Oct 28, 2021
Ok, review time... finally. This novel has always been in the back of my mind. I loved it the first time, but couldn't get too far because of time constraints with my based rankings. Im so glad I came back and finished it however. This was truly a ride, one that kept me at the edge of my seat. I've said this before, but this is my second favorite novel on honeyfeed. The aura of suspense crated is masterful, and it makes great use of fantasy tropes, mixing them into its dystopian world. To be honest. This feels almost like a mix between Berserk and Girls Last Tour, but in a really weird way. The world of Berserk mixed with the somber abandoned world of GLT leads to a unique experience, especially once magic comes into the mix. Ok, time for the specifics.
Let's start out with characters. The beginning his with a great baseline for us to get an idea of the dynamics. It really shines here, with her parents fighting and you see the reproductions in the kids, in what I'd consider a realistic manner. Emiko feels scared, alone even surrounded by people. All she really has is her brother, whose her rock. What happens when that rock is taken away though? I loved how Emiko Alone masterfully answers that question. Emiko struggles, a lot, and I love that. She feels human, realistic. Her past trauma and family relations really show in who the person she has become, especially in chapters two to four if I remember right. As she continues on her journey, however, you can see her start to change, slowly. I really liked this aspect too. Most novels have their characters change on a dime. That's simply not how it works. People need time to change, they cant do it in a day, for good or bad. From her absolute reliance on Daiki to the more consistent Emiko we see in chapter 14, you can see the chance she's made. Now obviously, there are other characters as well, and they're all great too. Uris, however, is the one that stands out. She is brave, confident, powerful. The exact opposite of Emiko, on the outside anyway. What's on the inside, however, now that's what's really interesting.
Now onto the Worldbuilding. The worldbuilding in Emiko is great, twisting on the modern world, and adding its own spark. A world where everyone has disappeared, left with only Emiko, now that's interesting. Nature speeding up bears acting like domesticated dogs. All these things got towards the majestic feel of the new world, and that's only in the first part. It takes a different turn with the introduction of magic I feel. You have a great hard magic system, with bits of softness that help add to the mystery. Lastly, there are also the creatures. They remind me of the Demons from Berserk, chasing after Emiko and her companions, and I feel they invite the same type of almost whimsical fear. The sense of suspense the help to craft helps the novel, and creates much needed tension in the 2nd half of the book.
Lastly, there's the plot. It shines despite its rather simple premise. It's a mystery to its core, and is always asking questions. I'm my opinion, a good story is a set of questions and answers that cause intrigue and make the reader want to know, and this fits that well. The magical twist in the middle is also well excected. Emiko is a character-oriented tale, and it thrives on this fact.
Overall, I have very little to complain about here, and heaps of praizes. Emiko does what many an author has attempted to create, and does it with ease. It does a great job at combining several different genrae's and tropes into one collective tale. You will find no complaints from me. oh also VOTE EMIKO ALONE ON THE MAL APP.
With that out of the way, until next time
otkrlj
