How would you bring technology into a fantasy world? Make sense of the magics? Feed people and get rid of the corrupt nobles? This is specifically on developing a city or territory, not:
- Developing a dungeon/core (see my other list: https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/10742/)... more>>

First, a few worthy mentions that aren't on NU:
1. Castle Kingside (rewrite) - a lot of inspiration from Release that Witch, imo improved! Warning: it's slow. Kingdom only begins around c60ish.
2. The iron teeth - although territory development comes late in the story, it's well done and exotic, being based on a goblin kingdom
3. 1632 (published book) - an American village goes back to the 30 years war. It's much less fantastical, but has a lot of similar elements to other kingdom building novels.
4. The Eagle's Flight - highly intricate fantasy webnovel
5. Defiance of the fall
6. Randidly Ghosthound - neither Randidly nor Defiance of the Fall focus on kingdom building, but they both have elements related to setting up a post-apocalypse system city - complete the quest to get the village crystal/coin!
7. The Expansion (Legend of the Arch Magus) - [have not yet read] - recommendation from Hitexh in the comments
8. Enlightened Empire - weaker than the others <<less

I've read novels over the years, and I guarantee you won't regret diving into them.... more>>

No BL, GL. Sorry that's not my type of novels. 

Other novels from another websites (webnovel, scribblehub..)

Time emperor (fanfic)
https://www.webnovel.com/book/time-emperor-(champion)_17500339706298405

Fox in a inverted world 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/fox-in-an-inverted-world_19203318006781205

Author POV 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-author's-pov_20524563005115705

Administrator
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/94510/-the-administrator-/

School idol (yandere/gore novel)
https://www.wattpad.com/story/296700221-the-school-idols-yandere-harem

Shadow s*ave
https://www.webnovel.com/book/shadow-s*ave_22196546206090805

A Budding Scientist in a Fantasy World
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/256241/a-budding-scientist-in-a-fantasy-world/

The Reincarnation of Alysara 
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/278151/the-reincarnation-of-alysara/

Nanomancer reborn 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/nanomancer-reborn---i've-become-a-snow-girl_14064812306272705

Mother of learning 
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21220/mother-of-learning

My vampire System
https://www.webnovel.com/book/my-vampire-system_16709365405930105

Library of Rain
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/858447/library-of-rain/

For more recommendations, check out my next list: https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/83142/ <<less

Caution: bear the risk of having your taste being too sky-high standard.

An actually good escapism isekai that rewards you with feelings either sad or happiness. (note that this list is still unfinished)... more>>

Please leave feedback in the comment if u have a recommendation(im craving for a good isekai... help) or didn't agree with some of the lists. <<less

Baby and little kid cuteness only! (no lolis, unless they're kiddie cute).  ONGOING LIST.... more>>

Chibi means 'little' (but can also mean the adorable manga style also known as super-deformed, where characters are drawn like little kids).

'There can never be too much chibi/SD, as long as it's well drawn.' <<less

I hate harem. Why? Because most of the time it leads the story to a direction that's not pleasing. And most of all I don't... more>> fantasize about having thousands of girl on my lap.  Hell I'm not even interested in romance . Anyway this list contains novels that have zero harem and maybe it will have novels that have romance, but almost all of them are not focused on romance
So enjoy (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧ <<less

2nd List -
https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/50277/... more>>

3rd List -
https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/61691/

I am doing this list for people like me who enjoy family and friendships or gets entrained by MC building there organizations directly or indirectly—
(Unedited) They are all in alphabetic orders, # or A-Z

There will also master-follower relationship or master-disciple relationship being recovered or building up between them…

And some overstate themselves even though they are OP or haven’t released their power-

There are no romance nor harem but there might be people around them having favorable impressions on them or bad reputation trying to be fixed or just leaving it…

I will try to put on novels that I’m sure there isn’t any romance nor harem and have already read them so to be double sure and some are recommended to me and had told me there isn’t :>

Any that are involve with the tag romance is explained in the bottom ^^*

Loving family for the beginning, knowing, and get transmigrated in a novel or another world ✌️

MC - Main Character
OP - Over Powered
OG FL - Original Female Lead
FL - Female Lead
OG ML - Original Male Lead
ML - Male Lead
BL - Boy’s Love
GL - Girl’s Love
GB - Genderbend <<less

Novels with high-quality translations and plots that give a satisfactory face slap (the list is not in any particular order)... more>>

- Predominantly BL (with Happy Endings)

- Any non-BL that I find interesting 

- Binge-worthy  <<less

A list I'm using to recommend works which I may or may not have read the light novel for, but that I've definitely enjoyed the... more>> adapted version of, whether it's been adapted as a manga, manhua, manhwa, anime, webtoon, etc. I'll try to add notes on what the adaptation is and why I rec it to them, but there'll be a lot on here, so it's gonna be a WIP <<less

A list of novels with women/girls who know what they want, how to get it, and stand up for themselves. ... more>>

Note: the novels in this list are not in any particular order! My favorites are noted with two asterisks (**)! <<less

A list for stories with minimum conflict and a lot of fluff and healing with cute children and/or animals. No harems. Contains some BL. ... more>>

*Constantly updated. Suggestions are welcome!

**Not in particular order

Fluff level (10= all fluff, no plot; 5=occasional fluff, a lot of plot; to 1=all plot, no fluff) <<less

Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (このライトノベルがすごい! Kono Raito Noberu ga Sugoi!, lit. This Light Novel is Amazing!) is an annual light novel guide book published by Takarajimasha. The guide book publishes a list of the top ten most popular light novels according to readers polled on the Internet.... more>>

(A/N: This year a lot of, I mean almost half of the novels are newly released ones and so they don't have NU page. Jeez) 

Bunkobon/Light Novels

#1 Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka

#2 Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Agent (N/A)

#3 Classroom of the Elite

#4 Confession of Mimosa  (N/A)

#5 Propeller Opera

#6 The Angel Next Doors Spoils Me Rotten

#7 Days With My Stepsister

#8 The Detective is Already Dead

#9 The Neighbouring Aarya-san who Sometimes Acts Affectionate and Murmuring in Russian 

#10 Bullet Code: Firewall (N/A)

Tankobon/Books

#1 Sasaki and Pi-chan (N/A)

#2 Silent Witch

#3 Ascendance of a Bookworm

#4 Rebuild World

#5 Ishura

#6 Babel (N/A)

#7 Chousekai Tension Exodrive: Gekitou! Isekai Zennihon Daikaihen (N/A)

#8 Gendai Shakai de Otome Game no Akuyaku Reijou wo Suru no wa Chotto Taihen (N/A)

#9 Magical Device Craftsman Dahlia Won’t Hang Her Head Down Anymore

#10 Boku wa Saiseisu, Boku wa Shi (N/A) <<less

The original list was closing in on a hundred title so I decided to cut it in three parts, one for each country.... more>>

Here are the comic adaptations of japanese novels that I read, I’m reading or will read in the near future.

Part I (Manhwa/Korean): https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/17612/

Part II (Manhua/Chinese): https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/18150/ <<less

Upd. May 2023: Latest worthy addition: Fushisha no Deshi (Disciple of the Lich). ... more>>

Upd.:  I encountered several novels that blew up my top ranks in 2022.

I have a specific taste for Isekai novels, and I'm able to tolerate many things and sometimes even issues with the plot, world building and flatness of characters. But what I can say about this list you're about to witness, is that I'm positively able to re-read each and every of this novels, given the time.

In some cases, like Wortenia Senki and Hachinan Tte, I read both WN and LN, but I don't think it's needed to bother adding both versions to this list.

P.S.: While the list isn't fully complete, I'm starting slowly to add my biased comments for you to see.

P.P.S.: My memory is good, but I can still miss your favourite novel, if you think I did (I'm mostly talking about Isekai stuff), feel free to leave comment under the List. Most definitely I'll reply and if I didn't miss it for a reason, I'll add it (at least into my reading list, hehe). <<less

A really good kingdom building book isn't really about simple making bigger buildings. It's about improving the lives of the people the MC cares about... more>> around them and in doing so improving a nation. There's this heart felt way of doing it so that's what I want out of these books. Some of them do have harems but the female characters are done in such a way that they are fully develop human beings and it's classy or I just enjoyed it. It's really hard to find kingdom or development books like that in this space so I wanted to highlight them when I found it. <<less

This list is for people, like me, who are tired of romance and just want to read a good story.

There are revenge and face slapping novels as well as slice of life novels and all kinds so go through these and find your types.... more>>

Novels with strong female leads , funny female leads etc etc.

Some female leads are op[overpowered] okay but I like them too there is nothing wrong with them being op because the novels are really good to read.
Some are strong from the beginning. some of them have character growth from being weak to strong and here strong doesn't necessarily mean physical strength its also their mental strength I am talking about.

Some female leads might be a little bit rude  but those books are entertaining and well done for a one time read And also for once I can read jerk female lead instead of a jerk male lead alright.

If anyone want me to add some books to this category please comment below will add it (✿◡‿◡)(✿◡‿◡)q(≧▽≦q)q(≧▽≦q). <<less

As a man, I am not interested in shoujo novels in general... However, there are some that I've dared to try out that I've quite enjoyed. Here's a list!... more>>

Some I've admittedly not yet tried but soon intend to do so since they look like they would appeal, so my confidence level in the appeal is high for the first 15 titles, and... more experimental for the following...

Also, check out:
- The calamity of a reborn witch on RRL, it's a really great novel

I welcome thoughts and comments, particularly on ranking, additions and unsuitable novels for this list. <<less

Don't expect many harems with characters who can't think for themselves or fall in love with the MC before page 1. Many might have a slow moving plot... have to invest yourself into the characters to find the tragic, beautiful and poignant!... more>>

First, some English original webnovels that are superb and easily googleable (in order of best characters, not necessarily plot): 
1. Trailer tr*sh
2. Iron Teeth
3. Castle Kingside (rewrite)
4. Metaworld Chronicles
5. The Good Student
6. Worm (Parahumans)
7. AnimeCon Harem (18+)
8. Mother of Learning
9. Selena's Reign
10. Double Blind: A modern litRPG
11. Tidal Lock (unfinished)

Note that I've been recently pruning and updating the list to remove some that were just good stories with average characters and move them over to new lists that are top of their genre. You can see all my rec lists at https://www.novelupdates.com/user/10378/tallrice/ <<less

Japanese novel where the main character is a woman.... more>>

if there is a good novel, the MC is Female, Just comment, who knows, it will be added later. 

EN|ID

Ini adalah Novel Jepang yang Karakter Utamanya cewek, 
kalau ada yang novel bagus dan Cewek karakter utamanya, komen aja coyy

Part 2

https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/82340/?ft=yes <<less

This list includes web novels focused on making money (or bartering in the case of more primitive settings) using modern knowledge. Some of them are small-scale business owners, whereas others create kingdoms and focus on macro-economics. 
Some are gxb, others are BL, but barely any harems!! The harems included are basically inoffensive. I usually stay away from game elements like systems or cheats, but they're kind of inevitable in the genre. ... more>>

All of them are completed on mtl! 

On other websites: 

-Lady of the Lord From the East 

- The Landlord and His Wife 

- Mountain People  <<less

What I love to read. ... more>>

PS: No particular order <<less

The isekai here is pointed to another world, but not only to the usual Jpn isekai with reincarnation/rebirth/transmigrate MC. It can be the world that's totally not in the earth, and maybe it's not a reincarnation/transmigration and MC is from that world. ... more>>

My ideal isekai novel is the one with the world building as its central theme and the romance is non existent, even if there's romance element in it, usually it's slow and just as unnecessary side dish.

NO HAREM for me. Tho few of them has harem and romance tags, for me there are those that are not romance and harem, so I'll explain in related description instead. 

  <<less

No description.

List of favourites based mainly on:... more>>

isekai in any form (reincarnation etc.),  game elements, overpowered protagonist, country building and management, army building, modern knowledge in fantasy world and technological gap, crafting .

MC is pretty much always in control, always has a plan and always ends up on top. Or just has plot armor.

I don't exclude harems (even bad ones), if novel is good by itself. 

No yaoi. No pure wuxia or xianxia.

I don't include novels that are too short (less than 20-100 chapters depending on chapter length).

Some of novels may not be available on NU or be incomplete, but they are somewhere in web.

Novels are mainly Korean or Japanese. There are some Chinese novels included but they are either heavily west-influenced or not cultivation oriented. Basically, they are not Chinese-heavy if You know what I mean. The World Online is the only exception, as I simply skipped most of boring chapters.

Novels are kind of sorted best to "worst", though last novels on list my be unsorted at all. <<less