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Attack on Titan: The Harsh Mistress of the City #1
Attack on Titan: The Harsh Mistress of the City, Part 1
An Attack on Titan side story in light-novel form—detailing in two volumes the fate of the Quinta District after Wall Maria is breached.
With Wall Maria breeched, communities within the Quinta district have been cut off from each other creating famine and chaos. A young field commander named Rita is tasked with a mission to reconnect transit across the massive district while putting her troops and residence right in the vanguard as Titans descend on her town.
With Wall Maria breeched, communities within the Quinta district have been cut off from each other creating famine and chaos. A young field commander named Rita is tasked with a mission to reconnect transit across the massive district while putting her troops and residence right in the vanguard as Titans descend on her town.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2014
30 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
Hajime Isayama
701 books4,705 followersJapanese name: 諫山創
Hajime Isayama (諫山 創 Isayama Hajime, born 1986) is a Japanese manga artist from Ōyama, Ōita. His first and currently ongoing serial, Attack on Titan, has sold over 22 million copies as of July 2013. He has mentioned Tsutomu Nihei, Ryōji Minagawa, Kentaro Miura, Hideki Arai and Tōru Mitsumine as artists he respects, but stated that the manga that had the biggest influence on him was ARMS.
Hajime Isayama (諫山 創 Isayama Hajime, born 1986) is a Japanese manga artist from Ōyama, Ōita. His first and currently ongoing serial, Attack on Titan, has sold over 22 million copies as of July 2013. He has mentioned Tsutomu Nihei, Ryōji Minagawa, Kentaro Miura, Hideki Arai and Tōru Mitsumine as artists he respects, but stated that the manga that had the biggest influence on him was ARMS.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 1, 2025
Was this a real isayama?? It could be good…
December 5, 2015
Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City is the latest light novel in the AoT franchise. It takes place during the moments of the first few chapters/episodes of the manga/anime. It concerns two main characters and those they interact with.
These are Rita, a squad leader who finds herself the highest official left over in a town cut off from the interior due to the attacks by the Titans, and Mathias, the son of a wealthy merchant. Rita and Mathias have been lifelong friends and so he goes in search of Rita, to rescue her. Of course, even though he realizes it can lead nowhere, Mathias admits to himself that it is not friendship. He is in love with Rita. Unfortunately, things go badly, and thus the set-up for book two happens.
This light novel had a very simple, straightforward feel. It seemed almost to be more middle-grade or young adult than regular LN's. The characters and plots were well-done though. I only say seems to be younger readers due to said straight-forwardness and the size of the font, number of pages, so on.
I loved this first installment and look forward to reading the second book soon.
These are Rita, a squad leader who finds herself the highest official left over in a town cut off from the interior due to the attacks by the Titans, and Mathias, the son of a wealthy merchant. Rita and Mathias have been lifelong friends and so he goes in search of Rita, to rescue her. Of course, even though he realizes it can lead nowhere, Mathias admits to himself that it is not friendship. He is in love with Rita. Unfortunately, things go badly, and thus the set-up for book two happens.
This light novel had a very simple, straightforward feel. It seemed almost to be more middle-grade or young adult than regular LN's. The characters and plots were well-done though. I only say seems to be younger readers due to said straight-forwardness and the size of the font, number of pages, so on.
I loved this first installment and look forward to reading the second book soon.
November 13, 2020
Unfortunately better than its thereafter instalment, this stoppable tie-in to the AOT Mythology doesn't cover much unexplored territory and instead relies on the same crooked soldiers, jerk civilians, and not that many scenes with titans. This novel bothered me because of how much potential a story about this world could get into. But alas, we follow just...just crap characters. It does hold up its own for the most part, but never goes any deeper into its world except for what we only had seen in the past anime and manga. Even more depressing is the other AOT spin offs, which some, like Before the Fall, or Kuklo Unbound, have actually scratched the surface and presented something different to the audience. The ending is the worst, as it goes on to promise great a fight scene but cuts it off short. Like letting a baby have one lick of candy before feeding it to the dog.
This light novel feels nothing much more than a decently written, yet tale-inept fan fiction.
This light novel feels nothing much more than a decently written, yet tale-inept fan fiction.
April 23, 2022
Attack On Titan: The Harsh Mistress Of The City: Part 1, By Ryo Kawakami is media tie-in novel based on the anime TV series and manga comics “Attack On Titan.”
The story of The Harsh Mistress of the City, is based around two childhood friends known as Rita Iglehaut and Mathias Kramer. Our two characters are from vastly different upbringings, with Rita being the daughter of an apothecary and Mathias Kramer being the heir to a merchant association. The two form a strong bond as they learn from how the other lives their life, with Mathias coming to realise that perhaps the lower classes aren’t quite as bad as he originally assumed and Rita realising that there are things she truly wants to protect in life because of Mathias. Our story takes place in a town known as Quinta, just after the beginning of the main Attack on Titan tale with the breaking of Wall Maria. Mathias has been safely evacuated behind an inner wall, while Rita, now a trusty part of the Garrison regiment, is facing off against the Titans as the rest of the town attempts to escape.
Unfortunately, with the Titans closing in, evacuating doesn’t work and as a result the town of Quinta is closed off until some of the pesky Titans outside the towns walls are dealt with so that the people can get out safely. With all but the most rookie of the Garrison soldiers killed off while protecting the fleeing townsfolk from the Titans, Rita is left to keep the peace in Quinta as commanding officer - a task which quickly proves quite difficult when your not someone cut out for the role. Meanwhile, Mathias worries for Ritas safety and devises a way to get back into Quinta.
The thing that shines through most with The Harsh Mistress of the City, Part 1 is that both Rita and Mathias are really strong and likeable characters and react how you realistically imagine people would when put into this kind of situation. Neither wants to be the big hero who saves the day and kills all the Titans, like Eren for example. When push comes to shove all they want to do is do their best for the people. Mathias doesn’t feel he’s suited for taking over the merchant association he’s destined to inherit but as the story progresses, and we see how he reacts to the people around him, it becomes clear that, yes, this is the right fit for Mathias. Likewise, Rita doesn’t feel like she’s s the right person to be commanding the Garrison soldiers, even if only temporarily, but again it’s made clear that ultimately this is the job for her.
Despite being somewhat simple in nature, the story presented in The Harsh Mistress of the City is a compelling one. By the end of Part 1. I was left feeling excited for Part 2 and wanting to see how everything wraps up. This story is perhaps also the most accessible to newcomers of Attack on Titan franchise as you really only need a basic grasp of the original story to be able to understand everything that is happening. I couldn’t recommend it to people who have never read or watched Attack on Titan before, but provided you’ve read the first volume of the manga or watched the first couple of episodes of the anime show you’d be safe to give this novel a shot.
Overall, I think The Harsh Mistress of the City has left off in a good place. Things have started to get tough for our characters and although I have a good idea of where the story is going to go next, I’m invested enough that being able to predict the twists doesn’t put me off wanting to read more. The novel has ended up making me care for Attack on Titan a lot more than I previously did, which is certainly a welcome result. Existing fans and newcomers to the series will both find something to enjoy here and thus I’d happily recommend that everyone give it a shot.
The story of The Harsh Mistress of the City, is based around two childhood friends known as Rita Iglehaut and Mathias Kramer. Our two characters are from vastly different upbringings, with Rita being the daughter of an apothecary and Mathias Kramer being the heir to a merchant association. The two form a strong bond as they learn from how the other lives their life, with Mathias coming to realise that perhaps the lower classes aren’t quite as bad as he originally assumed and Rita realising that there are things she truly wants to protect in life because of Mathias. Our story takes place in a town known as Quinta, just after the beginning of the main Attack on Titan tale with the breaking of Wall Maria. Mathias has been safely evacuated behind an inner wall, while Rita, now a trusty part of the Garrison regiment, is facing off against the Titans as the rest of the town attempts to escape.
Unfortunately, with the Titans closing in, evacuating doesn’t work and as a result the town of Quinta is closed off until some of the pesky Titans outside the towns walls are dealt with so that the people can get out safely. With all but the most rookie of the Garrison soldiers killed off while protecting the fleeing townsfolk from the Titans, Rita is left to keep the peace in Quinta as commanding officer - a task which quickly proves quite difficult when your not someone cut out for the role. Meanwhile, Mathias worries for Ritas safety and devises a way to get back into Quinta.
The thing that shines through most with The Harsh Mistress of the City, Part 1 is that both Rita and Mathias are really strong and likeable characters and react how you realistically imagine people would when put into this kind of situation. Neither wants to be the big hero who saves the day and kills all the Titans, like Eren for example. When push comes to shove all they want to do is do their best for the people. Mathias doesn’t feel he’s suited for taking over the merchant association he’s destined to inherit but as the story progresses, and we see how he reacts to the people around him, it becomes clear that, yes, this is the right fit for Mathias. Likewise, Rita doesn’t feel like she’s s the right person to be commanding the Garrison soldiers, even if only temporarily, but again it’s made clear that ultimately this is the job for her.
Despite being somewhat simple in nature, the story presented in The Harsh Mistress of the City is a compelling one. By the end of Part 1. I was left feeling excited for Part 2 and wanting to see how everything wraps up. This story is perhaps also the most accessible to newcomers of Attack on Titan franchise as you really only need a basic grasp of the original story to be able to understand everything that is happening. I couldn’t recommend it to people who have never read or watched Attack on Titan before, but provided you’ve read the first volume of the manga or watched the first couple of episodes of the anime show you’d be safe to give this novel a shot.
Overall, I think The Harsh Mistress of the City has left off in a good place. Things have started to get tough for our characters and although I have a good idea of where the story is going to go next, I’m invested enough that being able to predict the twists doesn’t put me off wanting to read more. The novel has ended up making me care for Attack on Titan a lot more than I previously did, which is certainly a welcome result. Existing fans and newcomers to the series will both find something to enjoy here and thus I’d happily recommend that everyone give it a shot.
December 19, 2016
Not great but not bad. Definitely want to read the second part.
March 7, 2021
Some short thoughts:
- I like to be able to read about SnK and its worlds. Nothing against manga or anime-adaption, but you don't get the level of inner workings that easily in a visual media.
- I seem to read books and mangas with more than one perspective lately, and it's mostly for the better. Here, too. Rita as a dutiful soldier suddenly thrust into a whole new position and experience. Matthias, the merchant kid throwing his cushy life away to unite with his love. Two new and unique perspectives on SnK's world. Great!
- The pacing is quite fast, moving steadily ahead, focusing on relevant developments. So practically every scene has a role in the wider story.
- I like to be able to read about SnK and its worlds. Nothing against manga or anime-adaption, but you don't get the level of inner workings that easily in a visual media.
- I seem to read books and mangas with more than one perspective lately, and it's mostly for the better. Here, too. Rita as a dutiful soldier suddenly thrust into a whole new position and experience. Matthias, the merchant kid throwing his cushy life away to unite with his love. Two new and unique perspectives on SnK's world. Great!
- The pacing is quite fast, moving steadily ahead, focusing on relevant developments. So practically every scene has a role in the wider story.
September 13, 2019
Libro stupendo, consigliato ovviamente ai lettori del manga originale.
In breve: ci sono due amici, una ragazza arruolata nel corpo di guarnigione e un ragazzo figlio di un ricco mercante.
Con la caduta del distretto di Shiganshina il distretto di Quinta viene isolato e deve riuscire a sopravvivere con le poche risorse rimanenti. Al comando ci sarà la ragazza.
Dall' altro lato il ragazzo, che dovrà fare squadra con dei banditi per raggiungere la ragazza.
Sicuramente il secondo è più bello e profondo del primo. Ciò non significa che questo sia brutto,anzi.
Voto(del volume): 8
In breve: ci sono due amici, una ragazza arruolata nel corpo di guarnigione e un ragazzo figlio di un ricco mercante.
Con la caduta del distretto di Shiganshina il distretto di Quinta viene isolato e deve riuscire a sopravvivere con le poche risorse rimanenti. Al comando ci sarà la ragazza.
Dall' altro lato il ragazzo, che dovrà fare squadra con dei banditi per raggiungere la ragazza.
Sicuramente il secondo è più bello e profondo del primo. Ciò non significa che questo sia brutto,anzi.
Voto(del volume): 8
July 2, 2021
It might be the translation, but at some points, I had a hard time following what was going on. I think an action-ladden series like AoT really lends itself better to visual media!
I still like the characters and the insights this gave me on the early times after the fall, so I'll try to check out part too soon!
I still like the characters and the insights this gave me on the early times after the fall, so I'll try to check out part too soon!
July 3, 2025
This YA fiction is set in the Attack on Titan world, during the attack on Wall Maria at the very beginning of the story. It follows 2 characters that are not from the original series, and gives a peak into how the attacks affected the towns and citizens. It was really interesting reading the descriptions of how the ODM gear works! You see it in the anime, but this breaks down the technical process. Looking forward to the conclusion in Part 2.
May 5, 2017
Really enjoyable read, with action that sucked me in. I've always liked the female characters in Attack On Titan, and even in the hands of another writer Rita is no exception. I'm excited to see what happens next!
January 12, 2025
A bit hard to follow but as a huge AOT fan it was fun to read about other characters and learn more about the world and the situation that was happening outside of the anime at the time of the first few episodes
July 8, 2018
Ich kenne schon die Animeserie zu Attack on Titan & liebe sie.
Diese Novel ist mit anderen (unbekannten) Charakteren, aber absolut fesselnd.
Kann sie nur jeden Fan der Serie ans Herz legen.
Diese Novel ist mit anderen (unbekannten) Charakteren, aber absolut fesselnd.
Kann sie nur jeden Fan der Serie ans Herz legen.
Read
March 1, 2020DNF @ 52% Just didn't connect with the story or characters.
June 24, 2022
I really, really wanted to like this but I think there were some translation issues so yeah that knocked two stars off this one.
April 2, 2023
Highly recommend the audio book
December 10, 2023
So bad that reviewing it would be too kind.
April 6, 2025
3.5 rounded down
February 16, 2018
Rückentext:
"The Harsh Mistress Of The City" ist ein weiterer Spin-Off der Bestseller-Serie, der exklusiv in zwei Novels erzählt wird. Die Illustrationen stammen von Range Murata, der sich als Character Designer für Videospiele und Anime ("Last Exile", "Blue Submarine No. 6") großer Beliebtheit erfreut; u.a. sind verschiedene Artbooks mit seinen Werken erschienen. Der Angriff der Titanen hat alle Zukunftspläne der Stadtbewohner über den Haufen geworfen. Die Mauer „Maria“ wurde durchbrochen, und sogar im Bezirk Quinta, in dem Matthias und seine Alliierten leben, tauchen Titanen auf. Die Nachschubwege zum Land sind unterbrochen, und bei den Bürgern bricht Panik aus. Die Soldatin Rita versucht die Stadt zu schützen, aber die brutalen Methoden der Brigade versetzen die ganze Stadt in Angst. Um Rita zu treffen, verbündet sich Matthias mit einer Bande von Dieben…
Meine Meinung:
Das Buch ist für Leser die bereits Attack on Titan kennen. Die Titanen werden im Band nicht beschrieben und die Gegend wird genauso wenig beschrieben. Die Vorstellung wie die Stadt oder die Titanen aussehen, bleibt dem Leser überlassen. Die beiden Charaktere Rita und Matthias sind sehr unterschiedlich. Rita arbeitet auf der Mauer und Matthias ist ein Sohn eines Kaufmannes. Beide sind Kindheitsfreunde und im Laufe der Geschichte macht sich Matthias auf die Suche nach Rita.
Es ist interessant zu erfahren, was in den Bezirken nach dem Durchbruch von der Mauer Maria passiert.
Rita wird zu einen der Oberen Befehlshaber, auch wenn sie es nicht möchte. Sie arbeitet zwar auf der Mauer, aber Leichen und Blut kann sie nicht sehen. Trotz ihrer misslichen Lage, versucht sie ihre Aufgaben zu meistern und die Probleme so gering wie möglich zu halten. Während Rita anfängt im Bezirk Ordnung reinzubekommen, macht sich Matthias auf die Suche nach ihr. Es wird deutlich, wie viel Rita für ihn bedeutet. Andersherum erfahren wir wenig, wie wichtig Matthias für Rita ist.
Die Geschichte wird aus Sicht von Matthias und Rita geschrieben. Das Buch hat eine interessante Grundidee, dennoch war es müßig das Buch zu lesen. Ich fand nie einen richtigen Lesefluss und wirkliche Spannung fehlte. Einige Handlungsstränge konnte ich nicht nachvollziehen und kahle Beschreibung fand ich zu triste. Ich kenne zwar den Anime und die Manga, aber alles möchte ich mir dann doch nicht selber Vorstellen. Ein paar Kleinigkeiten zu beschreiben wäre wohl nicht zu viel gewesen.
Fazit:
Das Buch kann ich begeisterten Attack on Titan Fans empfehlen, die mehr erfahren möchten. Für jeden anderen, ist das Buch eher langweilig und zum Lesen nicht zu empfehlen. Ob ich mir das zweite Band besorge, ist eher unwahrscheinlich.
"The Harsh Mistress Of The City" ist ein weiterer Spin-Off der Bestseller-Serie, der exklusiv in zwei Novels erzählt wird. Die Illustrationen stammen von Range Murata, der sich als Character Designer für Videospiele und Anime ("Last Exile", "Blue Submarine No. 6") großer Beliebtheit erfreut; u.a. sind verschiedene Artbooks mit seinen Werken erschienen. Der Angriff der Titanen hat alle Zukunftspläne der Stadtbewohner über den Haufen geworfen. Die Mauer „Maria“ wurde durchbrochen, und sogar im Bezirk Quinta, in dem Matthias und seine Alliierten leben, tauchen Titanen auf. Die Nachschubwege zum Land sind unterbrochen, und bei den Bürgern bricht Panik aus. Die Soldatin Rita versucht die Stadt zu schützen, aber die brutalen Methoden der Brigade versetzen die ganze Stadt in Angst. Um Rita zu treffen, verbündet sich Matthias mit einer Bande von Dieben…
Meine Meinung:
Das Buch ist für Leser die bereits Attack on Titan kennen. Die Titanen werden im Band nicht beschrieben und die Gegend wird genauso wenig beschrieben. Die Vorstellung wie die Stadt oder die Titanen aussehen, bleibt dem Leser überlassen. Die beiden Charaktere Rita und Matthias sind sehr unterschiedlich. Rita arbeitet auf der Mauer und Matthias ist ein Sohn eines Kaufmannes. Beide sind Kindheitsfreunde und im Laufe der Geschichte macht sich Matthias auf die Suche nach Rita.
Es ist interessant zu erfahren, was in den Bezirken nach dem Durchbruch von der Mauer Maria passiert.
Rita wird zu einen der Oberen Befehlshaber, auch wenn sie es nicht möchte. Sie arbeitet zwar auf der Mauer, aber Leichen und Blut kann sie nicht sehen. Trotz ihrer misslichen Lage, versucht sie ihre Aufgaben zu meistern und die Probleme so gering wie möglich zu halten. Während Rita anfängt im Bezirk Ordnung reinzubekommen, macht sich Matthias auf die Suche nach ihr. Es wird deutlich, wie viel Rita für ihn bedeutet. Andersherum erfahren wir wenig, wie wichtig Matthias für Rita ist.
Die Geschichte wird aus Sicht von Matthias und Rita geschrieben. Das Buch hat eine interessante Grundidee, dennoch war es müßig das Buch zu lesen. Ich fand nie einen richtigen Lesefluss und wirkliche Spannung fehlte. Einige Handlungsstränge konnte ich nicht nachvollziehen und kahle Beschreibung fand ich zu triste. Ich kenne zwar den Anime und die Manga, aber alles möchte ich mir dann doch nicht selber Vorstellen. Ein paar Kleinigkeiten zu beschreiben wäre wohl nicht zu viel gewesen.
Fazit:
Das Buch kann ich begeisterten Attack on Titan Fans empfehlen, die mehr erfahren möchten. Für jeden anderen, ist das Buch eher langweilig und zum Lesen nicht zu empfehlen. Ob ich mir das zweite Band besorge, ist eher unwahrscheinlich.
September 8, 2015
Not gonna lie, have been gettin a bit burnt out on the Shingeki hype & ridiculous amount of spin-offs ... but Range Murata illustration credits just couldn't be ignored. It's a bit weird to see him not drown everything in fantastic Art Deco furnishings, and he doesn't draw any of the uniform patches? (maybe the specific regiments weren't cemented in when he was working, who knows)
Anyway, the story is perfectly serviceable so far: a hella sheltered rich kid hooks up with some very shady people (former Military "unicorns" no less) to brave the newly Titan-roamspace of busted Wall Maria to return home to "save" his childhood friend. Who just happens to be a very cute girl AND has much higher chances of survival seeing how she is a Garrison soldier
Anyway, the story is perfectly serviceable so far: a hella sheltered rich kid hooks up with some very shady people (former Military "unicorns" no less) to brave the newly Titan-roamspace of busted Wall Maria to return home to "save" his childhood friend. Who just happens to be a very cute girl AND has much higher chances of survival seeing how she is a Garrison soldier
October 2, 2016
Adoro le light novel, e quelle di L'attacco dei giganti sono bellissime! Questa poi si collega solo in minima parte alla serie originale e parte dalla caduta di Shingashina e segue le disavventure di Rita e Matthias, due ragazzi innamorati (ma non lo sanno :3 ) che per colpa dei giganti sono divisi: Matthias ricco figlio di mercante è al riparo oltre le mura, mentre Rita facente parte del Corpo di Guarnigione è in prima linea nel combattere i giganti e a guidare i suoi compagni. Una storia intrigante e che finisce sul più bello. La narrazione non è troppo lenta ma giusta e tutta la vicenda è interessante per chi ama il mondo creato da ed è consigliato a tutti i fan della serie.
August 21, 2016
I loved this book so much. It shows a whole new perspective of attack on titan. This shows how much the main anatongists of the story has affected the society as a whole. This is so good, I highly recommend it, if you wanna learn more about attack on titan! Rita is realistic. But beware this is Attack on titan and death happens. The deaths are written pretty vividly...But Please read it! its really good! By the way, this is one of the reasons why I don't like Zeke that much, if he (techially Reiner, Bertolt and Annie) hadn't breached Wall Maria none of this stuff would have happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2016
I love Attack on Titan, and this novelization had such rave reviews that I had to check it out. Perhaps it was the translation, but I found the writing to be incredibly dull and a pain to get through. I won't be reading part 2, even though the last two pages gave a dramatic cliffhanger that would NORMALLY draw me in if the book wasn't so taxing. I'll stick to the manga written by the author himself.
September 22, 2015
This was and will definitely be an awesome spin-off but I can't say it's going anything like I thought it would... I was kind of hoping Rita would be more of a badass honestly :P
Read
September 10, 2015Not bad...
October 19, 2015
the plot was a little too predictable for me
November 24, 2016
Une histoire inédite sympathique à découvrir car elle nous permet d'étendre son appréhension de l'univers de "L'attaque des Titans". Je lirai la suite !
December 20, 2016
Chapters were too long and were split really oddly. The book missed the hole point of attack on Titan and centred on two boring 2D people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 18, 2017I want red this book but I don't know
January 11, 2018
I enjoyed this light novel and it was exactly that, read it very easily and quickly even by my own standards.
It was a well written story giving us an insight into the wider crisis after the fall of wall Maria, and for me that was cool to read as I found myself wondering what was happening in the other towns and districts of wall Maria.
The main storyline is great but this was a nice diversion away from the set characters and situation in that storyline.
All in all it is a solid read being a part one, the action and characters are pretty simple as is the plot but I enjoyed it, especially the view from Rita as she gains control of the situation tho troubled by her own personal crisis. The band of rogues hired by Matthias I found entertaining, tho not very original, but enjoyable addition none the less.
All in all approach this book as a new fan of this series and you will I think enjoy it on its own merit, it's not a classic and I do admit that it probably is better in manga format as opposed to novel, with that said I ploughed thru it quite quickly (day and a half) so I am not sorry I invested time in it. It does broaden the world of walled civilisation and takes us on a personal journey of our protagonists trying to get back to each other and return to normal which we all know is not really going to happen any time soon.
I would like to give a mention to the author, once again weaving great action sequences and giving us detailed looks at the use of the Vertical Manoeuvring Gear, if for nothing else, it is worth reading just for this alone.
It was a well written story giving us an insight into the wider crisis after the fall of wall Maria, and for me that was cool to read as I found myself wondering what was happening in the other towns and districts of wall Maria.
The main storyline is great but this was a nice diversion away from the set characters and situation in that storyline.
All in all it is a solid read being a part one, the action and characters are pretty simple as is the plot but I enjoyed it, especially the view from Rita as she gains control of the situation tho troubled by her own personal crisis. The band of rogues hired by Matthias I found entertaining, tho not very original, but enjoyable addition none the less.
All in all approach this book as a new fan of this series and you will I think enjoy it on its own merit, it's not a classic and I do admit that it probably is better in manga format as opposed to novel, with that said I ploughed thru it quite quickly (day and a half) so I am not sorry I invested time in it. It does broaden the world of walled civilisation and takes us on a personal journey of our protagonists trying to get back to each other and return to normal which we all know is not really going to happen any time soon.
I would like to give a mention to the author, once again weaving great action sequences and giving us detailed looks at the use of the Vertical Manoeuvring Gear, if for nothing else, it is worth reading just for this alone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews