I am the Monarch

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Roan ran away 20 years ago from his rural village in the aim of becoming a Great General. However, all he got 20 years later was just a handful of money and the lowly position of squad commander of the First Legion’s.

In the end, he became a cold corpse in the battlefield… but somehow, he came back in the past.

“Alright. This time, I won’t become a Great General but a Monarch.”

His previous life’s aim was becoming a Great General, but, he only became a spearman squad commander.

This time, his life’s aim is becoming the Monarch.

“Then I guess I’d become at least a General, right?”

Roan, who remembers 20 years of his future, now starts his unstoppable march.

Associated Names
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나는 군주다
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143 Reviews sorted by


8Psycho
8Psycho rated it
March 24, 2018
Status: Completed
I have mixed feelings about this novel.

On one hand fantasy world is pretty well made, battles are great whatever it is duels or large scale battlefields, overall plotline is mostly interesting. (Despite being quite perforated)

On other hand, novel is free from gradations. You can clearly separate allies from enemies; vile evildoers and saint paragons of moral integrity (respectively, enemies and allies. Coincidence, no doubt), geniuses and average people, There is no in-between.

Childish idealism is completely rampant in this novel, humans give away their loyalty and life as easy as... more>> main character spewing out soft aura of the ruler, more and more with each nonsensical power up.

Also, ending (about last 50 chapters) is full of shit.

3.5 stars overall. <<less
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daf rated it
October 2, 2016
Status: c50
Awesome use of the past. Very realistic. Hoping for successful romance, but I understand it isn't the focus right now. Good action scenes. MC is logical and moral. Highly recommended.
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Aternus
Aternus rated it
September 29, 2016
Status: --
I'm definitely biased when it comes to second chance novels, I love them. So I'll only say the one negative its that the MC seems to be too talented with predictions that aren't related to his previous life's knowledge. Like his interactions with high ranked people and stuff. It would make sense if he was talented in his previous life at that, but he wasn't. I dunno where he gets it from, but similar to transcending the nine heavens if you can accept the sudden character becomes a genius shift... more>> its a fantastic read. <<less
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ElecNinja
ElecNinja rated it
August 19, 2016
Status: c7
Definitely an extreme bias on my part, but finally a novel where the MC uses a spear instead of a sword.

The staff style weapons were always my favorite and it always bothered me that swords were the more prevalent weapon in this kind of fiction, so seeing a spear user as the MC is a great thing for me.

And beyond that, the story is pretty nice. The MC takes matters into his own hands but doesn't discard the people who have slighted him.
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icecream
icecream rated it
August 14, 2016
Status: c28
Amazing! Op MC that knows the future, but don't let that fool you. The setting makes this more interesting compared to other reincarnation type novels. The MC is bold, but still cool-headed, understanding and aware, yet ruthless and clever. No dense, s*upid, naive MC in this reincarnation story! It's really great
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nakie08
nakie08 rated it
August 4, 2022
Status: c121
They say an MC can only be as intelligent as the writer, and this unfortunately painfully shows in this novel. The author wanted to write an intelligent MC but wasn't capable enough to do so, so everyone else had to be nerfed. I mean, one time the MC had to explain to a room full of military leaders that it's not a good idea to wait in place as the enemy army is coming at you in a pincer formation. And another time MC proposed the revolutionary idea of essentially... more>> "scout ahead". Like, is it really that hard to understand the importance of scouting a natural geographic chokepoint that your army is heading towards? Everybody else is just like "Are you crazy? Do you not know how peaceful and monster-free this area is?". Is future knowledge really needed for this kind of stuff? So then it ends up in this ridiculous situation where hardened military veterans are subjecting to an 18yo know-it-all recruit that hasn't even gone through basic training yet. It's just utterly ridiculous to me.

If everybody is as dumb as brick then yeah, the MC is a genius comparatively. <<less
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poloniapoloni
poloniapoloni rated it
November 27, 2020
Status: Completed
"I am the monarch" is a other run of the mill novel where the MC goes back in time.

It adds very little to the genre with overused tropes.

1) World buildings is lackluster. MC mostly goes from battle to battle non stop and side characters are not fleshed out.

2) The timing of the MC is ridiculous, always arriving in the exact moment he is needed (e.g. Right before an ally is about to be killed).
Events also seem to occur only when the MC appears in the region (even events that... more>> happened in the future are brought forward at the exact moment the MC arrives).

3) Mana system is poorly developed throughout the novel. 4) Constant praising of the MC using bystanders. 5) Rushed ending where the author had to create multiple power ups to the MC in a short amount of time for him to catch up to his enemies.

Overall a 2.5 star novel (I rounded up to 3). <<less
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contently
contently rated it
December 29, 2019
Status: c235
The novel was great preceding the 200 chapter mark.

Nearing chapter 200 it seems as though the author handed over the reins to a teenage DBZ fanboy. The plot takes a large dichotomous turn. Cliche after cliche of good vs evil, light vs dark, and enemies who are no better than lifeless puppets dragged down the story. Character development was thrown out in favor of chapters-long fight scenes and deus ex machina which would only be enjoyable to those who enjoyed DBZ and Bleach. I can definitely state that my time... more>> on this novel was wasted. <<less
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robot789
robot789 rated it
May 11, 2019
Status: c241
The translation is slow, but done well. The premise is yet another isekei, but interesting. That being said f*ck this story. The author has a god complex and portrays the MC as this savior who has to save the poor poor citizens. Battles, characters, lines are repetitive and gets ridiculous near the 200s. The villains are 1 dimensional and have no redeeming qualities as people. Again the MC is the only one portrayed as having any morals. Even if that were all true this novel would be a 3 start... more>> for me at least. The reason I gave it 1 star and have officially dropped it is because of how inconsistent the author's "morality" and how obsessive the god complex is. He gets a second chance, but fails to do the things he says he'll do. He pardons villains while letting people suffer so that he can swoop in as the messiah and gain all their recognition. The author/MC is a sick twisted pe*vert who gets off on this. <<less
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wrezkai
wrezkai rated it
March 31, 2019
Status: c240
It's alright.

I am the Monarch centers around a reincarnated op guy winning all the time and turning all his soldiers gay lmao

The first part was enjoyable, but I soon got annoyed of the eccentric sound effects and how easy it was for the MC to beat everyone, every single time. The translation is simple, but after some chapters you could feel the repetition of the same words, same effects, and same descriptions.

Also, the start didn't make a whole lot of sense. He didn't become a commander or general in his... more>> earlier lifetime with his strength or brains? Although he aged a bit, he still had potential. How come when he goes back in time, he suddenly has the courage to make an army, infuriate nobles, make connections, or create his own town? Was how charismatic he became a side effect of time travel? 3/5 stars mate <<less
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ItsAlive
ItsAlive rated it
March 4, 2019
Status: c213
It's a wish fullfillment kingdom building novel, with a huge amount of issues. There is no depth in any of the aspects of the novel be it warfare, politics, powerlevel/cultivation and whatnot. I wouldn't even recommend to kill time with it, like I did.

pro:

I guess it's generic shounen, you should know what to expect.

... more>> cons (only a few:)

Everything around the MC makes no sense, in his last life he was an illiterate till 30 and died at 38. But he's still pictured as genius of warefare, politics, administration and what not. Because of memories right? sure. Like the typical shounen genre there is no drama, setbacks or tension. All of his subjects behave like he is the love of their life.

There is in fact too many plotholes and inconsistencies to write them down. To name a few for example the "forgotten / ignored" plots that the author hinted but never used. The most ridiculous one should be the water mana cultivation heritage directly besides his base. Or teasing a glittering something beeing bought to light at a mountainside as "big" foreshadowing to the man*s arc and forgetting about it.

There is also plenty of forced plot introduced. The issue with the mana cultivation arts that are monopolised by the nobles even though, if they would distribute one to the common soldiers the respective country could steam roll all others (like the MC, what a genius...). Or the issue with the top genius tactician that pretty much finetuned all of the spear fodders (MC) tactics. Through his narcistic side he had some issue with trust and overrated himself. The author even added some potential scenarios like the infertile fields for characterdevelopment but ignored it at the end. I guess, in shounen there is none. The conclusion was likewise disappointing, at least in the aspect what should have happened and what did, at the end. <<less
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Ixcez
Ixcez rated it
June 2, 2018
Status: --
This one is a good read though the setting for the MC is mostly unbelievable especially in the early parts.

... more>>
Spoiler

Like most MC's this one has eidict memory remembering a bunch of stuff that happened 20 years ago like it all happened yesterday.

MC is explained as having 20 years of battlefield experience which is why he is such a bad ass at tactics, military knowledge, troop management as well as having knowledge about everything.

However this is a setting on top of the fact that a) MC was a low ranked group leader never gaining a rank over leading 20ish people b) the MC didn't know how to read untill 5-10 years had passed on the battlefield c) most of his time is explained as having to earn money since he had to pay for gear and bribes and move to a higher tier army which is a big reason for his low rank since d) it's under the setting that secret, vital and dangerous information was freely handed out to every soldier in the armies (no fear of information leaks here eh?) e) While appearently having no money he was somehow while being a low ranked leader with no connections able to get information about most things, people, places etc etc.

So with those points and more the MC is many times better then an commanding officer with 10 years battle experience since he has 20 years he knows stuff and tactics not even people going through commanding officer training. He also for some reason got a hold and studied all his previous battles so that even when from when he was a newly arrived grunt he knows everything.

So if you can look past that he somehow managed to get a hold of, and read up about hundreds if not thousands of battles, tactics, events people, terrain etc etc that would have taken years while never leaving the battlefield except for short vacations. It's a good read.

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The battles are a bit unbelievable and with the fact that the MC is said to be completly unskilled in combat I am unsure if enough battle experience is able to make up for it.

The MC is to be honest a bit of a jealous douche. Fairly heavy spoiler here be warned.

Spoiler

The MC joins the army with a guy (I believe their from the same village as well but can't remember if it is so or not) who is extremly skilled at using the spear who was quickly acknowledged and specially chosen to be trained. This led to him becoming a master in the spear on a fast track in carrer and nobility eventually becoming a duke.

The MC pretty much downplays how he became distant and wasn't a "good" friend (this is the vibe I got) after becoming rich and famous. Even so the spear guy taught the MC his self created spear technique and that he named after himself. Which the MC then uses all the time, and through out the stories begining. He also helped the MC out by handing him some tips and information to help him out when he could, while also helping him financially from time to time. We also later find out the reason the MC could even reincarnate was that the guy used his most precious artifact said be able to bring someone back to life in the hope of brining his best friend (the MC) back to life which leads to the MC coming back to life but in the past.

So how does the MC thank him? By teaching him his future self created spear technique and shamelessly renaming the spear technique in his name and saying he was the one who created the spear technique. He also makes the guy his subordinate and steals his fast track carrer opportunity cause the MC is N1.

So yeah douche detected

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With that said it is a fairly well thought out world together with good writing. <<less
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SinsI
SinsI rated it
August 17, 2017
Status: c36
The story really lacks character development and interaction in non-combat situations. MC just has his goal (to be come a Monarch), but there's no real motivation for his ambitions.
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SayMrrp
SayMrrp rated it
August 5, 2017
Status: c164
I like this novel. It might not have a lot of 'hype' inside, but there's a slow simmering burn of expectancy.

It's a kingdom-building novel. That's probably the most apt description I can give. The title says it all. Lots of setting up foundations for a kingdom and battles.

However, Roan hasn't become a monarch yet. Starting from a commoner soldier, he's going all the way up. He hasn't failed much yet and everything's going well, but I feel that something's eventually going to go really wrong at a crucial point.

The MC... more>> 'steals' and 'corrects' others' fates and does his own thing. He isn't passive. Unlike most generals/monarchs in novels, this dude's a good guy. He's morally righteous and wants to be a monarch for the people. He's ruthless on battlefields though. Doesn't leave potential threats. He's pretty smart for a dude that didn't do much in his past life. Good at fighting too. Strong, but not completely OP.

The battles in the novel are interesting. The fights are too. I find the way Roan interacts with mana to be interesting. It's not focused on a lot (the story's mostly kingdom building or war/battles), but in the future there will definitely be some important arcs focusing on mana.

Spoiler

(slightly tsundere) Potential water spirit king candidate following the dude. Not annoyingly though. Oh, and the reason for his time-travel was mentioned vaguely. I hope MC finds out all the details.

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Small complaints I have: the characters accept MC way too easily. He's seemingly conquering them without much trouble. They like him way too much for not too many reasons sometimes. However, this issue disappears eventually and happens strongly only at the start. Heck, I might be too sensitive and overreacting. Also, I might not sure how well characters are characterized... I think readers don't learn much about them besides a few character traits that represent them. That's understandable since there are sooooo many characters in the story though. Lots of land and allies. Don't worry, the characters are enough to make emotional readers cry, so they're decently characterized enough. I just feel like the MC gets way too much spotlight, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The side characters are adorable though.

Last thing: romance is really shaky in this novel. It's not focused on now, but in the future there will be development probably.

Spoiler

The seemingly main girl is nice and all, but the reason for Roan and her to fall in love is kinda meh. It's fate???? What the... At least they don't immediately decide that they're in love and swoon together, but still. Their romance is interesting though.

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<<less
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kossboss
kossboss
January 9, 2017
Status: c100
This novel reminds me a bit of the anime/manga of Kingdom. Not quite the same but there are some similarities that make it close. This novel honestly is really well done, and besides one reveiwer who said the strategies don't work, I am not sure if your visualizing the battles well enough. While the strats a basic they do seem to work out in the story.
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TaoTie
TaoTie rated it
October 17, 2016
Status: --
So incredible. I love this story I love this plot I love these characters. Theres not a single cliche thing about it, the story and characters have such depth and it all gives a feeling that the next chapter will always hold something even more interesting, once you stop you cant put it down. Love it. I want more chapters all the time!
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riida
riida rated it
August 29, 2016
Status: c197
Current chapters are really good. The story was well planned and developed till now.

Reincarnator meets European middle ages and with much less continuous tongue-clicking in every paragraph, but with gratuitous lower-lip-biting and lips-smacking.

Fortunately, unlike the emotionless terminator-like protagonist from reincarnator who goes from point a to point b like a machine, this MC here is much more human-like.

... more>> Good military strategy and great battles.
This title is very enjoyable.

P.S.: Sometimes, very rarely, the translator uses words or phrases that don't really fit the meaning he is trying to convey, which hints towards him not being a native English speaker, but he seems to be trying his best. <<less
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Veresta
Veresta rated it
June 7, 2020
Status: c183
Spoiler

The novel was good from the start. It was all about politics, military strategies, and the ugly side of war. It feels like Monarch of Evernight but inferior fight scenes.

The problem with this novel for me is the depiction of MC. The MC is depicted as righteous and justice loving soldier that you can't find fault with. However, as the novel goes on, the MC does hypocritical things. I'm dropping this novel for now for this reason. The MC will betray the first prince to become a monarch when all this time, he's fighting betrayals. Another thing that I find bad about this novel is during wars, the author sets up heroic entrance for the MC everytime and in the process killing his comrades.

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4L3Y
4L3Y rated it
January 23, 2020
Status: c132
I've read a third of the story and it's good imo. Just not to my taste. MC is great and all but I was a little worried when I saw the rightous protagonist tag, and my fears came true. Authors keeps reminding us via others thought 'ah, he's a good guy' 'ah blah blah'. And it gets annoying at one point, And I think author has an unique definition of a good guy; It's 'aokay' to kill thousands of people and burn the food they brought without remorse, when they... more>> started the war because they were in their second year of starvation. They might literally die of starvation. And there is always a conparaison between good and evil and MC is always good. Humans are imperfect and good and evil depends on which side you're on.

Just say MC is like any other, protects his own, not a psychopath, has his own guidelines... blah... blah... blah

I view this more as and incomplete and sloppy version of TCF minus the comedy and hilarious misurderstamdings. So this novel is a meh rating for me, you can still read it if bored and you definitely go on without reaing it. <<less
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Wolfbrother
Wolfbrother rated it
December 19, 2018
Status: c232
I just want to say that this is a superb novel that really did not get the love it deserves. The plot and characters are some of the best I have seen for translated novels I have seen so far. I would have loved to have had a map while reading this novel as the world is pretty huge.

The reason why I deducted a star from my review was the translation speed. The quality is nice (minus the sound effects some people have complained about), but the translation speed is... more>> so low that it killed the popularity of this novel. I can even tolerate one chapter a month however when you have dedicated readers waiting over two months for a chapter that may or may not come, it makes everyone want to move onto greener pastures. <<less
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