(Disclaimer: Due to timing and writing purposes, I have only analyzed the first ten pages of this novel. Nothing I have written below is in any way related to the story after these particular pages.)

Today's review is Occidendum by Fuzed. For a while I have heard many good things about this novel, and after reading a few pages, I can understand why this story is so well-loved. Occidendum is about an assassin's son and his adventures in the harsh reality of becoming an assassin like his father. I enjoyed reading this story, and if you choose to read it, I hope you do as well.

One thing I felt needed improvement, particularly at the beginning of this story, was the emotion in the characters' speech. There have been many times in this series where I have harped on the fact that conversations in novels must be well-done because it is essential and unimaginably challenging for many writers. At the beginning of this story, the characters seemed emotionless when they were speaking. Even if a character is a steely person who hides their feelings, it is necessary to show their emotions through the tone of their voice. Later in the story, I did see an improvement in the speaking parts (which usually happens in a story as it progresses), but this is still an edit I would love to see done in the earlier episodes of this story. Otherwise, there aren't many problems with the speech, it is stable, and it is done well.

One thing that I really enjoyed in this story was the world-building. Fuzed is astounding at world-building; When I read this story, I felt like the world hadn’t just started, that it had existed long before I even took a look into it. I felt like the world was fully developed, with social and global issues, and the author didn’t make their world out to seem overly wonderful or surprising. Not only that, but this world almost feels like an alternate reality of our own; It felt realistic in its problems and overall structure. World-building is very important. It is the cause and the effect of this story: Without world-building, a piece is less of a complete work and more of a jumbled plot. Even if the world in this story is our own, it is something that the readers need to know. Without world-building, it is hard to comprehend any novel. Fuzed’s world is fantastic, and I cannot wait to read more of it.

Something I felt needed clarification is the introduction of the father, Blithe, and his son, Nathan. Blithe was introduced as 'Nathan’s father' in episode two, but his name isn't revealed until episode four, where Blithe is speaking to 'The Man with the Dragon Tattoo' about his next assignments. It is vital that his name is introduced in the second episode because it feels odd that his name is only released in the fourth episode when we mostly know him as a character already. Introducing his name earlier will both clarify who he is and make for a better, more coherent story. For example, in episode four, the narrator calls Blithe 'the man' and not Nathan's father, so when 'The Man with the Dragon Tattoo' says, 'Outstanding work as always, Blithe,' it doesn’t create an impact because I don’t know who Blithe is. Due to this, the character development done in the earlier part of episode four doesn't affect my view on Blithe. I feel that needs to be corrected, and if it is, it will improve this story surprisingly.

This novel portrays the most genuine father-son relationship I have seen for a long time. As a reader, you can see that the relationship between Nathan and Blithe is challenged by Blithe’s profession and Nathans yearning to be apart of it. At the same time, you can see the powerful parental love portrayed within these characters, and this is fantastically-done. There aren’t many times in novels where I can feel the plutonic love of two characters who are living in a hard place, but with Fuzed’s delicate writing, I could envision how much the father and the son love one another. Writing this way is a staple of an astounding author, and I can thoroughly agree that Fuzed is going to be a great author.

In conclusion, Occidendum is breathtaking. It is a story that is already wonderfully-made, but it still needs improvement. From examining the first ten pages, I am amazed at such a wonderfully written novel. I cannot wait to read more Occidendum, and I hope that people will seriously consider reading Occidendum.