I think I may have genuinely lost track of the number of times I've played through the story now -- I've done each route at least once, with Rozerîn and Xelara several times each. Apparently my fantasy love interest tastes vary from elegant magus to roguish mercenary (and everything in-between). I use the femme names because my playthroughs are a queer extravaganza of extremely validating sapphism.
I've tried out a whole heap of different works of--typically romantic--interative fiction, but A Tale of Crowns has been the one to sincerely captivate me more than any other. That it stands out isn't an insult to the many other, really good stories out there, but a testament to just how well written the Crown's narrative is.
Every character feels like they've been lovingly crafted. None of them are one-note; even minor members of the cast, like Steward Welat, Tujo & Heval of the Crescent Blades, Mir Behram, and so many others are all multi-faceted. None of them come across as hollow or one-note. There's always more to each person--and I emphasise person because that's exactly what they feel like--than what the Crown might initially surmise. That's some crazy good character design.
That's to say nothing of the world-design so far. The Empire of Ashur is super intriguing, and I find myself making my own theories on how the country/people function in my head as I read. With every subsequent playthrough, I pick up something new that I'd missed in previous reads. That's amazing and it's a big part of why I keep re-reading even whilst it's a wip.
Some excerpts genuinely give me goosebumps, however many times I experience them. One in particular is...
"IT'S THE CROWN!"
Damn, it hits like a truck, even moreso after the notion of craving the sun after hiding in the shadows. That & the first night in the palace at Marabad especially--when this is coupled with Xelara's emotion-sensing gimmick it's chef's kiss.
With my long-winded comment concluding, I just want to say thank-you for working on this captivating story. It's brilliant and I'll be super(-duper) excited to see the next chapters.