benevida - Profile

You won't get one... soft of. There is a sequel. It takes place hundreds of years later, but it's the same world and it tells you what happened to the main characters. However, it has yet to be translated by humans, (you can find a machine translations rather easily).

This is a rare masterpiece. Are you looking for a powerful, intelligent protagonist? Are you looking for fleshed-out, thought-provoking villains? Do you want a mix of complex, interesting side characters? Do you want a whiff of romance without the overbearing stench of sordid detail? Then you have found a winner. This is the tale of a young man's struggle in a post-apocolyptic China to find peace for himself and his family. He'll face bandits, hegemons, corporations, soldiers, and honeypots that get in his way. He will awake one day to a 'system' for him to get stronger, and square up against foes with superpowers. But it will never be easy, and it will always feel earned. The world of this novel feels tangible. I can feel the grit under my feet and sense the emotions of the characters without them having to be spelled out. It builds slowly, but not ploddingly. It's not (very) jingoist, and you feel you yourself are in the main character's shoes. Best of all, by the end of the novel, you will feel like you've completed the adventure... although there is a sequel! (as yet untranslated...) My advice is to give it a shot.

As in tag line? In post-apocalyptic China, you are either a resident of a Stronghold or one of the refugees that live outside them. One of those refugees, a 17 year-old by the name of Ren Xiaosu has neither electricity, nor running water. He is neither brilliant, nor stupid, neither handsome, nor ugly. But he is tenacious. He will do whatever he needs to protect himself and his younger brother. His world is seeing the advent of mutant plants, mutant animals, and the whispers of supernatural humans appearing. None of those things directly affect him until one day, he awakens to a system in his head...

I like a clever main character. A man or woman in a dangerous world that uses caution and pluck to make their way. Luckily, so does this author. It also lessens the fun when their is no real danger or worthy adversary. But their is here. The villains, while admittedly filled with hubris, are capable and deadly. In fact, central characters die and the main character is badly injured. It feels satisfying when the hero overcomes because he's actually earned it. And, importantly, the main character is not the most clever protagonist. I think his girlfriend is. What he does have, above any other character, is grit. He embodies the doggedness of a Sherman tank. That alone, would make for a good story. But the humor with which the author peppers the story, makes it great. Sometimes the humor is unintentional. That's my favorite way to laugh. But often it is, as the main character's only perfect proficiency is literally in, 'annoying others'. What most attracts me to the story though, is that it takes itself seriously. Most of the adults act like adults, and the children act like children. There is an air of maturity to the storytelling that really pulls me in. I began reading this story when in only had around 200 translated chapters. The translation was fantastic, but I tend to read quickly, and I knew I would quickly reach the latest translation. But realizing that I enjoyed this writer's style, I investigated, and I found Spare Me, Great Lord!. I began plowing through that, and I was not disappointed. I didn't like it quite as much as I have come to love, The First Order, but it was a fantastic read. Now, as that novel has been fully translated, I am back here, and eagerly awaiting every new release. This novel is currently in my top 5.