It's been so long since I've fully immersed myself into a story, and this was it! The story is stunning to what I initially thought it would be - a simple story where a normal dude reads a book, finds out that the book becomes reality, and uses this information to survive. And while that is somewhat true, there is so much more -- mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, beautifully written characters, and a very, very complicated and interesting story.
One of my favourite parts of the story was the variety of characters and the camaraderie. It's definitely more of a slow-burn (friendship wise), but that made it all the better. I loved seeing that the main character wasn't necessarily OP either. He has brains and could fight, but there were several other characters who shined as well (even more so in certain cases). The chemistry between some of the characters (the main three stood out most for me), was the best. Unquestionably, tons of characters to root for - with little dichotomies, should I add, something pretty apparent in web novels and manhwas that I utterly despise. The character developments are amazing, and this change was very noticeable at the end. And despite a few characters not having enough screentime, I laughed and cried with each of them.
More than anything, the story is built on such a unique premise: Reading, gods, constellations, stories, characters, and everything in between. I've personally never seen something like this before. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's so intricate and thoughtful, with so many "hints" hidden every so and then. I cried a few times, and it definitely had me thinking after finishing it.
That being said, there are flaws to it - the story becomes quite tedious to read towards the end, rushing a cycle of self-sacrificing and big fights over and over again (story is still interesting, just tired). There are certain parts that I think could've been cut and more every day/relaxing scenes added in. Some characters just deserved more screen-time as well (some downright disappeared for hundreds of chaps), but that was bound to happen with so many characters and timelines. It is worth it though, and the epilogue wraps up the story satisfyingly.
In any case, this is definitely one of my most pleasant reads so far! I mean, who reads 500 chapters for nothing? Recommended, you won't regret reading it!