The Menocht Loop: The Menocht Loop, Book 1

Note: I read this story on another site.Every so often I come across a story on this site that really shines above others. This is such a story and really should be part of anyone's list of top 5 reads for this genre.This will be a long review, covering books one and all of book two up to chapter 86. For those looking for the short version, know that this story is a Masterpiece with a capital M. From Grammar to style to story to character, it excels in all aspects, and I am hardpressed to find any real negatives. It is a nearly-flawless execution upon both the time loop and OP MC themes, so if you fancy those, you really ought to stop reading this review now and go check it out right now.We start the story in media res, with minimal exposition, getting right into the killing, right into the mind of a hardened, inured veteran of the loop - our MC. The story skips past the zero-to-hero struggle found in most stories, joining the MC once he has already mastered his art to a fearsome degree. Some readers may dislike that. I was personally ecstatic about this, as I find that trope has been beaten to death. No, our MC is OP - even godlike - from the very first chapter.Does that mean we're stuck with a static MC, unchanging through the course of the 600-something pages written to date? Far from it. Without diving into spoiler territory, all I can say is that the protagonist is acutely aware of what is and isn't real, and treats the two with entirely different weight. While he may come across as a cold-blooded murderer initially, know that there is far more to his character, which we are shown slowly but surely as the story progresses.And what a story it is! Menocht Loop explores uncharted territory I've not seen from most other time loop fictions, and quite frankly, the unique quality of book two's focus is enough to make you lie awake at night, binging when you should be sleeping.Book two spoiler below for those who want specifics on what I'm talking about. Be warned, this is a pretty major spoiler, but if you're on the fence, perhaps take a look:SpoilerEach loop layer brings with it its own unique set of challenges, and while I see other reviewers throwing shade over Ian's decisions, I ask that you have some faith in this author. They know what they are doing, and events that appear random or surprising always have a good reason behind them - that are sometimes not revealed until much further on. The worldbuilding and plotting are epic, detailed, and consistent, even if the information is not always spoonfed. The hints are all there, it's up to readers to find them. Having read through all of the content, this I can guarantee.Minor spoilers below, regarding the execution of the timeloop aspect of the story:SpoilerThe characters are truly a delight. Here again, I can't really mention specifics without spoiling, but every single side character, antagonist, and even the deuteragonist that appears later on(fret not, the focus is always on the MC Ian), feel real, like people you might reasonably meet in such a fantasy world. That's just about the highest praise I can bestow upon characters. Reading about them and their rich dialogue was truly pleasurable.My only criticism here is regarding how readily some of these characters accept that they are inside the loop. This happens a few times with a few different characters, and there is generally very little denial there in what is otherwise a near-perfect simulation of both environment and people. I think a bit more hesitance would lend these reactions an extra bit of credence.I also really enjoyed seeing Ian's character progression, especially in book two. While his development as an individual is minimal in book one(that's not to say it's absent - it's there), book two really brings forth some monumental changes. Interestingly, we not only see progression from him, but from some of the most important sides as well, which in turn influences his own development. I absolutely loved witnessing these complex character interactions and cross-influences. It felt very real.On the other hand, I for one absolutely detest wishy-washy, incapable protagonists(both in mental attitude and outward power). This is a completely subjective personal preference, so I hesitate to even mention it here, but in case others feel similarly, read on. While Ian's power was never in question, I did begin to worry about his strength of will in book two. I am happy to report that these concerns were unfounded. I understand why Ian had a period of turmoil, but it was relatively short-lived, which works well for the story, in my opinion.The story's pacing was absolutely spot-on for me. Action-intensive sequences(there are gobs of them) are generally followed by respite to give the reader a break, yet even these scenes are gripping and memorable. I was never once left feeling as though I had to slog through a passage or a chapter to get to 'more interesting stuff'. It's all interesting, engaging, and has caused me to lose a fair share of sleep lately.There are some pretty epic twists and turns along the way, some foreshadowed, others less so. Yet even with the 'surprises', I never once found them to be Deus Ex Machina, or something conveniently placed solely for the purpose of moving the plot forward. Even the most surprising twist had me thinking 'oh my god!' rather than 'lame'.I thoroughly appreciate that despite the nature of the story having shifted quite considerably in book two(even the narration style is different, from first-person present tense in book one to third-person past tense of book two), the transition was nearly seamless, and the tension and mystery that made book one so interesting is still well alive in book two. I know that some readers worry about how a story changes over its life, but with this one at least, nothing has gone off the rails, and book two remains every bit as engaging(if not more so).That leaves the grammar and style. Regarding grammar, I believe I caught one minor issue, in 600 pages. One. That should tell you about how ridiculously well-edited this story is. The prose may get a polish pass when the author goes to release it officially, but honestly? It probably doesn't need it, such is its quality.Sentences are beautifully constructed and flow from one to the next. Paragraphs are appropriately sized, and complement rather than detract from the contents, shrinking and growing as the story requires. I saw no occurrences of words being repeated too often, or of paragraphs and sentences following the same structure back-to-back. It's varied, polished, and disappears, letting you get into the story with no impediments. That's about as high I can praise style.Lastly, I want to talk about the worldbuilding. We get snippets of this in book one, but in book two, things really explode. I don't know how many hours(days? weeks?) the author has put into building this universe, but it shows. Its richness oozes off the pages, and what an impact that makes! You can really lose yourself in the lore and backstory of the world, so if you're into complex, well-thought-out worldbuilding, you're really in for a treat.So, to close this review, I just want to thank the author for sharing this magnificent gem with the world. It really is a gift we don't deserve. Ignore the naysayers and keep writing, because you've got something truly, truly special here.

The Menocht Loop series starts off in a time loop, which hooked me from the start -- I'm a sucker for time loops, and I've recommended some other ones before, like Mother of Learning. This story takes a refreshing and unusual approach -- rather than going through the whole process of showing the character discovering that he's in a time loop, our protagonist, Ian, has already been stuck in a loop for a significant time when the story begins. This allows the author to skip the preamble that has been seen in hundreds of other time loop stories and jump straight into the problem solving and action.Ian is an unusual protagonist, both in terms of his skill set -- an offshoot of traditional fantasy necromancy called decimancy -- and his approaches to problem solving. The story itself is as focused on Ian's internal journey as his external one, which is also a shift from many of the stories in the progression fantasy space, which often focus more on "get stronger, punch thing harder", even if they do sometimes involve internal revelations for progression. This has more emotional and ethical exploration than you tend to see in the subgenre, especially in the later books, and I enjoy that sort of style.There's less clear progression in this book than in many stories in this subgenre -- rather, the protagonist is very powerful from the start of the story and only gets stronger, rather than it being a "weak to strong" arc. There are points in the story where getting more powerful is necessary, training arcs, and all that -- but most of the clearest progression is in books 2 and beyond, whereas Book 1 is more about figuring out the nature of the situation the protagonist is stuck in. That's still extremely satisfying, but be aware that you won't see a ton of training montages in the first book - those are later.If you're in the mood for time loops, necromancy, or just interesting new spins on magic systems, I'd recommend checking it out.

Okay... First off, this book isn't really for me as there truly isn't any plot less simple than escaping the loop.With that being said, the author creates a fascinating work of short stories and turns them into a singular story by creating the idea of a layered time loop. We as the audience get to see the character play the roles of executioner, student, military man, mystery family guardian, and more. All of this done with a newer way of looking at how "magic" works.However, if it wasn't for the author throwing in a "pause" in the middle of the book exposing what happened to the character before the book started, we would be forever questioning (and even still might be) if we are just reading a new layer in the loop.The book drove me nuts and I almost quit it multiple times. The only thing that kept me going was treating this book as a collection of short stories.

I love time loops. Lorne is amazing.Let’s just say this is one epic prologue. No need to look further if you are looking for a new series.

This book was Impossible for me to put down. The world building. The characters. The writing style all tickled something very satisfying. I want more. I'm going throw some money at the author and get the next book

I recommend this book if you like a clever unique plot with a smart mc that continually develops. I was a bit confused at certain parts near the beginning but that’s all part of the ride. Keep going and it gets better and better! Thank goodness the next book is already out! Loved it!

Usually time loop stories have no stake and quickly become a game of speed running.This had not. This was an excellent story from start to finish. I like the futuristic magical world, the MC solving stuff very practically and the struggle of the MC to go through the layers.I like seeing Ian's frustrations and concerns even with all his power. It was also refreshing to read the unique take the author did with time loop.Though I do find the affinity system confusing at times. I think if we had a basic on what each affinity could do it would do well to help establish a base line for capabilities

A great Fantasy novel with an intriguing premise. Read it on Royal Road a few years ago and reading it again.Completely recommend!

A timetravel/groundhog scenario with a protagonist that is a socially inept student/necromantic mass murderer…I should totally hate a plot like that but it’s really well written and captivating. Cant wait till the next part comes out.

I read the sample and it was a surprisingly perfect short story. Then after reading the whole thing, I'm positive this wasn't a fluke.The book reads somewhat like a list of short stories, although it does explain more and more of the main plotline every time. The world is interesting, being somewhat modern and familiar, yet it does not feel like the world of today with some magic slapped on top of it without any concern.

I read this on royalroad as it was coming out, it's great.