Ancient's Smashing Reviews

The Stains Beneath Our Skin by @sxxaint

Couple of notes to start with. No smashing humor with this one with how serious and dark it is.

1) The story, while being extraordinarily dark and exploring troubling topics from the perspective of a troubled man, does not endorse these things. The author does not support them. Yet, much to my respect of the author, the author can set aside his own personal views enough to write the story exclusively from the main character's mind, who, being mentally ill, DOES endorse them. This is a fine line to tread on and should only be read by an adult of an able mind who will not be easily swayed into thinking in the same way. Not all stories marked as mature are necessarily needed to be read exclusively by such. This one does.

2) This story is a long one. I have read up to 13.2. It looks like just over half, where I believe I have a good enough idea of the big picture to have an opinion on it. My review may not reflect the product past this, but it's at least enough to affect the vast majority because if you get past the point my review covers, you probably are invested enough to finish.

3) This story is a male-on-male romance. While some people may try to be politically correct and put it on a giant pedestal and give it more praise than it deserves, or maybe cringy and bash it: (I'm a Christian, and so do not endorse any sin.) I will not. The review will treat it with the same blunt lack of bias I approach all other stories with.

Okay, so that's some things to cover first. Let's do this!

TLDR; Side effect may include unwanted memories, negative self-image, hypervigilance, emotional distress, sense of threat, intrusive thoughts, avoidance and isolation, memory problems, anger, guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, excessive blame, dissociation, flashbacks, nightmares, sleeping problems, self-destructive behaviors, magic, reincarnation, toxic relationships, hallucinations, drugs, rape, and attempted suicide.

Overall I'd rate it 3 smashing out of 5, as I found its strengths equal to its flaws, but I think people who can have emotional connections with them, have a massive thing for romances, or can relate to the troubles they endure would find it higher.

Main Characters - Semi-smashing - Easily, the story's most substantial aspect is in the main character. The guy is a shopping list of problems that make your heart bleed. He is a down on his luck dude who came with aspirations and dreams to be crushed physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically beneath the anvil of big city dog-eat-dog life. Every sentence is from his perspective, and every dark dripping adjective punctuates how mentally ill he is. His words are explosive, divisive, dramatic, emotional, and ripped from his torn soul in such a way that makes you want to hug the stuffing out of him. Even how he nicknames himself as Roach adds to it.

The other MC is a somewhat suave yet awkward rich dude. This odd combination is made possible by him being caught off guard by the other's bluntness. We have hilarious chemistry that is both funny and sad because the self-deprecating humor is funny but comes from a truly depressed soul. The dude is in many ways exactly what the mc needs: kind and committed.

Overall they are great and bounce off each other very well.

Yet flaws come in before long. Mr suave lacks self, especially later just turning into a spineless apology stereo. He says "I love u" or "love" (nickname) so much I wondered if the author decided she didn't like him anymore and planned to kill him off because he was, basically, Finn "Reeeeey!!!" from star wars episode 9. making him borderline just a side character.

Another flaw comes into play before long, not as a product of themselves, but other aspects of the story.

Side characters: poor - there is just one, and he is one, maybe two scenes. This is to the story's detriment as, for the same reason I used for The Signs We Missed, there is only so much you can do with a limited cast. This limits the ability to flesh out the MCs into well-rounded characters or to have world-building.