Imagine waking up in a stranger’s body, in a world where secret rituals, ancient gods, and unseen horrors lurk behind everyday life. Lord of Mysteries, written by Chinese web novel author Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, is not just a fantasy story; it is truly a thrilling experience. It has 1430 chapters total, but covering everything from beginning to end would be far too extensive. So, I will be basing this review on the beginning up to chapter 350.
From the very first chapter, the story grabs hold of you and refuses to let go. Set in a hauntingly beautiful Victorianesque world where the supernatural becomes real, dangerous, and deeply strange, the novel follows Zhou Mingrui, an ordinary man from modern-day China, who wakes up in the body of a young man named Klein Moretti. What follows is one of the most compelling and carefully constructed fantasy narratives in web fiction.
The world-building alone is enough to make Lord of Mysteries worth reading. The city of Backlund and the wider Loen Kingdom feel like places that could exist in real life. The cities are pulled heavily from Victorian-era Europe while weaving in layers of mythology. At the heart of this mythology is the Sequence system, a power system in which individuals consume Beyonder potions to gain supernatural abilities tied to specific pathways. From sequence 0 being the strongest and sequence 9 being the weakest, each pathway has its own abilities, lore, and risks. Watching Klein navigate the dangers of ascending through the ranks throughout the chapters is always exciting.
What makes this novel truly stand out, though, is its tone. Cuttlefish That Loves Diving draws deeply from a very dark and mysterious atmosphere, resulting in a story that is genuinely unsettling in the best possible way. Additionally, there is a constant sense that the world is far larger, older, and more dangerous than any single character can truly comprehend. Every new mystery that Klein unfolds always opens up more questions, more secrets, more adventures.
Klein himself is a great protagonist. He is a smart and resourceful man, bringing his modern sense into a world that doesn’t make much sense to him. Watching him adapt, improvise, and carefully maneuver his way through dangerous situations is endlessly exciting. One of the novel’s most creative and best touches, in my opinion, is the gray fog realm. It is a mysterious space Klein can access through a ritual that allows him to preside as the enigmatic Mr. Fool, who oversees the Tarot Club, a secret gathering of Beyonders. The double life he leads, from being a cautious and calculating person in the real world to a mysterious figure called Mr. Fool, gives the story a wonderful tension.
The Tarot Club itself deserves special mention. The group of characters who gather under Klein’s leadership is one of the most entertaining and well-developed cast. Each member brings their own storyline, personality, and set of problems to the table. Watching the group grow and evolve over the course of 350 chapters, even as they remain largely unaware of who Mr. Fool really is, is one of the grand pleasures of the novel. The way their individual arcs begin to weave together is a testament to just how carefully plotted this story is.
If there is one thing to say to anyone considering picking up Lord of Mysteries, it is simply this: give it the time it deserves. In the beginning, the chapters feel dense, and the sheer volume of terminology, factions, and lore can feel daunting at first. But by the time the story hits its stride, it becomes the kind of novel that is difficult to put down. Through 350 chapters, Lord of Mysteries has proven itself to be a richly imagined, beautifully atmospheric, and endlessly surprising work of fantasy fiction. It is, without question, worth every page.
