What to Read After The Beginning After The End: 8 Reincarnation & Progression Alternatives
Finished The Beginning After The End and need more reincarnation, progression, and character growth? Here are the best similar novels that capture that same energy.
You finished The Beginning After The End. Arthur's journey from king to child to powerful mage is complete (or you're caught up).
Now what?
Here's what to read when you need more reincarnation stories, progression fantasy, and that satisfying journey from weak to strong.
What Made The Beginning After The End Work
Before recommendations, understand what you're chasing:
- Reincarnation with memories of past life
- Progression from weak to strong
- Character growth beyond just power
- Magic system with clear mechanics
- Found family and memorable relationships
- Political elements mixed with adventure
Different stories scratch different parts of this. TBATE hit a particular combination that's hard to replicate.
The Closest Matches
Solo Leveling (Chugong)
Status: Completed (manhwa/web novel)
Weak hunter becomes overpowered through a unique system. Korean setting, fast progression, and satisfying power displays. Similar weak-to-strong journey.
Similar: Weak-to-strong progression, satisfying power gains, completed Different: Korean setting, different power system, no reincarnation
Where to read: Webnovel, official translations
Why it works: If you loved the weak-to-strong progression, Solo Leveling delivers that with a different setting.
Want similar recommendations? Check out our complete guide to books like Solo Leveling.
Cradle (Will Wight)
Status: Completed (12 books)
Progression fantasy masterpiece. Lindon starts as the weakest in his clan and works his way up through clear power stages. Fast pacing, great action, found family dynamics.
Similar: Weak-to-strong progression, found family, clear progression, completed Different: No reincarnation, cultivation instead of magic, faster pacing
Where to read: Kindle Unlimited, Audible
Why it works: If you loved the progression and found family, Cradle delivers with more action.
Want similar recommendations? Check out our complete guide to books like Cradle.
Mother of Learning (nobody103)
Status: Completed
Time loop magic progression. Zorian is stuck in a month-long time loop and must figure out how to break it. Detailed magic system, character growth, and a completed story.
Similar: Magic system, character growth, detailed mechanics, completed Different: Time loop instead of reincarnation, different structure
Where to read: Royal Road, Kindle Unlimited
Why it works: If you loved the magic system and character growth, Mother of Learning delivers with a time loop twist.
Want similar recommendations? Check out our complete guide to what to read after Mother of Learning.
Reincarnation Alternatives
Re:Zero (Tappei Nagatsuki)
Status: Ongoing (light novel)
Subaru is transported to another world with the power to return from death. Dark, emotional, and character-focused. Similar reincarnation/return elements.
Similar: Return from death, character growth, emotional depth, ongoing Different: Darker tone, different power system, Japanese origin
Where to read: Light novel translations, official releases
Why it works: If you loved the reincarnation/return elements, Re:Zero delivers with a darker twist.
Overlord (Kugane Maruyama)
Status: Ongoing (light novel)
A player is transported into his game character in another world. Overpowered from the start, but with interesting worldbuilding and character dynamics.
Similar: Transported to another world, game-like elements, ongoing Different: Overpowered from start, different tone, Japanese origin
Where to read: Light novel translations, official releases
Why it works: If you loved the transported-to-another-world element, Overlord delivers with an overpowered twist.
Mushoku Tensei (Rifujin na Magonote)
Status: Completed (light novel)
A man reincarnates in a fantasy world with memories of his past life. Detailed worldbuilding, character growth, and a completed story.
Similar: Reincarnation with memories, detailed worldbuilding, character growth, completed Different: Different tone, Japanese origin, different focus
Where to read: Light novel translations, official releases
Why it works: If you loved the reincarnation with memories, Mushoku Tensei delivers with detailed worldbuilding.
Progression Alternatives
He Who Fights With Monsters (Shirtaloon)
Status: Ongoing
System-based progression with humor and great characters. Jason is transported to another world with game-like mechanics. Similar progression focus with more character development.
Similar: Progression, transported to another world, character development, ongoing Different: No reincarnation, more humor, different tone
Where to read: Kindle Unlimited, Audible
Why it works: If you loved the progression and character development, HWFWM delivers with more humor.
Want similar recommendations? Check out our complete guide to what to read after He Who Fights With Monsters.
Defiance of the Fall (TheFirstDefier)
Status: Ongoing
System apocalypse where Earth integrates with a multiverse. Zac starts alone and must survive, then build. Constant progression, cultivation elements, long-running.
Similar: Constant progression, weak-to-strong, ongoing Different: System apocalypse instead of reincarnation, different setting
Where to read: Royal Road, Kindle Unlimited, Webnovel
Why it works: If you loved the progression, DoTF delivers constant advancement.
Want similar recommendations? Check out our complete guide to what to read after Defiance of the Fall.
Quick Comparison Table
| Series | Reincarnation | Progression | Found Family | Status | Similarity to TBATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Leveling | No | Very High | Low | Completed | High (progression) |
| Cradle | No | Very High | High | Completed | High (progression + found family) |
| Mother of Learning | No | High | Medium | Completed | Medium (magic + character) |
| Re:Zero | Yes (return) | Medium | Medium | Ongoing | Medium (reincarnation) |
| Overlord | Yes (transported) | Low | Medium | Ongoing | Low (transported) |
| Mushoku Tensei | Yes | High | High | Completed | High (reincarnation + progression) |
| He Who Fights With Monsters | No | High | High | Ongoing | Medium (progression) |
| Defiance of the Fall | No | Very High | Low | Ongoing | Medium (progression) |
What to Read Based on What You Loved
If you loved the reincarnation:
- Start with Mushoku Tensei (reincarnation with memories, completed)
- Then try Re:Zero (return from death, ongoing)
If you loved the progression:
- Start with Cradle (weak-to-strong, completed)
- Then try Defiance of the Fall (constant advancement, ongoing)
If you loved the found family:
- Start with Cradle (found family dynamics)
- Then try He Who Fights With Monsters (found family, ongoing)
If you loved the magic system:
- Start with Mother of Learning (detailed magic system)
- Then try Cradle (cultivation system)
If you loved everything:
- Start with Cradle (closest overall match for progression + found family)
- Then try Mushoku Tensei (for the reincarnation)
Where to Find These
Most of these are available on:
- Kindle Unlimited: Cradle, Mother of Learning, He Who Fights With Monsters, Defiance of the Fall
- Royal Road: Mother of Learning, Defiance of the Fall
- Light Novel Translations: Re:Zero, Overlord, Mushoku Tensei
- Webnovel: Solo Leveling
- Audible: Most have audiobook versions
Create Your Own TBATE-Style Story
Can't find exactly what you want? narrator can generate reincarnation progression stories:
- "Reincarnation story with progression and found family"
- "Isekai progression with magic system and character growth"
- "Weak-to-strong story with reincarnation and political elements"
You can get the exact combination of reincarnation, progression, and character growth you're craving.
Browse our collection: Isekai | Progression Fantasy | Reincarnation
The Post-TBATE Journey
The Beginning After The End was special. The combination of reincarnation, progression, found family, and character growth created something that resonated with a lot of readers.
You won't find an exact replacement. But the reincarnation and progression fantasy genres have exploded. There's more good content than ever.
My advice: don't try to replace TBATE immediately. Let it settle. Then pick something from this list based on which elements you're craving most. If it's the reincarnation, start with Mushoku Tensei. If it's the progression, try Cradle. If it's the found family, check out He Who Fights With Monsters.
The void after finishing (or catching up with) a beloved series is real. But your reincarnation progression journey continues. Pick something from this list and start reading. By chapter ten, you'll have a new obsession.
Arthur's story continues, but your next adventure is just beginning.