So I'm a Spider, So What? volume 6 (read for fun)

This volume marks a change from previous volumes. It shows in the character focus, the selection of chapters and the overall arc of the story. It is fun. It is interesting. It is a change of pace. 

For character focus, Komoko is not front and center. This is actually a breather volume for her. She spends it traveling with Ariel, Sophia and Merazophis and the puppet spiders, and she passes time by experimenting with Divine Thread cloth weaving. It is basically a road trip with her grandmother while she plays with her cousins. That is heartwarming. It is nice to see her not have to fight for her life every minute for once. That is not to say she DOESN'T have a terrible challenge to face before the end. 

For the selection of chapters, this is the first volume that doesn't switch between time periods. Yeah, prior volumes would switch between Spider chapters, focusing on Komoko, and Shun chapters that take place about 20 or so years later. All this volume's chapters take place in the "Spider" time period, which is not to say that there is no differing of viewpoints. Indeed, this volume has several viewpoints, all developing several characters. In fact, all of Komoko's party members get viewpoint chapters, as well as Rondandt. All of them have their own character arcs. It really is impressive how the author manages to develop and bring to completion so many character arcs without bloating or dragging the narrative. 

For the overall arc of the story, more of the myth arc is revealed. Remember some volumes ago when Komoko maxed out Taboo and learned the truth of the world? Yeah, it was an Unreveal at the time, and now we get to learn more of what is going on behind the scenes. Beyond the human-demon war of the Shun chapters, we see more of what is truly happening during "the present". Not everything is revealed, because the discussion takes place from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't have the frame of reference for it, but the reader can piece it together. 

This ties into the terrible challenge which Komoko must confront. 

It is a nice change of pace and another homerun for the author. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives "So I'm a Spider, So What? volume 6" an A+

Click here for my previous book review:  "Valkyrie" by Katie O'Hearn (read for fun)

Click here for my previous book review:  BOFURI : I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense volume 3 (read for fun)

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Surprising Readers is Easy but Not Always Wise

"I saw that coming. That story is so predictable". 

This is often a derogatory statement. I read reviews for books, movies, tv shows etc. and I rarely fail to find complaints of this nature (typically in speculative fiction, but that is another topic). Whatever medium it was in, the perceived flaw is lack of originality. The story's theme was tired, the plot elements over-used, seen it before a million times, etc. Rarely do I find complaints that the plot was non-sensical.

In this way, a surprising twist or a shock to readers is seen as originality. The failure to do this is lacking originality, tantamount to regurgitating a previous story. If there is nothing new, nothing fresh, nothing unexpected, then there is supposedly nothing worth seeing. It is seen as a critical flaw. If only the writer(s) did something surprising...

I understand this sentiment. If one experiences enough stories, then one starts to see patterns. One spots common elements. These are properly called "Tropes". Learning enough tropes enables one to make predictions, and thus feel as though they have already experienced the story. This can lead to disappointment. On Tvtropes, this feeling is called "Tvtrope Will Ruin Your Life", because it diminishes the pleasure of the story. 

Certainly, surprise is part of a story's appeal, but it is a narrow slice of it. What these criticisms miss is that surprising a reader is actually an easy thing to do. It is just not always a wise thing to do. 

All a writer has to do to surprise a reader is do something unexpected. That is, to do something that goes against a reader's expectations. Now, all readers are different because they have different experiences, so all readers do not have the same expectations. However, their expectations of a particular genre are likely to be the same.

Some examples -  (These have most likely happened in one story of another -  Zeroth Law of Trope Examples)

If you have a Medieval Fantasy setting with a Quest narrative, then readers expect lots of traveling and monster fighting. Perhaps a dungeon dive or two. Something unexpected would be to have the climatic shown down with the Evil Overlord take place as a literal cooking duel. 

If you have a realistic fiction murder mystery taking place in modern day, then readers expect a list of clues, presentation of multiple suspects, and then a summation at the end, where the culprit is revealed. Something unexpected would be for the culprit to be fingered mid-way through, and the rest of the story to be a long discussion about the appeal of woolen undergarments. 

If you have a romantic comedy that takes place in an outer space/futuristic setting, then readers expect romantic moments between the two leads, silly hi-jinks about their courtship, a Third Act Break-Up and then a happy wedding at the end. Something unexpected would be a talking octopus appearing out of nowhere and telling the leads that they are the reincarnations of gods who are needed to fight evil in another world; no wedding, no comedy, just a bunch of high action monster-slaying that is not resolved at the end. 

No reader would expect that. It would definitely surprise them. This is because it goes against their expectation of the genre.

This is because all entries in a genre are likely to be the same. That is what makes them a genre. Tvtropes even has a page called "From Clones to Genre", which documents the birth of genres, because if you get enough similar works together then you get a genre. There is a self-aware teen slasher' subgenre, seriously, there is. 

No one can say that those three examples are NOT original.  I had to wrack my brain to find something that I hadn't seen before. I haven't seen everything, and the Zeroth Law of Trope Examples is a thing, but I'm pretty sure those examples are not common. 

But are they any good? Maybe, probably not, but maybe. It would take a masterclass of storytelling to pull that off.  A lot of foreshadowing would be necessary to make sense of such a story.  If a new element or story direction comes out of nowhere, then the reader would call foul, right? The story wouldn't make any sense if its tone/genre/etc. changed without any warning. That is something TvTropes calls Shocking Swerve. So, the writer needs to add plenty of build-up and foreshadowing so the surprising and original development makes sense. 

Yet any foreshadowing would tip the reader off, and therefore it would not be surprising.  Therefore, not original, right?

No, it would be original. Maybe. Zeroth Law of Trope Example. Someone has probably done that before, at some point, somewhere. But it would totally be original to a large group of people. But again, would it be any good? 

If someone sits down to read a Medieval Fantasy setting with a Quest narrative, then do they want to see the hero and villain settle things by preparing meals in a kitchen?

If someone sits down to read a realistic fiction murder mystery taking place in modern day, then do they want an Author Tract about the appeal of woolen undergarments?

If someone sits down to read a romantic comedy that takes place in an outer space/futuristic setting, then do they want a mid-story twist into a fantasy isekai? 

Again, maybe. Some people like being surprised. I imagine this includes the reviewers that I mentioned at the start of this post. If someone reviews stories professionally, then they probably see so many stories so often that Tvtropes Will Ruin Your Life kicks in for them and so they seek novelty. But not everyone seeks novelty. Even those seeking novelty would likely prefer a story that makes sense, even if it is not as "original" as they would like. 

If you surprise readers with originality so much that you confuse them, then what have you gained? An upset reader. That is the worst outcome. An upset reader is likely to stop reading and then mock you on social media. Originality is not originality if it causes confusion. It's just a mess. Even if it isn't a mess, does that make it any good? 

Again, maybe. I've said that a lot in this post, because it is an opinion, and opinions vary. Your Mileage May Vary, as we say on Tvtropes. I'm sure there is a group that puts a premium on "originality", even if the resulting story doesn't make as much sense as a more conventional story. Nonsense Poetry is also a genre. Unless you're writing that genre, it would be better to avoid confusing readers. 

That means foreshadowing. It means uses tropes. It means forming a path that your reader might be able to guess. It means crafting a story that your reader will enjoy even if they ARE able to guess. Because you create anticipation, wetting the reader's appetite, and deliver a satisfying fulfillment of that anticipation. 

In my experience, that can be more difficult than surprising a reader. To surprise, you just have to do something unexpected, which is like pulling something out of nowhere. It is easy. To build and fulfill anticipation, you have to actually build something. That requires wisdom. In this way, Surprising Readers is Easy but Not Always Wise.

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

BOFURI : I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense volume 3 (read for fun)

The Slice of Life defense build continues, as fun and charming as ever. This volumes focuses on the formation of Maple Tree, the guild that Maple and Sally start with friends they've made in the game. As such, there is a lot of focus on the various members of the guild. This series is not exclusively about Maple anymore.

We get to see Kanade solving another library puzzle and experimenting with his Akashic Records. We see Chrome stumble into a special dungeon and challenge it solo (technically he has Syrup to help). We see Iz tackle a crafter-only area in search of material. There is also a pair of new characters, Mai and Yui, who created extreme builds like Maple, and we see Maple Tree nurture them into the unstoppable force to compliment Maple's unmovable object.

These scenes flesh out the world of the story by showing other players and other play styles. The way Mai and Yui play is completely different from Maple, and so they need different skills and tactics. It is also super cute and heartwarming to see a gamer veteran like Sally take them under her wing, and Maple to take them on speed runs to level grind. 

Of course, Maple herself isn't excluded. She has several solo adventures which see her gain three transformation skills. This provides more fodder for "she's the final boss" jokes.  This also shows her development as a gamer, as she tries to keep them secret in anticipation for the Fourth Event.

Yes, the Fourth Event. Like volume 2, volume 4 is looking to be a volume-long event, a guild war styled like Capture the Flag. The "Plot" of volume 3 can be described as Maple Tree preparing for this event. Naturally, other guilds are making their own preparations, and Maple Tree is on their radar. 

This is another fun and light-hearted adventure. If you liked the first two volumes, then you will like this one. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives " BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense" an A+

Click here for my next book review:  So I'm a Spider, So What? volume 6 (read for fun)

Click here for my previous book review:  Curse of Strahd - D&D 5E module (read for fun)

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

The Appeal of an Overpowered Protagonist - Part 4: Super Combat Power does not Create

 Welcome back!

This is part #4 in The Appeal of an Overpowered Protagonist series. 

 The first three are about shifting the tension in conflict away from outcomes. The tension can instead be the content of the conflict, the meaning of fights, and what is to be gained through the use of overpowered status. The third one segues into this fourth topic. This is something that literally cannot be done alone, and thus no single character, no matter how overpowered, can accomplish it alone. 

Building a nation. 

The illustrative example today is That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. For those who don't know, the title refers to the human, Satoru Mikami, who is reincarnated as the slime monster, Rimuru Tempest. He starts the story as a small slime alone in a cave, feeling disoriented and directionless. Things happen, and he finds himself the leader of a small tribe of goblins. Then, by convincing the wolf monsters threatening them to surrender, he unwittingly lays the foundation for a great nation of monsters, the Jura-Tempest Federation. 

Now, Rimuru is overpowered from the very start. His reincarnation bonus alone grants him various damage immunities, highly useful skills, and the means to grow stronger and acquire abilities by imitating and/or eating other creatures. Then he acquires the name "Rimuru", which is a big deal for monsters in this verse. Monsters typically don't have names, instead going by nicknames or descriptions. To be given a name is to be given power, and the more powerful the one bestowing the name, the more power given to the named. Rimuru is named by a legendary storm dragon, so the bonus he gets is great indeed. 

This is not limited to combat power either. He gains ability for various utility magic and crafting skills.  He is not a one-trick pony, capable of only fighting. 

Is Rimuru overpowered? Totally. The fights he enters usually end quickly in his favor, and his skillset enables him to solve problems that vex other characters.  This doesn't ruin the story. 

On the contrary, it enhances the story, because this is a story about nation-building. Now, if this was a story about Rimuru wandering around and challenging people to fights or conquering nations instead of building one, that might be a different situation. In this one, all of his abilities are inadequate for his true goal.

Rimuru sees the cluster of huts and hovels that is the goblin' village and decides to improve their standard of living. Having little else to do with his new life, this becomes his purpose.  He seeks to create a modern city-state for his subjects and build positive relations with other nations.  This is the narrative thrust of the series. Yes, there are a lot of fights, and quests, and other activities, but the development of this nation is the focus. In fact, a lot of the fighting is triggered by the growth of the nation, as others take notice and seek to investigate it or exploit it as suits their own purpose. 

Rimuru works with his citizens to literally build the city from huts into houses. He goes to other towns and other nations, seeking supplies and people with trade skills. He invites other monsters to migrate to the new town, which is called "Tempest". The nation is built by everyone working together, using their respective talents. Rimuru doesn't do everything himself, far from it. 

Fighting is something he does when necessary, and he has a wide range of acceptable outcomes (he once bribed an opponent too powerful to fight into declaring a draw by giving them honey). He also has powerful subordinates (who do not lose fights simply to hype up his opponents), and a "bestie for restie" who is leagues more powerful than he is. 

Diplomacy is also something he does, and he prefers this to fighting. Notably, he doesn't have any special abilities that help him there, but he does have subordinates more eloquent than he himself (Shuna) that can assist him and also allied rulers who can give him pointers (Gazel Dwargo). 

Crafting is something he can do very well, but primarily by making duplicates of things someone with actual skill already made. To make new things, he relies on Kaijin and the other dwarves working under Kaijin. 

Research is another thing he could do, but others can do better. Vesta is the one innovating for the Jura-Tempest Federation. 

Of course, the nation-building takes place over the course of several adventures.  It is not a singular process of building roads and houses in every episode / chapter.  These adventures include the oni attack, the rampage of the Orc Lord's army, catching the notice of genuine Demon Lords, and outright invasion. Building the nation is the outcome of many events, but it is the single thread uniting all of them. The focus of the protagonist of this story is the well-being of this nation and the people under his care. 

The people under his care are not invincible; not helpless but not invincible either. His nation can get wrecked. This is what Rimiru worries about. He himself may be essentially unkillable, but his survival is not in question. The survival and development of his nation is what is in question. The story is about how he answers that question.

(Hint: The answer is never as simple as "beat up everyone")

Click here to read Part 3: What is Gained 

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Curse of Strahd - D&D 5E module (read for fun)

I picked this up because I heard a lot about Strahd and his Ravenloft castle. I got curious. This book here is a revision of the classic adventure for Dungeon and Dragons fifth edition. It is a Gothic Horror story, where the adventurer party is trapped within the cursed land of Barovia, and the only way they can escape is if they kill its lord, the vampire Strahd. 

My impression of this module is "wide-open sandbox". After the players arrive in Barovia and get their bearings, they can go anywhere they want. There are no Beef Gates or Broken Briges to stop them from entering a given area.  Each area has its own chapter, and each is written in such a way that events from one area do not influence events in other areas (with few exceptions). Thus, the party can visit each area in whatever order they want. 

As far as I can tell, there is no intended story line. No plotted course for the DM exists within the book. Such a course is only vaguely implied. This is what I think. 

The party arrives in Barovia. Ismark asks the party to help him escort his sister, Ireena, to the walled city of Vallaki, where she will hopefully be safe from Strahd. Once in Vallaki, the party becomes involved with Strahd's plot to attack the city's church. Regardless of whether or not the party thwarts this plot, Ismark states that this city is not as safe as he hoped. The only other option is Krezk, another settlement at the far end of the region. A subplot or two to gain access to this city of shut-ins is next, which requires traveling to regions the party otherwise might not think to visit. Once inside, Ireena is reunited with the ghost of Sergei, her lover from a past life. After this, Strahd is furious enough to seek out the party directly. At that point, the party either confronts him at some place nearby or goes directly to his castle. 

There is far more to the module than what I just wrote. In fact, there is so much in the book, I don't think a DM would be able to bring it all into one campaign. I think that is the point, re-play value.

This module contains a mechanism for randomizing certain aspects of the story. The location of key items, the identity of a key ally, and location where Strahd can always be found: a tarot card reading performed by an NPC tells these to the characters. So, each playthrough of the campaign can be different. If nothing else, it provides options to the DM. 

Besides the story events and this in-universe randomizing, the book contains a lot of art. It is beautiful art, creepy art, and beautifully creepy art.  Some of them fill entire pages. 

If I had one complaint to make of this module, it is the rigidity of the setting to change. In many places, the module states that the players cannot make the situation in a given place any better. The reasons vary from "character X is incurably insane/beyond redemption" to "the Dark Powers will prevent/negate the improvement", which is as frustrating as any thought terminating cliche.  Also, the players can't make the situation in a given area worse either, because it could hardly get any worse, just a different kind of bad. I understand that this story is Gothic Horror, but it's frustrating in a game. Then again, the rigidity is sufficiently justified internally, and I imagine that the writers at Wizard of the Coast expect a DM to tweak things here and there. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives "Curse of Strahd - D&D 5E module" an A+

Click here for my previous book review: Anansi Boys

Click here for my next book review: BOFURI : I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense volume 3 (read for fun)

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Read for fun: Anansi Boys

 This is a book I picked up at a Friends of the Library book sale. A great place to buy books - good deals and good cause. This book here is a sort-of sequel to Neil Gaiman's American Gods. As far as I can tell, it has nothing to do with that plot. 

What we have here is Charles Nancy, an office worker in London, and how his life turns upside down after his father dies. In short order, he learns that A.) his father is a god, Anansi the Spider,  B.) his childhood neighbors are witches and C.) he has a twin brother who he has never met and who evidently inherited all the god-related stuff from their father. 

SPOILER WARNING!

SPOILER WARNING!

SPOILER WARNING!

I have good stuff and bad stuff to say about this book. I'll start with the bad, because it is just one thing. That thing is the pacing. 

This book is just short of 400 pages long, and it takes forever to get anywhere. The plot-triggering-death happens quickly, basically in the first scene. The funeral follows swiftly afterward. Then the plot lags. There is very little forward motion for over one hundred pages. For some reason, I felt like reading all of them, thinking that the plot would pick up, but it just kept going and going, taking its time with lots of subplots. 

--> how miserable Charlie's life is.

--> how Brother Spider abuses his divine powers.

--> How Graham Coat exploits his customers.

--> the history of the building that Graham Coat operates out of.

-->Rosie and her passive-aggressive rebellion against her mother.

Also, there are Anansi stories in the chapters. These are digressions where the narrator halts the main story to share a tale about Anansi. 

In my opinion, the plot doesn't start moving until around the 200-page mark and doesn't truly get interesting until around 260. There are many digressions. For instance There is summary of the courtship of Charles's love interest's parents, and how disappointed they are that she became a police officer. 

My personal head cannon is that Anansi is the narrator of this story, and he likes telling stories. All the stories belong to Anansi, and he wants to share as many of them as he can. Furthermore, his purpose in telling this particular story is to set up his sons with wives so they can give him grandchildren. The story mentions that checking on potential grandchildren is his motivation to stop pretending to be dead. 

Now for the stuff that I like. This is a much longer list. 

1. It is remarkable how engaging the story is. Even during the slog of the first part, the narration is engaging. Not necessarily entertaining, but it is intriguing. I didn't know what was coming next, because I kept expecting something supernatural or scary. 

2. Once the plot picks up, and things start happening, it truly is fun to read. 

3. The lime joke. That is a funny joke. I still smile when thinking about it. 

4. The cosmology of the 'verse, the gods and witches and the power of song and stories, all of it is interesting. It makes internal sense. I liked reading about it. 

5. Moreover, the change that comes over Charles Nancy when he figures out the thing about songs and stories was a nice payoff.  That was a well-written piece of character development. 

6. Graham Coat's descent into madness is creepy. It is one of the better uses of the trope Being Evil Sucks. Also, the pay-off about him being a "weasel" has a nice payoff. 

The last thing is the Nancy brothers and their love interests. It is a big thing and complicated thing. I don't want to go into it, but I wanted to mention it. In short, I think it is undeveloped. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives Anasi Boys a B. 

Click here for my next book review: Curse of Strahd - D&D 5E module

Click here for my previous book review:  Wandering Witch volume 2 (read for fun)

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

The Appeal of an Overpowered Protagonist - Part 3: What is Gained

Last time, I discussed the potential of an overpowered hero in a Shōnen fighting show. The example I used to illustrate this potential was One Punch Man.  Yes, even in such a show where the main action is superheroes fighting monsters, there can still be meaningful conflict and excitement when the protagonist is physically invincible and can defeat any opponent in just one punch. 

Even now, I can hear objections. Saitama is apathetic. He doesn't desire anything other than a worthy opponent. "No Game No Life" doesn't count either, because the gamer siblings are motivated (at least in part) by having fun with games and seeking a rematch with the One True God, Tet. The actual troubles of the world of Dishboard don't bother them (at least not as much as other characters, such as Stephanie).  What if an author wants to write a story about a protagonist who has goals? Surely the protagonist can't be overpowered then, right?

Nope, I have two examples for that situation. Now that I think about it, I actually have three or four. I'll stick with one for now.  It is "The Irregular at Magic High School", and features Tatsuya Shiba.

Tatsuya Shiba lives a world of modern magic, that is, where magic has been codified into something scientific (which is different from Ancient Magic, but that is neither here nor there). Those that study magic professionally are known as Magical Technicians, or simply "Magicians". Tatsuya Shiba is among the most powerful of these magicians. I'm not sure of the exact rankings, but I think that he and his sister, Miyuki, rank in the top five for the entire world. And he is still in high school. 

Now, I know what you're thinking. Isn't Tatsuya a Course Two Student, someone who is considered less capable than other students? Doesn't the story make a big deal about this? Regardless of how he fares in combat, doesn't this mean the story is treating him like an underdog? 

Yes, that is part of what makes Tatsuya work as a protagonist despite being overpowered. What Tatsuya seeks to achieve is not something that can be accomplished through combat. He wants to ensure Miyuki is happy and he wants the world at large to recognize magicians as more than wet-ware weapons. Though he can vaporize people from a distance without effort or restriction (than I know of, at least), that isn't going to accomplish his goals no matter times he does it. Though he has poor relations with his family, fighting them in open combat isn't going to gain him anything. 

(Disclaimer: I'm over-simplifying this for the sake of brevity. Tatsuya's mental state and his family situation are a lot more complicated than I'm making them sound here, and he definitely isn't gung-ho about these goals, or really any goals, at the start of the series. But he is ALWAYS presented as a magic technology geek). 

That is the kind of world that Tatsuya lives in and that is the kind of world that the author wants to write about. Tatsuya can be overpowered because it serves the actual interest of the author. 

From what I've read, the author of "The Irregular at Magic High School" is not interested in writing combat scenes, but in dialogues and intrigue. From what I've seen personally, the author is also interested in a hard magic system and in world building. There is a lot more space devoted to the magic system's theory,  the school set-up, and the general magician society, than to combat or displays of magical power. There is a section about public transportation that has nothing to do with the first book's plot. Yes, really. I found it interesting. 

The first arc, the one that focuses most heavily on the "Course Two Student" idea, is supposed to be an allegorical critique of a certain school systems, which prioritize certain strengths in students while ignoring others, and the stigma this places on those students. Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba serve the purpose of illustrating this distinction between Course One and Course Two. 

Tatsuya is a Course Two Student, yet he excels in many areas, which enables him to outshine students who are theoretically superior to him by supposedly objective measures. Miyuki is a Course One Student, and she is indeed a talented individual, but she constantly seeks to promote her older brother, because she knows that his strengths are valuable and that he is a better magician than her by other standards. Tatsuya being overpowered helps drive this point home. The message isn't "less-talented students can still excel if they try hard", because Tatsuya isn't less talented or hard-working etc. than his sister; the message is (phrased more politely), "this sort of school system is bonk because it stigmatizes talented students". 

Tatsuya may be overpowered, but he gains nothing from shoving his power in everyone's faces. That will not make his sister happy (though I imagine she would take a certain perverse glee in watching her brother's detractors eat crow). Showing off his superlative combat ability would only reinforce the notion of magicians-as-weapons, which he dislikes. The path towards his goal goes through different means. 

Wow, this is getting long. I could discuss the next three arcs, but I will stick to just the Nine Schools Competition arc. 

The Nine Schools Competition is exactly what it says on the tin, a competition between the nine magic schools. Tatsuya is not a competitor in this arc (save one specific exception). He is support staff. He uses technical engineering skills to assist the actual competitors from his school. This is another way that a character can be overpowered but still serve the narrative. Tatsuya's skill as a magic engineer is such that he can fine-tune a competitor's gear to bring out their full potential. The author likes their hard magic system, so this is a big deal for the story, but it is still up to the competitor to win or lose. 

It's like Tatsuya is a support party member in an RPG that can only cast amazing buff spells on the party. He may be why First High wins their bouts, but he is not the one winning. The classmates he supports are the ones winning. This way, Tatsuya can be amazing while sharing the spotlight, and the author can further support the theme from the first arc. 

Tatsuya can, and does, win basically every fight he enters, but he doesn't enter fights without a reason. He's not a blood knight, like Saitama, and he doesn't treat conflict as a game to enjoy, like Blank, the gamer siblings. It's all about what is gained through the action he takes (again, oversimplifying a LOT. The full details behind Tatsuya's motivations are spoilers). There is no single action he can take that will achieve his goal or solve his problems, and certainly not without creating more problems. 

This is what makes Tatsuya the right protagonist for this story. He enables the author to write about what they want to write about: dialogues, intrigue, the hard magic system, etc. If combat comes up, and it does, then Tatsuya can end it quickly and the plot can move on. 

I would write about how Tatsuya doesn't end EVERY combat scene, and the other characters aren't helpless, but this post is too long already. 

Click here to read Part 4 Super Combat Power does not Create

Click here to read Part 2: The Meaning of the Fight

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

The Appeal of Overpowered Characters - Part 2 - The Meaning of the Fight

 The Appeal of Overpowered Characters - Part 2. The Meaning of the Fight

Last time, I talked about Appeal of an Overpowered Character, starting with the supposed "problem" of an overpowered character in regard to drama and tension, and then moving into the topic of the protagonist as an underdog. I used the series "No Game No Life" as an example of how to use a nominal underdog to create tense and exciting conflict by making the conflict itself the objective instead of the outcome. 

Now you might cry foul at this example.  "No Game No Life" is the exception, you might say. It focuses on literal games that supernaturally force the players to rely on non-violent means.  What if I want to write a story about life-or-death fights between heroes and villains. Surely, I need to use an underdog here, right?

Not necessarily. This is my next example, "One-Punch Man".

  "One-Punch Man" is a superhero story that stars one such superhero, Saitama. He was an ordinary human who gained super-powers by training really hard for several years. Now he is so strong that he can defeat any enemy in just one punch. And that's not all. He is also invulnerable (only getting hurt when it would be funny) and so fast he can't be seen. All this is when he is not even trying hard. 

The series opens with the introduction of a villain and Saitama reducing them to paste with a single punch, who deplores the fact that he ended the fight so quickly. You see, Saitama is what Tvtropes calls a Blood Knight, he enjoys fighting for its own sake, and he calls himself "a hero for fun". By the time the main narrative starts, Saitama has become so strong that no one can challenge him, and so the fights no longer thrill him. 

Unlike "No Game No Life", Saitama's fights are always quick, and his tactics are rarely more creative than "punch it, once". How then, is the narrative compelling? What is the appeal of the fights? 

First of all, it's funny to see a villain hype themselves up only to get splattered in one-punch. For me at least, that didn't get old even after two seasons. Second, Saitama has to find the right person to punch. He doesn't want to fight minions all day; he's only a hero for fun, after all, and that is not fun. Third is the broader context of the fight. 

It is always about more than just the fight. 

This is a series that can have the protagonist say, in the first episode, "having overwhelming power is... pretty boring", and not be boring itself. 

There is always more going on than some singular villain showing up and saying, "I will rule/destroy the world". So, the solution to the conflict is always more complicated than "punch the guy". The first episode has a couple of these to establish the setting and the story's tone, and that's it. Starting with the House of Evolution arc, villains come in groups, and their respective evil plans have to be figured out. Then Saitama can punch them out or help other heroes do so.

Yes, Saitama lives in a superhero society. Being a "hero" can be a profession, and these "heroes" have many different motives. Fame, science experiments, revenge, genuine heroism. Saitama only fights for fun, so he has many foils. The narrative compares him to people like Mumen Rider, a totally normal human with a truly heroic spirit, and to Genos, a cyborg driven by revenge, or the Tank Top brothers, several of whom have a bad case of Tall Poppy Syndrome. How these heroes react to someone like Saitama, who is better than them at defeating villains, and what the civilians think of a "hero for fun" is just as much a part of the series as defeating the villains.

Finally, there is what Saitama himself thinks about heroes and his own heroics. He says that he is just a "hero for fun" and he is always bored because no one can challenge him. He is enduring an existential crisis, because his dream was to become the strongest hero and, now that he is, he struggles with motivation. It is a dramatic character arc in an overall comedic series. 

In this way, the author crafts a story where the protagonist is overpowered/invincible, but can still create exciting fights, meaningful conflict and interesting character development. A character like Saitama can be played for comedy and drama as needed, and fights can end as soon as he shows up. 

There are also conventional fights with other heroes who are not invincible. The invulnerability of Saitama highlights the fragility of these heroes, and so their reason for being heroes is also highlighted. Saitama isn't always around to back them up. No matter how quickly a protagonist can defeat a villain, if they aren't present, it doesn't matter. These fights are all the more tense for it, and the fights do not always end with Saitama showing up to save them either. 

Having an overpowered protagonist doesn't necessarily make everyone else useless. There are other perfectly competent heroes who can defeat monsters, save lives, and otherwise do heroic stuff. Saitama's existence doesn't make them obsolete. Indeed, Saitama's overpoweredness actually inspires some heroes to reach greater heights, like Saitama's own disciple, Genos. 

Having overwhelming power may be pretty boring, but a story about such a character need not be. Keep Saitama's example in mind and you can indeed write an exciting story about an overpowered protagonist.

Click here to read Part 1 - No Need for an Underdog

Click here to read Part 3 - What is Gained

 Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

The Appeal of OverPowered Characters - Part 1 - No Need for an Underdog.

Authors out there, you should consider using an overpowered character as your protagonist. 

When I first started writing novels, what was it, twenty years ago now? (My how time flies), I read up on novel-writing advice. I sought it everywhere and I gathered it together. Something I saw a lot was "don't make the characters too powerful", and the similar refrain of "give your characters flaws".  A character, particularly a protagonist, had to be weak, or at least weaker than their enemies. They had to be the underdog. 

The general idea was that if a character was too powerful, then the story wouldn't have any tension. The character would resolve all problems with their over-poweredness.  No tension =  no drama, which supposedly also equals "bad story". Without exception, this advice said, a story with an overpowered protagonist was supposed to be bad. I believed it at the time. I don't anymore. 

 It's not bad advice, but with all writing tips, there are exceptions.

What if you don't want to write an underdog story? What if your goal isn't writing a story fueled by the question "will the protagonist triumph"? It is very possible to do that. Even with a modicum of genre savvy, one can predict that "yes, the protagonist will triumph", even if the situation seems hopeless. Why, I recall watching Mighty Ducks 2 with my class during middle school, and right at the climatic moment, when the gaming-winning move takes place, one of my classmates sarcastically said, "Oh, I thought Iceland was going to win". It was a real buzz kill. I imagine he thought himself clever, but no, he wasn't. The climatic moment was well-crafted from a narrative and thematic perspective, but totally predictable.  

Authors out there, you don't have to struggle with that dilemma. There is no strict need to balance the seesaw of "Oh, this protagonist is so weak and overwhelmed, there's no way they will triumph but, yeah, they totally will, somehow".  It's a thin wire to walk. You either have to build the story around setting up the character as an underdog while also setting up their path to victory in a believable way or choose a failure ending and all that implies (bitter-sweet or tragedy). 

 I will illustrate the exceptions with specific series that I believe best serve to help illustrate. 

To start things off, No Game No Life. This is a light novel series staring a pair of human siblings, Sora and Shiro, who are collectively known as " " (in other words "Blank").  The world they live in operates on the premise of Duels Decide Everything. The One True God of this world (who is also the God of Games) decreed that all violence was forbidden, and therefore disputes would be resolved through games. This is enforced via Supernaturally Binding Contract. Sora and Shiro are the best gamers, and the series is not shy about reminding the reader about their motto, "Blank doesn't lose." 

This is a story with tension. There is a LOT of tension, but the driving question is never, "will Sora and Shiro win". That is because the answer is obviously, "yes, they will". The question is HOW will they do it. That is a much more interesting question. It gets readers involved in the middle parts of the story, which basically IS the story itself. If all the reader cares about is the ending, then the potential of the beginning and middle is never fully realized.  (Incidentally, I wrote a different blog post about this years ago ---> LINK)

(Full disclosure - Technically, the gamer siblings ARE underdogs, because their opponents have supernatural advantages, but the narrative doesn't seriously entertain the idea that they will lose. In fact, Sora gives a speech that is summarized as "The weak are the strongest".)

Authors out there, don't you want to write a story that grips readers with every page? For the event on that page itself to engage their full attention? Not as a percussor to an ending, but the progression to have value and meaning. That is what No Game No Life is all about. One can guess that Sora and Shiro will win, but not the moves they make to get that win. 

That is the appeal of the story. Yes, the protagonist "Blank" will win. The gamer siblings approach every game with the mindset that they will win, and they do. Yet every game is thrilling. 

The author doesn't have to worry about maintaining the illusion that the gamer siblings might lose. The time, energy and words that would otherwise have been devoted to that instead go into the amazing tactics, the funny running gags, the fascinating world-building, and other things far more interesting than protestations of their dire situation. Side characters might worry about their chances, but Sora and Shiro do not, and so the overall narration does not.  

My original idea was to include all the examples in one post, but this one is already too long. I will cover the others in other posts. I can think of four examples right now, so this might be a 5-part series. That would be a first for me. 

Look forward to it!

Update: Part 2 is ready. Click to read The Meaning of the Fight

 Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Wandering Witch volume 2 (read for fun)

Elaina's journeys continue with more short stories. I like this format. It's like buying a variety pack of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. 

Some of them are short and silly, like "Pioneers of Style". A light read and enjoyable.  Some of them are quite heavy, filled with both positive and negative emotion, like "Before the Snow Melts". That one was an experience. Then there are some that are technically tragedies, but the tone of the story and the attitude of its protagonist make them merely a curious event. 

By having story stories of a traveler, the author can do all this and more. Elaina is not an adventurer, going on quests for fame or fortune. She is not a knight-errant, seeking wrongs to right. She is a tourist, seeking only to see what is beyond the next hill. So, it's easy to write her in and out of the stories she encounters. 

For those seeking something bigger, there is a continuity here! Elaina unexpectedly reunites with an old friend, one who wears a familiar pointy hat. Yes, Saya returns!

Trickster Eric Novels Gives "Wandering Witch volume 2" an A+

Click here for my previous book review: Anansi Boys (read for fun)

Click here for my previous book review: Rising of the Shield Hero - light novel volume 2 (read for fun)

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Rising of the Shield Hero - light novel volume 2 (read for fun)

This is the Filo arc. It isn't noticeable in the anime, but this volume is structured around Filo. She is the Arc Heroine, just like Raphatalia was in volume 1. Indeed, this volume follows a fundamentally similar structure. 

At the start, Naofumi is mistreated by King Aultcray, who favors the other heroes over him. Then he acquires Filo and raises her while he does his adventurer-merchant thing. Spear Hero causes him trouble because of Princess Malty. Then a certain event occurs where he fears losing Filo, a Curse Shield activates, and Raphatalia brings him back to his senses. That is the bare-bones structure, and it is misleading. 

This volume is very different from volume 1. Naofumi has developed as a person since the previous volume, and he has Raphtalia to soften his rough edges, so his interactions with others are different. The sense of despair and desperation that marked the first volume is not present here, because Naofumi is now an experienced hero and has a truly loyal party member. 

Naofumi raises Filo from an egg, and so he truly is her father for all intents and purposes (aside from laying the egg himself). Filo is also a different character from Raphtalia, and the fact that she is even is a character at all, rather than a simple beast of burden, was a surprise to both Naofumi and Raphtalia. 

Naofumi has advanced his trade beyond selling monster parts and is now a traveling apothecary. There's little detail on this but it is an interesting direction. 

That's a thing about this volume. There is little detail given to things like Naofumi's trade or to the fights that he and his party engage in. The hostile plant encounter was really hard to follow, and the zombie-dragon likewise. The author seemed more interested in the emotional exchanges. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives "Rising of the Shield Hero - light novel volume 2" a B+

Click here for my previous book review: Wandering Witch volume 2

Click here for my previous book review:  I've been killing slimes for three hundred years and maxed out my level - light novel volume 3 (read for fun)

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

I've been killing slimes for three hundred years and maxed out my level - light novel volume 3 (read for fun)

For those of you keeping track, this volume is part of the anime's first season. About 2.5 episodes were made from this volume, and there is more you haven't seen yet!

One episode is when Falfa gets stuck in slime form. That is several chapters here, and I enjoyed reading them despite watching them already. The second major event, the Fake Witch of the Highlands. There is some detail here that the anime version didn't include. It was interesting to read that part. 

There is more to this volume than that. There are stories which are not in the anime's first season. It's a shame, because I thought the Quest for the Undead storyline was interesting; funny but also poignant. Azusa meets a foil here, another human woman who wanted a slow life after becoming immortal. The difference is that this immortal is undead and a NEET. 

Then there are the bonus stories. These are truly slice-of-life snippets of Azusa's household. Cute little fluffy things that are fun to read. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives "I've been killing slimes for three hundred years and maxed out my level - light novel volume 3" an A+

Click here for next book review: Rising of the Shield Hero - light novel volume 2 (read for fun)

Click here for my previous book review:  The World's Strongest Rearguard manga volume 3

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

The World's Strongest Rearguard manga volume 3 (read for fun)

I am definitely a fan of this series by now. I've only read the manga adaptions, but I plan to read to the original light novels sometime soon. 

The world building for this series continues to fascinate me. A good chunk of the start of this volume is the party visiting a professional treasure chest cracker. Seekers find these treasure chests in the Labyrinth, and they bring them to these chest-crackers to disarm of traps. This is not a simple thing, it's a process, and this treasure-cracker appears to be a single mom with two (very cute) children. She joins the monster-butcher and the guild staff as part of the industry that relies on Seekers to go into the Labyrinth.  

This Seeker party has comradery. This is a True Companions kind of series, and I like seeing that in adventuring parties. There is a dinner scene where Arihito's party expresses their commitment to each other, and some less serious /more funny shenanigans caused by Misaki.  They work together well in battle. 

Misaki is a troublemaker, but it is harmless trouble. She knows enough not to actually endanger her party members. This makes her antics cute instead of annoying.

Morale Discharge. In game terms, these sound like limit breaks. I'm looking forward to these. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives The World's Strongest Rearguard Manga Volume 3 an A+

Click here for my next book review: I've been killing slimes for three hundred years and maxed out my level - light novel volume 3

Click here for my previous book review:  Konosuba light novel volume 4

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Konosuba light novel volume 4 ( read for fun)

This is the Arcanletia hot springs arc, which is the last event covered by the anime's second season.  The anime is overall a faithful adaptation, but there are some key differences. One of them is in the final battle. 

It is a fun read. Even though I am familiar with the events that this book covers, it was still fun to read through them. It is a slightly difference experience, because the light novels are written from a first-person perspective. We get a lot of more of Kazuma's thoughts here, such as how much he wants to avoid any and all demon-general plots. This is his vacation!

There are a few extras here that are not in the anime. Scenes that were cut for one reason or another. One scene is at the start, and it is among the funnier things in the volume. Another is part of the epilogue and provides a different perspective on the ending. 

Trickster Eric Novels gives "Konosuba" light novel volume 4 an A+

Click here for my next book review: The World's Strongest Rearguard manga volume 3 (read for fun)

Click here for my previous book review: The World's Strongest Rearguard manga volume 2

Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.