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Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint #1
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Vol. 1
The global hit fantasy novel finally coming to print in English! Struggling office worker Dokja Kim’s sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure that he’s its only reader. Then one day the story comes to an end...and so does the world. Horrific monsters prowling the streets, ordinary people forced to kill or be killed, and Goblins gleefully streaming all this carnage to a celestial audience—with the apocalypse straight out of his favorite novel unfolding around him, Dokja is the only one who can see this story to the finale!
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2025
217 people are currently reading
930 people want to read
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August 26, 2025Disclaimer, I have not read this official tl version of the novel and I don't plan to anytime soon so I will not be commenting on the translation, writing style or anything like that.
What I'm here to say is that I'm really tired of companies selling translated webnovels, known for their length mind you, with a total amount of pages reaching almost as small as novella length for certain volumes.
I've complained about this to so many of my friends already but it is getting ridiculous, I already noticed such a tendency with 7s reducing their page count from around 500 to ~360. Now it seems we're getting 260 for a novel that has around 6000 pages in total lmao.
(Though I will add the official Korean version doesn't have huge volumes either, but they at least have around +100-200 pages)
And I get it, I'm not surprised they'd decide to milk the content of these pages for as much as possible, more volumes means more money, I wouldn't be as mad about it if I didn't think this type of publishing does a huge disservice to ORV particularly, especially when it comes to introducing the novel to new readers who have not read the fan tl nor the Webtoon.
260 pages can barely even be called an introduction and while I'm not certain which chapter/episode this volume stops at, I could not blame new readers for dropping the series after finishing this book. I can easily imagine it hard to get attached to the (so far small) cast presented in it, remain confused with the worldbuilding, and overall just not finding yourself invested enough after seeing so little. Paying 15 to 20€ to get barely 5% of progress in the main story each time doesn't sound really appealing either (even more so when we don't know how much of that money goes to the authors).
I need publishing companies to realize that this selling method can be a double edged sword when it comes to attracting new readers, (I find it frankly insulting to fan tl readers as well).
If you aren't a webnovel reader, it makes sense you'd need a little more to go on, and ORV isn't as popular internationally as it is in South Korea, even if its fandom has been steadily growing.
That's all I wanted to rant about.
The cover is really pretty I'm so happy for Blackbox <3.
(Edit : Folded when I saw it in the bookstore like I have to hand it to Izepress that cover is absolutely gorgeous, not sure if/when I'll ever get the rest but I'm satisfied with just the one to put on my shelves 🤧)
What I'm here to say is that I'm really tired of companies selling translated webnovels, known for their length mind you, with a total amount of pages reaching almost as small as novella length for certain volumes.
I've complained about this to so many of my friends already but it is getting ridiculous, I already noticed such a tendency with 7s reducing their page count from around 500 to ~360. Now it seems we're getting 260 for a novel that has around 6000 pages in total lmao.
(Though I will add the official Korean version doesn't have huge volumes either, but they at least have around +100-200 pages)
And I get it, I'm not surprised they'd decide to milk the content of these pages for as much as possible, more volumes means more money, I wouldn't be as mad about it if I didn't think this type of publishing does a huge disservice to ORV particularly, especially when it comes to introducing the novel to new readers who have not read the fan tl nor the Webtoon.
260 pages can barely even be called an introduction and while I'm not certain which chapter/episode this volume stops at, I could not blame new readers for dropping the series after finishing this book. I can easily imagine it hard to get attached to the (so far small) cast presented in it, remain confused with the worldbuilding, and overall just not finding yourself invested enough after seeing so little. Paying 15 to 20€ to get barely 5% of progress in the main story each time doesn't sound really appealing either (even more so when we don't know how much of that money goes to the authors).
I need publishing companies to realize that this selling method can be a double edged sword when it comes to attracting new readers, (I find it frankly insulting to fan tl readers as well).
If you aren't a webnovel reader, it makes sense you'd need a little more to go on, and ORV isn't as popular internationally as it is in South Korea, even if its fandom has been steadily growing.
That's all I wanted to rant about.
The cover is really pretty I'm so happy for Blackbox <3.
(Edit : Folded when I saw it in the bookstore like I have to hand it to Izepress that cover is absolutely gorgeous, not sure if/when I'll ever get the rest but I'm satisfied with just the one to put on my shelves 🤧)
July 26, 2025
As a fan of 4 years, I love Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint to death. I consider this one of the best pieces of fiction there is. I’m absolutely grateful to re-read my favorite story, now officially being translated. My only grievance is that everything has to be westernized? Including the names?? I consider this as absolute brain-dead behavior, not gonna lie…
In Episode 1, Yu Sangah lists the authors she had read, “You know, like Murakami Haruki, Raymond Carver, Han Kang…” In that same section, another character Han Myeongoh was introduced as “...Manager Myeongoh Han from finance.” ‘Han’ is a surname in both cases, and traditionally used before the first name but the inconsistency is apparent here and pretty unprofessional in my opinion.
Moving on, there’s another significant error in ‘translation’ “Dokkaebis” being translated as “goblins” when [Doggaebi (Korean: 도깨비), also known as dokkaebi or togabi, is a mythical creature in Korean folklore] Going as far as translating a mythical creature’s name to fit your western fantasy, not only is this blatant belittling of reader’s imagination but most importantly being disrespectful of the cultural significance and it’s portrayal in the source material, when a two lines of footnote would’ve done the job, just saying.
Otherwise, ORV is easily 5/5 ⭐
In Episode 1, Yu Sangah lists the authors she had read, “You know, like Murakami Haruki, Raymond Carver, Han Kang…” In that same section, another character Han Myeongoh was introduced as “...Manager Myeongoh Han from finance.” ‘Han’ is a surname in both cases, and traditionally used before the first name but the inconsistency is apparent here and pretty unprofessional in my opinion.
Moving on, there’s another significant error in ‘translation’ “Dokkaebis” being translated as “goblins” when [Doggaebi (Korean: 도깨비), also known as dokkaebi or togabi, is a mythical creature in Korean folklore] Going as far as translating a mythical creature’s name to fit your western fantasy, not only is this blatant belittling of reader’s imagination but most importantly being disrespectful of the cultural significance and it’s portrayal in the source material, when a two lines of footnote would’ve done the job, just saying.
Otherwise, ORV is easily 5/5 ⭐
May 27, 2025
one of the greatest works of fiction ever made… will be instantly getting this volume (even though it’s very short and at this point, there’s gonna be a million volumes - it’s worth it).
considering its length, not my favourite moments will be included in this volume and the beginning wasn’t that captivating nor unique for me, but defo picks up a lot in later volumes.
the already-existing english translation is extremely good and this is more so fully translated so the ordering of the first and last names and some korean things will be done in a more english way which bothers me but otherwise, this is gonna be lovely!
considering its length, not my favourite moments will be included in this volume and the beginning wasn’t that captivating nor unique for me, but defo picks up a lot in later volumes.
the already-existing english translation is extremely good and this is more so fully translated so the ordering of the first and last names and some korean things will be done in a more english way which bothers me but otherwise, this is gonna be lovely!
June 25, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Ize Press for the arc!
Worth noting, this is my first experience reading ORV, so I'm coming at this not actually knowing much about the series.
I love Gilyoung so much if anything happens to this little boy I'm killing myself and everyone in this room.
That said, I can already tell this is going to be incredibly interesting! My main issue with this particular version is I really do not like how short this volume is. I do think it was enough to get me invested in the story, but Part I of ORV alone--if novels stay at this length--will end up being 4-5 volumes. While I do think this is mainly going to be big among people already into ORV, for people like me who are experiencing it for the first time through this translation it's a kind of disjointed experience. I don't think I'd particularly like it regardless because this is an insanely long story it's going to be long anyway, I really don't like having volumes under 300 pages.
A more minor gripe for me personally, but I also wish they hadn't changed the character names to fit the Western first name last name. I feel like we're at a point where Western audiences can understand the inverse.
Worth noting, this is my first experience reading ORV, so I'm coming at this not actually knowing much about the series.
I love Gilyoung so much if anything happens to this little boy I'm killing myself and everyone in this room.
That said, I can already tell this is going to be incredibly interesting! My main issue with this particular version is I really do not like how short this volume is. I do think it was enough to get me invested in the story, but Part I of ORV alone--if novels stay at this length--will end up being 4-5 volumes. While I do think this is mainly going to be big among people already into ORV, for people like me who are experiencing it for the first time through this translation it's a kind of disjointed experience. I don't think I'd particularly like it regardless because this is an insanely long story it's going to be long anyway, I really don't like having volumes under 300 pages.
A more minor gripe for me personally, but I also wish they hadn't changed the character names to fit the Western first name last name. I feel like we're at a point where Western audiences can understand the inverse.
Want to read
May 27, 2025I'm waiting for the official release (FINALLY!) to then reread the good (let's hope) translation. This work of fiction deserves love and support in all forms.
July 4, 2025
Review: 4.5 stars
Thank you IzePress for the lovely physical arc! I was SO EXCITED to receive this.
This series was highly recommended to me by Holmes (@ holmes.reads) given that I love Solo Leveling and ORV is even better than Solo.
Consider me intrigued after reading the book! Things are so interesting. I find Dokja Kim to be an incredible resilient character. While yes, he does hold an advantage having been a reader to the book, TWSA where the scenarios take place, he isn’t a passive character and strives to survive this new world. Given that this is a long series, the world building is still building up. The concept of the story mimics a video game concept humans are being treated as game pieces and entertainment as they go through scenarios to live and fight for their survival. This is broadcast and streamed to all over the world where celestial beings watch over it as entertainment. I love the mixture of eastern and western legendary figures they used such as Sun Wukong, my all time favourite character! It was amusing to see his name pop up as a Celestial and I am very interested to see where the author takes this story.
I find the translations straightforward and easy to follow….
I wish they made it a 300 page volume and include more chapters as opposed to only doing the first 25 chapters given that vol 1 in Korean has 36 chapters. This means that it will probably go past the 5 volumes that the Korean version has….
Overall, I am very tempted to just find the fan translation of this series and read to know what happens next or maybe wait for Vol.2!
Thank you IzePress for the lovely physical arc! I was SO EXCITED to receive this.
This series was highly recommended to me by Holmes (@ holmes.reads) given that I love Solo Leveling and ORV is even better than Solo.
Consider me intrigued after reading the book! Things are so interesting. I find Dokja Kim to be an incredible resilient character. While yes, he does hold an advantage having been a reader to the book, TWSA where the scenarios take place, he isn’t a passive character and strives to survive this new world. Given that this is a long series, the world building is still building up. The concept of the story mimics a video game concept humans are being treated as game pieces and entertainment as they go through scenarios to live and fight for their survival. This is broadcast and streamed to all over the world where celestial beings watch over it as entertainment. I love the mixture of eastern and western legendary figures they used such as Sun Wukong, my all time favourite character! It was amusing to see his name pop up as a Celestial and I am very interested to see where the author takes this story.
I find the translations straightforward and easy to follow….
I wish they made it a 300 page volume and include more chapters as opposed to only doing the first 25 chapters given that vol 1 in Korean has 36 chapters. This means that it will probably go past the 5 volumes that the Korean version has….
Overall, I am very tempted to just find the fan translation of this series and read to know what happens next or maybe wait for Vol.2!
August 2, 2025
3.5 stars
Thank you to IZE Press for sending me an advanced copy of this. I really enjoyed this. If you're a fan of Solo Leveling and/or Dungeon Crawler Carl, I think you'll like this one. Looking forward to vol 2.
Thank you to IZE Press for sending me an advanced copy of this. I really enjoyed this. If you're a fan of Solo Leveling and/or Dungeon Crawler Carl, I think you'll like this one. Looking forward to vol 2.
August 12, 2025
3.5. The plot and world building is great but I struggled to connect to the characters
July 4, 2025
I received an ARC for the first volume of the novel from IZE Press and it was freaking fantastic!!
I’d tried reading the series when it started getting serialized on webtoon but fell off waiting for weekly updates. My second try was with the physical print of the webtoon and I figured I could just pick it up as it was released but that didn’t work either, there wasn’t enough in the first volume to get me invested in the story 😅
The novel however is that sweet spot between an introduction to the world of the novel, with just enough information to keep readers wanting more. Kim Dokja’s decisions and actions show that there’s a reason he was the sole reader of TWSA. He wasn’t a passive reader and actively uses his knowledge of the story to navigate the world in a way that’s interesting and captivating, not just for the readers, but also for beings known as constellations in this world. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, either as it gets released or through a hunt for a fan translation 😂
I’d tried reading the series when it started getting serialized on webtoon but fell off waiting for weekly updates. My second try was with the physical print of the webtoon and I figured I could just pick it up as it was released but that didn’t work either, there wasn’t enough in the first volume to get me invested in the story 😅
The novel however is that sweet spot between an introduction to the world of the novel, with just enough information to keep readers wanting more. Kim Dokja’s decisions and actions show that there’s a reason he was the sole reader of TWSA. He wasn’t a passive reader and actively uses his knowledge of the story to navigate the world in a way that’s interesting and captivating, not just for the readers, but also for beings known as constellations in this world. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, either as it gets released or through a hunt for a fan translation 😂
April 14, 2022
สนุกมากกกก คิมดกจา พระเอกหล่อ (ในหัวเราบอกว่าหล่อ 555) และเก่งมาก เพราะเขาอ่านสปอยมาแล้ว 55555 แต่ก็เก่งอยู่ดีนะ มันไม่ง่ายเลยที่คนเราจะตั้งรับหรือปรับตัวได้ดีทุกสถานการณ์ที่ยังไม่เคยเจอกับตัวได้ ต่อให้อ่านสปอยมาแล้วก็เถอะ ชอบพล็อต ชอบดีเทลหลายๆอย่าง ซอมบี้ สัตว์ประหลาด เลือดสาดกันสุด ชอบ~~
สุดท้ายขอบคุณ med ที่ให้อ่านเล่ม 1 ฟรีเจ้าค่ะ ซื้อต่อแน่นอน เขาว่ามี 23 เล่มจบ แต่กว่าจะถึงจบนั้น ถ้าอดทนไม่ไหวเผลอๆ อาจจะไปอ่านใน webnovel ก่อนก็ได้ ><
สุดท้ายขอบคุณ med ที่ให้อ่านเล่ม 1 ฟรีเจ้าค่ะ ซื้อต่อแน่นอน เขาว่ามี 23 เล่มจบ แต่กว่าจะถึงจบนั้น ถ้าอดทนไม่ไหวเผลอๆ อาจจะไปอ่านใน webnovel ก่อนก็ได้ ><
July 22, 2025
The novel's physical release is yet another excuse for me to re-read the entire thing again.... hehe.
July 7, 2025
oddly reminiscent of dungeon crawler Carl. Take out the humor, add an Isekai tone, and you've got ORV.
July 26, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this!
What initially drew me to this book was the interesting premise. Being thrown into your favorite novel and an apocalypse is such a cool concept, but I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I'd expected.
It started off strong, and I was hooked by the first couple of pages. As I kept reading, I couldn't stop thinking about other books I've read/movies, or TV shows I've seen that felt so similar to this, which made it a little predictable.
I found it very difficult to connect with any of the characters as well. I know this series is meant to be pretty long, but I feel as though we should have gotten to know the main character a lot better. I also believe the way the story is set up keeps it from reaching its full potential. Because the main character already knows everything about the story and the situation at hand, it left me feeling left out. There was a decent chunk of information being thrown at us, and it was frustrating when the main character instantly knew what to do.
With that being said, this resulted in a lack of conflict. Yes, there was a lot of conflict, but the issue was that our MC had all the knowledge necessary to resolve the conflicts too quickly; therefore, he was too powerful.
Honestly, given the interesting concept, I could see how this would appeal to video game and sci-fi fans, but unfortunately, it was not for me.
What initially drew me to this book was the interesting premise. Being thrown into your favorite novel and an apocalypse is such a cool concept, but I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I'd expected.
It started off strong, and I was hooked by the first couple of pages. As I kept reading, I couldn't stop thinking about other books I've read/movies, or TV shows I've seen that felt so similar to this, which made it a little predictable.
I found it very difficult to connect with any of the characters as well. I know this series is meant to be pretty long, but I feel as though we should have gotten to know the main character a lot better. I also believe the way the story is set up keeps it from reaching its full potential. Because the main character already knows everything about the story and the situation at hand, it left me feeling left out. There was a decent chunk of information being thrown at us, and it was frustrating when the main character instantly knew what to do.
With that being said, this resulted in a lack of conflict. Yes, there was a lot of conflict, but the issue was that our MC had all the knowledge necessary to resolve the conflicts too quickly; therefore, he was too powerful.
Honestly, given the interesting concept, I could see how this would appeal to video game and sci-fi fans, but unfortunately, it was not for me.
December 14, 2024
ไม่เคยอ่านเว็บตูนและไม่ถนัดอ่านแนวนี้แต่ อ่านจบแล้วพบว่ามันสนุกว่ะ เอาเรื่องมาก อ่านเพราะe-bookมันฟรี ผลประกอบการคือต้องไปตามเล่มสองต่อแหละ
ชอบความมี Base คล้ายๆเกม เก็บเวล พระเอกก็เก่งโกงเว่อๆ แต่เหตุการณ์ในเรื่องมันก็ยังชวนให้ลุ้นอยู่ดี ดำเนินเรื่องดีเลยไม่เร็วไม่ช้า แตแอบงงตัวละครน่าจะอธิบายรูปลักษณ์เวลาดูรูปจะได้เก็ท
ใดๆคือการตลาดเขาดีจริงๆ เอาเล่มหนึ่งเป็นเหยื่อล่อ แล้วมันดันสนุกนี่สิ5555
ชอบความมี Base คล้ายๆเกม เก็บเวล พระเอกก็เก่งโกงเว่อๆ แต่เหตุการณ์ในเรื่องมันก็ยังชวนให้ลุ้นอยู่ดี ดำเนินเรื่องดีเลยไม่เร็วไม่ช้า แตแอบงงตัวละครน่าจะอธิบายรูปลักษณ์เวลาดูรูปจะได้เก็ท
ใดๆคือการตลาดเขาดีจริงๆ เอาเล่มหนึ่งเป็นเหยื่อล่อ แล้วมันดันสนุกนี่สิ5555
August 23, 2025
I think Kim Dokja is one of my favourite protagonists lately
August 26, 2025
I think the publisher played dirty by making such a small volume tbh. Not enough to really get into this story. Gonna wait for the second volume now.
August 4, 2025
My bank account is doomed.
June 13, 2025
ARC Review
An epic post-apocalyptic fantasy novel series.
This volume collects chapters 1-25 of the original webnovel.
Struggling office worker Dokja Kim’s sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure that he’s its only reader. Then one day the story comes to an end...and so does the world. Horrific monsters prowling the streets, ordinary people forced to kill or be killed, and Goblins gleefully streaming all this carnage to a celestial audience—with the apocalypse straight out of his favorite novel unfolding around him, Dokja is the only one who can see this story to the finale!
I loved this!
The story is fast paced and full of action, interesting characters, suspense and gore. From the first volume it’s already giving me the amount of character-driven story that i need to hook me in.
I have read a bunch of stories where someone gets transmigrated into a webnovel but here the world of the novel actually becomes reality. Not only that but the whole gruesome ordeal is being live streamed!
I really enjoy stories with game elements and i love stories where other worldly beings force humans into death games!
In this sadistic world Dokja is our main character, we are experiencing it all through his pov, but the story that has now become reality had its own original main character, Junghyeok Yu. Junghyeok Yu and a bunch of other fictional characters from the novel have been mixed in with the other real world players in a fight for survival. With Dokja’s omniscient advantage Junghyeok Yu seems to be the only character that could pose a real threat to him.
I can’t wait to continue this!
There is already so much to love about the aspects of this story and i have so many questions i look forward to finding the answers to along the way.
Thank you Ize Press for sending me an Advanced Readers Copy.
An epic post-apocalyptic fantasy novel series.
This volume collects chapters 1-25 of the original webnovel.
Struggling office worker Dokja Kim’s sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure that he’s its only reader. Then one day the story comes to an end...and so does the world. Horrific monsters prowling the streets, ordinary people forced to kill or be killed, and Goblins gleefully streaming all this carnage to a celestial audience—with the apocalypse straight out of his favorite novel unfolding around him, Dokja is the only one who can see this story to the finale!
I loved this!
The story is fast paced and full of action, interesting characters, suspense and gore. From the first volume it’s already giving me the amount of character-driven story that i need to hook me in.
I have read a bunch of stories where someone gets transmigrated into a webnovel but here the world of the novel actually becomes reality. Not only that but the whole gruesome ordeal is being live streamed!
I really enjoy stories with game elements and i love stories where other worldly beings force humans into death games!
In this sadistic world Dokja is our main character, we are experiencing it all through his pov, but the story that has now become reality had its own original main character, Junghyeok Yu. Junghyeok Yu and a bunch of other fictional characters from the novel have been mixed in with the other real world players in a fight for survival. With Dokja’s omniscient advantage Junghyeok Yu seems to be the only character that could pose a real threat to him.
I can’t wait to continue this!
There is already so much to love about the aspects of this story and i have so many questions i look forward to finding the answers to along the way.
Thank you Ize Press for sending me an Advanced Readers Copy.
February 18, 2025
สนุกครับ 4.5
เริ่มเรื่องรถไฟใต้ดิน
จนจบสถานีกึมโฮ
เริ่มเรื่องรถไฟใต้ดิน
จนจบสถานีกึมโฮ
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2025
*ARC provided by Ize Press in return for an honest review*
Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes: Isekai, Leveling Up System, Found Family (ish)
In terms of light novels, I really enjoyed the unique formatting of this book. It was fun to see the goblin’s font & the notice/upgrade boxes.
That being said, at times this novel the dialogue felt a bit too choppy to me, & this caused me to feel less immersed. However, I recognize that many of these details would probably be resolved in the manhwa version of this series.
All that being said, I’d give this first volume four stars. I felt like it fosters promise, & some of the stories were truly enjoyable the further in you got.
Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes: Isekai, Leveling Up System, Found Family (ish)
In terms of light novels, I really enjoyed the unique formatting of this book. It was fun to see the goblin’s font & the notice/upgrade boxes.
That being said, at times this novel the dialogue felt a bit too choppy to me, & this caused me to feel less immersed. However, I recognize that many of these details would probably be resolved in the manhwa version of this series.
All that being said, I’d give this first volume four stars. I felt like it fosters promise, & some of the stories were truly enjoyable the further in you got.
July 23, 2025
As someone who read the serialized (poorly edited) English version a few years ago. I’m SO happy with how Ize Press localized this! I especially love the different font families used to represent the scenario notifications, scenario master speaking, inner monologues, and other character‘s inner thoughts. I was able to understand the story so much more.
Thank you, Ize Press for the ARC.
Thank you, Ize Press for the ARC.
Want to read
December 21, 2024Not a real review…but I truly can’t wait to finally be able to have orv in my hands…
July 14, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I really, really hope they will translate and publish the other volumes quickly because I need more, and I need them now! I don’t usually binge-read, but given the short length of this book and the fact that this is quite a captivating read, this is a series I would gladly make an exception for. (Well, not all the series in one go, because reading reviews around it seems like this is quite a long story, but maybe two or three volumes before taking a pause).
This is a LitRPG novel, and in this first volume, we get a taste of the whole story. It is a short and quick read, made even more quick by the fact that I was totally captivated by it.
I loved the idea that our MC knows what’s happening because he read an obscure web novel, and the world has just suddenly transformed into the one described there. But it’s not just the world; he knows what’s happening and what will happen, at least up to a point. He is changing the story, partially, because he wasn’t a character in the novel, so his decisions and his actions have some consequences, but on the whole, he has a pretty clear idea of what to expect, and he is doing amazingly well with that knowledge.
I loved this plot point!
But this was not the only thing I enjoyed in the book. We are introduced to an interesting cast of characters. I won’t write their names because I fear butchering them, and because my memory is not so good. And I can’t really double-check.
This is my only complaint, and it’s not for the book but for the ARC. The ARCs by this Editor aren’t easy to read. At all. You can only read through NetGalley’s app, and that’s not the best. It is not the worst, but the format is small, and sometimes zooming a bit is the only way to comfortably read some parts, but then turning pages becomes less immediate. And this doesn’t make for a smooth read. And you can’t search through the text, so I can’t quickly check the names of the characters.
But as I said, this has to do with the ARC’s format and not the book per se. The book is a really smooth read, and, back to the point, has some really interesting characters. My favorite was the MC, but there is a kid in there, too, and he was a close second. They are all slowly developing new abilities and skills, and they are, bit by bit, showing their personality. And we also have some interesting magical creatures. They are mostly monsters, with no real sentience, but they are cool to have around, too!
I had a ton of fun with this one, and it was also quite interesting reading the afterword. I thought this was one writer, and instead, there are two. And they worked really well together.
Also, this was originally a web novel, but there is a manwha out there, too, and the studio behind it is the same as Solo Leveling. I saw some volumes of this one in bookshops, and they are beautiful, so I am feeling pretty safe to guess that the manhwa for The Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is amazing too. And what’s more is that a lot of readers compared these two works, and they say that they are pretty similar. I can’t testify to that, because I haven’t read or watched Solo Leveling, but I have it on my lists and I hope to get to it soon!
And I can’t wait for the sequels of this one, too!!!
I really, really hope they will translate and publish the other volumes quickly because I need more, and I need them now! I don’t usually binge-read, but given the short length of this book and the fact that this is quite a captivating read, this is a series I would gladly make an exception for. (Well, not all the series in one go, because reading reviews around it seems like this is quite a long story, but maybe two or three volumes before taking a pause).
This is a LitRPG novel, and in this first volume, we get a taste of the whole story. It is a short and quick read, made even more quick by the fact that I was totally captivated by it.
I loved the idea that our MC knows what’s happening because he read an obscure web novel, and the world has just suddenly transformed into the one described there. But it’s not just the world; he knows what’s happening and what will happen, at least up to a point. He is changing the story, partially, because he wasn’t a character in the novel, so his decisions and his actions have some consequences, but on the whole, he has a pretty clear idea of what to expect, and he is doing amazingly well with that knowledge.
I loved this plot point!
But this was not the only thing I enjoyed in the book. We are introduced to an interesting cast of characters. I won’t write their names because I fear butchering them, and because my memory is not so good. And I can’t really double-check.
This is my only complaint, and it’s not for the book but for the ARC. The ARCs by this Editor aren’t easy to read. At all. You can only read through NetGalley’s app, and that’s not the best. It is not the worst, but the format is small, and sometimes zooming a bit is the only way to comfortably read some parts, but then turning pages becomes less immediate. And this doesn’t make for a smooth read. And you can’t search through the text, so I can’t quickly check the names of the characters.
But as I said, this has to do with the ARC’s format and not the book per se. The book is a really smooth read, and, back to the point, has some really interesting characters. My favorite was the MC, but there is a kid in there, too, and he was a close second. They are all slowly developing new abilities and skills, and they are, bit by bit, showing their personality. And we also have some interesting magical creatures. They are mostly monsters, with no real sentience, but they are cool to have around, too!
I had a ton of fun with this one, and it was also quite interesting reading the afterword. I thought this was one writer, and instead, there are two. And they worked really well together.
Also, this was originally a web novel, but there is a manwha out there, too, and the studio behind it is the same as Solo Leveling. I saw some volumes of this one in bookshops, and they are beautiful, so I am feeling pretty safe to guess that the manhwa for The Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is amazing too. And what’s more is that a lot of readers compared these two works, and they say that they are pretty similar. I can’t testify to that, because I haven’t read or watched Solo Leveling, but I have it on my lists and I hope to get to it soon!
And I can’t wait for the sequels of this one, too!!!
July 19, 2025
The original Korean light novel of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint by SingNsong (a writing duo pseudonym) is finally available in print and ebook in English. I’ve read the manhwa serialisation on Webtoon (first seven volumes are also available in print in English), so I was familiar with the story and characters going in.
Dokja Kim (Kim Dokja in original Korean; all the names have been westernised for some annoying reason) is an unimpressive office worker in his late twenties. The sole solace in his joyless life is a serialised novel Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, which he has read over a decade, most of it as its sole reader. After three thousand chapters, the book has come to an end, and just as he wonders what he’s supposed to do next, the world ends.
The end isn’t random or a complete destruction. Humanity finds itself as participants in a universe-wide reality show for the amusement of Constellations, god-like beings who observe the show through thousands of channels somewhere in the universe. The show is deadly and very unfair. But Kim Dokja immediately realises he knows how the show is run. Because he’s been reading about it the past ten years.
Armed with the knowledge of the story and the rules of the new world, he sets out to survive. And from the very first scenario given to humans through game interfaces, he starts to change the story.
The first volume sets the scene, completes the first deadly scenario and starts the second. The scenarios are run by goblins who are hosts of the channels, their sole interest to amuse the gods and making as much money of them as they can. The gods interfere by claiming favourite players and paying in coins for interesting events.
From the start, Kim Dokja gains the attention of the gods, not least because he knows how to game the game. He also gathers a small group of people around him who all will play a great role in the story later. He doesn’t do it solely for kindness though. He does it to survive.
The manhwa adaptation is fairly faithful to the light novel. Not much is left out. There’s not much to leave out anyway. The narrative is fast-paced and sparce. Kim Dokja’s thoughts are portrayed well in the adaptation too.
The only difference I noted from the beginning is the way the second main character, Yu Junghyeok (Junghyeok Yu in English version), the original lead of TWSA novel, is portrayed. He's a regressor who has lived through the scenarios many times over, starting from the beginning every time he dies and getting stronger and more inhuman in every round. Kim Dokja makes clear in his inner thoughts that he’s afraid of Yu Junghyeok and sees him as a monster, though he admires him too. We also get Yu Junghyeok’s inner thoughts, which we seldom get in the manhwa. It adds an interesting layer to the novel.
The bromance between the pair is a fan-favourite that’s absent from the manhwa. I don’t know if it’ll develop later in the series, but it’s not here yet. Yu Junghyeok is absent most of the story anyway.
This was a good, fast-paced read, and a morally very grey story. Kim Dokja is the hero, but he’s not heroic or good in a sense we expect heroes to be. Side characters didn’t really become their own persons here yet, but as we learned, Kim Dokja’s abilities and knowledge of the story gives him insight into them too.
The layout with several different fonts, one of which was very difficult to read, made it visually busy. I also missed character profiles at the beginning—or end—of the book, like in the manhwa. And I don’t usually judge the cover, but I think the publisher could’ve gone with a better one. This one doesn’t reflect the story at all. There’s a long way for the characters to go yet, and even though I know how the story goes, I’d like to read the original version too.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dokja Kim (Kim Dokja in original Korean; all the names have been westernised for some annoying reason) is an unimpressive office worker in his late twenties. The sole solace in his joyless life is a serialised novel Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, which he has read over a decade, most of it as its sole reader. After three thousand chapters, the book has come to an end, and just as he wonders what he’s supposed to do next, the world ends.
The end isn’t random or a complete destruction. Humanity finds itself as participants in a universe-wide reality show for the amusement of Constellations, god-like beings who observe the show through thousands of channels somewhere in the universe. The show is deadly and very unfair. But Kim Dokja immediately realises he knows how the show is run. Because he’s been reading about it the past ten years.
Armed with the knowledge of the story and the rules of the new world, he sets out to survive. And from the very first scenario given to humans through game interfaces, he starts to change the story.
The first volume sets the scene, completes the first deadly scenario and starts the second. The scenarios are run by goblins who are hosts of the channels, their sole interest to amuse the gods and making as much money of them as they can. The gods interfere by claiming favourite players and paying in coins for interesting events.
From the start, Kim Dokja gains the attention of the gods, not least because he knows how to game the game. He also gathers a small group of people around him who all will play a great role in the story later. He doesn’t do it solely for kindness though. He does it to survive.
The manhwa adaptation is fairly faithful to the light novel. Not much is left out. There’s not much to leave out anyway. The narrative is fast-paced and sparce. Kim Dokja’s thoughts are portrayed well in the adaptation too.
The only difference I noted from the beginning is the way the second main character, Yu Junghyeok (Junghyeok Yu in English version), the original lead of TWSA novel, is portrayed. He's a regressor who has lived through the scenarios many times over, starting from the beginning every time he dies and getting stronger and more inhuman in every round. Kim Dokja makes clear in his inner thoughts that he’s afraid of Yu Junghyeok and sees him as a monster, though he admires him too. We also get Yu Junghyeok’s inner thoughts, which we seldom get in the manhwa. It adds an interesting layer to the novel.
The bromance between the pair is a fan-favourite that’s absent from the manhwa. I don’t know if it’ll develop later in the series, but it’s not here yet. Yu Junghyeok is absent most of the story anyway.
This was a good, fast-paced read, and a morally very grey story. Kim Dokja is the hero, but he’s not heroic or good in a sense we expect heroes to be. Side characters didn’t really become their own persons here yet, but as we learned, Kim Dokja’s abilities and knowledge of the story gives him insight into them too.
The layout with several different fonts, one of which was very difficult to read, made it visually busy. I also missed character profiles at the beginning—or end—of the book, like in the manhwa. And I don’t usually judge the cover, but I think the publisher could’ve gone with a better one. This one doesn’t reflect the story at all. There’s a long way for the characters to go yet, and even though I know how the story goes, I’d like to read the original version too.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2025
soooo there's a sort of weird pipeline that got me here. i watched kpop demon hunters and realised that kdramas could actually be pretty good and that Ahn Hyo Seop was a fantastic actor and subsequently went to watch Omniscient Reader in cinema with my colleagues. it didn't engage me much and i read elsewhere that the character motivations and even the plot were drastically changed in the movie so. here i am.
and i have to say i really liked this? this is a lowkey isekai kind of story but i always like it when there are games and trials and these scenarios are definitely super exciting especially with the kind of video game like mechanics and the constellations watching that make the story unique. i know what happens in the movie but i am very excited to see what happens later in chungmuro station.
Kim Dokja's character is one that i vastly enjoy reading. sure him knowing the story and his skills make him a little op but the way he's written to be specifically *not op* and use his knowledge to survive in the world makes him unique. his dislike of the world and him not wanting to be the hero and main character too.
speaking of main character, i am very interested in seeing how Yu Junghyeok is actually like. he *is* the op regressor and not gonna lie i've seen the fanart and read the fanfics so i'm excited to see what he is like in canon. and no not the movie canon.
lastly i gotta say. the cover is gorgeous. may the rest of the (very long) series be blessed with such visuals so they look good my bookshelf too.
and i have to say i really liked this? this is a lowkey isekai kind of story but i always like it when there are games and trials and these scenarios are definitely super exciting especially with the kind of video game like mechanics and the constellations watching that make the story unique. i know what happens in the movie but i am very excited to see what happens later in chungmuro station.
Kim Dokja's character is one that i vastly enjoy reading. sure him knowing the story and his skills make him a little op but the way he's written to be specifically *not op* and use his knowledge to survive in the world makes him unique. his dislike of the world and him not wanting to be the hero and main character too.
speaking of main character, i am very interested in seeing how Yu Junghyeok is actually like. he *is* the op regressor and not gonna lie i've seen the fanart and read the fanfics so i'm excited to see what he is like in canon. and no not the movie canon.
lastly i gotta say. the cover is gorgeous. may the rest of the (very long) series be blessed with such visuals so they look good my bookshelf too.
August 6, 2025
“How…my attacks…all of them…?”
“Wanna know how? I read a lot.”
KIM DOKJA MY FUCKING GOATTTTTTTTT 🗣️‼️ never stop auramaxxing my king. finally an official release, i've waited so long for this, i've read a little bit of the fan translation but stopped in the middle bcs i got overwhelmed by the sheer size of the novel 😭 official release breaks it into bite sized pieces which makes it sm easier for me to digest it 😭 love love LOVE singNsong's writing, they're write on such a grandiose scale and make everything sound so cool. my favourite lines are:
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was a story just for me.”
“After all, you’re the reason this story could come out into the world.”
“One world has died, and another has been born.
And I’m the only one who knows how this world ends.”
“The Regressor Junghyeok Yu.
The endless tragedies of this world all begin with this character.”
“I’d liked, hated, resented, and rooted for Junghyeok Yu.
He and I had gone through three thousand chapters of the story together.”
some things i HATED about the official translation: dokkaebi being called goblins, dokja kim instead of kim dokja, and finally gilyeong calling him just dokja and not adding the hyung.
so excited for the next volume, i can't wait!! <3
“Wanna know how? I read a lot.”
KIM DOKJA MY FUCKING GOATTTTTTTTT 🗣️‼️ never stop auramaxxing my king. finally an official release, i've waited so long for this, i've read a little bit of the fan translation but stopped in the middle bcs i got overwhelmed by the sheer size of the novel 😭 official release breaks it into bite sized pieces which makes it sm easier for me to digest it 😭 love love LOVE singNsong's writing, they're write on such a grandiose scale and make everything sound so cool. my favourite lines are:
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was a story just for me.”
“After all, you’re the reason this story could come out into the world.”
“One world has died, and another has been born.
And I’m the only one who knows how this world ends.”
“The Regressor Junghyeok Yu.
The endless tragedies of this world all begin with this character.”
“I’d liked, hated, resented, and rooted for Junghyeok Yu.
He and I had gone through three thousand chapters of the story together.”
some things i HATED about the official translation: dokkaebi being called goblins, dokja kim instead of kim dokja, and finally gilyeong calling him just dokja and not adding the hyung.
so excited for the next volume, i can't wait!! <3
September 3, 2025
O
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint
czytałam dużo, ale jakoś nigdy nie było mi po drodze, żeby sprawdzić, o co to całe halo. Więc jak się dowiedziałam, że Ize Press wyda angielski przekład, to stwierdziłam, że to chyba znak i czas sprawdzić.
Po pierwszym tomie już widzę, o co było to całe halo i chyba sama przepadłam, chociaż zobaczymy, na ile starczy mi zapału do czytania dalszych tomów, bo z tym bywa różnie z przyczyn od książek niezależnych. Muszę przyznać, że autorki miały tutaj naprawdę ciekawą koncepcję, wykorzystującą motyw świata-jako-gry-rpg, zachowując mechanikę grową, ale wykorzystując ją w nieco innym kontekście. Główny bohater ORV , Dokja Kim, jest jedynym czytelnikiem pewnej internetowej powieści, przez ponad dziesięć lat wiernie poznawał kolejne i kolejne rozdziały, nie mogąc do końca zrozumieć, czemu innym się nie podobają. W dniu, w którym przeczytał epilog – znany mu świat się skończył, zmieniając się w ten, który... znał z czytanej web novel. Ludziom na Ziemi skończył się okres próbny, teraz muszą zacząć zarabiać na swoje utrzymanie, wykonując misje, zbierając za nie nagrody, walcząc o przychylność tajemniczych Konstelacji (bogatych widzów i sponsorów) oglądających reality show, w które zmieniło się ludzkie życie. Kim doskonale wie, co się dzieje i, co ważniejsze, co będzie dalej i jak sobie z tym poradzić – o wszystkim przecież czytał. Między innymi dlatego otrzymał specjalną, tytułową zdolność, Czytelnika wszechwiedzącego. I nie zawaha się jej użyć.
Dużą zaletą Kima jest fakt, że nie jest kolejną postacią, która, mogąc rozwijać swoje umiejętności i mając przewagę nad innymi, zaczyna zachowywać się socjopatycznie, choć miłą, empatyczną bułeczką również nie będzie. W przeciwieństwie choćby do bohatera Solo Leveling nie zachłysnął się tą przewagą i w sposób w miarę subtelny i dopasowany do nowych realiów, stara się zadbać o swoich towarzyszy, przy okazji ucząc ich zasad tej rzeczywistości.
Pierwszy tom to niedługa, szybka i dynamiczna rozrywka, po którym widać, że powstawał z myślą o odcinkowej publikacji w internecie (szczątkowe, oszczędne opisy, brak wyraźnych objaśnień kto co mówi, taktycznie przerywane sceny). Sprawia to, że jakościowo sam tekst źródłowy nie jest jakoś szczególnie wybitny, ale też, nie ukrywajmy, nie sięgamy po takie książki, szukając wybitnej literatury.
Ach, o przekład ORV też jest fanowska afera.
Ebooka otrzymałam od Ize Press w zamian za recenzję.
Po pierwszym tomie już widzę, o co było to całe halo i chyba sama przepadłam, chociaż zobaczymy, na ile starczy mi zapału do czytania dalszych tomów, bo z tym bywa różnie z przyczyn od książek niezależnych. Muszę przyznać, że autorki miały tutaj naprawdę ciekawą koncepcję, wykorzystującą motyw świata-jako-gry-rpg, zachowując mechanikę grową, ale wykorzystując ją w nieco innym kontekście. Główny bohater ORV , Dokja Kim, jest jedynym czytelnikiem pewnej internetowej powieści, przez ponad dziesięć lat wiernie poznawał kolejne i kolejne rozdziały, nie mogąc do końca zrozumieć, czemu innym się nie podobają. W dniu, w którym przeczytał epilog – znany mu świat się skończył, zmieniając się w ten, który... znał z czytanej web novel. Ludziom na Ziemi skończył się okres próbny, teraz muszą zacząć zarabiać na swoje utrzymanie, wykonując misje, zbierając za nie nagrody, walcząc o przychylność tajemniczych Konstelacji (bogatych widzów i sponsorów) oglądających reality show, w które zmieniło się ludzkie życie. Kim doskonale wie, co się dzieje i, co ważniejsze, co będzie dalej i jak sobie z tym poradzić – o wszystkim przecież czytał. Między innymi dlatego otrzymał specjalną, tytułową zdolność, Czytelnika wszechwiedzącego. I nie zawaha się jej użyć.
Dużą zaletą Kima jest fakt, że nie jest kolejną postacią, która, mogąc rozwijać swoje umiejętności i mając przewagę nad innymi, zaczyna zachowywać się socjopatycznie, choć miłą, empatyczną bułeczką również nie będzie. W przeciwieństwie choćby do bohatera Solo Leveling nie zachłysnął się tą przewagą i w sposób w miarę subtelny i dopasowany do nowych realiów, stara się zadbać o swoich towarzyszy, przy okazji ucząc ich zasad tej rzeczywistości.
Pierwszy tom to niedługa, szybka i dynamiczna rozrywka, po którym widać, że powstawał z myślą o odcinkowej publikacji w internecie (szczątkowe, oszczędne opisy, brak wyraźnych objaśnień kto co mówi, taktycznie przerywane sceny). Sprawia to, że jakościowo sam tekst źródłowy nie jest jakoś szczególnie wybitny, ale też, nie ukrywajmy, nie sięgamy po takie książki, szukając wybitnej literatury.
Ach, o przekład ORV też jest fanowska afera.
Ebooka otrzymałam od Ize Press w zamian za recenzję.
July 1, 2025
Wow wow! Thanks so much to IZE Press for the ARC.
I’ve read a lot of regression and isekai manga and webnovels, but this feels entirely unique in its reading experience. For those who have read the web novel, this first volume covers chapters 1-25.
I didn’t read the web novel, so was all at once horrified, intrigued, bewildered, and disgusted by the way things play out and how our MC comes to the choices that he makes. I also appreciated how he wasn’t immediately perfect at navigating this world, despite his knowledge, and that he doesn’t become the “main character” replacement (at least not yet). I’m so curious to see how he will continue to learn about and use the people around him to further his goals and how his bargaining with our favorite goblin will play out. I would caution that there is some moderately graphic description of gore and that the MC’s ethics are quite grey and self-serving. It also doesn’t have a rose-colored view for how people would behave and treat others in an apocalyptic situation. If that sounds like a lot, be sure to check the content warnings and age rating!
I’ll be looking forward to the next volume!
I’ve read a lot of regression and isekai manga and webnovels, but this feels entirely unique in its reading experience. For those who have read the web novel, this first volume covers chapters 1-25.
I didn’t read the web novel, so was all at once horrified, intrigued, bewildered, and disgusted by the way things play out and how our MC comes to the choices that he makes. I also appreciated how he wasn’t immediately perfect at navigating this world, despite his knowledge, and that he doesn’t become the “main character” replacement (at least not yet). I’m so curious to see how he will continue to learn about and use the people around him to further his goals and how his bargaining with our favorite goblin will play out. I would caution that there is some moderately graphic description of gore and that the MC’s ethics are quite grey and self-serving. It also doesn’t have a rose-colored view for how people would behave and treat others in an apocalyptic situation. If that sounds like a lot, be sure to check the content warnings and age rating!
I’ll be looking forward to the next volume!
August 13, 2025
August 2025
Kindle edition
Aw damn it. I really need to stop hyping myself up for books. The miss ratio is getting higher. I loved the manwha so was exited for this one. I didn't like the format. There was three or four different types of text and the constellations/character windows were in big grey blocks. Couldn't get into the story because the mish mash of font hurt. Gutted. Love the story, love the characters but I'll stick with the illustrated version.
Kindle edition
Aw damn it. I really need to stop hyping myself up for books. The miss ratio is getting higher. I loved the manwha so was exited for this one. I didn't like the format. There was three or four different types of text and the constellations/character windows were in big grey blocks. Couldn't get into the story because the mish mash of font hurt. Gutted. Love the story, love the characters but I'll stick with the illustrated version.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2025
A fantastic LitRPG story which has me eager to read the next volume.
I didn’t think anything could capture my intrigue the way Dungeon Crawler Carl did, but Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is just as fresh and exciting.
Thank you to Ize Press for the ARC! Visit my YouTube channel for LitRPG and Fantasy chats and reviews.
https://youtube.com/@bardsandbooks?si...
I didn’t think anything could capture my intrigue the way Dungeon Crawler Carl did, but Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is just as fresh and exciting.
Thank you to Ize Press for the ARC! Visit my YouTube channel for LitRPG and Fantasy chats and reviews.
https://youtube.com/@bardsandbooks?si...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews