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But I'm Not Just an NPC!!
Light of Command is one of the biggest science fiction VRMMORPGs, known for it's dedication to detail in the NPC mechanics and reality of the AI interactions. But the thing is, the NPCs are actually employees hired to be there, much like mascots in a theme park. Amari Katsuya is one of these many NPCs tasked with being a purchasable assistant on a crew ship, but his position is at risk when he begins to develop what he thinks might be more-than-plantonic feelings for his charismatic captain, Minato. Though Minato has some things to work through, himself, which may complicate things further.
[ featuring artwork by Machi Koshi ]
[ featuring artwork by Machi Koshi ]
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2021
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Lucien Welsh
2 books25 followersLucien tries his best.
While failing in the whole "self-promotion" aspect of being an indie author, Lucien has shifted his goals to writing what he likes and hoping the right people find his work. Usually based around the anime-inspired lightnovel format or writing about furry-adjacent characters in fantasy, Lucien enjoys leaning into the pleasantly strand slice-of-life formats with a hint of romance to them.
You can find most of his work for free via his carrd at https://lucienpresents.carrd.co/.
While failing in the whole "self-promotion" aspect of being an indie author, Lucien has shifted his goals to writing what he likes and hoping the right people find his work. Usually based around the anime-inspired lightnovel format or writing about furry-adjacent characters in fantasy, Lucien enjoys leaning into the pleasantly strand slice-of-life formats with a hint of romance to them.
You can find most of his work for free via his carrd at https://lucienpresents.carrd.co/.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 9, 2022
5/5
CW: anxiety attacks, transphobia, dead naming (name not mentioned), depression, self harm (implied but extremely subtle)
Includes: found family, band of misfits, LGBT+ rep, diverse cast, video game world, multi-POV narration
If you’re a fan of character driven stories with a strong theme of found family and you loved Sword Art Online but thought it could use a little fruit, then you have come to the right place. But, I’m Not Just An NPC delivers exactly that in the form of a light novel series. Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had such a fun time reading this and was delightfully surprised that even though I am NOT a gamer, I found the concept entirely accessible without it being info dumpy. The first novel (or season) follows our non-AI NPC Katsuya (whose POV is told in first person) and the captain of The Horizon, Minato (narrated in third person). We follow them in a couple exciting missions and watch as their bond grows while also being provided with special chapters that give a peek into the other members’ lives.
It took a couple pages for me to get used to the change in narration style, but after I did it became a subtle and easy way to figure out whose perspective I was reading from without starting every paragraph with the character’s name. Each character was given a very distinct voice that negated any need for explicit characterization. After a while, I found that I could even differentiate the twins despite them sharing many scenes. It did take about halfway through the book to start getting more insight into the side characters, but given the nature that this will be part of a series, it has to be expected. The fact that we were given such an in depth look into all of the characters in the first book (not to mention a light novel which is relatively short) speaks that this was an extremely solid foundation to what I expect will be a fun and adventurous series.
I will emphasize that this volume is very much character driven and as of yet, the overarching external conflict has not yet been introduced. (I don’t consider this a bad thing, I just want people to know what they’re getting into.) However the multiple internal conflicts were introduced so masterfully and hinted at from the very beginning. I kind of loved that it wasn’t explicitly stated that Minato is trans, instead relying on the details so that if we didn’t pay attention then we would come to the realization at the same time Katsuya did. I also really loved the sheer diversity of the cast with it came to gender identity, sexuality, neurodiversity, and family situations. I do wish the twins’ situation had been introduced a little earlier and been included not as an extra chapter. If I would change one thing it would probably be that since the bonus chapter and the reason behind their names added A LOT to their character development.
In terms of criticisms, my list is extremely short and super picky. I was not a fan of Welsh’s use of “the boy” or “the girl” when he didn’t want to use the character’s name too much. It just felt a little too distancing, especially after we start getting to know the characters more intimately. I can understand using it a little in the beginning, but after that I would just drop it entirely. Next would be some of the references that were used. At one point Katsuya describes someone as probably being one of those people who likes reenacting wars. I know this is definitely something done in North America and it might be done in Japan, but I don’t know if it’s done enough that it could be used as a comparison in Japan and sound natural. This so might just be a gap in my own knowledge, but there were a couple times where it felt like there were some inconsistencies with the setting and the references being used.
Overall, I would suggest this to anyone who watched SAO, loved the found family (especially if they’re an AFTG fan), and anyone who feels like they don’t fit the space they occupy in the world.
CW: anxiety attacks, transphobia, dead naming (name not mentioned), depression, self harm (implied but extremely subtle)
Includes: found family, band of misfits, LGBT+ rep, diverse cast, video game world, multi-POV narration
If you’re a fan of character driven stories with a strong theme of found family and you loved Sword Art Online but thought it could use a little fruit, then you have come to the right place. But, I’m Not Just An NPC delivers exactly that in the form of a light novel series. Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had such a fun time reading this and was delightfully surprised that even though I am NOT a gamer, I found the concept entirely accessible without it being info dumpy. The first novel (or season) follows our non-AI NPC Katsuya (whose POV is told in first person) and the captain of The Horizon, Minato (narrated in third person). We follow them in a couple exciting missions and watch as their bond grows while also being provided with special chapters that give a peek into the other members’ lives.
It took a couple pages for me to get used to the change in narration style, but after I did it became a subtle and easy way to figure out whose perspective I was reading from without starting every paragraph with the character’s name. Each character was given a very distinct voice that negated any need for explicit characterization. After a while, I found that I could even differentiate the twins despite them sharing many scenes. It did take about halfway through the book to start getting more insight into the side characters, but given the nature that this will be part of a series, it has to be expected. The fact that we were given such an in depth look into all of the characters in the first book (not to mention a light novel which is relatively short) speaks that this was an extremely solid foundation to what I expect will be a fun and adventurous series.
I will emphasize that this volume is very much character driven and as of yet, the overarching external conflict has not yet been introduced. (I don’t consider this a bad thing, I just want people to know what they’re getting into.) However the multiple internal conflicts were introduced so masterfully and hinted at from the very beginning. I kind of loved that it wasn’t explicitly stated that Minato is trans, instead relying on the details so that if we didn’t pay attention then we would come to the realization at the same time Katsuya did. I also really loved the sheer diversity of the cast with it came to gender identity, sexuality, neurodiversity, and family situations. I do wish the twins’ situation had been introduced a little earlier and been included not as an extra chapter. If I would change one thing it would probably be that since the bonus chapter and the reason behind their names added A LOT to their character development.
In terms of criticisms, my list is extremely short and super picky. I was not a fan of Welsh’s use of “the boy” or “the girl” when he didn’t want to use the character’s name too much. It just felt a little too distancing, especially after we start getting to know the characters more intimately. I can understand using it a little in the beginning, but after that I would just drop it entirely. Next would be some of the references that were used. At one point Katsuya describes someone as probably being one of those people who likes reenacting wars. I know this is definitely something done in North America and it might be done in Japan, but I don’t know if it’s done enough that it could be used as a comparison in Japan and sound natural. This so might just be a gap in my own knowledge, but there were a couple times where it felt like there were some inconsistencies with the setting and the references being used.
Overall, I would suggest this to anyone who watched SAO, loved the found family (especially if they’re an AFTG fan), and anyone who feels like they don’t fit the space they occupy in the world.
May 24, 2022
Okay, I’m ready for book 2 now :) This is honestly my first MMORPG type book that I’ve read, and I really liked it. I liked that the NPC game character was a real person, and how they felt when things were happening. Also hot boys finding each other <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2022
THE WAY THAT I LOVE THIS WEBNOVEL SERIES. From the very beginning, I loved the idea of an NPC game character being a real person. The concept in general is so interesting and the things you’d see working in that position alone would be so awesome. I was DYING over the updates and now I cannot wait to see the next installment. These sweet boys slowly coming together has been a delight to read about and I can’t wait for them both to be happy and together 😭😭😭
May 7, 2022
It's been a long time since I've steadily written a single project long enough to complete it, but that time has finally come with my queer, trans, love note to gaming isekai light novels. It isn't perfect, but no book is and I'm just happy to say that this one is mine.
[ read this edition FOR FREE on Voyce Me ]
[ cover art by ]
[ read this edition FOR FREE on Voyce Me ]
[ cover art by ]
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews