Iruedim (Children of the Volanter)

A really unique story on royal road with extremely relatable characters and a world that just breathes with life. I can't really think of a word to describe it. Iridescent? A wonderful patchwork? There's mystery and intrigue, and I just want to get deeper and deeper into this world and its characters.

Don't have much to write home about the grammar because nothing really caught my attention. The lengthier chapters are appreciated. 

Keep going, author!

This was an interesting one for sure, the story is about an anthropologist on the planet of Iruedim, a planet next to a wormhole on which multiple species cohabitate. However now for a long time the wormhole has been dormant, not allowing any others to travel through to the planet. When an artifact is discovered on Iruedim however in a remote location, there is an effort by an unseen force to keep things hush-hush. This story is filled with action, intrigue and subterfuge. There is a heavy feeling of ‘cult/secret society’ elements that seem to be following our protagonist Camellia that are always just out of sight.

Regarding grammar I found nothing out of place. The story has a strong flow and the authors use of past/present/future are all on point. The characters have a strong individuality to each of them, especially the protagonist for the obvious reason that we spend the most time with her. But the other two side-characters of the main trio are likable and strongly believable.

The worldbuilding is very rich and you really get a strong vibe not only for the planet itself and the society spread over it, but also for the smaller interiors. The inside of the airship, of the AAH Headquarters etc. Each location even if only visited briefly has the time dedicated to it to help us understand not only what kind of place it is, but what kind of character said location has.

The tone can change fairly rapidly and it’s a little hard to get a grip on it at first. During the first few chapters I was unsure if I was reading a Dan Brown mystery or a fantasy-romantic-comedy, but in the end I decided it’s just a little of everything and you know what? That’s perfectly fine.

I enjoyed reading this story and honestly I think you will too if you are open to trying something outside of RoyalRoad’s usual tastes! =)

The grammar in this novel was very well done and I only spotted a few mistakes here and there.

Style-

The style was interesting in that the story is mainly linear but there are occasional flashbacks of the three main characters that give more insight into each of their pasts and really fleshes them out more. In addition, I think the author did well in deciding where to place these flashbacks.

Story-

The setting of the story was very fascinating to me. I've never seen anything quite like it and there's a lot of potential for intriguing stuff to come from it, and the novel is doing good at delving into this potential and giving lore about this world in a way that makes it entertaining to read about. The main plotline of the novel itself so far isn't very exciting yet, but I feel like it's gradually building towards that.

Characters-

The three main characters are all unique and fascinating as well in their own ways, and I like the chemistry and banter they have with each other.

Summary-

Overall, I think this is a really good novel with a very interesting setting to learn about and a fun group of main characters to follow.

Iruedim is a different kind of story for Royal Road. A mix of fantasy elements (vampires, dhampirs) and science fiction (wormholes, space ships, and androids) grabs the reader from the get-go. Unlike many stories, the main character is not some magical or martial bad-ass but instead is an anthropologist, studying ancient lore from the time when the world was higher-tech than it is now.

Grammar: The writer has a great handle on grammar and there was nothing that distracted me or pulled me out of the story.

Characters: The characters are interesting and distinct. Even when I might get confused by a name, I never lost who was talking because their personalities were quite different. 

Style: The style is fine. The story is told from 3rd person and we stay with a single character's POV, which works just fine. However, there was an issue that is a personal pet peeve of mine where there readers are denied some knowledge or insight that our POV character has. This was the only thing that really frustrated me about the story.

Story: The story is interesting and different. Because of the casual inclusion and acceptance of things like vampires and dhampir, I really want to learn more about the world. There are flying ships piloted by mages (though magic doesn't seem to be a requirement), automatons, and maybe some steampunk. If anything, I think we get too few details of the world, which is a bummer as I would love to know more. 

Now I have to say, this is a pretty enjoyable story, so far. It took me quite a while to get to the point I'm at due to me being a slow reader. However, now that I reached the point I set for myself (chapter 10) I can finally write this review.

1.) Characters.

So far, I do think the characters are good for the world they inhabit, but if I'm being honest Camellia is a bit on the weaker side of the characters that were introduced. She just feels a bit lackluster in comparison to someone like Meladee, who leaves a great impression, or at least a memorable one. Eva is still a newly introduced character (from where I'm at), so I won't say much about her. So not much I can say about the characters since I'm not too far into the story.

2.)  Story

It's a simple story so far, but that's not a bad thing. I can understand that Camellia wants to investigate a scout ship that came through a wormhole, which is why the story happens. So far, the development of the story is easy to follow. I don't have much more to type about the story so I need to keep it light. Overall: it's easy to get interested in.

3.) Chapter length

Honestly, I think the chapter-length from chapter to chapter is good, not too long or short. It makes reading through each chapter an easy process that could take only a few minutes.

4.) Grammar 

I haven't run into any grammatical errors as of now, and the way the story is written is great, I didn't feel like I had a hard time understanding what was going on, so big props.

So overall: this is a pretty great read, I'll continue to read it, and if I can, I'll try to add more towards the character and story points to add more to it and to lay out a more informed review. But for now, this my current review of Iruedim. And to the author, I can't wait to read more of this story, sorry for taking so long to make a review of this, hopefully, you didn't think I bailed on reviewing this.

I've read the first chapter, and all I can say is WOW. Your work is so interesting, and it definitely caught my eye. You dove right in to the plot and revealed just the right amount of information to keep the reader interested. I really liked the first chapter, and I really will be considering adding this to my reading list for when I'm in the mood for exciting fantasy! Thank you for this piece of art, I really loved it. <3

Overall:

This work really stands out from the usual site fair in many good ways.  The world, characters, and general plot combine a lot of uncommon ideas so I never have to suffer "This is a fanfic of X, but with Y changed" that happens in web fiction frequently.  Also, this is like a classic romance story woven into the Fantasy; there's no harems, no love at first sight, or an easy happy ever after.  The couples that form build off of their history and current events in the story, and they have fights, but about real issues and not just stupid misunderstandings.

Character

Camellia the main protagonist isn't your everyday fantasy hero, and at the start she's in a really dark place that gradually gets elaborated on through interactions with her estranged peers, or a flashback during a period of being knocked unconscious.  I don't want to spoil much, but the story is mostly hopeful, and involves her climbing out of that metaphorical pit to take control of her life as she helps save the day in her own way.  I noticed some reviews critical of her cut off before some significant growth moments which I feel was unfortunate.

Her two friends she meets along the way are more conventially action-y and even comedic.  They help bring a lot of the fun moments, but likewise have something in their past that's keeping them from personal happiness they will have to overcome.   

With the later books come opportunies to introduce and get in the heads of other characters, scaling the conflict rather impressively.  Iruedim is a big world with space for later tales. 

Story:

The few parts I felt weakest were the magical nightmares.  My mind kept wanting to find meanings in the weird signs and symbols that occured within but so far I'm mostly lost on them.  Perhaps I'm missing a clue or the author just intends them to be surreal.  Despite that, lot of the postive notes from "Overall" and Character also fit in here.  

Style:

The world is a strange combination and the author definately put a lot of thought and care into what fits into the world and how.  Sometimes its funny, sometimes it's disturbing, and the light moments help make the dark ones more impactful.  The different viewpoints of the characters are very distinct, and it's especially helpful in the second book where the action runs parallel plots.

Grammar:

Very clear sentences and no errors I noticed.

Very excited to see how the trilogy finalizes and curious what the author has hinted as future plans.

So first of all, I enjoyed it so far. It is a well thought story, with well designed characters, which starts off strong and progresses nicely. The following comments are entirely based on my own prefferences.

For the style, to be fair, I feel like sometimes there were places where what I was feeling from a previous scene didn't quite match the current scene. I feel that there should be smoother transitions from one setting to another.

The grammar needs very little work. The author clearly has a good grasp on English as I only spotted a few places which needed a bit of editting.

The story is definitely interesting and it really hooks the reader right from the start. It seems well planned so far, with lots of details shown at every step. You get to see and also feel most of the things that are going on.

In regards to the characters, I think that there needs to be more individualised. I mean, yeah, each of them has an unique and different background, but for me it feels like they all follow a certain set of rules which makes them too predictable for my liking. I would expect characters from such a setting to be more...colorful.

To conclude, this is a good work which, in my opinion, just needs some more colorful twists to attract a great deal of readers.

There is a lot going on here, a blend of modern, fantasy and hints of sci-fi. The closest comparison I can think of is Bright, but seeing as that was a terrible movie, I will not directly draw comparison. Suffice to say, it is unique, the characters have depth and believability, relationships seem real, and the lore is titillating.

The story starts a bit slowly, mainly in the first paragraph or two, but I found myself quickly engrossed once past that slow start. There are also some stutters when it comes to description (or a feeling that there is none) of set and setting, but overall, it is an engaging story. The story really shines with its characters, all of whom struck me as real and believable, even when it got a bit thick with the in-universe jargon that I couldn’t really follow, the dialogue carried me through it. There were times where my attention began to lapse, but the careful worldbuilding drew me back in with questions and hints to something deeper. The blend of sci-fi elements with fantasy characters in a modern world came off as effortless, and I am interested to see how else the author will insert these iconic races and creatures into the setting. The author paints dialogue and character well, and their writing seems well suited for the screen, my only complaint is that they do not use so fine a brush to paint the background and costume, both equally important in this medium. 

While this review is part of a trade, I am interested enough to continue, so hopefully that speaks to something.

Key takeaways: Unique and well-crafted world, excellent characterization, a bit lacking in descriptive detailing outside of those areas.

This is a weird one for me. Like my title says, I think this is an actually good fiction and I'll continue reading it, it's just really good in some aspects and really cringe in others. 

I'll start with the good. First of all, the grammar. Full five stars, the author's mastery of the english language is undisputable. Not much to say other than its perfect. Secondly, the story. This is exactly the kind of story I like. Fantasy setting with complex political intrigue, a vague world-ending threat looming on the horizon and a cast of characters who complement each other and become greater than the sum of their parts when together. If you've read A Game of Thrones, though this is much less complex, it gives me the same vibe. I'm a huge fan.

Now, the bad. The style is... strange. I don't want to be unfair and call it bad, because I suspect this is just personal peeve I have but the tone of the story swings wildly depending on what's happening. At times it feels like a slice of life anime, at times its a cronenberg body horror film. I prefer something either more consistent or with a more gradual shift in tone. Again though, that's just personal preference. There's also quite a bit of exposition crammed into the beginning, its a bit awkward but not really a deal breaker.

The character is my biggest gripe about this. Camellia is a very passive protagonist. Not in terms of action, rather her internal dialogue is... weak? I'm not sure of the right word here but she constantly second-guesses herself and that makes me as a reader question her too. Like, how does she get out of bed in the morning if she's this hesitant to do everything. Another peeve of mine is her crush on her boss. I have nothing against romance on principle, but she's so immature about it I felt like I was reading a YA fiction. This is a half-vampire Indiana Jones, she shouldn't be turning to jelly around an attractive guy.

But on the whole, this is a good story. Her plot is great and I'll definitely be finishing it