Amaryllis | REVIEW SHOP [ CLOSED ]

《Blade》Graveskies

Reviewer: DeathBlade__
Written by: cowardlydawg

**The first 6 chapters were reviewed**

Title: 4/5
The title sounds very intriguing. It's a one-word title, and I love those because they seem simple and elegant simultaneously. However, I didn't understand why the book was called Graveskies. I figured it was probably because of the items falling from the sky but I wasn't too sure. I also thought it could be because of the spirits in the sky but again I wasn't sure. If the reasoning for the title is any of these, it's fantastic, but I wasn't too sure myself.

Cover: 5/5
The cover is simply put amazing! I love the font and all the details. The placement of the author's name also fits well, without acting as a hindrance to the rest of the cover. The cover is really well made and can't complain.

Blurb: 5/5
The blurb is perfection. It's just so well written and really attracts readers to check it out. The way you put all the different paragraphs so seamlessly is truly commendable. The ending, with the mention of the girl falling from the sky, was such a good hook to leave the readers with. Reading something like that would definitely interest others to check it out! Great job with the blurb!

Writing Style: 9.5/10
I was in awe with the world you built through the amazing description. Every scene was described to such a great level! I especially love the action scene in chapter 3, it was the best I'd ever read. I loved how you were able to show Ryujin's movements and feelings during the battle. It's hard to keep a balance between both and that usually results in focusing on only one of the two aspects but you had done it so well! And it's not just the action scene. Every scene was wonderfully described so kudos for that. The only problems that I noticed were:
1. Sometimes the description got a little excessive. That isn't necessarily a bad thing but it felt like a repeat of something I was already aware of.
2. The use of brackets. Again, it isn't necessarily a bad thing but most of the time, whatever you had written within the brackets would have worked well without them as well so I didn't get the need to use them.
But other than that it was amazing! There has clearly been a lot of effort put into the writing and the effort will pay off.

Grammar: 9.5/10
The grammar was perfect! You mentioned in the forms that you weren't a native speaker and you didn't want expressions/typos to be the main focus but I didn't find any to begin with! The only mistake I found was forgetting to apply the " which I commented about so you will be able to find it and edit it. Other than that the grammar was simply put amazing.

Plot: 7.5/10
The story is interesting and the way you portrayed the war seems so realistic, with people worrying and all the plans they make. However, I felt the plot was rather slow-paced. This is due to the excessive description. I did enjoy reading the chapters but many scenes seemed stretched which could have been avoided. Also, in the blurb, there was a mention of a falling girl which really intrigued me but after I read the first 6 chapters as you had asked, there was no mention of it. There was a mention of a book and ragdoll but no girl. Obviously, it will appear in future chapters but because it isn't mentioned in the initial chapters it feels as if an important part had been missed out.
Another issue I faced was applicable only to the first chapter but I felt it to be worthy of mentioning: there was too much information in the first chapter. I had a hard time keeping track of events and people's ranks but as the book progressed everything settled in and I started to really enjoy the book. Although, I would recommend dispersing the information evenly so that everything doesn't come at the reader all at once.
The plot has a lot of potential, I would love to read how they fend themselves from the varians and the rakians and the mystery of the falling girl mentioned in the blurb is still stuck in my head. The foundation has been laid very well and going forward, the future chapters will really shine a light on the book.

Characters: 10/10
I absolutely loved all the characters, they were written so incredibly and I fell in love with them in the few chapters that I read!
Ryujin: Being the main character, she does not disappoint! She has flaws but so does everyone else and it makes her seem so human and relatable. She has the need to be the best at combat and she works her butt off for it. She does not sit and wait for everything to come to her because life didn't give her that liberty. Instead, she works for it and gets the fruit of her hard work. She also feels a bit insecure near Willow since she is always praised for her liquifying but she doesn't do it in a toxic way. She keeps it to herself and only tries to improve herself which was so lovable about her!
Willow: She is very praised for her skills and rightfully so, but she doesn't rub it on anyone's face. She stays humble and is the nicest person but not in an unrealistic way. Although I relate to Ryu more, there is something so adoring about Willow and I just love reading her interactions with Ryu.
Ryu and Willow: Their interactions are my favorite to read. How they are so different from each other but balancing each other out is so cool! They are so synchronized when battling and don't see each other as a weakness; rather they see each other as a strength. This is not just said in words, it is shown through actions.
The other characters like Dianne and General Kran are also interesting characters. Dianne is so determined and fights for what she wants which is amazing and General Kran's interactions wit his husband are so heartwarming.
If I had to pick my favorite part of the book, I'd pick the characters in a heartbeat! You have amazing characters, and it's wonderful!

Overall Enjoyment: 5/5
Although the chapters were lengthy and the plot was a little slow, I absolutely enjoyed the chapters I read. The world you built in the limited chapter is fascinating, the writing style is amazing and the characters are the best! Everything is put together in such an impeccable manner. This is definitely a book I would recommend and I wish you all the best for the book and any future endeavors.

TOTAL: 55.5/60