Torpenhow Dreams, Level 4

Welcome to Aldwych

Luke Parry here. Thank-you for picking up Volume 4 of Torpenhow Dreams!

This volume had much more of an urban theme, and whilst there was another rift to be closed, the main focus of the story was delving into the tragic secrets of Brighid’s past. I hope everyone has a much better understanding of why she has turned out the way that she is; the more layers you peel back, the more complicated she becomes.

Another weighty topic that this volume deals with is slavery. It is a fairly common trope in a lot of Japanese light novels, but what frustrates me personally is the disturbingly high level of slavery apologism in such works. Frequently (although admittedly not always), it is presented as a socially acceptable pastime, with little in the way of the horrors of the actual reality appended to it.

Of course, in some ways, the alternative stances that are taken by other such novels – namely, that ‘slavery is bad, but when the main protagonist engages in it, it is for noble reasons’, or ‘they aren’t really treated like slaves, so it is okay’ is worse. I see such things as attempting to varnish the true horror of the pastime into something vaguely respectable.

Consequently, I have taken a far less forgiving stance when presenting the industry. Whilst I could easily believe that a Medievallevel society would condone the practice (especially as an alternative to the death penalty, or for prisoners of war), I would never dream of presenting it in a positive light. Reducing another sentient being to the level of an object should never be presented as a wholesome activity.

Of course, if this volume had included nothing but the above, it might have been suspenseful, but it would have also been unremittingly dark. Consequently, I added in some lighter elements.

In that vein, this volume saw the introduction of two new characters. The first of these, Skye, was technically introduced at the end of volume 3, but didn’t really have much of a chance to make a splash until this one. Her bright and cheerful personality (as well as her unrepentant sweet tooth) was designed to act as a counterbalance for some of the darker elements in the story. Also, the concept of ‘suddenly, a pre-teen daughter’ amused me.

The second character, this volume’s ‘companion of the day’, Leslie, is my homage to another Japanese cultural trope: Chuunibyou. Sometimes known in the English-speaking world as ‘eighth-grader syndrome’, the essential concept is that the individual involved has grandiose delusions, believing that they have special knowledge or supernatural powers, and tend to speak in an exaggerated fashion. Of course, in Leslie’s case, it is at least partially true, but given that they are also a dyed-in-the-wool conspiracy theorist, it is difficult to know just what it is safe to believe…

I hope that you enjoyed this instalment of Torpenhow Dreams, and look forward meeting you again in Volume 5!