I’m a huge fan of Asian folklore and mythology, so this was a nice change to the usual western fantasy I’ve read. Jihoon’s relationship with his mother is complex and it was interesting to see someone be so cheerful and friendly in disposition despite being abandoned by both of his parents. It sucks that it took his grandmother dying for his mother to acknowledge her love for him. Sometimes people have to lose too much to be able to self reflect unfortunately. Miyoung was an amazing female lead with a complicated relationship with her human/Gumihon heritage. I think that she also didn’t understand how much her mother sacrificed for her until she was gone. I am glad that both of them at least got the time to express their love for both of their loved ones before finally saying goodbye. Her father was an excellent villain because I did not see that coming quite as clearly as I probably should have. I thought Miyoung’s mother was the villain until we got to see that daddy dearest was who we should have been watching out for. There was foreshadowing for it, but there were many moments in the story where it was hard to tell who could be trusted. The story is intricately put together and has tropes from K-dramas that have been put together creatively in a way that feels familiar, but still stands independently as its own original work.

Miyoung and Jihoon each had great character development throughout the story. Each of them was able to become more emotionally vulnerable with each other and others, something that was difficult for them to do because of all the hurt and betrayal they had gone through in the past. The side characters in the story felt very genuine and despite their flaws, showed themselves to be good friends to both Jihoon and Gumiho. The growth of both main characters was largely driven by the side characters as they encouraged both of them to grow and stop being afraid of communicating what they are feeling. Jun was probably my favorite of the side characters. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of him in the future. I’m also looking forward to seeing Miyoung’s journey in coping with being human now.

***I listened to the audiobook version of this book, so my apologies if I misspelled any of the names incorrectly, specifically Jun. Please correct me if you do have the correct spelling by commenting below. Thanks!***

I love how Asta's hard work was one of the main focuses of this volume. Asta may not have magic, but he has perseverance and determination on his side. Klaus was in for a surprise when he saw Asta face Mars. I hadn't noticed how in shape he is physically until now so that was interesting. By the end of that fight, it seems like Mimosa and Noelle both may be developing a crush on Asta. I can see how his confidence and determination can be attractive features, so I don't blame them. I'll have to keep reading to see where it goes.

We've been introduced to a few new characters and Leopold and Fuegoleon are my favorite so far. Fuegoleon sees Asta's potential and seems to be developing a mentor student relationship with him. It would be cool if he starts training Asta further down the road. Leopold is definitely a new friend that matches Asta's energetic personality. I can't wait to see the development of that relationship. Still don't know what the Eye of the Midnight Sun group wants with Asta, but it's concerning to say the least. Hopefully will have more answers next volume.

The new characters introduced in this volume were interesting. Sister Theresa is a badass. I can't believe she trained Fuegoleon. That was super cool to find out. Rebecca on the other hand is super hardworking and I'm happy to see her developing a friendly relationship with Asta. Asta is a strange fellow, but he had morals and a great amount of loyalty and love for those he cares for. We also got some of Gauche's backstory and he's dealing with some abandonment issues. I'm looking forward to exploring that a bit more next volume. He could learn a thing or two from Asta.