This reads like a fanfiction of a sports anime, which I guess it kind of is since it’s a novelization of the comic series originally by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad. (I haven’t read the original material either but from what I know of Pacat, I’m sure it’s quite faithful to the original.) The fencing is present but somewhat disappointingly muted; instead, the focus is on the characters and their stumbling, often-hilarious journey towards romance. Predictable sweetness, with occasional biting social commentary.
Tag: author-c.s. pacat
Dark Rise, by C.S. Pacat
Comes off as a pretty standard fantasy story, in which the Light’s Chosen One is a child on the run from the forces of Dark. The really good action-packed beginning is severely blunted by an exposition-heavy worldbuilding middle (seriously, I feel like the author could have done better here), then it gradually ramps up again to a climactic final battle with the miniboss (you don’t take on the big boss at the end of the first book of a trilogy, after all). The book got much better towards the end, which featured a twist that I really enjoyed. Unfortunate that the second book isn’t remotely out yet.