Shaggyvii - Profile

Just wow, what a fantastic read. The story and plot are original, compelling, well-developed, and very evenly-paced. At no point does the author add unnecessary filler, while at the same time describing the characters and scenery vividly. And honestly if I didn't go in already knowing it was a translated novel, I would have never guessed it wasn't penned in English. Both the author and translator did incredibly fine jobs on this book, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone. The characters themselves are interesting, human, and relatable in a wide variety of ways, with each having a charm and quirks of their own. Character development is present, logical, and done subtly over the course of the entire novel. You very quickly build a sense of empathy with the four MCs throughout the course of the book (or five if you count non-carbon-based life forms, haha). The author manages a fantastic balance, making the characters both believable and entertaining, while at the same time embodying some of the best traits humanity strives for. The plot is well-developed, robust, and sinks it's fingers into your imagination as the mysteries behind the main storyline slowly are revealed and answered in a gratifyingly-paced way that feels natural and never forced. By the climax, all of the questions have been answered in creative (yet logical) ways, and never does the author resort to leaning on the plot armor or Deus ex machina so often found in these novels. The villains are also three-dimensional, and swerve the crutch of relying on pure evil as antagonists, as you can understand and feel for the motivations behind even the most disposable baddies, even while you loath their self-serving actions. I really love the humor in this, it's a great balance between being endearing, silly, and sprinkled in all of the right places without going overboard. Another fantastic aspect is that, unlike many of these novels, you never once get the impression that the author felt rushed or got sick of writing the book towards the closing chapters; the final chapter is just as wonderful as the first. This is the first book that I've read by this author and translator, and you can be sure I'm going to immediately dig into anything else I can find of theirs. I'm very grateful for their work, and am so glad I picked it up due to something as minor as enjoying the novelty of the title. I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I did!