The Years of Apocalypse

Blurb

Mirian Castrella, a student in her final year of a magical academy, unexpectedly finds herself caught in a time loop and haunted by strange dreams of the Elder Gods. Her plan had been to become an artificer to support her struggling family, but when the Akana Praediar army betrays her country in a surprise attack, everything changes. Instead, she finds herself delving into the dark secrets of the world, mastering magic, finding allies, and uncovering a vast conspiracy.

However, just because the time loop can save her life doesn’t mean it can save her from everything. Mirian must navigate a dangerous world changed by the magitech revolution. Her quest to save the world from the apocalypse will lead her to battle magi and beasts, into the unfathomable underground Labyrinth, across distant lands, and into forgotten ancient ruins. Only through becoming a master arcanist who understands the true nature of the world can Mirian hope to stop the apocalypse she relives through time and time again. If she fails, everything she loves will be lost.

What to expect:

• Slow burn power progression
• A clever protagonist who changes as the story moves from arc to arc
• Expansive world-building full of complexity and secrets
• A focus on magic
• Intrigue and spell-flinging fights
• A rotating cast of characters in each arc
• Starts slow, then picks up speed

Thoughts

As of writing this review, I’ve read all 207 published chapters.

Damn this series is good. I will legit have to consider if it outclasses Mother of Learning once it’s finished, which is the highest praise I can give. Mirian is our not-quite-a-genius but super hardworking student. She hasn’t excelled in her classes, but then again she’s trying to compete against nobles with piles of gold to get the best materials, best tutors, best everything, and she’s scrounging around on a literal shoestring budget and still managing to get by.

She thinks her classes are going alright, until she gets blown to pieces one night and wakes up back in her bedroom just prior to her exam period again. What a terrible night to wake back up, poor Mirian. In an effort to figure out what the ever loving hell is going on—and also how to stop dying to extend the time-loop—Mirian has to dig up layers upon layers of secrets. Some of these are arcane secrets, some political, some celestial, some from antiquity, and some even more esoteric.

Its the layers that I love. Every time you think “Ah, that’s what this is about,” ha, nope, there’s more! And it’s all tied into the worldbuilding and events that are touched upon even from the first loop, so the author has clearly put an astounding amount of work plotting out everything ahead of time and knows clearly where they are going. For those who read a lot on Royal Road with many authors flying by the seat of their pants, it’s nice! The plot progresses. There will be a conclusion. But how many more layers are there to uncover? How many more things will Mirian have to learn and master before she can handle the answers she uncovers?

I appreciate how disconnected Mirian becomes, the fatherly advice of Irabi on grounding herself, and despite the time loop nature, characterisation is great, and isn’t just restricted to Mirian. There aren’t many stories that manage to convert me to Patreon, so when I say this one has, please read it as the highest of compliments.