Welcome to the Dark Ages

Information

Status

Ongoing

Year

2023

Author

Malory

• Chapter 5 - In which I am not a wizard, Harry
  May 17, 2024
• Chapter 4 - In which Lancelot gets to show off his moves
  May 17, 2024
• Chapter 3 - In which the core cast grows
  May 17, 2024
• Chapter 2 - In which I sing of arms and men
  May 17, 2024
• Chapter 1 - In which there is a changing of the guard
  May 17, 2024
• Chapter 5 - In which a terrible, terrible plan is unveiled
  Nov 10, 2023
• Chapter 4 - In which I give a speech of such class and sophistication it would make Jane Austen weep
  Nov 5, 2023
• Chapter 3 - In which my unbroken streak of heterosexuality is challenged
  Nov 4, 2023
• Chapter 2 - In which do I hear the words 'redemption arc' ...
  Nov 3, 2023
• Chapter 1 - In which John McTiernan pretty much gets a writing credit
  Nov 2, 2023
• Chapter 5 - In which heads roll
  Jul 19, 2023
• Chapter 4.5 - In which I meet a strong, independent woman
  Nov 28, 2023
• Chapter 4 - In which I glow up
  Jul 19, 2023
• Chapter 3.5 - In which the act of absorbing essence is made unnecessarily sexual
  Nov 27, 2023
• Chapter 3 - In which I commit an act of wanton animal cruelty
  Jul 18, 2023
• Chapter 2 - In which a lecture on cultivation is given
  Jul 18, 2023
• Chapter 1 - In which a legendary wizard fails to find my arse interesting.
  Jul 18, 2023
• In which Merlin ups and dies
  Jul 18, 2023

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• jaxobelRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I will go ahead and try to remain as unbiased as I can until I finish the review
  The style: is expertly executed with the author clearly having fundamentals on writing and logic behind their concepts and descriptions.
  The Story: Certain legends are perhaps the best for high fantasy but could lead to horrible examples like the Fate/Stay series however, this author has clearly researched well and exposed us to an increasingly immersive story that seems true to it, in her own interpretations of the legend. Thanks for not doing a Witcher burning house on it.
  The Grammar: While the first 2 chapters do have some minor issues that slightly disrupt the flow of storytelling. It by no means limits the rest of the story up to the review which is up to chapter 7. By chapter 3 we have almost perfection within the writing consistently up to this review.
  The characters: Absolutely loving the amount of personality that all these characters are showing. All the way up to chapter 7 we can see the personality of the characters vividly with how the author chooses to portray them in it. I am absolutely hooked on this as I am a quite a fan of this specific LEGEND.
  Overall: I will still rate this a full five, due to personal preferences as I've reached the last part of the review and can now gush. The way that the story flows after chapter 2 is just completely enticing from the secret little hints, to the clever system inclusions and with you know who acting as a guide/tutorial guide, amazingly done truly. I love the pop culture references although they could be done a little more tastefully no that's to presumptious more veiled perhaps but that's just a personal preference unrelated to the authors writing, whom manages to create a solid new interpretation of this Legend through the viewings of the Fay. This is exceptional work deserving of even more Fame.
• Blorgh the muppetRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  the current rating is impossible.
  ive finished the first chapter and the prologue is a couple words
  but even from that impression the rating dont make sense.
  working in accounting might let you make some guesses as to how i spend my freetime, escapism in a word. so i read a lot of this stuff, and this is one to watch out for.
  id recommend ignoring the rating and just trying out the first 2 chapters, quite a bit of intrigue mystery and sarcasm fly about.
• Christian LawrenceRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Overall: I went into "Welcome to the Dark Age" unsure of what to expect, and was blown away by how good it was. I was pleasantly surprised to find a story that functions equally well as both a novel and an episodic cultivation fantasy. It's well-researched, well-plotted, and well-written. 5 stars - this is absolutely worth a read, so much so that I messaged the author asking if it was available as a book (it is!)
  Story: The concept is a fresh take on a genre that's been pigeonholed to death, and for that I say, well done. Arthurian retellings run the risk of being entirely too formulaic, so it's refreshing to see a new interpretation of the characters and subject matter. The mixing of comedy, cultivation, and Isekai was a bold choice, but the author did a masterful job of creating a truly genre-bending work that maintains the best aspects of all of them while creating something truly unique.
  Style: The style was well-done with consistent theme, pacing, and tone throughout. The storytelling pulled me into this immersive Arthurian universe right from the start and remained engaging enough to keep me reading, and as someone with a short attention span, that's a huge plus! All of the backstory was seamlessly integrated into the text (so there weren't any jarring information dumps), and the characters felt natural and believable.
  Character: The characters are brilliant. They were the stars of the show, and were honestly the reason I kept reading - the plot was intriguing enough, but the characters themselves were hilarious. The author also knows when to pull back and take a serious moment (as seen with Wulfnoð and Ealdgyð) , so none of them ever fell victim to a tonal mismatch. Merlin was delightfully sassy, and the narrator was just the right type of cynical with a touch of self-depreciating humor.
  Grammar: Overall, it's pretty good. There were a few places I felt could be slightly better, but I didn't have any major complaints. It's easy to read and flows well, and the
• DabossUnberogenRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The story is a unique version of an isekai inspired fiction, in which the MC is transported to a place modeled after the Arthurian legends rather than a classic anime inspired fantasy setting.
  The style is great, with a blend of well written prose and frequent examples of humor. This blends together well, and functions as intended.
  The storyline is well developed, and importantly for this site, unique. it can be easy to find hosts of poorly written clones of popular fictions, but this is not one of them. The story can run a bit fast at times, and the exposition is quite quick, as in the MC is tossed straight into this world with little introduction to their character. However, in general it is great.
  The grammar is great, with no major, and few, if any, minor errors. The storyline is enhanced by the creative use of various grammar tools as well.
  The characters are well written from a humorous point of view, and I found them enjoyable to follow. The interplay between the fantasy setting and its Arthurian roots creates very interesting characterization.
  All in all, it is an entertaining read, and one worth checking out if you are looking for something new and different.
• Raj Ch, AuthorRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I read the book last night but couldn't provide an immediate review. Therefore, when I say this, there is no recency bias: the book is truly unique. I've never come across a Western fantasy that incorporates xianxia elements. Admittedly, I haven't extensively read xianxia books, and much of what I know about the genre comes from Chinese TV shows. So, perhaps it might seem like an exaggeration when I say this is one of the best I've read within this genre.
  Writing: The story flows exceptionally well, and I didn't spot any grammatical errors. It flowed like ghee on a pan, and the use of Saxon words didn't bother me that much. In fact, I appreciate it when authors employ such techniques.
  Characters: I loved the characters, especially Merlin, who takes zero nonsense from anyone. Is it weird that I relate to this character? Even in my early 20s, I'm already tired of a lot of people. As for Morgan, I like her, but she can be somewhat annoying at times, reminding me a lot of my own irritating friend.
  Story: The story is quite impressive. I tend to avoid giving negative reviews, so I'm happy to say that the author executed the concept exceptionally well.
• SoulFireMageRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This just works. It really shouldn't but the writer's wit and skill really shine here.
  The Mc is a traumatically darkly funny individual and really doesn't comply or knuckle down and behave.
  You'd be forgiven for thinking, with the turn of phrases that turn up that this would go harem or something, but it really doesn't. It's just witty funny without precisely trying to be a spoof.
  There is some progression and all that but it's pretty much in support of the real plot around saving Arthur and the time line. There just seems to be an awful lot of funny things said in the process.
  It's great fun. And it's been a while since I snorted in laughter so much.
• its_mariaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  So yeah, starting out the first thing that pulls ya in is that it contains Merlin and Arthur. But ohhhh it's sooo much more.  From the interactions of the characters, the fact that there are multiple timelines and how some aspects are really affecting the future one, its awesome! The story is still going on and I can't wait to read what happens after the backstabbery that last happened, but this is definitely what you need to read if you love Merlin and Arthur and need some WTF in your life!
• BankruptGreekRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  First and foremost, the novel does a brilliant job of being a comedy, I don't often laugh out loud but this novel has achieved that a few times. It is also consistently funny, with amazing pop culture references that make me feel uncultured if I don't understand. It feels like most of the dialogue is carefully prepared which I appreciate it immensely. Also, when you feel the MC is becoming too much, e.g. self depreciating the author does an amazing job of creating self reflecting and growing characters.
  Moving onto how most of the characters feel extremely fleshed out, with everyone feeling like they have a story, it's rare for me to like having a different POV chapter be super interesting.
  Lastly the mix of mythos and general world building and setting feels well done, to be honest I'd try explain more but cba, just feels good, not too big or small and feels relevant to the story.
  Overall great read, MC is great, not sure I'd day likeable but I think that's the point, I'm really looking forward to where the novel goes next as the story still feels progressive in contrary with most comedic novels.
  Thanks for chapters Author.
• FeyCosmoRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This is a really good read for several reasons:
  Malory balances grimdark, long-time-ago savagery with a snide sense of humour and a great sense of pace. There is no info-dumping, just intrigue as you fall more and more into her world, or Merlin’s world. I really enjoy the gradual reveal, it's beautifully interwoven throughout the story. A lot of writers struggle with adding levity to the setting but definitely not Malory- there is horrible violence, amazing magic and also funny moments.
  Secondly, the banter. Oh, the banter!  Merlin and Morgan are great together! This gets its own special mention because Morgan and Merlin are a fantastic double act, even though Merlin is mostly in her head and powered by Qi.
  Thirdly, PLOT. Malory knows her way around it beautifully. The world building is one thing, but the plot and the turn of events are another, and it pulls you in. There is so much more going on than meets the eye and the cultivator style is really interesting too.
  Lastly, Morgan gets her own dot point. She’s the best sassy enchantress I’ve ever read, but she’s still very human. She isn’t perfect, she’s brave and has real, relatable feelings and a great internal monologue.
  There's something so very satisfying in this fiction. Highly recommended!
• FirstNexusRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This is such a fresh take on this genre, as instead of a traditional portal fantasy, or time travel fantasy, or cultivation fantasy, it's all three combined!
  Style: I applaud the author on seamless meshing of the modern world language and what language would be back in Merlin times. The name schemes are perfect and the first person POV is so completely necessary for the humorous yet dark tone this can take at times. Very impressive.
  Story: The story so far is fast paced. Action occurs quickly, and death is also a frequent occurence. It kept me hooked and wanting to read more, yet at the same time, it meshes the progression elements so well that all in all, this feels like an experienced author writing a very fun story.
  Grammar: I don't write much in the grammar section if I don't catch anything, so easy 5/5 there
  Character: I love the MC: the quirky and annoying humor can sometimes actually be annoying or overdone in other stories, but here, the MC's thoughts and spoken words are very funny and her interactions with the characters so far are very well written. Each character so far is important and connected with the story, and all in all, I am very impressed with the first 6 chapters.