In HnK Phos is Theseus's ship. Over time, parts of their body are lost only to be replaced by the material on hand. In HnK this takes on a horrifying new dimension, when the gems lose body parts they also lose a chunk of their memory. The larger the body part, the more extreme the memory loss.
Phos loses major body parts, wiping away huge chunks of their memory. By the end of the story, the reader is left questioning whether it's still the same character we started with. Is Phos still themself? We don't really know, and neither do they.
Identity is a major theme of this story, the gems live in a society where your role is decided by your physical capabilities. So what happens when there's outliers? Phos is not only one of the youngest, being a mere 300 years old, but also is physically weak. Despite this, they're determined to fight, even though they can barely hold a sword.
The theme is further explored with several characters, the most notable ones being Ghost and Amethyst. The former is a dual-layered quartz whose physicial form manifests itself in a dual personality. And the latter, being a pair of identical twins.
Aside from existential dread, the main "anatagonists" of the gems are the Lunarians. These beings appear regularly to snatch away the gems and it's not really made clear as to why a bit later. Aside from the gems and Lunarians, the only other other inhabitants of this world are Sensei and the Adamirabalis. I won't go into further detail on either because it's best to see their stories unfold for yourself.
I could sing the praises of the series, but it's nothing you haven't heard already. The art is unique, it's just stunning. The story is bittersweet and at times thought-provoking. The body horror is top-notch and actually very effective at points, despite the lack of gore.
*****
Sounds great, so what stops it being a 10 star?
Well for starters, there's simply too many characters. They get introduced at such a high rate that their development suffers for it, the time skips don't help either. With gaps that span a 100 years or more there's plenty of scope for change. It's done to make Phos feel increasingly disconnected from the group but it means that it can be hard to get attached to characters.
The second issue is the pacing, everything seems to happen in quick succession and not a lot of time is devoted to Phos getting used to the changes they're undergoing. This issue really becomes apparent in the latter half of the series, I can't say much without spoiling the story but everything feels rushed. Stuff that should be allowed to unfold organically is brushed over with break neck speed in order to reach the conclusion of the series. This had to be my least favourite part and imo could've been relegated to an epilogue at the end of volume 13.
Having said all of that, I still thoroughly recommend it. But make sure to have tissues handy when you do, it's a real tear-jerker!
