I gave this a chance bc ppl claimed it was a masterpiece and so wonderfully well written. I have to say, I got quite confused esp due to the pacing and timeline. The chapters are a little all over the place esp with it not revealing how much time has passed until something happens and the characters just go ahead and say it out loud. One chapter they've gotten back to the island, and the next they solve the orcs situation and live on the side. Then all of a sudden Ilse is dead but apparently its been DECADES since. I would've appreciated a "10 years later" title or at least more physical change in appearances to show the passage of time.
The issue with the orcs was sorta forgotten and then followed up a few chapters later. Jonak's and Adain's relationship was glossed over a lot through many decades that was only broken down into a couple of chapters. It didn't feel like they truly understood each other. It didn't translate the true love for me bc of the lack of showing and expanding their relationship. The don't sleep together for what appears to be decades and then decades later (a chapter later) they talk about it like huh? You've been together for how many decades and slept apart for how many years? AND didn't talk about it for how many years?
The whole Anne arc with Adain's brother came out of left field. Like what? Wasn't this Anne the supposed Shultz family member who had a set goal in mind to remove the rules and get rid of this role that has her family in a chokehold? Tbh it wasn't explained that well what her ambitions were unless someone can give me a clearer explanation. But my question is how tf did she go from "eliminating the tilt of justice towards rank" to "straying off the path" and setting up orcs to be female human kidnappers and using magic to make it fatal for orcs to give birth... like how does that achieve her dumbass goal? What? she just gave up and chose to ruin it for everybody too?
Overall the lore was interesting but the execution left much to be desired. With this much lore and this much content, it should've been way longer than only 2 volumes (12 chapters) to truly dive into the topics it wanted to touch on.
I gave this a chance bc ppl claimed it was a masterpiece and so wonderfully well written. I have to say, I got quite confused esp due to the pacing and timeline. The chapters are a little all over the place esp with it not revealing how much time has passed until something happens and the characters just go ahead and say it out loud. One chapter they've gotten back to the island, and the next they solve the orcs situation and live on the side. Then all of a sudden Ilse is dead but apparently its been DECADES since. I would've appreciated a "10 years later" title or at least more physical change in appearances to show the passage of time.
The issue with the orcs was sorta forgotten and then followed up a few chapters later. Jonak's and Adain's relationship was glossed over a lot through many decades that was only broken down into a couple of chapters. It didn't feel like they truly understood each other. It didn't translate the true love for me bc of the lack of showing and expanding their relationship. The don't sleep together for what appears to be decades and then decades later (a chapter later) they talk about it like huh? You've been together for how many decades and slept apart for how many years? AND didn't talk about it for how many years?
The whole Anne arc with Adain's brother came out of left field. Like what? Wasn't this Anne the supposed Shultz family member who had a set goal in mind to remove the rules and get rid of this role that has her family in a chokehold? Tbh it wasn't explained that well what her ambitions were unless someone can give me a clearer explanation. But my question is how tf did she go from "eliminating the tilt of justice towards rank" to "straying off the path" and setting up orcs to be female human kidnappers and using magic to make it fatal for orcs to give birth... like how does that achieve her dumbass goal? What? she just gave up and chose to ruin it for everybody too?
Overall the lore was interesting but the execution left much to be desired. With this much lore and this much content, it should've been way longer than only 2 volumes (12 chapters) to truly dive into the topics it wanted to touch on.