Title: Rise of the Shattering Shield
- Ooh another story about a shield!
P1:
- Introduces the protagonist with enough detail; detail isn't overboard and doesn't have any major spoilers.
-- Story will likely introduce the protagonist with more detail in the first few chapters; though following the "isekai/other world/systems" trends, it may only last for one chapter.
- Mentions getting summoned "one day"
-- I get this strange feeling that this "one day" will also happen on the first chapter.
- Mentions being betrayed by the powerful and those he could trust... thoughts on this:
-- I know for a fact that there will be powerful beings.
-- What I don't know is if this sentence means that "those he could trust" also refer to the same "powerful" beings.
--- If so, then it's a major plot device that is being introduced in the synopsis.
-- Story centered on betrayal and overcoming it? Not a new idea, but it is refreshing since it's not mainstream either.
- Protagonist feels nothing but despair and rage.
-- I'm already starting to like this story without having read it.
-- Note to self: the definitions of despair and rage, just so I know the words are being used properly.
--- Despair, noun, "the complete loss or absence of hope." Thanks google
--- Rage, noun, "violent, uncontrollable anger." Thanks again google
-- Protagonist feels nothing but the complete loss of hope and violent, uncontrollable anger.
--- Sounds about right. Doesn't it?
--- Yikes! Violent and uncontrollable anger is pretty intense. Berserker much?
- "increasingly dark and cruel" turn of events.
-- I'll need the definitions of dark and cruel just to be sure.
--- Dark, adjective, "(of a period of time or situation) characterized by tragedy, unhappiness, or unpleasantness."
--- Cruel, adjective, "causing pain or suffering"
-- Turn of events that are increasingly tragic, unhappy, or unpleasant and cause increasing pain or suffering.
-- That sounds... rough.
- "save himself from his descent into madness"
-- Ugh, I need a refresher on what descent even means.
--- Descent, noun, "a moral, social, or psychological decline into a specified undesirable state."
-- So the protagonist has to save himself from a psychological decline.
-- One could say that the protagonist couldn't tolerate the feelings of complete loss of hope and violent, uncontrollable anger, and falls into madness.
--- This is going to be a tough ride. No hope, violent anger that can't be controlled, and madness? If the protagonist is already gone that far, he'll need some form of divine intervention to save him. I doubt he can save himself unless he had some form of innate potential to overcome it all.
-- Ironic as this may sound, "hopefully" he'll get help along the way even if he doesn't feel any hope at all. ;)
- "become the hero this new world needs him to be."
-- Might not need to have the word "new" there. It's been overused in too many "other world" novels. If a word is needed to describe the world, I'd recommend using words like, "unfamiliar," or "dark."
-- As I previously mentioned, it will be a tough and long journey for this protagonist to overcome all of that dark and negative emotion in order to become a hero.
-- I'm getting good vibes from this alone. I feel that the story may have a quick intro, and a very slow paced middle with a dramatic climax with a short and happy ending.
- Overall, I think the first paragraph threw a whole bunch at the readers without any subtlety.
P2:
- Dark indeed. It's going to be a long ride. I'm predicting 50 chapters alone for the dark struggle of the protagonist. But the number of chapters will depend on the average length of the chapter, so I could be underestimating myself.
- Considering the title, I hope it doesn't become an imitation of the Shield Hero.
Overall rating/review:
Parents Strongly Cautioned?
It may not even be needed. There have been many great novels for children with this sort of setting and theme before. Though by "children" I mean, young teenagers.
Well, let's move on to the first chapter, shall we?