Sword Art Online Vol. 28 Review: Who is the Intruder?

The latest Sword Art Online Light Novel has been released in English, giving many more fans the opportunity to catch up with the latest happenings in both Unital Ring and the Underworld.

In this review, we’ll be looking at some big spoilers from the novel, as well as going over some of the highs and lows – covering what worked particularly well from the novel, and what aspects fell a little flat.

Here’s what hat happened in Sword Art Online Vol. 28

Volume 27 left off with quite the cliffhanger, catapulting us directly into the action where we left Kirito facing down Istar in an attempt to protect Eolyn.

However, Kirito does not succeed in saving his recent friend but does manage to play a major role in protecting Alice, Central Cathedral and the Capitol.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest highlights of this volume is the introduction of Eydis. Long a fan favorite from the Sword Art Online games, Eydis has never actually existed in the SAO story until now. She’s one of the better new characters we’ve been introduced to lately with plenty of personality and a mysterious aura of power that makes you want to learn more about her.

Asuna plays an important role in Vol. 28

A common thread among fans of the light novels — in particular those who have read ahead into Unital Ring — is to feel as though Asuna has been somewhat sidelined in the story to date.

While Asuna does tend to flit and out of the story depending on what’s going on, you can bet that when she is present she steals the show. Indeed, one of my favorite parts of Vol 28 is something as simple as Asuna asking her father to give her a ride to RATH HQ so she can dive into the Underworld and save the day.

It’s nice because Asuna’s father clearly cares about her and understands her bond and duty to her friends, and is willing to go out of his way to help his daughter achieve her objective.

Meanwhile, Asuna does arrive just in time to provide what the crew in the Underworld needs to launch the Central Cathedral high into the sky and space thanks to some handy advanced commands Kirito had added back in the day when he was king.

Here, the story abruptly changes pace, and we are back in a he real world with Asuna and Argo at a cafe where an old familiar face shows up: Mito!

Fans of the progressive films will recognize Mito from there however she’s different than that Mito — for example the novel’s Mito never abandoned Asuna in the woods. Indeed she and Asuna seem quite close.

Meanwhile, we do finally get inside Eoylyn’s head a bit and learn more about his mysterious past. The biggest reveal about him is, however, that he doesn’t really know where he came from, either. He also has something of a chip on his shoulder it feels like being a nobody adopted into a noble home with an incredible lineage and plenty of gifted relatives.

The biggest shocker in this book other than Mito is the reveal that happens in the end: Mutasina the Witch from Unital Ring is also present in The Underworld and she is in cahoots with Istar and fam for some terrible plot. Ipso facto she’s also the intruder Kirito originally went into the Underworld to find.

Is SAO Vol. 28 a good book?

Despite the fact that we had a fairly epic series of events during the first half of the book, culminating in the Central Cathedral launching into space, there weren’t any crazy memorable battles here, with the central characters of Alice, Kirito, Asuna, Fanatio and others needing to think their way out of a tough spot rather than fight their way out.

Eydis was a key component of this book, and her inclusion massively uplifted the story making it more fun and light hearted. She’s got a fun-loving, carefree way about her that lent brevity to an otherwise very intense moment as the Central Cathedral was under siege, and her burgeoning relationship with Alice feels like just what the stern Integrity Knight needs.

It also seems highly likely we will see more of her in future novels, and also hopefully will see more of what her darkness powers can do. As it stands, she seems quite the powerful Integrity Knight, about on par with Fanatio. However her skill with Darkness Elements is mysterious and could come in handy in future confrontations.

Additional aspects that set this book apart: Asuna gets some much appreciated screen time showing off her take-charge personality once again. Meanwhile, the Mutasina Cliffhanger was incredibly well pulled off.

What worked less well, however were the parts about Unital Ring. Action in Unital Ring continues to feel slow in comparison to the Underworld plot that is entirely gripping. While the mystery of the Unital Ring world was once massively engaging, it’s now almost forgotten in the background, and time spent in the Unital Ring Universe almost feels like filler compared to the incredible world building of the Underworld and the interplanetary battle currently waging between epic heroes and foes.

Perhaps the convergence of the Underworld and Unital Ring worlds and themes that have been hinted at for books and books will afford some sort of payoff to make the happenings in UR feel like more than unnecessary filler.

For now, however, give me more of my beloved Underworld and heroes and I’ll pass on the survival game.