As someone who is very picky with his Kingdom Building novels I can say that this novel is likely in the top 3 I've ever come to read, I've seen so many that I can say with confidence that this hits the spot for detailed and completely focused on solely the kingdom building aspects, be they military, diplomacy, economics, sociology and does it in the best execution of said theme I've seen so far.
The world is understandable, but has enough going on that it doesn't feel constricting, It feels like it has been lived in, with history and stories for every part in it, the fantastic elements bringing even more potential to the development of the world, being taken seriously and with very thoughtful details.
The story is a journey of a son of a noble rising among his peers, he is usually strong among his own level, but what really sets him apart is his understanding of the world, the do and don't of high society and how to always benefit himself most in his own situation, he isn't making big revolutions, but taking gradual steps towards the peak where he can show more and more his modern knowledge to do better than his peers, he isn't a conservative who keeps ignoring the knowledge he has for the sake of safety but knows when and how to implement it masterfully.
This is not a xianxia, but has elements of high fantasy, just that it is strictly demanding to achieve and usually not economical to do so, making the mundane elements still very important, industry has the tendency of incorporation of magic in it, and class behavior is very obvious everywhere you look (different countries are diverse in how they work, some more feudal and others more modernized, it even is a central plot point in the novel)
Who should read this: those who want pure unadulterated Kingdom Building, not being give as a little spice for the story but as the whole meal.
This is a must read for Kingdom Building fans, and you will regret passing it up for long after reading even 40 chapters in, it also gets better the more you read and understand the world, no need to worry about quality drop.
