Hello everyone!
I actually wasn't sure whether or not I'd be reviewing this one on the blog - I always review any copy of a book I get or buy on Goodreads, because of course I do, but I read MUCH more than ever makes its way on here.
There's just too much!
And I have too little time for it all LOL
However, by the time I wrapped this particular ARC, I decided that I actually wanted to talk about it a little, as I've featured the author on here before, and so there's some reference points to be made.
Of course every book is different, and so is this from the previous one, but that's beside the point.
For the time being, we'll be diving into this new, fantastical world that H. L. Dawson has created. It's definitely worth a shot.
Come with me as I tell you a bit about Emika and the Sekai no Kami no Kokoro!
So our girl Emika, the protagonist of this story, is a Reitsumeyoke, or basically, a priestess dedicated to a god who spends her time setting protective symbols for the village she lives in, and chasing down sugami - former gods who got all twisted up because nobody worships them anymore. She's got one dragon of a mentor, and the two of them would clash often if not for the fact that Emika is a pretty meek girl to start with.
We learn later she's got a LOT of anger inside her, though, so all that sweetness isn't going to stay there forever!
But I digress.
Emika has a friend, Mu, a minor god who can't remember who he used to be or how he came to have only one worshiper, Emika, because he's under some sort of curse. He's pretty playful and also very devoted to this mortal girl, which is definitely something ...
And once the world starts going all haywire with the god Emika serves going quiet, another one popping up to literally poison everything and then remake the world in his image, as well as sugami becoming all restless and wild, welp, there's only one thing to do.
They have to go on a quest!
Besides, the main god demands it, so it isn't like anyone can say anything really.
So they take off, with the Elders' blessing, and of course things do not go smoothly.
In fact they go about as badly as you can imagine, because Mu actually takes Emika to the resident evil god for advice and answers first, who turns out to be the WORST choice he ever could have made, and who then puts out a reward for these two just because he can.
They manage to escape, not without damage of course, but then they go from one village to the next and the imagery is to show just how out of balance the world is, how great the evil god's influence is by now, and how much they HAVE to succeed in their mission otherwise, welp, they're all screwed.
So they go find the other priestess who might help teach Emika a thing or two, and who's the first one to point out that she and Mu are rather UNUSUALLY connected for a god and his supplicant, but also that Emika has SO MUCH POWER, it's like she's Vader and Luke all rolled into one.
You get what I'm saying.
They reach the god they need, but, well, it's not as easy as that.
Mu is more closely connected to the whole thing than they imagined, so they have to reverse his curse and release him from it if they want to succeed at anything else, so with a little help from a wind god, they're directed to the goddess who cursed him in the first place because she wanted to keep part of his identity with her out of love.
Aphrodite could take notes, honestly.
And before I forget, they get caught, almost sacrificed to the evil dude, and a god of fire suddenly pops up to torch everything because ... he's the god of fire? It's all a bit confusing LOL and a lot happens, but the gist of it is that they rescue most of what's worth rescuing, reach the goddess, and even though she gives Mu one name, Emika steps in, renames him, and apparently - essentially - reinvents him as a whole entire person.
He certainly doesn't remember HER, or the fact they've been two seconds away from losing their kimonos, so while he off and disappears, leaving her with the thread linking them, she saves the goddess from fading, and then goes to trudge on alone.
She probably won't be for long, the mission is much too big, and I fully expect she and the new Mu will find their way back to each other sooner rather than later!
I consider myself incredibly lucky that I managed to get a free ARC of this book directly from the author; having previously read her other work, Deeper than Black, I knew what I was getting myself into before even opening this file. So, thank you SO much to the author, first and foremost!
Sadly I don't think I'm the correct audience for it in terms of anime, which is mentioned in the blurb, as I've never seen any of them. I DO watch anime on occasion, just apparently not these specific ones. So any references or whatnot flew right over my head.
The book drags a little to start with, the pacing incredibly slow with little action for the first third, then definitely picks up as soon as Emika and Mu leave on their journey and quest. The use of the symbols reminds me of the runes used in Cassandra Clare's world, so that was similar enough for me to have something to reference it, although the magic system here does still need a little more delving into, I think. It's understandable, but it still leaves some room for improvement.
I can't honestly say I was drawn in by either of the main characters, or the supporting cast, although that said I was certainly intrigued by Mu's curse and who he'd eventually turn out to be. The mission to save the world is far from over, so I'm sure this series will find its stable footing with book two when it releases.
However, I'd like to say that, as in Deeper than Black, tighter editing is needed; there are often places where information is doubled, unnecessarily so, that looks like it got lost in editing or never noticed. The ending feels rushed, and I don't entirely know where the idea of the goddesses' ruined shrine came from, because sure the illusion was partly to keep Emika's mind safe, but she gets saved by a different god ... and I never knew she was in any danger? Or dying? There's something missing there.
Overall, a solid read, but I don't know if I'll return for the sequel. Maybe, if tighter editing happens, and we narrow things down, because while it's nice to read about village this and village that, by the time you hit village three and the similar thing happens again, you figure it could have been left on the editing floor. Edit, edit, edit, and this could have been a four star for me.
Sadly I don't think I'm the correct audience for it in terms of anime, which is mentioned in the blurb, as I've never seen any of them. I DO watch anime on occasion, just apparently not these specific ones. So any references or whatnot flew right over my head.
The book drags a little to start with, the pacing incredibly slow with little action for the first third, then definitely picks up as soon as Emika and Mu leave on their journey and quest. The use of the symbols reminds me of the runes used in Cassandra Clare's world, so that was similar enough for me to have something to reference it, although the magic system here does still need a little more delving into, I think. It's understandable, but it still leaves some room for improvement.
I can't honestly say I was drawn in by either of the main characters, or the supporting cast, although that said I was certainly intrigued by Mu's curse and who he'd eventually turn out to be. The mission to save the world is far from over, so I'm sure this series will find its stable footing with book two when it releases.
However, I'd like to say that, as in Deeper than Black, tighter editing is needed; there are often places where information is doubled, unnecessarily so, that looks like it got lost in editing or never noticed. The ending feels rushed, and I don't entirely know where the idea of the goddesses' ruined shrine came from, because sure the illusion was partly to keep Emika's mind safe, but she gets saved by a different god ... and I never knew she was in any danger? Or dying? There's something missing there.
Overall, a solid read, but I don't know if I'll return for the sequel. Maybe, if tighter editing happens, and we narrow things down, because while it's nice to read about village this and village that, by the time you hit village three and the similar thing happens again, you figure it could have been left on the editing floor. Edit, edit, edit, and this could have been a four star for me.
xx
*image not mine
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