I've read stories on Royal Road (site for webserials) before, but they were kinda completed stories/arcs and much longer than what I've reviewed below. Last week I made an account to check out newer works, participate in discussions, reviews, etc.

TL;DR

  • The Runic Artist — isekai, 4.5 stars
  • Enchanter's Emporium — cozy crafting, 4 stars
  • I'm Getting Too Old For This Quest — top tier writing, 5 stars
  • The Immaculate Collection — merchant MC, 4.5 stars

Book covers

The Runic Artist by Ellake

Blurb

Where there is a Rune, there is a way! Nate is a kid from Sydney, Australia who spends his free time indulging in his one true love - art. Graffiti specifically. That is until his 'hobby' catapults him into a new world filled with danger and magic. Finding himself alone in a forest that is clearly not on Earth, he must learn to navigate this new world and more importantly, the System that governs it. Armed with nothing but his trusty penknife and a Legendary Class, Nate will fend for his life. He'll conquer dungeons, discover runes and be drawn into battles against enemies he didn't even know he had, all while making new friends along the way. Torn between returning to his old life and the friends he left behind, or making a new home in this world filled with magic, he will have to decide where his heart truly lies. No matter what he chooses he'll leave his mark - and hopefully - a little art.

Review

I usually prefer reading novel-sized stories, but I finally decided to give a shot at following webserials. Saw about this story on the litrpg sub and the premise caught my attention.

Right from the beginning, it was good to see interesting twists — for example, the manner in which Nate was isekai-ed, the introduction to the new world and so on. Crafting is one of my favorite things to read in progression fantasy and the runic twist in this novel was cool.

The worldbuilding is promising so far. Writing was easy to follow and characters were to my liking. The sassy spirit was a great addition, especially as I'm a bit tired of lonely training montages at the start of such stories.

Chapters 21 onwards had some nice slice-of-life stuff as well. Looking forward to how this series shapes up.

Enchanter's Emporium (LitRPG Cozy Magic Shop) by genialgibbon

Blurb

In a world where magic has brought about the end of all wars, an aspiring enchanter purchases his first shop. His dream of becoming a world famous enchanter begins here... Cal always wanted his own enchanter’s shop. When the opportunity to buy a shop comes up, it takes everything he’s got - and more - to make it happen. Starting from scratch with nothing but his talent, his friends, and his ambition to succeed, Cal must turn the dilapidated Northwood Enchantery from a cold, cluttered, critter-infested mess into a successful, thriving business. And he needs to do it before the midwinter festival in three weeks’ time.

Review

Light hearted with low stakes and conflicts that remained within my comfort levels — just what I expected from a cozy read.

The characters were the strongest point of this book so far. Most of them were nice people, competent, reasonable, with a tendency to help those in need. I wouldn't mind them all gathering for a picnic or two and just spending time with each other, talking about magic, gossiping, etc.

Cal (main character) is just a level 1 certified enchanter, but there's lot more to him than what meets the eye. With help from his friend and well meaning neighbours, we get to see him make useful and impressive enchanted items.

I especially enjoyed all the surprising items that were salvaged from the old shop that Cal had bought in an auction. Some of them had a bit of mystery, and that certainly helped with keeping the story engaging to read.

The magic system was interesting, but it takes a while for us to get details. The stats were pretty light and don't get in the way.

There were a few inconsistencies that I hope the author would fix — I found the reader comments especially useful in this regard.

I'm Getting Too Old For This Quest by mimal

Blurb

Garrick's done with adventures. Living up in the mountains with his pet fox, he wants nothing but to enjoy the quiet life away from it all and grow tomatoes. However, somehow quests still seem to find him. People need his help, and when an opportunity too good to pass up comes his way - it becomes very difficult to say no to his old life. At least he knows how to hide his strength...mostly. What's a retired adventurer to do?

Review

While browsing the newest fiction list, the title and cover image caught my attention. The premise was interesting as well, so I gave it a shot and I'm so glad I did.

Garrick was retired and living in the mountains for decades when adventure comes calling again. We get to see glimpses of his idyllic life, a cute fox named Ember, his garden (especially the tomato, don't forget the tomato), thieving ravens, etc.

I'd say the writing was excellent, one of the best I've come across in the progression fantasy genre. It was easy to see the amount effort put even for the smallest of the details. Character work was excellent as well. It's still too early to comment about the worldbuilding, especially as I found it a little difficult to keep track of all the names, places and events of the past. I hope this would become easier as the story progresses.

The Immaculate Collection by havlo

Blurb

While the other boys of his village dream of becoming mighty warriors and mages, Reid Aveno dreams of becoming a merchant. He dreams of brokering deals, traveling the world, forging trade between nations, and being the kind of person people look up to. But most of all, Reid dreams of magic.

Review

I saw this on the recently updated list and was intrigued by the premise. The writing was good and easy to follow. The swamp with its history of quakes and treasure hunting was really interesting to read about.

We only spend a brief time in that town before Reid (main character) leaves it behind. We do get a glimpse of the magic system and meet some mysterious characters. I especially enjoyed the attention to small details. Some of the side characters felt rude/odd at first, but later revealed to be reasonable.

There's not much to review at only 6 chapters, but I'm really enjoying it so far.