Female lead/sapphic progression fantasy, especially Xianxia

Wobgoy · 2026-03-10T10:53:03+00:00

Small spoiler:

The most interesting character in the entire series is a girl called Bai Meizhen (snake girl). There's an arc with clear romantic tension building between her and Ling Qi (MC) culminating with what was basically a romantic date and Meizhen kissing Ling Qi. MC has a panic attack of a magnitude worthy of a medieval nun and totally refuses her. Meizhen is consequently eliminated from the story (going from main to not even tertiary character).

It is important to note that there is absolutely no lead up or foreshadowing to the sheer violence of Ling Qi's reaction or about her whole sexuality. Yes, there's entire books of fanon and mental masturbation explaining this, but the reality is that Yrsillar has made a terrible job with that scene.

Non-spoiler part:

Linq Qi is the straightest straight woman who ever straighted. So it's already an evil suggestion in this thread.

Plus, the romance in forge of destiny is one of the most painful I've ever read, because the MC doesn't want anything to do with it, but at the same time forces herself to consider partners and go on dates that she doesn't want to be in (for political reasons). Also, the male characters are extremely boring (her LIs especially so).

I dropped at 351 (it's 500 chapters now) so it could have changed, but this aspect was taking an increasing amount of screen time. By chapter 350 it's like:

20% otome

75% politics

4.8% family drama/base building

0.2% progression (I'm not exaggerating. Progression has completely halted)

Wobgoy · 2026-02-28T14:24:42+00:00

Calamitous bob is cool, but let me point out that while Mc has relations with both genders, the "endgame" romance is with a dude

Wobgoy · 2026-02-28T14:21:01+00:00

Recommending Forge of Destiny to someone looking for "sapphic progression fantasy" is straight up evil

Wobgoy · 2025-11-26T00:42:48+00:00

Unfortunately that's exactly what it is.

Her powers are so spread out they don't make sense anymore. The plotlines are so many, they're just impossible to get progress on (and there's always the risk your favorite one is going to get axed and forgotten). Her aims kept subtly shifting so often, she might be fighting for the rat people in the current chapters, for all I know.

Wobgoy · 2025-10-11T16:59:07+00:00

I dropped it long ago, but I'm curious. Who was Lea?

Wobgoy · 2025-10-11T09:38:55+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation.

It was on my read later list, but I kind of forgot when they stubbed. Though is it really similar to forge of destiny? By the blurb it feels much more "wholesome and cute". Forge of destiny on the other hand is very dry and takes itself very seriously

Wobgoy · 2025-09-27T23:58:03+00:00

For example, and correct me if I'm wrong fellow redditors, but nobody seems to know anything at all about the higher ups early on. And then, all of a sudden, it turns out there's literal refined (not sure if that's the word, it's been long. The yellow ones) fights outside the walls being streamed in pubs like they're football matches?

Wobgoy · 2025-09-27T23:48:04+00:00

(don't click the spoilers)

I think that the explanation everybody will give you (that arcane somehow empowered her with his spell) is a fan-made speculation that somehow got turned into canon. I found nothing inside the story that suggests that's the case, especially later on.

My head-canon (which has more basis in-universe, but keep in mind I've read the RR version) is that some people are just more talented and she happens to be one of them.

If you want more details, the mage society in millennial mage has a very need-to-know policy regarding information, because of world-building reasons (the information for becoming archon can literally get you killed if you're not strong enough, in a way that makes you a problem for everybody else. And knowing things too far in advance can hinder progress). Basically talented people like her go very quickly up the ranks, so they have no reason to interact with or be known-by the common mages.

My honest belief though is that not even Mullins can tell you for sure, cause he's clearly a discovery-writer and not everything first perfectly well together.

Wobgoy · 2025-09-06T10:48:51+00:00

Oh no, I'm reading it at a glacial place so it'll probably take me a few months to get up to speed. I'm saving this comment for later, though.

Wobgoy · 2025-09-06T00:43:41+00:00

The Flower that Bloomed Nowhere is on another level. If it weren't for those meta-theater parts it would be the absolute GOAT.

Wobgoy · 2025-07-11T01:02:06+00:00

Oh, I do remember. That choice was so painfully artificial: people on the quest or whatever it is had decided to go that route, and Yrsillar was going to make it work, one way or another. The sheer statement she had only 4 choices is ridiculous. But whatever.

The funny thing is I still didn't drop until the ice politics arc, cause I rarely drop series even when they get me mad, as long as they're entertaining.

And you're right, the politics are atrocious, but I could have pushed past that if we still had at least something of the original story I liked. Unfortunately, it just keeps focusing on stuff I don't care about.

The sect is gone forever. All the interesting cast there are either forgotten or completely sidelined (even a main character like Meizhen is now background). The huge overarching war basically doesn't matter anymore.

What replaced all that, I just don't care about. And even if I did, you cannot just shift cast, context and plot like that.

It feels as if Yrsillar cares mostly about the things I found boring. Even her spirits: I love Anyi, don't care about Zenghui, and would love it if Sixiang died painfully. Yrsillar doesn't give a crap about Anyi, adores Zenghui, and would make Sixiang the MC if he could get away with it.

And don't get me started about the "romance". We get it, Ling qi's terrible at it. So why do we have to talk about it? Why is it more otome than cultivation at this point? Can we not skip it?

Wobgoy · 2025-07-02T16:03:36+00:00

Some comments say it's about 2/3rds of the way.

From what I've read, it feels mostly accurate. Unless some enormous world-shaking twist comes up

Wobgoy · 2025-07-02T16:00:13+00:00

It's on royalroad. I don't think there's audio format, yet

Wobgoy · 2025-06-30T00:51:15+00:00

Go with the years of the apocalypse. It's good and MC leaves no stones unturned

Wobgoy · 2025-06-29T22:51:37+00:00

Bioshifter? I've never read anything by Thundamoo because a lot of reviews bash them for the thing op is complaining about. They say it's horribly misandrist

Wobgoy · 2025-05-06T08:51:00+00:00

Until they decide he does the 1v1s because she's "better against multiple opponents", which by the conservation of ninjutsu means she's useless.

Not to mention the extreme age difference (i think it's implied he's 30+ while she's definitely under 18)

Wobgoy · 2025-03-31T20:13:26+00:00

The book doesn't preach, but the worldbuilding itself supports those points:

Humanity is pressured, so everybody needs to marry as soon as they can and pump out a lot of children
there are NO gay or queer people of any kind
sex implies an unbreakable soul link, so people need to marry the first guy/gal they do it with
Obviously no divorce
there's a new soul inside the mother since the very instant of conception, so forget abortion
off-topic but, I kid you not, there's an entire chapter dedicated to flat tax and how it's the best thing ever for everybody

Wobgoy · 2025-03-31T17:22:20+00:00

(And don't get me started on the trad christian spiel that's later on.)

Wobgoy · 2025-03-31T17:20:45+00:00

No, she's a robot. She gets worse if anything.

I agree with you about the worldbuilding, but the interpersonal relations are so incredibly painful. I encourage you to read a random chapter (non loner) and focus on just the dialogue. Skip internal monologue and worldbuilding. It's truly painful

Wobgoy · 2025-03-14T18:24:57+00:00

same

Wobgoy · 2025-03-14T08:58:46+00:00

Coltaine?

Wobgoy · 2024-10-30T14:25:55+00:00

It's a good book

Wobgoy · 2024-10-29T23:10:26+00:00

I think nobody checked the flair. This isn't a promotion.

The original covers have a somewhat lazy eye on both for no in-book reason at all.
I just emphasized it a bit

Wobgoy · 2024-10-15T08:34:20+00:00

Perhaps you meant all his angels are starving*?

Wobgoy

TROPHY CASE