Shadow Slave

LV 15

Guiltythree

Shameless author here :) Writing a review for your own book is not easy, so I'll just say a few things. Also, if you have any questions about the novel, you can leave them in the comments! - "First of all, what is this book about?" It's about a guy named Sunny who lives in a dystopian future where some people are forced to periodically visit a magical world and battle terrible monsters. If they survive, they receive special powers. - "What type of guy is Sunny?" He is a cynical, disillusioned young man with a bleak outlook on life. But! He has a sense of humor and a strong desire to not only survive but also thrive in this world. You'll like him, I promise. - "Will he be overpowered?" Not really. He will certainly become powerful, but not powerful enough to steamroll over his enemies. Every victory Sunny achieves will be won with cunning, hard work, and skill. So, more of a Dark Souls type of situation. - "Will there be romance?" Yes, but a slow one. - "Romance, you say! So... a harem? There is a harem, right?" Not really. Sunny will be surrounded by a lot of beautiful people, both male a female, but he will probably only have one romantic relationship. Uh... one at a time, at least. We'll see! - "How often are you updating?" Currently, I'm dedicated to writing one chapter every day. The amount may increase in the future, but it depends on a lot of factors. - And, finally... "Aren't you too full of yourself? You rated your book five stars!" What can I say, it's a great book. One of the best books I've ever written! I've only written one other book, but still. It's definitely one of the top two best books I've written in my life. If you don't believe me, check for yourself ;)

LV 11

Ashton_A

Over my course of reading novels for years I have to say this is by far one of if not the best novel I've ever read. The plot, background, and characters are original following NO cliches, they are utterly amazing and brings a new concept to magic and powers. The character in no way feel one dimensional and all feel like living, breathing characters. The main character is relatable but at the same time not as we are not in his situation. The MC has a brain and uses it yet actually has emotions even though at first he seems kind of cruel which was pretty cool also. MC is not OP but also not weak and uses his intelligence to defeat his obstacles including the greatest one, his flaw. Flaws an amazing system the author made to show some kind of downside of getting powers besides the obvious risk of death in a nightmare. At first I was unconvinced by the flaws importance to the novel and felt something were forced for about... 1 chapter. The chapter after I immediately realized the importance of the flaw and how satisfying it was to see him shape what he says in a way that doesnt break the rules of his flaw. Him outsmarting others even while under a flaw is the most satisfying thing ever. Personally, I abhore any romance in novels, mainly because its a reminder of my loneliness and it is usually forced or stupid, however even though they havent yet, there are moments, and I will genuinely stab my eyes out if the MC and Changing Star don't hook up, perfect webnovel couple. The grammar is impeccable, not sure about updating stability because I just read it all in one go. Background is detailed without being too much exposition, and is ORIGINAL and actually very interesting. Especially the authors way of utilizing prophecies which I cant go to far into because of spoiling. But the prophecy seemed well though out, had me wishing for a explanation, and honestly cant complain. All in all this novel is the one true gem of webnovel and should make all the other trash bow down and delete itself. I am now going to donate power stones every day. Please give this novel a chance, while its a little slow at first, after a few chapters it will not dissapoint. Especially the comedy, its actually funny. Author, never give up on this novel or I will hunt you down and make you continue writing. This feels like it has been written by a famous author.

LV 15

GhastlyGryffon

Hey there folks, Griffin here. Resident music composer, game developer, and occasional enjoyer of good books. I’m here to give a COMPLETELY UNBIASED review of Shadow Slave, written by a good buddy of mine named Guiltythree. Before getting into an actual review, I’d like to start by saying that my absolute favorite part of this piece of literature, beyond the awesome story, is the community surrounding it. The Shadow Slave discord server is one of the few online spaces I have been a been active in that truly makes me feel like I’m part of a family. And that isn’t just because I recently found out that I’m long lost cousins with the one of the lead moderators (true story, shout out NobleQueenBee 😂). Never have I been a part of a community so active, engaged, non-toxic, respectful and loving. I cannot recommend enough that you join the server if you end up reading this wonderful webnovel. Speaking of which, it’s probably time I start talking about the actual novel. I’ll split the review up into 4 simple categories: Characters, World Building, Power System, and Story. —————— Characters: —————— If you’re looking for a generic overpowered protagonist who crushes every obstacle in his way, you came to the wrong place. And while those types of characters can be fun to read, they often lack the depth and complexity that makes a character feel truely *real*. Sunless, the main character of this story, is a flawed and realistic human being. His thoughts are as realistic as his approach to problems; I find myself often thinking that I would make very similar decisions if put in similar situations. His weaknesses push him to work harder. Every challenge he faces is an opportunity to learn. Instead of steamrolling every encounter, Sunny is almost always facing an uphill battle. Through hard work, quick thinking, and sometimes sheer luck, he just might be able to come out on top. That isn’t to say Sunny never gets his time to shine, there are quite a few memorable power fantasy moments. But through and through, Sunny’s dark humor, wholesomely pessimistic nature, and Tsundere complexion make his perspective an absolute joy to read. Beyond it’s protagonist, Shadow Slave is overflowing with unique and loveable characters. Guiltythree brings so much life to the cast of this novel that even the villains are captivating. Even the points of the story where I would be bored if I was reading any other novel are made to be intimate and refreshing through the carefully crafted complex characters that Guilty has introduced us to. A simple dinner conversation between old friends demands as much of my attention as a climactic battle, simply because you grow to cherrish every single one of cast members. They feel like real people I have met and befriended. —————— World Building —————— The world of Shadow Slave, similar to Guilty’s other novel, is a gritty and realistic dystopia. Flashy elements of fantasy and sci fi collide and serve to distract the reader from the grim reality behind the scenes. At the forefront of your attention are the awakened individuals, people walking around with super powers, fighting with metal armor, bows and swords to defend the citizens from the Nightmare Creature threat. But as much as the government propaganda would like you to believe in these real-life heros, they are just as shady as any human society can be. There are starving orphans on the edges of the city, sweatshop labor conditions for factory workers, the climate and weather has become polluted to the point of lethality, and there is the ever-present lovecraftian threat of the Nightnare Spell. And yet, as dangerous as this world Guilty has crafted truly is, I can’t help but wish I could experience it for real. Every bit of lore surrounding the dream world is intriguing. I’m a sucker for stories involving ancient history, civilizations, and dark forces. If you are as well, without spoiling anything, you will LOVE the incredibly unique and mysterious world of Shadow Slave. —————— Power System —————— Many power systems in other novels and stories suffer from a lack of balance. What I believe sets apart the system Guilty has created here is the unique aspects and flaws that make this power system unlike any story I’ve ever read but also keep it in a healthy balance. While in the world of shadow slave, people can fly, run at superhuman speeds, teleport, heal injuries and set enemies on fire, each ability comes with its own unique flaw. This system keeps combat interesting while maintaining a sense of equality. While some abilities might be more powerful or flashy than others, their flaw could be just as debilitating. Because of this, every new enemy is unique and interesting. A challenge of strength, but also of mind as Sunny tries to decipher what their flaw or weakness might be while limiting his own. I believe the power system in this novel is just one more thing that sets it apart from every other story in the genre. —————— Story —————— The plot of Shadow Slave , if it could be described with just one sentence, is a coming-of-age story hidden in the packaging of a dark action thriller. In the middle of Sunny learning to combat various unimaginable abominations, he is also an abandoned hermit learning how to make friends. While he struggles with the grim reality of betrayal he also learns what it means to truly trust the people that matter to him. His life lessons and relationships become just as interesting as his action-packed encounters with dead gods and horrifying demons. While you as a reader follow his path to power, you also get to watch him grow into a loveable and relatable character, facing many issues you may have also struggled with. Ultimately, Shadow Slave is an exciting and captivating story that keeps me unlocking chapters the minute they are released. Guiltythree is an incredible author and wonderful human being that I am proud to call my friend. I cannot wait to see what he has planned and I will be right here excited to read each new chapter that he writes. I hope you, the person reading this review, decide to join me and the thousands of other people doing the same. Peace and Love, Griffin (SkeuZ) Tyler

LV 13

SHADOWBLADE

⚠️ WARNING⚠️ READ AT YOUR OWN RISK A f-ing masterpiece of a story, read till chp 77 or 78 and if this story goes in the same as it has been going we will soon get another gem among novels. Just wanna thank the author for this awesome book. Writing Quality is awesome. Barely any mistakes. Story Development is intriguing and hooks you. The author is master of Dao of Cliffhangers. Character Design also delivers, the characters feel real, everyone has the own plus and minuses. Updating stability is good. World Background is also awesome. It's like peeling layers over mysteries and each layer pulls you deeper into the authors trap of making you want to read more. P.S. (Just my wish) If this story continues like this, with this Quality I believe we will also get a manhwa adaptation of this someday.

LV 2

DotComplex

Simply brilliant. Creativity that rivals Tolkien, a world abound with original, terrifying creatures that audibly made me gasp SEVERAL times. The writing is enthralling, the story is compelling, the characters so full of life in a world which reflects nothing but death. But above all that, this is a novel that does not underestimate the spirit of humanity. Every character is adapting, THRIVING, in this new world. They are intelligent and invoke that familiar feeling that what you're reading is not a mere book - it takes you far away into the world that the author wants you to see, and what a glorious sight it is. You have truly created something unique, author. Cheers.

LV 1

Rizky_Wibisono_4072

I signed up literally for one reason only. To warn you away from reading this book, at least until further chapters are released. I will not reveal spoilers. I will only say that the most important quality which makes a novel worthy of being read - the agency of the main character - is violated in the most unsatisfying way, after hundreds of chapters of suspense and development. The end of the second volume genuinely makes me wish that I had not started this book. Wherever this trope appears, it is almost universally reviled. This is partly because it is the ultimate exercise in lazy arbitrariness - if the character is forced to act a certain way, then the plot can move forward regardless of the actual personality of the character. I will not insult the author. But I will say that going by the tone of his writing, there will be little to no karma from his agency having been betrayed. There will be no satisfying resolution. The main character will continue to be disrespected, pitied, and remain fundamentally pathetic. The underdog will remain in the mud, and those that spit on him will go on with their day with a calm face and a superior conscience. I hope I am wrong. But I suspect not. It is too much to expect that this feedback will be received. So I can only warn - if you want over 300 chapters of well-written, exciting action and development followed by a whimper which nullified all that came before it, then read on.

LV 5

BrabbitX

Slave. MC is an actual slave in many ways. The title is more literal than you would think. MC is barely an MC. He is more like a sidekick, We are reading a story form the sidekicks perspective, sure he is a bit devious and special, but in the end he is a slave. Wasted a lot of time reading this in hopes that it improves, in the end, it only gets worse, and MC becomes a bigger slave. The overall quality and everything else is great, too bad that the MC is a bit too pathetic.

LV 5

Soawn

Volume 1 is good. Very good. Volume 2- A lot of chapters, do not make sense. The author went along the path of the text, for the sake of the text. Lost dynamics. Volume 2 - a snail crawling in a small circle. The character development in Volume 1 . Volume 2- development canceled and stuck in place. They have become dumber.

LV 13

AntiHarem

Man this is isekai elden ring/dark souls. Love it. 🔥 Action, system, adventure and without harem! The world building and writing make me genuinely shiver for their gargantuan scale and ambiance. The MC is not OP either! Hope the author gets enough revenue to do this full-time and update daily💯

LV 1

KappaKappa

Its better than most novels on here but I would not call it a masterpiece. The writing is ok but nothing where I just want to keep reading. Its not immersive at all. I had to drop the novel at around Chapter 20 because reading the novel is just not engaging in my opinion. Kind of feeling bad to give this a negative review because you can see that the author put a lot of effort into his creation. But I just got bored. Its just not mine sorry.

LV 2

Mr_Dreamer

world background and writing quality of this novel is top noch ..alas other than that all things gone tooo much down side after begining of 2nd volume (around 120 chapter or somthing) you who is thinking to read this novel be aware ..yess you will gonna like this novel very much because of mc's character and actions on 1st volume but after that from 2nd volume is allllll LOooosttttt ...at one point it seems author himself forgot how he made mc's character and it will pain to see mc's actions on 2nd volume ...so if you like to see how an alfa intelligent ruthless mc becomes idiot wimp beta side character in 2nd volume of the novel than you can happily start reading now otherwise don't bother with this ...i have droped this after reading 2nd volumes 100 chapters of somthing where mc's idiotic actions are hard to bearable and all focused are got on the Fmc ...author if you are reading this comments do work on mc's character if you don't wanna losse more readers otherwise 🙏

LV 15

Death_Sounds

read up to the 70s and dropped it, its not even bad as far as writing goes it just feels slow and i never get the feeling of wanting to read more or get hype about the main character, i feel like the initial part of the story had me hooked and everything after felt like a drag. So it's a good read if you don't mind that kind of story, just not for me

LV 1

ALOKDYLON

The MC throughout history lives up to his name because he only dedicates himself to being the slave of other people and I accept everything they tell him to do without protest, just stop being a pathetic slave to a bigger one that follows faithful whatever order they give, there is no autonomy. If you want to read a story of a person blindly following someone without complaining and getting nothing in return this is for you on the other hand this is absolute rubbish.

LV 1

Black_Ninja_69

Shadow Slave is by far the best Light novel you will find on the Internet. If you are looking to fully immerse yourself into a story this is the one for you. The world building, character development, power system, villans, and plot are all each the best I have seen and I couldn’t get enough of it. As someone who has read close to 1000 different light novels, most seam like garbage to me now and I will forever feel like somthing is missing in them as I compare them to this novel. I will not spoil anything and sincerely hope that you pick this novel up and read it and watch as all the puzzle pieces fall together as the story goes on. I hope you read and find yourself asking questions about the story and predict what may happen only to be right or often completely thrown off just as I was. This was an incredibly enjoyable story and the only one I have ever found myself being willing to pay the author to keep it going, along with downloading this app to write the review. GuiltyFree you have done an incredible job with this and I sincerely wish you the best as this story is a piece of art. Please continue to work on it as myself, and I assume many others, are eager to see how our characters will develop. Thank you! ;)

LV 1

Vanaxity

Shadow Slave is a story about Sunny, a orphan who lives in the slums and forced to struggle to survive. He suddenly was infected by the Spell, and forced to survive a dangerous nightmare, otherwise he will turn into a monster. Honestly, a solid novel. This novel has vibes kinda like a mix of dark souls and diablo, leaning more towards diablo. It's fairly decent, and some parts of it are on par with some actual published novels, but it has some problems. Writing quality is pretty good. Far better than most on this site. Very few grammatical errors if any, and word choice is relatively creative. (5/5 stars) Story development is fairly decent as well. Personally, I don't enjoy novels where the author writes about the main character in the "future", then proceeds to write from where they previously left off to where the main character currently is. First arc is pretty good, kept you hooked and interesting, second arc got rather boring, but I think thats more of an issue with the characters. (4/5 stars) Honestly, character design is what brings this novel down in my opinion. Specifically, the main character. It is extremely hard to root for the main character at all, theres not a single quality of his that gives hype to his character. It's not a horrible character, compared to some other novels on this website, but you really can't bring yourself to like him. Character development might as well be non-existent, because I've read to chapter 180+ and not much has changed. His character is rather inconsistent as well. It feels rather weird to me for a character so deeply rooted in deceit and lies, is he is relatively trusting, which is weird. You would think someone who lived in the slums for eighteen years would naturally be distrustful. Even to some of the people that might as well just scream "I'm evil". Aside from that, as stated previously, main character has no admirable qualities. He is cowardly, lacks any conviction, a hypocrite, incredibly childish and immature, etc. Not a whole lot has changed since the start of the novel, most of the character development seems rather superficial to me. Furthermore, his lack of caution that CONSTANTLY re-appears after he just becomes cautious is annoying. Like I stated previously, this isn't very fitting for someone who lived in the slums, and someone who literally has to venture in a world where anything and everything could kill you. (3/5 stars) As for the world background, it's amazing. It manages to keep the grim-dark vibe for pretty much the entire story. This world is believable and realistic. (5/5 stars) Overall, a very solid story, with the main character bringing it down a notch. I would highly recommend this novel. I give this novel 4.4 stars out of 5.

LV 10

TakeAChip

Although it has few chapters it has a very promising plot and MC and is written by a good author1 which can be hard to find on this site full of the predictable "harem 20 chapters in", cant wait for more!

LV 4

DaoistBlah2u

Well in my humble opinion, of course without offending anyone who thinks differently from my point of view, but also by looking at this matter in a different way and without fighting and by trying to make it clear, and by considering each and everyone's opinion, I honestly believe that I completely forgot what I was going to say.

LV 4

JustThatBoredGuy

......................................................................Good Soup.............................................................