Berserker [A Complete Writathon Novel]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Jonathan wasn't looking for a second chance at life. After losing his son in a classified military operation, he was ready to go out fighting. But when supernatural Rifts began appearing across the world, his suicide mission took an unexpected turn.

Awakened as a Berserker with powers fueled by rage, Jonathan finds himself caught between his death wish and his surviving son David's desperate attempts to reconnect. With ancient powers stirring and hidden factions maneuvering for control, Jonathan must decide if there's still something worth living for.

What to expect:

- A gritty, realistic exploration of grief and redemption- Military veteran MC with a powerful Berserker class- Complex father-son relationships- Strong to Stronger MC- Character growth and a complete arc

My main series isSpell Weaver!

There is an important Authors Note at the top of the first chapter. If you're reading this in 2024, please take the time to read it!This novel is now finished! If you enjoy reading Jonathan's origin story, head over to Spell Weaver. He'll appear in Book 2!

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Author: OverXelous

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 748
Views: 144,084

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

spoonful_of_sugarRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Whilst writing the review I accidentally tapped "back" and lost everything already written T_T. Further down is what I could scavenge from my fresh thoughts:
Another marvelous word craft by the author of Spell Weaver!
Jon was a gripping character from chapter 1. The raw emotion spilt on the pages left my heart sore but warm with a ray of hope.
I kind of had this vision of where the story would go from the description. Something along the lines of his son being trapped in a Rift and he going through grief then suddenly getting "visions" of his dead son, and it turning into a quest of finding him... However, it is a short story, and such an epic tale wouldn't be able to fit in such tight schedule. My bad.
Some scattered thoughts:
It was a happy surprise how it connected to the main story!
Also, I still like Alex (protagonist of SW) 100x more than Jon.
Sorry, Jon.
On the upside, I will always have a special place in my heart for him, one labeled "kind uncle next door". It has a bow and everything :)
Oops, must add words for the 200 word count. Two more. Whew.
JD HopkinsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
As someone who follows the author's primary work, Spell Weaver, and has had the amazing opportunity to read ahead on this work, I have to say this is a fastastic addition and alternate perspect to the main story.
Honestly, I am a fan of Spell Weaver, but I like Berserker even more. The main character, Johnathan, personally speak to me more than Alex in Spell Weaver, due to my age and own life experiences.
This story is raw, real, and gritty... just happens to be put in a fantasy setting.
Honestly, I highly recommend this.
JareAntairRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
For a side story, OverXelous clearly put a ton of effort and thought into it. The world building, the character growth, the pacing... everything is just right. It really adds a lot of depth to the setting they are writing, and I hope others can appreciate that. Between this and Spellweaver, I'm definitely looking forward to any other works this author puts out!
John.MalkinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I saw this from another story by the author. This is much better than I'd expect most Writeathon's to be. Minus a few typos, it feels well thought out and edited. Also polished from a first or even second draft. It's too bad it may end with the end of the month. I'll see when I get there.
AdagriphRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I really like how the concept of grief is explored in this story—it's handled with a lot of depth and care. Watching Jonathan slowly regain some control over his life is genuinely moving, and his reunion with his son is such a lovely, heartfelt moment. It's a really cool story overall! :D
I'm also reading Spell Weaver and I'm super curious about the world and what’s coming next. I'd love to see some interaction between the two main characters.
Mr_BlobmanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Not much to say here, the book is great and works really well for an alternate perspective for spell weaver.
If people are frustrated for there not being more spell weaver is this but more day by day than time skipping to plot.
(slight spoilers ->)
My only gripe is how powerful the first rift is compared to their levels. It does serve to explain how the military wasn’t just neglectful at first, but it doesn’t seem to have been a possible first rift for almost any other character.
OberothRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I absolutely loved this. I wasn't expecting it to be so heartbreaking. The pacing of this was phenomenal for short story I honestly don't see how this kind of story could have been more well done. The pacing of spell weaver is much more slowly paced, but folks out the world more. I wouldn't mind more of these style short ( shorter) stories
gloryboundRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
In my opinion this is a fantastic novella that gives us insight into the world of the Spell Weaver Chronicles. The MC is a Vet and older than the MC from the main series. This age comes with additional experience, emotions, and impact from the system integration.
This is a faster-paced story that focuses on a new MC, Jonathan. Jonathan is a Vet with 2 sons: one who followed in his footsteps, and one who didn't. As you can imagine, the author uses these relationships to tug on the reader's heart. I'm not going to lie, having just had a little boy myself, some chapters of this book brought tears to my eyes. OverXelous did a fantastic job.
Berserker shows a grittier side of the SWC. My understanding, from info on OverXelous' discord and Patreon, is that Jonathan will be introduced to Alex and his crew in the main series at some point. With how well this novella was written, I am excited for that eventuality.
RR shows I reviewed this at chapter 24, but I finished reading this on OverXelous' Patreon so technically, this was reviewed at: 28. Legacy!
Well done, OverXelous!
notsogoldenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This one’s a more visceral take on the world of Spell Weaver. If it seems better written to me it’s probably just because this character draws me further into to the world than Alex. That’s on me though. I’m glad to see a well written middle aged character that isn’t some kind of misfit.
LarryL0099Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I enjoyed this a great deal, there were a couple of time shifts that I would have preferred to have slightly different but that my preference. Well written, good story and good character build and focus
now on to the ongoing main story in this universe, I can not wait to what it brings.