It is by no small consideration that I compare this work to classic greats like Lord of the Rings or his Dark Materials. The author is a writer on that level that, if this story was more popular, I really think it could be used to teach classes in world-building and character writing. It should at least be held as a golden standard for writing. Her art is amateur in the beginning, but becomes very beautiful later on as she gets more experience and drawing assistants.
If you can read Korean, then I suggest just reading the raw Korean comic. The art and slow pacing
...
doesn't last forever and every chapter is addicting. If you are reading from English "official" translated version, the first 1/3 of the story or so suffers from a poor translation. This is why Kubera is much more popular among Korean readers than English. I have been reading the story since 2012 do I know the pain well
You won't be disappointed if you invest your time in the story the payoff is incredible.
Read more below for on the story setting.
(The author has spoken about how Hinduism and Indian culture influenced which you'll see in the magic system and character names)
The story is set in a fantasy universe where the three major races are Astikas (also called 'gods'), Nastika (also called 'sura'), and Humans. More than half of the main cast are Humans but The Astikas and Nastikas play a huge part in the story as both characters and universe elements.
Each living being in the universe is formed by three concepts: their name, their soul, and their body. These three things make up the uniqueness of an individual.
The Astikas have a certain corporate hierarchy with the top being 'Primeval' gods who are the literal creators of the universe the story is set in. They are the four who gave the original names and forms to all beings. Though they are technically of the 'god' race, they are said to be impartial in treatment to either gods or suras. They are among the most mysterious characters into the story.
Directly below them serves the 5th-Zen gods who generally have a jurisdiction that cover the universe (e.g. darkness, death, light, earth). Most of these gods have been in the universe from the beginning except for gods like Yama who presides over death. This is because death is not a concept that exists at the beginning of the universe. They are led by the God of Sky, Indra. Below them, are 4th-Zen, 3rd-Zen and so on. In the lower ranks are gods who have the potential to climb up into 5th-Zen with further time but other gods are simply as they are because their domain isn't very large. For example, many 'planetary' gods who watch over certain planets and not the entire universe, fall into this category.
The Nastikas aka suras are at odds with the gods on average but they have exceptions any individuals who don't seek constant conflict. Nastikas are defined by their ability to take on monstrous forms (called "sura forms") with varying degrees of appearance and size. They have similar powers as gods in that they can also use powerful abilities from domains such as fire, water, death, darkness etc. The suras form 8 clans (with one being a secret to the public) that can be fairly easily distinguished by certain herditary traits in their Sura form appearance. For example, the Garuda clan is marked by their bird like forms, and Anantas for their serpent like-ones. They also have a more tribe like mentality and have both warring and peaceful relationships between the clans. Each clan is led by a 'King' (gender-neutral), which normally designates the most powerful individual. The King holds enormous influence over their clan to the extent that the Kings moods and health will also affect their entire clan. Each clan started with one King since the beginning of the universe but as King died, they were replaced by the next powerful.
Nastikas and Astikas are characteristically similar in their long lives and ability to change gender and appearance, and in the way that they mostly just see humans as a lower race. Nastikas in equal circumstances are also a few degrees more powerful than Astikas in direct battle but with the trade off that Astikas can resurrect after death but Nastikas cannot. Nastikas also often produce children with each other that have overall weaker abilities than their parents. The children are called 'Rakshaka' and, unlike their parents who were born with their power, must go through several stages of development to reach their full potential. Astikas have no ability to reproduce with each other and are born from the concept, element or domain itself. Both races can reproduce with humans for mixed offspring but by and large, Sura do this much more often. Half or quarter blood humans have a longer longevity and higher physical stats on average than pure-blood humans. They both have a chance on inheriting their parent's sura parts in some form. Halfs with sura parts currently face a large amount of discrimination and violence in certain human cities.
Now finally to humans. Humans are by and large weaker than Astikas and Nastikas. They have standard lifespans unless they are able to live longer due to being a half or quarter blood. Humans have a magic system based off of the month, day and hour you were born. They have a 12 month, 12 day, 24 hour (2 x 12 hours) calendar. The number 12 represents the 12 major domains in the universe that define "attributes" (these would be the main God domains, fire, death, destruction, resurrection etc. - all suras and gods also have attributes btw). So if you were born in the month representing fire, the day representing wind and hour representing light, you would be born with fire-wind-light attributes (so called "Agni-Surya-Vayu" for the gods that control the domain). All humans have the potential to use this magic system but not all are capable. Only some humans have strong enough affinity for magic to become magicians. The option to become a 'fighter' also exists who relies more on physical abilities. Most halfs and quarters with no magic affinity can become fighters due to their high physical stats. Magicians must study at official universities and schools to learn how to properly use magic. In human society, magicians have a lot of leverage and influence in both politics and warfare. They are often the key decision makers. By default, because the human magic system is somewhat reliant on the domain of gods, magicians are also overall religious or at least reverent of gods. Many human societies seeks counsel and protection from the gods and worship them. It is to the extent that the main leader of each city, who acts essentially as the mayor and defender, is called a "Priest" or "Priestess" and they reside in a "temple". Because of this, human society does not have a good relationship with suras though both gods and suras use humans for their goals and often drag them into conflicts.
There are 8 main characters who are all amazing in their own right (and honestly all the side characters are as well), but in this review I'll just introduce the actual lead main character, Kubera Leez. Kubera is a girl who has just turned 16 and was born in a small village. She has been told by her father is presumed dead and she is raised by her mother and the friendly villagers. She lives mostly in seclusion but her mother says that she may begin exploring the world at the age of 16 but that she must forever hide her name, as the name Kubera is the name of a God and that fact must remain a secret for Kubera Leez's safety for reasons explained later. She decides later to go by simply 'Leez'. While off to gather food for her birthday dinner, her village is completely destroyed by a powerful sura attack. When Leez goes to investigate, she finds the Sura responsible and is saved by the famous female magician Asha. They must flee as they cannot defeat this sura and Leez is now with Asha. When Leez accidentally reveals her true name, Asha orders her to keep it a secret and reveals that she now must protect Leez since she has the name 'Kubera'.
Leez sets her heart on revenge on the red sura and must travel with the mysterious and powerful magician Asha to gain the strength to do so while trying to unravel the mystery behind the attack on her village and the danger behind her true name. Along the way, our other main characters join the story and form the complex network of relationships and struggles that span the billions of years of the universe.
No one I have recommended this story has ever regretted picking it up and I am so excited for the coming end chapters.
You will never be able to guess what characters you end up loving or hating. But regardless, you will want to see more of them. The universe the author has built is that interesting. And the heart and soul that she put into writing the characters is so clear - there will be more than a few times where you will be surprised at how invested you have become and how complex and real a moral situation between two fantasy characters can feel. Don't let some of the silliness and humor especially early on fool you. You'll miss it when the story forces you to ponder the character you like being a bystander to genocide among other things.
"This is a war with no villains and only victims. You save those who drove you towards certain death. You forgive the enemies who destroyed your life. But ultimately, after all that, what else remains? In the end, you will not be the one praised. The honor and recognition will go to someone else. Your entire existence, All of it will be lost, and just like that, you will disappear from the world".
Nov 5, 2022
It is by no small consideration that I compare this work to classic greats like Lord of the Rings or his Dark Materials. The author is a writer on that level that, if this story was more popular, I really think it could be used to teach classes in world-building and character writing. It should at least be held as a golden standard for writing. Her art is amateur in the beginning, but becomes very beautiful later on as she gets more experience and drawing assistants.
If you can read Korean, then I suggest just reading the raw Korean comic. The art and slow pacing ... |
