Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

When I wrote the title of this book, I had a fire burning inside me. I want to write a story about how the torrent of industry swept away evil spirits; I want to write a story about the collision of technology and the extraordinary; I want to write about the feeling of industrial assembly line creations exceeding the limits of human understanding, indescribable and incomprehensible.

Actually, I prefer the concept of an industrial mage to an industrial Cthulhu. There used to be a saying that a man who's still a virgin at thirty will become a mage. Why? Because if you haven't dated by thirty, where has all your energy gone? If you've spent it on mechanical, electrical, computer, or communications engineering, you can become an industrial mage (spellcasting category).

The introduction is quite interesting, like a Don Quixote-like perspective on the Industrial Age.

In the cold, indifferent universe, we are slaves to machines. In the endless war, we are warriors of steel. Great Omnisiah, grant us strength. Let our engines roar, let our ammunition load! For your glory, we will fight to the very end. We are your followers, we are your believers. We will prove our worth in the war. O Omnisaiah, guide our path. Let us find light in the darkness.

In the name of the sacred binary code, praise Omnesia! Glory be to the god of all machines! May the gears of loyalty never rust!!! Ring the bell once! Push the lever to start the piston and pump. Ring the bell twice! Press the button, start the engine, ignite the turbine, and inject life. Ring the bell three times! Sing in unison, praising the god of all machines!

Neither industrial nor Cthulhu

The comments section says it gets better later on, but the early parts are already a bit hard to stick with. If it's an industrial novel, the protagonist's science and engineering background and the writing style should convey a sense of rationality and precision. However, the early parts feel sentimental and naive, as if the world and NPCs are playing house with the protagonist.

One major flaw is that the book still only has a few thousand people later on? A few thousand people running industry? Chapter 80 is full of irrelevant information and omits a crucial point! What about the population? The territory? The food supply? There's practically no description of any of it!

Feigning illness. I can't stand it. If you sit on the throne and insist you're not a god, what are you doing behind the scenes? The bunch of positive reviews are hilarious. It's tedious, overly sentimental, and has no main plot. Goodbye.

The protagonist's throne has a strong resemblance to Source Castle, and the industrial iron system, especially its initial development, has a strong Dawnbreaker vibe. The banshee's design is even a low-budget version of the Siren from Dawnbreaker. This novel is getting increasingly difficult to read; I'll read a few dozen more chapters to see what happens next.