No Isekai/Reincarnation/Cultivation Cheats!

[bulmabriefs144]

I'm getting really peeved at the rise of isekai/reincarnation stuff.

It basically took over the fantasy genre. Please please please can someone find me something where there is actual worldbuilding, where the character is born there, and there isn't yet another cheat character?

Also, no cultivation stuff either. I'm tired of the cultivation genre hijacking fantasy too.

Can someone find me some good fantasy that is not any of those things? Preferably as epic as possible.
If it has crossdressing or transgender stuff even better.

Preferably not my book as it has those things, but well, I've read it.

 

[Kouneko]

I'm getting really peeved at the rise of isekai/reincarnation stuff.

It basically took over the fantasy genre. Please please please can someone find me something where there is actual worldbuilding, where the character is born there, and there isn't yet another cheat character?

Also, no cultivation stuff either. I'm tired of the cultivation genre hijacking fantasy too.

Can someone find me some good fantasy that is not any of those things? Preferably as epic as possible.
If it has crossdressing or transgender stuff even better.

Preferably not my book as it has those things, but well, I've read it.

Same here

 

[longer]

I'm getting really peeved at the rise of isekai/reincarnation stuff.

It basically took over the fantasy genre. Please please please can someone find me something where there is actual worldbuilding, where the character is born there, and there isn't yet another cheat character?

Isekai has no affect on world building. You can still have a thoroughly developed setting with isekai, it's just mass produced isekai appear shallow. But so do mass produced regular fantasies. And neither does isekai mean cheat character. It's a popular type of isekai since power fantasies appeals to a lot of people. Though isekai functions perfectly fine without it.

 

[Jailbreak571]

...
-Principle of a philosopher by eternal fool "Asley"
-does salvos count here? I mean that isn't technically isekai in our world right?
-silent witch
-goblin slayer
-my daughter grew up to "rank s" adventurer
-sevens
-the lazy king


I'll add more when I find more later.
edit: well, I could've found more but I stopped here because I'm getting bored finding the old novels that I read lol. Also, I couldn't find any cross-dressing stuff in my reading list so uh yeah.

 

[Yairy]

I dunno. You can try my story Radiant Prism. Fantasy with world-building and no isekai, reincarnation cultivation, or cheats. Other than that, it's what's popular at the moment.

Hope you find that perfect story!~

 

[Western42]

Well, I'll suggest the Girl Who Ate Death...I think that is the name. That story is what got me involved on ScribbleHub in the first place. And NO, it is not on ScribbleHub. I read it on a site for novels and the such, and while searching for more similar stories, I stumbled upon this site here. There is also The Girl Raised by the Death God Holds the Sword of Darkness in Her Arms, which does have a manga of it too, but that is kinda iffy.

If that is not your cup of tea, then now is my time for a shameless ad! Read The Princess And Her Warmonger, or really any story involved in the Nostalisk World series. Or, if that's not your tea either(by the way I hate tea), then I recommend The Clown And The Pink-Haired Delinquent...(though that is a story only the mindless can enjoy), She Who Was Raised By Ogres, Magical Girls Might Be Psychopaths, Zenar 24, Poor Little Kallie, Her Traitor, Candy Pop, and Sardinia! What Is Innocence...(though that story is also messed up....kinda).

Anyway, hope ya find a story for you soon!

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Writing an isekai where my summoned (not reincarnated, not transmigrated) MC isn't a cheat, slowly growing as he interacts with people around him, uses his connections and diplomatic skills to achieve his goals (instead of solving problems with brute force), and side characters/female leads that ARE actually useful and not just 'rah rah' people for MC.

Guess what? I got panned. I'm still continuing with it though.

Lesson: writing stories going against popular expectations is hard, especially for starting authors like me.

 

[bulmabriefs144]

Isekai has no affect on world building. You can still have a thoroughly developed setting with isekai, it's just mass produced isekai appear shallow. But so do mass produced regular fantasies. And neither does isekai mean cheat character. It's a popular type of isekai since power fantasies appeals to a lot of people. Though isekai functions perfectly fine without it.

You can, but you often don't. There is a disgusting amount of the following:

-Boy/girl is a loser
-Said loser gets hit by truck
-Author pretends to be a god and offers said loser (who is also the author) cool powers
-Which get more and more demanding and story-breaking as time goes on
-Also a harem. Because I love polygamy so much and not an engaging love story
-Oh yeah, and they have a status bar and freaking levels sometimes

No! What I love is some work done to world building. For the character to fit into a party, for there to be a real sense that the group is protecting them not that they are an invincible mage, and for there to be a sense that there are event in the kingdom. Oh yeah, and a real romance.

Terry Brooks stories are a good example. It wasn't until the third story that the main characters even got a power of their own, before that, they had to depend on the party. Though his romances usually had excessive effort on romantic lead A, only to stick us with plan B at the last second.

Currently reading Her True Form.

Her True Form

Yvette knows she's a girl, no matter how many people tell her she must be something else. Having spent most of her life studying the arcane arts she is finally prepared to face the greatest challenge of all. Becoming the woman she's always known she was meant to be. With...

www.scribblehub.com

It technically does meet the standards I want, though one of the characters annoys the heck out of my (he's a douche that keeps belittling the main character).

You can try my story Radiant Prism. Fantasy with world-building and no isekai, reincarnation cultivation, or cheats. Other than that, it's what's popular at the moment.

I might check that out. No crossdressing, but girl's love is cute too. And I like Yandere more than most.

 

[Dieter]

go to royalroad

 

[Rellawing]

Good points, Hans! Isekai aren't inferior to western fantasy novels and series. It's down to how they're written. I do think that many tend to have shallower stories, which is why I try to make sure that my characters and settings are well-developed.

I've forayed twice into the isekai realm, one written when I was feeling a bit loopy and silly (Kamifan) and despite being a shallow story like most isekai, I don't feel that my Euphonia series will be considered by readers to be a simple story with weak characters like most isekai tend to be once people find out just how much work I've put in the world's history along with the character development.

You can, but you often don't. There is a disgusting amount of the following:

-Boy/girl is a loser
-Said loser gets hit by truck
-Author pretends to be a god and offers said loser (who is also the author) cool powers
-Which get more and more demanding and story-breaking as time goes on
-Also a harem. Because I love polygamy so much and not an engaging love story
-Oh yeah, and they have a status bar and freaking levels sometimes

No! What I love is some work done to world building. For the character to fit into a party, for there to be a real sense that the group is protecting them not that they are an invincible mage, and for there to be a sense that there are event in the kingdom. Oh yeah, and a real romance.

Terry Brooks stories are a good example. It wasn't until the third story that the main characters even got a power of their own, before that, they had to depend on the party. Though his romances usually had excessive effort on romantic lead A, only to stick us with plan B at the last second.

Currently reading Her True Form.

Her True Form

Yvette knows she's a girl, no matter how many people tell her she must be something else. Having spent most of her life studying the arcane arts she is finally prepared to face the greatest challenge of all. Becoming the woman she's always known she was meant to be. With...

www.scribblehub.com

It technically does meet the standards I want, though one of the characters annoys the heck out of my (he's a douche that keeps belittling the main character).

I might check that out. No crossdressing, but girl's love is cute too. And I like Yandere more than most.

I agree with you! Terry Brooks books are wonderful, though anyone can find a flaw in anything with determination. Series written by David Eddings, Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, L. E. Modesitt Jr., Jack L. Chalker, Piers Anthony, Margaret Weis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen R. Donaldson - These are the authors that I most dearly loved growing up. Fantasy novelists all.

 

[skribe]

Coils of the Serpent

The job was simple: find out why the barges had stopped coming down the river. Surely a group of war veterans could see to that, and have a few laughs along the way. But why had the baron prevented his own people from investigating? And why did their captain insist...

www.scribblehub.com

Pretty much straight fantasy. Even has a map!

go to royalroad

RR is filled with anime-style stories as well. Apart from my own recent work, I have yet to find any traditional fantasy (non LitRPG) stuff on RR. I'm sure it's there, but it's not popular and so hard to find.

 

[Comiak]

 

[WinterTimeCrime]

Let’s Imagine a Female Knight From Another World

The distant lands of Euphoria are plagued with corrupt kings, ruthless knights, savage beasts, and endless bloodshed. After dying an unseemly death, Momoko Miwa meets with the Goddess of Sorcery, who offers her refuge in the world to defeat the foreboding Evil King. Unfortunately, due to her...

www.scribblehub.com

I got tired of the abundance of isekai/reincarnation stories that were incredibly unrealistic as well and decided to write one for myself. Psychological horror with tons of worldbuilding, wars, and gruesome fight scenes including a protagonist that utilizes no magic, only a sword, and her wit.

Check it out, I have a few chapters posted here on SH.

 

[kelpough]

• A Travelling Mage's Almanac
• Millennial Mage
• Heretical Oaths (love interest is trans)

 

[RainingSky]

You are welcome to try out my story.

No Isekai in it, MC and all relevant Charas born there, magic users and otherwhise postapocalypic (urban) fantasy magic world.

We the Villains

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Good points, Hans! Isekai aren't inferior to western fantasy novels and series. It's down to how they're written. I do think that many tend to have shallower stories, which is why I try to make sure that my characters and settings are well-developed.

Why did I only see this reply now?

In any case, yes, isekai can be good as long as the writer invests time to research, and develop, his/her narrative.

However, the problem with that genre is that, it is now associated with the shallow, one-dimensional character-filled stories. I guess it can still be 'salvaged' but it's an uphill battle.

And most readers are not forgiving, even if they want 'new', or 'diverse' stories.

 

[CGiverny]

I'm getting really peeved at the rise of isekai/reincarnation stuff.

It basically took over the fantasy genre. Please please please can someone find me something where there is actual worldbuilding, where the character is born there, and there isn't yet another cheat character?

Also, no cultivation stuff either. I'm tired of the cultivation genre hijacking fantasy too.

Can someone find me some good fantasy that is not any of those things? Preferably as epic as possible.
If it has crossdressing or transgender stuff even better.

Preferably not my book as it has those things, but well, I've read it.

If you're still looking for fantasy books, I just started posting it on Scribblehub, but maybe look at my book Forgotten. It's an epic fantasy with lots of world-building (because the two MCs travel through 7 realms of the world). It does have retellings, but they're a sub-plot to the main plot.

Forgotten

Cal has travelled the human realm, listening to and telling stories. Now he's on a quest to hear all the stories of the greatest legend - from the mysterious Fae herself. A legend who is even rumored to have been involved in the disappearance of a powerful noble family a...

www.scribblehub.com

I do have more chapters posted on Tapas if you want to read more.

Read Forgotten | Tapas Web Community

Read Forgotten and more premium Fantasy Community now on Tapas!

tapas.io

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

 

[proxybaba]

I'm getting really peeved at the rise of isekai/reincarnation stuff.

It basically took over the fantasy genre. Please please please can someone find me something where there is actual worldbuilding, where the character is born there, and there isn't yet another cheat character?

Also, no cultivation stuff either. I'm tired of the cultivation genre hijacking fantasy too.

Can someone find me some good fantasy that is not any of those things? Preferably as epic as possible.
If it has crossdressing or transgender stuff even better.

Preferably not my book as it has those things, but well, I've read it.

I thought the same thing and wrote my own, if you are interested then read my work

Elven Lies I : Books of Fate [A High Fantasy Action Series]

[Regression] [Transmigration] [Other Worlders] We have it all here in more than 250,000 words. Go ahead and enjoy. 'People born in power may seem to have it all, but they too have their fair share of troubles to deal with.' Discover a world of magic and mystery, where the desire...

www.scribblehub.com

ps - it is the high fantasy series with real world building. the world does revolve around the MC and also progresses on its own

 

[PervyCatHermit]

...after reading the definition of Isekai in this thread, I wonder if I should stop labelling my story as such. I just assumed the Isekai genre referred to travelling to another world.

 

[OP1000]

I would reccomend checking out the story known as 'The Vampire's Templar'. It involves a main character who was once a human knight that gets turned into a vampire, there are girls love and genderbender elements to the story as well.

Also check out the 'Withces of Floroma' series. I will warn you that there are minor references to the existence of reincarnated people in the story, but they do not have any major roles in the story where the main character is concerned. This story also has girls love and genderbender elements to it.