Mother of Learning: ARC 1

Zorian Kazinski just wants to survive his academy year — until the invasion that ends it starts repeating, and he's trapped reliving the same month. Arc 1 of the completed time-loop classic: figuring out the rules, the enemies, and how much a month can hold.

Progression: knowledge is the stat — spell theory, skills, and contacts compound across loops.

Reader fit: you want meticulous plotting, a rational protagonist, and study montages that feel like victories.

Texture: methodical, dry-witted, darker than its premise suggests.