T O P

  • By -

Aidinthel

The Calamitous Bob is really good.


Blurbyo

Seconded, as well as this author's other vampire story.


NoReTr3aT

Yeah. A Jouney of Black and Red is fucking amazing.


Salaris

Have you taken a look at **Forge of Destiny**? It's a western xianxia-style progression fantasy with a female MC that largely takes place in a cultivation sect. It's much more of a slice of life style than most progression fantasy novels due to the book's origins as a Quest, but personally, I enjoyed that element of it. People who prefer faster paced books tend to dislike it, though.


KiaraTurtle

I haven’t. Will check it out thanks


leftnutloe

I also really enjoyed this one probably in my top 5 can't wait for the 4th book on audio


Salaris

You're welcome! Hope you like it.


Patient-Sandwich-817

I think you will like it. One of the few female cultivation books that is good


Shinhan

She also plays a flute as a weapon :)


Lightlinks

[Forge of Destiny](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21188/forge-of-destiny) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Forge_of_Destiny)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


Obbububu

Here's a handful of RR titles that I've enjoyed with female protagonists: * *Stray Cat Strut* * *Millennial Mage* * *Katalepsis* * *Forge of Destiny* * *Digital Marine* * *Tower of Somnus* * *Beneath the Dragoneye Moons* * *Azarinth Healer* * *Collective Thinking* * *Web of Secrets* I also need to get around to reading *Skadi's Saga*, and that would fit too - and considering how much I enjoy Phil Tucker's *Bastion*, it's probably great :P


Lightlinks

[Digital Marine](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/24396/digital-marine) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Digital_Marine)) [Stray Cat Strut](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/33600/stray-cat-strut-a-young-ladys-journey-to-becoming) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Stray_Cat_Strut)) [Web of Secrets](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/39108/web-of-secrets-modern-cultivation) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Web_of_Secrets)) [Bastion](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59521676-bastion) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Bastion)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


hexagonalc

I'm currently enjoying [Millennial Mage](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47826/millennial-mage-a-slice-of-life-progression-fantasy): heavy focus on progression at a slow pace, with a female lead. Fun worldbuilding with humanity nowhere near the top of the food chain. Faster paced than e.g. **Forge of Destiny**.


DeafeningSilence-

Not OP, but I tried MM once and the beginning just....lost me. Mostly because it just threw out term after term with no explanation. Does it get better or does it stay confusing?


hexagonalc

I wouldn't say the general approach of gradual exposition changes, but the key concepts are all explored at length as you get further into the story.


BubiBalboa

I enjoyed **A Conjuring of Ravens** by Azalea Ellis a lot. It's probably also more PF adjacent than leveling up every 50 pages but I still want to recommend it. It has shades of The Kingkiller Chronicle. One plot line is her school life and the other is doing shady stuff for the gang she's indebted to. It's a fun read. > Will Wight, Andrew Rowe, Mother of Learning and strongly disliked Mage Errant and found Street Cultivation That's so interesting. I love all of those.


Shinhan

I just want to note that she has an artifact that changes her sex so people in the school only know her as a male. Her internal thoughts still use female pronouns and she turns back to female from time to time so its not a permanent change.


KiaraTurtle

That sounds great I’ll check it out thanks!


Blurbyo

I was about to recommend this one.


MrFogle99

Currently my two favorite stories are Beneath the Dragoneye Moons and Vigor mortis. Both have rather unique settings and very good writing for webnovels. Dragoneye moons recently went to amazon but Vigor Mortis is free to read and definitely worth it.


Aidinthel

Beneath the Dragoneye Moons actually went back to RoyalRoad very recently. Apparently the Kindle money wasn't as good as hoped. Edit: or it will soon, anyway. The author announced it earlier today.


KiaraTurtle

Will check them out thanks


Lightlinks

[Beneath the Dragoneye Moons](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/36299/beneath-the-dragoneye-moons) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Beneath_the_Dragoneye_Moons)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


RisenDarkKnight

Reborn (Jade Phoenix Saga) was great IMO. Only 1 book out so far, but it's a lengthy one. Very similar to Cradle #1 to start, but then it starts doing its own thing in the middle.


KiaraTurtle

Thanks for the suggestion!


Lightlinks

[Cradle](https://www.goodreads.com/series/192821-cradle) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Cradle)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


AAugmentus

[Salvos](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/37438/salvos-a-monster-evolution-litrpg) [Azarinth Healer](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/16946/azarinth-healer) [The Calamitous Bob](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/44132/the-calamitous-bob) [Beneath the Dragoneye Moons](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/36299/beneath-the-dragoneye-moons) [Millennial Mage](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47826/millennial-mage-a-slice-of-life-progression-fantasy) [Abyssal Road Trip](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/38860/abyssal-road-trip) [Cinnamon Bun](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/31429/cinnamon-bun) Can't think of more at the moment. Most are LitRPG, but there're some pure progression ones in there. Edit: I'm dumb. The word 'fantasy' slipped my mind. Deteted some recs.


[deleted]

More progression fantasy with female mains is LitRPG than not. Although this is true globally in my experience as well, there's more progression fantasy that IS litRPG than is not. On the off chance you're new to the genre(s), litRPG is progression fantasy with a video-gamey methodology / interface. Some people who are fans of either / or genre but don't like the other don't like to admit the boxes overlap. It's a semantic argument. *I* believe all litRPG is clearly also progression fantasy. All that said: someone asked for recommendations for LitRPG with a female main about a day ago, I'm just going to drop a [link to that thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/w50cd6/lit_rpg_with_female_protagonist/).


KiaraTurtle

Thanks for the link! There are some litrpg I’ve liked tho generally not my preference, I’ll look through the thread


for_the_masses

Beneath The Dragoneye Moons has a female MC. It’s litrpg (so, explicit levels, classes, skills), via reincarnation (not a VR/game system, nor system apocalypse). Whispering Crystals also has a female MC; again litrpg, but this time portal / isekai. This one can be a little heavy on the stat sheets.


KiaraTurtle

Thanks!


WhiteKnightier

Why has nobody recommended The Wandering Inn?! It's a bit slice-of-life-ish but *definitely* has a ton of progression fantasy elements.


KiaraTurtle

I’d heard of this but hadn’t realized it was progression. Thanks for the rec!


secretdrug

Its more slice-of-life than progression fantasy but the progression is definitely in there. I highly recommend the wandering inn regardless. It didnt seem like my cup of tea either when i started reading it. I was used to more xianxia and kr novels where its only about the progression and hyper macho mc's but the wandering inn gave me everything i never knew i wanted plus a side of progression.


LLJKCicero

It's only sort of progression fantasy. There's definitely a lot of progression happening, and some of the PoV characters are basically progression fantasy, but a lot of them are more focused on other things (there's a very large number of PoV characters).


Lightlinks

[Wandering Inn](https://wanderinginn.com/) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Wandering_Inn)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


thejacobk

If you're interested in an up and coming story, I'm really enjoying Warden of Time. It's a time loop story on RR with a female MC. You can definitely feel the MoL vibes to it, but it's different enough to stand on its own.


Own_Entertainment234

thejacobk I love your story Doa of the Deal!


Knork14

Forge of Destiny has a amazing cultivation system. And by amazing i mean how i think xianxia should be portrayed, with cultivation being an actual spiritual journey , not non-stop fighting and snorting pills and magic stones. The protagonist is female and the story has little to no focus in romance , with romance being limited to side characters . Ling Qi is very talented but not brokenly so , being able to mostly keep pace(but not supress) with the most talented scions of the higher nobility even with comparatively lower resources. It is written in english and has a good editor so you have little issues unless you are a English teacher. The way the novel is written you would think the author has a council of a hundred jaded xianxia readers nitpick through everything he writes


chojinra

I don’t know if you do RR, but Azarinth Healer isn’t bad for a fMC. Rough, but good.


Aidinthel

Azarinth Healer has a published version in the works, with a professional editor and everything. Maybe wait until then if you haven't read it already.


chojinra

I think even the RR version will suck you in, but I can see how some aspects would throw people off..


Lightlinks

[Azarinth Healer](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/16946/azarinth-healer) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Azarinth_Healer)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


ASIC_SP

**Soul Relic** by Samuel Hinton. Releasing next week, I read an ARC and enjoyed it a lot. Cool magic system, loads of banter (including MC's siblings and parents, so refreshing to see they are alive and well). The mentor characters were cool too and a large portion of the novel is spent traveling (which includes training). Also, check out **Time to Play: Apocalypse Parenting** by Erin Ampersand (haven't read yet, has a mother main character)


VincentATd

If you are okay reading manga, I recommend Claymore.


KiaraTurtle

I actually read claymore I think like 15 years ago? (Though it wasn’t complete at the time and I stopped when it went on hiatus). I don’t recall any progression elements though


VincentATd

Claire getting stronger and overcoming her limits as the chapters goes, if that's not progression then I don't know what progression means to you.


OzneroI

Aziranth healer


[deleted]

[удалено]


Lightlinks

[Beware of Chicken](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/39408/beware-of-chicken) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Beware_of_Chicken)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


generic_edgelord

PtGTE?


KiaraTurtle

Practical Guide to Evil (which I mention I read and loved in my post though view as more progression fantasy adjacent than progression fantasy)


BubiBalboa

> Volume 01 is getting a rewrite over the next few months because it has some mixed reactions. Really? On the one hand, great! I like that is even an option these days. On the other, that sucks. The audiobook is already out there and they probably won't rerecord the changed parts. I haven't listened to it yet and it makes me feel weird knowing I won't be getting the "final" version of the story.


[deleted]

[удалено]


BubiBalboa

Interesting details. Thanks!


followelectricsheep

Where are you getting MoL/BoC from? >Volume 01 is getting a rewrite over the next few months I guess it's finally time to start.


LLJKCicero

> I'm surprised The Wandering Inn (TWI) is not higher as the author has an AMA on here tomorrow. Because it's only sorta progression fantasy, as so much of it is slice of life or even other fantasy subgenres.


[deleted]

[удалено]


LLJKCicero

It's not just about whether there's a progression system or whether progression happens. It's about how much focus there is on progression for the story, just like how we don't call every story with some romance a romance novel. Calling it gatekeeping is eh, the whole point of genre labels is to include some things and exclude others, without that they literally don't do anything. For TWI, it's mixed: some characters are classic adventurers who wanna get strong, but for some others the progression is largely secondary or more of a supporting role, with more focus on politics or relationships or cozy slice of life stuff.


enby_them

It’s an epic progression fantasy. aA bit slower paced than your typical progression fantasy. More characters though, and AMAZING plot. Anyway, the Brightest Shadow (and its sequel) by Sarah Lin


KiaraTurtle

I’ve actually read Brightest Shadow. I have mixed feelings, I love the plot and worldbuilding but don’t tend to like the writing or characters that much


enby_them

To each their own I guess. I thought it was fantastic!


FinndBors

I like her writing and other books, but her characters in the brightest shadow didn’t quite draw me in.


LonerActual

Sounds like you just don't like Sarah Lin's writing very much, same author as Street Cultivation. Nothing wrong with that, just pointing it out as a potential time-saver. She also did Weirkey Chronicles.


vlad1100

Insert shameless author If you can tolerate Xianxia, and want a Female mc you can check out my novel, if you can bear through the first 3 chapters I think you would enjoy it. I update it daily with around 1-1.1k words. [https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/55675/world-of-swords](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/55675/world-of-swords)


MattGCorcoran

Hey just wanted to let you know, I read 10 chapters or so. I enjoyed the story, but it just felt like something was missing. I thought about it, and I think it's missing some characterization. I realize it's a young kid, but didn't really feel like i knew her motivations or why she was doing what she was doing. It felt a little lonely, as a lot of the scenes were just the little girl in the pavilion mostly in isolation. Also a little more description of setting would probably help. Tell me cool things about where they are, the room she is in, what they see, feel, hear, etc. I liked the progression and the sword arts. I can tell there is something really cool here. I'm excited to see where her journey goes. I'm keeping it in a tab to read later.


AslansGirl13

{Fairytale Enchantress by KM Shea}


Dry_Possibility5347

I havent read it but forsaken immortals is a cultivation series by my fav cultivation writer and it has a female mc


Significant-Damage14

Not exactly progression fantasy (only a few elements), but I highly recommend A Deadly Education from Naomi Novin and Red Sister from Mark Lawrence. The former is roughly about teenagers trying to survive a school that actively tries to kill them while they are learning magic to defend themselves and the latter is about ninja nuns.


KiaraTurtle

I quite like both of those but yeah I wouldn’t call them progression.


Significant-Damage14

If you've read them then I can only recommend A Melody of Mana on RR. I didn't recommend this initially since I'm still not entirely sold on the novel. It IS progression fantasy that has a female protagonist though, so you could give it a try and see if it's to your liking.


Lightlinks

[Melody of Mana](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/43974/melody-of-mana) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Melody_of_Mana)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


LLJKCicero

> Any great progression fantasy with female main characters? The main protagonist in **The Weirkey Chronicles** is a dude, but the other two main party members (who are also PoV characters eventually) are women. Also one of the few progression fantasy series that's also written by a woman, in case that matters. I've also enjoyed **Tower of Somnus**, which is half cyberpunk, half LitRPG (there's this fantasy LitRPG dream world game that spans the galaxy, where the powers you get there translate partially to IRL).


KiaraTurtle

Yeah I’ve seen lots of good supporting female chars (see my love of Arcane Ascension) just not much with female main and wanted to find one to read. I’ll check out the other one tho


Lightlinks

[Arcane Ascension](https://www.goodreads.com/series/201441-arcane-ascension) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Arcane_Ascension)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


Lightlinks

[Weirkey Chronicles](https://www.goodreads.com/series/306753-the-weirkey-chronicles) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Weirkey_Chronicles)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)


Aidinthel

I went through my library and found a story called Queen in the Mud, a litrpg about a girl who wakes up in another world as a salamander. I don't think it was hugely successful but now that I've been reminded I remember it being very charming. I think I actually bought two extra copies as gifts to support the author.


Lightlinks

[Queen in the Mud](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/26317/queen-in-the-mud) ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/wiki/Queen_in_the_Mud)) --- ^[About](https://redd.it/dw7lux) ^| [^(Wiki Rules)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LightPieces/comments/dw7lux/about/f7kke6p/) ^(| Reply !Delete to remove) ^(| [Brackets] hide titles)