runes of despair by myunghyun4ever



Criticism Level: 10

Title: 9/10
Originality: I've never seen such a title before so it's certainly original. (2/2)
Relevance: I didn't understand how runes are relevant, but then I searched the meaning up and the dictionary mentioned that runes are symbols with mysterious or magic significance. I was actually guessing that the children might be the runes themselves. Anyway, I'm looking forward to see what will the runes be in this story. As for despair, I can see that is relevant to the feelings of the survivors who want to fight back. (3/4) Attractiveness: When I first saw the title, I already knew that the story would be about fantasy. Action did come into my mind, but not so much for romance. Nevertheless, it is intriguing and fantasy fans will be sure to check the story out. (4/4)

Description & Foreword: 8/10
Relevance: The description is pretty much like the background of the story, so it is considered new information in a way. (5/5)
Attractiveness: This varies. After reading the background, if people are interested, they will check it out. If they feel bored, then maybe they won't. You can choose to direct your focus to Eunkyung and the other children, and perhaps end the description with a question, quote or something that is eye-catching. (3/5)

Setting: 5/5
Relevance: Your setting is totally relevant to the story and I have nothing else to say. (5/5)

Characters: 16/20
Originality: They all have unique and diverse personalities which are wonderful, but I think that the villains, Eunkyung, Joonmyun and Yixing are rather generic. More will be elaborated in Believability. (4/5)
Believability: Firstly, I'll talk about Eunkyung who is the heroine of the story. She seems to be really perfect at the beginning. Not only is she willing to sacrifice herself for the younger ones, she also doesn't like to become a burden to others. She tries to be strong and somehow, she iss able to let people warm up to her. I am glad that at the last few chapters, she made the, admittedly, horrible decision to slap Jongin as it showed her desperation, and that she actually feared death despite the insults that she threw to the man. It made her appear more realistic, and I am hoping to see some of her weaker side in the later chapters. I'll move on to Mark, and although I'm not a fan of GOT7, I absolutely love his character. He is portrayed more realistically than Eunkyung. He is sarcastic and playful, but he is very strong, easy-going and even protected Luhan from danger. He reminds me of loyal delinquents who will always have their friends' backs, and the fact that he isn't the male lead is quite saddening.
The other side characters, take Luhan and Jongdae for example, are also rather likeable. Luhan is like the opposite of Mark; he may seem indifferent and cold at first glance, but he truly cares for his loved ones. Jongdae is the troll who is really playful, however, when Jongin went missing, he was truly apologetic. The ones who I find pretty one-dimensional are Yixing and Joonmyun. All I know about them is that they're patient and reliable, and I don't know about their weaknesses that much. The villains do bring across the absolutely terrible antagonists, and I'm somewhat skeptical of that. Such people do exist in real life, but it's disappointing that the villains are all bad and nothing good since there are many of such people in other dramas and stories. Maybe I just like to see both the protagonists and the antagonists having balanced numbers of flaws and strengths. (12/15)

Plot: 21/25
Originality: Among the fanfics I've read, this story certainly has the most unique plot. It touches up more on the history and very relatable to real life. However, it still revolves around the typical bad guys and good guys plot. (4/5)
Believability: A very believable story and an intriguing one at that. I don't like history but this story does give me some inspiration to read more books about history. I'm curious about one thing though. Why is Eunkyung roommates with twelve boys? It's just rather strange to me because she doesn't even have a single female friend. (9/10)
Theme: I've learnt a lot of themes from this story. I really admire the friendship and loyalty of the children, and how they are willing to help each other out no matter the circumstances. The survivors' spirit is also commendable, and how they fight for justice. I really appreciate the meaning behind the story, but maybe I just don't like the fact that it is romance. It doesn't seem romance to me at the moment, and I don't think I'll want it to be because I feel that this story will go well as a friendship-themed fic. I just cannot imagine the children developing relationships when they don't even have the energy to care. This is my personal opinion, but I guess other people would love to see some romance going on. (8/10)

Flow: 9/10
Consistency: The flow is all right, but during chapter six, I don't understand why there are sudden flashbacks at chapter six. It just appears odd, and perhaps I would prefer it if they happen at the start of the story. Nevertheless, it doesn't distract me too much. (9/10)

Grammar & Vocabulary: 9/10
Grammar: I didn't spot any errors, so you've done a great job proofreading your story. (5/5)
Vocabulary: You have a wide vocabulary range, however, you do have the tendency to use 'asked', 'as' and 'said' frequently. (4/5)

Overall Enjoyment: 8/10
Enjoyment: I have really enjoyed this story, but Eunkyung's character is a bit of a downer. I do hope that the story will not focus too much on the romance though. (8/10)

Total: 85/100 //A (*)
Additional comments: I've already mentioned what I need to mention. You've scored an A, which means that your story will be featured. Thank you for requesting, and do remember to follow all the rules!

» layout credit