Rebellion

Frustrating series. I quite enjoyed the premise and setup but found the series hopelessly inconsistent. Some spoilers ahead.

One core issue is that we see the MC's accomplishments in isolation, like nobody in the rest of the world is really doing or accomplishing anything within their easy grasp as well. A single park ranger can grant enough land to make him a Prince (not even dwelling on this point) and there is no other scenario on the entire planet where someone can justify similar land ownership for themselves? The MC gains access to gold depositories (again, not dwelling on the value of gold) and there are no similar sources of wealth in the rest of the world?

Skills and classes are mentioned but really seem to have no tangible impact and really are just a reflection of what people did in the past lives or what crafting profession they chose since. Oh, and Cooking. There are very few instances where people around the MC seem to be growing into their classes and learning interesting new abilities; the best example of his was Nancy, I think, whose Grow spell got fancier in an earlier book.

Stats are mentioned frequently but don't really seem to have much of an impact. The MC is a “battlemage” (I think - his class has so little relevance or mention that I struggle to recall it) and ironically the only stat mentioned often is his amazing Strength, which should be eclipsed manyfold by anyone with a remotely physical build by this point. Where are the high strength, high dexterity, high stamina builds?

Levels feels like they are just decoration and assigned arbitrarily. They convey no actual sense of strength or threat. The MC has fought mid-teen level mobs at low level, the same level and at twice their level and the ease of the fight appeared to have no correlation whatsoever with the level of the mob.

The absolutely worst aspect is, of course, the wealth. Again, not dwelling on the stupidity of the value of precious metals to space faring aliens. The MC gains access to effectively infinite money and the series just crashes at this point because the MC has to act spectacularly stupid to offset the impossible power up he just got. He doesn't “remember” that he can upgrade his strongholds defensively, he only buys a few weapon upgrades, he doesn't buy any personal shields, communication devices, aircraft ... he's handicapped by not setting up teleporters everywhere right away only for us to learn that buying more capacity is actually dirt cheap. Then he decides to finally buy some COMBAT ROBOTS ... and buys 5,000 of them. Then brings like 3 with him on his next dungeon dive, still insists on “tanking” and only Prime's insistence on tagging along with him saves his life.

In the end, though, it was the erratic and inconsistent writing that had me pull the ripcord at 33%. From using his prisoners as live fish bait, to having teenage girls murder them in cold blood to power level, to being shot in the chest yet again (with still NO protections beyond plot armor), to the wtf moment where the nice aliens draw and quarter the guy ... it was all just too much.