'The Stonehearted Knight' has piqued my interest greatly, and I'd like to make a full, in-depth review on this story! I'll be tackling spoilers up to Chapter 10, so it'll be hidden for the time being. I'd like to commend you on making a very riveting, and interesting main character right from the get go! The first chapter reveals merely one thing about him; that he's crafty, an extremely skilled hunter, and bitter of his situation. With more of Hex's background being revealed over time — his personality becomes much more understandable — and you can understand his motivations. Hex may be competent, but he's received his fair share of beatings from his own lack of Blessings and his unique situation. Hex's hatred is explored amazingly, in my opinion, and while I'm at only Chapter 10, I'd love to see this aspect of him go into much further depth. A character becomes extremely engaging when their flaws get in the way of their goals, and it would make Hex much less perfect; and much more interesting. This is already shown in the way he almost lost to Vitor due to his inferiority complex against the baron, and how he overworked himself to hurting his muscles. The world building, and power system is extremely good. More and more gets explained over time, and I undoubtedly think that a lot of the questions I have will be explained later on! c: I am extremely engaged in how Blessings, Glyphs, and the world works; it's very fleshed out, and versatile at the same time. The system in general with how blessing rituals are gate-keeped via wealth and status paves way for good conflict. One of the only gripes I have so far is the dialogue! The dialogue is VERY well-written, and the only aspect which falls a bit too short is how a character conveys tone. I feel with the usage of more exclamation marks, various dots to convey uncertainty, tiredness, etc. (...) and more pauses in the sentences will make it feel much more immersive! However, this is the only aspect I can truly comment on, as this has been an amazing read! Overall, Jay, I'm truly amazed by this world that you've created, and I really can't wait to see more!
Liked by 4 people
LIKE—incredible read. Overall, Jay, I am amazed by the world you've created, and I'm so excited to read more!
Thank you for writing such a detailed review. Yes, I have chosen to reveal things as time goes, because the mc doesn't know everything. We will learn things as he learns about the world. I don't Hex is really bitter, it is more of a frustration with the world. Actually, I am trying to keep him confused for now. He is a teenager. I have never met a totally confident and fixed-in-his-ways teenager (including myself). I will work on bringing out more emotions. I had underestimated the difficulty to describe things the way I envision them. Thank you for your support. Loves
