So for the past six months I have been diligently trying to read the web novel of the Shield Hero. Stemming from the fact that the web novel has a different pacing as well as slight variations from the web novel I was intrigued to see what it was like. I have to say that so far in the light novels there has been no change, but this might change in later books once I eventually read them. If you would like to read about the Rising of the Shield Hero online here is the link.
As per the novel there were a few things I loved about the storyline, world building and character development which was oh so gleeful to read and there were a few rough points that is more of a stylistic choice. Overall I would throughly ask people to read this free web novel before diving into the light novels, simply because, I am a slight cheapskate when it comes to reading and also because who doesn’t love reading free online content?
The things I loved about the web novel was that i could see a clear direction that the characters went on and there were a few tears shed too, but overall there was an enjoyable read and the journey didn’t in my mind progress to slowly or too quickly. I loved the writing that the author of the web novel has used as it gets to the point and actually helps the reader. For those who are not new to Japanese writing most of the time the cliche is that the protagonist is so dense that even atomic particles would have a better chance of doing the right thing. It’s a trope that I loathe in writing and I will avoid these tropes if I can so help it. I like a smart and independent protagonist. I love the fact that they do not need to rely on anyone else and I hope more authors are able to clearly move and write more for this trope. It is satisfying to read as the protagonist gets it.
The world building I feel probably could have been a little more descriptive? Again thats a stylistic choice and probably suits me more if I have a clear view of what when and where my characters are. The people and characters created all feel real and properly planned. No one was just dumped into the book save for the last boss, who I did feel was a little forced but there we go. Each person had a distinctive persona to the book and added certain “flavours’ to the story.
The only negative I have with this web novel, and if the light novel follows through then it’ll be with this too, I felt like Naofumi could have eased up a little with his way of thinking. Now I know that might just be because I prefer slightly more lenient protagonists but there were a few instances where the author could have tweaked Naofumi. That is the only grievance I have with the story. It might be the only complaint I have. If you have read the book I am glad Naofumi did hold the grudge that he did but there was one instance where I do feel like there could have been a few variable tweaks. I will not get into these details as spoilers are a major pain in the neck. You shall not get them from me!…unless I have already done so in my posts then I will be more cryptic from now on.
I hope you enjoyed the post and you’re all doing well during the Covid-19 breakout. Stay safe and healthy everyone.
twirlsandcoco
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