She's got abilities, but they're not too OP and they cause her trouble. Other abilities she worked hard for. She's got a clear motivation, but she's at times irrational and also lies to herself pretty strongly. Her actions contradict her thoughts and, more than that, it's made very clear this is intentional. Denial, guilt, irrationality, pettiness, the desire to be better, be stronger. Contrasted with her inability to see her own worth beyond the worth she placed upon herself in her alternate life. She's bound by the person she used to be and it shows. She's not able to see herself as she really is because of it.
More than that, she didn't lose her goal or herself the second the love interest showed up. Multiple kinds of relationships are shown, each with its own cast on love.
And the love interest is INTERESTING. He's got his own life, his own problems, and he treats the protagonist with respect, and not an object he's entitled to possess. He doesn't try to manipulate her into being his. She's a person first.
The world-building is just enough to be interesting and not too much to be overwhelming. The pace can be slow at times, but for the most part is fine.
And it goes without saying that the art is nice.
Can't wait until this is off hiatus. Might pick up the books too.
I hope Aria gets her revenge. And I hope she eventually sees the contradictions, where she says she doesn't care about people, eventually she's going to have to admit that she's just like everyone else. Capable of being cruel and kind, caring or careless. But that it doesn't make her evil. Just human.
THIS is how you do this kind of story.
I love the way this protagonist was designed.
She's got abilities, but they're not too OP and they cause her trouble. Other abilities she worked hard for. She's got a clear motivation, but she's at times irrational and also lies to herself pretty strongly. Her actions contradict her thoughts and, more than that, it's made very clear this is intentional. Denial, guilt, irrationality, pettiness, the desire to be better, be stronger. Contrasted with her inability to see her own worth beyond the worth she placed upon herself in her alternate life. She's bound by the person she used to be and it shows. She's not able to see herself as she really is because of it.
More than that, she didn't lose her goal or herself the second the love interest showed up. Multiple kinds of relationships are shown, each with its own cast on love.
And the love interest is INTERESTING. He's got his own life, his own problems, and he treats the protagonist with respect, and not an object he's entitled to possess. He doesn't try to manipulate her into being his. She's a person first.
The world-building is just enough to be interesting and not too much to be overwhelming. The pace can be slow at times, but for the most part is fine.
And it goes without saying that the art is nice.
Can't wait until this is off hiatus. Might pick up the books too.
I hope Aria gets her revenge. And I hope she eventually sees the contradictions, where she says she doesn't care about people, eventually she's going to have to admit that she's just like everyone else. Capable of being cruel and kind, caring or careless. But that it doesn't make her evil. Just human.