Daybreak on Hyperion (legacy)

Information

Status

Hiatus

Year

2021

Author

Aorii

• Volume 3 Starting
  Jul 25, 2021
• And we're caught up
  Jul 15, 2021
• Rewrite Notice
  Jun 26, 2021

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• AethlingRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  To preface my review, I would like to say that Daybreak on Hyperion displays a level of quality that is rarely seen in hobby writing. The topics that it touches on are somewhat controversial in nature, but I believe that the author does an amazing job of touching on these subjects with all the respect and thoughtfulness that they are due. With all that said, I will now move on to the actual review.
  Style:
  Aorii writes in the third person, which I believe to be the best point of view for engaging storytelling. Even more importantly, the author has an admirable grasp of both history and geopolitics which they masterfully weave into their story. To say that I was impressed by the depths of the author's knowledge would be an understatement.
  Now, I don't know too much about style in general, so I won't profess to be an expert on the subject. I am; however, a very prolific reader. I have a good grasp of what is and isn't a good story pretty quickly, not accounting for taste. The author's word choice is on point throughout the entire work. This combined with a serious political/military tone interspersed with tidbits of comedy makes for a very amusing read. Finally, Aorii's use of syntax is easily comparable to professional authors. I wouldn't be surprised if their career is that of an English professor.
  Story:
  The story of Daybreak on Hyperion takes a common theme in anime but adds an interesting and amusing twist. The protagonist of the story, Kaede, is ripped from his life and thrown into a confusing and fantastical world. This occurs right after he's accepted to a prestigious university in Japan. Suffice it to say, Kaede is not happy with his summoner, the charismatic and brilliant, Pascal. To make matters worse, Kaede is summoned into the body of an adorable girl who looks to be around fifteen years of age.
  Now, I know the gender-bender aspect of the story might turn some people away, but trust me, Aorii makes it work.
  Pascal isn't surprised to find that he's summoned
• AjhkumRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I was an old reader before it went in hiatus way back when, but I picked it back up as soon as I heard about the rewrite.
  And I was hooked up again.
  Some people will find stuff in here off putting, particularly some of the shadier implications of regular isekai stories. Ever realized how fucked up Zero no Tsukaima's premise is? Well, Aorii certainly did and the story doesn't shy away from it. Some people think it gets glossed over, but this story isn't meant to be empowering, it's a story about some unfortunate soul doing what they can with a shitty hand of cards and an arrogant douchebag realizing how big a mistake he's commited and trying to attone for it.
  Some people will be put off by forgiveness being a part of this story, and that's okay. If this bothers you, it's not for you, mate.
  If you can live with the protagonist accepting the reality of the situation and trying to make the most out of being stranded in a strange world with 0 contacts and enjoy some good ol' fantasy politics this is definitely your story though.
  Now that we're done with the extra elaborate disclaimer, here's what I like about the story, in handy bullet points:
  - It's easily one of the best fantasy war stories I've read, Aorii has a gift for big scale action.
  -It doesn't shy away from heavy topics like politics, war and personal tragedy
  -...but it tries to keep a somewhat comedic tone overall (not everyone will like this, sue me)
  -Aorii really takes the question "what would the world REALLY be like with magic?" and runs with it. If you like history/sociology or just plain worldbuilding you'll love the ideas in here.
  In conclusion, it rocks. It might not be for everyone, particularly if you're into self empowering stories with a badass protagonist with a guaranteed happy ending. If you like complex characters with a healthy those of nerdy worldbuilding and an amazing war story, though, you're in for a treat.
• TurkeyBlockRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I’m rereading this story in its updated form.
  Its characters are not perfect people, and their actions are sometimes discomforting. That said, the characters feel like fleshed-out individuals, and the things that discomfort me make sense within the setting. The scenes are not those of shock-value but of character advancement, and I believe they're interesting in both the good and bad.
  To speak plainly, it’s an entertaining story that tells you what it will be, touches on inherent issues in its topic of forced summoning, and executes the premise well. I wouldn't recommend it if you're unwilling to follow highly flawed characters, but there's no doubt in my mind that the story is well written.
• Vitaly S AlexiusRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Daybreak on Hyperion! This is one of Kana's top favourite stories, now on Royal Road. How has Kanadaj brought this book on here? How many gemstones did he bribe Aorii with from his hoard? Will we ever know?
  Update: Kana said no hoard bribes were made because dragons hoard not dispense.
  Now my dear review observer, don't dare question the earliness of this review because Daybreak has been running for eons on its own before coming here. And by eons I mean since 2013. I've read this series ages ago, when Kanadaj linked me to it.
  If you're an old fan also note - this is an updated, better version of the series with new content!
  But enough with questioning how and why this book is on here.  Daybreak on Hyperion is a true masterpiece if there ever was one. Everything about it is absolutely top notch. Spelling/grammar is absolutely perfect.
  Pascal Kay Lennart von Moltewitz is an ambitious, rational twenty year old noble - a son of a military official. He is betrothed to the Crown Princess.
  He is a postgraduate student and an assistant of a professor at the Alisia Academy of Magic. Pascal decides to be fancypants and summons himself an irregular familiar - not an animal, but a smart-ass human, who could be as clever as he is, but also not totally obedient to him and a cute girl too. What he summons is a best friend!
  STYLE: The story was originally written to imitate the style of a Japanese light novel. A lot of the comedy in this series comes from the fact that the isekai hero of this tale Kaede [the familiar] is a Russian boy who is shoved into the body of a magical girl who is also a power battery for Pascal. Personally, I find this hilarious. Being Russian is often about being shoved into questionable, misfortunate situations [such as being sent to build cities in Siberian wilderness] and dealing with it.
  SHINY THINGS:
  The magical system is legit, complex and interesting.
  The world of hyperion is fun and original - it doesn't have a moon. Instead it has a companion plane
• kanadajRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I've read Daybreak a few years ago when it was originally posted on Baka-Tsuki, and was very happy to learn that Aorii has finally started posting it again. The story intentionally takes a serious, darker tone with a lot of thought and research being put into it, with references to various cultures, in-depth geopolitics and various moral issues.
  A whole slew of societal issues come into play with the story - it's dealing with nobility of a foreign world; as such, the morals and actions of characters of a completely different culture are viewed through the eyes of a character who herself doesn't quite align with western thinking; rather she is a tad bit more cynical, like Eastern Europeans or Russians, so it may just rub people wrong, especially if you stop reading very early before Kaede has the chance to look at her situation for real. But at the same time, it's a great opportunity to inspect cultural and moral issues from a unique point of view.
  If you're here for the power creep, you won't find any here. But if you want something interesting, different and well written, then you are in the right place.
  P.S. Yes, Pascal is an asshole. And if anything is as per the original version, it's gonna take a while for him to grow out of that.
• nnaauujjddaaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I first read Daybreak 5-7 years ago? something like that. And absolutely loved it. I decided to let Aorii write the full volume, volume 4 I think? before reading it so I didn't go checking every day like a maniac. But with time I forgot how to find it, so when I got the email that it was going to be published I was soooo happy. Now for what I like about this is that the characters are so humans. Like every single one of them has a fatal flaw that makes them make actual mistakes. Now I would like for Kaede to kick the princess ass, but if I am honest with myself she actually got off easy with the princess. Still would like for her to kick her ass like she kicked Pascal's though.
• CatVIRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  When I used to translate edgy LNs on baka-tsuki, this was one of the two originals i read the without missing a single update, alongside mother of learning. Mostly because my taste in literature was so accustomed to Japanese humor, I had a hard time appreciating fancy English novels.
  This one fits my tastes to a tee.
  Comparing the two, of course, I would say MoL (the current no.1 best-rated series on RR) is better. But I can also say, I have enjoyed Day Break on Hyperion Immensely.
  It was like some years ago since I stopped reading it, and have to reread it to job my memories a bit. But I remember having some good laughs at it, studying the magic system and then went 'WHY AUTHOR!' when it turned dark-ish. But not too much.
  I will make an advanced review after re-reading it again. But to my fellow readers, I would say give it a try. For me, this is a 5/5 but to you, it may be less. But definitely not so bad as some malicious reviewer might want you to believe. But then again, don't believe me either.
  Don't pass this book over because of the ratings, give it a read, and judge for yourself.
• Iceblade44Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The writing so far has been very interesting though there are a couple of elements, from the forced summoning and gender bend and the attitude of it main protag being an general oblivious ass which would make some readers uncomfortable. However all of these elements are intentional and well considered by the author. They have discussed that they want to explore the elements of such actions in their story and has done heavy research to make it right. So I am interested on reading more because of it rather then opposed. Still while this review is not supposed to be a warning and the story itself is far from being grimdark, just be mindful of your comforts though.
  Another thing of note is that the main character are both big intellectuals and so when they go deep into topics, they go really deep. However it is not exposition dumps, rather they have been used to further define the characters. A matter of character establishment. I personally very enjoy it though I'm critical enough to know that it can tug of people's suspense of disbelief if its not their cup of tea.
  In anycase, to end the review. Highly recommend the story, it is well written and I'm excited to continue from here.
• RozenkreizaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  What is the the other side of Futurology? It is the desire to ask the question "What if?" on a historical topic, something that happened in the past. The desire to model that past with a new variable. There are no "what ifs" in history, but there are in fiction, and some of them are really good.
  Like this one, the Daybreak on Hyperion. The author who was obviously interested in history, asked themself a question - "What if" and that question was interesting enough to give birth to this project.
  This is one of those not so often seen reads, where magic meets actual, proper history, and together they form a pretty interesting union. It studies social constructions, the differences between them, gender roles in society, economical, geopolitical and other topics in the envisioned, modelled world called Hyperion.
  Just as history, the genderbender in the story is used as a tool, to discuss and study society standing, the initial reception, the inevitable change that it brings, the difficulties one can discover once placed in an unknown, uncommon, uncomfortable enviroment. It helps to provide multiple layers of questions and attempts to answer them, enriches the created modelled world.
  The story has a slow start, but gets going nicely and it does not feel stretched, a good pacing, common and much needed for historical fiction. It provides the context, allows you to study the characters. Overall well written and is enjoyable to read.
  The character design and development are also great. When i think about characters as a reader, i usually devide them into three categories: Those with whom i can associate myself, accept them and understand them. Those with whom i argue, i disagree and can have an inner dialogue. And those that can be just cast aside. To my enjoyment, this novel has none of the third category, which gives us a good roster of characters, who are well written, motivated and have different and sometimes unique perspective on the events.
  I am no expert in the gram
• BarqueRoyal Road

  ★★★★ 4.0

  If you can't read sad, or depressing, or frustrating things like me, than this is not for you,
  This story is well written, I say this because the story made me feel! After I dropped this story I couldn't stop thinking about it for days and if anything that is a testament to the strength of the writing.
  Hands down the best parts of the story IMO are the political and historical sections, these parts are just down right interesting.