Tales of the Reincarnated Lord

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In a world where magic is long but a thing of the distant past, where humans have the potential of harnessing a dormant power within them, called Battle Force…

A man from modern-day Earth finds himself suddenly waking up in the body of Norton Lorist, a youth of noble descent that had been exiled from his homeland in the North by his family to Morante City, the capital of the Forde Trade Union on the pretext of pursuing his studies.

Little did he know what would await him when he receives a summons from his family years later to return to the Northlands and inherit the position of the family head…

This is the tale of his life before the summons…

This is the tale of his journey northward and the allies he gathers along the way…

This is the tale of his rebuilding his family’s dominion and keeping it safe from other power-hungry nobles…

This is the tales of the Reincarnated Lord.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Chóngshēng zhī lǐngzhǔ chuánqí
TRL
重生之领主传奇
Related Series
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Recommendations
Release that Witch (26)
Hail the King (9)
I am the Monarch (8)
Sevens (7)
Great Tang Idyll (5)
Genjitsushugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki (5)
Recommendation Lists
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  5. Win Life with War Strategies

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samurai99
New samurai99 rated it
March 1, 2024
Status: --
Well, if you like One Piece like flashbacks every single minute, a MC who's getting used and taken advantage of by every single character in the novel, and info dumps about everything, be my guest and enjoy the novel. I personally cannot go past chapter 37.
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Silveus
Silveus rated it
December 31, 2016
Status: c110
This started off pretty poorly, got better, but not good enough.

The story actually is well written and interesting, but it just suffers from several problems.

I have 3 complaints.

... more>> 1st The plot progresses shockingly slowly, massive amounts of information is info dumped on the reader, and is done so in one of the worst ways.

At one point, a petty antagonist character, who has been annoying since they were introduced, wrongs the MC. As readers, we are all like, "Yes, go curb stomp that moron."

so the MC storms off to go do just that, and then on the way, the author decided to just stop the action and write paragraphs about metallurgy from the past. Even better, after explaining thes ancient super metals that make the best weapons ever, the auther then goes. "But they don't exist anymore."

If they don't exist, why tell me about them?

The random placement of the info dump just kills the momentum of that scene.

2nd. The first 50 some chapters, (I forget the exact amount) Are dedicated to the life he MC lives. He reincarnated from modern china into this fantasy world. Of course, being from the real world, he brought ULTRA detailed information about his family's ancient KI techniques.

Guys, Ki Techniques aren't real. You can't be from the real world, and have ki techniques. That's not how reality works.

Okay, moving on from that.

We learn all about his friends, his history, both from before he transfered over, and after. We also learn about his host's history.

This is done through those info dumps I mentioned.

Oh, btw, a solid group of chapters early on are dedicated to a flashback about his girlfriend from this world. She's catastrophically awful btw.

Anyway, the scenario is set, we have an idea of what the MC is, after 50 some chapters. He's an instructor in an academy in the biggest city in the world, he's a highly skilled duelist, since he's got those crazy Haxxors ki skills.

And then he just leaves.

He goes off to reclaim his family lands.

Yup, everything from the first 50 or so chapters, only served to be an info dump, everything else was pointless.

3rd. Before I say this one, I want to point something out. Despite my complaints, this is a well written, serious story. It's not a standard Beta male with his harem of idiots who fawn over him for no reason. He doesn't have a cheat skill, yeah, his ki crap makes him strong, but he also trained it for 10 years.

I don't hate those Beta Male stories where girls just randomly fall head over heals in love with the useless MC. But you need to know you are getting into one of them. And Tales of the Reincarnated Lord is not one of them. Characters behave logically, or at least, emotionally in ways that make sense.

Okay, so...

Spoiler

in chapter 96 (I think) he just r*pes his maid. Some people are going to say it wasn't a true r*pe (whatever that means) or that she knew what she was getting into, being the maid of a noble. But you know what? he still r*ped her.

It came out of nowhere.

It wasn't in line with his character.

It served no purpose.

It was pointless.

He just casually r*ped his terrified maid, who was in love with his brother, who died because of him. She was still mourning his brother's death.

This wasn't a deal breaker for me though, I mean, i've read worse things. But it was so out of character and random, that it made me concerned for where the story was going. We're quickly going into brainless harem territory.

Luckily, she didn't fall head over heals with him after he r*ped her, in fact, she still shivers in fear when she sees him. Its strange that I find that as an improvement.

Then, 10 chapters later, one of his underlings is laughing at him (in good nature) and he want's her to stop, so he steps up, grabs her, and kisses her.

She freaks out after he starts using tongue, and pushes him away. Then she tells him, she maid a vow to a god that she'd dedicate her life to being a scholar and never get married or have relations with a man.

She's a nun.

ONE chapter later, he's constantly perusing her.

Her vow to a god, doesn't matter to our MC.

And of course, she's teetering on the edge.

I know in a few chapters, she's going to realize that her vow to a god, her stronge desire to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a renowned scholar, are going to mean nothing in face of the MC's GODLY physique. She's going to fall for him, and he's going to end up with a harem of brain dead idiots.

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tallrice
tallrice rated it
August 1, 2016
Status: c412
I have downgraded from 5 to 4, as there are many things (particularly the ineptness of the author at romantic plotlines) to cringe at. Still give it a 4 for the fun and detail in the statesmanship and logistics, the romantic flashback very early in the story, which I thought was well done and some of the exciting battles (not all of them, by far).

I am also frustrated the author can't add a bit more challenge to the MC's diplomatic dealings. The MC does have setbacks, but never while... more>> he's attending to something. All the issues are done when he's off in another place, or fixing another issue. The MC's creativity and adaptability would be so much better demonstrated if there were actually occasional flaws or unanticipated elements..

The Good

What makes it good is complexity. This is classic fantasy with politics between noble families and merchants and various kingdoms and trade federations. There is an interesting blend of martial arts with magic and medieval war tactics that is filled with grit. The characters each have complex back stories and not everything goes well for the MC (though when it comes to a fight, he wins...). There are some touching moments and plot twists and a kind of lifelike reality to the whole story.

The author's interest in statesmanship is what makes the exciting moments, whether it's his plans for new castles or schools or trade routes, leading of his knights and their soldiers through battles and new products from a different world. All of this is done with a varied cast of brothers at arms, loyal knights and scheming foes.

Spoiler

Unlike other reincarnation novels, the MC of this one is 23 years old when the story starts. He has a very realistic view of romance, considering he already lived passed his 40s in his previous life, so don't expect loli heroines that ruin so many other reincarnation stories.

The first 30 chapters are mostly flashbacks of the 'past 10 years' since her reincarnated, and overly wordy setting descriptions. You have to give him credit for the flashbacks though, showing a heart wrenching romance, his life, as a student then teacher, and introductions to his goofy mercenary and other buddies who he gathers with at the local tavern. The "plot" only really begins around chapter 40.

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Pacing

Just be forewarned that this is a novel where you have to take it slow. For most of the first 150 chapters, there are no significant time skips or exaggerated developments. The MC gets tied to his fief, so don't expect big adventures. This is a story of a nation building from farmers and mines and military tactics.

This does change somewhat later. The author is interested in the big developments and wars, even adding chapters from future chroniclers pov, which is neat. However, while reading, I sometimes feel like I'm missing out on the civilians, as the plot is all about major trends and military tactics, instead of caricatures of life in the cities and towns that the MC establishes. There's a gap between the MC and his commanders and the rest of the world.

Military tactics

Another warning is that the author obviously has a tactics/military history/romance of three kingdoms penchant, so if long texts about ambushes or pitched battles put you to sleep, this novel will bore you to death. Unfortunately, the detail of tactics is usually destroyed by everything going too well for the MC all the time.

Bad romance

If anything though, my main complaint is about the is the chauvinistic streak to the novel and romance. I have no issue with chauvinism in the context of the setting, so I have no complaints when characters from a medieval world show womanising or paternalistic tendencies. But, I find it bewildering that every time a girl is (essentially) forced onto some man, as soon as they have s*x with the male character they suddenly want nothing more than to please him and bear his children. The romance is all either dry and forced up to this point as it the female characters hardly ever appear except for the occasional s*x cameo. And don't get me wrong, I have nothing against s*x in a novel, my issue is with the lack of any other substantial interactions with women.
Spoiler

And seriously - the author writes an arc about him getting a secretary pretty much just so he f*cks her whenever he wants, or as the author summarised himself: "when there's work, he gives it to the secretary to do, when there's nothing, he does the secretary" (I quote.)

And it doesn't end there, whether it's being r*ped by barbarian women because they are in heat because of his big pe**s (yes, the author likes to talk about that) or the three sisters who fall into his bed, and many more... possibly not impossible, but totally author's fantasy moments, these all detract from the otherwise gritty features of the novel.

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I must note this is with the exception of what I thought was a very well done romance/break up in the first 30 chapters of the novel, which was one of the reasons I managed to keep going despite the slow pacing. The princess later on was also done tastefully.

Details

Oh, and before I finish this review, the 1 star reviewers are actually correct. There are tons of weird detail issues. The author doesn't seem to research things, whether it's the distances in naval scenarios or how physics works in projectiles. The funny thing is, he could have just not have specified and everyone would have been happy. Instead, he goes into minute detail on things he knows nothing about, which is bizarre.

I don't personally care, because I read novels for the world building, the characters and the excitement. It's not as if the world is unrealistic, just a bit misinformed sometimes....

Summary

Overall though, the author has managed to create a complex world and detailed plot with a lot of N. American/European fantasy influences, more so than any other Chinese author I've read actually.

I did read the first 10 chapters and now chapters 150-400 in English and I was impressed with the quality of the translation. <<less
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Slashs
Slashs rated it
November 4, 2016
Status: c492
The novel is about someone from modern times (probably) who is reincarnated in a world where there was magic... but not anymore. It is replaced with "battle force".

If you do not wish to read the lengthy review below, and you just want to know if you should read the LN : Yes ! Just power through the first 30 or so chapters (which are fillers) and the rest is quite good !

The Story:

So far the story is interesting. However it takes time to reach the part mentioned in the summary, as the beginning has nothing to do with it. Stuff, I mean the interesting stuff, starts gearing up close to the 50th chapter. Before that the MC is working in an academy to teach students the use of battle... more>> force. The story starts 10 years after he "arrived" in his new body.

The author takes great care to explain the world's history with great tales of fights between Magi and other races, each dominating the world at one time before falling, of fights between different planes and so on.

Unfortunately all that is told to us through info dumps which often last one full chapter. And it is so detached to the current world's state that if feels just like a "pretty painting", at least so far. Magis are gone, there is no trace of other species, ancient ruins are very rarely mentioned and so on. It is interesting to read though.

At the beginning the Story progress at a snail's pace, actually it progresses as fast as the slowest snail in a hood (that's right, that's what a pack of snails is called :p). The first 30 chapters will cover between 1 hour to a full morning of the MC's time. Which is basically the MC walking to work, with a total of roughly 20 chapters (out of 30) of flashbacks triggering every few steps. It is very frustrating. The MC will speak with someone and that will trigger a 5 chapters flash backs, he will walk a little, boom, another 10 chapters flashbacks.

There are way way too many flashbacks and they are way too long. Flashbacks do add value to a story. But when 25 chapters of the first 30 are flashbacks, there is something wrong. The vast majority of those FB are really unnecessary and really do not bring anything to the story and can be easily skipped. They are merely an annoyance delaying the good stuff. It's basically a bunch of filler chapters (weird thing to start a novel with that huh...) that can be mostly ignored.

If you reach a point where you tell yourself "alright... this is enough I'm dropping this novel". Then I encourage you to just skip the chapters with flashbacks, as the rest of the story is quite good and I would consider a good chunk of those FB chapters fillers...

*********************

When the storty really starts at chapter 50. There are no more flashbacks for the rest of the story (or at least for a few hundreds chapters).

**********************

**** The MC ****

Just like the story, the MC's personality shifts around the 50 chapter mark. His early personality, like anything happening before chapter 50 has no revelance later on and can be ignored.
After the 50 chapter mark (no emotional triggers or drama though, he just shift bit by bit) he bcomes more aggressive, will kill tons of people (not randomly though, but during battles) and will actively prepare for battles and will no longer try to avoid it. People don't push him around as much, as his personality makes him pro-active so there is no need for others to tell him what to do. He is now someone that will regret not having killed hundreds of people to save a few coins (dead people don't require to be fed... unlike prisoners) when he was someone that would do anything to spare one person before. That new personality fits more the situation he is in but at chapters 70+ I already find it hard to see in him the first chapter's MC.

One good part about the MC, is that he is not all powerful (if you ignore his personal battles, which he will always wins even against hundreds of people, this is the big failures on the author's part for me). As always he is arrogant, but his arrogance has a cost and he will pay for it on more that one occasion in the story and it is I believe a motivator for him to improve later on.

**** The Characters *****

The (male) characters are well developed for a Chinese novel. This is an advantage of the extra time the author spends on the world. People have personalities and I can somewhat picture them in my mind when their name comes up. Which is a sign that they are distinct from each other. Their names are easy to remember as they are not the usual Chinese names but more western : "Jork", "Charade", "Lorist", "Reidy" and so on.

So far the unbelievably self centered bad guys haven't have much time in the story. While sometimes cruel, the enemies leaders usually have a backstory and a reason for how they act. They might be cruel, bad, selfish, but it's not just "random". They have factions, interests, territories to protect, families, and so on.

The female characters are not so lucky. There are a few powerful ones, but they are mostly here to be married of to royalty, given away as brides/loot after a raid, to be r*ped and so on. A good exemple; a ennemy leader is killed and he has two women in his harem? Then the two women will be given as wives to the MC's subordinates. This is a comon recurring exemple in the novel on pretty much any scales (entire villages captured? All women as wives or s*x toys !)

**** The Fights ****

For this I am going to skip the first 30 chapters as it is completely different with the kind of fight you get past the 50 chapters barrier. The author seems to favor strategic fights, with the MC using his army to trap and use every advantages they can get to win. But, at times, the author has made the mistake of pushing the MC as a "one man army" which I believe is a detriment to the clan/army building going on. Why build an army if you are going to solo 50 dudes with your army 40 meters away from you? Luckily most (not all, the author just can't resist pitching the MC alone against hundreds of enemies regularly) of the fights involve strategy, defenses, trickery, planing, siege weapons... and troops.

**** The World ****

At the beginning the MC is in the most prosperous city of the continent. The description of how that city and the country it is in came to be was very detailed in the prologue. And at first I thought this was a summary of what the MC would accomplish in the future.

It is about how the ruling family woke up, abolished s*avery, created new source of revenues, improved people life and had to fight against many other threats that didn't like their progress. It turns out that nope, this is just the intro. So I expect even better things for the MC in the future.

To be frank, the beginning of this novel was hard... I almost gave up, I read people's frustration in the chapters' comments, people "rage quitting"... many people gave up because of that beginning. The first 30 chapters are painful, there is just too many flashbacks, just way way way way too many. Luckily the FBs completly stop after chapter 30.

The world has many factions, unions, empires, kingdoms. Sometimes it feel very amateurish when the conflicts are depicted, but the author makes an effort and it does work. Some factions control very rare ressources, other have monopoly on some items (glass for exemple) with receipt kept very closely. There are alliances, wars and conflict.

********

Conclusion :

Is it worth reading? Yes it is. Power through the first 30 chapters or skip the flashbacks if you need to.
Some might ask why I sometimes speak of the "first 30 chapters" and sometimes of "the first 50 chapters". That's because the flashbacks stop at around chapter 30. Those are all useless filler chapters that serve no purpose and will have no impact on the rest of the story. But the next 20 chapters are still not really great and are still close to fillers and the really good stuff starts at chapter 50.

The translation is of quality, the (male) characters are good, the author likes to describes the situation in detail which helps us better picture what is actually going on (it's not perfect but a lot better than a lot of Chinese novels where it's basically impossible to put things and place in perspective). It is a pretty good kingdom building novel, the focus of the MC is in the end to improve his own clan. This is not however the answer to the kingdom building genre, at least not for now and probably not ever as the author still insists on making the MC a powerhouse that can go against 500 people alone. For a great "Kingdom building" novel I'd redirect you to Release that Witch which is awesome.

Still, this is a good read you will probably enjoy... if you get past chapter 30 :). <<less
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Shin Ah
Shin Ah rated it
July 26, 2016
Status: --
Really reminds me of Skyfire Avenue with all the love in details and descriptions of small things. Advanced worldbuilding and good writing, have huge hope for this one.
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kzwkrain
kzwkrain rated it
September 28, 2016
Status: c325
I've caught up with the latest raw, and I got to say spending 3 days reading it during my holiday was so damn worth.

Here are the reasons why I like this novel.
... more>>
Spoiler

1) Realistic plot armor:
Unlike many other novels where the MC and his friends won't die, this novel will. It's realistic in a sense that anything can happen. Killed by stray arrows, getting ambushed and surprise attacks. The MC friends will die. His knights will die. His citizens will die.

2) Harem (why isn't this tag here?) :
Not all "beautiful girls" will be conquered by the MC. I think it's a pity because who doesn't want a tsundere knight? Tsk... But it's kinda refreshing to me as I don't want some cliché harem scenes. It feels natural how the MC harem approaches him. Which is not something you will see in other novels.

3) OP MC but not so:
MC is op, yes. But can he face off a 1000 soldiers by himself? No. He make use of his subordinates to help him. This really makes me happy because I'm kinda sick and tired of MC (especially in Chinese novel) to have super power that kill millions of soldiers and can overcome everything. Also, just because the MC has knowledge of advance technologies, doesn't mean he can apply them in this world. There are many things that can differ greatly to Earth. Gravity, particles, and chemicals. As such, the MC will give the idea, draw the idea, and find suitable people to research on it.

4) Kingdom building:
Many novels have a rather not so in-depth Kingdom building topics. They just give orders to the subordinates and will be done without any problems. But it wasn't the case for this novel. In fact, the author spends a chapter or 2 for management purposes.

5) Politics;
"I will just conquer you because I don't like you." NOPE! The MC won't do that. He will only do it when people attacks him. And when he build up his army, and have strong technology, he did not seek expansion immediately. He will stay in his territory and make the citizens comfortabe first. Like Eu4, you need to take care of your territory before expanding otherwise there will be rebels. Also, there are many trades with other lords which you don't see quite often in other novels.

6) Finally, the plot:
Repetitive? Nope. Rather, it is quite interesting to see the MC going around participating in something rather than staying at the castle and listen to reports. However, the arc might be boring sometimes because it takes too long to complete an arc. But there are time skips here and there so I forgive my the author.

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VSoullis
VSoullis rated it
August 10, 2016
Status: c21
Skip chapter 15-21. You don't miss much. The story doesn't advance and we find ourselves reading a second rate love story which is literally reminiscing about the "Good old times". The romance interest is nothing special and easily manipulated into ... more>>
Spoiler

Being a secondhand wife of a noble in the capital and selling all her assets to become a baby maker

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(she is very dumb). The reader is introduced to her so quickly there is no time to even care about what she does and this is also true for the MC at the moment. I don't care about them enough yet to be emotionally effected in the slightest (21 chapters and still not making this happen makes this bad writing). At this point I want the story to get back on track with the MC and what he is doing in this strange new environment and not a half baked side story. <<less
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Rosver
Rosver rated it
December 1, 2016
Status: c91
There are the words "Tale" and "Reincarnated" and "Lord" in the tittle. You would expect that this story would give your a great fast paced adventure of a character that would utilize his memories from previous life to shake the new world. Sorry, but no. It is the opposite.

Fast paced adventure it is not. For dozens of chapters, this story starts with what could essentially be called as backstories. It even has backstory of a backstory. It could easily lull you to sleep. Then the MC is called away, and... more>> all these backstories turn out to be pointless. Huh! Thanks for wasting my time, author.

Now. the protagonist. Tales? Reincarnated? Lord? Sounds exciting. Must have a great protagonist here... Not!

My biggest issue with the protagonist is that he doesn't really feel like a modern man. He is not modern in any sense. He morals, mindset, behavior, values... Everything about him is just the same as everyone around him. He is 'modern' in name only.

Now, this become quite a handicap. Without the contrast between him and others that should have existed, the protagonist is incredibly bland. When the protagonist is the same as everyone else, there is just no way he would stand out. But the, judging the MC by himself, he is still a bland character. He has nothing outstanding, unique or interesting at all. Anything that is from his 'modern man' aspect is wasted and doesn't have impact in the story while his other attributes are generic and is done far better in other reincarnated stories.

One thing for sure, you won't read this story for the "Reincarnated" aspect. The MC might as well be not reincarnated at all if the author is just going to waste it or sh*t on it.

And all other characters are just as dull. There are efforts to spice them but they are really just gimmicks and has nothing to do with the story or character. Any of these attempts will soon be forgotten.

And the setting... generic. Read any medieval fantasy based stories and you'll pretty much get it.

And the plot... 90 chapters in and I'm pretty much bored. I don't really know what the story is supposed to be. It takes too long to tell its story. First dozens of chapter was backstory and the next dozens of chapters was a dull trek home, and I lost my interest. I already read two books worth of boring and nothing happening, thank you.

This is one boring reincarnation story. The characters are bland, the MC is bland, the story takes too long to start and is instead filled with pointless things, and the pacing makes you fell into bored stupor in its utter slowness. It is one "Tale" that I don't have any interest in reading. <<less
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BlackHat88
BlackHat88 rated it
October 13, 2016
Status: c21
It's well written, almost like a real book and not the usual fast food novels we use to read. The story is well written with flashbacks, intensive world building and profound characters. On the "down side" all that world building is slowing down the story compared to others but it is worth it imo. MC is pretty much a know it all but he's not arrogant at all.

So kudos to the author, it should be a real novel lol.
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Littledragonlady
Littledragonlady rated it
August 10, 2016
Status: c21
I seriously lost track of time when I read this. Great world building, characterization, lifelike interaction and amazing translation quality!

This novel do reads like western published novel, rivaling those written by Nora Roberts or Brandon Sanderson
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orblee
orblee rated it
December 24, 2016
Status: 26
UPDATE:

The MC is the Blandest of bland. He progresses slowly in everything (slower than slow) and he makes decisions not even an idiot will make.

As for the story itself.... just when does it start? The chapters I'd read so far are nothing more than fillers with little relevance to the summary/title. Either the author forgot what he/she was going to write or he/she thought, "Hey, let's just info dump on y'all a**es so you know what I'm talking 'bout in the future!"

Dude, we ain't here to study for an... more>> exam!

Honestly, this story has great potential but it was just badly executed. Even if the story did get a little better after fifty chapters or so, the story is a flop because the author failed to capture the readers (I mean, truly engross us with his words and imagery) from the start. It became a task trying to push through chapters.

In saying that, however, I will give the Author credit for his overall writing. It's understandable and clean. His world building is formed nicely. But that's it.

To summarize my overall opinion of this story:

Spoiler

I can no longer read about flashbacks in any shape or form!

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Ananya
Ananya rated it
August 10, 2016
Status: c21
Fantastic novel. Has
1. Excellent world building.
2. Good characterisation of not only the MC but other characters too.
3. Good narration.
4. Well its too early to talk about fights and power system but from what I have gathered so far, that is also unique and detailed.
5. Has political maneuvering, kind of like fenglin tianxia's novel in fantasy medieval europe setting.

Although the novel has great potential, at this point it's pretty slow but I feel that this novel will be rewarding in the long run. I read this... more>> novel after I finished reading translations of AGM and MGS, so it was refreshing for me. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. <<less
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ninthlite
ninthlite rated it
July 21, 2016
Status: c21
The story has an interesting premise where the MC is training a internal martial art from his previous life whereas all the arts in this world are external, however the author loves dumps. The author dumps information, about the main characters past, and about the world. So far I have barely experience what happens behind the main characters eyes, it has just been recounting of past events where the MC is cool and smart. The author needs to stop with all this telling, don't tell me the MC is cool... more>> and amazing and super good at the sword, I want to be showed he is cool and amazing and super good with swords.

Another thing that is really annoying me is that the author starts the plot rolling a bit in chapter 14, and then there is a 7 chapter flashbacks about some character who does not matter at all and is s*upid as bricks.

The series has potential however the starting chapters are not the greatest in my opinion. Authors are supposed to show a story not slam it down the throat aka the popular phrase "show it not tell it".

2/5 for now, however very subject to change. <<less
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Jarrow
Jarrow rated it
September 9, 2016
Status: --
This is an Er Gen level work, with excellent translation. Reader be warned: no shallow, meaningless xianxia plots here. Expect actual character interaction and growth - even of side characters. World building is superb, with economics, social class interaction, and fantasy elements handled with skill and aplomb. Perspective weaves a tale between the characters and the world, drawing you in and sharing the story with you. Very pleasant.

This is not a work you can skip into and out of whenever a new chapter gets posted. Let chapters build before... more>> a binge.

Frankly, this is the sort of writing I expect from professional fantasy authors at Brandon Sanderson's level, and I'm surprised to find it in a translated xianxia novel.
Note many of the complaints are from people expecting a 'light novel'. This is not a light novel - expect real authorship, not daily word-count. Another common complaint are frequent 'infodumps': they are not infodumps. Granted, much plot worthy information is being provided to paint the functioning society that is presented, but it is being done so as interactions between characters an/or their environment, not as in forth-wall breaking author-speeches. Also - no potholes, which is a pleasant relief from the caricature-inspired idiocies from various Rich Young Silkpants and Malicious Uncle Elders in other works. <<less
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Devilsfruit
Devilsfruit rated it
October 2, 2016
Status: c47
Alright guys, let me give a quick review.

The first few chapters were a little bit confusing and I didn't know what the hell I was reading. It seemed so different from the plot mentioned here on NU. Afterwards, things became clearer, but it was slightly annoying that you had to read through several flashbacks which were dropped in the middle of the story, before it continued.

These flashbacks ended somewhere around the 33rd chapter, after which the story continued in the present permanently.

You might be wondering why I'm giving this such... more>> a high rating, whereas my tone has been negative until now. Well, the worldbuilding and characters are AMAZING. Nothing like the usual Chinese novels in which the MC is some lucky handsome idiot and all of the women are objects to be used or discarded as he pleases. These characters have grown on me and I love the way the reader grows to value them as well.

Much of the novel has been entertaining and informing so far, it has prepared the reader for the journey ahead, which consists of the MC trying to become the proper lord as mentioned in the plot (this story arc starts at chapter 42).

Based on the quality of the novel so far and the way this story is evolving, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the chapters.

Should it disappoint, I'll lower my rating in the future, but right now I've got no reason to think like that. For those who would prefer to wait until things get a little bit more exciting, I'd advise you to wait until the novel has a few hundred translated chapters or so. I'm going to to do the same and on a final note, thank you to the translator (s) for bringing us this novel in all of its proper glory. The translation is superb! <<less
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Steviason
Steviason rated it
March 14, 2018
Status: v1c47
The author does not know how the human body works at all. For example in the novel it states the main characters body can not keep up with his reaction time. For those who don't know what reaction time is like the author, reaction time is the time it takes you to act/re-act to what you see, hear, and touch/feel. In other words it is literally IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT have your body keep up with your reaction time.

The author does not know anything about armor or weapons either. For example... more>> the novel talks about armor that is very tough and hardy and expensive to get. The problem? It is stainless steel. NO ONE in their right mind would use stainless steel as armor or weapons. Stainless steel is good for utensils and cooking knives and other appliances but NOT as armor or weapons. Know why? Because arrows would just go straight through it as if it were paper. Its the same reason infantry are not given aluminum plates instead of steel plates; it is not good material to make a armor or weapon out of and best used else where.

Medieval armor and weapons were made out of carbon steel. The best armor such as plate armor were made out of high carbon steel so it could resist heavy impacts and blows. (Underneath plate armor was mail and gambeson as well) knights were literally tanks in the medieval ages that could soak up arrow fire and come out unscathed. The point of war bows was to harass the enemy, take out mounts from a distance, and kill lightly armored infantry (if they could). It is very unlikely to have a arrow go through the plate armor (which again was worn with mail and gambeson underneath) and kill the knight. Maybe you could get lucky and hit a knight that was tired out or needed to take a quick breath of fresh air by lifting the visor. Other wise good luck trying to kill a knight with arrows alone. <<less
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Buffelephant
Buffelephant rated it
September 8, 2016
Status: c104
Liked the world building. The story. The characters. The authors presentation of the story could use some work.

Confusing first few 30 chapters. Lots of jumbled information. For instance, The author tells you things like the MC entered dark stage of his inner strengthen technique. It's to bad he decided to train his meridians and not focus on his beast blood because now he's stuck at iron level. His friend over there is gold level even though he's crippled. So your like, what the heck does that mean. It takes at... more>> least 5 chapters later in a flash back to understand, but at that point the plot just started and the story was going just to be side tracked by a flash back. Then you return to the present, just for a second, because another flash back, before your back into the story. <<less
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afaerytale
afaerytale rated it
June 21, 2017
Status: c199
Although the story's pacing is slow, the world-building is incredibly detailed and just awesome in general. The other characters also have their own stories and backgrounds which give them depth and allows the reader to better relate to them.

While the main character, Norton 'Locke' Lorist, is OP in terms of combat strength (as demonstrated by the author in the beginning chapters of the novel), the story focuses more on his management and strategic abilities later in the novel, especially after he sets out on the journey to return to his... more>> family's dominion, although there are some AWESOME fight scenes scattered in-between, for those action lovers). He is similar to Roland from RtW (Release that Witch) in that he is a reincarnator and uses modern-day knowledge to benefit and develop his dominion. However, I feel the author takes a more realistic approach when it comes to Locke.

In RtW, Roland used to be an engineering student and he uses his modern-day knowledge of chemical compounds and civil engineering to create and introduce modern weaponry into a medieval-age world. The author doesn't really pay too much attention to other stuff and uses the witches' powers to compensate for any lacking components. The political warfare is pretty simple and straightforward as well (this isn't a bad thing, for any RtW fans who are reading this, I just want to point out the differences between the two novels. I am actually also a fan of RtW.)

In this regard, TotRL is much more well-rounded. Locke was a successful businessman before he died (not a millionaire or anything, but he was rich), so he knows a lot about marketing, trading, haggling, supply-and-demand, and just good business sense in general. In addition, as he now trains in his family's Aquametal Technique, he can kick some serious ass, if need be.

One of the things I love about him is that he isn't some arrogant aristocrat with enough pride and ego to fill up an entire castle who sets out to massacre an entire lineage town, city, etc. Just because someone annoyed him. He solves his problems in a calm, efficient manner, without turning into one of those cold-hearted protagonists who can kill dozens of people without blinking and just go about his business in a natural manner. Death is real and that is one of the things I love about this novel. You don't get characters massacring millions of people just because they feel like it. The author takes death seriously. People's deaths are not inconsequential (except, you know, when the nobles decide it is). The characters the author writes are real and you feel the consequences of their deaths in the story. The enemy is not a nameless, random soldier or opponent, not another 'oh, look, another worthless, random pebble to crush'. The enemy is not a pebble by the roadside. They have names, and faces and friends and family and THEY have names and faces and friends and.. You get the picture. The author paints Locke's enemies as real people and that makes them relatable. There are even moments when you sympathise with the enemy and even though you know they have to be defeated or killed, you still feel kind of regretful that it has to happen (Knight Chevany *cries*).

Also: 'defeat' does not equal 'kill'. Lock frequently defeats his enemies by politically outmanoeuvring or bluffing or careful manipulation, which is another point in the author's favour - not every problem has to be solved with violence. At the same time, this is the era of cold weapons and emphatically NOT a time of peace. There are knights. There are battles. There are wars. There is death. It's a cold, stark life and you either deal with it or die.

Another one of the things I love about Lock is his foresight. He always fully analyses the consequences for the future before he carries out a particular developmental strategy and the impact it will have on the dominion's food supply, military morale, weapon acquisition, agricultural development, political standing, and a host of other things that would never even have occurred to me, but are nonetheless essential for the successful development of a dominion.

The author really put a lot of thought and detail into the story. I would not repeat NOT recommend this novel if you're looking for an easy-breezy read to whizz through because these chapters are LONG. And in-depth. And detailed. Which can be a bit tiring especially in the beginning (it was for me, anyway). The hardest part for me to adjust to was the pacing. But once you get over that you can really get to the meat of the story and settle down to enjoy it. This story is definitely worth it. It's just awesome, all the way.

Also: I forgot to mention this earlier, but the translation quality is SUPERB, seriously. Everyone's doing a great job.

Summary: Basically, this review uses a lot of fancy words (Because. Thesauruses.) to convey a simple concept which is, namely: 'This novel is awesomesauce. Go read it. Stat.'

(PS. If you managed to get this far in the review, you deserve a gold medal.)

(PPS. I can't be the only one who ships Lorist/Els and Lorist/Josk, right?) <<less
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Regentas
Regentas rated it
November 20, 2016
Status: c82
What can I say about this novel except that its awesome. If you are looking for a slow and steady novel with proper character building, motivations and decent plot then you are in a right place. It starts slowly, I think 40~ chapters are for building up the initial motivations, character and experience of the MC and his subordinates/friends. The MC is quite strong but not like in other novels where he is strong because some god gave uber powers to him but through hard work and patience. He is... more>> human and has his own problems and failures but he recovers from the and moves on.

As for romance and harems at least for now there was some romance but it ended bitter for the MC and at least for now (chapter 82) there is no solid female lead in sight. As for harems that is even further away, my personal opinion would prefer a well done harem since as he is a noble, getting heirs and family members should be one of his goals. But I would settle even for a single good solid woman for the MC is one comes like that.

Now getting back to the plot, for the 1-40~ it as said previously is setting up the atmosphere and build up, from 40~ onwards it starts going towards the kingdom building focusing on his travel and adventures while trying to reach his homeland and inherit the tittle. Quite nice is that while traveling he is able so sette some past events solidying his character. The action and battles are solid and entertaining, often using interesting and effective tactics and utilizing weakneses unlike some other novels where the MC only zergs absolutely everything.

The kingdom building aspect cannot be rated for now since he is not yet reached his lands but the preparations and thoughs about it looks really well and realistic not based on some dreamlike idealism

The main antagonist or the bad guy, seems to be one of the princes of the former empire, helped by the direct noble who is above the MC. I hope you give it a try and read it, if you are strugling with the early chapters, please try to bear it and read it to about 50th chapter if by then your not interested then maybe this novel is not for you. <<less
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Skoonting
Skoonting rated it
October 7, 2016
Status: c51
Currently loving this series. For those looking to read it, know that it takes a while to get started. The introduction arc that introduces the characters, the world and the MC's first 20 or so years of story takes around 40 chapters, and the chapters are pretty long. Only after that will you get to the main story. Luckily enough despite the first arc being an introduction chapter, it is definitely entertaining. The main characters are all good and memorable (side-characters, maybe not so much), the world and its lore... more>> is interesting and in general the future of the series has a lot of promise. Translation is frequent enough, with around 3-4 chapters a week and the quality and length is excellent. <<less
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marchex
marchex rated it
September 21, 2016
Status: --
The fact that the MC is older at the age of 24, gave this novel the maturity other novels of the same ilk, lack. The tales are entertaining and different. This is highly recommended, I can't wait to read more.
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