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Rating(3.4 / 5.0, 310 votes)
5 | 44% (137 votes) |
4 | 12% (36 votes) |
3 | 10% (32 votes) |
2 | 12% (37 votes) |
1 | 22% (68 votes) |
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Weekly Rank: #9377Monthly Rank: #10427
All Time Rank: #339
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All Time Rank: #2802
Description
Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.Welcome to Freia. A continent perpetually torn by war. Hundreds of years ago it was ruled by Magi, people capable of magic who viewed themselves as superior to those who could not. For thousands of years they ruled over common people… but times change.
Magic is a finite resource, and with its steady depletion, the magi grew weak. Eventually they were overthrown in a great war that saw them made all but extinct. Magic fell with them, becoming taboo in every way, the object of villainy in the novels of romance and heroism.
War is a human condition, however, and it has continued to wage unerringly between the successor kingdoms and empires as the common man fights to become master of the world left behind by the magi.
Magic has gone, but power remains, now wielded in the form of firearms and manpower. Muskets echo on the fields and cannons thunder on the ocean, even more so now that the greatest kingdoms on the continent have pushed out to colonise the far-away land known as Nubissia.
Born into this world of chaos is a young man, reincarnated from a salaryman in 21st century China. Lacking the prejudice against magic, and possessing a hobbyist’s knowledge of firearms and tactics, our young protagonist forges his path in a world where magic and musket war.
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One entry per line重生之黑铁的荣耀
Related Series
N/ARecommendations
Tales of the Reincarnated Lord (7)The Amber Sword (2)
Throne of Magical Arcana (2)
Release that Witch (2)
Warlock of the Magus World (1)
Pivot of the Sky (1)
The Black Iron's Glory [BIG] tells a story of a transmigrator on a body of a 16 year old middle schooler on a continent were magic ('almost') disappeared. The MC, Claude, seems attracted to the magic in this continent named Freia, that is much like late middle ages in his previous world (Earth), there are already classic firearms (like arquebus/muskets). Magic has become forbidden after wars against magicians were held in the past, and those who could cast magic were labeled as outlaws. Being the second son of a civilian family, as many wars are still held between the kingdoms on the continent of Freia, when Claude turns 18 he will have to join the army (as meat shield). Maybe something will happen that will change his future...
Some words of advice:
First, you may find it a little slow, boring, too much details and not enough climax on the beginning, until you reach chapter 130ish, but still a good read. Around chapter 130 things starts turning around and the author starts with the never end events like you would expect on a novel. Second, this story is not about swords and bows (like Tales of Reincarnated Lord [TORL]), but about magic and firearms. The tech age is a little more advanced, there are already firearms, but still archaic (those that you need to put the gunpowder and the round bullet separately). As a reincarnated, the MC seems to be developing new firearms that the bullet and gunpowder are in a cartridge. Third, this is not about 'kingdom building' (doesnt seem so IMO). Fourth, this is the same author of TORL, he writes stories on a believable manner, different from classical chinese novels. E.g: on classic chinese novels there are 10 chapters of a prolonged fight against a... minion from a sub-boss, where they summon a creature of 100kkk meters long (Earth radius is ~6, 4kk meters), and he trows a spell that kills 12 billion people and destroy 2 planets... Or on classic chinese novels has something like: a world has 10 humans levels, on the first you are a normal human; 2nd level you can blow your house; 3rd level blow a city; 4th level blow a region/county; 5th level blow a continent; 6th level blow a planet; 7th level blow a star; 8th level blow a galaxy; 9th level blow a universe; 10th level the MC is so overpowered that the author label him of something over Gods... Yeah... thats classic chinese novels... but not for 'Smoke Is a Path', the author of TORL and BIG, he writes much more down to reality stories, and you may think: "Oh it will become boring fast!?" and I would answer "On the contrary!". The story becomes much more relatable and reliable, the world building more exciting, the fights more believable, the level ups and skills more challenging. Smoke Is a Path writing overcome these difficulties and is good enough to give you a nice reading. I was searching every now and then for this author next novel after he dropped TORL, and here we are. Fifth, if you are searching for a well written story, logical and rational character designs, with a good description of the world, this is the author for you. But if you are searching for fast paced, a lot and prolonged fights, characters with inhuman MC growth (typical chinese novel), this is not for you. The lots of descriptions and details that put you into the characters and the world will make those who like a more action/fast paced novel to dislike BIG. My opinions:
BIG story seems well written, a likable story, good world building, good characters as TORL... but I have to say, I was expecting something different from this author, something closer to TORL. First, like ppl said on other reviews, the start (until around chapter 130) is too slow, many details and the description of (it seems) a lot of unimportant events that wont affect much of the story. Event though they are good chapters and a good read. Once through those 130 starting chapters you stumble upon a nice turn of events and that turn this novel (it seems like) into a 5 star novel (I changed it from 4 stars). Second, it seems it wont be about 'kingdom building' (IMO it seems so, or not until very late in the novel) as TORL. (Update c500. Yes, it has 'kingdom building', but it is much later on the story). Third, TORL there is a lot of people/friends of the MC that develop together. But on this novel, because magic is 'forbidden', it wont be that easy to develop together with other people. So I am betting that on BIG it will be a more solo storyline. Losing one of the good points of TORL. Forth, the MC seems a bit screwed about killing...
Later in the novel he walks to back alleys to find gang members to... steal pocket money... because magic is 'forbidden', he has to kill everyone who saw him using magic, so he kills and kills. Although who he kills are all bandits... he just doesnt care enough for a normal guy with sanity... (Update c500, the author doesnt show this behavior anymore later on the novel)
(This is a preliminary review since there's only 14 chapters out at the moment)Updated review below The story is not your typical cultivation/RPG/cheat abilities that usually appear with transmigration. Despite the cover, instead of a world filled with swords & magic, "spiritual power, " or cultivation levels, the story takes place in a world that is in the middle of a Renaissance era. Technological development and social changes are more important than 1000 year old treasures. It feels very realistic and immersive. The MC is well-written and acts in a... more>>-
- One of the best-written military arcs in an isekai. The author must have either served in the Army for awhile or done extensive research, because his grounded approach to the military is quite accurate. While some concepts are simplified, his take on the military and its infrastructure is better than any other JP isekai out there.
Cons:The childhood arc is written differently from the rest of the novel and should not set your expectations for the rest of it. There's many little details about the world setting, history, etc which you may or may not find interesting. The MC explores magic here, and there's a xuanhuan/cultivation feel to the magic system.
The soldier arc is when the MC is drafted into the army. Writing becomes less detailed, filler starts being introduced in the form of standard Chinese webnovel antagonists (ie: vicious, arrogant, shameless idiots). MC starts to implement some modern reforms and finds some success whilst being hampered by aforementioned cliche idiots. Mage stuff is thrown into the back-burner as the story goes full army. Basically, MC makes muskets more accurate, which makes the age-old tactic of lining up in rows to whittle down the enemy in battles of attrition meaningless. Tactics actually have meaning, but the comically incompetent noble establishment resists change whilst their enemies adapt instantly.
After being promoted to a general, MC gets sent with his peers to retake the kingdom's colonies. First two arcs I'm not sold on, but I'm addicted to this one. They basically pull off a mini-America. Lots of army battles. MC is unleashed as he now has the power to pull off what he couldn't in the last arc, but is regularly dragged down by incompetent allies. And oh, the family drama. The end boss of the Shicks Kingdom campaign ends up being his mother.
There's a lot more filler now, author often recaps what happened in the last few chapters and the names of nations and army units are constantly spammed (transliterated names in Chinese really ups the word count). Nobles and natives are devolved into monolithic groups of well, a**holes. Mage stuff is essentially completely sidelined, it's basically used as a replacement for science in tech development.
The first arc has progression in the form of earning money and magic prowess. The third has nation building and tech development.
MC isn't infallible. His family life is screwed up. Often in xianxia stories the MC neglects his family due to s*upid plot reasons, but this is the only one where I've thought it makes sense, him being away at war for years at a time. And oh, he pays for it. He also cheats on his wife with two women, so I guess the harem tag applies. - MC's a Chinese nationalist. It'll annoy you when it comes up, but thankfully it's not often (probably around 10 occasions?). I can't tell if it's an author hang-up or if he really wanted to write a nationalist character. It certainly fits the theme/era of the story, especially the MC's harsh colonialist actions during the third arc. He literally chose "Han" for his noble house name, which would be like giving yourself "Caucasian" for a middle name. There was also the time he modelled his troops' new army uniforms after the Nazis', because why not. - Story's currently on hiatus (the raws), I assume due to the coronavirus.