I started listening to the audiobook this evening. I've been meaning to do a re-read for awhile. It's read quite well and the sound quality is great for an amateur. The chapter was okay, but at this point I think we're all just eager for resolution.

 

Apparently there will be only two more updates before it ends. The next chapter in four weeks and then the last update with even longer wait, but it will have several chapters. I'm guessing the author will need at least two months to prepare that. I wouldn't be surprised if we got it as a December present.

 

how did you know that out of curiosity? Some note or update somewhere I overlooked?

 

It's on the author's Patreon page too.

 

Update.

Spoiler

The summoning fight was good, and the overall feel of a large battle planned by multiple sides was great.

I still don't see how one more chapter finishes the story, even if split amongst a few chapters.

 

The final chapters are going to be around the November. Assuming the usual speed it would be 3-4 more chapters and I'm guessing that's how many we will get. That's enough to fully finish the battle, but I wouldn't expect too much from epilogue and how Zorian, assuming his success, adapts to the new reality. Maybe we will get that as a sequel or something?

 

I also thought the last chapter was pretty sweet. I would be pretty happy about a sequel or at least a couple of one shots that show him later in his life.

A full sequel should be about a different character though. Zorian and Zach are already so powerful that there are too few challenging enemies once the month is over. Kirielle would be a cool main character while she learns magic and goes on reckless adventures with that friend of hers.

 

Spoiler: Spoiler

Just some predictions before the big finale:

How Zorian solve's Zach contract problem:

I agree with someone on this forum that commented previously that Zorian will probably create an illusion to fool Zach while Zach thinks he is under the Mind Blank spell. He will then make illusions that will convince Zach that everyone that knew about the time-loop died in the invasion (including himself). He will only let Zach know the day after the Summer Festival (to make sure he is no longer under the effect of the angel's contract. At this point, I expect Zach will punch Zorian again at that point.

Imperial Treasures, etc. allocations:

Orb- will be left with Damien
Ring- will stay with the sentient wasps
Staff- will stay with Dragon in Blantyrre, but might tell Damien about it
Dagger- stay with Royals
Crown: either it will stay with the lich, or be transferred to Zach (Zorian would never consider keeping it around unless the lich was completely destroyed

Sand worm- stays with Sentient wasps
"Princess"- transferred from Zorian to Zach (too much of a hassle and draws to much attention for Zorian)

Who I predict could die in invasion:

Alanic (could sacrifice himself as redemption for the bad things he probably did in his past)
Kyron (heavily involved in the fighting)
Nora Boole (might be weak in combat)
Zenomir (might be weak in combat; his death could encourage Zorian to learn more languages)
Byrn (just to make Zorian feel bad)
One of the soul-bonded twins (to show how the invasion affected people)
Many of the aranea (so many of them involved in battle)
Rea (might be involved in fight; to make Zorian feel really bad, maybe)

Zorian's Payback:

Kael- alchemical research notes
Kirielle- cancel engagement, teach magic, maybe get into school
Taiven- hook her up with a better mentor
Xvim- research notes from time-loops
Alanic- locations of criminals
Lukav: no idea yet
Cyoria web: connection to Aope House, other notes, etc.
Luminous Advocates: no idea yet
Silent Doorway Adepts: gate keys to distant places, maybe hook them up with Taramatula House
River Navigators: maybe telepathic relays or other inventions that could help them out
Filigree Sages: introduce them to Nora Boole
Nora Boole: introduce her to Filigree Sages
Damien- Orb, maybe side with him on Marriage
Taramatula- maybe help with parents
Vanadic: no idea
Raynie- already helping her with brother, could become her friend as well
Tinami- introduce to aranea
Detective- info on criminals (in Cyoria)
Ilsa- help on true conjuration
Imaya- cure for infertility

Aftermath Predictions:

-Government will seize all assets of Cult members involved (and maybe some that weren't) to pay for damages
-Government will try to find group that helped stop invasion but never find it
-Zach will test out of Cyoria academy and go after 'caretaker' with a lot of incriminating evidence
-Zorian will tell Taiven about time loop after Summer Festival
-Zorian's parents will travel back through the portal the taramatula captured (which will become very important for trade and travel between the two continents
-Zorian will regret not getting more dating practice in the time-loop

 

Might wanna make it a spoiler. Could really ruin it for someone who just wants to see a review before reading the story.

 

I haven't read this story in a few months-- did we ever get who red robe was?

 

Spoiler: Red Robe

Yeah, it was Jornak, the lawyer. Tried to blame it on that noble kid with the anger issues and fire powers at first and tricked everyone but Zorian who saw right through his BS and called him out. Too be fair, there is still a chance that Zorian was wrong here and it is even another person but I don't think so. The whole thing kinda made sense although it seems ridiculous that Jornak figured out a way to trick the time loop before actually looping when Zorian and Zach couldn't. But I think it's blamed in him getting help from Quatach-Ichl and the Primordial. (Why Quatach-Ichl would do this, I don't know.

 

I mean, feels like going to page 61 of the discussion thread and getting spoiled would be on you no? You can read the first few pages for initial thoughts.

 

Spoiler

Jornak did the same thing Silverlake did. Which was just make a deal with the primordial and let it take care of getting you out. He didn't have to figure out a way to cheat, just make a deal with the devil. It was only after that deal was made that he started looping and powering up.

 

I am simultaneously happy and upset that I took this long to start reading this. I suspect being able to read almost the entirety of the story in a few days rather than over 8 years contributed heavily to my enjoyment of it. Especially due to the hints and plot elements introduced early on being fresh in my mind when the author returns to them later down the line.

The story is so well told and fresh that it was a struggle to put it down and as a result it devoured all of my free time ever since I started reading it. The story plays with so many common elements of time travel stories (such as the Aranea and the existence of Zach and Red robe) but does interesting and varied things with them, never allowing the overall plot to feel samey despite the groundhog day hook.

When it comes to the issue of show and tell, I actually very much appreciate the authors use of it. I think the use of telling and summarising the story is smart and allows the author to escape the trapings of the theme of repetition and not allowing the story to become boring to the reader.

5/5

 

I've been reading this page to see if it's done or not. Might do a reread then. Would prefer no spoilers.

 

I’ve been reading this for a while—up around chapter 60 now—and I’m of two minds.

On one hand, I’m very interested in the mystery, impressed by the worldbuilding, and glad that the author has provided a suitably difficult challenge so that people with time travel—a massive advantage—are actually challenged by something.

On the other hand, the writing itself leaves some things to be desired. For one thing, every character speaks with the same voice. It doesn’t matter if they’re a teacher, a student, or a thousand-year-old archmage, everyone has the same speech patterns, the same vocabulary. It becomes monotonous after a while. I also am peeved by the use of phrases like “tanked damage,” there overall seems to be sort of a “gamer” vocabulary (for lack of a better term) that I feel doesn’t mesh with the rest of the setting, but that very well may be something that only bothers me.

Beyond the sameness of character voice, the characters themselves don’t do much to leave an impact. I just don’t feel connected to any of them, and truthfully wouldn’t care much if they were to live or die. Beyond the obvious ways in which this story is similar to a video game, the characters themselves all feel very bare-bones and focused only on moving the plot where it needs to go.

This story puts a heavy premium on plot and worldbuilding. That’s not a horrible thing, because the worldbuilding is pretty interesting and the plot is mysterious—I’m still interested in the central mystery even after dozens of chapters. This has a consequence, though, and at times this feels like some Dungeonmaster’s worldbuilding Bible with a loose story grafted on to it more than an actual story.

I think this leaves me with rating the story a 3/5. For as intrigued I am by the plot and how impressed I am with the word, those are only two parts of a story and I can’t find myself going higher than that.