Domina is a web novel about the title city, updating Mondays. The plot revolves around Adam Anders, a newcomer to the city, and his roommate, Derek Huntsman. The first few chapters are just Worldbuilding, setting up the background of the city. But soon enough, things start going in unexpected directions. Derek discovers he has powers, and several of his close friends do as well. Then it turns out that there are super-powered zombies attacking the city, and a gang lord asks them to save it.One of the biggest things that makes the city of Domina unique is its use of the toy maker, a Bio-Augmentation device. People can use it to remake themselves however they like, and entire cultures have formed based on vampires, demons, and angels. The city's harsh nature means that most of these cultures spend their time killing each other, but the political balance is being upset by the arrival of the screamers.The site broke in March 2013, and was moved to a wordpress.com blog for the foreseeable future.
This web-novel shows examples of:
Action Girl: Akane carries around a real katana, which she apparently uses in kendo.
The All Concealing I: Every character's first POV chapter starts with "My name is ___" and a few short facts about themselves. The Composer is the sole exception, which means we don't know his name, gender, or anything else other than that he likes killing.
Artistic License - Biology: The toy maker can do a lot of things, and we're never quite told how. Most of it is odd, but within the realm of possibility—enhanced muscles, eyes, or bones isn't really that far beyond what we can do right now—but stuff like glowing as bright as a strobe light and bulletproof skin is definitely something you just have to accept without asking too many questions.
Big Brother Is Watching: MC can do this with the GPS devices in phones. She's supposed to get permission, but she forgets.
Bio-Augmentation: The "toy maker," a body-modification device. It's described as "like stem cells, but without all the moral implications."
The Call Put Me On Hold: Lutum informis (means something in the neighborhood of "the misformed clay") can't use the toy maker anywhere near as well as normal people. Adam is one.
Childhood Friends: Derek and Laura, until something went wrong when they were eleven, and Laura moved away. All we know is she blames Derek.
Chronic Hero Syndrome: When a man Derek has known for less than an hour is about to get hit by a truck, his first instinct is to tackle him out of the way.
I Am X, Son of Y: Akane's chapter starts with "My name is Akane Akiyama. Daughter of Akio, son of Yoshrou. I am the last of the honorable samurai house Akiyama, founded in the first days of the Edo period."
Little Bit Beastly / Petting Zoo People: The kemos vary on this scale, from people with just the ears to full-on anthropomorphic animals called "anthros." For bonus points, "kemo" is almost certainly short for "Kemonomimi."
The Masquerade: Actually averted. One of the first things that happens after the screamers are discovered is Butler goes on TV, explains the situation, and asks the public not to panic.
Meaningful Name: All three of Adam's names mean approximately "man."
Derek thinks Dale Odell Abraham is dead. "DOA" also stands for "Dead On Arrival."
Mind Rape: In the backstory, Malcanthet, the "Queen of the Succubi," used mundane rape to break people and turn them into her slaves. She was driven out of the city before the story started. By Lily, no less.
Our Monsters Are Different: A few have been mentioned in the title page, as "cultures built on legends." Apparently, they're groups of people modified by the toy maker.
Our Zombies Are Different: Not undead, fast, and they never stop screaming (hence the name "screamers"). Any body fluid is infectious. Oh, and they have super powers.
The Rant: A "Behind the Scenes" section at the bottom of each chapter.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Artemis Butler, despite being a gang lord. The second he discovers a threat to the city, he works to stop it, including recruiting college kids (who happen to be immune to the zombie virus).
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Seemingly subverted with Lily. She has red eyes, but seems gentle and kind.
Possibly played straight with Artemis Butler. He's an albino (probably), and not someone you should cross.
Supernatural Gold Eyes: Lizzy. She even has the supernatural powers part (though we don't know what power).
We Are Struggling Together: There's a lot of bad blood between the various gangs and cultures, and they have shown various amounts of unity when it comes to outside threats. One of the characters says it best: "this is the same city where people were perfectly willing to fight a civil war while a zombie apocalypse dropped on their heads".
Wham Line: Derek plotted out when the screamer attacks occurred, and found that there was a pattern. More importantly however, it meant that not only does the Composer know who they are, he's close enough to know their schedules.
Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy: According to the title page, anyway. Doesn't get much more explicit than "A blight on the face of the world."
for the foreseeable future.
0 reviews