Every time the mechanics of the world, the grimness of the present situation, or the intricacies of the plot threaten to become overbearing, Muir cuts the tension with genuinely hilarious irreverence.
While the first book shares some commonalities with an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery, the series' blossoms into an epic adventure with enormous stakes. And the world's ecosystem of conjured skeletons and undead energy beg the same kind of playful speculation as Final Fantasy magic system mechanics. The characters, unhinged though they may be, are excellent company. While the tone strikes a balance between gallows humor grimness and gleefully savage banter, each book also hosts an emotional journey punctuated by moments of surprising poignance that hit as hard as a sucker punch.
Schwab's Shades of Magic series is partially set in our world—a realm that the Final Fantasy games have shied from to date—but its adventure and charms span several overlapping dimensions, saturated with varying types and degrees of magic. Similar to T he Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra , Schwab's alternate dimensional takes on gas lamp-era London feature people with the ability to wield the powers of one of four cardinal elements.
Furthermore, Antari, rare individuals with the ability to hop between dimensions and wield all four elements, also give off powerful Avatar vibes. But the interplay between the various dimensional shades of London again lend a hint of sci-fi worldbuilding to the proceedings that rings truer of Final Fantasy.
Those who adore the intricate, almost poetic spell effects of Final Fantasy will be well-served by Schwab's magical dueling. And those familiar with Final Fantasy or Bravely Default 's job system may find themselves projecting classes onto the cast.
Delilah Bard, the series' heroine, is unquestionably a Thief. Kell, the leading man, has Red Mage written all over him. Alucard, the cunning pirate captain, is obviously the same class as whatever Sephiroth was supposed to be: deadly and devastatingly seductive. Like the preceding two authors, Brent Weeks' magic system is richly developed, featuring terminology that almost anatomically breaks down the relationship between magical energy, wielder, and output.
But what really makes Night Angel Trilogy perfect for Final Fantasy fans, is the escalation and characterization of villains. Weeks does not refer to his magic crystal orbs as such, of course, and there are key differences between them, but the Ka'Kari relics grant those who wield them incredible powers.
While people in Weeks' world can use many different kinds of magic, Ka'Kari wielders are like superheroes, on top of whatever other magical abilities they may have. Kidding aside, Kylar's journey is by turns heroic, villainous, triumphant, and devastating. While the trilogy accelerates and condenses in its final book, the plot keeps its holds on the core characters, and their chronicle is both tragic and riveting.
Those who crave stories where tremendous magic has tremendous cost will be well-served by the Night Angel Trilogy. Two focus on the lore, one celebrates the impressive art for the continuously expanding game, and one is a picture book being translated to English for the first time.
The book also includes a bonus item code for the in-game Namingway minion. Encyclopaedia Eorzea Volume 1 is set to release on April 12, and is now available for pre-order here. To preview a few pages of the book, see below:. Volume 2 of the Encyclopaedia Eorzea will also release on the same date as Volume 1, April 12, and preorders are available here. To preview a few pages from the book, see below:. The posters are printed on heavy, press-varnished card stock to provide a rich visual tribute to the world of Eorzea.
Preorders will be available as of August 10, on the Square Enix store , as well as participating retailers. To see a preview of some of the posters, see below:. My Happy Marriage is a Cinderella-inspired slow-burn historical romance set in Meiji-era Japan with an exciting paranormal twist.
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