TL;DR : This book has a unique setting and sticks with it, which makes me interested in other unique worlds. The world feels alive and full. The main character grows a lot, and the book allows room for the mc to grow even more. The elements of the book are balanced and everything has a nice flow to it so that you can read at a comfortable pace if you so choose, or binge read if you get hooked.
After having caught up to the story at ch 74, I can definitely say I am in love with this novel. The pacing, character development, character interactions, and world setting are all fantastic. The story is set in a snowy environment, something the author commits to, and something I have never seen before. Some may say I haven’t read enough, but this is truly something I didn’t know I needed, much less wanted. Usually, I would think a snowy world would be bland and dreary, not much life or uniqueness, but the author gives this story a lot of life. The mc has no memories of himself or anything else and is trapped in a repeating cycle of death and rebirth, similar to a rouge-lite. Just like a player exploring a new game on hardcore, the only thing the mc keeps are his memories of the previous “run” and he tries to survive on his search for an answer. He may be clueless in the sense that he is naive, but he definitely isn’t dumb. He learns from his actions, and he grows from his experiences as he learns more about the world. You adventure into the world just like him and see him try to make the best of himself. The mc seems like a real person through all of this, he faces problems, sometimes trying to fight, sometimes running away, but you always get to know what he’s thinking and why he does what he does. He cries, he feels pain, he feels weak, but what I love most of all, and what I wish I could feel more of, is he has an overwhelming determination to get through everything. He always gets back up to keep fighting and living. I love how this no sense of plot armor, at leasts compared to many of the novels on this site, and the only “plot armor” I would say he has is his ability to restart. He shows determination and grit and never takes the easy way out just so he can start all over from the beginning. He trudges through the snow, trying to figure out where he stands in the world, befriending people where he can, and always trying to be nice. He isn’t a ruthless protagonist, nor is he cunning, he just keeps moving forward doing what he thinks is right. I am in love with his character, the world, and every other character that gets intorduced. Each character has a purpose, whether to make the world feel more full or to help the mc grow. There is no defined strongest so far in the book, no cultivation or any other tropes that always say “you killed the biggest guy? Well there will be a bigger guy hidden in the shadows that you didn’t even know about.” The world, for what it is, is very realistic, and so are the characters. No young masters or families one must not upset, only people trying to survive.
Overall, after a long review many might not read, this book made me feel something special. The balance of every aspect of this book is so good, its almost unbelievable, and I for one can’t believe how the author manages to do it. The author doesn’t force anything and the story takes a natural flow. I can’t imagine how hard ot must be to write a book this solid, nor can I wait to read more from this book and see what else is in store (no pressure on the author).
