The Life by casquis is a very good story. It is certainly one of the best Hale fanfictions I have ever read but it is not without its flaws and not what it could be.
For his first story the writing quality as mentioned by the rather painfully mediocre beginning was poor, but as he improved, things got better. Typos and grammatical errors and the very rare consistency error dropped in overall frequency (especially when Beta readers were recruited) but still appeared from time to time. Battle scenes and action overall is pretty good from Chapters 64 onward; although I am critical of how sterile, repetitive and detail heavy the combat feels at times and is portrayed despite his best attempts to make it both realistic and cool. Other times the fights the characters get into go a bit over the top. And the lingo and procedures and tactics of combat are also sort of lacking in the authenticity department. It was bad at first but improved over time, but never quite to what it could be. It did not need to be super authentic and realistic in this regard but it certainly feels sort of half-baked at times. That said, he does a pretty decent job with them in this story.
The environments and worlds have also been written quite well. With planets and environments described nicely, and the technology described in enough detail to give the reader an idea of world they live in. Although not perfect (working within the restrictions of Halo), the universe they inhabit still feels real, tactile and relatable.
Frank and Pavel both started out and were introduced into the story quite poorly (no surprise) but over time actually developed into good characters. Other characters introduced over time were also fairly well developed, being distinct individuals with their own quirks and personalities and relationship with everyone. For many however they could have been better introduced and expanded on. The way he went about introducing them to us was hit or miss in some cases.
The Life as whole is a great story. For three years, casquis hammered out this story; rising from just above mediocre to surprisingly good and strong writing. For someone who began writing when they were about fifteen, the overall product that emerged at the end of three years is nothing short of extraordinary. It was a story created with love and care. The Life is not perfect, it has flaws in virtually every area conceivable. But it is a good read and one that I recommend that others read if they wish. I am certain that if concerted effort was made to correct the problems talked about previously, and its strengths expanded upon; that we would have wonderful multi book length series.
It is not perfect, but it is very good.
The Life by casquis is a very good story. It is certainly one of the best Hale fanfictions I have ever read but it is not without its flaws and not what it could be.
For his first story the writing quality as mentioned by the rather painfully mediocre beginning was poor, but as he improved, things got better. Typos and grammatical errors and the very rare consistency error dropped in overall frequency (especially when Beta readers were recruited) but still appeared from time to time. Battle scenes and action overall is pretty good from Chapters 64 onward; although I am critical of how sterile, repetitive and detail heavy the combat feels at times and is portrayed despite his best attempts to make it both realistic and cool. Other times the fights the characters get into go a bit over the top. And the lingo and procedures and tactics of combat are also sort of lacking in the authenticity department. It was bad at first but improved over time, but never quite to what it could be. It did not need to be super authentic and realistic in this regard but it certainly feels sort of half-baked at times. That said, he does a pretty decent job with them in this story.
The environments and worlds have also been written quite well. With planets and environments described nicely, and the technology described in enough detail to give the reader an idea of world they live in. Although not perfect (working within the restrictions of Halo), the universe they inhabit still feels real, tactile and relatable.
Frank and Pavel both started out and were introduced into the story quite poorly (no surprise) but over time actually developed into good characters. Other characters introduced over time were also fairly well developed, being distinct individuals with their own quirks and personalities and relationship with everyone. For many however they could have been better introduced and expanded on. The way he went about introducing them to us was hit or miss in some cases.
The Life as whole is a great story. For three years, casquis hammered out this story; rising from just above mediocre to surprisingly good and strong writing. For someone who began writing when they were about fifteen, the overall product that emerged at the end of three years is nothing short of extraordinary. It was a story created with love and care. The Life is not perfect, it has flaws in virtually every area conceivable. But it is a good read and one that I recommend that others read if they wish. I am certain that if concerted effort was made to correct the problems talked about previously, and its strengths expanded upon; that we would have wonderful multi book length series.