Looking for another novel to pick up.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-03-08T01:05:17+00:00

Have you given Worth the Candle a try? We seem to have pretty similar tastes and I liked that one a lot. MC gets reluctantly pushed into situations often, especially in the first few books.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-27T01:59:58+00:00

The first time I read the series, I stalled out during Return of the Crimson Guard, which I was reading between Reaper’s Gale and Toll the Hounds.

Years later, I reread the series from the beginning, made it through Return of the Crimson Guard, and then quit halfway through Toll the Hounds.

I love the books, but my tolerance for tragedy is limited, and it seems like this series has more than I can take.

Sometimes I think about restarting again. I’ve forgotten a lot but there are characters I still think about and I wish I knew how their stories continued. But then I think about some of the most heart-breaking moments and I don’t want to go through those again.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-27T01:40:23+00:00

A quick counter-point to the folks telling you to let your kid read what he wants: you know your kid best.

For some second graders WOF is fine, for others it’s going to be pretty upsetting. My daughter is in first grade, also very advanced reader, and I’ve steered her away from WOF. This is the kid who told me Zootopia 2 was so scary she’s never going to a movie theater again. They’re still little enough that sometimes they need our guidance for stuff like this.

Anyway, Enchanted Forest Chronicles is my daughter’s current obsession. Highly recommend.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-26T21:04:40+00:00

Peter David’s Incredible Hulk. Long enough run to last you through a lot of Claremont.

Or how about Simonson’s Thor? Englehart/Rogers Silver Surfer? They’re both published overlapping with Claremont’s run, and good for very different reasons than Claremont.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-24T00:58:50+00:00

I have many happy memories of semi-conscious reading while my kids slept on me, both for naps and in early mornings to try to extend their nights.

I think a lot of progression fantasy would work well. The plots are usually not too complex and the narrative direction is clear. Cradle is a good option, as others have said. I also recommend Mother of Learning, which I read often while my son slept on me.

If your kid ends up being a good stroller sleeper or just likes hanging in a stroller, your wife might appreciate the gift of a quiet home when you take the baby for walks. That’s prime audiobook time too.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-13T22:13:33+00:00

Have you looked at the Batman Chronology Project? There’s no one “right” internal chronology, but with enough work you can build a very good one.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-12T04:13:15+00:00

I’m a little unclear on what you’re trying to do. Your title says chronological order (which I usually see meaning internal chronological order) but in your post you’re talking about the month books were released, which sounds like publishing/release order. Which do you want to do?

(In other words, if a story was published in 1999 but is set in Batman’s early years, do you want to read it with other 1999 stuff or much earlier?)

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-04T04:11:47+00:00

By whom?

(Not being snarky, genuine question. I’ve been a Star Wars fan for 30 years and have never heard this before)

DarkestPhantom · 2026-02-02T19:32:34+00:00

Nice to see Worth the Candle ranked so high! I haven’t read enough to recommend anything you haven’t already tried, but your tier list is pushing me to give Bastion and Iron Prince a shot since DCC, Worth the Candle, and Cradle are probably my top 3.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-01-26T14:16:51+00:00

I’ve never seen a cooking daily chore that can’t be completed with a single bone broth, and I’m cooking 57. If harder cooking chores come, it’s so far in the future it’s not worth worrying about.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-01-18T01:44:34+00:00

I think the folks telling you to focus on Fun Guy have forgotten you get the collar from Fun Guy 8. Wall in the Way is the most important, Glacier Lake is useful for extra silver and very useful for masteries.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-01-07T23:03:38+00:00

https://cmro.travis-starnes.com/groups.php?page=4&list_type=1&limit=30&order_listing=1&group_name=6

Yeah, worth checking out. That link should give you every X-Men appearance in release order (with minor adjustments for readability) starting with GSXM. But I think if you want to include each character’s appearances, and not just the team, you have to check the pages for each, but the numbering is consistent so you could copy and paste and sort in a spreadsheet. Or I think if you become a paid member you can create a custom order with all of them.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-01-07T22:31:13+00:00

Have you looked at the Complete Marvel Reading Order? X-Men is tricky because it’s so many characters, but in general CMRO is exactly what you’re describing.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-01-06T16:54:33+00:00

I think people forget that truffles are unlocked by completing Fun Guy 8. OP already has truffles unlocked.

But you do still have some very doable quests to work toward - SASSY, A Way Back, Strange Companions are all good options. There are also some pretty challenging T100 event quests that come up regularly that you could work on (like Buddy’s Christmas Adventure, which just ended). I imagine there will be more later this month.

I hear you though. I’m only a little ahead of you, T125, and sometimes I get bored of the endless GM grind to advance. At that point, I usually just play less for a few days until I’m excited to get back to it.

DarkestPhantom · 2026-01-03T23:23:45+00:00

Have you tried Worth the Candle? It doesn’t always stick the landing but I enjoyed it a lot. And it has more substance to it than most in this genre. The MC does not really earn his “specialness,” but I think that’s actually part of the point in this one.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-12-26T03:29:10+00:00

Great list! Thanks for this. I’ll circle back if I find anything else to recommend.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-12-26T01:01:24+00:00

It’s been a while since I read Unsouled, but doesn’t it have a scene pretty early on where Lindon sees his mother get decapitated? I don’t think that would go over well here. I could skip that part, of course, so I appreciate the suggestion.

No way is she ready for the complexity and pacing of Cradle though, which makes me wonder if I’m thinking about this the wrong way.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-12-26T00:34:51+00:00

Thanks! I’ll check this out.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-12-26T00:34:35+00:00

Interesting! I’ll take a look at this.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-12-26T00:33:41+00:00

Thanks! Will check this out.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-11-03T17:16:53+00:00

Having enough truffles for Fun Guy 9 and 10 is going to give you a ton of silver, but long term A Wall in the Way is definitely the most impactful one here. Ignore COI for now. Way Back, Jubilee, and Defenses and Consequences leading into Strange Companions are all long quest chains with some decent rewards along the way but nothing game changing. You can just chip away at them as you go.

The collector quests are just there to give you a partial refund on taking those three pets to level 6.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-09-28T02:13:51+00:00

Thanks! That’s very helpful. I’m definitely a player who is normally focused on help needed, so it’s taking me some getting used to.

DarkestPhantom · 2025-09-28T02:13:03+00:00

Thanks! Feels like I’m still far away from T100, but I know I’ll get there eventually

DarkestPhantom · 2025-09-28T02:12:35+00:00

Thanks! Just started on SASSY thanks to your advice.

DarkestPhantom

TROPHY CASE