GivingTree

I've been reading this story since just before the hiatus that had the author gone for a month or two, and during that time I didn't forget about this story. I checked back on it frequently, because it delivered on what I really wanted from a deckbuilding litrpg (which sadly has to call itself a card-based litrpg to differentiate itself from fake-deckbuilders like All The Skills) and it has to continued to deliver now that the author is back and keeping up a very impressive update schedule.

The main character (Dylan) is a person with faults, makes mistakes, and most importantly I'm convinced that the reason he spends so much time musing on his cards isn't because this is a litrpg about cards and instead is due to him being that kind of person. This helps immensely with immersion, and because so many of his decisions are founded in his character rather than simply being the optimal thing to do, I can see myself making different decisions in his shoes and wonder at the possibilities.

I also enjoy the world a great deal, which is one that is clearly well-thought-out beyond the immediate things we are being shown moment to moment. I'll admit, the exposition can run long and that may be a problem for some people but its simply the kind of story this is (and the kind of style the writer has and does well at) and at the very least it is always exposition that provides new information rather than repeating itself constantly. I find it captures my imagination, and the length of a section of description might be long enough to take note of but is rarely enough to harm my experience. Because of the amount of words used at a time, the story can be rather slow. You may notice that it took a little over thirty chapters to cover the first dungeon. That's because a lot happens in the first dungeon, but its also a consequence of the writing style. I happen to enjoy it, but it isn't for everyone. I will say that the main plot, what we've seen of it so far, has the potential to be very interesting.

Like a lot of authors, Husr used to write fanfiction. I used to read that fanfiction, and I get from Conquest of Avalon a much-matured and far-improved version of the experience I always received from their works. I observe a turn of phrase here and there that makes me chuckle, or I admire the degree to which each character is 'themself' rather than a vehicle for an invisible author, and then one of those moments comes along.

A revelation or swell of information comes in the story, and the fog clears, or the dawn breaks, or whatever analogy you want to use. The point is that you glimpse for a moment the stunning intricacy of a world that you now swear would continue to turn if freed from the page. Old clues recontextualised, your theories proven right or wrong, and you see the extent to which even elements you dismissed as insignificant were leading up to this, were always leading up to this. And there is further to go yet.

I find Conquest of Avalon emminently stylish, the story woven to be intricate and yet easily-digestible, it's grammar impeccable, and it's multiple PoV characters charming each in their own way.

Some might be put off by the time spent pre-system, but I see it as a showcase of skill. This story isn't one that jumps directly into things and splatters boxes all over the first chapter in order to distract you, it's one that has layers of thought put into all aspects of its world. As the author, Sleyca, moves towards fulfilling their promise of a superhero system, every word serves only to convince me that I made the right choice to keep reading. That what I'm going to recieve is going to be better than I could find elsewhere, and will be even better than that because of the build-up going on in so many places I'm not 100% sure I even caught all of it. World-building manages to drop the important details naturally, characters are each unique without being tropey, and the system has all the hallmarks of being built with enough depth that it won't run dry before the story is wrapped up with a nice little bow.

I'm hungry for more, I would subscribe to a Patreon if there were one, and the only reason I left the style score at 4.5/5 is because I'm sure what will be delivered is better than what I've already seen (and to make it look less like I give 5s away like candy)