Honestly, ordinarily this work would be at least 4 stars for me. The attention to detail is fantastic as the author seems to notice the little bits about this type of world and using powers that other authors miss.
The writing itself is quite superb with the right mix of adjectives, vivid descriptions and no grammatical errors.
The pacing of the world is jarred, we learn about the new world insidiously; slowly and in a measured manner for multiple chapters and then all of a sudden, information is flying our way from nowhere. This works for this novel though because it creates suspense and carries the reader along.
The immediate flaw of the work is in character interactions, the characters are three-dimensional but in the author's attempt to make them very complex, they often come across as inconsistent, almost in-human.
But the biggest flaw and the main reason for my rating is the MC. He is passive, naive and hopelessly reactive. Unlike other MC's who make things happen and take control, the MC lets things happen and only does something when in a tight spot. As a result, he has somehow ended up being a toy for multiple powerful forces due to his sheer stupidity. He feels very half-hearted without a shred of resolve and thinks and acts like 21st century, first-world **** who has yet to stop suckling at his mother's teat.
He makes for an immensely frustrating read and has brought me to the brink of dropping this work multiple times. It is rare for such a good quality work to have one character Fuck it all up but somehow the author has managed to achieve that.
And I, as a reader, do not know whether to be impressed at the finesse required to achieve such or angry that such a good book has been made sub par by the individual meant to be its linchpin.
