First, we need to address two big flaws.

The first of these is the blurb. It's horrible, and doesn't come close to portraying what this book is, how hilarious it is, or even what it's about.

The second, is the damn cover. First of all, the blurb says he's fat, cover shows he isn't. It annoyed me, in the story he was.. maybe overweight for the beginning part. Then he slowly transitioned into becoming a underwear model. Completely misrepresentation. And the ghost? THE GHOST? What are you trying to do? Make it seem unique, no other litrpg with ghosts out there? Nevermind that the ghost isn't a central part of the story and only shows up in the first 20 or 30% of the story.

Yup. Disliked the blurb. Hated the cover. Loved the book.
Like seriously loved the book.

It was.. a fairly slow start, it was after that 30% I was laughing so hard I was crying. I read the entire 600 page book in one setting. I'm addicted and furious there isn't a sequel yet.

So what is it about? It's about Arnold who gets resurrected in a magical realm. One with video game mechanics. Only he's a farmer, class-locked until his farmer reaches level 100 and he can get a subclass. Only he can't get experience from killing mobs, ONLY things related to farming.

Now Arnold hates farming with a passion I don't understand, but it does make for some comical incidents. His hatred for his class, and his past experience finding loopholes and exploits in games gives him a rocky start in this new life but once the ball gets rolling.. it really gets rolling.

Arnold makes groundbreaking discoveries, great allies, terrible enemies. It's part tower defense, part manipulating the game mechanics, part luck, part town building. I wouldn't classify it as epic fantasy. It's pretty far from epic fantasy. But it IS hilarious.

I'd also like to note that the main character also.. grows in this book. Part by experience (I suppose), part because of his actual stats. It's one of those rare litrpgs where the stats actually impact the main characters intellect and introspective abilities. The person he is at the end of the book isn't the same he is at the beginning. In fact, I'm not entirely sure I like the Arnold that takes his first steps into the village of Blackwood.

Also of note, is he gets sent to this backwater town of Blackwood with a level 99 magical familiar in hiding. Which is incredibly smart and knowable and spends most of the beginning of the book being condescending to the MC. (while trying to help him) I didn't mind it, it wasn't over the top. It probably helps that the MC travels in the middle of the book and the cat stays back in the town. And once the MC return, he returns with a rather large boost in his stats. (and thus isn't a raging idiot)

I have never before been this shocked, scandalized and outraged.
And at the same time deeply disappointed that the protagonist didn't get dicked down by the end of the story.

Absolutely stunning! I loved every second of this book. It was sweet, and warm, and comfy and an great example of romance done right without the horrid "misunderstanding" to cause so-called-excitement in a story.

The covers are terrible imo, but that might say more about the corners of the internet I visit than anything else. But I wouldn't have picked this up without it being an recommendation and it deserves SO MUCH MORE!

10/10 would recommend to any romance fan. Tho, I should add it's a clean story, a slow burn if anything. Meaning there is no smut for the smutlovers to get excited over in the first book.

This book got its grip into me early and didn't let go.

I usually have a big issue with romance books where the majority of the drama is caused by poor communication and misunderstandings. And The Winter King has a lot of this. The difference being, this was the story of two royals who married to end a war. They're falling in love but unsure how much they can trust the other person because they are the designated Enemy.

And that somehow made it okay. The misunderstandings happened, and the poor communication was intentional. It was still a lovely love story that got me a little teary eyed there at a moment.

I kind of wish this was a series. I want to see the next step. I want to see the birth of the royal heir and how they grow up.

The only negative thing is toward the end, the peak so to say of the finale. It was beyond stupid that the MMC ended up

Spoiler

embracing his Winter Heart because he thought he was betrayed.

. But again, it was kind of the theme of the book.