Got this book after seeing all the hype about it, and although some parts are great after finishing it, the felling was “that’s it !?” The book is said to be a standalone ( although set in the universe of another series that has been discontinued, found that out after reading it and went looking for answers) but the amount of plot holes it leaves open makes me disappointed, because I expected to be no major loose ends by the end of a standalone and that is not the case.
The good things about it:
1- The wold building reminds me of Avatar the Last Airbender in terms of capabilities of the characters, and its set in village stuck in the past, although we are in modern times. There is a clear Japanese influence in terms of imagery ( samurai culture) and language,
2- The characters development is also good, specifically the main character who is a 34 year old mother ( Misaki ) her reconnection with motherhood her role in society and herself as a person is quite good. Other characters as well, and you see how trauma, war or rape affect the character and who they become because of it.
3- The fighting scenes were amazing and its consequences are impossible to not make at least emotional. I cried with the unexpected twist, for what happened and how it happened all of it!!
4- The union of the characters and love between everyone after the war is really touching and leaves you felling hopeful, it’s truly something beautiful ( until the government comes in )
The bad things:
1- The beginning feels a bit repetitive and makes the whole switch in personality of the character mentioned feel unrealistic. If you keep repeating how a character is a bad father and a bad husband and a cold and emotionless human being, that constantly neglects his kids and mistreats his wife, then he eventually explains he suffered abuse as a kid by his father and dissociates from all emotions, and after that he is a complete different person feels unrealistic, and a poor excuse for him abusing his wife over a decade.
2- The performance of the narrator. There are a lot of Japanese words he mispronounces and makes things confusing. I recognized them and was able to look past it but it was still annoying.
3- The flashbacks to crime fighting times of Misaki as a teenager sounded silly, teenager fighting major crime bosses really!? It’s its especially silly when you decided to name the group leader Robin. I understand, after some research, that happens to link to Robin to the other series that is a YA series.
4-Plot holes and unanswered questions, this is the main one that makes this book just ok when it could have been great in my opinion. The main one -Who was the assassin? They said that to mimic someones image he had to know him implying he interacted with Mamoru, so when and who was he as that happened? Other lose ends/ unanswered questions but annoying non the less, What happened to Robins wife? And who is this great evil after him? Is it connected to the assassin? And Eleen, Did she die? What happened to Hiroshi? Misaki keeps showing worry for who he will become the entire book, considering how strong he is and what happens during the war, did he become evil ? And the air bending baby orphan? The book says she serves as a reminder? Does that mean people mistreat her ( that’s what i assumed at least)? And finally so they keep under the empire regime? There is no incline of a revolt or overthrow at all?
All of these just left me felling disappointed by the ending, it feels like an unfinished story to me, there is no closure, basically just ends with Misaki feeling contempt in her life and that is it,