Review of Changing Masks
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Henry Patrovic
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Review of Changing Masks
[Following is a volunteer review of "Changing Masks" by Nicholas Metelsky.]
The fantasy/science fiction novel “Changing Masks” by Nicholas Metelsky follows the veteran fighter Maxim Rudov, who is transported to Tokyo in a parallel world, where magic exists and various clans fight for dominance. He is transferred into the weak body of Shinji, a child abandoned by his parents. Now he has to survive without money, power and respect. However, he still has his cunning mind. He uses it to lead a double life. A student during the day, and a masked criminal at night.
I like this book. It has some flaws but I enjoyed reading it. Let me start with the negatives.
The first flaw is the writing style. Often it feels awkward and during conversations it is hard to understand who is talking. There are also some grammatical mistakes but they are barely noticeable.
Most of the book is told through Shinji’s eyes. When a character mentions something new to the reader, Shinji starts an internal monologue, explaining it in great detail. The explanation are often not important to the story and interrupt the flow of the book. On the other hand, there are things, like the magic and power system that barely get any explanation, despite being integral to the plot.
So why do I like this book? It reminds me of an anime. The book takes place in Japan and shows a lot of its culture. It also uses a lot of anime stereotypes but not excessively. Shinji contributes to the fact I like this novel as well. He is an enjoyable character. His nonchalant to ruthless attitude makes him interesting and results in some funny scenes.
Shinji is weak in the beginning but quickly becomes an overpowered character with no real obstacles. Some people may see this as a cliché (and it is) but I enjoyed his personality. His interactions with other characters are also entertaining, despite those characters being somewhat underdeveloped. A positive effect of his constant monologues is that the parallel world is described in great detail. I also like that the story focuses a lot more on Shinji’s criminal activities than his school life.
I give this book three out of four stars. Changing Masks definitely has some problems, for which I took one star away. However, less then three stars would not be justified as the story and the characters are enjoyable.
The audience for this book is a bit limited. If you enjoy overpowered and sometimes ruthless main characters then you will like it. You do not need to like anime, but it will certainly make you enjoy the book more.
******
Changing Masks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The fantasy/science fiction novel “Changing Masks” by Nicholas Metelsky follows the veteran fighter Maxim Rudov, who is transported to Tokyo in a parallel world, where magic exists and various clans fight for dominance. He is transferred into the weak body of Shinji, a child abandoned by his parents. Now he has to survive without money, power and respect. However, he still has his cunning mind. He uses it to lead a double life. A student during the day, and a masked criminal at night.
I like this book. It has some flaws but I enjoyed reading it. Let me start with the negatives.
The first flaw is the writing style. Often it feels awkward and during conversations it is hard to understand who is talking. There are also some grammatical mistakes but they are barely noticeable.
Most of the book is told through Shinji’s eyes. When a character mentions something new to the reader, Shinji starts an internal monologue, explaining it in great detail. The explanation are often not important to the story and interrupt the flow of the book. On the other hand, there are things, like the magic and power system that barely get any explanation, despite being integral to the plot.
So why do I like this book? It reminds me of an anime. The book takes place in Japan and shows a lot of its culture. It also uses a lot of anime stereotypes but not excessively. Shinji contributes to the fact I like this novel as well. He is an enjoyable character. His nonchalant to ruthless attitude makes him interesting and results in some funny scenes.
Shinji is weak in the beginning but quickly becomes an overpowered character with no real obstacles. Some people may see this as a cliché (and it is) but I enjoyed his personality. His interactions with other characters are also entertaining, despite those characters being somewhat underdeveloped. A positive effect of his constant monologues is that the parallel world is described in great detail. I also like that the story focuses a lot more on Shinji’s criminal activities than his school life.
I give this book three out of four stars. Changing Masks definitely has some problems, for which I took one star away. However, less then three stars would not be justified as the story and the characters are enjoyable.
The audience for this book is a bit limited. If you enjoy overpowered and sometimes ruthless main characters then you will like it. You do not need to like anime, but it will certainly make you enjoy the book more.
******
Changing Masks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
