HP: Spirit Talker

ALMOST everything was good , but the dialog just sucks , i dont know who is talking or even when someone is talking ... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Honestly, so far, I have enjoyed the book. However, there are some notable issues that have affected my reading experience. One of the main problems is inconsistency in the writing. For example, I’ve noticed instances where a character is referred to with female pronouns, but context dictates they are male. Then, the pronouns switch back to male, only to reference the character as female again shortly after. Another issue is the pacing. The story feels long and drawn out, and while progression is present, it isn’t clearly outlined. For instance, in the beginning, the protagonist is drugged and brainwashed by his clan but ends up learning skills they didn’t anticipate. He eventually breaks free, kills the entire clan leadership—including the clan head—and rescues his mother, who initially appears to care deeply for him. However, about 20 chapters later, her attitude shifts drastically. She no longer seems to care about him and is focused solely on using him for political marriages and rebuilding the clan. She justifies this by believing that, once he matures, he will understand and possibly even thank her one day. As readers, we can see that the protagonist deeply values freedom and the pursuit of knowledge. However, he also doesn’t seem to communicate his desires or dreams to others, which causes misunderstandings and damaged relationships. For example, there are characters who initially care for him but lose interest because they don’t understand him. His mother, for instance, seems to love him at first but becomes focused on controlling his future, such as arranging political marriages and using him to rebuild their clan. This shift feels especially strange given her own history—having just escaped a place that severely restricted her freedom and choices, she should, theoretically, empathize with his desire for free will. Instead, she appears to disregard how important freedom is to him, and it’s unclear whether this stems from the protagonist’s inability to express his values or from her intentional disregard for them. Adding to the complexity, the protagonist often complains about being lectured and talked down to during his classes. While this frustration is understandable, especially given his past, it seems contradictory. He clearly benefits from these lessons, gaining skills and knowledge that are crucial for his survival, yet his complaints come across as ungrateful. This dynamic sometimes feels more like arrogance than justified rebellion. Given that he’s a child who managed to kill the leadership of his old clan, one would expect his teachers and peers to approach him with caution rather than condescension, possibly out of fear of provoking him. However, the story portrays them as endlessly lecturing him, which eventually drives him to leave home, journeying across multiple continents. Unfortunately, these new settings often lack engaging storylines, and the narrative largely abandons his original home of Japan after a dragon tells him he doesn’t owe anyone anything. This abrupt shift feels odd and underdeveloped. Overall, I like the book, but reading it can be challenging. The lack of defined paragraphs, confusing dialogue that doesn’t clearly indicate which character is speaking, and the protagonist’s apparent isolation from meaningful relationships make it harder to connect with the story. He seems to have no one who truly cares for him beyond what they can gain, and he, in turn, doesn’t seem to care much about others. Despite its flaws, many of the premises are well thought out and intriguing. I just wish the story were more engaging and relatable.