Review Summary
Although there is a chance that you will enjoy something in this book, the confused tone, illogical second protagonist, and the unlikable “Gary Stu” main character makes “The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan, Vol 1” an unpleasant read.
All Talk, All Action
Summary from the store page on Bookwalker.
Noel longs to be a Seeker like his heroic grandfather, slaying the beasts that emerge from Abysses and exploring far-off lands. Unfortunately, it turns out he’s nothing but a measly Talker–a job with no combat skills whatsoever. Undaunted, Noel sets out to establish the strongest clan in all the land, using his silver-tongued Talker skills to unite assassins and heroes under his leadership.
Confused Tone and Lack of Direction
Throughout most of the book, I was confused about what it was trying to be.
It started out simply enough; a long winded prologue that went into too much detail about the world, and an introduction to the “Seekers” that are this fantasy world’s adventurers. It also introduced the protagonist; a young man aiming to be the best Seeker, just like his late grandfather.
From amidst the unexciting exposition, we can glean 4 important characteristics of the protagonist: the protagonist has no talent for combat, he was brutally trained by his grandfather, he is extremely persistent, and of course, his goal is to be the strongest Seeker.
In addition, as the story goes on, one more key characteristic is soon revealed — he is ruthlessly pragmatic.
Therein lies my confusion.
According to the introduction, he is inept at combat because he lacks the talent to learn combat skills. He persevered through gruelling training during his childhood to compensate for this lack because he desperately wanted to be the strongest Seeker.
This gives the impression that this is a story about perseverance — maybe there is a plot twist somewhere down the line that flips the narrative.
However, he is never, ever, significantly set back. The challenges he faces are never a significant issue because he almost always has a plan for it. Even if he doesn’t, the answer is always close at hand.
So, perhaps this story is about a brilliant man’s ascent to becoming the strongest, in which he deftly overcomes all difficulty through foresight and ingenuity.
I could get behind that. It can be fun to watch a hero defeat all antagonists by thinking outside the box and sidestepping raw power.
Why is it, then, that the protagonist often overpowers his foes? As I said before, he always has a plan — among those plans, some have him simply defeat them in combat using his grandfather’s training.
Furthermore, he is no hero.
His ruthless pragmatism means that his sympathies and considerations only go as far as people are useful to him. Antagonists are slain or maimed. Accomplices are shown mercy to oblige them to return the favour.
This is a fact that the author gently reminds you of at strange moments. A throwaway phrase here or there stating “I felt no guilt” or something to that effect — the author’s awkward reminder that this protagonist is edgy and remorseless.
What about an anti-hero? Though unpleasant, some stories can only be told through the eyes of those that do not subscribe to our version of morality. Perhaps this book can cast a new light on society or human nature. Maybe there is some profundity to be found if I keep tolerating the protagonist.
As you may have guessed, I did not gain any such insight. The story was predictable and plainly unpleasant.
Furthermore, the inexplicable admiration of some characters — particularly from women — directly clashes with the anti-hero interpretation. I can only assume that the protagonist is physically attractive to them.
It’s quite a tangled mess.
However, at least the main protagonist has a consistent personality. The second protagonist, introduced at the halfway point, is a confused caricature of mismatched tropes.
Alma Judikhali; Hollow Fan Service and Convenient Sidekick
Alma is an illogical character — at once a powerful assassin born of an isolated, abusive childhood, and a well adjusted, clingy, playful young adult. Ever since she was introduced, I could not shake the feeling that she was written to fulfil certain roles for reasons outside the story.
In short, I had difficulty suspending my disbelief.
She was first introduced as a “cool beauty” type, but that is abruptly tossed aside.
For no in-universe reason, she slept naked with the protagonist.
In stark contrast to her introduction, she decided to play at being the “doting elder sister” type. There wasn’t even a throwaway line to at least try dismissing the incongruity. It simply is.
It is even revealed that Alma had an abusive childhood shortly before meeting the protagonist, yet this was never once hinted at, nor does it affect the story. In fact, Alma is so well adjusted that it is impossible that she spent 20 years being abused then recovered so soon after escaping.
Moreover, she joins the protagonist without any difficulty. Their abilities melded together perfectly ever since their first test run. The author even tried to play up the difficulty of coping with the protagonist’s skills, but this turned out to be a non-factor, just like every other challenge.
Speaking of which…
Noel Stollen; Gary Stu with extra steps
The protagonist’s name is Noel Stollen, by the way. He just felt like such a non-character that it felt wrong to use his name.
Nothing is ever a significant obstacle for Noel Stollen. Although the “Mary Sue/Gary Stu” archetype explicitly refers to characters that are nearly perfect, I believe that Noel’s place in the story means that he’s, at the very least, a first cousin of Mary Sue.
Although he is ostensibly a non-combat Seeker — an underdog — he has trained under the most powerful man and dominates every battle he’s in.
Although we are told that people hate him, he is often shown to either be respected or kept at a distance. Furthermore, in the few times that hatred is shown, he easily takes the haters down.
Even when he attracts unwanted attention from powerful people, Noel has a solution and is never truly in danger.
Take the halfway point of the book, for example. With unsavoury tales about the protagonist circulating — completely true, might I add — the protagonist laments that it will be difficult to find new party members. Shortly after, the perfect candidate arrives through no extra effort on his part.
There is never any tension because of this. Every obstacle and antagonist is just another checkpoint on the straight road towards a vague ending, wherever that is.
In Short
Depending on your ability to suspend your disbelief, you might enjoy this tale about a young man’s ascent to becoming the strongest — together with a buxom embodiment of tropes.
However, I did not enjoy my time reading this — only powering through with a sliver of hope that the time and money I spent pays off somehow.
With a confused tone, illogical sidekick and undefeatable protagonist, I recommend skipping “The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan, Vol 1”.
Did I mention it’s also transphobic? One of the villainous characters is deliberately misgendered in every scene she appears in, so if that is intolerable to you, definitely skip this.
A Space Carved from the Unrelenting World 