brian superiority >>>>>>>

Brian is Perfect. Too perfect that it becomes boring. He's an All Loving Hero, the Polyanna, and a Mary Sue.
I don't see much depth for Brian's character, even though I do like his attitude when he was first introduced... I mean, his character introduction was clever... But after that, S2 writing has kind of plateaud.
While Ian's character is much more interesting to explore than Brian. In the early chapters, i think his characters was very solid. He started acting "confused" and "lost" after meeting Soleite and after being taken to Archaia, because Soleite DIDN'T explain anything to him. So It's not Ian who mistreats soleiete, it's the OPPOSITE. Quit acting like Soleite is a Saint! Just because he acts gentle doesn't mean he never hurted Ian.

this is a reply that's full of your personal bias of what's boring and what's interesting rather than an objective insight abt the wholeordeal, it's a sore sight.

LMAOOO I never said it was in objective view, all I did was state my opinion about Brian's writing, the only thing I wanted to refute was your "personal bias" to Soleite about Ian is the one who mistreats sol

Having a defined personality and a strong driving force to make a difference in his community does not make him a Mary Sue lmao. Just as someone being abused does not give their character more weight. They are both complex characters with their own unique journeys. Brian is a schemer, relentlessly stubborn, and a lone wolf who puts too much on his shoulders, one of his biggest character developments so far is trusting Sol and learning how to share his burdens. He loves his village but still does not have the courage or mettle to stand up and actually lead. He prefers working from the background and allowing others to shine, case in point that he did not offer himself as a candidate to become leader.

Well, that's from your view. But I still think of it that way. Maybe I used the term "Mary Sue" too shallowly and seemed to underestimate Brian, but I only used it to simplify my view. I called him boring because I read too many stories with main characters like him. Overall I still find him a good character individually but l don't find him interesting as a main character. and FYI, I never consider Ian an interesting character just because he has abusive background. Here're examples of some parts that I think are interesting to explore:
1. Ian, who is supposed to be loyal to Heron, can be shaken by Sol's presence,
2.His views on human relationships,
3.How he thinks, decision making, and
4.His morals and values in general.
There're still unanswered questions in Brian too, but not as many as Ian and I consider them not that important to tell in the main story(he's already dead anyway)
I feel that there's not much about Ian in S1. Even i already know Brian's character more than Ian's, maybe because the conflict in S1 was mostly between Ian and Soleite, not with Ian himself. And I think, there's a lot that could be developed in Ian as character. So again, it depends on each reader's view. I'm not forcing you to agree with my opinion.