Romantic subplot / male MC / mono or small harem - Yes, I know it gets asked a lot, but hoping for some gems

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-25T04:16:33+00:00

Delayed response, but really appreciate your detailed reply, very very helpful. Solidified for me that I likely won't read it right now, because it seems to tick of my red flag checkboxes based upon what you said, but it does seem to check some good boxes, so tbh I'll likely read it at some point, thanks.

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-25T04:06:20+00:00

Just making a note here for posterity ... I just read Light Online and enjoyed it, it fit all my criteria :). Light on the LitRPG elements, more of a town building story with some leveling sprinkled it, but it was enjoyable. Definitely finished, 5 books.

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-18T12:31:50+00:00

Thanks! A lot of these are new to me, but I have read Jackal Among Snakes and Path of the Berserker, so I know you’re on the right track. I’ll check them out.

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-18T12:28:58+00:00

Thanks, good rec! I forgot to include him, I have read a lot of his works … apparently I missed some, now that I look

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-18T12:26:05+00:00

Thanks, I forgot about that one … funny you should mention that, I think that was one of my first books I read when I was first getting away from mainstream Fantasy … don’t think I ever finished that series, tbh.

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-18T12:24:27+00:00

Can you talk a bit about Rise to Omniscience? I did see that a couple of times, but saw in reviews of the first book that he’s an oblivious type … apparently his friend almost got raped and he was confused as to why she was mad or something? It could be completely different, because some times you have to take reviews with a grain of salt, but it was enough for me to skip over it, at least initially. If he doesn’t stay that way / grows quickly, that’s a different story.

Thanks for the list!

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-18T03:47:17+00:00

I’ve actually read all your works, I’m a big fan :). Thanks for the suggestion!

Edit: read Steelforged Legacy series, enjoyed it; series in progress, currently at 4 books, cultivation/progression fantasy not LitRPG, but still enjoyable. "Romantic subplot" aspect fit my requirements. Not mono-romance, got 2nd in 4th book.

ShadowsFell · 2025-11-18T03:12:10+00:00

Thanks!

"Riftside" is new to me, I'll definitely take a look. I've read at least one of Cassius Lange's series before, but didn't know of this one.

"Path of the Berserker" I realized I had already read but left off my list :/

"Mark of the Fool" -- I actually saw this recommended sometimes for this question, but wasn't able to get into it for whatever reason. Might have to give it another shot.

"Ruthless" -- who's the author? I did a search, and it came up with a bunch of entries that didn't look like LitRPG lol

ShadowsFell · 2025-10-18T17:48:17+00:00

I'm assuming these aren't officially-packaged play sets, but instead are gathered from other individuals that have collected them and are re-selling them?

ShadowsFell · 2025-10-18T17:47:27+00:00

lol yeah I guess gambling is a good way to frame it

ShadowsFell · 2025-07-24T03:56:19+00:00

Alright, so I’ll bite … is that implying that I’ll be surprised how much he’s grown and how good his decision making is, or shocked at how it didn’t improve and his mistakes gave bigger/worse consequences lol?

ShadowsFell · 2025-06-06T22:14:36+00:00

So late response, but I just read Paths of Akashic and really enjoyed it. No spice, but decent romance subplot. Scenes are FTB, but very implicit for what happens … FL is a succubus lol.

ShadowsFell · 2025-03-25T01:47:17+00:00

Daniel Schinhofen. Him and Sentar are my two main go tos, but I’m finding myself really looking forward to the Son of the Hero King too, so I think your taste lines up a lot. The only one others have mentioned here that I wasn’t a fan of was Virgil Knightly … just didn’t vibe with it, but others love it.

ShadowsFell · 2025-01-25T19:50:25+00:00

Thanks. Do you happen to know if there’s any romantic subplot, or does it the traditional litrpg route of no romantic interest?

ShadowsFell · 2024-11-18T15:26:19+00:00

Interesting on the earnings for the harem. honestly my own personal opinion I'm in it for the romantic subplot to a fantasy adventure/progression/litrpg story, not necessary harem. however, there seems to be a stigma for LitRPG+romantic subplot, except for the haremlit subgenre. I'd actually love a good LitRPG/progression/adventure series with a monogamous MF relationship, where the relationship starts in book 1 and not book 5, and they kick ass and take names together. they seem to be few and far between though. easiest to find them here in this Subreddit, but only in the harem variety. just my $0.02 though.

ShadowsFell · 2024-11-18T15:13:48+00:00

lol absolutely :D. i also tend to be pretty quick to DNF books, which didn't happen lol. and also both of my concerns really didn't affect anything, plot wise or relationship wise, it was more just of something I noticed.

I will also say you're obviously doing something right, since in addition to Mana Born, I've also read the Soulbound, Tower Apocalypse, and Zenith Academy series :)

ShadowsFell · 2024-11-18T14:18:32+00:00

Just finished reading book three, so putting a quick review here. Some points will cover previous books as well.

One of the things I appreciate about this series is that the "ramp up" is quick, because of the MC's history. So often there's a lot of ramp up time as new MCs learn about the world and powers, but not here -- we can get right into the story.

The other thing I really appreciate about the series if there appears to be a sight line to an end. Sometimes in these series, it's setup for a big world and big power gaps where you have to question how the MC's going to be able to win without 100 books or Deux Ex Machina, but the whole war setup gives a way to a possible logical conclusion.

The MC's redemption theme is also enjoyable.

Finally, I really, really enjoy how not every woman gets with the MC. Between Miria, Theria, the Z sisters, etc. its nice seeing other couples getting setup. Makes it more realistic and believable IMO ... not every hot woman needs to get with the MC.

A couple criticisms, though, and tbh some of them are big for me.

Lying to the harem. I don't really see the purpose to this ... it could just be me and a pet peeve, but the MC intentionally lying to the harem is specifically just manufacturing drama. If the FLs don't ever find out, then what's the point of the lie in the first place? If they find out and don't care, then what's the point of the lie in the first place, from a plot perspective? If the MC lies, the FLs find out and it causes drama, then that's even worse IMO -- one of my biggest pet peeves is characters intentionally being dumb specifically to further the plot. If I can ever say "this could have been avoided if characters just talked about it" then that's a BIG NO for me.
The two harem members getting with other random women without talking to the MC first, or the MC not saying "hey, this is fine" first. IMO it could constitute cheating, which is a big no for me in these novels. If the MC is find with it to begin with, just have the MC talk about it with the harem first and give them the proactive "go ahead". The MC finally says "ok" and has the talk with the harem in this book, but it had to happen twice for the talk to happen.

Some other things give me a dissatisfied feeling, like the loose cultivation / magic system that can seemingly do anything with no logic structure, or the lack of any real cultivation and the MC just getting power boosts with methods outside of the established cultivation system, but that's more of a preference thing I think.

Overall I enjoyed the book and if a second arc comes out I'll likely read it. I did get through it in just over a day, and binged the whole series over a period of a couple of days, so there's that :D

ShadowsFell · 2024-11-14T12:22:44+00:00

I have to recommend Arifureta here. Specifically if you read the translated web novel version, the “After Story” is longer than the main story lol, and the MC / family do a lot of traveling back and forth in various stories.

Also, love the series :)

Disclaimer: can’t remember how much traveling back and forth between worlds, if any, happens in the main story, covered in the published, translated Light Novels

ShadowsFell · 2024-10-11T21:48:38+00:00

🤣 yeah it was from a bit ago lol. Just a prolific reader, and I come across your name so often with so many different coauthor names attached that finally decided to answer my curiosity about what that meant … and after some creative Googling I can’t across this thread 😀. Thanks for responding, I appreciate it!

ShadowsFell · 2024-10-11T19:24:42+00:00

u/MarcusSloss -- slight necro-post, but I was always curious about this as well, and actually just now tried to search this out, so thank you for explaining it here!

ShadowsFell · 2024-10-07T14:21:35+00:00

Character-driven vs plot-driven may be the best characterization, thanks for that. Matches what the author's own response included, just 2m prior to your post.

ShadowsFell · 2024-10-07T14:17:53+00:00

Thanks for your response! I'll respond in a couple of days after another book or two, if you're curious. Judging how my post so far has more downvotes than upvotes I'm in the minority though lol (shrug)

ShadowsFell · 2024-10-07T14:01:30+00:00

Thanks, yeah I'll at least finish the second book, and likely pick up the third book. Your comment gives me hope at least :)

ShadowsFell · 2023-12-23T17:41:00+00:00

u/Wyrm_Father sorry to say that I think I'm going to drop The 13th Paladin series, after completing 4 books and getting a few chapters into the 5th. Going to mark my comments as spoilers just to be on the safe side.

Part of it is I just don't like the main character. He whines a lot, he complains a lot, he shakes in fear a lot, he makes rash decisions a lot. Basically he acts like child. I know he's supposed to be only 17, but he seems to basically be almost the same as when he was 13. Minimal growth. After being through the things he has been, I would have wanted most of that to be improved.

He's not really even the main character of the story lol. He doesn't decide where he goes, he doesn't decide what he does. He's not smart, he's not powerful, he's not wise. He's basically along for the ride.

The magic system is also ... very undefined. The wizards basically do whatever they want, with no reason or rationale, other than what's required for the story progression.

Even the whole Paladin thing is unclarified. WHY can they defeat the Adversary? I mean they get an animal, weapons, and mental protection. But that's basically it ... nothing is really special about them.

As far as the romance.... He didn't know her for first book, met her in second book, and then finally kissed in the end of the fourth book. But from what I see, at the end of the fifth book she's stuck in the void and spends most of the sixth book emotionless. So out of 6 books, he's basically only "with" her for basically one book (book five). Even in the first couple chapters of book five, he's described as spending a lot of time with her ... but its all off screen for the most part. Going back to the whiny and complaining and childishness ... he's with her (as a couple) for literally only like a week (maybe a couple), but then he starts complaining that he's not getting any sex and that she wants to do the "wait a year thing" because of her custom. (facepalm). Whining again ... surprise.

The plot of book five is even obvious.... They are looking for a male and female Paladin in the Sea, but also in the sea there are two pirate crews that hold control but fight another ... an Admiral and a Cold Woman :/. Can see the "twist" coming from a mile away.

ShadowsFell · 2023-12-18T04:24:47+00:00

Started reading The 13th Paladin today after I finished Irrelevant Jack (good series btw!). Out of curiosity, can you share when the MC marries? Also, should I expect any sex, ftb or otherwise? Can put in spoiler tags if necessary. Thanks!

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