The situation continues from the last volume. In this one, the fourth years, Ophelia Salvadori and Carlos Vitolo, have a big role in this novel. Oliver and the others are shaken up by Pete's absence. As a result, Oliver, Nanoa, Char, and Milligan chase after him in the lower labyrinth where the fights are very fierce. The chimera's troublesome powers constantly block Oliver and the others. As a result, the student's lives are always dancing with death. Will they save Pete or will they die first? There are a lot of fight scenes, so those that like fighting, please check it out!
"Ophelia" is certainly a loaded name, and this volume shows why Bokuto Uno chose it for the character - her story is nothing but tragic. I hesitate to say that it's intentionally feminist, but it still lends itself to a feminist reading of the story; Ophelia's tragedy stems in no small part from the fact that she's from a family descended from succubi and has sexuality forced upon her at a young age. Damned for what her family has done to her, Ophelia has no chance at living a normal life, and that's the true pain of her story.
This series may have started off as Harry Potter-inspired fanfic or commentary (your choice), but it's definitely come into its own.
So, last time I sure whined about how this series starts with a really long set-up, resulting in a rather slow pace until we get to the action scenes. Well, volume 3 is different. It's the last book of the first year arc, so while it feels like an extension of the previous two books, this is where all the action takes place. It starts with an urgent situation right off the bat and has the single goal of solving this problem, so it's fast-paced with relentless combat scenes.
Volume 3 focuses solely on the horrible life of Ophelia Salvadori and the chaotic mess it plunged her into. As a descendant of the succubi bloodline, she can't help but spread a certain scent that causes male arousal. Obviously, that led to all sorts of trouble when she started going to Kimberly. And if you add love to the equation, the end result can't possibly be anything good. Her story is tragic, but seeing that this series is selling the whole mad and dark side of magic, it's handled pretty nicely. The ending is especially fitting, and for once the flashbacks actually enhance the story without feeling like they're just extra attachments.
As far as the main cast goes, Katie and Guy aren't a part of the adventures this time. By adventure I mean labyrinth exploration, really, because 90% of the book is set in the second and third layers of the labyrinth. In exchange, Miligan joins Oliver's party as a mentor and guide. There's a lot of relationships developing between the side characters, but unfortunately the majority of them are left hanging at the end of the book. It ends rather abruptly without any follow-ups on what happened to some of the characters. Some are kidnapped, others got injured in battle, and I guess it's up to volume 4 to show if they survived at all.
Despite this being an enjoyable fantasy read, I feel like it would've been nicer if we get to see more character personality instead of magic and combat techniques. It's not like the characters are bland without notable personality traits or anything, but it doesn't seem to be enough. They come off as a little weak and not fleshed out enough, especially when compared to the richness of the battle scenes. It feels like we know a lot about the characters' magic prowess and combat capabilities, but them as people? Not as much. The more I read from this series, however, I wonder if it's just the author's way of doing things.
Oliver and friends are entering the second year arc next, but I'm going to take a break until volume 6 comes out to avoid any possible cliffhangers. With Ophelia's issue taken care of, it seems like he's finally going back to his revenge plan soon. Exciting.
Magic and magic society in the world of the Spellblades is brutal and dangerous. The book is partially about the villain Ophelia, and partially about Oliver and his friends overcoming the dangers of said world to rescue one of their own. As a result, there are quite a few flashbacks, I liked them and feel they were very necessary both for the world building and to prevent the ending to feel like a deus ex machina. The fact that I am a bit frustrated not knowing the final fate of some minor side characters at the end (there is no question about the main characters), is in my opinion a good sign. The author made me care about everybody even the antagonists and villains. I do wish we got to see a bit more about the MC and his friends, not their skills, but their motivations and personalities, but I accept that was not the purpose of this volume. So a solid addition to the series and really looking forward to the next book.
المجلد الثالث احداثه دخول اوليفر شيلا ناناو الى المتاهة بمساعدة ميلقان سينباي ومغامراتهم الى وصولوهم الطابق الثالث ماضي اوفيليا سلفادوري مع سينباي كارلوس وحبها الاول و وقوعها في في الظلام والنهاية إنقاد بيت,بيت هرب بمساعدة اولبريت . اختيار كارلوس ان يموت مع اوفيليا .. اقدر اقول ان في النهاية السنة الاولى انه ابطال تغيرو وتفكيريهم ,هل ممكن ان يصلون يوما ما لمرحلة اوفيليا وكارلوس من اتقان المادو؟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
One of the most underrated novel. We get glimpse into the truly dark nature of the world the author has built with a flashing warning that there is no happy ending to this story. Following all the warnings given throughout the earlier volumes, we finally see concrete proof that the people living in the world of Kimberly either pay for their experiences with their lives or walk away from it permanently scarred.
Honestly, the shortest review I can give for this is basically what I did in the title. The story practically went in a circle, ending with nothing resolved whatsoever. Overall, other than some incredible minor character growth, nothing whatsoever happened in this book. For the most part, this entire book could be skipped.
Si la partie aventure est globalement peu passionnante, le dernier tier du récit, qui raconte l'histoire d'Ophelia, m'a beaucoup touché et en fait une conclusion forte pour cette première année de nos protagonistes.