OP Character? Check.
Fun premise? Check.
A Touch of Snark? Check.
I've been meaning to talk about some of the stories that I've been reading on Royal Road for a while, now. This one was the first on my list, but I might put a couple more down in the future.
Author: Jamie Kojola
Blurb: Aesca Lampi was a skilled MMO player and raid leader, but she never could have predicted the turn her life would take when she died and was reborn as Aetheria, a chosen hero tasked with overthrowing the Goddess of Misery and bringing hope to the suffering world of Grief. Armed with the power of regeneration and a fierce determination, Aetheria sets out to climb the Ten Towers and fulfill her destiny. But with danger and distractions at every turn, will she be able to complete her quest and bring about a new age of peace and prosperity?
After all, who can avoid the danger and cuteness of dragon-cat fairies?
My Rating: 4.5/5
General
I've been following this story for a while... and it's about time I put down a review! The story starts off as a pretty classic isekai/portal fantasy, and quickly puts the main character (Aetheria) on a quest to kill a god (which is a trope that I've gotten to know from JRPGs, but that's not a complaint). But, she’s gotta climb a tower. Well, a couple towers. Lots of climbing, and lots of room to show off some OP magic skills and regeneration.
Execution
I think the style works most of the time, but at points, the writing does get a little awkward (as expected from pretty much anything I read on Royal Road). But that’s gotta be one of my few complaints. Besides, lots of the tonal choices do work very well. Just when things are starting to get a little too light-hearted, Jamie throws in some gore or other dark stuff to keep it from going off the rails. And, probably more importantly, grammar mistakes are few and far between. There’s nothing to comment on in that regard.
Story
When it comes to the plot, I really love the story here. It’s fast-paced and engaging, and brings some interesting worldbuilding to the concept of a tower climber. The cat dragons were what did it for me, really. Million-year-old beings with incredible power and the attitude of a house cat? Yes, please! (That’s if they live long enough to become powerful… and with their attitude, it seems that many of them don’t.) And if that sounds a little intense, I promise the entry into the world is very nice!
Character
Aetheria is pretty well-characterized as a snarky, introspective gamer. She can be a little much at times, but it’s balanced out by a general likeability. However, most of the interactions with other characters are pretty limited, and the others don’t have much depth. (At least, at the time of the review.) If you’re looking for every character to have incredible depth, this might not be the read for you. But hey, it’s not a knock on the main character. It feels like we get to see almost all of her thoughts at points, and we’re right there with her.
Along with Aetheria’s general personality, one thing that helps elevate her for me is the authenticity. I’ve spoken to the author a little, and I know she’s from the midwest. As somebody who… well, isn’t from the midwest, it’s nice to see a touch of that slightly different culture done well, but not overdone.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s a pretty good story. There’s no reason you shouldn’t at least check it out, because (right now, at least) it’s free on Royal Road.
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