Rebirth (Su Lian's Theme)
Added 2025-08-27 04:10:42 +0000 UTCBecause of course Su Lian gets her own theme music.
Comments
It's up now, but Book 2 starts in about 2 weeks.... probably.
Konstantin Parkhomenko
2025-09-06 02:57:02 +0000 UTCThank you for the thoughtful review! I'm glad someone listened to the song :) Characters can have multiple themes, and this one feels appropriate for the particular "resurrection/awakening" scene that occurred in Chapter 35. I do plan to reuse some of the melodic scenes in the future -- provided, of course, that I actually get around to writing books 2 and 3.
Konstantin Parkhomenko
2025-09-06 02:56:16 +0000 UTCJust asking, when is an estimated ETA of the next chapter?
Aglovale Sempai
2025-09-05 13:54:43 +0000 UTCLet me start this off by saying that this is an incredible piece, and I absolutely love it. I'm no music expert, and I have never critiqued music before, but here is my poor attempt at analyzing your work without actual knowledge of music theory. Spoilers ahead for Su Lian's character arc up to Chapter 35. The piece begins neutrally, with the bassline (?) alternating between higher and lower tones. It lays down a steady foundation. It reminds me of Flight of the Silverbird by Two Steps from Hell,actually: calm at first, but with an undercurrent of momentum. When the vocals enter, they add a soft, almost serene quality, but the underlying rhythm and beat gives them the tension they need to feel like a quiet preparation, like a sleeping hero who is about to awaken. The vocals rise and fall in a way that mirrors the bassline, reinforcing the sense of “waking up.” The gradual ascent of the vocal line feels like a slow, hopeful rise. When the vocals finally reach their highest notes, the rhythm shifts, marking the moment of ascension. At this point, the music feels like triumph. The voice stays in the high range, giving us a sense of freedom, as if a bird has truly spread their wings. After this climax, the vocals drop out and the bass takes over, using the same upward motion as the voice. This creates a three-part structure: (1) tension — the hero in slumber, (2) triumph — hope and ascension, and (3) release — freedom and quiet defiance. The arc feels complete, a true rising into a new dawn. When the bass cuts off and the beat takes over, the established tension is kept, and ultimately heightened. Then, the vocals return and release a bit this tension, as the cycle begins anew. When a second voice enters, the music feels especially like harmony. Like a symbol of inner unity. The highest notes of the vocals repeat again with the bass, really reinforcing that feeling of freedom. The bass cuts off again and a bit of tension is released and risen anew to finally end in a last section where the bass kicks in again, and rises even higher than before, invoking a feeling of 'soaring' until we reach a climax where the underlying beat comes back in, releasing a bit of tension, before ending rather abruptly. This feels intentional, as though we’ve been left at the “ascended” level, suspended in the sky. Thematically, this piece nails the ascension part of Su Lian’s arc. She dies, and rises anew. We feel the awakening from a long slumber, the spreading of wings against a new dawn. The bass even carries a quiet rage beneath the freedom. It's a perfect echo of her years of forced submission. She doesn’t just ascend, she soars. The ember that has been lit is not one that will burn out. Where the piece falls short, for me, is in capturing the shame and fury she carries with her. The pain of unjust punishment, the bitterness of being silenced, and dismissed. These are not very apparent here, especially so without context. The music triumphs in portraying her transcendence, but it doesn’t fully sound like rebirth, because rebirth is not only light, but also in forsaking what once was. As a character theme, it feels a bit incomplete. It gives us her dawn, but not the night she emerged from. If the goal was to represent only her ascension, it succeeds absolutely. But if the intent was to capture Su Lian in her entirety, then I feel a layer of her shame and defiance is missing. Still, as a piece of music on its own, it is absolutely fucking great, and I'd definitely put it into my playlist and listen to it regularly. I could have completely butchered the technical part of the analysis, so I'm sorry in advance. It is probably also important to mention that this is only my interpretation and it could definitely differ. Ultimately, even conversation is beneficial.
Anthroporraistes
2025-09-03 16:54:37 +0000 UTC
