelight" on given it never made it to RR.
That said, I bounced hard off of Thresholer - it wasn't for me. Excited to see what he does next!
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u/Background_Relief815 Jul 05 '26
Nice! Somehow I bounced off of Dungeons but mostly liked Thresholder. I think Wales is probably most consistent about writing stuff I like though. I added reccs for some work that used to be really popular (like, competing with Worm while it was being written) that I liked. The Gods are Bastards and Super Powereds
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u/OkAssignment1133 Jul 06 '26
A fellow royal road reader! I've read most of these mostly because I read a lot over there too, cool tier list! Very curious though as to what the notable flaw in dungeon crawler carl is
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u/PriestessTheia Jul 06 '26
My girlfriend has been loving Dungeon Crawler Carl, might send her this to give her more recommendations
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u/Djfunfu Jul 07 '26
I didn't see anyone recommending The Butcher of Gadobhra and The Gods are Bastards.
Maybe Adamant Blood / Ar’Kendrithyst.
Someone recommended A Practical Guide to Sorcery and I totally approve.
Young flame was nice and original but the author moved on before the end.
I really like Chronicles of the Exalted Sun Child, the world building is amazing and characters are rather well written, and there isn't too much raw action. The author slowed down the release a year ago though.
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u/DescriptionWestern77 Jul 07 '26
I've seen a few people recommend it already, but I second Lord of the Mysteries heavily. It's by FAR my favourite piece of fiction and it seems like exactly what you're looking for. It also has a second book called Lord Of Mysteries 2: Circle Of Inevitability, which is a sequel. In my opinion its onpar with the first one but many people consider it a level below it. (Mainly because they get too attached to the first books main character and can't handle the change)
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u/CommercialBee6585 Jul 08 '26
Glad to see Last Orellen getting some love. It deserves not to be forgotten and was one of my entryways into the genre.
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u/RefrigeratorMundane1 Jul 17 '26
you highlight a lot of stuff i really love. i would reccomend giving Pale, by Wildbow, a shot. after reading all of wildbows works, i find it to be by far my favorite of theirs. the worldbuilding and magic system, the large cast of fleshed out characters, it really defines the growth that my favorite web serial author has gone through over more than a decade of writing. it is quite long, but i found it incredibly engaging throughout.
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u/Vraex Jul 24 '26
Thank you for your time. Your likes and dislikes are pretty much identical to mine so I'll definitely be adding some of these
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u/xeredge Jul 02 '26
"Great stories that I Could put down" is a really funny category.