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Outcasts of Velrune
Maxwell dreamed of becoming a Protector like his father, and now, at the age of sixteen, they have invited him to their headquarters in the big city. To his surprise, his adventurous lacarnian friend, Evangeline, does not share his excitement at the news. With her being the only catgirl in their small, remote village, he is unaware of the division between the humans and the lacarnians. Leaving the village will challenge Max in ways he is not prepared for.
290 pages, Paperback
First published May 18, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 3, 2017
I admit, I fought with myself on giving this book either a 3 star or 4 star rating, and in the end I settled on 3 star. I'll explain below.
Crowe mentions that anime influenced his work, as well as role playing games, and it shows in the story he tells. Beyond his most anime-esk item (his cat girl protagonist), various anime tropes make their way into this novel, which I have to admit, he handled well. They are not glaring tropes, but rather are woven into the story itself and any fan of the genre will notice them.
The characters are also nicely done, each with their own distinct and believable personalities and motives which helps move the plot along and create tension in the narrative. Max and Eve's dynamic is a nice counterpoint to each other and was a joy to read. However, there isn't a whole lot of character growth throughout this novel, Max at the beginning (and Eve for that matter) being much the same that they are at the end. I couldn't help but feel that Max tended to take on a more passive role in the story, being moved by outside forces from one major event to another, only taking charge when it was something minor. Eve was far more of an active character, which was nice, but in the end it leaves Max feeling even weaker. Eve's characteristics made her a far more interesting character and Crowe does a fantastic job writing the Lacarnian characters in general.
The overarching plot of the novel was enjoyable and I really liked how Crowe pulled it all together. The locations he moved the characters through were beautiful and each one unique. Crowe really did some nice locations and they were one of the best things in this novel. I really enjoyed each new setting and the sheer grandeur he presented in them.
Possibly my biggest issue with the whole story beyond Max's lack of involvement in his own fate was the ending/climax to the story. Everything that came about felt too convenient, toeing the deus ex machina line a bit too closely. From the lightning fast travel to the ease of the restoration to the ease of taking down the big bad, everything was just too easy. I remember looking at the pages I had left and wondering how Crowe was going to do this climactic battle so quickly, and being disappointed with just how little effort it too. And then, after all is said and done, something appears that makes it even MORE too convenient. All in all, the ending could have been handled with more finesse and the sequels could have been set up with a little more of an engaging manner.
Still, in the end, I enjoyed this book. As I mentioned at the start of this review, it balances between a 3 and 4 star book for me. Unfortunately Max's passive nature and how conveniently the ending played out is what made me end up settling on 3 star. I do recommend this book to anyone looking for something anime-esk that isn't a light novel. (as a light novel, this is not, which is a good thing) Crowe is a good writer, and I look forward to seeing him expand on his world and characters!
Crowe mentions that anime influenced his work, as well as role playing games, and it shows in the story he tells. Beyond his most anime-esk item (his cat girl protagonist), various anime tropes make their way into this novel, which I have to admit, he handled well. They are not glaring tropes, but rather are woven into the story itself and any fan of the genre will notice them.
The characters are also nicely done, each with their own distinct and believable personalities and motives which helps move the plot along and create tension in the narrative. Max and Eve's dynamic is a nice counterpoint to each other and was a joy to read. However, there isn't a whole lot of character growth throughout this novel, Max at the beginning (and Eve for that matter) being much the same that they are at the end. I couldn't help but feel that Max tended to take on a more passive role in the story, being moved by outside forces from one major event to another, only taking charge when it was something minor. Eve was far more of an active character, which was nice, but in the end it leaves Max feeling even weaker. Eve's characteristics made her a far more interesting character and Crowe does a fantastic job writing the Lacarnian characters in general.
The overarching plot of the novel was enjoyable and I really liked how Crowe pulled it all together. The locations he moved the characters through were beautiful and each one unique. Crowe really did some nice locations and they were one of the best things in this novel. I really enjoyed each new setting and the sheer grandeur he presented in them.
Possibly my biggest issue with the whole story beyond Max's lack of involvement in his own fate was the ending/climax to the story. Everything that came about felt too convenient, toeing the deus ex machina line a bit too closely. From the lightning fast travel to the ease of the restoration to the ease of taking down the big bad, everything was just too easy. I remember looking at the pages I had left and wondering how Crowe was going to do this climactic battle so quickly, and being disappointed with just how little effort it too. And then, after all is said and done, something appears that makes it even MORE too convenient. All in all, the ending could have been handled with more finesse and the sequels could have been set up with a little more of an engaging manner.
Still, in the end, I enjoyed this book. As I mentioned at the start of this review, it balances between a 3 and 4 star book for me. Unfortunately Max's passive nature and how conveniently the ending played out is what made me end up settling on 3 star. I do recommend this book to anyone looking for something anime-esk that isn't a light novel. (as a light novel, this is not, which is a good thing) Crowe is a good writer, and I look forward to seeing him expand on his world and characters!
May 21, 2015
puuuurfect
man....when I first read this book....I was like....wow..it was amazing, would love to see a book 2. I would so rate this book a 10 if I could.
man....when I first read this book....I was like....wow..it was amazing, would love to see a book 2. I would so rate this book a 10 if I could.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews