Fantasy Book Reviews

The World of Aquatica

Author: Chibasoh
Title: The World of Aquatica
Link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/66955315-the-world-of-aquatica

The World of Aquatica is a story set in an alternate Earth with the sea as its backdrop. You don't often see this kind of setting in Fantasy, so I was quite excited to start reading it.

Umiko, a young fisherman in a seaside village, dreams of catching the biggest fish in the world. He's an orphan and lives a carefree life with his caretaker. One day, he receives an invitation to the world of Aquatica--a parallel Earth with fantastical sea creatures--from none other than his older brother, who he thought died years ago. With a longing to see his brother again, he says farewell to his caretaker and sets out on his adventure.

Let me start by getting the bad points out of the way. Chapter 1 is a mish-mash of first-person, 3rd person limited, and omniscient POV's and everything in between! This confused the heck out of me, and I couldn't distinguish one character from another. The author does warn us about this with a little note, but why post such an experiment? Pick the POV and update the chapter! The subsequent chapters are all told in (mostly) 3rd-person limited, but the author can't decide on present or past tense. This is really jarring to readers and is inexcusable. I would've stopped reading, if not for the positive points I saw.

What stood out to me most was the story world and the soothing vibe the author has crafted around it. From the fishing boat to life in the village to life at home, every aspect is captured with wonderful imagery. Though not always perfect, the author successfully immerses us in the story by picking all the right moments to showcase. The interactions between Umiko and the other characters adds to the authenticity of the sea life that the author is trying to portray. The dialogue felt genuine; though lengthy at times, they create a sense of wonder for the fantastical world that Umiko is about to enter, but also don't reveal too much.

As a general rule when writing in 3rd person POV, the reader should always know as much (or more) as the protagonist. This way, we're not surprised by the character's actions and reactions and feel emotionally connected with them. Umiko may have received an invitation, but he actually has to find Aquatica on his own in order to enter it. He thinks for a moment and then has an epiphany. How did he figure it out!? The author doesn't give enough hints in the previous chapters to allow us to draw any conclusions, and that in turn takes us out of the experience.

What worked really well, in my opinion, is the switch from limited to omniscient POV at one point in the story. The moment Umiko enters Aquatica and is blown away by the winds and falls into the sea, the author shows us what he's left behind: his beloved care-taker carrying on with her daily life, his ship captain, and the village he knew. The switch to omniscient also introduces new characters and creates anticipation for the readers for what's to come. And it all worked smoothly! This shows that you are not bound by the POV you choose and have the flexibility to switch between them when it makes sense to do so.

Overall, I think The World of Aquatica has a lot of potential in spite of its many grammatical flaws. The premise is intriguing enough to warrant a look. Lovers of anime will no doubt enjoy this story!