Just remembered this recently when I was trying to find something new to read! I first started reading this when it only had around 10 chapters! I remember reading along until the time jump but dropping it to let it marinate soon after. Glad I remembered it to revisit now that the story is done!
I loved the art and concept as well as the emotional maturity of the main cast. The story was interesting and solid for its run while (in my opinion) creating some of the early building blocks for this style of story and genre. I really loved getting a solid conclusion.
….however…. The pacing is a little all over the place. If we look at the whole of the story, it does drag on quite a bit. I would have loved to see Leslie use her powers more or some more conflict/fight scenes as the family is always described as fighters but you don’t really see them fight at all. I love the story, but again would have loved to see more of them building their relationship (maybe that would have filled in the long stretches of story as besides her past family and the queen, there isn’t really anything else happening for 150 chapters). I understand the author may be adverse to setting up couple-like scenes between children (which in a way was refreshing in and of itself, because let’s be real, that IS a problem in this genre) but I feel like that could be solved by just aging everyone up a bit/having the temple storyline extend to 20 year olds as well? Because again, as cute as the couple is, Leslie does get married the day after she turns 18 in the series…which is a little weird. Yes, I know it’s “historically accurate”, but there’s magic powers and it’s a fantasy setting, I feel like that’s something we can change in the fandom to NOT normalize some borderline child grooming. ANYWAYS!
Despite some of the issues I have and the narrative fixes I wish were made, I think this is a generally fun read that people new to the genre would enjoy. It most certainly made an impact on me as I still remembered it after all these years. I would recommend it to people that are looking for something to read that isn’t too serious (barring the initial child death and abuse lol) and healing to read.
And to the fellow nostalgia readers! Glad you stuck around to read to the end like I did!(⌒▽⌒)/”
Just remembered this recently when I was trying to find something new to read! I first started reading this when it only had around 10 chapters! I remember reading along until the time jump but dropping it to let it marinate soon after. Glad I remembered it to revisit now that the story is done!
I loved the art and concept as well as the emotional maturity of the main cast. The story was interesting and solid for its run while (in my opinion) creating some of the early building blocks for this style of story and genre. I really loved getting a solid conclusion.
….however….
The pacing is a little all over the place. If we look at the whole of the story, it does drag on quite a bit. I would have loved to see Leslie use her powers more or some more conflict/fight scenes as the family is always described as fighters but you don’t really see them fight at all. I love the story, but again would have loved to see more of them building their relationship (maybe that would have filled in the long stretches of story as besides her past family and the queen, there isn’t really anything else happening for 150 chapters). I understand the author may be adverse to setting up couple-like scenes between children (which in a way was refreshing in and of itself, because let’s be real, that IS a problem in this genre) but I feel like that could be solved by just aging everyone up a bit/having the temple storyline extend to 20 year olds as well? Because again, as cute as the couple is, Leslie does get married the day after she turns 18 in the series…which is a little weird. Yes, I know it’s “historically accurate”, but there’s magic powers and it’s a fantasy setting, I feel like that’s something we can change in the fandom to NOT normalize some borderline child grooming. ANYWAYS!
Despite some of the issues I have and the narrative fixes I wish were made, I think this is a generally fun read that people new to the genre would enjoy. It most certainly made an impact on me as I still remembered it after all these years. I would recommend it to people that are looking for something to read that isn’t too serious (barring the initial child death and abuse lol) and healing to read.
And to the fellow nostalgia readers! Glad you stuck around to read to the end like I did!(⌒▽⌒)/”