Curate, connect, and discover
Are you interested in Found Family tropes? How about time travel fiasco and everything in between that's happening to badass main characters? Want to get involved and seeing the battle between corrupted monarchy and royalty? Last but not the least, feel the thrill of seeing OP characters kicking bastardized enemies from behind and giving them their own medicine? If so, Turning/TCF should be the perfect novel for you!
I wanted to point out the similarities and differences of what makes Turning on par with TCF's themes! Keep in mind I haven't reached halfway of Part 2 of TCF yet, so my knowledge might not align with TCF's current timeline. With that out of the way, here are the common themes of why you should read TCF/TURNING:
It's what hooked me into TCF in the first place—everyone's relationship with Cale, a tight knit that wouldn't seemingly unknot no matter how hard you try to separate them. In TCF, we have Cale as the center of the wave, our beloved Commander who had experienced many fights of his own that shaped his world view, and consequently, how other people spanning a whole continent see him as well. Meanwhile Yuder, in his current 2nd timeline, had not only learned to cherish and paid attention to those around him but also communicate and connect to a deeper level he previously failed to achieve in the 1st timeline. You could argue that Yuder's title as Commander's Assistant is almost the exact same as Cale's position as the Young Master. In a way, they have their main support, but it doesn't mean it's only their means of support. What's funny is that they're both picking up strays left and right on the street and giving those said stray a place they could comfortably and confidently call home, and it never fails to make me smile every time they have a new recruit.
Yuder is more active at involving himself with the other Calvary members, it's because of his unique disposition as Commander's Assistant and also a former Commander gave him the power and ability to patiently train people. Not to mention, he is considered as Instructor From Hell for his absolute 0 nonsense and merciless style of train that makes people pass out after training, grow exponentially and come back for more.
If you're wondering if the side character that you just read and loved instantly would disappear, worry not! Kuyu and Yoo Ryeo Han treat their characters carefully and equally, and more often than not, they will reappear in the story! Whether unintentionally or intentionally is the biggest question.
They both prefer to be the forefront and lead the fight—often clashing with the enemies head on. They even have more or less similar fighting styles, in which they wouldn't want to draw out fights unnecessarily, have an incredible mountain of patience in dealing with pests and would wholeheartedly throw hands at anyone who insults their loved ones. Not to mention, they're both sacrificial bastards™. They're both generous, in a way they would teach other people how to fight and fend for themselves, thanks to their commanding experience that spanned for a decade.
Their previous lives are a topic of sensitivity—and I can't help but see how they were distant and cold in their previous life after losing the people that were important to them. Similar to being cursed with a series of bad luck (ahem). Cale became closed off, harder to approach yet still providing help and assistance in his own way as the team leader despite that, he had the strong will to live on. The Calvary members' impression on Yuder were negative at the start, thanks to his stoic expression and unwillingness to approach or connect to anyone, leading to a series of accumulated misunderstandings and bad reputation, but despite that, he was their unmoving fortress and cave that shielded everyone until his death. Both gave off the impression of being respected and feared, with nobody that they feel connected to.
In a way, you could conclude their 1st timeline as nothing more than horrible strings of bad luck since you can't exactly fault anybody. And that's exactly the beauty of this tragedy. Their past lives were their own experiences, and not exactly a direct result from a single person.
As a transmigrator, Cale was given a second chance to live his own life through a novel he read. He used his knowledge to manipulate the original timeline and twisted it to his favor, and suddenly, he has a god tier level good luck. Unknowing that he had literally and metaphorically picked up people with him and became a living legend for generations to come.
As a regressor, Yuder woke up after his execution thanks to the hypocrisy of nobles and false accusations. Virtually having nobody to believe him only to wake up in 11 years from the past and became determined to protect the important person that died in his timeline: Kishiar La Orr and stop the tragedies that happened in his past life.
It made me realize they weren't so different in circumstances, after all.
We can't forget the hilarious reactions that people often harbor for these two protags! My main source of POV prime entertainment would honestly be Clopeh from TCF and Kiolle from Turning. They have their own interpretation and often hilarious thoughts for the MC, but they respected and feared them the same.
It is through these interactions that we had the glimpse of how people in the novel interacted and perceived them, and let me tell you, it gets hilarious from there. With Cale, and his absolute 0 self-awareness and refusal to explain his actions any further unless necessary vs Yuder, who would shoot down any misunderstanding and still be misunderstood in a silly way.
Misunderstanding is a common theme in TCF but don't let it stop you since it only plays on how other people perceive Cale with no dramas attached. It serves as a pace of narration and even comedic undertones. Turning in particular, is like a breath of fresh air. Fixing the misunderstanding is a theme in Turning, and I couldn't be more happy to indulge in both tropes.
Ah, yes, secret organizations are a common denominator in both novels, but of course—there's more. Monsters in particular, are present in both novels. It almost led me to believe that if we combine these two novels, they wouldn't be out of place. Gods, mages, priests, sword masters, guardians—you name it, are shared by them like a ping pong ball.
The powerful antagonists don't disappear from taking a hit from one blow, and we see it both in TCF and Turning time and time again about how they're running on time. The conflict in TCF that should be minor became much bigger than anticipated, and I could say the same for Turning.
The fights in these novels have lessons ingrained in them—and that's what I cherish the most. The protagonists grow with the people they surround themselves with, and how those people would repay the favor later on.
What sets them apart is the existence of plates and ancient powers in TCF and omegaverse in Turning.
I didn't consider Awakener as the main difference because, if you think about it, the Ability Users in TCF could be considered as "awakeners" in Turning's world building system. Which is why I wanted to read or see a crossover of them, if possible.
How nostalgic, this was the og's in TCF! Cale is never the same without the talking ancient powers he conversed with in his head. As much as I wanted to push how it led to funny interactions and nothing more, it was also the reason why Cale was such a badass despite being dubbed as having a small and weak plate! He mercilessly trumps over his enemies with his ancient powers despite not wielding any weapons: Wood/Shield, Healing, Wind, Fire and Earth. I'm aware he has more than that but I don't want a long list of their attributes AND names yet. What we do know is that Cale would overcome that weakness and grow to be more powerful as the chapters goes on, and that same goes for his people as well.
As for Turning, Yuder is an awakener that could wield all natural elements, namely: Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Although his abilities are at a disadvantage when facing monsters, his dexterity and efficiency in different kinds of weapons and experience makes up for his weakness. Similar to being an Ability User, being an Awakener grants the person their unique set of powers after encountering a battle of will with themselves. So the power varies from character to character. I love learning a new character's ability, and what role they would play in the Calvary!
Cale wants to live peacefully and achieve a slacker life while Yuder wants to save the world and prevent the disasters happening again in the 1st game (timeline).
If you think that Cale doesn't have the same goal as Yuder, you're wrong. Cale and Yuder are similar in so many ways, that both ultimately wanted to save people and grant world peace if possible. They both made the impossible possible and hilariously enough, in their way to becoming a legend. They both don't see their own actions as praiseworthy and get confused whenever other people praise them. Their own failures and shortcomings are the reason for their self doubt. It shows that despite everything, they're still human.
Cale has creative liberties and more headache inducing than Yuder, but they made everyone worry about them in equal measure. Being confined and forcing a vacation for them makes everyone feel relieved, haha!
Expecting a romance in TCF is virtually little to none, unless you include side character romances, it isn't the center of the novel. I firmly believe that Cale wouldn't entangle with any romance subplots, but of course, as a reader, we have the power of fanfiction in our side and making our imagination a reality. Although there's no romance, the interaction between Cale and his Found Family is a reward in itself.
Turning, however, has the greenest of green relationship regarding our MC and ML! Yuder and Kishiar's dynamic is my go to read whenever i'm in dire need of fluff. Sometimes, they're so sweet that it gives me so much tooth rotting fluff! I can't even stand it sometimes, I need a relationship like them in my life! The relationship between their 1st game and 2nd game are so stark you could hardly believe they're the same person as they once were due to the bad luck set by their first connection to the point it sent you to tears.
And that's exactly the charm. In Turning, love is both painful and beautiful. In a way, Kishiar and Yuder accept each other's flaws and shortcomings without compromising anything, with no misunderstandings and toxic relationships. It's a step up after reading toxic BLs, and frankly, I can't go back there after reading this masterpiece.
if you dislike omegaverse, fortunately for you, it isn't centered to just that and it's relatively new in their current era that makes you forget about it until it reappears due to the minority of people that falls under the category of alpha/omega. It's a refreshing take on the trope we readers knew so well and read how characters adapt to these changes, as well as suffer the consequences. It wasn't until 300+ chapters in the novel that suppressants became a thing, and there isn't even a power imbalance between an omega and alpha. Their second gender doesn't affect their social status and they're treated as normal people because of being a relatively new phenomena.