Apr 23, 2025
So I was listening to "Binary Sunset" by John Williams while completely exhausted and was like "hm, this reminds me of that one story." So I've returned here sooner than I thought. The funny part is that I can't tell if the song fits this chapter or not 
I did not expect the second chapter to be in her high tech room.
I was honestly totally thrown off when I realized how much technology is infused into this world, haha. The contrast of the settings made me almost think the first chapter was just all in her head for a moment... until she began writing in her journal. Then I was like "oh damn, she really gets to live like this? Lucky..."
I think that initial surprise is normal for a reader, though, since by this chapter, they should generally have no idea what this world is actually like.
Also, it was in this chapter that I learned that Samael is not actually a snake permanently attached to her head but maybe it could have been very interesting if Samael was just permanently stuck to her head haha
And Yalda is six... wow. I honestly thought she would be at least ten or twelve. I don't think I've ever read a novel with a protagonist that was so young.
I like the little details that build character without explicitly saying it--for example, her calendar is princess themed, and there is a blue heart around her birthday. The world-building is also done through the process of her daily morning routine. I think it was very well done.
I do find it quite interesting how I could understand most things in this chapter. I'm actually surprised by the difference in mental effort I had to use between these two chapters. The only thing in this specific chapter that took some effort to understand was the dagger simile near the beginning (but I eventually understood it).
Hm... interesting. Maybe it's because the first chapter in general has a lot more going on in terms of describing a foreign world, while this chapter mostly revolves around Yalda's interactions with things in her room. And the technology makes sense because it resembles things/concepts that readers are familiar with.
I think the two chapters are both very good in their own ways. This chapter is admittedly more reader friendly, but the first chapter was an incredibly unique start to a fantastical story. Actually, now that I think about it, the second half of the first chapter kinda did give off that vibe from the "Binary Sunset" scene in Star Wars. The quiet moment of peace before the protagonist's extraordinary story properly begins.
Oh, and generally speaking, my comments get shorter and shorter once I begin to understand a writer's style (and the specific story I'm reading), so don't worry about getting an essay on every single chapter you write from now on 
