Ancient here with another smashing review!
Today on the hot seat is A Mask of Mirrors by Elven-Ink. Don't worry, it is not Nigel in the mirror. Just in the mask. Now we all look like Nigel. NOW GO OUT AND SMASH SOMETHING!
Warning: This story contains very mild LGBT+ material. It comes across as a surprise, yet is so seamlessly casual about it that it doesn't feel forced, but rather genuine. At most its a peck on the cheek and makes you think more has happened in the background. It doesn't even go near being mature content.
LTDR; This story is a reflection of human racism and bigotry wrapped in a spy and commercial sabotage style plot.
Characters: Smashing! - Right from the start, you got a band of rich characters. The first chapter was a bit confusing between them as the interactions, mannerisms, and etc was set to a minimum as they were super-hyper-focused on a mission, but the second time you meet them they are very easy to distinguish as they have very distinct personalities, beliefs, goals, and interpersonal relationships. You can see the world from their individual perspectives and respect them for it. You can easily understand why some are enemies with the losses they have suffered and you respect others for suffering but holding onto to hope regardless. Every character is beautifully crafted and thought out to be a person with many dimensions. You could sit and meditate on each character and how deep they are. They have a philosophy. They have depth. They have their own ways of speaking and interacting that changes based on who they are talking about or to. They are dynamic and this is exactly what you want out of characters. The names are slightly unusual, and the girls will need more scene time before I can keep track of them easily, but it's a great start.
Side Characters: Smashing? - So far there are none that I can tell. Every character has depth worthy of the main character in their own stories. So either there are no side characters, in which I hope there will be at some point, or there is one main character and several VERY rich side characters that make you love them and understand them just as much as the one person you are following in the footsteps of. Hard to tell which as we are only four chapters in.
Grammar: Above average - I saw minimal grammar issues. The only issues I saw looked intentional as you are seeing the world from the character's viewpoint and the writer does something that I absolutely love. It is something I do myself and makes reading so easy. He combines thought and narrative seamlessly. This does lead to intentional grammar mistakes, as people cannot think in perfect grammar, but it brings a lot of flavor to it.
Word Usage: Balanced - I had no problems understanding what was written. A few unusual terms were used, but they were more based on the technology and aspects of the world itself that comes with world building.
World Building: How do I describe this...
Right from the start, you have a bit of an information dump. It's short but gets you what you need to know to jump into IMMEDIATE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE SPY ACTION!! This transition from being irritated at information dumps to solid, beautiful plot and action and intensity gave me a bit of whiplash as I found myself, literally, being thrown into the deep end of the icy ocean expected to keep up with what was going on while everything blows up. From there the world building only continues to grow through character portrayal and it is shown in intelligent, beautiful ways, rather than just dumping information on you.
Plot: Smashing!! - The plot is deep, adapting to the character and situation as everyone struggles to keep up with what is happening around them, and intense as the threat feels very real. Nothing is wasted. Not one dialogue line. Every scene adds layers. Every bit of thought and narrative adds to it. Every action made by the characters contributes to their personality and the scenarios they find themselves in and rocks the boat. The world feels present and powerful both for and against them. This isn't just plot. Its advanced plot.
Overall I would rate it a 4 smashing out of 5, with the potential for an incredible 5/5. This is singlehandedly the best I have read here, being 1-2% better than Matthew and the Chimney Sweeps. Nothing is sacrificed. Everything is used. I was speechless for the first hour after reading it because I just sat there with the feeling I had just had an experience.
I'm out with a smashing!
If you are interested in learning to write, mastering the craft, want some really good reads, or just to chat and hang out with a mature group of adults, feel free to hit me up for a smashing discord book club that has lasted years.