Guimi Zhi Zhu
Lord of Mysteries

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This Book is completed with 9 volumes and 1432 chapters (including bonus chapters)

Lord of the Mysteries starts off seeming like a typical story of a man who is suddenly transported to another world but quickly becomes a masterpiece of worldbuilding with a unique power system and tons of interesting lore.

But that's not what kept me reading this story. The best part is in my opinion the characters, Cuttlefish excels at making recognizable characters who all are very entering while having a lot of depth. That's all I can say without spoiling the series and I think it's best to go in as blind as possible.

One ... piece of advice to new readers is to give it a chance despite how confusing the first few chapters seem. I had some trouble with them at first but I kept going and this quickly became one of my favorite novels of all time.

Lord of The Mysteries has consistently been my number 1 light-novel for over my 3 years of constantly reading Light-novels, with it being better than most other light-novels that I have read such as Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint or Mushoku Tensei. This novel is simply incredible when it comes to its World-Building, Character-Writing and Pacing; truly crafting a unique experience that other novels seldom are able to achieve. The novel was even adopted into China's National Library and getting a Donghua adaptation in 2025, and by far the most popular I.P. that QIDIAN or Webnovel has.

Main Character (10/10): The main protagonist of this novel is ... Klein Moretti, with the story itself following the journey of Klein as he searches for a way to return home to Earth when he suddenly found himself transmigrated into Victorian-Era Europe. Klein is unlike your average Isekai power-fantasy protagonist, as the author masterfully presents certain aspects of his character in a realistic and sympathetic manner that adds to his depth and appeal as a main character. To preface, Klein is intended to be written as a tragic-hero throughout the course of the novel, an element of his character the works extremely well with the themes and motifs of the story. He isn't overpowered, he constantly has to struggle against innumerable odds placed against him as he tries to achieve his goal. He isn't impervious, Klein has several emotional moments throughout the novel that enhances his character while also presenting the tragedy of his character. He isn't naive or idiotic, there are several instances within the novel that demonstrates Klein to be rather resourceful and intelligent when it comes to dealing with certain situations. With that said, the best part of Klein's character by far is his development, as you can directly see how the relationships that Klein has built gradually change him as a person, either for the better or worse, as you read further into the novel. By the end of the novel, it would have fealt as you have directly seen and experienced the life of a person rather than a fictional character.

Side Cast (10/10): With how amazing the protagonist is, I'd say that the side-cast is on par or probably even better. None of these characters are forgotten as you progress further into the story, with Side-Characters from Volume 2 making short but significant appearances in Volume 5 and 6 as well. They feel genuinely believable and unique as you learn more about them. The Side-cast are also what, in my opinion, makes up for the emotional peaks of the novel, with some of their character arcs and development just being exceptional. I don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't read the novel yet, but some of the moments the MC share with the Side-Cast genuinely made me ugly cry. The Main Antagonist of LOTM is also by far the best Light-Novel Antagonist I have ever seen that by the end of the book, you'll be absolutely terrified of Monocles.

World-Building (10000000000/10): By far the best aspect of the novel, with most Critics of the novel even agreeing that the setting of LOTM is just brilliant. As previously stated, the setting of this novel is a Victorian-Era Europe, with the setting itself being directly inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The author fleshes out almost every aspect of the setting; from its history, religion, geography, political landscape, currency, and even the food, almost every aspect of the setting is expanded upon in some form or another. The Power System also cannot be understated for how amazing it simply is. To explain LOTM's power system without any spoilers; basically imagine what it would be like to start from a human, and work you up in becoming a Cosmic Entity. Honestly, I haven't done the World-Building or Power System enough justice in this review, just read and you'll see why so many people praise the novel for its World-Building.

Pacing (9/10): The pacing for LOTM has always been a source of criticism for many, as most complain about it being too slow especially in the beginning volumes. Honestly, I thought that the pacing was perfect throughout the majority of the novel, as it lends well to the atmosphere of the story and feeling of wonder as you watch Klein slowly learn about the world around him. The slow pacing also allows for the Author to explore the novel's side characters in more details, as you won't only be reading about Klein for most of the time. The only gripe I have with the pacing is how fast the ending felt, as the final volume was less than a quarter of the other volumes. Other than that, I thought that the pacing was perfect for the story, and if you love slow-paced novels than you should definitely try LOTM out.

Writing Style (8/10): The writing style for the novel is simple and easy to understand if you are reading the English translated version of the books, although that doesn't mean the story doesn't have any profound moments with it's characters or dialogue. The only problem with it is that the Author sometimes goes into too much details in describing the imagery of the novel. Additionally, it can be heard to keep track of things as you read further into the novel, especially when it comes to its fights and lore. Other than that, I thought the writing style to be effective at immersing the reader into the world of the novel without being extremely complicated.

TLDR: LOTM is the best novel in my opinion when it comes to its characters, pacing, world-building and writing-style. Just be sure to have some spare time as there are over 1430 chapters of the novel, although by the end of it you'll be wishing for more.

A review for me constitutes as a special occasion, but Lord of the Mysteries is truly deserving of such praise. the 7.8 rating it has does not reflect it whatsoever, if you look you'll see that 75% of readers gave it a 10, which Mal deems as spam or an undeserved rating. I believe it is completely deserving of this rating, In between a 9 and a 10 LOTM is a truly masterclass piece done by Cuttlefish. I'll break it down a little.


Story - 9/10
An extremely well-planned story, you could tell the author planned and incorporated many aspects and plot points in this novel ... beforehand, an act not done frequently with other web novel authors. There are many foreshadowed elements that one could pick up on a reread. The build up of each volume is truly amazing, with plot twists being well orchestrated. There are some pacing issues that are quite evident especially in earlier volumes, but they serve to elevate and immerse the reader into the vast and complex world of LOTM. There's humorous, joyous, emotional, and mind-blowing scenes that inadvertently make you praise the author. The main criticism I have for it (if it could be considered one) is that It's definitely not an easy and smooth read. It could get very confusing at certain points, with the author often reinstating knowledge at these points for the benefit of the reader ---though not all time, or merely reinstating it hoping all the prior knowledge and sequence of events comes with it. With such a long novel plot points you may have seen as trivial may be brought up again, with you possibly having little recollection of what happened in them.


Characters - 8.5/10
The cast may seemingly have the same tropes but as the story continues the cast gets very fleshed out and enjoyable. Enjoyable antagonists, side characters, and protagonist, I have no qualms about them . The main character alone is written phenomenally. At certain points you could truly see the growth of characters, though mostly implicit.



Worldbuilding - 10/10
Best world building I've personally seen in a fictitious story just wow. You get immersed in a fantasy world with an incredible detail to corruption, poverty, religion and vivid descriptions of areas that do wonders for your imagination. The sheer depth and complexity of the world, including lore is something to behold.

Ending/Endings 9.5/10

I included the endings of volumes in this portion as well, because I believe it is the absolute strong suit of LOTM. Each volume is carefully crafted to capture the essence of its name, with each volume developing until the ending where we can see the epitome of a masterclass piece of work. Most of the endings are filled with pure emotional moments, whether you are on the edge of your seat feening for the next chapter, or crying from the pure brilliance and sequence of events that lead to this captivating moment.



Overall 9.5/10

To describe it in 3 words I would say it's an amalgamation of greatness. Though note this review is just for the first book of this series, and there are some open ends left deliberately open.

I am still reading LOTM and 400 chapters in I have to say it's a masterpiece. The characters are all really well written with certain personality traits and quirks that appear everytime they speak or interract with each other making it much more fluid. What I love the most about the novel though is the mysteries, even at 400 chapters in and many hours of reading I still have very little understanding of how things work and there's still so much to uncover. It's really similar to one piece and that's also one of the reasons I like this book so much.

Only thing that ... I don't really like is Klein's main goal of returning to the real world. To me the world Klein is transmigrated in is much more interesting and there's also a lack of any emotional connections for the readers with earth. The story starts off after Klein had already transmigrated and I find it hard to empathize with Klein's end goal. However, due to the nature of the story, Klein is focused on smaller goals like increasing his strength and understanding "magic" better so I don't really mind it that the end goal seems anticlimacting.

Another very interesting aspect of the story is the magic system. Without wanting to spoil too much it basically involves the characters obtaining powers through artificial means and slowly getting accustomed to them so that they can the obtain the next tier of powers. The higher the tier the harder it becomes to achieve this.

Honestly no matter what I say, it won't be enough to explain how incredible LOTM is. Do yourself a favore and read the first 50-100 chapters of LOTM and trust me you'll get hooked as much as I did. One piece of advice is to avoid the webtoon. I also read the webtoon first and tried continuing the book from where the webtoon ended only to find out I didn't remember anything. The amount of details and interractions the webtoon skips over prevents you from sympthising with the characters. I ended up rereading the book from the start and I was surprised at how many things I had missed. The webtoon also does a bad job with roselle's diary, a crucial part of the story at the beginning and while it's one of the things that I looked forward to as I was reading the book, I hated them when I was reading the webtoon.

"LORD OF THE MYSTERIES" is one of the most amazing and, sadly, most underrated novel in this site. This is rare gem among the isekai/transmigration series. 

-World building-
The World in this series is, unlike any other I have seen before. It is very unique from all the series, I have seen or read.The worldbuilding is very detailed, so some people may be overwhelm by it. But the thing I like so much is whole world feels alive. It focuses on normal citizen their joy, hardships, difficulties. The World has heavy importance on churches, secret organisations, Gods, history, and mystery. If you dislike this elements, you ... may not be able to enjoy this story.


-Power system-
I would have added this part in world building section. But considering how insane Magic system in this series is, it deserve it's own highlight. Why it's so good ??
Because consistency. until the end of the book, Power system remains consistent. There is no plot Armour and some random nonsense like letting out hidden  power from inside. There are certain sets of rules that not even strongest characters can brake.


-story-
Story is incredible. Some of the new reader may find it really overwhelming and boring at start.  But I suggest you keep going, you definitely won't be disappointed. Story involves Zhou mingrui, who has occupied body of Klein Moretti as he explored this mysterious and chaotic world. We see world from Klein perspective, so don't expect everything to be explained from the start.


- Main character-
Klein Morreti is cunning, competent and a charlatan. He is extremely introverted. He isn't some OP guy or at a top of genetic pool, but he has his circumstances. Klein Moretti has incredible character journey throughout the story. The Story deals with identity crises and loneliness of MC. He left very deep impression on me. Some people may criticise Klein for being too adaptable, but it's understandable.


-Side character-
Side characters are character of their own; they have their own agendas, goals and ambitions. Cast is diverse with good development as the story progresses.


-Antagonists-
Difficulties MC faces are very high in novel. Enemies here have actual IQ and may creep you out. Actually, there are lots of traumatic and creepy moment for MC, but I don't wanna delve too much into spoilers.


-Action-
LOTM does have heavy action in it. But don't read this just for action. Battles here depends on BIQ, resources, experience, and carefull planning. Mc has to use best of his abilities and also has to consider who his enemy is.


-Ending-
One of the best ending out there. Remember this story is klein's journey of unraveling this world. LOTM still haven't finished yet. Sequel is already out and it's called 'Circle of Inevitability'


-Cons-
By the way, everyone agrees that first 5-6 chapters are really some of the worst, lmao. Due to slow start, people drop it before even getting past that. But I suggest at least finish volume 1 before judging. Also no romance




The Story also explores themes like Economy, poverty, aristocracy, colonialism, Protesting, slavery, corruption, prostitution in much more realistic way compared to any isekai that has done untill now.


-Final Thoughts-
It's a great novel and really something worth your time. You can read it on Webnovel officially. Sadly, books aren't available physically in English. Lotm will remain one of the best webnovel/lightnovel of all time. I can only count on one hand the amount of webnovels with the same level of complexity and creativity.

10/10

Without a doubt, the best piece of fiction I've personally read. The page for this book is labeled as a manga, but I'm speaking specifically about the Webnovel version. The manga is merely an adaptation, and one that was cut short and does not realize the full story.

Let me just say this: It's a long but extremely worth-while read. 1432 chapters in the first book alone. If you've never read a Webnovel before, you'll be glad to know that Webnovel chapters generally aren't as long as a chapter in your typical chapter-book you'd find at a library. Most chapters are about 2,000 words long or ... less, which takes about 7 minutes to read (for the average person).

First things first, I highly recommend getting into the community before reading. This is a double-edged sword, as you may encounter some spoilers, but if not, you will be much more motivated to read. (When I say community, I mean watching TikTok's/Art slide-shows). The fanart for the series is second to none from all I've seen. The quality and quantity of amazing fanart for this series is massive, which makes visualizing the world and the characters MUCH easier, at least for me. Even if you get spoiled on who a character is or something, it will be one of many, MANY that you could've gotten. Seriously, even 5 spoilers isn't enough to spoil the entire novel for you.

Second, the world building. It's also what I believe elevates the novel to the spot of number 1 for me. Of course, fanart also helps with visualizing information, but the art itself is made from direct words from the Webnovel.
Multiple different religions are present, multiple different languages (that the characters actually speak, by the way, not just mentioned that they speak in a different language) also exist. Politics is a big part of this novel, with past kings and rulers that actually feel as though they made an impact and weren't just there to specifically do one thing.

Third, and the final thing I'll mention (I won't go into detail about the MC), is this: The Power System. Easily, without a doubt the most unique power system I've encountered. Well, anyone could've made it up, but it's the way it's utilized that makes it genius. For one, EVERY ACTION. Yes, everything the characters do is essentially due to the power system. Without going into spoilers; simply put, the power system is the driving factor for every single interaction, battle or not, in the novel (Aside from a few instances) but it is mostly the power system driving the plot.

(Side note: There is essentially no romance in this novel at all, so if that's what you're wanting from this novel, you're out of luck.)

"We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."
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Story ★★★★★ - Setting, World-Building, power system and its drawbacks, everything is well built and intricate, at certain times it's even good for you to stop to "digest" what's happening, because it can be a lot of information coming at once XD.
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Character ★★★★★ - In my humble opinion, all the characters of the "main core" have their development, even more than the same development, come through the "potion" that each one took and the reality that surrounds them, whether in the Nobility or at Sea as a Sailor ... and the interaction with each other.
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Enjoyment ★★★★★ - Here's a warning, the start is slow, and for some readers it might be BORING, but give it a chance! The setting in the Lovecraft style, with Mystic elements from various cultures, the author created it very intricate, I have no doubt that there was a good research to use as a reference XD! In several moments the work has its moments of tension, those that you think "sh*t happened XD", and the heartbreaking moments are some, but when they come, they come with force :c !
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General ★★★★★ & 10/10 - This was the WN CN that made me have a little more faith in works of CN origin, the only one I had read so far was Tales of Demon's and Gods, and if you've spent a considerable amount of time in this endeavor as a reader, You must have already come across this disgrace XD, anyway!
I recommend picking it up to read, it's a content that can sometimes be very dense, very relaxing and in some very sad, even more so when it addresses the situation of poor residents, it's heartbreaking :c.
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If you read this review thank you very much and may The Fool bless you XD!

"I won't lose too much, just myself"
Lord of the Mysteries will always have a special place in my heart. LOTM is one of the few novels that does everything right. You can literally compare it to any piece of fiction and it will emerge as the better one. LOTM has around 1400 chapters excluding the extras. The book 2 is releasing with around 760 chapters as of now.
Characters: 10/10
Why? Lord of the Mysteries has around 1000 characters. Every character feels real. There is not even a single one-dimensional character. Everyone is unique and has an impact on the story however little it may be.
Main ... character:10/10
Klein Moretti or Zhou Mingrui is the main character of LOTM. He is one of the best main character I've ever seen. Klein is a cautious character and loves lampooning. His life is full of adventures and has a pure heart. Although he can be a bit cold sometimes, he never intended to do any harm to innocents. Today, especially in Japan(ANIME), Most of the characters behave in the most cringiest way possible. Klein on the other hand is one of the most realistic one.
Plot:10/10
The first volume literally explains the plot so I'm not gonna delve deeper into it. Just know that there is so much going on that it will make your head hurt. I'm gonna explain it in simple terms. MC got isekai'd into a world which is quite good and dangerous at the same time.
World building: 10/10
If you think One Piece has good world building then, you should know that it's not even 5% as good as the world building in LOTM. LOTM is the best when it comes to world building with so many details. It even shows different traditions, accent, food, environment, people, infrastructure, weather, roads and delves quite deeper into it.
Power System: 10/10
THE BEST POWER SYSTEM TO EVER EXIST, AT LEAST THE BEST POWER SYSTEM I KNOW.
Overall: 10/10
I gave everything a 10 so it must feel weird for some people but trust me you'll never know unless you read it. Peace out.

Absolute masterpiece of a story even though the first arc is off-putting for a lot of people since it's setting up the base for the entire world with alot of informations given to us. It's going as far as setting up a real currency system for the country where the MC lives so yeah.
We got confirmation that every episode will be more than 30 minutes long with at least 12 episodes for 5 seasons confirmed which would translate to half of the book (volume 4/5 out of 8)

It has one of the greatest power systems in anything I've seen/heard of and changes genres throughout time. ...
We got more than 10 pathways each starting from sequence 9 then sequence 8 etc with each of them having different abilities and needing a ritual to go to the next level. The fun fact here is that the higher you go, the more likely you are to become insane, so people that are your teammates today will become horrible monsters tomorrow.

It starts off as a mystery/horror/police thing as we follow a team of policemen tasked to destroy evil beings in their city and it expands much more into an epic/horror/historical tale that knows no bounds. The secondary characters are very memorable since we get their point of views for a while from time to time. The main character uses his cheat to act as a god and make his own cult which becomes the main cast. The antagonists are TERRIFYING and bully the others throughout the whole show (they're here since episode 1 lol)
Definitely recommend reading at least the first volume before the anime comes out.

Although the MAL score is deceptive with only a 8.03 as of writing this, on "stats", you can see that over 75% of people who finish this novel rate it a 10, and for good reason.

LOTM is a transmigration novel, where Zhou Mingrui suddenly wakes up in the body of Klein Moretti in a Victorian Era style world.

Story - 10/10
Although a slow start, a lot of characterization and foreshadowing occurs, making it an amazing set up for the rest of the novel. As this novel has "mystery" in its title I can't say much more about the plot without ruining some mysteries.

Characters - ... 9/10
This story has amazing characters and a very diverse cast that never overstay their welcome.

Pacing - 8/10
The pacing can feel too slow at the start, but you will understand at the end of volume 1.

World Building - 11/10
Some of the best world building I have seen, it isn't just archaic lore, it actually affects the story and its mysteries.

Power System - 10/10
This is a perfect power system allowing for interesting fights, as well as showing the cost of power.
"we are guardians, but we are also miserable wretches fighting threats and madness"

Overall - 10/10
MUST READ NOVEL

This is an absolute masterpiece and it deserves my only review. I do not know how this novel could possibly have such a low rating on this site, but it may be due to the slow start of the novel. Yes, this novel does have a bit of a slow start, but it is quick to immerse you in the very mysterious world of LOTM. This novel has the best world-building and power system of any novel I have read.

Characters: 9.5/10
The characters are very realistic and their personalities are distinct. Cuttlefish writes them in a manner where they will stick with you and much ... of the side cast does grow. I do have some qualms about Klein's, the protagonist's, growth, or lack thereof, but overall I still believe he is an amazing protagonist and does grow in certain ways. I do, however, believe the antagonist ranks among the scariest and best written antagonist I have ever seen, including the likes of Johan or Friend. Whenever He is involved, there is simply tension that cannot be reproduced elsewhere.

Story and Plot: 10/10 Absolutely amazing. Each volume of the 9 in the main series is amazing and leaves you in suspense, dread, or bittersweet satisfaction. Plot-twist after plot-twist follows when you read the story and you are sucked into a vortex of trying to find out the mysteries of the world with Klein. Tragedies are quite abound in the world of LOTM, and Cuttlefish does not shy away from writing reasonable developments, even if it is against the reader's hopes.

World-building: ∞/10 The best world-building I have ever seen, at least for such a short series. The setting is very grand and the history is truly the most fleshed out of any work I have read before. You unravel deep mysteries and each time I have tried to theorize or think about past developments and problems in the world building and settings, they are answered in some way by Cuttlefish. The world is absolutely made for theorizing and its setting truly feels alive and dynamic. All of the elements of the world, including its power system and dynamics between characters are super well thought out and done to the point that I cannot think of any flaws or deficits.

Ending: 9/10 Probably the worst part of the novel since it was indeed quite rushed. I wish we could have more development and fleshed out description of the protagonist's state and have more fights with him at the end of the novel, or be able to see more of what he is capable of. It did feel quite rushed, however the true ending of the novel is very brilliantly crafted and the end itself I have no qualms about, especially with its sequel being written.

Overall: 10/10 Definitely read, please read this novel is amazing. I cannot describes its greatness and make sure to savor it. I wish I could forget the novel so I could reread it.

A masterpiece level power system, world building and lore
A great protagonist and antagonist
Realistic and interesting characters
Long and detailed wonderful story
Lotm has these and more. It also has 2 flaws. First, emotional transmission. There aren't many moments when I feel sad or happy while reading.
The other is side characters. The novel is too protagonist focused. I especially wanted to get to know the tarot club better and have them play more of a role in the story.
But despite all of this, it is a great novel, I definitely recommend it.
The beginning of the story is a bit slow, at least finish the first volume.