Review: #456
Title: Sword Art Online 3: Fairy Dance
Series: Sword Art Online - 3rd volume
Author: Reki Kawahara
Read Before: no
Comments: The first two light novels in the series provided a nice closure to the Sword Art Online saga so it makes you wonder how the story was going to continue. Well, the author found a clever and natural way: Asuna is still trapped within a virtual reality and Kirito must go and free her. It takes a while before the main characters enter the virtual reality game but it uses up all that time to set up the backstory and clarify a few more things. Various new characters are introduced but the only important one is Kirito’s sister, Suguha. I really liked how the author took the time to work out the mechanics of the game and explain it to us, as it lets us make sense of what is happening and why things appear that way. It also makes it much more interesting and immersive. The pacing is still quick enough to keep things fresh. The climax of the novel was excellent and it causes you to keep turning page after page. The fight scenes were epic and it’s always a feel good moment when Kirito triumphs against overwhelming odds. It does end on a cliffhanger which is a shame but unlike the first story arc which seemed rushed, Fairy Dance takes the time to explore the mythos of the world and build some character relationships.
Rating: 6.5/10