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Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts
聞きたいって言った人、いなかったし、話したいと思う相手もいなかっただけ。ね? 聞く? 聞く?FINAL FANTASY VIIの世界を彩るふたりのヒロイン、エアリスとティファの知られざるそれぞれの軌跡
406 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2021
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December 21, 2025
i freaking love clotiiiishsuejwudhrusjdjeudjr
March 27, 2023
3.8
I’ll read anything in the FFVII compilation, let’s just put that out there. The more books like this that chronicle the unseen between-times in-game, in any game, the better.
Traces of Two Pasts fills in some OG and Remake gaps nicely, using two points of travel and two conversations involving our leading ladies to tell parts of their stories we’ve been curious about - since the OG and Remake respectively.
Having read both of the other FFVII light novels, I have to say that Nojima’s style is consistent here, the translations too, though I couldn’t help feeling that some of the narration and observations in this one were stuck in the past. There have always been objectifying comments from other characters towards Tifa’s appearance, including some makes sense given her design and the shallow types that exist around her, but the sheer amount in her half of the story was really distracting. Having her objectification woven into the details of her hard work and sacrifice despite severe adversity as a teen, with her looks being used in two of her jobs to make the business owners -and Tifa by extension- money, actually felt pretty realistic, and the noughties language used at least fits with the timeline, but I just felt outside those scenarios it occurred too often, to remind us she’s designed to be attractive. Overkill, you might say. (sorry)
Character’s weights (Wedge and others of a similar size) were also commented on in insensitive ways- no malice intended, but quite thoughtless. I hope the next novel will feel a bit more enlightened. Remake did a good job of updating the parts of the story that dealt with gender, for example, and gave Aerith and Tifa a better friendship arc – as does this novel actually, which is great.
Onto the things I loved reading about - Aerith and Ifalna’s tense journey to (relative) freedom, Tifa learning what true strength of character is (I have new respect for her struggle), how Shinra exploited Aerith’s abilities in more ways than we knew, and how the final tale with new characters circles back to the familiar. Overall, a fitting companion piece to keep us happy until Rebirth.
I’ll read anything in the FFVII compilation, let’s just put that out there. The more books like this that chronicle the unseen between-times in-game, in any game, the better.
Traces of Two Pasts fills in some OG and Remake gaps nicely, using two points of travel and two conversations involving our leading ladies to tell parts of their stories we’ve been curious about - since the OG and Remake respectively.
Having read both of the other FFVII light novels, I have to say that Nojima’s style is consistent here, the translations too, though I couldn’t help feeling that some of the narration and observations in this one were stuck in the past. There have always been objectifying comments from other characters towards Tifa’s appearance, including some makes sense given her design and the shallow types that exist around her, but the sheer amount in her half of the story was really distracting. Having her objectification woven into the details of her hard work and sacrifice despite severe adversity as a teen, with her looks being used in two of her jobs to make the business owners -and Tifa by extension- money, actually felt pretty realistic, and the noughties language used at least fits with the timeline, but I just felt outside those scenarios it occurred too often, to remind us she’s designed to be attractive. Overkill, you might say. (sorry)
Character’s weights (Wedge and others of a similar size) were also commented on in insensitive ways- no malice intended, but quite thoughtless. I hope the next novel will feel a bit more enlightened. Remake did a good job of updating the parts of the story that dealt with gender, for example, and gave Aerith and Tifa a better friendship arc – as does this novel actually, which is great.
Onto the things I loved reading about - Aerith and Ifalna’s tense journey to (relative) freedom, Tifa learning what true strength of character is (I have new respect for her struggle), how Shinra exploited Aerith’s abilities in more ways than we knew, and how the final tale with new characters circles back to the familiar. Overall, a fitting companion piece to keep us happy until Rebirth.
May 1, 2023
Final Fantasy: Traces of Two Pasts By Kazushige Nojima, is a video game tie-in novel based on Square Enix’s “Final Fantasy 7 Remake.”
I'm a big fan of FFVII having played both the original and the remake and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Bottom line, I loved it. This book gave me something that I didn't get in the games, something I didn't even know I was missing until I read it. The games are awesome, don't get me wrong, but there often isn't time in them to delve too deep into the backstories of some of the principal (and some of my favorite) characters.
This book remedies that problem by exploring the backgrounds of Aerith Gainsborough and Tifa Lockhart, giving each their own fascinating and engrossing semi origin stories that flesh out their respective personalities and shows how they got into their starting positions for the games. I especially enjoyed reading Aerith's story, and it really makes me more fully appreciate her cheerful and positive attitude despite all that she's had to endure.
First and foremost this story is about the past of the two most beloved and most popular Final Fantasy heroines in the franchise. Of course “Final Fantasy VII” is the most popular Final Fantasy video game, so it's obvious that the two most popular Final Fantasy heroines would get a story about them. This book is great for those people who love BOTH Aerith and Tifa and can realize that those two are great friends as well.
Both women are clearly very important to the story of Final Fantasy VII and are absolutely both heroines in that game, just as Zack and Cloud are both heroes and important to the story as well. They're four best friends.
The book is split into two parts, the first part being about Tifa and the second part being about Aerith. The book is set only a few days after they met after the events that led them to leave Midgar. Even though it has only been a few days the two women are obviously becoming super close and decide to open up to one another and speak about events from their past.
In Tifa's story you learn a lot about how close she was with Cloud, his family, just how shy she is, how much she loves animals, and about all the things she had to go through. It's honestly a beautiful story about not only her past but how much her and Cloud truly do love one another.
In Aerith's story you learn about all the terrible things she had to go through, about her mother(s), her strength, her determination, her kindness, how much she just wanted to be a normal girl, her bonds with people, and at the end you get this lovely little bit where she wants to tell Tifa about the thing more important to her than anything else in her life. It ends up hinting that she wants to talk about Zack, her love, and that's where her story ends because they say that's a conversation for next time.
It's a book that you can't set down. Not only do you learn so much more about two wonderful ladies but you also learn a lot more about the world of Final Fantasy VII as well. Many different characters make an appearance within the story, well at least are talked about.
And even if you're not familiar with the world of Final Fantasy VII I would still recommend it because it's still a gripping read of two great characters tackling issues we all have to face - figuring out who we are and where we belong as well as facing struggles, setbacks, and heartbreak along the way.
So whether you're a FFVII fan or not, read this book. I promise you won't regret it.
I'm a big fan of FFVII having played both the original and the remake and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Bottom line, I loved it. This book gave me something that I didn't get in the games, something I didn't even know I was missing until I read it. The games are awesome, don't get me wrong, but there often isn't time in them to delve too deep into the backstories of some of the principal (and some of my favorite) characters.
This book remedies that problem by exploring the backgrounds of Aerith Gainsborough and Tifa Lockhart, giving each their own fascinating and engrossing semi origin stories that flesh out their respective personalities and shows how they got into their starting positions for the games. I especially enjoyed reading Aerith's story, and it really makes me more fully appreciate her cheerful and positive attitude despite all that she's had to endure.
First and foremost this story is about the past of the two most beloved and most popular Final Fantasy heroines in the franchise. Of course “Final Fantasy VII” is the most popular Final Fantasy video game, so it's obvious that the two most popular Final Fantasy heroines would get a story about them. This book is great for those people who love BOTH Aerith and Tifa and can realize that those two are great friends as well.
Both women are clearly very important to the story of Final Fantasy VII and are absolutely both heroines in that game, just as Zack and Cloud are both heroes and important to the story as well. They're four best friends.
The book is split into two parts, the first part being about Tifa and the second part being about Aerith. The book is set only a few days after they met after the events that led them to leave Midgar. Even though it has only been a few days the two women are obviously becoming super close and decide to open up to one another and speak about events from their past.
In Tifa's story you learn a lot about how close she was with Cloud, his family, just how shy she is, how much she loves animals, and about all the things she had to go through. It's honestly a beautiful story about not only her past but how much her and Cloud truly do love one another.
In Aerith's story you learn about all the terrible things she had to go through, about her mother(s), her strength, her determination, her kindness, how much she just wanted to be a normal girl, her bonds with people, and at the end you get this lovely little bit where she wants to tell Tifa about the thing more important to her than anything else in her life. It ends up hinting that she wants to talk about Zack, her love, and that's where her story ends because they say that's a conversation for next time.
It's a book that you can't set down. Not only do you learn so much more about two wonderful ladies but you also learn a lot more about the world of Final Fantasy VII as well. Many different characters make an appearance within the story, well at least are talked about.
And even if you're not familiar with the world of Final Fantasy VII I would still recommend it because it's still a gripping read of two great characters tackling issues we all have to face - figuring out who we are and where we belong as well as facing struggles, setbacks, and heartbreak along the way.
So whether you're a FFVII fan or not, read this book. I promise you won't regret it.
March 12, 2024
That was. A thing. I guess.
I admit that maybe I was expecting too much from this book, but it did not give me anything at all that I thought I would get. We sure got information about Tifa and Aerith, but none of it was enlightening or all that interesting.
The book is split up into three parts: Tifa talking about her early years, Aerith about hers, and this guy Lonny and his path to forgiveness that is linked to Aerith (it's not as interesting as it sounds).
First of all, the writing was not great. I felt like I was reading fanfiction, honestly? The characterizations didn't connect with me, and the prose and dialogue felt incredibly stilted. Which is incredibly upsetting because this was written by the same guy that wrote Final Fantasy VII: The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story , which I absolutely LOVE. This particular point makes me think that me not liking the writing has more to do with the translator (who also translated Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future , and while I enjoyed it, I did not enjoy a lot of the writing and characterizations) than the author himself. I looked into it, and The Kids Are Alright was translated by someone else, and I even mentioned in my review for that book that the translator did a fantastic job with making it feel like it had been originally written in English for English speakers.
This absolutely felt like it was translated, which is really not an experience I like, and might have done a disservice to the book.
And even aside from that, though, the experiences themselves weren't all that compelling. I honestly don't know if having a better translator would have helped much (sighs, return to me, translator of The Kids Are Alright), because what I did read felt. Boring.
The author has Tifa telling us about her younger years in Nibelheim, which was incredibly dull. And we got to see her meet her martial arts teacher, which was also dull. And how she went about learning these martial arts was weird and roundabout and dull.
And to make matters worse, we skip right over the Nibelheim incident with Sephiroth and jump right into her time in Midgard before Cloud shows up, which was also dull.
And like, I get it. The Nibelheim incident has been covered a million times over, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is going to cover that next, so we can't spoil the surprise, but I was hoping to see Sephiroth and Zack (my beloved!!!) from Tifa's point of view, along with that strange trooper that keeps avoiding her.
But we skip all that potentially juicy content to see Tifa in Midgar, where she was brought to a clinic by her martial arts master to be cared for by a doctor and her son in the wake of Sephiroth skewering her like a shish kabob. We then get her day to day as she lived under the thumb of the local slum lord working off her debt to the clinic.
It was as boring as I am making it sound.
And then we have Aerith's story, which at first sounded more compelling, but that's just because we started out with her telling us of her time in Shinra. But after she and her mother escape Shinra's clutches, it's downhill from there. Her everyday life in the slums was not much more exciting, even with Shinra looking for her. Even Tseng's appearance did not save it. How could you bog down Aerith's story with some convoluted plot of her adopted mother marrying into the local "construction syndicate" (read: Sector 5 mafia, but actually good people. So, boring.) instead of having her dodge Turk surveillance and bringing in the likes of Rude and Reno (who the author wrote SO WELL in The Kids Are Alright, by the way)?
It was just all boring. And the "revelations" given to us about her past illuminated nothing.
And then we have this Lonny dude, who never actually names himself and I had to flip back to the first page of Aerith's tale to get his name for this third section. Basically, his whole last section of the book was a roundabout way to explain the mural painted on Aerith's bedroom wall in the Remake. Aerith apparently had visions of places in her youth that she felt compelled to draw, and Shinra capitalized on it, hoping that her art was pointing toward the Promised Land. It ran her ragged until she was no longer able to do it anymore, and her young friend Lonny (the son of her and her mom's caretaker) was brought in to convince her to draw just one more picture.
She can't do it, so Lonny feeds her imagery of a place he saw in a magazine. TL;DR, this fake picture ruined the lives of a few people, one of which Lonny knew. He felt guilty about it and, 15 years later, decided to track some people down to give himself a clean slate.
That's it. The end.
I will say that the last section was the most engaging, but mostly because I had no idea where we were going with this. The end result wound up being boring, but at least it kept my interest.
Anyway, this was disappointing. I need to reread The Kids Are Alright now. I miss Kadaj. I want Kadaj back.
I admit that maybe I was expecting too much from this book, but it did not give me anything at all that I thought I would get. We sure got information about Tifa and Aerith, but none of it was enlightening or all that interesting.
The book is split up into three parts: Tifa talking about her early years, Aerith about hers, and this guy Lonny and his path to forgiveness that is linked to Aerith (it's not as interesting as it sounds).
First of all, the writing was not great. I felt like I was reading fanfiction, honestly? The characterizations didn't connect with me, and the prose and dialogue felt incredibly stilted. Which is incredibly upsetting because this was written by the same guy that wrote Final Fantasy VII: The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story , which I absolutely LOVE. This particular point makes me think that me not liking the writing has more to do with the translator (who also translated Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future , and while I enjoyed it, I did not enjoy a lot of the writing and characterizations) than the author himself. I looked into it, and The Kids Are Alright was translated by someone else, and I even mentioned in my review for that book that the translator did a fantastic job with making it feel like it had been originally written in English for English speakers.
This absolutely felt like it was translated, which is really not an experience I like, and might have done a disservice to the book.
And even aside from that, though, the experiences themselves weren't all that compelling. I honestly don't know if having a better translator would have helped much (sighs, return to me, translator of The Kids Are Alright), because what I did read felt. Boring.
The author has Tifa telling us about her younger years in Nibelheim, which was incredibly dull. And we got to see her meet her martial arts teacher, which was also dull. And how she went about learning these martial arts was weird and roundabout and dull.
And to make matters worse, we skip right over the Nibelheim incident with Sephiroth and jump right into her time in Midgard before Cloud shows up, which was also dull.
And like, I get it. The Nibelheim incident has been covered a million times over, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is going to cover that next, so we can't spoil the surprise, but I was hoping to see Sephiroth and Zack (my beloved!!!) from Tifa's point of view, along with that strange trooper that keeps avoiding her.
But we skip all that potentially juicy content to see Tifa in Midgar, where she was brought to a clinic by her martial arts master to be cared for by a doctor and her son in the wake of Sephiroth skewering her like a shish kabob. We then get her day to day as she lived under the thumb of the local slum lord working off her debt to the clinic.
It was as boring as I am making it sound.
And then we have Aerith's story, which at first sounded more compelling, but that's just because we started out with her telling us of her time in Shinra. But after she and her mother escape Shinra's clutches, it's downhill from there. Her everyday life in the slums was not much more exciting, even with Shinra looking for her. Even Tseng's appearance did not save it. How could you bog down Aerith's story with some convoluted plot of her adopted mother marrying into the local "construction syndicate" (read: Sector 5 mafia, but actually good people. So, boring.) instead of having her dodge Turk surveillance and bringing in the likes of Rude and Reno (who the author wrote SO WELL in The Kids Are Alright, by the way)?
It was just all boring. And the "revelations" given to us about her past illuminated nothing.
And then we have this Lonny dude, who never actually names himself and I had to flip back to the first page of Aerith's tale to get his name for this third section. Basically, his whole last section of the book was a roundabout way to explain the mural painted on Aerith's bedroom wall in the Remake. Aerith apparently had visions of places in her youth that she felt compelled to draw, and Shinra capitalized on it, hoping that her art was pointing toward the Promised Land. It ran her ragged until she was no longer able to do it anymore, and her young friend Lonny (the son of her and her mom's caretaker) was brought in to convince her to draw just one more picture.
She can't do it, so Lonny feeds her imagery of a place he saw in a magazine. TL;DR, this fake picture ruined the lives of a few people, one of which Lonny knew. He felt guilty about it and, 15 years later, decided to track some people down to give himself a clean slate.
That's it. The end.
I will say that the last section was the most engaging, but mostly because I had no idea where we were going with this. The end result wound up being boring, but at least it kept my interest.
Anyway, this was disappointing. I need to reread The Kids Are Alright now. I miss Kadaj. I want Kadaj back.
March 27, 2023
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected I would. I got pretty hooked on reading it and would recommend it to anyone who’s a big FFVII fan.
The book is split into three parts:
1. Tifa’s life growing up, how she met Zangan, and what happened to her after Nibelheim.
2. Aerith’s escape from Shinra and time spent growing up with Elmyra.
3. A short story that relates to Aerith, but would be hard to describe without spoiling.
I much preferred Tifa’s part of the story, personally. I thought Tifa’s story gave you a lot more insight into her and the person she is, while Aerith’s recapped a lot more stuff we already know from the games & focused a lot on Elmyra. I also didn’t find the way the book portrayed Elmyra to quite line up with how I’d always perceived her, so I could be a bit biased in being less enthusiastic about that half of the book.
Still, I enjoyed the book overall and I’m always appreciative of getting extra time with these characters.
The book is split into three parts:
1. Tifa’s life growing up, how she met Zangan, and what happened to her after Nibelheim.
2. Aerith’s escape from Shinra and time spent growing up with Elmyra.
3. A short story that relates to Aerith, but would be hard to describe without spoiling.
I much preferred Tifa’s part of the story, personally. I thought Tifa’s story gave you a lot more insight into her and the person she is, while Aerith’s recapped a lot more stuff we already know from the games & focused a lot on Elmyra. I also didn’t find the way the book portrayed Elmyra to quite line up with how I’d always perceived her, so I could be a bit biased in being less enthusiastic about that half of the book.
Still, I enjoyed the book overall and I’m always appreciative of getting extra time with these characters.
July 28, 2023
This is a companion book to the FF7 remake series.
The first story covers Tifa’s past, the second some stuff from Aerith, and the last one is a short series of events.
What I liked the most is that both characters really suffer within the FF7 world because of being women, and they encounter real woman issues (basically that men are trash, so it doesn’t get any real-er than that!).
Nevertheless, some of the story threads are quite weak… things like “I want to shower”, or “I am working to pay a debt”… with long exposition of every day’s life for each character without real substance whatsoever. Some of the characters added to the story were also never mentioned ever, so it does feel like filler in some sense.
The last story to me was very crappy.
Said that, I recommend it to FF7 fans, as it does add some context and layers to these two beloved characters in the series.
The first story covers Tifa’s past, the second some stuff from Aerith, and the last one is a short series of events.
What I liked the most is that both characters really suffer within the FF7 world because of being women, and they encounter real woman issues (basically that men are trash, so it doesn’t get any real-er than that!).
Nevertheless, some of the story threads are quite weak… things like “I want to shower”, or “I am working to pay a debt”… with long exposition of every day’s life for each character without real substance whatsoever. Some of the characters added to the story were also never mentioned ever, so it does feel like filler in some sense.
The last story to me was very crappy.
Said that, I recommend it to FF7 fans, as it does add some context and layers to these two beloved characters in the series.
June 15, 2023
Oh man, I love Final Fantasy VII with every fiber of my being, and I will never get tired of learning more about this game and its characters. If it were possible, I would give both Aerith and Tifa hugs for everything they had to go through while growing up.
This book, along with the new trailer that just dropped, has me so excited for Rebirth.
This book, along with the new trailer that just dropped, has me so excited for Rebirth.
March 28, 2023
In awe, honestly. If you're a fan of Final Fantasy, read this. Even if you aren't here for the characters, there's explanations of some game details that are important. The characters though... They're incredible. We get first hand explanation of Tifa and Aeriths pasts. Both really add to both of their characters as well as others. We also get background on Barret and Marlene, Biggs, Jessie, Cloud, and others. It was an incredible read, incredible story, highly recommend.
May 27, 2023
If you're a big fan of Final Fantasy 7, especially Tifa, this book is for you. The beginning was great, but the second part dragged on a little too much. Nonetheless, it's still a great read.
March 2, 2024
As an FFVII fan for a long time I had a feeling I’d love this book.
It tells of the semi-origin stories of Tifa and Aerith, two of my favourite video game characters.
In Tifa’s story we learn about her family life in Nibelheim. Her relationships growing up next door to Cloud. How close they were and how their feelings for each other grew over time. It shows you just how shy and reserved with her feelings she really is. How training and exercise becomes a rock for her throughout her life. All she went through in her early years in the slums in Midgar. The story even touches on elements of her character that are often more promoted in popular culture: namely her looks. It was interesting to see how this is brought into the story, and to read how Tifa felt about it all. It’s a story of her quiet strength and endurance, her will to survive the hardships, and of how this never dampens her spirit to care for others around her. I loved it all, and I love Tifa all the more for it.
In Aerith’s story we see a bit more of her life with her mother before she died, how they escaped from Shinra and how she met Elmyra. Her abilities as a Cetra are touched on too and loved reading about her connection to the planet and how she learnt to understand it more as she grew up. It’s wonderful to read because Aerith is someone known for her joyful nature and ability to see the good in everything. This shines all the brighter knowing just how much she’s been through.
A book for any fan of this game and story.
It tells of the semi-origin stories of Tifa and Aerith, two of my favourite video game characters.
In Tifa’s story we learn about her family life in Nibelheim. Her relationships growing up next door to Cloud. How close they were and how their feelings for each other grew over time. It shows you just how shy and reserved with her feelings she really is. How training and exercise becomes a rock for her throughout her life. All she went through in her early years in the slums in Midgar. The story even touches on elements of her character that are often more promoted in popular culture: namely her looks. It was interesting to see how this is brought into the story, and to read how Tifa felt about it all. It’s a story of her quiet strength and endurance, her will to survive the hardships, and of how this never dampens her spirit to care for others around her. I loved it all, and I love Tifa all the more for it.
In Aerith’s story we see a bit more of her life with her mother before she died, how they escaped from Shinra and how she met Elmyra. Her abilities as a Cetra are touched on too and loved reading about her connection to the planet and how she learnt to understand it more as she grew up. It’s wonderful to read because Aerith is someone known for her joyful nature and ability to see the good in everything. This shines all the brighter knowing just how much she’s been through.
A book for any fan of this game and story.
January 29, 2024
I've been consuming a lot of media to get ready to play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth when it comes out on PS5 at the end of February. One of the things I picked up was this book, and I was very happy I did.
When FF7 came out for PS1, I played it the same as everyone else. But, I was 17 years old, in my Junior Year of High School, and didn't make as much time for it as needed and stopped about halfway through the first disc. I am updated on the story (Yes, I know what happens... I dealt with it in '97 when I watched it happen as my friend played.) and I know the differences with this "Remake" timeline. To fully read and experience these stories here? Really immersive and got me ready more than ever.
Divided into two stories, the novel covers:
1) Tifa's childhood in Nibelheim, her role on the day of its destruction, her relocation to Midgar, her job working for a mob boss at a Steamed Buns food truck in Sector 8, and her acquisition of Seventh Heaven and joining Avalanche.
2) Aerith's escape from Shinra, her mother Ifalna's death and meeting of Elmyra, the Gainsborough family business and loss of Elmyra's husband to Wutai, being found by Tseng and the deal that was made, many years of growing up, and ending with her discovery of the church Ifalna was originally supposed to take them to.
I wish we would have gotten to see more of Aerith and Zack's story then was told in the cut scenes of Crisis Core, but perhaps secrets will be revealed in the upcoming game, especially with Zack still alive.
If you are an FF7 fan, you absolutely should read this. I'd love to see more FF7 Remake novels detailing the pasts of other main characters.
Strong recommend.
(Extra plea to the universe to get a FF6 Remake... LOL)
When FF7 came out for PS1, I played it the same as everyone else. But, I was 17 years old, in my Junior Year of High School, and didn't make as much time for it as needed and stopped about halfway through the first disc. I am updated on the story (Yes, I know what happens... I dealt with it in '97 when I watched it happen as my friend played.) and I know the differences with this "Remake" timeline. To fully read and experience these stories here? Really immersive and got me ready more than ever.
Divided into two stories, the novel covers:
1) Tifa's childhood in Nibelheim, her role on the day of its destruction, her relocation to Midgar, her job working for a mob boss at a Steamed Buns food truck in Sector 8, and her acquisition of Seventh Heaven and joining Avalanche.
2) Aerith's escape from Shinra, her mother Ifalna's death and meeting of Elmyra, the Gainsborough family business and loss of Elmyra's husband to Wutai, being found by Tseng and the deal that was made, many years of growing up, and ending with her discovery of the church Ifalna was originally supposed to take them to.
I wish we would have gotten to see more of Aerith and Zack's story then was told in the cut scenes of Crisis Core, but perhaps secrets will be revealed in the upcoming game, especially with Zack still alive.
If you are an FF7 fan, you absolutely should read this. I'd love to see more FF7 Remake novels detailing the pasts of other main characters.
Strong recommend.
(Extra plea to the universe to get a FF6 Remake... LOL)
January 13, 2024
Traces of Two Pasts follows the back stories of Tifa and Aeris and gives deeper insight into how their friendship develops. As a companion novel for the game, I would say it’s a must for FFVII fans. Tifa and Aeris are beloved characters, and the book succeeds in adding more context to their stories, personalities, and circumstances.
At times, the prose was a little difficult for me. There were moments it felt too much like a translation, and while the English gave me enough to understand what was going on, there was no real attempt to iron it out. It was like the text was translated once, “correctly,” and never looked at again for style, fluidity, etc. While I enjoyed it, it did feel a little stilted at times.
I would say fans of FFVII would enjoy Traces of Two Pasts, but if you’re not, or you just think the game is so-so, you probably wouldn’t.
At times, the prose was a little difficult for me. There were moments it felt too much like a translation, and while the English gave me enough to understand what was going on, there was no real attempt to iron it out. It was like the text was translated once, “correctly,” and never looked at again for style, fluidity, etc. While I enjoyed it, it did feel a little stilted at times.
I would say fans of FFVII would enjoy Traces of Two Pasts, but if you’re not, or you just think the game is so-so, you probably wouldn’t.
June 7, 2023
Honestly a real background story for Tifa and Aeris definitely recommend for Final Fantasy 7 fans. Tifas plot was by far my favorite but I’m bias, especially the story of how and why she chose her style or martial arts. I will say Aeris story is the saddest though, but the ending of her plot was by far the wildest as well with her, Faz and Elmyra. Chapter 3 was a slow read in my opinion with all the exploration notes.
August 16, 2024
For an extension of media, especially for a game franchise, this was SOOO good. I was super surprised it was a thing since I had no idea it existed before my boyfriend got it for me. I am a huge Final Fantasy 7 Remake fan, so it was super interesting to hear about both Aerith and Tifa's lore. Plus, it was published by Square Enix and they came THROUGH. Love, love, loved it.
Want to read
February 11, 2023SO NO ONE WANTED TO TELL ME THAT THIS EXISTS??!!!
September 17, 2025
4,5
pues, en medio de toda la pila de libros que tengo pendientes por leer decidí darle chance a este, porque hace ya un año que lo compré en Amazon, además para alimentar mi obsesión actual con Final Fantasy
en resumen, sí, me gustó más el capítulo de Tifa que el de Aerith. Porque el capítulo de Tifa sí se centraba en ella, en su historia, y en lo que vivió antes de llegar a Midgar. Tifa es mi personaje favorito de la séptima entrega, además de toda la franquicia. Admiro su resiliencia, coraje y ternura <3
en cambio, en el capítulo de Aerith había veces en las que la trama se centraba más en Elmyra y el negocio de Meguro y Clay, y pues, se sentía que la protagonista no era Aerith... sin mencionar que su capítulo es considerablemente más corto que el de Tifa.
en cuando a la coda... pues, me gustó, quizás me hubiera encantado más que se mostraran más escenas del protagonista con Sylvina, y el final se sintió un poco abrupto, pero emotivo a final de cuentas
pues, en medio de toda la pila de libros que tengo pendientes por leer decidí darle chance a este, porque hace ya un año que lo compré en Amazon, además para alimentar mi obsesión actual con Final Fantasy
en resumen, sí, me gustó más el capítulo de Tifa que el de Aerith. Porque el capítulo de Tifa sí se centraba en ella, en su historia, y en lo que vivió antes de llegar a Midgar. Tifa es mi personaje favorito de la séptima entrega, además de toda la franquicia. Admiro su resiliencia, coraje y ternura <3
en cambio, en el capítulo de Aerith había veces en las que la trama se centraba más en Elmyra y el negocio de Meguro y Clay, y pues, se sentía que la protagonista no era Aerith... sin mencionar que su capítulo es considerablemente más corto que el de Tifa.
en cuando a la coda... pues, me gustó, quizás me hubiera encantado más que se mostraran más escenas del protagonista con Sylvina, y el final se sintió un poco abrupto, pero emotivo a final de cuentas
March 6, 2025
This was such a nice read!
I absolutely adored Tifa's story, I'm so mad she had to go through all that >:((( Same goes for Aerith but with slightly... different emotions (get fucked Hojo, really, no one likes you). I enjoyed both of the stories and the epilogue. It's not a must needed book (unless you're obsessed and a lore junkie like me :p) but it was super fun to read!
No longer reviews (cause i'm lazy af let's face it) since I don't want to accidentally spoil some stuff but I'd say that if you're an FF7 fan - read it. It clears out some stuff and gives you a nice backstory of those two sunshines <33
I absolutely adored Tifa's story, I'm so mad she had to go through all that >:((( Same goes for Aerith but with slightly... different emotions (get fucked Hojo, really, no one likes you). I enjoyed both of the stories and the epilogue. It's not a must needed book (unless you're obsessed and a lore junkie like me :p) but it was super fun to read!
No longer reviews (cause i'm lazy af let's face it) since I don't want to accidentally spoil some stuff but I'd say that if you're an FF7 fan - read it. It clears out some stuff and gives you a nice backstory of those two sunshines <33
August 8, 2025
Unos pasados que alternan con escenas vistas en el juego, algo que hace de esta una novela ligera y con un buen desarrollo del personaje. Sin embargo, dejan atrás la historia entre Aerith y Zac, algo vital en la historia.
September 22, 2023
This may be a little biased but I loved my time spent with FF7 R: Traces of Two Pasts. The companion novel to the hit RPG focuses on Tifa and Aerith, two beloved characters of the FF7 universe. Here, we get to see their personal journeys and what they were up to before the events of the opening Mako Reactor Infiltration event, where eveything began.
The story is divided into three parts: an episode about Tifa, centered on her life in Nibelheim and what happened right after its destruction; an episode about Aerith, centered on her first escape from Shinra with her mother and what life was like adapting to a proper home under the care of Elmyra; and a third story focused on an unfamiliar stranger and his own journey into the past.
I would easily recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Final Fantasy VII. The stories add a lot to the overall lore and worldbuilding, as we get to see so many little details of what life is like at Midgar and beyond, things you wouldn't necessarily notice when playing the game. But the core of this book is Tifa and Aerith and their personal stories. While the events of this book may not add to the overall narrative of the FF7 universe, getting to see just a small piece of their lives was an enjoyable experience. If you didn't care for them before, you certainly will by the time you've reached each story's conclusion.
But what surprised me the most was the third story. While it may seem disconnected at first, you soon realize that it follows the novel's core idea: going back into the past and seeing traces of where everything began. I don't want to spoil anything, but it actually had me tearing up the most out of all three stories. Because unlike Tifa and Aerith, you know that this small sliver of narrative is all that will be given to this mysterious character. You won't see him in FF7 Rebirth, nor anywhere else in this big and growing universe, because at the end of the day, he is just another average person living their normal life, fading away into the background, an npc you'' walk past and not even notice. But for a moment, he was connected to a greater purpose.
Nevertheless, this was a great book, more than just some silly piece of FF7 merchandise. I would, however, only recommend this to people who are at least familiar with Final Fantasy VII, as reading this requires you to know who the central characters are and the basics of the world they live in.
The story is divided into three parts: an episode about Tifa, centered on her life in Nibelheim and what happened right after its destruction; an episode about Aerith, centered on her first escape from Shinra with her mother and what life was like adapting to a proper home under the care of Elmyra; and a third story focused on an unfamiliar stranger and his own journey into the past.
I would easily recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Final Fantasy VII. The stories add a lot to the overall lore and worldbuilding, as we get to see so many little details of what life is like at Midgar and beyond, things you wouldn't necessarily notice when playing the game. But the core of this book is Tifa and Aerith and their personal stories. While the events of this book may not add to the overall narrative of the FF7 universe, getting to see just a small piece of their lives was an enjoyable experience. If you didn't care for them before, you certainly will by the time you've reached each story's conclusion.
But what surprised me the most was the third story. While it may seem disconnected at first, you soon realize that it follows the novel's core idea: going back into the past and seeing traces of where everything began. I don't want to spoil anything, but it actually had me tearing up the most out of all three stories. Because unlike Tifa and Aerith, you know that this small sliver of narrative is all that will be given to this mysterious character. You won't see him in FF7 Rebirth, nor anywhere else in this big and growing universe, because at the end of the day, he is just another average person living their normal life, fading away into the background, an npc you'' walk past and not even notice. But for a moment, he was connected to a greater purpose.
Nevertheless, this was a great book, more than just some silly piece of FF7 merchandise. I would, however, only recommend this to people who are at least familiar with Final Fantasy VII, as reading this requires you to know who the central characters are and the basics of the world they live in.
September 4, 2023
I love, and always will love Final Fantasy VII. It is one of my favorite games of all time. And while I have thoughts and opinions about the "Remake," (which I will not get into here) I love the world so much that I cannot help but dive into anything set there. Including fan fiction from time to time.
It is with that love that I can say I enjoyed this book. Because other than my already deep care for the characters, this book is average at best. There were some things I appreciated about both Aeris (no, I'm not gonna write Aerith) and Tifa's story, but overall it was just not done very well.
This felt like a cash grab in a lot of ways. It wasn't horrible, but for sure both of these stories could have, and should have been better. I am clearly not an author, but I feel like I could have at least wrote this story, because I was pretty basic stuff. Minor info and what happened with Tifa's mentor Zangan. Some of what happened with Aeris while with Shinra and how she came to be with Elmyra. It was all just...average.
Now, I did end up liking this book, but as I said at the top, the big reason for this is because I am already invested in this world and its characters deeply. If you don't have a connection with these characters, you may as well just look elsewhere. Wait for Rebirth to come out instead. Maybe go play Ever Crisis. But you can certainly do better than this book. With all that being said, I will gladly buy the next Final Fantasy book. I just hope it's more like Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future and less like this.
It is with that love that I can say I enjoyed this book. Because other than my already deep care for the characters, this book is average at best. There were some things I appreciated about both Aeris (no, I'm not gonna write Aerith) and Tifa's story, but overall it was just not done very well.
This felt like a cash grab in a lot of ways. It wasn't horrible, but for sure both of these stories could have, and should have been better. I am clearly not an author, but I feel like I could have at least wrote this story, because I was pretty basic stuff. Minor info and what happened with Tifa's mentor Zangan. Some of what happened with Aeris while with Shinra and how she came to be with Elmyra. It was all just...average.
Now, I did end up liking this book, but as I said at the top, the big reason for this is because I am already invested in this world and its characters deeply. If you don't have a connection with these characters, you may as well just look elsewhere. Wait for Rebirth to come out instead. Maybe go play Ever Crisis. But you can certainly do better than this book. With all that being said, I will gladly buy the next Final Fantasy book. I just hope it's more like Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future and less like this.
April 18, 2023
As a huge fan on FFVII, it only came natural to want to read the background stories of two of its main characters. Tifa's story leads to the events that you are likely familiar with in Nibleheim; and through the point where she acquires ownership of the Seventh Heaven bar. Aerith's story fills the gaps up to when Elmyra finds her and her biological mother at the train depot. There is also a third story that covers a new character of whom had been familiar with Aerith while she was still imprisoned as a girl at Shinra headquarters. Each of the three stories are page-turners in their own right. I definitely enjoyed reading them.
July 10, 2023
3.75 ⭐
Conocer más sobre Tifa y Aerith nunca está de más y las quiero un montón.
La parte final se me hizo un poco cuesta arriba, pero creo que es información complementaria súper interesante para conocer un poco mejor a ambos personajes. Algunas cosas ya las sabía, pero profundizar un poco en esos eventos ha sido un viaje lleno de sensaciones.
No es nada el otro mundo, eso desde luego, pero muy recomendado para fans de Final Fantasy VII que quieran empaparse un poco más de lore en lo que esperan a Rebirth.
Conocer más sobre Tifa y Aerith nunca está de más y las quiero un montón.
La parte final se me hizo un poco cuesta arriba, pero creo que es información complementaria súper interesante para conocer un poco mejor a ambos personajes. Algunas cosas ya las sabía, pero profundizar un poco en esos eventos ha sido un viaje lleno de sensaciones.
No es nada el otro mundo, eso desde luego, pero muy recomendado para fans de Final Fantasy VII que quieran empaparse un poco más de lore en lo que esperan a Rebirth.
June 1, 2023
If you are a fan of FFVII this is a must read. It fills in the childhood sections for Aertith & Tifa, along with how they ended up in Midgar. It's a compelling quick read that does some of worldbuilding that the slums could really use. The translation is amazingly good. If you want to dive deeper into the game you love, this is a must-have.
August 25, 2023
It's really adorable and really sad at the same time. I feel like there are a lot of new details this story adds to the universe of FFVII that will be important to the next Remake installment.
If you enjoyed FFVI Remake, as well as any of the FFVII universe, you'll love this book.
If you enjoyed FFVI Remake, as well as any of the FFVII universe, you'll love this book.
January 20, 2025
Such an average book, the writing was immersive enough and made me excited for the game coming this week
July 24, 2023
Two fan favorite characters from Final Fantasy VII get important pieces of their stories straight in Traces of Two Pasts, a novel able to stand on its own merits while adding depth to the Remake trilogy of the popular video game series. Narratively framed as the two women telling each other about their lives before the events that brought them together (the events of FF VII Remake), we’re treated first to Tifa Lockhart’s explanation of how she came from a former energy boomtown that barely matches the description anymore to the massive slums of the lower city in Midgar. She moves from a child locked in by the expectations of her small town to a young woman locked into a debt owed to one of the many criminal underworld bosses in the city. This portion of the book is certainly the fullest in both its character arc and in the actual events reported.
Aerith Gainsborough’s half covers far fewer pages despite the potential of her story. I have the distinct impression that more is intended to be told in the second game of the remake rather than this book, but the novel does make it clear that her perspective of events was very limited and that is why there is so much less for her to explain compared to Tifa’s story. We still discover some of her more interesting experiences such as her escape from the Shinra Electric Power Company building and her real mother’s fate, as well as why she was allowed to live in one area of the slums without the authorities taking her back to Shinra. Most of the rest fills in how that slum operated in terms of power structure and how the slums overall relate to the Shinra company.
There is a short but exceptionally well written coda to Aerith’s story. It fills out a little more detail about things that happened around Aerith when she was a child but boasts its own unnamed narrator whose experiences as her childhood playmate have led him, now a young man in Shinra’s employ, on an investigation into the disappearance of a friend fifteen years later.
I fully recommend it for those who have no interest in the game and those that love the game.
Four stars with that fifth star disappearing somewhere in Aerith's story.
Aerith Gainsborough’s half covers far fewer pages despite the potential of her story. I have the distinct impression that more is intended to be told in the second game of the remake rather than this book, but the novel does make it clear that her perspective of events was very limited and that is why there is so much less for her to explain compared to Tifa’s story. We still discover some of her more interesting experiences such as her escape from the Shinra Electric Power Company building and her real mother’s fate, as well as why she was allowed to live in one area of the slums without the authorities taking her back to Shinra. Most of the rest fills in how that slum operated in terms of power structure and how the slums overall relate to the Shinra company.
There is a short but exceptionally well written coda to Aerith’s story. It fills out a little more detail about things that happened around Aerith when she was a child but boasts its own unnamed narrator whose experiences as her childhood playmate have led him, now a young man in Shinra’s employ, on an investigation into the disappearance of a friend fifteen years later.
I fully recommend it for those who have no interest in the game and those that love the game.
Four stars with that fifth star disappearing somewhere in Aerith's story.
May 20, 2024
This was just okay, though honestly somewhat unexciting. I think the best parts are in Tifa's section because you get to see her initial meetings/interactions with important characters Cloud and Barret but also with side characters you've been introduced to before in the game like Zangan, Marlene, Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, and Marle. It's less engaging when they introduce random new characters. I wish they wouldn't have put so much emphasis on the fact that people just want to hire Tifa because she's an attractive girl, especially since she is underage for a majority of her section of the story. The backstory they came up with as to how Elmyra came to have such a nice house in the slums and survive on her own was... interesting. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth having characters like Rakesh and Faz who behave in really weird/twisted ways towards the women they supposedly have feelings for. One? Okay, but two?? Anyway. I think they could have improved Aerith's part if they had included more of her interactions with the Turks growing up. Also it surprised me to see how Elmyra interacted with Aerith in certain scenes, she comes across as more blunt and gruff than I would picture her being based on how she's portrayed in the games.
May 16, 2023
I've read FF7 books penned by Nojima before, so I had a feeling I'd enjoy this story, and I did. For the most part. This book is separated into two main sections that explore unseen histories of both Tifa Lockheart and Aerith Gainsborough. Readers learn about Tifa's painful journey from her idyllic home to becoming a member of Avalance. We see how Aerith went from a prisoner in a metal tower to a flower girl of Sector 5. The book takes the time to explore aspects of the two fans have never seen. And as a fan of the REMAKE I love it.
My one complaint is he extra story added at the end; it felt like it was placed there to meet a page count and barely fleshes out the world.
If you're a fan of the FF series and want to chew into new lore this is the book for you.
My one complaint is he extra story added at the end; it felt like it was placed there to meet a page count and barely fleshes out the world.
If you're a fan of the FF series and want to chew into new lore this is the book for you.
December 30, 2024
This book is a hero origin story told in two parts by Tifa and Aerith. It is very well done in describing how these two characters came to be and the challenges they overcame. It’s a great point to start enjoying the Final Fantasy VII world. You don’t need any prior knowledge of FFVII to enjoy it, but don’t expect a grand conclusion to the global challenges faced by the FFVII characters in this book. The book does stand alone well though in following the origins of Tifa and Aerith with their own self contained stories. I really enjoyed exploring the concept of an unrelenting positive focus on bettering oneself in the midst of intense strife.
March 14, 2025
I did enjoy reading Aerith and Tifa’s back stories, but, certainly for Aerith, didn’t really learn very much new, it was more a heartbreaking delve into her childhood. I found Tifa’s story more motivational and you could see how she gained her inner strength. I don’t think you’d get much out of the book if you haven’t already played the Final Fantasy VII game as there really isn’t a great deal of description of anything, which is a shame as the story is set in a rich and diverse environment. All in all, a nice game tie in.
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