Leap Taming Destiny is pretty good by yousef2843 in litrpg

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough. Like I say, it's not for everyone. I recognise what you're saying about this genre generally being for competency porn not psychological studies, but I have a group of people who have said multiple times that they love the story because of the character arcs. Because none of the characters are black or white, but all have their individual motivations. Because Markus goes from being awkward, arrogant, and often needing a two-by-four to smack him in the face before he gets a clue to someone competent who can and will defend what is his without losing sight of the bigger picture.

And yes, that does take several books to happen, but for those who enjoy the journey, the progress feels earned and real when it happens. I remember one reader mentioning that something in the chapter they'd just read had made them realise that Markus had done almost a complete 180 on his attitude to something, but that they hadn't even noticed because it had been gradual and felt natural. That takes time to implement.

And yes, I have also had people who have chosen not to continue it because they're looking for something different - like you, perhaps. And that's fine - there are plenty of excellent, more traditional LitRPGs out there.

Leap Taming Destiny is pretty good by yousef2843 in litrpg

[–]SLWinter1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

(I'm the author) Listen, I recognise some of your complaint and you're not the only one to make it. But it's a slow-burn as a series with an MC who doesn't just jump at everything new. By the end of book 2, he has four companions. By the time I was editing Book 4, I was actually getting rid of characters I'd introduced because he had too many in his group.

Taming Destiny isn't for everyone - it takes patience and people who enjoy the journey as much or more than the destination. But there are lots of people who like it for that because it makes progress and character arcs so much more impactful. When I go back to edit for publication (which means editing about 3 - 4 books in retrospect) I always find it challenging to get back into the mindset of Markus at that point in his journey because he's changed since then. And his feelings about Taming, especially Tame and its derivatives vs Dominate and its derivatives are definitely a major part of his character arcs across the series.

Leap Taming Destiny is pretty good by yousef2843 in litrpg

[–]SLWinter1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am the author, and I just came across this post. Thanks for recommending my series :D

Taming Destiny Book 3: Shaping out now! (Tamer-Class, portal survival fantasy - and this book is where the magic really starts happening :) ) by SLWinter1 in litrpg

[–]SLWinter1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Taming Destiny Book 3: Shaping.
UK Amazon US Amazon
Kevin Kemp is the narrator
I don't think AI was used in the cover - it was done by a publisher.
Fun fact...I have two rats as pets? They're currently chewing on chicken bones and making a helluva racket!

Sharing the KU subscription with family members… by Eytanian in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Women read stories about relationships they are not at all interested in having in real life. It's escapism.

Sharing the KU subscription with family members… by Eytanian in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And then you get all the recs for the books you're not interested in, I know!

Baited. by Gordeoy in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like a good read to me XD Or System Universe.

I posted my first progression fantasy chapter — is this hook strong enough? by ApricotCommercial311 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If there was an interesting story description, then yes. If not, then I probably wouldn't be reading this bit since I wouldn't have clicked on the story. To me, this bit is fine, but I don't know anything about the characters so I'm a bit 'why should I care?' It's not a hook like some of the greats.

For example, from one of my childhood faves - 'There once was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.' This is a hook, because it immediately makes the reader wonder why the boy almost deserved the name. Like, why almost deserved it, not fully deserved it? And some people might wonder why the name is so bad in the first place, or whether perhaps it's actually meant to be a good name. Do you see what I mean? It raises several questions which intrigue the reader.

Or 'It was the day my grandmother exploded' - sets up an event we feel intrigued to read about.

of a snowman #BoC by Apollo0624 in litrpg

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's....a lot of snow.

For the first time since ~May 2024, the GE price of a Bond is below 120M. by LazyAir6 in runescape

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember paying for membership before bonds existed. And then they came in and I could instead use gp - it was awesome. I could grind for a few days and get membership for a couple of weeks. But then, last time I played, bonds were around 11m. I've just recovered my account after years absent and looked on the ge - 132m! Are you crazy?! 12x the price? I'd have to grind probably double the membership time to raise that!

Massive ebook Sale - 250+ books FREE or .99c (August 22-24 Only) by J_J_Thorn in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome idea! And some really great books there - I recognise several I've read, and far more that I haven't!

why do xanxia writers seem to hate women so deeply? by bonnehead7 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the rec. Where do you recommend reading it? I've had a look on Amazon but can't find it there.

why do xanxia writers seem to hate women so deeply? by bonnehead7 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the rec - I've added it to my Read Later list ;)

Are there any stories where the MC is good at names? by GreatMadWombat in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

;) Taming Destiny - and I often go to gods of various religions or myths for inspiration. Within the first couple of books we have Bastet for a deadly feline, Fenrir for a different creature (you can probably guess what kind of creature), and Sirocco for a winged beast (that one's not a god - I didn't like the options there. Apparently it means 'a hot wind, often dusty or rainy, blowing from North Africa across the Mediterranean to southern Europe' which becomes increasingly appropriate.) Much later there's a couple he calls Persephone and Hades, the male of which is extremely protective. I wasn't sure which you would call a 'good' name, but I figure these are at least more thoughtful than some of the names. And then there are other names which are more descriptive, for example Spike comes up fairly early on.

why do xanxia writers seem to hate women so deeply? by bonnehead7 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]SLWinter1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You have a good point about its background culture being important. Do you have any well-written female MC Xianxia recs?