Reviews of Embers Ad Infinitum
Embers Ad Infinitum
Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
- Overall Rate
- Translation Quality
- Updating Stability
- Story Development
- Character Design
- world background
LOTM Discord Windvally here. Let me help with some context so more people may be interested to give this novel a chance for it to reach Chapter 61 and beyond in EN translation. Cuttlefish’s New Book Exclusive Interview Reveal By Yuewen Official Weibo Account (11-18-2020) ------ The Interview - Translated: Question 1 Interviewer: 《Lord of The Mysteries》 Book 1 has already concluded for over half a year now. Aside from playing games and occasionally updating the side stories and setting reveals for LOTM, what else did you do to recharge yourself during this time period? Cuttlefish: Wouldn't playing games count as recharging? (laugh) No, I'm serious, many decent quality single player games can give you inspiration for novels very effectively. For example, the entire Fallout series. Aside from playing games, I also read some books. However, in a genre like "Fallout", every writer has their own understanding of it. There isn't exactly a homework list of very special, mandatory materials that I need to read in order to prepare writing this genre. ------ Question 2 Interviewer: New novel 《Ember in Long Night》is up and running. Can you use your own method to introduce this new novel to us? For example, please give us three key words? Cuttlefish: New World, Civilization, Humanity. ------ Question 3 Interviewer: Can you secretly tell us, how many chapter drafts have you already saved up for the new novel in advance? Cuttlefish: That's a trade secret ahaha. To be honest, I didn't actually save up that much. Because web novels are a profession that requires interactions. Especially when it comes to the adjustment of certain details in your novel. These small details are often hard to get an accurate grasp of, and are made easier when you manage to receive reader feedback on them. Most Importantly, without the compliment and praise of your fans and readers, where do one even get the motivation to continue writing stories? ------ Question 4 Interviewer: Once upon a time you mentioned in your personal Wechat Official Account that: "Many writing's inspiration and ideas do have their places of origin". For the current new novel, what is its source of inspiration? Cuttlefish: I would say the Fallout series games. But my story is also a little bit different from the game series. It isn't a pure "Fallout series" breed, so to speak. It's more like my novel is set in a time period after a Fallout's dust has completely settled and normalized. It's more about the situations and events that happen after 'Order and Civilization' have already been rebuilt under such a norm and are flourishing in a world with gaps in history and technology. That's why in my novel, readers will see traces of settings influenced by the manga drawn by Tsutomu Nihei, such as <Knights of Sidonia> and <Blame!>. Some cities in the novel will also give you feelings of familiarity, as they are inspired by the city within the game <Disco Elysium>. ------ Question 5 Interviewer: When Volume 6 of 《Lord of The Mysteries》 concluded back then, you also informed us of the potential genres of the current new novel at the time. What kind of events/chances lead you to finally make the decision of tackling and challenging this genre that you have never touched before? Cuttlefish: Because I really like this genre ("serious" face). It's fine, since everyone is already used to me changing genres. ------ Question 6 Interviewer: Last time when you started writing LOTM, I heard you did some preparation that resulted in a whole cabinet being filled with research materials and books on topics such as Victorian England, steampunk, and Lovecraftian lore. What power level did the preparation work for this current novel achieve? Cuttlefish: This time, because the 'Fallout' genre is a topic that's more characterized by freedom of imagination, as well as depending heavily on the writer's ability to express themselves, there instead aren't many books needed for reference. I've only read several materials in regards to culture and rituals, hoping to find some inspiration from them. ------ Question 7 Interviewer: Why did you want to write this genre? In this novel, will you be pondering on some philosophical questions? such as the relationship problems between human nature and civilization? Cuttlefish: For me, the reason for starting this novel is very simple. I had certain ideas and images flashing across my mind one day, that's related to the ideas of 'Fallout'. And thus a topic that I want to write about is born from within those few flashes of imagery. I have to point out here, that the topic/genre of 'Fallout' can shoulder many things. Regardless if it's human nature, or civilization, or human themselves, all can be reflected and presented in this genre. ------ Question 8 Interviewer: Cuttlefish, your ability to construct world views and settings is witnessed by many. Have you already finished outlining a complete world, factions, and power system setting for the new book? Or have you created settings for parts of them, and requires the rest to be filled in slowly as the story progresses? Cuttlefish: I have mostly finished making all of the settings. However, one can never completely finish creating every single detail. Because many of those details are dependent on the progression of the story. Thus, I will mostly have some very iconic/symbolic moment/story checkpoints, the rest are waiting to be filled in as things go. ------ Question 9 Interviewer: Before the beginning of this new novel, we saw a group of people in the setting post you created, that sounds very similar to what we know as ESPers. This profession/class setting, will it have branching class advancement, class change, or class variation similar to the beyonder pathways of LOTM? Cuttlefish: The power system and road of progression this time around is mainly represented by one word: Entertaining. I will be purposely blurring and reducing the feeling of "character leveled up"in this novel. Of course, story-wise the characters will not be lacking growth or change. One key difference from LOTM, is that in this novel, each ability’s categorization and ‘strength differentiation’ is not entirely described through a ‘level based system’. They are more primarily based on ‘Application, Usage, and Effectiveness’ during practical situations. ------ Question 10 Interviewer: Who's your most favorite character in this new novel? What's the most unique quality and/or characteristics that you love about him/her? Cuttlefish: I will choose the MC I guess, because I can't write anything without an MC. The most unique quality I love about him would be, Mental Illness? ------ Question 11 Interviewer: Who are the 'most beautiful', 'most intelligent', and 'most combat capable' characters in the MC's team? Have they made their appearance in the novel yet? Cuttlefish: Ugh, I haven't even completely finished on deciding who will be joining the MC's team down the road. I have to take a look at how good of a control I have of the story first. Because the story will be 100% naturally harder to write with more and more characters. There's a threshold, or limits of sorts, that defines how many maximum characters you can have in the MC's team without losing control. On a side note, if you question is about who is the 'most inhuman/heartless/lack of humanity' in the MC's team, I could answer that. Because there will be a robot showing up down the line. ------ Question 12 Interviewer: Do you have anything you wanted to say to your fans? Cuttlefish: I won't desire unreasonably to have everyone love what I write. But I hope to bring you guys a different type of reading experience at least. ------ Question 13 Interviewer: Will you be doing extra chapter updates to show gratitude to your fans? Cuttlefish: Ah, what are you saying? I wasn't able to hear you very well!
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Here's more world background settings for people who don't mind reading a bit of spoilers, released by the author himself. I hope this will peak more readers' interest. Cuttlefish labeled everything below as NON-CRUCIAL INFORMATION. Wechat Post About World Settings Posted by Cuttlefish Prior to Book Release [Translated by Izendale (he/him)] [Peer Reviewed by Windvally] -NON ESSENTIAL SPOILER TO SOME OF THE WORLD SETTINGS- Cuttlefish: Well, considering how hard it is to come up with names how passionate everyone is at trying to sign up to contribute names for random characters, we're opening up this post to collect names. Don't worry if yours isn't shown, this post is only capable of showing 100 messages, bottom line: I'll take notes. In order to help you guys with creating characters and character names, here's some not too crucial, no major spoiler setting information. ------ Available Races: ------ 1. Humans: Options include members of big factions, civilians from big factions, wanderers living around wildland settlements. 2. Pseudo-Humans: Human survivors from being mutated by radiation and or infections, and their offsprings 3. The Heartless Ones: Also known as people who are affected by Beast Transformation Disease (Lycanthropy/Therianthropy), can also be called Ancestral Regression Disease. 4. Intelligent Robots: Mechanical Beings with varying degree of Artifical Intelligence. Some more terrifying than the others. 5.The Eternals: Humans who successfully uploaded their consciousness into robots. The technology to achieve such a feat is lost with the destruction of the old world. Only a few machines survived and they cannot be reverse-engineered. 6.Mutated Beasts: Mutated creatures of all kinds. They can more or less be called "monsters" by now, creation and naming are up to you guys' imagination. Use current existing animals as prototypes and work from there. 7.Bionic Intelligent Armor: Cuttlefish: These are actually more or less just "Equipments" with less powerful artificial intelligence built in, they are not exactly a type of "Race". I just want to put it here. 8.Exoskeleton Equipments: Cuttlefish: Ok this one isn't even sentient or has an AI, I'm just listing it here to make the list look bigger doge. ------ II. Available Classes: 1. The Awakened: Cuttlefish: No spoilers for now, but at the very least I can tell you they have some not too overpowered (Windvally: Like I would believe that) but entertaining abilities. 2. The Gene-Modded: Humans who have undergone any form of Genetic Modification Procedures, be it mature or unsafe variation of the technology. 3. The Cyborgs: Humans who have installed machine or electronic modifications. 4. The Chosen Ones: People who have undergone Genetic Modification Procedures and Gene Selection Processes using only mature genetic modification technologies. Usually resulting in certain capabilities or talents being accentuated, such as "Shooting Talent". ------ III. Available Professions: These are more like "Jobs" than "Classes", and thus they are not mutually exclusive. This means that an individual can be both an Awakened and a Ruin Hunter. 1. Profession - Ruin Hunters: Individuals who explore the ruins of old world cities scattered across the wilderness. Looting all sorts of resources and data. 2. Profession - Military Personnel 3. Profession - Scientists (i.e. Geothermal Researchers) 4. Profession - Smugglers 5. Profession - Black Market Merchant 6. Profession - Cuttlefish: The Believers (or Members) of all kinds of weird religions and Religious Orders: This would be considered as one of the crucial aspects of this novel. Thus I won't be spoiling anything further. 7. Profession - Wildland Raiders: Common part time job for ALL Wildland Wanderers. 8. Profession - Special Agent: Also called "Special Correspondent" or "Commissioners" dispatched from The Research Academy (can also be translated as The Research Institute). ------ Cuttlefish: Those aren't the exhausted list, you guys (fans) can base on those and use your imagination. As to name style, mostly eastern, but western names are also accepted, codenames/nicknames are fine, too, there really isn't a limit.
Okay so I am at ch 36 now and I am hooked. The world is a post apocalyptic world reminiscent of fallout. We don't know the reason why it got destroyed with war being the most probable one. The technology of the world was advanced but after the fallout, it has degraded. Mc lives in a safe bunker like place or city underground. He grew up there and the society there is similar to the one in 1984 novel by george orwell but less dystopic. People will even be assigned spouses and jobs and mc gets chosen for an exploration team that explores the surface to scavenge old military stuff to finding the cause of the fallout. The surface also has survivors from the fallout and they have small camps here and there and there is also a city where rich or powerful people made called the first city which is a better place but with strict laws and slaves and all. There are mutated animals and humans too. Genetic modifcations is common albeit expensive. There are various muatated races too but it has not been explored too much yet. There is even a guild of sorts with ruin hunters who take on missions. And lastly there are some religions as well. Thats the basic gist of the world. Coming to the characters, I don't want to spoil anything but so far all the characters introduced have a purpose and are fleshed out. Mc is your not typical one and might even be a bit weird but he is interesting and all characters introduced are as well. The synergy between them all is just a pleasure to read. Overall as this book was written by the author of lord of mysteries, I had high expectations for this and author delivered. I can safely say that this book is.....interesting...
got to chapter ~140 before losing interest... too much time spent with the same 4 characters with no end in sight, none of whom are interesting or likeable or have any motivations MC was funny at first, but by now he's just acting weird because that's what the power system needs him to do, no real jokes at all
Woohoo another novel by my favorite Author: Cuttlefish That Loves Diving 💕 Here are the novels being translated here. The years refer to author writing the novel, not the translation. 2013~2018 -Throne of Magical Arcana 2014~2018 -The Sage Who Transcended Samsara 2016~2018 -Martial Arts Master 2018~2020 -Lord of the Mysteries I love all of them (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
Read 20+ chapters. Did not live up to LOTM or TOMA. Slow and boring. MC is the equivalent to a second playthrough of any RPG where you know the story so you just pick the stupid dialogue options for fun (Probably where Cuttlefish got his inspiration when playing Fallout). Most of the things the MC does or say makes no sense at all. Don’t base your assumptions on the authors previous success, this book is ‘meh’ at best.
I want it translated now, in fact, I want a physical book in my hands with this novel in it, it's great, the author is amazing as always with his unique style, and it has an eccentric protagonist, what could you want more ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Their leader is a deaf woman with ear prostheses, later miraculously regained hearing. There are endless dialogues between crazy and deaf and everyone wonders, will I be able to continue reading in this chaos? A stripper discovers her veils in each chapter only to discover an old, toothless woman. A labyrinth without logic in the author's mind.
