I'm sad that Ursa died, which is totally expected with Ozai killing off loose ends, but I also love this AU. I prefer Azula locked up and healing rather than causing mayhem and feeding her insanity.

Thanks for writing this! I hope you write more.

This is the best post-series ATLA fic I have ever read. There's just so much heart put into this series and I've been hooked since the first chapter. The people in this story are in character but more importantly, they felt alive. Their struggles, fears and happiness was conveyed well. Their bonds were shown as well, how varied their relationships are but still strong even after years passed. Thanks for this. It made me feel so nostalgic too. It made me want to rewatch the ATLA again.

This is so funny, love it :D

Love this :)

I love the way you write Zuko and Mai's relationship :)

I like Azula better here, since despite the changes she is clearly the same person. Before, she was almost a new character. How can she bend in the spirit world, anyway?

I really hope that she isn't dead: that's unusual in various fan ideas, but it's not very interesting.

I don't believe that she stays locked up in her own mind forever, but any improvement wouldn't be easy. I don't know how it might work in your idea from this short bit, so I am not quite sure what exactly I think of it.

I particularly like Tyana's reaction to the fight: one of the many things that puzzles me about my brother is that, especially when he was really young, his response to reasonably minor pain or injuries was laughter. This, as far as I know, is not uncommon, but I've almost never seen anyone write about similar reactions.

I remember reading this collection years ago and enjoying. Still do very much. Tbh I do feel at some points some of the one-shots are clichéd like the assassination attempts as well as the angst and the characterisations and writing style could use some improvement (more expression, more humanity) but honestly there's such a pervading sense of warmth that it doesn't really matter. I love the familial aspects of the relationships between the Gaang members as it really brings a warm core to the collection. Also Azula's progression as a character is good too, especially in the last two one-shots where it shows her full potential in her interactions with Zuko. Wish there was more brotherliness between Zuko and Aang but that's more of a personal preference than anything else. I also do enjoy how you focus on realistic details in the progress of the Fire Nation such as the warships and coal mines. It adds a sense of dynamism to the world that isn't all about the big problems in the world as so many fics seems to get bogged down in (that and the author's obsession with the military). Overall great collection.

hplo

This is a heartwarming look at the characters, particularly Zuko and Mai, after the war. I liked how they support and lean on each other through tumultuous times and personal trails, and their camaraderie with their friends. Plus, Mai as a spy in "The Idle Empress" suited her well.

After a while, though, the stories started feeling self-absorbed, as though the only people in the world who were having problems were the main couple, and their insistence that they're in the right and fighting for balance and goodness and rainbows and puppies got a little grating. There's no hint that either their enemies or subjects have any kind of inner lives or motivations, seeming to exist only as objects to be acted on. The stories feel complexity-free in a situation that should by all rights be fraught with complexity, and I couldn't respect Mai and Zuko due to the completely simplistic black-and-white way they seemed to view their reign. Maybe it's due to the stories' explicitly narrow focus in being a series of short stories about Mai, Zuko, and their relationship rather than a complete account of Zuko's reign, but I always felt their political lives were part of their characters.

Great long critique aside, I'm intrigued that you seem to have predicted some of the developments in The Promise, such as decolonialization being a big problem or Zuko hiring the Kyoshi Warriors, or at least one of the Warriors. Her formal address to Zuko and Mai was poignant, with both their friendship and positions interweaving in a genuine connection. Good job, overall, my fussiness notwithstanding. :)

Augh. So good! So holistic! Honestly i'm tearing up right now.

i absolutley LOVED it. TTTT sniffle. really great U_U

It was incredibly funny. I couldn't stop laughing.

Love the story, and your version of Azula too!