All That's Forgotten Reviews:

Holy hell this is a cool story.

The way you play with the concept of memory erasure is so well done, from the more obvious ways, to the big reveal at the end. I love how casually it happens sometimes, like how Daphne simply vanished from the scene, only to be touched on later when 'Aleksandra' mentions it.

At first I figured this was just a fantasy setting, though at quickly became clear what you were setting up. I love this path of alternate history, where an entire, vast world existed before the one we live in, but was completely forgotten by history. You really juiced the memory concept for everything it had, I don't know if anyone else could top this, at least in terms of scale.

Oh, and the prose and descriptions in this story are crazy strong. It's clear that you really put a shit ton of effort into it, and the story is pristine as a result. Personally, I'm usually not one for either growth or the extreme size ranges the first chapter displays, but the level of detail and descriptive flair you give to both features made them extremely compelling for me. Things like the shockwaves of Olenka's footsteps in the air, and the way the ground undulated like mud were incredible. Oh and the way the souls and bodies would be separated, both aware but now incomplete, was super hot, especially when they were swallowed one after the other >:)

And oh man, Olenka. I'm already a huge fan of the 'plucky accomplice to the big's evil schemes' trope, and you not only delivered on that, but blew it out of the water. The slowly unravelling mystery of her situation was really intriguing, and her big fight with Kat at the end was incredibly done. The line where Kat cuts her sister's heart in two was breathtaking for me.

The plot in general is incredible, too. The idea that everything turned out this way because of one violently ambitious woman is so interesting to think about. I can't help but wonder about how things could have turned out differently if Olenka had received the power as intended. What the world would be like, and how Kat's life would have changed.

On the note of the plot, this story was really reminiscent of Sanderson's work for me. Stormlight especially. And as a big fan of the both of you, I mean that in the best of ways. The way the plot slowly unravelled itself, with hints here and there, before the cascading finale really hit me in the same way as his best novels did. Idk if that was intentional or not, but either way, it's fantastic.

I should also mention Katarzyna - whose full name I figured I'd write fully at least once in this review. I love the contrast between her deific ambition, and obsession with her sister. It kinda strikes me like she killed her sister in a moment of weakness, jealous, or desperate for power, and has spent the following thousands of years justifying her decision. Unable or unwilling to confront her own wickedness, and applying endless excuses and patches to hide what I suspect might be shame. She's a super interesting character, and a lot of fun to read. Also I love the idea that she invented hell. She says her hell, so perhaps the other gods have a hell. But it's very funny to think that she's the only one who created one, just because she's a spiteful monster lmao.

I do feel a little bad for the poor sisters, who will presumably spin forever in this painful cycle, where Kat keeps recreating Olenka over and over and over, and Olenka keeps rediscovering her horror each time. I don't know the song referenced at the end, though I'll make sure to give it a listen!

Seriously well done with this story. I'd give it an extra star if I could.