*Special thanks to Oni Press and NetGallery for the eARC of this manga*

TW: Blood, lynched body, decapitations (lots!)

Sourya stated in the (really insightful) end note that he was aiming to capture the spirit of a JRPG, with the unique characters, classic quests and medieval themes. Specifically he referenced Dragon Quest VIII, which is one of my favourite games. Honestly I was comparing this manga to that game while reading - feeling the same epic grandeur, yet cozy characters of a great JRPG/fantasy manga.

My only complaint would be our main character, Talli, falls a bit flat. She is more of a blank space for the reader to project themself, and while this works in a video game setting, it doesn't so much in a book setting. She drifts along where the story takes her, and doesn't have any traits that really put her apart from the other party members aside from her summoning ability. I felt far more attached and intrigued by Lélo. His temperament and abilities and character design just made him stand out more to me. In fact, all the other characters had such great designs and personalities that I often entirely forgot it was Talli's story at all.

While that may sound quite negative, in all honesty the rest of the manga, the art, the action, the mystery and concept and all other characters were so good it honestly makes up for our more bland 'main' character. But even then I almost hesitate to call her the protagonist because it does seem the story is more about the group than Talli, and it's really refreshing.

One of the most impressive moments was the chase towards the end. The way the art was framed and storyboarded was SO good it felt interactive, which my brain easily filling in music and sound effects. The tension and speed were conveyed so well. Truely a masterpiece of a moment.