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A review by readivine
Caster by Elsie Chapman
5.0
THE LOVE CHILD OF FIGHT CLUB, AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER AND, FULL METAL ALCHEMIST Yeah, I know it's a mouthful but Caster does execute well and draws parallel from these 3 works of art. I IMPLORE YOU TO READ THIS. I mean, the amount of reviews for this books is an injustice to its beauty?!?!
ACCESSIBLE WRITING COUPLED WITH A FAST-PACED PLOT
Caster takes off immediately when you read the first chapter. It doesn’t wastes its time with some niceties before diving in. It’s writing is simple, efficient, and utterly beautiful with its clarity. This makes the book more compelling because it shows you the essentials quickly without ever glossing them.
I love how Chapman paces each chapter because it’s not overdone to the point that you’re reeling with the plot sequences. Instead, it’s more visually appealing because you get to see the pauses and appreciate it more as it fleshes out Aza’s family life more rather than just getting high on the action.
I’m saying that this is visually appealing because it feels like watching a movie without the effort which is actually my most favorite thing about reading. I do think that this would be amazing to see on the big screen which is why I feel so frustrated that this hasn’t garnered much attention. THE INJUSTICE!
A REFRESHING CONTAINED STORYLINE WITHOUT THE BURDEN OF THE USUAL LARGE – SCALE END GAME
Most YA Fantasy books are centered in overthrowing a political regime or any form of systemic oppression, one that takes a lot of scheming and betrayal HAHAHA. Caster, on the other hand, offers a fresh take on the genre for me as it only divulges Aza’s struggles in regards to her family’s financial burden as well as the mystery of her sister’s death.
It doesn’t give you the burden of remembering the intricacies of the political system but only a slice of it in Aza’s perspective. I don’t mean that I don’t love large-scale end games in YA but it’s quite amazing to read such a contained storyline in this world which leads me to my next point.
LOGICAL YET INTRIGUING MAGIC SYSTEM
I fcking love this aspect because how casting works in this alternate dystopian China makes a whole lot of sense. It reminded me so much of Full Metal Alchemist, Avatar: The Last Air Bender and even, Jackie Chan Adventures (the cartoon one)!
It’s quite logical that the magic system works in a give and take setup for the caster because it gives the magic here more grounded as they literally draw power from the Earth. Basically, the casters draw a star on their palm and use a starter, the more points it has the more complex AND the more it takes a toll on their physical body.
Of course, my explanation is very generalized here but if you get to read the book you’ll see how much intricate the magic system is without ever being info-dumpy. Alongside this, this also lead me to question the ethical environmental issues here as technically, the casters destroy a little part of the Earth while casting.
The world-building of this book is a whole lot more complex if you try to focus not only in Aza’s life but also the implications of their underground magic tournaments, the people behind it, as well as the future of the Earth. It’s a bleak one my friends, but I wish to see more of this world!
SIMPLE YET SUPERB FIGHT SCENES
ISTG this is also one of the most amazing aspects of Caster! I really love how the fight scenes played out even if they weren’t so flashy and “out of this world”. The system of their “fight club” is so familiar and at the same time so unique because with every fight, we get to see a slice of the magical history of casters fleshed out especially that the Speaker of the game reiterates it. It’s just so intriguing and I can’t help but pine for Aza all the way as if I’m seeing the fight in real time.
LENDS PERSPECTIVE ON THE NARRATIVE OF INHERITED GUILT & FAMILY LEGACY
There’s a chock full of inherited guilt in this one and offers a take on how one process it and how one respond to it externally.
It just so happened that in this story, our MC responds by probing for answers of her sister’s death in an underground magical fighting tournament while also facing the immense pressure of paying debts and keeping the family legacy intact.
I actually felt very sad for Aza most of the time because of the struggles she faced on her own and I love that despite all this her love for her family pervades.
Overall, this is a memorable and easy read! I'm already loving my continuous streak of reading great books this year! :>
ACCESSIBLE WRITING COUPLED WITH A FAST-PACED PLOT
Caster takes off immediately when you read the first chapter. It doesn’t wastes its time with some niceties before diving in. It’s writing is simple, efficient, and utterly beautiful with its clarity. This makes the book more compelling because it shows you the essentials quickly without ever glossing them.
I love how Chapman paces each chapter because it’s not overdone to the point that you’re reeling with the plot sequences. Instead, it’s more visually appealing because you get to see the pauses and appreciate it more as it fleshes out Aza’s family life more rather than just getting high on the action.
I’m saying that this is visually appealing because it feels like watching a movie without the effort which is actually my most favorite thing about reading. I do think that this would be amazing to see on the big screen which is why I feel so frustrated that this hasn’t garnered much attention. THE INJUSTICE!
A REFRESHING CONTAINED STORYLINE WITHOUT THE BURDEN OF THE USUAL LARGE – SCALE END GAME
Most YA Fantasy books are centered in overthrowing a political regime or any form of systemic oppression, one that takes a lot of scheming and betrayal HAHAHA. Caster, on the other hand, offers a fresh take on the genre for me as it only divulges Aza’s struggles in regards to her family’s financial burden as well as the mystery of her sister’s death.
It doesn’t give you the burden of remembering the intricacies of the political system but only a slice of it in Aza’s perspective. I don’t mean that I don’t love large-scale end games in YA but it’s quite amazing to read such a contained storyline in this world which leads me to my next point.
LOGICAL YET INTRIGUING MAGIC SYSTEM
I fcking love this aspect because how casting works in this alternate dystopian China makes a whole lot of sense. It reminded me so much of Full Metal Alchemist, Avatar: The Last Air Bender and even, Jackie Chan Adventures (the cartoon one)!
It’s quite logical that the magic system works in a give and take setup for the caster because it gives the magic here more grounded as they literally draw power from the Earth. Basically, the casters draw a star on their palm and use a starter, the more points it has the more complex AND the more it takes a toll on their physical body.
Of course, my explanation is very generalized here but if you get to read the book you’ll see how much intricate the magic system is without ever being info-dumpy. Alongside this, this also lead me to question the ethical environmental issues here as technically, the casters destroy a little part of the Earth while casting.
The world-building of this book is a whole lot more complex if you try to focus not only in Aza’s life but also the implications of their underground magic tournaments, the people behind it, as well as the future of the Earth. It’s a bleak one my friends, but I wish to see more of this world!
SIMPLE YET SUPERB FIGHT SCENES
ISTG this is also one of the most amazing aspects of Caster! I really love how the fight scenes played out even if they weren’t so flashy and “out of this world”. The system of their “fight club” is so familiar and at the same time so unique because with every fight, we get to see a slice of the magical history of casters fleshed out especially that the Speaker of the game reiterates it. It’s just so intriguing and I can’t help but pine for Aza all the way as if I’m seeing the fight in real time.
LENDS PERSPECTIVE ON THE NARRATIVE OF INHERITED GUILT & FAMILY LEGACY
There’s a chock full of inherited guilt in this one and offers a take on how one process it and how one respond to it externally.
It just so happened that in this story, our MC responds by probing for answers of her sister’s death in an underground magical fighting tournament while also facing the immense pressure of paying debts and keeping the family legacy intact.
I actually felt very sad for Aza most of the time because of the struggles she faced on her own and I love that despite all this her love for her family pervades.
Overall, this is a memorable and easy read! I'm already loving my continuous streak of reading great books this year! :>