‘The Antithesis’ concerns Alezair, a time-traveling assassin who works for the Nexus, killing his way through historical battles before returning home to have his mind wiped before the next mission. This idyllic lifestyle is interrupted with the introduction of a woman he meets on the battlefield of Jerusalem, circa 1180 A.D; she proceeds to kick his ass. What follows is a chase that leads through a major battle in feudal Japan and ends up in a bar somewhere in the modern age, then leads to an airport, and then to him discovering that she’s part of an ancient order set upon maintaining the codified rules between Heaven and Hell, and . . . you get the idea.

If you’re a fan of ornate battles and set pieces, you’re in luck; The Antithesis has both in spades. I found myself skimming through most of the combat pieces, but they’re not poorly written—just long and thorough. The setting is lavish and detailed, and includes all manner of creatures, organizations, and world details—all of which are being shoved down our throats in the span of five or six chapters.

I’m not sure how I feel about this piece—the writing is good in some places, excellent in others, but also verges into being sloppy and superfluous. The characters—particularly Leid, the mysterious woman who is the focus of Alezair’s obsession—try far too hard to be interesting. There’s nothing subtle in this story whatsoever; it’s like the writer set his Ferrari on fire, pointed it at the orphanage, then dropped a cinder block on the gas.

And some of the results are interesting, while other times they’re overwrought. The airplane scene, for instance, and what immediately proceeds it—I won’t spoil the particulars—is incredibly over the top. On top of that, Leid isn’t a very consistent second-lead character; it’s hard to get a grasp on who or what she is, because her goals seem to be shifting with every chapter.

All that being said, though the story is kind of a mess, it’s at least an interesting one—the story reads more like a first draft than a finished product, but it’s a first draft that merits a look-over. So, three stars; worth it for some of the more interesting bits.

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