Scan barcode
A review by dossy_b
Lightblade by Zamil Akhtar
4.0
4 stars
For a novel I came close to DNFing, boy am I glad I pushed through because the last quarter or so of Lightblade is phenomenal.
This was my first foray into progression fantasy and my first time reading a novel from an indie author via recommendations on Reddit and by booktubers, so I didn't really know what to expect going in other than the blurb. Lightblade goes in a completely different direction a few chapters in and it is kind of jarring and confusing, which is alleviated by the MC, Jyosh, feeling the exact same way. This sequence of events begins to unveil this absurdly creative and fantastical world which is easily the best part of this novel and the biggest draw to read the sequel when it releases. I have no idea how Akhtar formed all these ideas about the very nature of the world the characters inhabit, but as you learn more particularly towards the end, it is honestly mindblowing.
One of my biggest criticisms is that at times, without delving into spoilers, the characters and their interactions can feel a bit unnatural or absurd, which I initially believed was a result of unsatisfactory writing and nonsensical plot developments. I did not give Akhtar enough credit, it all makes sense by the end, trust me. This is a novel that I feel would be even better to read the second time around knowing all the twists and turns.
The other main criticism, and the one that almost caused me to DNF was the pacing. I'm not sure if this is a staple of the progression fantasy genre, but there are few times throughout Lightblade where there is a chapter or two dedicated to training, often during the middle of significant action/developments due to the nature of the dream stones, and the pace would slow dramatically. And the worst part is, Akhtar leaves the reader with a lot of questions and unresolved threads about the real world that I wanted to progress further towards answering with each chapter, but these dream training chapters, while obviously necessary, feel like a complete diversion in terms of flow. All I will say though is push through, but as the climax nears Akhtar allows everything to kick into full gear and that's where Lightblade truly shines.
I've seen the comparisons to Star Wars, The Matrix etc., but I feel like one comparison that hasn't been mentioned all that much is to Neon Genesis Evangelion. If you've seen it and already read Lightblade, you'll probably know what I'm talking about, but if you like NGE, particularly End of Evangelion, there's a good chance you'll like Lightblade.
Guess I'll have to check out Gunmetal Gods now until the sequel is released. Hopefully Akhtar smooths out the pacing for the followup, but at the very least Lightblade is a strong foundation that requires some faith and trust in the author throughout the first half that is then very highly rewarded with an incredible latter half.
For a novel I came close to DNFing, boy am I glad I pushed through because the last quarter or so of Lightblade is phenomenal.
This was my first foray into progression fantasy and my first time reading a novel from an indie author via recommendations on Reddit and by booktubers, so I didn't really know what to expect going in other than the blurb. Lightblade goes in a completely different direction a few chapters in and it is kind of jarring and confusing, which is alleviated by the MC, Jyosh, feeling the exact same way. This sequence of events begins to unveil this absurdly creative and fantastical world which is easily the best part of this novel and the biggest draw to read the sequel when it releases. I have no idea how Akhtar formed all these ideas about the very nature of the world the characters inhabit, but as you learn more particularly towards the end, it is honestly mindblowing.
One of my biggest criticisms is that at times, without delving into spoilers, the characters and their interactions can feel a bit unnatural or absurd, which I initially believed was a result of unsatisfactory writing and nonsensical plot developments. I did not give Akhtar enough credit, it all makes sense by the end, trust me. This is a novel that I feel would be even better to read the second time around knowing all the twists and turns.
The other main criticism, and the one that almost caused me to DNF was the pacing. I'm not sure if this is a staple of the progression fantasy genre, but there are few times throughout Lightblade where there is a chapter or two dedicated to training, often during the middle of significant action/developments due to the nature of the dream stones, and the pace would slow dramatically. And the worst part is, Akhtar leaves the reader with a lot of questions and unresolved threads about the real world that I wanted to progress further towards answering with each chapter, but these dream training chapters, while obviously necessary, feel like a complete diversion in terms of flow. All I will say though is push through, but as the climax nears Akhtar allows everything to kick into full gear and that's where Lightblade truly shines.
I've seen the comparisons to Star Wars, The Matrix etc., but I feel like one comparison that hasn't been mentioned all that much is to Neon Genesis Evangelion. If you've seen it and already read Lightblade, you'll probably know what I'm talking about, but if you like NGE, particularly End of Evangelion, there's a good chance you'll like Lightblade.
Guess I'll have to check out Gunmetal Gods now until the sequel is released. Hopefully Akhtar smooths out the pacing for the followup, but at the very least Lightblade is a strong foundation that requires some faith and trust in the author throughout the first half that is then very highly rewarded with an incredible latter half.