Ambient Magic - Book 1 - [Changeling]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Some are born gifted. Others earn their talents through effort and time.Max was neither.Never given a chance to improve, he was forced into a never-ending string of sports and extracurricular activities for only the briefest of chances to excel before being swept off to his family's next attempt to recreate their firstborn prodigy's success in something, anything- to no avail. Considering his malicious and manipulative sister, emotionally absent mother, and father who "only hit calmly so it's punishment not abuse", it's no wonder he doesn't really care that he can't remember how he ended up... wherever the heck he is.He'll get a new life, a new family, a new name, and hopefully, a new chance to find what he's always thought he was missing- something he can be the best at. With plenty he's never tried before in a land of magic, follow along with Max as he explores both his fantastical new world and his understanding of himself.

What to expectWorld-A unique, fleshed-out setting with familiar RPG concepts/races/skillsComplex characters with diverse motivations and machinationsMinimal #s- no HP/MP/SP/etc, just [Trait] tiers and Attribute %sStory-Slow-paced build min/maxing, helpless -> self-sufficient -> OPSometimes low but never 0 stakes, lighthearted but still emotionally resonant toneYA coming of age/self-discovery with eventual [PG-13]-rated at most LGBTQ romance subplots (non harem)3rd personnearomniscient [Narrator] interspersed with MC's internal monologue, System messages, and Log entries

(Content warning is mostly for MC's panic attacks/mild PTSD from Earth, noparticularlytraumatic storyline planned beyond typical isekai fare but still want to warn)Schedule-At least 7 pages posted every 7 days (usually Sundays until further notice)

My first attempt at putting one of the many stories in my head to paper, I hope others enjoy it as much as I have!

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Phaen

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.9/ 5.0
Followers: 87
Views: 10,391

Chapters(13 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(5)

BillibaerzRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I honestly have not done much reading in years and this had me doing my best to overcome my dyslexia just to power through and I havent had this much enjoyment in manual reading(usually do audio books) since the reading of the Eragon series. It fits itself in a niche little corner between the perfect fiction with relatability in the sense of the details being nararated about the main character (Maxs) thoughts without being first person. You get an insight to a dynamic character which better helps you get into the head of them whilst being able to picture details and try to put yourself there? Not only does it nararate the thoughts and feelings of Max but also others as Cloudsong and the Timekeeper/priest. Not sure if im describing it correctly but highly reccomend a read as it was wonderfully whimsical and very captivating for me. The familiar aspects of reality being tangled with such a deep world that we have all read about im sure in some aspect where magic and runes and things exist in a way oitside of what we know in our day to day. Where magic is more tangible and yet it still seems fresh as a take on it without straying from the stories we know as old as time. As someone with adhd it is hard to keep my attention but this definitely did the job.
MeowstarRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
For now I'll be giving it a five star review since the first chapter has peeked my interests, so far I'm enjoying the way the author writes along with how the story is progressing. As an isekai junky who's read lot's of stories, I'm intrigued how the author will build their world along with how the story will unravel.
Parker@25Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I’m already looking forward to the next chapter - love the authors writing style and use of descriptive language. I can relate to not feeling like I belong in the world I live in - and also of projecting myself to an alternate world. The author has mixed together several of my favorite tropes. Guess I’m a sucker for painful entrances and am hoping for a less stressful and painful existence.
Of course this review is based on the chapters so far and my hope that the next ones are posted fairly soon. (The forbidden love between his adoptive parents has me anxious for next steps.)
coraldogRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ambient Magic starts with a view into the protagonist Maximilian’s subconscious, where we’re posed (seemingly) the primary question of this story: can an overshadowed and insecure kid make it in the beautiful, hostile, bizarre new world he’s been reborn into? With no talents or advantages, save for one:
a savant-like ability to understand any language?
Of course, I assume the answer will ultimately be “yes”, but I look forward to finding out the answer as the story continues - it’s hard not to want the best for Max. Like many isekai protagonists, he clearly never found his footing in our world, and the position he finds himself in now is really a second chance at finding himself and forming an identity outside of the bonds, disappointments, and expectations of his original family back on Earth. Of course, given how this first chapter goes, he’s already been roped into a terrible magic conspiracy so I doubt it’ll be simple for him. Not that I mind as a reader!
As I mentioned before, this is an isekai story, but I feel like it’s rare that the world that our protagonist is thrust into feels immediately different from our own… in this case though, the world of AM is richly described and vibrant, and very much has its own take on the tropes it borrows from. The imagery of the first chapter is particularly beautiful.
Giving this five stars based on the first 6 chapters, and will check back in as the rest are released.
nymphlodeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I love seeing stories like this that can really create a wonderful image of a world different from ours. Sometimes these beautiful images can represent something painful, but the artistic representation of such feeling that resonates with the reader is something truly special and remarkable. Looking forward to future chapters!