2 I'm waiting for more information about the past life before transmigration. We know Xiao Chen died from a meteorite hit? Wait no, he got hit by a flying stone from a meteorite fall. The connection between the Cosmic Wall fragment and his transmigration is interesting - did the wall fragment cause the meteorite? Did it drag his soul here? Those unanswered questions are what keep me reading speculative fiction. I need answers, author, give them to me.
1 I have to admit, I was a bit worried about the translation. Sometimes these stories lose their emotional impact, but here it feels natural. The voices of the characters come through well. You can hear the venom in Huang Fang’s words and the desperation in Shu Yue’s. That’s a huge plus.
Right after she gets two million, we cut to her taking care of her sick brother. It immediately makes everything make sense. She's not doing this because she's greedy; she's literally desperate. And her gentle voice around him is such a contrast to her cold demeanor around Chu Mobai.
The scene where she peeps on the soldier playing with kids was sweet. It showed that there’s still normal life in the apocalypse. And the soldier catching her was funny. That guy—Feng Yan?—might be a future love interest? Or just a side character. Either way, I liked the brief moment of lightness before the zombie attack.
One thing I appreciate is the specific, detail-oriented work setting. The descriptions of sewage treatment, CODcr, BOD5, the chemical processes, and the challenges of the job feel authentic. It’s not just a generic "office job" setting. This specific background makes the achievements more tangible. When he cleans a pond, it feels like a concrete victory related to his actual field of expertise. It gives the fantasy elements a solid, grounded anchor. It’s refreshing to see a protagonist whose day job is actually relevant to the plot.
I liked how the opening immediately threw me into a harsh world—drought, cracked earth, failed crops. It made Lin Tian’s suffering feel real from the first paragraph. The line "this world truly doesn't give the common people a way to survive" set a bleak tone that hooked me right away. I could almost feel the heat and desperation.
While my opinion may be influenced by personal biases, I found it challenging to appreciate the novel to its fullest. The narrative primarily revolves around a strict military framework, which can be somewhat limiting. The unique twist here is that our protagonist is a skeleton, leading a skeleton army as they confront humanity. Although the premise hints at intriguing mysteries—such as the existence of a demon king—the heart of the story remains entrenched in military themes, albeit with a grimmer undertone characteristic of dark fantasy. It’s important to mention that I am not fond of military novels in general, so please take my critique with a grain of salt. My disinterest in the military aspect ultimately led me to drop the book. For me, there are far more engaging skeleton main character (MC) novels out there that don't lean so heavily on the trope of serving as mere henchmen or cogs in a larger military machine. In my experience, a more nuanced exploration of character development and world-building can be found in those alternative stories, making them more enjoyable and fulfilling reads. While this novel might resonate with fans of military fiction, I personally found it to be less appealing and unable to captivate my interest. For those who share my sentiments, I would recommend seeking out other titles that explore the skeleton genre with greater creativity and depth.