Trials of the Zodiac Prince

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

This Young Master is a genius- in all the wrong ways! First Prince Yulong Huang Jin has his world turned upside down in an instant. At nine years old, it is discovered that his body is flawed, and he will never form a core- never become a proper cultivator. Discarded by his father, the Emperor, and terrified of his mother, Huang Jin sets off on a journey to find a masterful healer who can salvage his dire situation. Join the prince as he discovers a strange and mysterious teacher, as his hopes are dashed and new purpose takes over the old. But where the body fails, the brain may yet succeed- and with great forces moving all around him, Huang Jin will need to make new friends, both figuratively and literally! Updates Wednesdays, cover art by Gabriel Faria.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Zadocfish

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 373
Views: 34,547

Chapters(42 total)

What readers say about Trials of the Zodiac Prince

“At the time of writing, Trials of the Zodiac Prince sits at just shy of two hundred followers. I would not change this review's title were that number two thousand. I am certainly biased—truth be told, it feels like the story was made for me in a lab—but ev…”
The Anthrax AddictRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“The world is fascinating and I can't wait to read more about it. Characters are distinct, interesting and very well written. The main character is a delight, it's great to see such a truly kind yet intelligent protagonist. The Great Sage was a bit jarring a…”
XaotecRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(4)

The Anthrax AddictRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
At the time of writing, Trials of the Zodiac Prince sits at just shy of two hundred followers. I would not change this review's title were that number two thousand. I am certainly biased—truth be told, it feels like the story was made for me in a lab—but even if I ignore just how much I personally adore the way the magic system is explored and the snippets of grand history we've gotten so far, this is still an excellent read.
Grammar: Flawless, or near enough that I can't remember there being significant typos in hindsight. Whatever may be there was nowhere near enough to shake my immersion in the story.
Style: The narration seamlessly aligns with the mindset of every POV presented to you. In the very beginning, when our protagonist is a naive little kid, every new mystical thing he encounters is a source of wonder, horror, et cetera. Childish concerns are treated with the utmost seriousness—what would his mother think? You really feel like you're seeing the world through the eyes of an earnest little kid who doesn't understand the nuances of the adult world he's been thrust into. Time passes, and as our protagonist matures the narration matures with him. Things that were once described as mystical and inscrutable are now understandable, and delight and wonder is found in delving in and discovering how things work instead of just baring witness to events as they happen. The POVs of more experienced cultivators treat the grand wonders of the world as blasé, focusing more on their personal worries.
Story: Excellent. Likely not for everyone, but I quite love it. It is lighthearted and largely without conflict, we've been in an extended training arc that's only just starting to come to an end. So far it's a bit of a cozy story, which I typically don't enjoy, but it's made clear that there are grimy parts of the world and that the protagonist is in a place of rather extreme privilege. Even then, there are nods made to negative side effects of the techniques that will und
XaotecRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The world is fascinating and I can't wait to read more about it. Characters are distinct, interesting and very well written.
The main character is a delight, it's great to see such a truly kind yet intelligent protagonist.
The Great Sage was a bit jarring at first but has become a favourite that made me laugh several times.
Wonderful story, highly recommended.
Aruj ReisRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
The writing is solid, but the world, and most of it's characters are caricatures, and not very deep ones.
Another issue is the story, or the lack of thereof. In the 300 pages released, the MC is currently just... Learning? All of his growth comes from reading or being taught something. So if I had to pinpoint the genre, it's a slice of life in a caricature cultivation world.
You can read the first 10 chapters or so and see if it's for you.
King of SaxonyRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
The core of the store is very good, with very interesting world building, a fun premise, and a very serviceable protagonist. Admittedly it at times feels like it’s going too wide, introducing all these fascinating things but not going deeply enough into them to be meaningful, but the story is still new and I’m sure it will be covered in the future.
Whats actually polarizing is the master, who is so central to the story you cannot ignore her. She’s kind of… a pain. She has a backstory to justify some of her behavior and sort of has the excuse of immortality and all that changing her but she’s just genuinely off-putting to me.
Even if you can get over her “quirky banter” and tumblr-tier philosophy I find it difficult to really find anything I actually like about her or her actions. But for some they might find her really funny so idk maybe if you’re a big banter fan. I think the chapter I’m reviewing this on is a great step in the right direction but I think the reader should be made to at least like her a little more