Isekai conventions
-Does it have a clear ending and satisfying conclusion?
Even though there's a clear setup for possible future chapters or volumes, the author is bold enough to give the ending a very strong sense of finality. There's a sense that things have become irrevocably changed, and there's no quick magic solution to the problems our heroes face..
-Does it start off interesting?
Yes, it does. Fear the Night might have one of the most unique isekai premises for a story: the main character, a fairly conventional honor student in Japan, is being tortured by a demonic or nightmarish entity. It is this ghoulish nightmare that has brought him into this fantasy world, only to give him his shape or form. There are very few isekai stories that begin with a horror premise, let alone with a protagonist as sin-eater.
-Does it have a relatable protagonist and good side characters?
Yes, to both counts.
The main character is very relatable. He is a teenage boy trying to do his best, and his best has consistently not been good enough. One thing that's been very clear in the story is just how much of a toll the story's events have taken on the main character. Now, granted, there are times where this starts to devolve into melodrama. However, It would be silly of me to be mad that the character, a teenage boy, is acting like a teenage boy instead of a different character.
The other three main characters—Celi, Saya, and Lo—are also all very well fleshed out. They all have interesting motivations, and they all serve as ambassadors to the world. Celi is the expert on the magic system. Saya, herself a powerful mage, is the gateway to the world’s political machinations, and one of the main drivers of the story's plot. Then, finally, the mysterious and powerful Lo represents the secret secret and arcane history of the world in which our main character has entered.
-Is it a power fantasy?
The author here has taken a different perspective on the idea of power fantasy. The author doesn't really see that power inherently as a good thing. In a sense, the power fantasy actually comes from being in a community of powerful friends. The main character is not the most important person in the world, but he's the world to three people that care immensely about him. That's a special type of power fantasy that may not technically meet the requirements, but I suspect strikes a chord more with the audience than simply having amazing powers and an action sequence.
-Fantasy Setting?
The world-building is richly detailed in this universe. I want to highlight the magic system in particular. It's very intricate and complicated, but is only told through the characters. In a sense, characters themselves are not the bridges to this magic system; they are the dam. They are the ones almost holding the author back from just giving us a deluge of all of the world-building he has, instead only giving us little story-appropriate trickles of it. On a personal note, it's something I think I can learn from.
==Reviewing the Tags==
isekai.
I think the story fits the concept of isekai perfectly. He has taken a fresh take on the genre, but he has not taken it past subversion. He hasn't taken it into the realm of subversion or deconstruction. It is simply a good new take on the isekai genre.
seinen,
I admit I can't really speak to that one. I understand it's something of a more psychologically mature or mature style of writing for a light novel. If that's the case, then yes, this is it, if that's what it means. But if there's a connotation of something else, I can't say.
Drama.
It definitely captures drama. The story does very well in its emphasis on the characters, and their responses to their little victories, and many hardships. Sometimes too well. I personally feel like it could be reined in, but I otherwise think it's done very well.
Fantasy.
I have no negative feedback for fantasy. Fear The Night does dark fantasy exceptionally well. The world itself is immediately recognizable as a fantasy world, but most of the details are very nuanced to where it is clear that this is an actual world that the character has been placed in. There are many fantasy worlds that only exist for the sake of the protagonist, and this is not one of them. Not only does the world does exist without him, some of the driving force of the plot is that many sides do not want him in it.
Adventure.
Fear the Night meets this genre very well, better than my own story, which also was tagged as adventure. The characters are seeing new locations, traveling, facing new threats, both physical and spiritual. Perhaps here it's a good time to mention the unique role that nightmares actually play in the story. The nightmares are not just surreal flavor, but are integral to the world and character's growth.
In Short, This is a very good fantasy isekai for those looking for something a darker and a little more psychologically rich without falling into "edge."