The Inferno Chronicles

by Jen Junn Lee

William Lee, a normal teenager was living everyday life, up until monsters attacked his village. After a close encounter with death, he set out on a journey to discover the attacks that broke out around The Inferno.

His investigation soon leads him to find two companions, Lina the energetic cat-girl and August, the brilliant mind trapped in a fogged memory. Together, they battle through the odds to find out the truth behind the attacks, and the world they live in.

Will they be able to uncover the truth? Or will it be too late?

Genres: Fantasy

120 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2023

Reviews

[Afi (WhatAfiReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Survival is not a game. It requires dedication and hard word. It takes up your time and energy. You have to put up everything you've got if you wish to survive in the wild.

What if you wake up one day and your world is not what it seems?

That was what had happened to William Lee, waking up in a state of terror - when his village was attacked one day and he went out on a journey to find what had happened to everyone in the village. There, he met Enya and the both of them somewhat became comrades in their oddly ways. A story of courage, bravery, friendship and mostly of a world that might feel as your own but is it how its supposed to be?

This book had a lot of potential - but judging by its length, I understand the predicament in the depth of the characters and the plot progression.

Lets start with what I liked with this book.

✨ World Building ✨
For a book so short, I feel that the world building had been adequate. Its one that is expected of a novella but the writing showed the author's attention to detail with how the world is set. Its somewhat reminded me of the village in Genshin Impact and I somewhat imagined the whole setting of the book to be somewhat like the game's interface.

✨ Characters ✨
I do feel, for a book that is targeted for its audience, the characters served a good part in showing the moral values to be instilled as a person. I liked that the characters are eccentric in their own way and has a growth arc of their own. I personally would like if there are more depth towards the characters and how they become to be the way they are - but I do feel its something that the author can work on.

However, for a short read, it took me actually quite awhile to finish this. I think, one of my main disappointments of this book was how the plot didn't somewhat connected with the ending? There is something quite missing in the book that I can't put my hands on. I think the overall spark and excitement had made me read this book a bit slower than usual, but then again it might be just me.

Overall, this is not a bad read. This is a book that is definitely suitable for beginners. It has its own potential and I for one will be looking forward to the author's next new book to see his growth as well.

3.25🌟 for this !

[Janice J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cleverly written book. I did find myself wondering why certain scenes were so abrupt, but once I understood the bigger picture - it made total sense. I will not put in any spoilers but I enjoyed visiting this world created by Jen Junn. It's amazing to see what the author could write at 15yrs, looking forward to see what else is in store for them!

P/S:Minor observation: I found a couple of incorrect word usage in the book. "Seize" the opportunity was spelt as "ceased" the opportunity'. Hope the Publisher can amend for future prints :)

[Thes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book brought us on a journey with William, a very normal human being, Lina, a cat-girl and August, another human being and Enya, a pet phoenix of William to defeat the one behind the mass destructions on unsuspecting villages. Together, they went on an adventure to find the answers to their question.

I should begin my review by saying that this type of story is not really what I normally read but I think we ought to try something new every now and then. Firstly, the story is fast paced and it was too fast really, for me to catch up. One moment Lina try to kill William and they were arguing with each other to defend and protect themselves and another they were friends. And then came August, a man with fogged and unpatched memory. And suddenly they all agreed to go on a journey together.

Characters wise, I personally think that they can be developed more, more backstory on Lina and August, more to their connections and how they developed their friendships and so on. Story wise, I think there is room for improvement like that the villains' should be even more powerful that the last one and keep consistency in the whereabouts of the character, I found Enya missing for some time during the time they spent in ghost town.

Regardless of the weaknesses, I found the book quite refreshing, especially with the unexpected revelation near the end. I was like whuuut? And also, the world building is so marvelous and I loves how the author explain the surrounding and slowly explained the situation. Would be nice if I can actually connect it to the map drawn before the story start. Overall, a nice story and maybe one day can be improved much more to be a whole new story and book.

[Klux · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novella follows the adventure of William, Lina and August as they pursue The Dominus, who was said to be responsible for the destruction of their villages, which is in a country called Inferno.

My thoughts:

× What the hell did I just read? and it's not a compliment. This is a mediocre attempt at world building. Maybe because it was too short?

× It's not believable. It just didn't work for me and it rubbed me the wrong ways.

× Given the context, maybe it made sense how these 3 strangers suddenly became buddies and fight evils. But I still think the way the friendships were established was too abrupt and lacking in so many ways.

× In lots of way, the story was whimsical. A farmer who suddenly has powers, developed great fighting skills, and able to defeat the greatest villain in the story without hardly breaking a sweat. If it sounds too farfetched, that's because it is. But again, given the context that Inferno was actually a game and he and the others are just characters in it, it suddenly made sense. That what pissed me off. I felt like the author found a loophole and used a shortcut. It is both clever and frustrating.

Story 3/5
Characters 3/5
Development 3/5
Enjoyment 2/5
Style of writing 3/5
Overall 2.8/5

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good idea and I think it could be worked into a longer book. Found out the author was only 15 when he wrote it so good job on your first go. Some grammar mistakes here and there but it didn't affect the storyline so that's ok. Will look forward to his next book.

[Nadiah Zakaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wish the characters were more in depth but it’s an interesting story nonetheless! quite a unique adventure from start to finish.

[Lilian Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5! I enjoyed the world-building and the trials faced!

[Shaheila Ashriza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! The ending got me! I didn’t expect that!

[kfarhanah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Ija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal rating: 3.6/5 ⭐️

[Raine Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 just for the story length. I honestly believe if the characters and story line were more developed, it would be a fantastic fantasy read. I do enjoy this book. The ending tho!

[Izzati Sofea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would've thought of the ending

[Sha Mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pengembaraan yang menyeronokkan.. Walaupun ada beberapa bahagian macam tak cukup kesinambungan tapi bacaan yang menarik..

[Zulzafry Zulkifly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boleh lah~

[Auni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was unexpected! You guys should read thus book. At first, it may seemed slow and boring but by the time you pass half of the book, it will get interesting! Really recommend 👌🏻 👏🏻

[strawbcheesecake · Rating 2 out of 5]

everything feels rushed but made sense at the end (kinda)

[Meor Azfar · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5⭐️