Heretical fishing - an honest review
I'm still on the fence about this series. On one hand, the descriptions are vivid, the ambiance is immersive, and the overall feel of the books is enjoyable. However, there's a glaring issue: nothing substantial seems to happen, and much of the content feels derivative, particularly of "He Who Fights with Monsters." The protagonist, Fischer, is essentially a carbon copy of the snarky Jason Asano—except Fischer is on a beach, awakening cultivators, cooking, and fishing. While this setup is entertaining for a few hundred pages, the lack of a coherent story is beginning to wear thin.
The narrative tends to repeat itself in a predictable pattern:
- Fischer wakes up to find an awakened animal nearby. He exchanges snarky banter, then pets the animal affectionately.
- He accidentally awakens another creature. The newly awakened animal gains intelligence, remembers Fischer's kindness, and immediately recognizes him as its master.
- He introduces the new addition to the group, surprising everyone. Then, he gives it a silly name.
- As a celebration, Fischer cooks, and everyone is astounded by how good the food is.
- There might be a party where everyone ends up drunk.
When he's not doing this, Fischer is usually wandering around making snarky comments, mostly revolving around his Earth-born wit, which no one else understands. And all these substories, also repeat themselves, over and over.
So why am I undecided? Despite the lack of a strong narrative, the writing and atmosphere keep pulling me back in. I’m around 1,000 pages deep, and I can’t help but hope that something will eventually happen to give the book a real story. The ambiance draws me in, but I need a story to stay invested—and so far, there just isn’t one.