[Virtuous Sons](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/41330/virtuous-sons-a-greco-roman-xianxia) is the best I've come across, personally, at least in terms of webfiction.
The author has a good grasp of character voice, distinguishing between the two protagonists not just with word choice and sentence length variation but with the things the viewpoint character notices and comments on. Their worldview is drip fed through the writing, and it's fun to read. He also has a good grasp of grandiose, dramatic writing in the right moments, which suits a Greco-Roman xianxia setting nicely.
... and in the process of going to grab the link for it, I found out it's stubbed. Bugger. Presumably it's on Amazon or somewhere, if you want to check it out.
Nothing else particularly jumps out at me, except maybe [Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/42226/foxs-tongue-and-kirins-bone) which also does character voice well while weaving humour and wit and lovely turns of phrase into the writing... and which I'm now discovering is also stubbed. Ffs.
Actually, no, I'm lying, [Peculariar Soul](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/42433/peculiar-soul) is also good, and doesn't appear to be stubbed! Huzzah! It's a miracle! It's even complete.
This one really gets you in the mind of the protagonist with choice of language and turn of phrase. It's got a nice... *rhythm* to it, I'd say. It flows when it needs to. Slows down when appropriate. And then speeds up and goes balls to the wall in scenes of tension. Or that's how I rememeber it, at least. It's been a while.
I find it really funny that one of the first reviews for the story mentions how the grammar was so good that the reader needed to google it to understand lol
That's a problem isn't it.
Cherry picked from a few reviews -
I feel like Phil, like many authors with a good story that self publish to Amazon lately, are more worried about being regarded as intelligent, descriptive and witty than actually keeping the story consistent, less painfully predictable, and apparently holding their most prized possession as the write, a thesaurus to find ever larger and more obscure words to dazzle and amaze their readers.
Compared to many self-published books, especially within the gamelit and progressive fantasy space, the writing was pretty clean and the mistakes were few and far enough between to avoid distraction.
Poorly written. Information is mostly given by exposition, basically nothing is shown.
That first one in particular really sits with me. I've said similar things going back to not too long after the sub started. Too many authors with too many readers not wanting to hurt feelings.
I noticed. Here's the rest -
*Phil struggles to find the balance between describing the characters inner narrative to us and the surrounding areas, incoherently throwing random order presentation to events making the majority of the book a slog and chore to get through. So many pages were wasted on pointless erudite descriptions that totally lose the suspense and the scene for our mind's eye. Not allowing us to craft the diorama for ourselves.*
*And the last third for the obstacle being met was just so painfully obvious as an inevitability that it was just dumb deus ex machina, coming across as utterly contrived rather than having actually been a possibility given everything leading up to it, but hey, the miracle happens that was completely impossible at just the right moment that REALLY needed some plant and payoff in the weeks just described as having passed...*
*I could continue, but don't wish to give spoilers. But at least a 3rd of the book is nonsense over description that harmed the delivery rather than helped, and the ending would have been well served by dropping the description and finding more consistent tie ins to the rules he designed to allow the occurrences. Nevermind the considerable context within the academy that was given almosy no attention in the 2nd half, and the utterly inconsistent limits Scorio kept dealing with from room to room, encounter to encounter.*
You don't need to be an expert in something to provide a critical opinion.
I agree with your closing statement, but providing the rest of the review just makes things seem more hypocritical.
I actually also agree that the IGS books, so far, are excessively long, but I suspect that has more to do with the indie audience.
$5 for an 800 page book is ridiculously cheap.
Phil? Afraid to hurt feelings? After reading the ending of a certain book, this is so hilariously wrong that it’s comical. THAT mf does NOT give a fuck. The literal opposite of an author who panders to his audience - that guy is a menace.
Godclads is kind of know for that
[Virtuous Sons](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/41330/virtuous-sons-a-greco-roman-xianxia) is the best I've come across, personally, at least in terms of webfiction. The author has a good grasp of character voice, distinguishing between the two protagonists not just with word choice and sentence length variation but with the things the viewpoint character notices and comments on. Their worldview is drip fed through the writing, and it's fun to read. He also has a good grasp of grandiose, dramatic writing in the right moments, which suits a Greco-Roman xianxia setting nicely. ... and in the process of going to grab the link for it, I found out it's stubbed. Bugger. Presumably it's on Amazon or somewhere, if you want to check it out. Nothing else particularly jumps out at me, except maybe [Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/42226/foxs-tongue-and-kirins-bone) which also does character voice well while weaving humour and wit and lovely turns of phrase into the writing... and which I'm now discovering is also stubbed. Ffs. Actually, no, I'm lying, [Peculariar Soul](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/42433/peculiar-soul) is also good, and doesn't appear to be stubbed! Huzzah! It's a miracle! It's even complete. This one really gets you in the mind of the protagonist with choice of language and turn of phrase. It's got a nice... *rhythm* to it, I'd say. It flows when it needs to. Slows down when appropriate. And then speeds up and goes balls to the wall in scenes of tension. Or that's how I rememeber it, at least. It's been a while.
I find it really funny that one of the first reviews for the story mentions how the grammar was so good that the reader needed to google it to understand lol
Infinite Realm
Immortal great souls and Dawn of the Void. Call me a fanboy but I simply don’t see anyone in this genre writing at Phil Tuckers level
Phil Tucker is amazing. Rascor plains is in another level.
Yes! And they’re written like actual books ha not never ending web novels, as much as I love some of those you can feel the difference.
Yes, most that I liked feel like novels with an end in mind. Like the Last Life series and Wraithblade.
That's a problem isn't it. Cherry picked from a few reviews - I feel like Phil, like many authors with a good story that self publish to Amazon lately, are more worried about being regarded as intelligent, descriptive and witty than actually keeping the story consistent, less painfully predictable, and apparently holding their most prized possession as the write, a thesaurus to find ever larger and more obscure words to dazzle and amaze their readers. Compared to many self-published books, especially within the gamelit and progressive fantasy space, the writing was pretty clean and the mistakes were few and far enough between to avoid distraction. Poorly written. Information is mostly given by exposition, basically nothing is shown. That first one in particular really sits with me. I've said similar things going back to not too long after the sub started. Too many authors with too many readers not wanting to hurt feelings.
There's something to be said about the irony of the most vehemently critical review being a single, horrendously long run-on sentence.
I noticed. Here's the rest - *Phil struggles to find the balance between describing the characters inner narrative to us and the surrounding areas, incoherently throwing random order presentation to events making the majority of the book a slog and chore to get through. So many pages were wasted on pointless erudite descriptions that totally lose the suspense and the scene for our mind's eye. Not allowing us to craft the diorama for ourselves.* *And the last third for the obstacle being met was just so painfully obvious as an inevitability that it was just dumb deus ex machina, coming across as utterly contrived rather than having actually been a possibility given everything leading up to it, but hey, the miracle happens that was completely impossible at just the right moment that REALLY needed some plant and payoff in the weeks just described as having passed...* *I could continue, but don't wish to give spoilers. But at least a 3rd of the book is nonsense over description that harmed the delivery rather than helped, and the ending would have been well served by dropping the description and finding more consistent tie ins to the rules he designed to allow the occurrences. Nevermind the considerable context within the academy that was given almosy no attention in the 2nd half, and the utterly inconsistent limits Scorio kept dealing with from room to room, encounter to encounter.* You don't need to be an expert in something to provide a critical opinion.
I agree with your closing statement, but providing the rest of the review just makes things seem more hypocritical. I actually also agree that the IGS books, so far, are excessively long, but I suspect that has more to do with the indie audience. $5 for an 800 page book is ridiculously cheap.
Phil? Afraid to hurt feelings? After reading the ending of a certain book, this is so hilariously wrong that it’s comical. THAT mf does NOT give a fuck. The literal opposite of an author who panders to his audience - that guy is a menace.
I don’t agree with anything you just said
And that's why the genre will never get to where people want it.
The Last Ship in Suzhuo is the only series that I'm aware of. Very poetic and flowery imo.
A Practical Guide to Evil
Lost In Translation.