I loved this story when I read through it the first time. I was abused by my sons father in many ways and now I have a lot of problems I’m working through. I had to push myself through this story and I’m glad I did. Had so many different emotions while reading this and I unfortunately can relate to some of the thing that Squall was going through. Kudos to you for writing this and it was exactly what I needed during a very bad time I was working through last year

Love this story! I have recently started to reply FF8 since it was remastered and this is exactly what I needed. I love the relationship between Ellone and Seifer so much! Great story!

Well, it's difficult to explain how I feel about this story. It was an enthralling, interesting read that kept my attention more or less all the way, but I'm not entirely certain if I actually enjoyed it. On the technical side of things, this was excellent. A few typos, some missed words, but otherwise very readable, which I appreciate.

Plot-wise... I think this story was a bit too ambitious in its scope, or should have been split up into multiple stories. Was this story about a kidnapping? A rescue mission? A recovery? The hunt for a villain? Sometimes it felt like it jumped around and shifted genres and perspectives a bit too much, but maybe that's just me. The pacing also felt slow at times and the extra chapters did help to bring some better closure to the story, but could have been integrated better, since they kind of messed with the narrative structure for me. I mean, we reached the climax of the story with Thalia's death, and then it kept winding down and down and down and I was interested while reading, but also wondering when it would end.

Speaking of Thalia... I'll come out here and say that the best villains are the ones with a touch of humanity in them and that we can sympathise with. I couldn't find the slightest bit of sympathy for Thalia. Her entire life was a shitshow from beginning to end, and while a tragic backstory is part of a tragic character, that's only half of it. The other half is seeing a character that's worth caring about, who has some positive traits and tries to help or do something they consider "good", even if they fail. Thalia's life sucked, but the whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, "Yeah, okay, she's cursed, she's a monster created by her circumstances. She'll have to die, that's regrettable, but that's that." I didn't think, "She could've been such a great person, doing good with her powers," because we were never shown any instance in which Thalia ever tried to use her powers for a good cause or to help anyone other than herself.

About the ending... Well, given that I checked out of Thalia's story for the reasons I've outlined above, I wasn't that enthused about it. As a reader, I feel somewhat cheated of catharsis. It seems to cheapen everything the characters have gone through if she just comes back in a different form. There are ways to continue a story and create new antagonists without dredging the same ones up again. There are ways to write sad or bittersweet or esoteric-happy endings without leaving the audience feeling cheated.

I'm reminded of Yoko Taro's games, which, if you've never played one before, pretty much all defy happy endings, but in ways which make sense. When you go through those games, you slog through a huge journey that feels more like just something you have to do, rather than something that feels rewarding. At the end of a Yoko Taro game, you and the characters are just tired of all the fighting and struggles. You no longer hope for or maybe even want a happy ending, you're just looking for a place to put down your weapons and rest. You just want it to be over.

I think, the point of that ramble about Yoko Taro is that he pulled off what you were trying to do with the ending, and that's the best way I can try to explain it. I could go on for days about the writing of DrakeNier, but this review is massive enough as it is, so: Thanks for the story, I can't imagine what a massive undertaking it must have been to write something like this.

I'm late to the party but damn that was an excellent story. First FF8 fanfiction I read and I choose correctly.

Thanks for story!

that was awesome. i like the touch at the end. As if Thalia has a chance to have her life as it should be, instead of abuse, course i know thats gonna suck for Squall and the others. Very good story.

...What is it gonna take to put that bitch down? :o

I like your take on Zell. I worry something will go on with him and Rinoa while Squall is gone. Say it ain't so.

So, we got to the end. I want to take a bit more time with this review.

Overall, I want to give you a bit thumbs up! This was a great story that had me gripped from the beginning. Your writing style is engaging and easy to read, your descriptions (of action, people, emotions, etc) are vivid, and your dialogue is believable. The darker moments, and there were some VERY dark moments, were made bearable by the lighter ones.

The character development was totally believable for the whole gang and Thalia is an interesting creation. I did feel a lot of sympathy for Thalia and liked the comparisons with Ellone. What might Ellone have become if she'd had no love in her life? But what have you done to Stella? Her life is the exact opposite of Thalia's; this is the real test, isn't it? Was Thalia born 'bad', or was she made that way by her experiences?

I did spot some small typos, some repetitions of a word in the same sentence but those are small things. But if you ever want a beta reader, get in touch!

Thank you for sharing this story with the world!

So happy to see everyone happy! Very nicely wrapped up.

The emotional and mental healing is coming along, even if slowly. But that's inevitable after what they've all been through.

Mayor Laguna has a nice ring :D

Normality is returning, but slowly. I'm really glad you've continued this past the final battle. So many loose ends to tie up!

I'll get to the rest later.

So, physical healing is going on, but what about the emotional? I'm a big fan of Seifer - I want him to be happy, and I don't want Ellone to leave him!

Your descriptions of everything are so good! I see the illusions, I'm in the middle of the action, I feel what they feel.

Perhaps it is right that Rinoa stayed at home with her family. What would they do without her?

So, Thalia is dead. What comes next?

I do not like this Thalia person. Hope Rinoa kills her.

Cid' s such a coward. Did Seifer cut off his finger or not? I must know.

Seifer and Ellone have an interesting dynamic. Not sold on the pairing but the banter is fun and believable.