Lauvil's manga / #Confusing(2)

Lena Rubel is abandoned by her father and offered as a sacrifice for power, just before her 12th birthday. Ever since she's had to fend for herself, becoming a warrior under the southern duke, until she could find a way back into high society and confront her father. On her way to the capital she meets the duke of the East, Lignan Aitelner, who is traveling in disguise. He believes her to be a damsel in distress and saves her from a group of thugs, but she soon demonstrates that she needs nobody's help - though the story may be different when she arrives at the Capital, where everyone seem to be a potential enemy... So far, I have mixed opinions about this, but I am very curious to see where it's going. Praise: Firstly, the story has a both physically and mentally strong FL. She can fight with a sword, fight with words, she's cunning and very strong willed. However she is not framed to be flawless; We see her struggle with her impulses, with taking humiliation and with her feelings about her father. And then she has a surprisingly naive side. Her fierce independence has made her very lonely and the scars of abandonment and betrayal weighs heavily on her, but it makes her seek connection with other people first and foremost - retribution is second to this goal. She appears to want to see the best in people, to trust and to forgive. And she somehow holds on to these qualities despite everything she's been through and how others treat her. Arguably, some of her "softness" could be front she puts up to make others lower their guard and underestimate her - something she capitalizes on multiple times - but I think it's genuine. To me at least, it seems like she tries to give people a chance and only seeks retribution when they try to use that chance to betray and exploit her. Next, the setting is very interesting. It's sort of a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting, complete with political factions and cultural backstory. And the fighting-action of the story is not condensed into the first few years to only serve as a backstory for the MC (as is the case with many other "female knight" stories) to make her seem more badass, but is an active part of the story. And the story peppers information about the setting and the undead-plot throughout, in a manner that doesn't overwhelm the reader while maintaining curiosity on the topic. Finally, the ML appears to be a good person and a healthy option as a love-interest. At first he underestimates her, but he still treats her like a gentleman. And when he finds out just how much he underestimed her, he corrects his perception of her - and without his ego getting in the way! They are quite open and honest with each other and treat each other with respect, which I just love to see. Critique: Firstly, the story has a few weird moments that feel very inorganic. Like the entire ballroom-scene; The mob-characters behaved absolutely cartoonishly arrogant and stupid, but the MC could apparently scare them off just by looking at them funny. And the theatrics of the Rubid, the younger brother of the northern duke, were completely mental, yet noone batted an eye. It was just weird and exaggerated. But a more important thing that bothers me, is the story's lack of direction. The setting and the characters are good, but it still hasn't answered the question: What is it about? There are a bunch of possible goals for the MC, like: - wanting to reclaim her identity - seeking honor and glory through battle and proving her merits - seeking revenge on her father - wanting to rebuild her relationship with her father - wanting connection and a place to belong All of the above are good options for character goals. The problem is that it's left too ambiguous which one is the actual goal. Had the MC been a passive/reactive character, it would have been fine not to have clear character motivation, but she's not. She has an active role as the story's instigator. Her return to her father/high society is what sparks the tension and conflict, but we still don't know the reason. Why did she come back? What does she want? What's her goal? Where is the story headed. A good active character has clear motivation and goals, which is why this role often belongs to the villain, while the hero is the reactive counterpart. Of course not all goals and motivations should be revealed immediately, but at least one should be made clear early on, so the reader can get a sense of the story's direction. Otherwise the reader is going to be left confused and unsatisfied. As I like the setting and characters, I will continue to read for now. But if the story doesn't clear things up soon, I might just drop it due to its lack of direction. 3/5 stars. For now.