EXTENDED CUT! First Impressions: Aether Nexus: Curse of Love & Hatred. By Inlajin

“In Aether Nexus, kindness and calamity share the same cabin—a boy’s compassion, a witch’s curse, and a storm waiting just beyond the door.”

Core Premise & Initial Impression:

Bardic Planet has reviewed quite the number of progression-fantasy novels of late. As Bard-in-Chief, it’s my prerogative to mix things up. Pursuant to that, this week you’ll find no progression-fantasy—no. Instead, I’ll be giving my first impression of Aether Nexus—a fantasy progression.

At least, that’s how it bills itself. I’d better categorise its genres as High Fantasy, Action, Adventure, and Ensemble—with a touch of Slice of Life. Though the last tag might just be a by-product of pacing (I’ll get into that later).

We find ourselves in Eranovum, by a cabin in the Enohayean Mountains, where a one-armed boy meets a teenaged witch. If you’re imagining the riotous hijinkery of that other teenage witch who once graced television in the nineties, let me dissuade you of that notion. Giona—second of her name—spent her early years shut away. And I don’t mean that in the way modern teens shut themselves away—scrolling TikTok and thinking of boys (that wasn’t just me, right?). I mean she was locked in a cell and experimented on.

With the aid of her “clearly benevolent,” wicked-grinning, amorphous companion Giona affectionately calls Curse—and the paw, gnaw, and gnashing fury of a regiment of rodents rallied to riot at her command—she finds escape. Bruised, battered, and blacked out, she awakens to the world in the bedroom of teenaged boy. But before you alert her parents—she hasn’t got any. And before you inform the law, the boy’s just trying to help.

And so we meet Dama Jinbia—one-armed, orphaned, and tucked away in a lonely mountain shack. Not entirely lonely, though. He’s got two companions—stuffed toys, yes, but loyal ones. They’re determined not to let a little thing like being inanimate—until he brought them to life—get in the way of friendship. Together with his stuffies, Dama teaches a teenaged witch what it means to be cared for.

Elsewhere, the leadership of the Soul Divination Council rages, while their rank and file quiver in their boots for having let the witch escape. For Giona is no ordinary witch—she’s the one most closely related to the first of her name: Giona Evelyn Tamaki, the First Witch of Eranovum.

This league of terribly rotten no-goodnicks is determined to hunt Giona down, drag her back, and—with her magic—condemn the world to celestial war. But hot on their heels stands a mysterious man of magical… mystery? Sure, let’s go with that. He calls himself Mystigo. A tad on the nose, perhaps—but who am I, the Bard-in-Chief—the mother-friggin’ Bard-in-friggin’-Chief—to judge?

Oh, that’s right, I said it earlier. I’m the Bard-in-Friggin’-Chief.

So what do I think about this novel?

It’s ambitious, certainly—both in its descriptive prose and in the scope of the story it’s telling. Even in the early chapters, you can feel the spread of storylines pull taut, threads drawn toward inevitable convergence. It might be sunny in the village, but there’s a storm brewing by the shore. It’s moving in fast—do you have an umbrella handy? That’s the feeling Aether Nexus gives you.

The worldbuilding is engaging. The stakes are vast, yet substantiated by the compassion of a young boy and the vulnerability of a love-starved girl. The magic system is inventive, and the mysteries surrounding character motivations are compelling. Yet despite all that, there are cracks along the surface—fractures that, if mended, would smooth the reader’s journey through an otherwise captivating world.

Let’s get into…

What Works?

Clear Yet Descriptive Prose:

The author paints pictures that are easy to see. The writing is richly descriptive, using the senses to flood scenes with atmosphere. Despite the detail, the prose remains clear—you can follow every beat.

In the action scenes, this clarity is a boon. There’s a lot to keep track of—strange and spectacular magics colliding—and it would be easy to get lost in the what-got-crushed-by-who of it all. But that never happens. The reader stays vividly aware of every movement, every moment.

Outside of combat, the same descriptive strength breathes life into quieter scenes. At times it heightens the eeriness, reflecting a character’s disquiet at being somewhere strange with someone stranger. At others, it magnifies the warmth of tenderness. Generally, it works. The writing isn’t flawless—and we’ll dig into that later—but the author’s commitment to evocative prose is unmistakable. In web fiction—a medium often written without much mind for craft—Aether Nexus stands among the works that strive to elevate the genre. For the most part, it takes bold strides, even if it stumbles along the way.

Converging Plot lines & Ensemble Cast:

Much like my school-day teacher never failed to remind me was also true of myself, this novel’s pacing is slow—at least when it comes to the lead dual protagonists: Dama and Giona. And it makes sense for the story to move steadily. This isn’t Tinder—they’ve just met. They need time to get acquainted, to forge their bond, and for Giona to heal and learn to trust.

Still, were Aether Nexus solely focused on their tale, it might risk growing dull—or tempt the author to speed along their development, perhaps through time jumps or contrived circumstances. My teachers used a paper cone labelled “Dunce” and a corner stool to correct my own pacing issues, but I doubt that would help here.

Fortunately, the author prepared for this. While Dama and Giona get to know one another—sharing meals, laughter, and a roof over their heads whilst LIVING IN SIN! (Ahem…)—other players are making moves in the background.

This works. It keeps the story dynamic—action-packed and forward-moving—without compromising development.

And the ensemble are compelling in their own right. They’re layered, emotional, three-dimensional figures with lives to live and stories to tell, rather than simple props propping up the protagonists.

They give the story drive and direction. And where is it headed? One assumes—crashing into the idyllic, peaceful lives of a boy who cares and a girl who needs someone who cares about her. Especially if she’s to embrace the fate I suspect she has—with a heart light enough not to be drawn into the cruel abyss of vengeance, and nothing else.

World Building & Imaginative Magic System:

Much like my school-day peers were always quick to remind about me, the magic system is strange. The novel’s tagged as progression, and I’ve no doubt that as it develops the leads will grow in strength. That said, progression fantasy is about power—and the accumulation thereof. That isn’t quite the feel I get from this novel’s magic system.

Rather, it serves as flavour for the story being told. That’s not to diminish its consequence or relevance—quite the opposite. It’s seamlessly woven into the world as a feature of it, without ever becoming the world itself.

No, this world feels lived-in—storied—stretching from legends of the past to mythical trials yet to come. We’re told of wars between Celestials, demons, and men; of the First Witch, empowered with the blood of all races, and of her descendants from whom every Witch is found. We glimpse schemes to reignite that ancient conflict and the wicked deeds carried out to see it done. We see the plight of the poor fearing plague, the greed of the venal who profit from their suffering, and the simple folk just trying to live their lives. And when I say “simple,” I mean that in the good way—not in the way my teachers and peers all agreed applied to me.

That being said, the magic itself is imaginative and used inventively—from forging pacts with familiars and gaining their power, to merging with buildings and commanding their brick-a-brack, to breathing soul into stuffed animals and granting them will. Aether Nexus offers all this and more: it explains its rules, yet leaves enough mystery to explore, to wonder, and to be surprised.

What Might Hold It Back?

Inconsistent Tenses:

Much like my girlfriend is never slow to remind about me, this story’s tenses are inconsistent. Where I differ from the novel is that, apparently, the novel isn’t also an inconsiderate a$$. For the most part, it’s written in the past tense—but it sometimes drifts into the present, and, I kid you not, on occasion it’s even rendered in the future.

This is maddening. Not as maddening as my existence seems to be to everyone I know, but frustrating all the same. It’s jarring; it breaks immersion. But it’s also an easy fix. The author seems to be going back through their work to polish this piece, so I’d suggest they start with the tenses. Pick a tense and stick to it. That small change would make a world of difference to the quality of the writing.

Tells Not Shows & Monotonous Rhythm:

Unlike what law enforcement says about me, this story doesn’t show enough. They say, “Show, don’t tell.” Great advice for fiction—terrible advice for avoiding arrest for indecent exposure. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right? So if showing works in storytelling, why not in public parks? I don’t think that’s quite fair. Still, here we are all the same.

The story is descriptively rendered—and for me, that works. But it could gleam if it embraced its characters’ emotional responses with more tactile weight. It isn’t always enough to tell us how someone feels, relying on adjectives for heft. No, I want to see their hands quietly trembling, their breaths catching—the heart pounding like a stampede through the wild, while the predator across from them keeps time, conducting that rhythm like a bloodthirsty maestro, savouring every beat.

Additionally, the story would benefit from varied sentence structures. Too often, they keep the same pace. More evocative, effective prose can be achieved by tuning the rhythm—long, flowing sentences for introspection or reflection, shorter ones that hit like punches for impact. And unlike the punches I endure in my cell—locked away, as you know, for indecent exposure—those punches would be well received.

Closing:

Much like my therapist says about me—Aether Nexus has potential. Tremendous, terrifying, slightly-concerning potential. It’s rich in imagination, high in ambition, and occasionally guilty of doing too much all at once. But when it works, it really works. The prose paints, the world breathes, and the cast feels like they might step out of the page and start arguing about dinner.

This is a story for readers who enjoy atmosphere over acceleration—for those who’d rather linger in the candlelight of a mountain cabin than sprint through a dungeon of damage numbers. It’s for lovers of layered worldbuilding, soft character moments, and the occasional explosion of magical carnage. If you crave character chemistry and a story that promises emotional and mystical growth in equal measure, you’ll find plenty here to chew on.

Who might it put off? Well, much like my ex says about me—it takes a while to get going, drifts between moods, and sometimes forgets what tense it’s in. Readers wanting instant gratification, non-stop grind, or the clean minimalism of a power fantasy logbook may find themselves tapping the page, wondering when the next skill unlocks.

But for those who can savour the slow burn, forgive a few foibles, and appreciate a story that’s as heartfelt as it is headstrong—Aether Nexus delivers a peculiar kind of magic. One that, much like myself, might be a little strange, a little inconsistent, but impossible to forget… At least, that’s what the judges tell me.

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