The King's Avatar — Hu Dielan's original novel
At a glance1,728 chapters · completed
The King's Avatar (全职高手, Quanzhi Gaoshou) began as an online novel by Hu Dielan (蝴蝶蓝). Published chapter by chapter on Qidian from 28 February 2011 to 30 April 2014, it runs to 1,728 chapters. It is one of China's most-read online-game novels and the benchmark of the esports genre.
Origins and publication
Hu Dielan had already written Near-Combat Mage, an online-game novel. With Quanzhi Gaoshou he changed scale: his hero is no longer a player levelling up in an MMORPG but an esports professional who must rebuild a team. The novel follows Ye Xiu's career from Glory's tenth server to the league finals, and on to the World Invitational.
Its success led to several print editions: 24 volumes from Hubei Children's Publishing from 2012, then editions in Taiwan and a Japanese translation from Libre under the title Master of Skill.
How it differs from the donghua
The novel is much longer than the donghua. It details every match, the stats, the strategies and dozens of league players, from star captains to substitutes. The animated seasons focus on Ye Xiu and the forming of Team Happy, and move quickly through many matches. The book also leaves more room for Ye Xiu's humour and for the players' forum chatter.
Reception and success
Quanzhi Gaoshou was one of Qidian's biggest hits of the early 2010s and built a very active fan community, which celebrates Ye Xiu's birthday every year. It has been adapted into a donghua, a drama, an animated film, a manhua, a stage play and an audio drama. Some readers find the final stretch, devoted to league matches, repetitive.
Trivia
- In November 2024, the British Library added the novel to its collections, along with nine other Chinese online novels.
- The name Ye Qiu, which Ye Xiu uses early in his career, actually belongs to his twin brother.
- The Japanese translation published by Libre from 2015 is titled Master of Skill.
- The novel features hundreds of named players spread across some twenty pro clubs.
My take
For me, it is one of the most enjoyable web novels to read. There is no endless power climb: Ye Xiu is already the best, and the interest lies in what he builds with others. The text is long and sometimes technical, but the matches are written with a real sense of suspense, and the humour lasts to the end.
Who is it for?For gamers, esports fans and anyone who wants to know what happens after the animated seasons.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
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The authorHu Dielan 蝴蝶蓝The master of the online-game novel