Black Wolf Howl

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Lucas Chambers is a 34-year-old police detective, competent but burnt out from dispensing justice for the shareholders and not the people. He forces himself to continue doing things by the book, believing it to be the only truth … until he and his team are assigned to a security detail that goes sideways. To make matters worse, his team is set up to take the fall.

Now a fugitive on the run, Chambers is forced to navigate the underbelly of the Novonachalsk metroplex as he attempts to uncover the truth. Should he resume to do things by the book—that is, to roll over and accept the gears of the institution grinding him down, like he has all these years? Or is it time for him to pick himself back up and bare his fangs against the system?

Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge.

Additional note from Laser Crows, posted on January 28th, 2023:This version is the completed first draft of Black Wolf Howl, and is currently undergoing revision for a novel release sometime in the near future. Thank you to all the readers, and to the reviewers for the kind words! Watch this space for updates!

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2022
Author: Laser Crows

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 3.7/ 5.0
Followers: 18
Views: 10,174

Chapters(33 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(2)

RunoKnowsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Clearly taking inspiration from two distinct genres - namely, cyberpunk/science fiction and noir, Black Wolf Howl takes what probably sounds like an unorthodox premise, and it gives it that proper chrome shine.
I feel that going for a first-person narrative in a story like this one was the right call to make, as it provides an opportunity for the author(s) to put you in the main character's head; this allows for Luc's thoughtful or even sarcastic inner monologues to come across as something straight out of a noir piece, while helping the reader visualize what life is like in shoes like his, in a world like the one presented in this story.
And as far as the 'cyberpunk feel' you're probably looking for if you're here, that's all there, too. We all know the genre has exploded in popularity lately, but the noir-like 'frame' around this story helps keep Black Wolf Howl from feeling like 'just another tale in the cybernetic city of the future' by incorporating all the good beats from a classic detective story alongside the neon lightshow.
Seamless mixing of genres aside, it helps that each chapter takes the time to establish what's going on around Luc, or to succinctly 'recap' the events between each of the chapters (even if we're talking years), ultimately painting a vivid picture of the protagonist's surroundings as the narrative shifts from scene to scene.
You can tell this was written by people who know and love cyberpunk, from a sprinkling of major to minor references and throwbacks to other settings and series, to the use of particular terms and colloquialisms that should be familiar to any fans that are chipping in for the read.
By taking the time to give the story's various characters and even its rogues' gallery a personality of their own, the authors have navigated around the issue that many detective stories face: the way that the main character's dialogue -- and their interactions with the rest of the 'cast' all has a certain 'tone' to it -- helps to encapsula
OnlyBliss :)Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'm gonna make this a short one. If you want more detail check out the guy above me.
Its good stuff. Cynic mc in a fucked up city, pretty standard cyberpunk things with the added flair of introspection and some interesting characters. Definitely worth a try if you're into that.