I will begin by saying that Literary Tense is a solid story with plenty of heart behind it and pretty and polished prose. Chitra did a great job in general, and I applaud him. From beginning to end my interest was kept, and I got thoroughly invested in the plot and all the darker topics that it addressed.

Its strongest aspects for me were easily the worldbuilding and the themes that ran through it. From the moment Naomi entered the world, it felt more than just a setting. It was a living, breathing place with people, culture, and politics. The conflicts felt real and grounded, and many things linked together in the background. From the appearance of certain races, to how they fit into the scheme of things, alongside the struggles they all go through.

I won't spoil the main themes of the story, but it doesn't take very long to understand what the story is trying to portray through Naomi and the various characters she meets. And while a lot of it is spent in her head, it only serves to enhance the importance of the world she's created.

The characters were also pretty solid, even if most of them were only in the background for a bit. They felt believable and each had a unique vibe to them. Naomi and Jayla were the standouts of course. I won't touch too much on them other than they were likable and easy to sympathize with.

There weren't any major flaws I could point out, mostly just minor ones/nitpicks. One of them is that the 'emotional peaks' didn't land as hard as I thought they would. It's hard to explain, but the best way I could describe it was that while things were consistently good, the climaxes felt slightly muted. Things just happened in a flash (like it would realistically) and I felt a few scenes could've used some more breathing room/time to linger on.

How things transitioned into the end also left me feeling slightly disappointed. I figured that hopelessness was a bit part of what was meant to be conveyed, but while things were addressed afterwards, it felt a little off for me.

Overall though, I would say that this was a fully enjoyable story. I would recommend it if you don't mind a bit of thinking/introspection and a darker tone of fantasy.