I went into this book blind so I was very surprised to learn this book was of modern times. I enjoyed the parallels between parent and child in the beginning. It was a slow start but I’d say it picked up around a quarter of the way in. Mamoru has learned that everything is not what it seems due to government censorship and the ignorance of living in small village. Misaki is his mother has been forced to be a meek, submissive housewife but she has a hidden past. In an instance, they both had mature and step up. I hated Takeru though. As powerful as he was, he was a coward. I didn’t like how the ending made us want to be endeared to him. The book was good but nothing that happened surprised me. The aftermath is what got me. I didn’t particularly care for the end. Although this is a standalone, the ending definitely felt like a prequel to the theonite series.
The narrator was just okay. I think a Japanese narrator may have done better.