Oh, this was great. The whole trilogy was great!
I loved how much it is all about how it feels when you're on a sacred quest, as opposed to what you do. I loved how the two girls treat each other as equals and are such good and close friends (which is surprisingly rare). I loved how the companions are such a tight-knit group, and how nostalgic every parting feels. And how much everybody grows up - those who are childish at first, and those who are serious, all have ways to go before the end of the story. And how being humble, caring, and not aggressive are traits that don't prevent anybody from being a hero.
What a story twist in the second half of the volume, though! I probably should have expected that, but I didn't, and it got very scary for a time!
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In the end, I really appreciated the characters recognizing that a lot about the whole situation, starting with summoning people from other worlds, is pretty fucked up, and they shouldn't have done that, and end up taking measures against it happening again. It's so great when a story is willing to take a look at all the stuff a genre takes for granted, and make its own conclusions.
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Favourite pieces of dialogue:
"What! You're so rude! Who do you think I..."
"I think you're a nuisance, that's what. I'm above your ranks. This isn't even my home world. I'm not afraid of what anyone says, and I'm gonna speak my mind."
- Maria, using her powers for good.
"He's way too uptight with me! Really, does he think he's some kind of class rep?"
"Class... rep?" I asked, unfamiliar with the phrase.
"Um, someone who leads a group."
"Oh, he is a captain."
"Ah... yeah. But, the nuance is kinda different. Anyway, he's uptight!"
- Everybody just being silly for a change. But the banter in general was very nice.