Really likable characters and even the antagonists until now are great and not just some douche with random motivation to be evil

TL;DR - a decent novel about character building and swords. pretty chill read but you have to recognize there are flaws in this novel; my true rating is a 2.5/5

This is a story of a kind boy with literal Heaven-defying talent in the sword who is trying to find his way in the world, because of his internal conflicts, and it also shows him adventuring with his friends (who are well-developed in character). This is definitely a novel with some substance. However, the fights are bottom tier in quality, and... more>> the novel focuses more on character-building than the actual 'power fantasy' part of the novel. You aren't really missing out if you decide not to read this novel, but nevertheless it is much more laid back than most sword-focused novels.

Airn/Airen Parriera is a kind young master (rare) who has lost all motivation in life for 10+ years upon seeing the death of his mother. All he does is laze around, hence the alternate title of the novel 'The Lazy Lord Masters the Sword'. Yet, his family (consisting of his dad, stepmom, and an OP sorcerer sister) still support and love him (because they are not cultivator tr*sh).

One day, Airen dreams of his past life, as an old swordsman who has swung his sword in the same village for around 50+ years, reaching the literal pinnacle of swordsmanship. Airen, confused and motivated by the man in his dreams, soon desires to take up a sword as well! However, when trying to enroll in the esteemed Krono swordsmanship academy, Airen discovers he is light-years behind his peers! Fortunately for him, Airen is influenced by the man in his dreams and uses his past life's experiences to display immense hard work, allowing him to quickly grow as a swordsman.

Airen definitely has talent, but he is confused on how he should co-exist with his past-life influencing him. As he was a lazy lord before, Airen is somewhat naive, so some parts of this novel is spent on Airen trying to find himself by experiencing a multitude of people, hardships, and events. So, its GOT to make sense that he has a Hero mentality (Japanese MC lookin ass). However, his companions aren't useless. They grow along with Airen, and are jealous of his heaven-defying talent, in awe of his power, and respect him for his character. There are a little too much teacher figures in this novel, but they are pretty well written (many of the side characters are well-written as well). The messages sent throughout this novel aren't bad. Sometimes I'm convinced this novel author writes SOL and comedy wayyyy better than he can write action.

This novel focuses on the adventures of Airen and co. as they navigate this world filled with swords, magic, more swords, some sorcery, spirits, demons and devils, a little bit (actually a lot) of character-building and of course MORE SWORDS.

This novel is decent, but there are a multitude of cons:

• • horrible fight scenes. By horrible I mean one word, or 1-2 sentences at most describing the events of a sword fight, and the words in these sentences are basically just:
    • • Koooooong
    • • 90% character building and reflection and 10% sword noises
    • • ....!
    • • ...
    • • clash
    • • Kwang
    • • Kick!
    • • 'internal character thoughts'
    • • Clang!
    • • I literally just chose a random novel chapter with a fight scene and I was able to find one of these in there, its f*cking ridiculous.

• • Ridiculous emphasis on character building. Once you think Airen has found himself and steeled his will or whatever, some random ass conflict arises and we are back at stage 1. However, I can't deny that his character has surely grown throughout the novel.
    Spoiler

    Unfortunately, even if Airen is at the Sword Master rank now, it seems like this trope of him needing to discover something new about himself and realize it will continue.

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    .
    • • Although this is a world-of-swords novel, it doesn't seem that way at all. Rather, it is about each person finding their own character within their sword or some BS, and this only continues as the ranks get higher. From Sword Expert to Sword Master it seems like you have to have some internal realization in order to gain aura. It also seems that there's just more to learn about yourself the higher you go with the sword, which doesn't really make sense; I thought it was about sword technique but nooooo its about how you view yourself and others. Sure, I get the messages that this novel tries to send and I appreciate it, but at the same time, when this is the only plot device in the novel I will sh*t on it.

• • Airen's literal god-defying talent. Airen is literally Gary Stu. He is really good with the sword,
    Spoiler

    as seen by several chapters where one character is explaining something and Airen just grasps the concept instantly, much to the dismay of every other character

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    , he has a kind demeanor, and he is not some cunning cultivator bastard. He reminds me a lot of a Japanese MC with his naivety, but in more of a good way. It just doesn't make sense sometimes how easily he can grow as a swordsman, but the author uses his past life to justify this.

Unfortunately for me and you, we all have to remember that this novel is more of an adventure and involves a lot of character building, as opposed to a journey with a destination.

Some of the Pros of this novel are:

• • The characters. Pretty much every single character in this novel is well-thought out, even if some of them are used for comedic effect.

• • The more chill elements. SOL/romance isn't bad in this novel (although the romance is literally 4% there)

• • The pacing. It's pretty damn fast but you can keep up with the novel most of the time. It also helps explain why Airen gets so strong all the time, because actual months and years pass by.

• • Foreshadowing. I would have nitpicked about a lot more elements in this novel if the author hadn't so clearly foreshadowed some of them
    Spoiler

    like how the Devils and demons are still in this world and are just influencing it from the shadows

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    . Its clear that the author had somewhat of a plan in mind when creating this novel. (Doesn't mean I won't sh*t on it a little...I mean a lot...)

Edit: I just wanted to come back to this review because I started reading some generic ass JP novel (I Became Peerless After I Threw My Whole Paycheck at a Real-Life Gacha) and the fight scenes in that generic leveling monsters novel were somehow better than any fight scene I've ever read in Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble! God damn! Thankfully RDN has a manhwa adaptation but even so this novel author really doesn't know how to write fight scenes. just understand what kind of novel RDN is, a more laid-back novel instead of an action fantasy. <<less

In my opinion it is a really good novel although there are certain flaws to it. To avoid spoilers i'll just give a brief mention about the pros and flaws thus far.

Pros:

The author does a really good job in showing the individuality of not just the MC but also the side characters and give them a sense of life. We get to see them grow with the MC while also struggle in their own way

The novel also shows the Different flaws the the main character and how he overcomes it... more>> be it by himself or with the help of others. On the topic of his relationship with others, the novel really shows how the interaction between the characters grow as we progress through the story.

We also get the see the individualism of others their own backstory and how they had grown to become who they are.

Flaws:

The glaring issue I noticed is the authors overemphasis on human relationships to aid the growth of the main character. You can observe this multiple times throughout the novel and it somewhat dulls the novel.

Next issue is that the MC grows really really quickly. Ignoring the initial time skip, past that point the MC grows too quickly. I'm not saying it is bad as I am ok with fast growth but it links back to the authors over emphasis on the MCs personal relationships that lead to his fast growth. That is not to say his growth is based solely on his relationships as his experiences and his teachers also comes into play. But the author uses the relationship trope more often even with other characters tho not all which helps to balance it out a little.

Another thing is although not really a big issue and it also helps to deepen the story but the author enjoys having users bring up their personal experience to explain their sword intent or their way of the sword in a way. It's a somewhat overused plot line the author uses although not as much as using personal relations. It's more like fairy tails friendship trop although not as saturated as the author avoids the "power of friendship trumps all" kinda plot. Overall:

Other than the over emphasis on personal relationships I feel like it is a great novel and a worthy read thus far and it is worth a shot for ppl to read.

I personally liked watching his growth as well as the other characters personal growth. The individualism of each character os refreshing as it gives life to all the characters unlike other novels where the only character with substance is the main character. Here you can really empathise and watch the other characters grow. It's much like having multiple main characters.

Although it is not the absolute best, this novel is refreshing and interesting.

Spoiler

side note: As of this point the romance of this novel has more or less officially started for the main character. Around 200plus so there isn't really much to talk about for the MCs romance story

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By far one of the most boring and tr*sh novels I've read.

MC: there is none he doesn't exist, that's how bland and cardboard he is. Harems in Chinese novels are more existent than our MC.

Side characters are annoying, there's been more about them than the MC which shouldn't happen at all.

Going by the actual reviews and not the 5 star ones by the idiots, yes they're idiots. The novel doesn't get better but worse.

An unusual novel that isn’t for everyone. There is no general plot or foreseeable direction the story is going towards. Most of the story so far is forcibly driven forward by colourful characters appearing and inserting themselves into the MC’s life during mundane situations like sitting in a bar or passing a store. As readers, enjoying this novel would not be intuitive.

Closest I could relate the story to is as a PTSD slice of life story in another world.

For me when the main character of your novel is not the main character your novel is tr*sh. This one is a prime example of it. Can't make decisions can't move forward by himself always needs someone to push him to tell him how to do this and that and that what he is doing is wrong and that he should be doing it in a different way can't train by himself can't think for himself. Also all the characters around him keep telling him how everything he's done so... more>> far was wrong and useless. And the characters that actually matter are always better than him. It's just not a character that I would want to have anything to do with personally. I don't know why I even bothered reading so far. Even if it gets better later I don't care. Decent translation quality that's 2 stars. <<less

I love this novel so much because this not only about improve your sword and defeat enemies.

This novel is about improve your mind and body. In the beginning the MC is like a potato, but keep improve. The battle is about himself.

I love the novel so much! I don't get why people give low ratings to this novel but it certainly deserves my 5 stars

The plot, the characters, character development, and the romantic pairings~!

... more>>

Spoiler

I love the Judith and Bratt pair, they are like Yin and Yang, Fire and Water LOVE THE CHEMISTRY~ and our main protag Airn and Ilya the romantic build-up is just so good that I, the romance-cringe person liked it enough to stick around

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I usually don't stick around a novel that has romance,

Spoiler

especially when it's not on the tags, it makes me think that the novel deceived me, I experienced it when the novel Stagnant Water of Apocalypse has a HAREM in it and it didn't say in the tags!! TSK

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bcuz it makes me cringe especially when they quickly fall in love, but this novel here is different, I don't have many words to say to describe it, Just. Read. It. To find out! Yall won't be disappointed. <<less

Its good. Light and wholesome. Definately recommend it.

I approve... or not? My subjective rating is 3, 5/5 but objectively it should be 4, 5/5. It just wasn't what I expected the story to be about.

So, what to expect:

1) This story has unique extensive character development, primarily for the main character (MC) and his three friends. The development of these characters is the main focus of the story, rather than the action, demon subjugation, or becoming the strongest swordsmen. The story is primarily a journey of character development, with some training and sparring between friends, making up approximately... more>> 85% of the plot.

In my subjective opinion, I was a little disappointed. I expected more action from the story, but I suppose sparring can be considered as "action" as the bar is set low. I think there wasn't even an evil person in the first half of the story. The story focused heavily on the character development of the MC and his friends, with a large number of mental and emotional obstacles they had to overcome. Every time they solved one problem, another would arise, either because of unforeseen circumstances or as a result of solving previous problems. I understand that the focus on character development is not a flaw in the story, it just doesn't align with my personal preferences. You can't expect everyone to like a well-written story while ignoring their personal preferences.

2) You can expect romance in the story. It is well-written, and the relationship between characters does not feel forced. It's strange that it doesn't have a romance tag despite being as prominent as the action (maybe even more).

3) There will be a lot of training (not just physical) even after the school arc. There's always a short-term goal for his training, so it's not just mindless training. In my opinion, many of these goals were insignificant and mainly served to support character development for the main character or his friends.

4) All characters are likable, and there are no face slapping scenes where MC is showing off his power. The main character doesn't have any overpowered abilities that make him unbeatable, he works hard to achieve his goals. Despite becoming reasonably strong, he maintains his humble nature. Opinions on the main character's coolness or lack of being an as*hole vary based on individual preferences.

5) There are time skips but in my opinion are very well done

6) Translators did a really good job in translation this novel.

Edit: I read some of the reviews I think demonlord0 head the best one out there. <<less

Nice story, the battles are sometimes void of action but the world building and the character growth are perfect in this LN

If I was being generous, I'd call this slow paced.

If I was being honest, I'd call it boring.

The story just doesn't have much to keep you interested. It started out relatively interesting, and it goes for a "realistic" take on the power fantasy, with the main character not quickly becoming powerful or anything. But it fails to have any build up of tension and payoff that is essential for keeping you interested. If you are hoping for a story about adventures and conspiracies and such.. this isn't it. Instead its... more>> chapter after chapter of "swordsmen" who go around sparring with others and a MC who constantly broods over s*upid crap like "the meaning behind his sword" and whether he is ok killing a human being or some abstract nonsense about finding his own sword"

All of it is done so much that it just becomes repetitive and boring beyond belief. I kept reading hoping things would get interesting, and it never did. There are brief moments where it looked like the story was going to go in an interesting direction, but those things are soon resolved and it goes back to more introspection from the MC and praise and admiration about how cool he is by those around him.

I hope this changes eventually, but so far its not very fun to read.

Also, a sword is a weapon... its use is to cut people and kill. But in this book, duels amount to basically both sides showing off some incredible technique until one of them breaks the other's sword. Apparently swords in this world are made out of cast iron and the point of fighting is to break the other guys sword rather than you know... the other guy's body. If you are going to write an entire story revolving around swords and duels, you should at least have a basic understanding of the subject. Imagine if someone decided to write a gritty story about prostitution and exploitation for five year olds, where the prostit**es get paid money to hold hands. That's kind of what this feels like, except its about swords. <<less

I couldn't get far in this one. So he sleeps for 10 years. This means he has NO education. Kids at 5 years old don't magically learn to read or write or how to have a proper conversation. Yet 5 days after he stops being in bed, where he did nothing but swing a sword all day, every day, he suddenly knows how to read??? He knows complicated words which no 5 year old would understand. Since he hasn't talked for years there is no way he would have learned... more>> them either. What parent would allow their 5 year old kid to stay in bed every day for 10 years?? <<less

The story of...

Gloomy guy visiting swordsmen fan clubs all over the world, wondering who's the strongest martial chop heavenly aura sky dragon fire volcano butter vegetable oil decaffeinated blinker fluid master of sword.

It's a fan club drama. The world felt so small, too much emphasis talking about sword and strong swordsmen. Everything is either swordsmen or not.

This is honestly a great novel if you enjoy character development and are willing to invest some time into it. Beginning of the novel is slow as there is an intentional lack of world building and slow pacing due to MC's limited experiences and traumas. Our knowledge of the world as an audience grows with the MC and becomes more satisfying in later chapters as pacing picks up.

Characters are in-depth and display a unique flexibleness which adhere to their personalities that most novels lack and realistically portrays the process of... more>> overcoming traumas.

This is a satisfying read worthy of 4.5 stars and I can understand the low early reviews due to how the novel is written. Translation quality is also great <<less

If I was reading this assuming it's a polished final draft, then the author seems more interested in talking about motivation and hard work than telling a story.

If I was reading it as a rough draft, then I'd say there's a good framework for a story. If this gets published and that publishing comes with some serious reworking and editing then I'd give this a shot again.

It's also a little difficult to know how different the reading experience would be if it wasn't MTL poetry.

It's good. It's like a contained fire, unlike hotblooded op kill everything story this one is like an endless battle against oneself; where the story will go, I don't know, I really enjoy seeing the MC's growth nonetheless.

It's pleasant, MC is the definition of working hard, and that helps with the story a lot.

44 chapters in, nothing really happened other than MC training.

This novel so far has been MC training, training and more training. But he isn't like Rock Lee who trains by his own will and puts in effort in order to achieve a goal.

No MC just trains for the sake of it. What's more his motivation isn't even his own but instead comes from the dream guy. MC is easily influenced by it and from being a mindless zombie that sleeps all days, becomes a mindless zombie that continues to train,... more>> without having any sort of purpose or desire.

We have 44 chapters of that where MC is just kind of there training and getting stronger, while the world around him reacts to him.

The side characters have more personality and character development than MC does. So if anything the reason why I managed to read 44 chapters of it was mainly because of them.

As for MC... he really feels like a side character that is just there, despite the story being centred around him and because of that we spent 44 chapters of nothing happening other than MC changing location of his training.

I don't know if story gets better with time. The reviews of +200 chapter read seem good but right now there are only 80 chapters translated and being halfway there. It's not worth it. <<less

Not really exciting tbh. It starts of with a depressed young man who has lost his mother in mysterious circumstances. Then he gets a mysterious dream and pulls himself out of his depression and tries to work hard. I love the initial portrayal of him desperately trying to get out of his depression. But after that, things get bland and well... a bit too many blank spaces for me.

The side characters have a lot of potential to grow but they are ultimately reduced to serve as foils for MC.... more>> There is no clear goal either for the MC. It is too boring and slowpaced for a novel for me. I prefer the manhwa version. <<less