Oct 20, 2025
So far. Here's what I feel about this novel:
The worldbuilding and character work are strong. The author definitely put in a lot of thought in how the world without the sun would work. The clear quest through each city carves out a clear narrative goal for Adelyn and many opportunities for worldbuilding. Each character is unique in the sense that they are easily distinguishable. Although when it comes to depth, because of the vast amount of characters, the story only started to dive into the inner worlds of Ed and Teddie. Adelyn is an instantly likeable character, which serves well as the main lead, but Lumia on the other hand feels less flavorful (her storyline is carried by the mystery in the city). Svector's emotion towards Adelyn and Lumia is the most interesting thing about his character, but other than that, the chapters covering him are notably less exciting than the other two storylines, as it seemed just like a repeat of Adelyn's. Even Svector's companion, Serena, feels similar to Adelyn.
The action scenes are thrilling (though the exclamation marks are more distracting than anything, it was like I was told to be excited), especially well done are the jester fight and the tournament arc fights. But other than that, this story could hardly be called a thriller. Slice-of-life chapters dominate much of the story, which isn't an issue in of itself, but the pacing left me wondering during some of chapters, whether certain scenes actually add anything to the story, or are they just dragging on more than they should. For example, the two chapters on the main four's carriage trip from the City of Nature to the City of Battle can definitely be combined into one. Sometimes it felt like I was waiting for a twist or a conflict to happen, only to be disappointed that nothing of the sort did. An example I can think of is in the award ceremony at the academy, I was fully expecting Anise to be cheated of her award, but she didn't, and the scene just... fell flat, like something was about to happen, but didn't. It felt like there were more opportunities for conflict and drama that were just let slipped away, leaving behind the character interaction and worldbuilding tid bits, which for some chapters just weren't enough to be engaging.
On the other hand, the shift between character perspectives between the chapters is a technique that allows for a more expansive narrative. The perspectives are well-utilized. Suited to explore the vast world crafted by the author. Fantasy slice-of-life enjoyers will probably like this story and the realistic world contained within. 🔥🔥
