A Bright and Shiny Life

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Malz is a terrorist. Perhaps 'partisan' would be a better word. I won't call him a freedom fighter, even if it technically fits. Three years ago the Arkothan Empire invaded the Kingdom of Caethlon and crushed the main part of their army. The king surrendered, and ordered his subjects to lay down their arms -- not everyone complied. Three years of ruthless partisan fighting later, terror and sudden violence have become the norm. Tactics once thought abhorrent are now basic, magic is applied in identity destroying ways, and the lines separating enemies are blurred. An assassination goes wrong and Malz must flee the kingdom -- sent on a mission to impersonate a noble and infiltrate a prestigious magic academy. The life of an imperial noble is bright beyond anything known before, and Malz will do anything to keep it. However, the allure of dark powers is not easy to put aside. Updates on days that are multiples of five. Chapters are usually between 2 and 3 thousand words

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: Resigned Dilettante

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 486
Views: 273,268

What readers say about A Bright and Shiny Life

“This novel weaves an atmospheric and intense narrative, drawing readers into a world of dark magic, death, and moral ambiguity. The story unfolds with a tension-filled ambush, capturing the thrill and danger of a meticulously planned attack. The protagonist…”
Perry OkeefeRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“The protagonist of this story is a muderhobo with a disturbing (but understandable) violent streak. Malz is also an adorable little dude, and has few skills to deal with the deadliest game of all; small talk. Watch as Malz manages to offend everyone on acci…”
CatriveRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

Perry OkeefeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This novel weaves an atmospheric and intense narrative, drawing readers into a world of dark magic, death, and moral ambiguity. The story unfolds with a tension-filled ambush, capturing the thrill and danger of a meticulously planned attack. The protagonist’s abilities are wielded in clever, subtle ways that make the unfolding action both strategic and gripping. There’s a haunting elegance in the portrayal of power dynamics, as well as in the protagonist’s dark rituals and sacrifices, which lend an eerie mystique to the character.
The writing excels at balancing suspenseful action with deeply personal stakes, allowing the protagonist’s decisions to reveal complex layers of personality and motivation. The magic system is cleverly integrated into the combat and plot, enhancing the story’s dark, gritty atmosphere. The writing deftly explores themes of sacrifice, survival, and the moral complexities that come with them, leaving readers questioning both the character’s choices and their own sympathies. For fans of dark fantasy with intense, morally complex characters, this book delivers a satisfying blend of suspense, power, and mystique, capturing attention and leaving readers eager to uncover what comes next.
The grammar is quite good, with only a few mistakes in the wording here and there.
The characters are written very well, and the story itself is dark and intriguing. Definitely worth a read, and a book I could recommend to anyone interested in anti-hero dynamics.
CatriveRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The protagonist of this story is a muderhobo with a disturbing (but understandable) violent streak. Malz is also an adorable little dude, and has few skills to deal with the deadliest game of all; small talk. Watch as Malz manages to offend everyone on accident, befriend steadfast allies on accident, and offer sacrifices to a extremely evil god as a treat. Unlike some other violence heavy stories, the combat does not get repetitive. Quite a few stories out there use the exact same wording to describe the same style of swordplay for hundreds of chapters.
Some characters seem a bit shallow, but that's probably Malz's fault, honestly.
Narrin DawaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Exciting and captivating! From the very beginning, I was drawn into a wild world of high-stakes strategy, following the maybe-possibly-slightly unhinged Malz as he embarks on a journey of partisan violence and dark rituals. The story's unique and compelling power and magic system, alongside the intricate geopolitics, adds depth, while the characters brim with distinct personality. I want to learn more, read more!
Style: Resigned Dilettante has crafted a narrative that skillfully balances brutal violence with layers of intrigue, character development, and rich world-building. The author’s word choice adds to the dark and gritty atmosphere, with vivid imagery and deliberate pacing that creates tension and immersion.
Story: The pacing is strong even throughout the introductory chapters, with a clear progression of events that never feels contrived. Each scene flows naturally into the next, maintaining a smooth narrative arc. The gradual unfolding of larger plotlines hints at exciting developments to come, keeping me invested without feeling overwhelmed by exposition.
Grammar: The overall grammar is solid, with only minor issues such as the occasional odd phrasing (for instance, "thankyou" being used as a single word multiple times) or missing words. These issues are infrequent and did not detract from the readability, flow, or understanding of the scenes, making for a smooth reading experience.
Character: The main character, Malz, is developing in depth and complexity, and it’s exciting to see how he handles the escalating stakes as the story progresses (no spoilers!). The secondary characters introduced thus far have shown layers of complexity, with their own goals and motivations driving their actions. Even side characters, are often more than mere mannequins, exhibiting distinct personalities, making the world feel lived-in and authentic.
AliceUwURoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I expected this story to be pretty grim. I even put it down for a bit around chapter 20 as I wasn’t in the mood for another psychopath romp. Picking it back up was the right decision. Seeing the main character interact with normal people has been hilarious and strangely heartwarming. I enjoy the restraint the author has shown in not giving outside perspectives to this point, am deeply excited for the academy setting, haven’t found any notable grammar mistakes, and I adore how the characters stay consistent to themselves, even with a main character who is socially blind. Fives all around!
I_AM_VRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
For something without a pretty cover or cleverly named chapters early on it blew away my expectations. Seeing the slow changes in how the author names and numbers their chapters is quite endearing and they have been doing this for quite a while so they have quite a bit of accumulated experience.
The magic system is quite interesting, acting a bit different than magic in a fantasy world usually does. I especially liked the invisibility spell being mental trickery, it added an immediate depth to the magic system that got me hooked. It made me ask a question. What other magic also acts differently?
The entire soul sacrificing ordeal also reinforced my interest in the world immediately. Not only would it absolutely suck being on the wrong end of that but people seem to have different values to their souls, perhaps intrinsically linked to status. It also made me ask a question. What defines one's value? Net worth? Status? Bad deeds?
Anyways, the story itself is quite a fun read, the prose is quite good and the fact that we're thrown into the setting in a high stress moment and are left to read between the lines on things before we get a chance to have them explained to us which makes it more fun.
JoBerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is great, I binged 130 chapters in under a week, skipped all games and other books for it.
A warning for some, but maybe and encouragement for others:
The anti-hero and villainous tags are serious. It's not like other stories in which the villainous mc is heartless to only a few selected enemies. With Malz I can see him becoming a hero of some sort but also something very evil and dark (speculation on my part).
I have looked a lot for a fic which takes this tag serious and am happy to have found one.
Also look forward to a very cool world and magic system with a lot of possibilities and grounds for theories for how it will go.
Another fun thing are the side characters, who all appear very thought out and interesting. There have been few so far i don't want to reapper and those I dislike or find annoying are supposed to be that way
CoconutPirateRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I think this is a super cool idea. It is weird to have a main character who is a terrorist, but not the "I'm fighting for the freedom of my homeland but I have morals" type. Instead he seems to revel in the chaos and bloodshed for the sake of it.
Style - I think the first person POV along with the witty MC inner monologue made for an entertaining read. I really enjoyed the "vibe" of the style.
Story - this is the strongest part. It's just a sick idea to have a bad person as a main character. It leads to room for personal growth. Also, I enjoy the way the magic works and how characters exist in this world. Super cool!
Grammar - this is the weakest. Just a couple places throughout that are difficult to understand as a reader. Not frequent but there are a few.
Character - I think there's a lot to enjoy about the MC. He had quite a few distinct traits and his actions follow a logical path. He isn't stupid, but he is addicted to gaining power from his god. But he knows he's addicted so he tries to mitigate that addiction however he can.
All in all, a cool read and it was pretty fun.
KaamosRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is just a great story. The mc is not op, is not a goodie two shoes and has his justifications for the way he is. It is believable and you can emphatize with what is going on with him. Maybe he is a bit too mature for his age, which really happens with trauma, the extent of that matureness could be toned down a little though.
LiamVIRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
To draw a comparison, Malz distinctly reminds me of the protagonist of thePrince of Thornsseries. The bloodthirsty immorality and willingness to do what needs to be done in service of the insurgency (or, more aptly, himself) is something I've always appreciated in an anti-hero protagonist.Style:Fast-paced and dynamic, you're given little time to rest as Malz leaps from conflict to unholy worship back to conflict again. I like the rapid rate of movement the writer's style conveys, and although some stylistic elements like a dearth of truly descriptive language aren't my favourite, it doesn't impact the story's readability.Story:For the potential contained within the concept, this category is deserving of 5-stars. The lone rogue remnant of a failed insurgency, embarking on an infiltration mission where they'll be forced into learning more about themselves, the world, and the consequences of their inclinations? Endless paths to be tread there, and I look forward to seeing how things develop.Grammar:I wavered between a 3.5 and a 4 in this category, though ultimately the story is still legible and the errors are few enough to justify a 4. While not riddled with mistakes, there are enough typos and grammatical errors to be notable, though nothing that a good editing pass couldn't fix fairly simply.Character:Up to Chapter 10, there's really only been one character that actually matters to the story: the protagonist, Malz. I wouldn't say he's an exceptional character currently, but rather the potential of the character to develop is overwhelmingly present and personally the most interesting part of things to come. A lot of this story will depend on Malz's character development, I'd wager.
PhilOxnardRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style: First thing's first, I'm always a huge fan of first person POV, and it's used here to excellent effect. We learn so much about the environment, the logic of the world, and Malz's character by virtue of their narration. Furthermore, the writing is just really good. Sentences flow well and do a great job of depicting what's happening, both in description and in action. It's always a delight to be able to trust that an author is going to be able to deliver on a story, and this is the kind of writing thta very quickly inspires that trust.
Story: It's an even greater delight when an author makes good use of the trust established by their skill in writing. Though I'm pretty early into the life of the story, I really, really like what I've read so far. I already have a crystal clear picture of the conflicts that have brought the story to this point, and I have a crystal clear picture of what the coming conflicts will be (not to say that it's predictable - I'm sure there will be twists - but it's awesome to be able to see where a story is going and not be left flinging my hands in the air in confusion). Furthermore, not only am I able to see what conflicts are on the horizon, they appear to be genuinely interesting.
Grammar: Very few issues or typos, enough to be negligible. As I said before, sentences flow well. This author knows how to write, right down to the mechanics of grammar.
Character: This is where I would give six stars if I could. Malz is fascinating. Impulsive, craves leadership, loves killing, seeks power, but possibly has a moral compass underneath it all? Too early to know for sure what their goals, drivers, and desires really are, and that's just another thing that makes them an awesome protagonist. It's also really fun to hear Malz talk about strategies, pros and cons of various plans, and everything else related to how to best manipulate the magic system of the world (and how to get the most out of their transactional relationship with Anar). Reall