Review for Moscow 2160

Warning first: the coloured illustrations contained a highly-NSFW image which I don't recommend reading this while commuting.... (that's what I did).... (SMH)...

From the author Kagyu Kumo who wrote Goblin Slayer. Funny though this book was published with a “volume 1” tag, but in the afterword the author mentioned he has no plan to write a second volume. And even if he did, it will be a completely different story but set in the same universe. Kind of like the Brunhild Series I guess, if a second book is ever released.

The story is set in an alternate version of Earth where the Soviet Union did not fall and the Cold War continued to 2160. Pretty much a futuristic cyberpunk-dystopian story but without too much focus on the sci-fi element. In fact, it felt more like a slice of life than an action thriller, even though the plot is about Danila, the protagonist, and all his missions.

To be honest, I am not quite sure how to review this novel. On one hand I enjoyed reading it a lot. It has that decadent, degen vibe that is rare to be found in LN. The characters, even though they are extremely nasty and obnoxious, are all quite lovable. There are a lot of slice of life scenes telling the daily life of the protagonist and his siblings (found family), and it's oddly heartwarming and satisfying to read. On the other hand, this felt more like a spin-off novel for the terrible lack of world building and character building, as usually those things would have be done in the main story. Except that we are already reading the main story here.

Having said that, it’s still a charming novel to read.