- #1
--- EDIT ---My review still stands below, but the following arcs seem to show more refinement in most areas, and the overarching plot is well done. The author understands how to use mystery to drive engagement, and also how to exemplify the powers above with this mystery, which vastly improves the perceived 'greatness' of power.It's still finding balance in some places, but I am finding it more difficult to critique the later chapters aside from genre specific cliches.--- EDIT ---Review as of c54:I am a bit perplexed with the high rating this novel has, because it seems to exhibit a number of flaws I wasn't expecting. My general problem is that this novel tries far too hard to hit emotions that it hasn't earned. Because of this, the first few regressions, to me, were where the author shined the most.Some may find them boring, but I found engagement in the protagonist's struggle in martial arts and his journey with his friend through the regressions. The many chapters dedicated to their relationship built a foundation that allowed the author to create 'emotional' scenes to a degree, so when bad things happened, I felt and sympathized with their pain.However, I'm not sure what happened, but the author took a stark path from this for a certain arc. It may improve from the chapters I'm at, but glaring mistakes emerged from an otherwise well put together story. The major one, really, is telling me how to feel about characters and not exploring them. A certain arc was dedicated to a plentiful number of these characters, yet I learnt very little about them and explored even less. The author did try to expand upon it a bit, but in the worst way - telling (not showing) me.So, with a bunch of characters I know and care little about, when the protagonist started exhibiting vivid emotions and attachment towards them, I was unable to understand him or immerse myself in the story. This is a very grave error from the author, which I wasn't expecting. Of course, if you are a younger reader or haven't been exposed to a lot of these types of novels, it may be fine, but that type of mistake made the entire arc vapid and almost melodramatic.I understand the difficulty in toeing the line between truly moving stories and melodrama, but if you can't bother to properly expand characters, then don't bother. Instead, it underpinned the MCs entire martial arts foundation, and became the crux of the entire plot. There's a reason you rarely see novels make moving plot points, and that's because its difficult without putting in the work. If you fail, it falls flat harder than if you just didn't bother.And, with the continuation of this after that arc, I was growing worried the author had sniffed too much of their success, because the protagonist's beliefs and feelings were foreign to me. I did not understand him and I felt removed from the story.Anyway, I just find it a bit strange that this is rated to the same level as something like Kidnapped Dragons, which does achieve a lot of those elements through not skipping the important parts. It's hard to do right, but when it is done right, it's amazing. I'm unsure of this, but the author may just be inexperienced, which is a pity.I hope the author gets better, and finds the balance that many struggle to grasp... To explore characters, to show me their qualities one may relate with, or wish for, and then, with those characters I care about, show me the tragedies, the hardship, and the joys, that this author seems to so earnestly wish upon me.Summarizing, its a good read in a lot of places, but it seems to exhibit an overzealous author trying to make emotional plot points when there was nothing that justified it. I will continue reading it, as there is plenty of good, and improvement is possible.