No Romance, No Harem, Just A Driven Protagonist
No Romance, No Harem, Just A Driven Protagonist
Here is a list of my favorite action web novels. I really don’t like romance and/or harem in my action focused novels, because it almost always detracts from the plot. So, these action novels have absolutely zero romance or harem.
The first five are the ones I recommended to everyone and are the only ones that are in order. The following are more of a case by case basis.
More recommendations (that aren’t listed on NU) in the comments.
All the MTL I recommend are very readable. I can't stand most MTL, including Comrademao and MTLNovel, so the only website that I use is Novelhi.
The first five are the ones I recommended to everyone and are the only ones that are in order. The following are more of a case by case basis.
More recommendations (that aren’t listed on NU) in the comments.
All the MTL I recommend are very readable. I can't stand most MTL, including Comrademao and MTLNovel, so the only website that I use is Novelhi.
75 Followers
Created: Jan 6th, 2022, Updated: Apr 25th, 2024
Created Jan 6th, 2022
Updated Apr 25th, 2024
50 Chapters Every 16.4 Day(s) 165 Readers 4 Reviews 09-01-2023
My previous review of this got deleted, but to make it short, chapters 1-300 or so are a 4/5 because the interesting premise and the intelligent... more>>
657 Chapters Every 0.6 Day(s) 945 Readers 17 Reviews 05-01-2024
As of chapter 60, it’s an ok read. Really shallow for the most part, but there are some efforts on the author’s part to go a bit deeper (with varying levels of success). Not bad, but not particularly good either.... more>>
656 Chapters Every 1.4 Day(s) 6278 Readers 47 Reviews 05-02-2024
It’s a pretty great, but tedious sect building novel that is far more drawn out than it needs to be. Each and every step the mc takes needs an entire arc to accomplish. Even a tournament fight focused on a side character might take up five full chapters. I didn’t mind it all that much because I had so many chapters to binge, but I can only imagine the frustration of the readers that keep up with this on a daily basis. Also, the jokes are very repetitive.... more>>
138 Chapters Every 1.7 Day(s) 591 Readers 1 Reviews 04-30-2024
It’s enjoyable, if not very derivative. This story is just one big combination of various popular tropes, with the world setting sharing a lot of similarities with Mount Hua. It’s not a new practice, and the trope hodgepodge thing can done very well if the author is careful, but the derived elements and plot points don’t always perfectly line up in this one, creating a lack of cohesive storytelling that has me scratching my head at times. It also feels like the author gets ahead of themself multiple times. Overall, not the most memorable read, but it’s good enough if you’re bored.... more>>
150 Chapters Every 1 Day(s) 541 Readers 8 Reviews 05-03-2024
This one is objectively decent (barely). But I really like the premise/cheat, along with the fact that the mc is actually serious about farming without the story inevitably devolving into the usual Xianxia harem beat-em-ups (practically all the farming/alchemy novels have harem for some reason). Although the story structure is painfully simple and repetitive, it is nice seeing the mc rewarded for peaceful activities.... more>>
39 Chapters Every 87.7 Day(s) 439 Readers 30 Reviews 09-25-2020
EDIT: I remember now why I had dropped this years ago. It wasn’t the cringe but the complete shift in the way this story is told in the last third of the novel. In comparison to the somewhat planned approach that the mc had in the earlier chapters, I feel like the direction became muddied with all the extra POVs and the Mars stuff, and random plot pivots just started happening out of nowhere. Although I finished it now because I could binge through all the chapters, it was only okay.... more>>
4 Chapters Every 175.5 Day(s) 330 Readers 12 Reviews 06-01-2022
It’s a fun power fantasy. I was skeptical at first, but it does get better and even somewhat deeper than what the first handful of chapter's might suggest. Cultivation is done rather well, even a little differently from the norm: [Tiny Spoiler] The mc decided from the start that he wanted to maintain his humanity, so understanding/interacting with humanity becomes his most optimal method for understanding the universe.... more>>
756 Chapters Every 7.7 Day(s) 1753 Readers 17 Reviews 01-26-2024
It’s pretty good. But I also understand why the rating is so low. It’s really not a suitable reading experience for the majority. The author doesn’t quite understand how to achieve a universally satisfying balance of story telling vs. explanation. Or perhaps, the real issue might be that the author has a fetish for exaggeratedly complicated plot lines and power systems, which in turn leads to them having to constantly explain the reasoning for every decision the mc and other important characters make. One decision (NOT the action mind you, but merely the decision to complete said action) can literally lead to an entire follow-up chapter full of nothing but explanations and world building purely... more>>
113 Chapters Every 2.9 Day(s) 801 Readers 5 Reviews 04-17-2024
It’s great, though I do want to warn y’all that this isn’t really much of an action novel, instead leaning much heavier on expertly crafted schemes and deep psychological aspects. The “cultivation” system is not clearly explained, and even after catching up to the tl, I’m still unsure how strong the mc actually is. However, the political conflicts within the family are interesting and highly detailed. The cannibalism isn’t as front and center as I assumed after reading the early chapters. Still gross though.... more>>
233 Chapters Every 0.7 Day(s) 1272 Readers 7 Reviews 05-02-2024
It’s alright, good enough to read if you don’t invest too much thought into picking it apart. Story is meh. Mc is a bit of... more>>
Comments (10)
Really liked it, definitely going to read best martial artist and kingdom bloodline.
Just wanted to ask whether you read ri or lotm first....
Yay! To answer your question, I actually read those at the same time. I think I technically started RI first, but I dropped it to wait for more chapters bc it only had like 40 chapters released at that point. But yeah, for the majority of both novels I read simultaneously as they were translated.
@Walpurga that's great lol, i thought it was lotm first...cause being an ri first reader i felt lotm lacking lol...
No offense to your review ofcourse, just my feeling
Stories I like that aren’t on NU:
1. Rebirth of the Noble Mage Behind the Scenes (MTL)
http://wnmtl.org/mobile/book/8394-rebirth-of-the-noble-mage-behind-the-scenes
— I LOVE this story! I really wish it was finished so I can binge it >.< I love these kinda reincarnated, uber-talented protagonists that keep their strength hidden from everyone. Not too deep, but very entertaining. EDIT: If I was ranking it, it would be number 6 on this overall list. 2ND EDIT: If you are reading this on WNMTL, there is piracy protection from the original author from chapters 150ish to 205ish. You will have to read those chapters here: (https://sj.uukanshu.com/book_amp.aspx?id=152587). Just google translate and it should be pretty good (far better than GT was a couple years ago).
2. I Have A Martial Arts Panel
https://m.webnovel.com/book/i-have-a-martial-arts-panel_20178481605547205
— A pretty fun popcorn novel. It’s cheap popcorn, but still enjoyable enough.
@BoredMonster Well I didn’t find it all that weird because the mc also talks about himself that way (he obviously has an appearance complex). Hell, he even internally commented on the beautiful appearance of the ninth prince similarly, but couldn’t help but throw in that the prince’s appearance is only about half as beautiful as his own.
He calls her “dear Fi”, but he also calls his cousin “dear Harvey”. I am not quite sure if they are biological siblings either (she is an experiment). In addition, to be fair, the mc knew of her as a noble stranger (previous life) way longer than he knew of her as a sister (current life).
While I don’t think he 100 percent thinks of her as family (I mean, how could someone who has had a family for so long truly come to think of another family as their own after reincarnating), I haven’t been given any reason, as of yet, to think the mc thinks of her as a romantic interest.
Royal Road Recs:
1. Dreamer’s Throne: A system transmigration story with a fun and easy to understand power system, along with an intelligent mc and competently paced plot progression. Although it is technically on “hiatus” on RR, the next book is currently being released on Patreon.
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/66110/dreamers-throne
2. Tenebroum: Dead criminal comes back to life as a spirit with no memories, and it only gets darker from there. I love the premise and the initial 80-90 chapters are excellent. But something about the progression feels off to me as the story continues. Still a great read though.
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/58643/tenebroum
3. Godclads: This story is amazing, even though it definitely takes some time to get into to at the beginning with all the terms, setting, and the grotesqueness of it all. However, the fights and divine abilities are really cool, and the characters are almost frighteningly distinct. Sometimes the mc makes weird decisions, some of which will make sense later, some of which won’t. There is no romance (mc is a ghoul that lacks reproductive organs and can’t feel romantic emotions), however the mc does have a sort of (violent) obsession with a particular female character. And it was revealed deeper in the story that if the mc could feel emotions like lust, then he/they would have been all over her. So take that for what you will.
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/59663/godclads-eldritch-cyberpunk-progression-book-1