Almost There 差点火候

1. 1 我 I Refuse to Be a Mage 我就是不当魔法师 Beneath the Moon by the North Tower北楼月下No CP593k WordsCompleted While playing the virtual reality game Sword and Magic Continent, Ji Chi accidentally picked a pale, frail, glass-cannon mage and hated it with a passion. To prove himself, he painstakingly grinded swordsmanship, archery, summoning, and everything else, except magic. This turned him into the game's most bizarre god-tier player. One day, he transmigrated, bringing a warehouse full of supplies, max-level orange gear, and maxed-out skills with him as he became a repeat student at the magic academ 46.5kFavorites104.8kClicks/ch41.1kGifts

   Curator note

   The premise is crude, the characters and events are overly simplistic, and the pacing is sometimes rushed. As a male-centric story, the author's attempt to portray the female characters' "rebellion" goes to extremes by focusing on stereotypical traits, which is baffling. Clearly, the author's understanding of what it means to be a woman needs improvement.

2. 2 咱 Is Everyone in the Cultivation World a Pretender? 咱修真界全是装货吗？ Where To去哪里Romance742k WordsCompleted [A comedic ensemble cast, everyone pretending to be weak while secretly showing off. Complete, and thanks for all your support and company!] [Check out my upcoming novel of the same type: I Keep Elbowing the Dragon Proudheaven Every Day The supreme academy of the cultivation world, Chongxiao Academy, admits only the finest young people under Heaven. Among this year’s freshmen are five geniuses among geniuses. They’re evenly matched rivals who never cross paths, but an unlikely twist makes them 52.9kFavorites42.8kClicks/ch47.3kGifts

   Curator note

   The story uses a standard setting and attempts to add some variety to the characters, but fails. The writing is really poor, the pacing is slow, and the plot is simplistic. The author has clearly watched too much novice writing and stand-up comedy.

3. 3 我 I’ll Be Empress! Who’s Against It, and Who’s in Favor? 我要当女帝，谁反对，谁赞成？ Hate Summer讨厌夏天No CP5.1M WordsCompleted Transmigrate to a fictional world and live honestly as a dainty young lady? Congratulations, you have a 99% chance of being promised to the village butcher. Make your own way and earn a fortune like crazy, becoming a rich heiress? Congratulations, you have a 99% chance of becoming the county magistrate's thirteenth concubine. Be beautiful and work hard to become an imperial consort? How is that any different from the first two? I can fight, I'm not afraid to die, I'm crazy, I want to become an e 19.9kFavorites42.1kClicks/ch40.6kGifts

   Curator note

   The writing is mediocre, and there are quite a few typos, to the point of affecting readability. However, the author takes this extremely seriously; she's been revising it for years even after someone pointed out the errors. I greatly admire this spirit. She will succeed.

4. 4 改 Rewriting the Ending of a Total-Party-Kill Manga 改写团灭漫画的结局 World Rabbit世界兔No CP779k WordsCompleted New novel now serializing: The Strange-Tale Game Magician [Blurb] I transmigrated into a comic as a disposable side character. Usually, as long as you cling to the protagonist, life goes smoothly. You could cling to the male or female lead, or to the villain. Either way, someone would have your back. The problem is, this comic has a HUGE bad ending! Every major character, including the leads and the villain, dies! There are legs, but they’ve been sawed off! In a world doomed to be destro 19.8kFavorites15.2kClicks/ch14.6kGifts

   Curator note

   The premise is good, attempting to create a grand world view, but the writing skills are lacking, whether in character development, background setting, or the story itself.

5. 5 大 A Chicken Dinner Feast [Virtual Reality] 大吃一鸡[全息] Mini Ding迷你丁Romance313k WordsCompleted [Next up: Get Up, My Good Grandchildren [Full-Dive VR], check my profile~] Ever since a newcomer named Shuangye showed up, every player in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has felt that something is very wrong. Gaming used to be fun. Now, every match feels like making a difficult choice: A rare supply drop is being contested up ahead! Do you pick it up? Yes: Shuangye, hiding inside the supply drop, kills you. No: Shuangye, pretending to be a corpse beside the supply drop, kills you. Shuangye outgu 14.6kFavorites48.8kClicks/ch10.6kGifts

   Curator note

   It's riddled with stereotypes, and even though the book is from a few years ago, it still manages to affect reading comprehension.

6. 6 星 The Strongest Player in the Stars [Full-Dive] 星际最强玩家[全息] Vast Sea of Smoke浩烟海Romance764k WordsCompleted [The entire story is complete] As the server's universally acclaimed top-tier priest, Xia Mo once shielded her people from countless attacks. But during the boss battle, she was betrayed by the person she trusted most, and her mind was destroyed. - When she opened her eyes again after death, everything before her was familiar. Looking at the body she had returned to, Xia Mo sneered. This time, she was determined to tear off the traitor's mask and live for herself! * On July 31, 2030, interstella 13.1kFavorites25.6kClicks/ch19kGifts

   Curator note

   The pacing is a bit off, and the character development is flat.

7. 7 无 A Shameless Rogue [Interstellar] 无耻之徒[星际] Feng Di风坻Romance971k WordsCompleted Xin Yi was a nobody at the bottom of society, barely scraping by. In the dead of winter, the corrupt governor of a remote satellite city had swallowed the council's funding from top to bottom. By chance, Xin Yi, now a refugee, came into possession of an electronic invitation to join the civil service. She filled in the name of an unlucky soul who had supposedly died in the refugee crisis: Daojin Li. From then on, Xin Yi transformed into an obscure low-level official. In less than half a year, 7.2kFavorites14.5kClicks/ch2.2kGifts

   Curator note

   The author's language skills are somewhat lacking. She probably has a fairly complete idea in her mind, but writing is not a tool that she can handle very well.

8. 8 狂 Wild Widow, Online and Unhinged 狂野寡妇，在线发癫 The Beginning of the Clouds初云之初Romance1.0M WordsCompleted The good news: My husband comes from a noble family, has a gentle nature, is fabulously wealthy, and is as handsome as Pan An. . Even better news: He died not long after we got married! . He died!!! . All he left me was a cold, grand mansion and a warm memorial tablet. . And a long, equally heartwarming string of numbers in the account books. . Qiao Ling: I'm a widow now. Am I not allowed to enjoy myself?!!! . The story of how my originally ordinary wife thrived after I died. . The little widow 132.6kFavorites218.7kClicks/ch408kGifts

   Curator note

   There are good points: a lawless female protagonist and a morally upright person. The story is set in an empire on the path to gender equality, with fantasy elements. Although there's no high-level political intrigue or extensive power struggles, the female protagonist doesn't live a repressed life. The problem is the use of female pronouns for male characters. It's like saying the physically strong, proactive, and capable of working outside the home are men, while the physically weak, passive, and confined to the home are women. Doesn't this still emphasize gender stereotypes? Can't we genuinely connect positive aspects with female pronouns? Is this using female pronouns to glorify men? Isn't this story supposed to break down these remaining feudal dregs? I feel the author is also conflicted; on one hand, she tries to do something subversive, but on the other hand, she's still bound by some stereotypes, which unconsciously show. I feel sorry for her.

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