Minor spoilers ahead. TL;DR at bottom.

Lieforged Gale is an off-centered LGBT-focused litRPG that introduces the reader to a futuristic world where technology has developed to the point where humans can stuff their consciousness into online servers and play full-dive VRMMORPGs. They also have the technology to create fully customisable artificial bodies to store all the digital citizens that wanted to do something with their life.

Now, the action and battles in this series somewhat follows the "do something, result happens" format. It is written generally better by occasionally stressing specific actions/motions in combat putting it slightly above other stories. LitRPG elements are done in standard with nothing to write home about. If you're looking to read a story about a strong female protagonist, this may be it. Having said that, the rest of the review will now go in great detail about the core issue of this story. Woefully as always on this site, world building and characterisation are sacrificed for pro-LGBT authors to push their, what is essentially, propaganda. While reading, I couldn't really enjoy the story if the LGBT theme is forcefully and repeatedly shoved into my face.

Personally, I'm supportive for such groups, but it's a different story when these themes are invasive to the actual world authors are presenting. Two main things stuck out to me whilst reading. One, every key character in this story is gay (common trap LGBT writers fall into) and two, the world built to push said ideals. Firstly reading this without any context may seem weird. "What's so wrong about a cast full of gay people?" Nothing. But the sheer quantity of such characters are frankly overwhelming. Let me list out the characters that are gay as evidence.

All of these are important key characters integral to the plot of the story and it doesn't really make sense for them all to be gay. The MC has yet to interact in depth with someone who's straight presumably due to the author's inadequate knowledge of straight people act. This is "fine" in a sense because "it could happen", but it sure does cut into the immersion of the story as you can't really believe that the MC only meets and interacts deeply with so many other gays by chance. Yeah sure there are dedicated communities out there but a VR game isn't really one of them

Secondly, it's somewhat noticeable that the author has twisted the world to their liking. Instead of creating a world where futuristic technology have many versatile and critical uses, the story focuses on the fact that technology such as machines that can print organs and literally save countless lives from diseases, are just magical transitioning devices.

Lieforged Gale also takes a heavy LGBT lens to the world. One of the minor villains horrifically misgenders a supporting character and the main cast gets mad and characters go around treating slurs against the LGBT to be akin to shocking forbidden words that will condemn you to the 9th circle of hell once spoken. Granted, these two things are very reasonable things to do, but they all feel very forced and planned out leading back to the original point.

All in all, though personalities, dialogue and fight choreography may shine through in times, it's all ultimately overshadowed by the looming intent of the author who created the world for LGBT people instead of having a world with LGBT people. If you enjoy stories like this one, great. However I do want to disillusion you from thinking this story is a magnum opus. 3.5/5 stars

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