I have been enjoying these side stories with Aster, but…

I haven’t connected as much with the Aster chapters as I did with the Lihen story, so I have been thinking about why that might be. I think that ultimately, I was just able to connect with Lihen as a character and the way she struggled with a sense of loss when she regressed. We saw her mourn the loss of the daughter she had in her previous life. To her, the previous Aster was an irreplaceable object of devotion. Aster was basically the only thing Lihen liked about her previous life, so she really devoted herself to Aster.

It was the grief at what was and could have been that Lihen felt that I really personally connected with in the main story (I understand my reasons are quite personal for my lived experiences though). In comparison, Aster views her past lives with an almost clinical detachment. Taking note of the small differences in the different versions of the people she knows. It just isn’t as personal or heartfelt as it was with Lihen.

All that said, I am enjoying it. There are turning out to be quite a number of side stories. At some point you wonder when it is just a new series with Aster as the lead.