Don't let nothing keep you from having that smashing figure you always dreamed of! With the quarantine slowly lifting, you still gotta work at it to stay smashing!
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Today on the firing range is Red Horizon by HopesPen
TLDR; A romance drama brewing on war staged in some place where Space Hogwarts meets Space Arabia! With Steampunk. It sounds weird but it works. Think a less insane/cartoony Borderlands.
Main Characters: Smashing! - The MCs are just beautifully done and set the stage for everything. Right from the word go you know everything you need to know. Their background, their personalities, their dreams, their flaws, their truths, their lies, their connection to each other, people around them, and the world at whole and have a sense of where they are going. All in a comfortable mix of showing and telling with scenes that feel natural and smooth towards setting the stage and the world at large. It really does feel like the MCs are puzzle pieces that smoothly fall into place in a larger narrative. Nothing feels forced with them. There is a bit of time jumping, which was very confusing and unnatural as the way its expressed requires the readers being pulled out of the story, but this is a minor thing at best as the overall idea was that you see the crucial points in their lives from youth to young-adult and it doesnt waste time with unimportant scenes. Nothing is wasted in terms of character dynamic and it all has purpose and meaning that fit smoothly and naturally into their own characterization and motives as well as the characterization and motives of others. The way the MCs are expressed from their own POV is engaging, dramatic, proactive, and shows clearly that they will make their stamp on the larger world and each other. The dialogue can be a bit cheesy, but it comes across as cute.
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Side Characters: Smashing! - The SCs do their job to a 'T'. There aren't too many SCs and they each have very clear relationships, dynamics, personalities, goals, and roles to play in the story AND in the lives of the MCs seperately. The cast grows with the story at a balanced pace as the world grows and the MCs grow as well. They are easy to keep track of and seperate mentally. I don't recall having a time where I confused anyone.
Grammar and Word Usage: Above average - I didn't see many grammar issues, and any issues I sensed is so small I question if it was really a grammar or word usage or sentence structure issue. Some paragraphs combine seperate topics, but the important information is always clear and seperate. The issues never detracted from the story, pacing, or engagement.
World Building: Dynamically Smashing! - The world is given bit by bit over the course of the story at the same pace as the plot and growth of the characters. You aren't given information dumps, nor is there ever a time I found myself thinking there was information missing. There are small details missing to help with the sense of scope, like how big is this nation? Is it one among several or does it cover the entire world? Is the world densely populated with hundreds or thousands of cities or are we talking only ten? How powerful is this Conclave and how powerful is Space Hogwarts? Is this world alone in space or part of a larger empire it engages with as a mining world? On one hand this information is missing as I am unsure as to the sense of scope or scale information, such a growing rebellion, compares to. Is the rebellion of a few men capable of toppling a nation of fifty people or is it like kicking an iron wall of a million-world galactic Imperium of Man? But at the same time it is information you never need as the world grows smoothly in scale with the characters, as well as the emphasis on the impact it has on them on a personal evel, and so is not missed. I'm sure what more information we need to know to understand the gravity of the situation, we will learn.
Furthermore, the information provided never conflicts, but works ontop each other to give a sense, without telling, of what kind of world they live in.
Plot: Fast paced Smashing! - Nothing is wasted. Everything has purpose. From the information of the world, to the character details, to the interactions between characters. Crucial information is clearly provided. The plot engages with the characters on an emotional level and on the solid world building smoothly. There is clear structure towards an escalating, dramatic plot instead of just random events. Like moves done on a chess board, everything moves, everything is easy to track, and everything has ripples. there is mystery, and actions taken ten chapters back has reprocussions later you don't see coming, but are also clear in hindsight. It is paced extremely well, but without lacking important information to leave you lost in the ever escalating speed as it spirals, rises, and descends. I was on the edge of my seat and don't recall ever getting off the rollercoaster.
Overall I would rate this 4 smashing out of 5! The action is fluid and heart-pumping. The romance feels natural, not overly sappy but real, and at once both sweet and painfully tense, as you know things the characters haven't realized or come to terms with yet. The world is dynamic and growing to depths you cant see the end of. The drama doesn't come out of left field, ever, but still catches you by surprise and is compounded by how good the characters are, as well as their personal investment into it. The story from beginning to end feels like puzzle pieces falling smoothly into place. The story is far from complete and has potential to reach 5/5 if it keeps up this quality.
I'm out with a smashing!
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If you are interested in learning to write, mastering the craft, want some really good reads, or just to chat and hang out with a mature group of adults, feel free to hit me up for a smashing discord book club that has lasted years.
