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General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests)
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For both @MMOSimca-ddm6ono and @Dawnaxis
Another World’s Zombie Apocalypse Is Not My Problem! - despite being a zombie apocalypse it's not really gory at all, it's lighthearted silly fun. It's complete with 2 volumes.
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Lately I've been in a bit of a binge read for Shoujou Romance... and with the last book I picked up I was faced a question:
The male leads fell in love with the main character because she doesn't really fit the preexisting molds. She doesn't conform to the rigid expected behavior of nobility, and that's exactly what attracted otherwise seemingly cold people to her.
And yet, some of the leads are not going to be chosen. At some point they are going to have to deal with their obligations. And I would love to read about how they go about that and how they may find (or not) love, or at least something resembling happiness.
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Been reading some light novels again, and figured out why I really just couldn't take in the power fantasy, which would be the classical Deus ex Machina. The stories I enjoy the most had the characters being better properly correlating to their efforts (accidental improvements also were fine, as long as it made sense and not overly excessive), as well as being able to see how they've come as far as they did. It doesn't necessarily have to be power; knowledge and wisdom also needs to have some substance to exist. This one thing is so easily broken in game format isekai stories, especially when the gimmick is to cheese it out with some particular exploit that only an AAA team or an innocent 12 year old dev would have accidentally exist.
I've been enjoying Tearmoon Empire and Ascendance of a Bookworm (understandably so) quite a lot lately, wonder if there's any other particular stories that gets the Deus ex Machina aspect under control.
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@22144418 well, if you are a fan of both Bookworm and Tearmoon than you might enjoy Apothecary Diaries: snarky MC uses her wit as knowledge as a Apothecary to begrudgingly solve mysteries of palace intrigue
a lot of us on the forum who enjoy both Bookworm and Tearmoon also like Apothecary Diaries so it's my go-to recommendation for people who say those two series are their favorites
Additionally if you like Bookworm you may like Dahlia in Bloom {caveat: Dahlia has a lot of descriptions of food & drink, which I love but YMMV}
Also you might like Altina the Sword Princess where one of the main characters is a humble tactician who is an inveterate bookworm and comes up with strategies based on the plots of various stories he has read
Finally, check out Deathbound Duke’s Daughter; it's one of my favorite series and I think more people should read it
Let me know if any of these are to your liking or if you would like more recommendations 😉
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@22144418 Are you willing to clarify your request a little - are there any particular genres or themes you’re hoping for, or just “anything that is a light novel”?
@Lily-Garden’s suggestions are good ones, but in case part of why you asked is because you’re still particularly hoping for something with more of a combat or “game format isekai series” aspect, here are a few more that might work:
- “To Another World… With Land Mines!” Despite the title, this is a fairly down-to-earth and pragmatic take on what it might be like to suddenly find yourself in a RPG-like fantasy setting.
- “Faraway Paladin” Less game-like than “Land Minds!”, but still a sword and sorcery isekai fantasy. And while the protagonist eventually outclasses most of his peers, the story makes clear the kind of time and effort it takes for him to get there. Plus he’s not necessarily more powerful than the main threats he needs to overcome. Also, there is a heavy emphasis on real, thoughtful human connections and interpersonal relationships, which may or may not be something you’re also craving from an isekai tale.
- “Rebuild World” Sci-fi instead of fantasy, which might be a plus or a minus for you. The protagonist might turn out a bit overpowered some day, but it’s proving so far to be a very slow and steady progression to get there, with a journey built on his personal efforts.
- It’s possible that “I Parry Everything” might fall in this category as well, but with only the first two parts of the first volume released so far, it’s way too soon to tell.
P.S. To everyone who helped me out a month ago, I just want to say thanks again. I’ve greatly enjoyed working through the recommendations you provided.
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@22144418 - besides the great suggestions above, (Faraway Paladin is one of my favorites) you might take a look at:
Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World - despite the title, the MC has to work for every bit of power, in (to borrow from the Instant Death Cheat author) "an unforgiving world that rewards only effort"
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom - MCs main power is his knowledge of economics and politics, but it's more entertaining than that might imply. Although serious, it's nothing like the grimdark sex and violence of Game of Thrones.
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@Dawnaxis Anything that is a light novel, yes.
I just remembered about Deathbound Duke's Daughter, when's volume 3? I really liked it, and it hasn't even hit the main part (where the game actually takes place) yet.
Dahlia and Apothecary are both great. It does get a bit heavy with reading it thoroughly, so I'm still a volume or two behind. Especially when also having the other light novels occupying the same general head space, they do tend to bleed into each other at a certain point.
I'll take a look at some of the others, there's plenty of recommendations. Thank you all for the help!
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@22144418 said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
I just remembered about Deathbound Duke's Daughter, when's volume 3?
Sadly, it was cancelled in Japan, and JNC can't license webnovels for business reasons. All we can do is try to find and read a translation of the webnovel (posting links here is not allowed).
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@22144418 said in General Reading Recommendation Thread (Not Series License Requests):
I just remembered about Deathbound Duke's Daughter, when's volume 3?
The question I have been praying for for years...
