Blackgrave

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The Order of the Witches Bane stands on the forefront of a battle to safeguard Scrydell's southern lands from the curses that plague it. Witches, werewolves, and the undead all roam these ancient woods and merciless bogs, stealing away those that stray too far from the safety of town.

Those who have taken up residence in these untamed lands have only one beacon of hope: the Witch Hunters of Witchbane Keep. These green hooded warriors wield flaming blades and travel the land hunting down anything they deem wicked or supernatural.

After one of their own dies under mysterious circumstances, the Witch Hunters must navigate their hunts and piece together his cryptic final warning: "Blackgrave. It cannot be searched for. "

What to Expect

- Releasing 1-2 chapters a week. Usually on Friday in-between 1400-1800 EST. (I sometimes do it in the morning before work)

- Each hunt is presented as a separate arc with it's own mystery to be solved.

- Episodic in nature. Characters change each arc, with a major mystery to tie everything together.

UPDATE 08/14/25

Things have been slow on my end, so I apologize. My editor is nearly done with the first big section of the next part of the story, once its complete I will begin uploading. I don't know exactly when she will be done as she has been busy with other life engagements, but I will be putting the rest of this story out as soon as I can. Sorry for the long gap in-between uploads.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: The Jester in Red

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 56
Views: 19,055

Chapters(37 total)

What readers say about Blackgrave

“The story is set in a grimdark world so don’t expect happy cuddle times! What it lacks in terms of blue boxes it makes up for in prose and atmosphere. This is a classic fantasy story that is well told and gripping. Life seems to be tough, brutal and short…”
MilcRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Blackgrave is an episodic mystery set in a dense and dangerous world. The writing is reminiscent of classic fantasy: The Curse of Chalion comes to mind, as well as Wheel of Time. This is a perfect read for those who enjoy slow-burn character development, da…”
ammonoidsRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

MilcRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story is set in a grimdark world so don’t expect happy cuddle times! What it lacks in terms of blue boxes it makes up for in prose and atmosphere. This is a classic fantasy story that is well told and gripping.
Life seems to be tough, brutal and short for a lot of people. The world building is well done, introduced by dialogue between the characters where you have to pick up the pieces and figure things out yourself.
To me the world is reminiscent of the Witcher books but with hints of Warhammer and maybe some Black Company as well. Saying that, the world is undeniably original and feels very alive with lots of history waiting to be revealed.
The style flows well and reads very easily. Do not expect grammar and spelling issues. This is professional quality writing.
The characters all feel like complete people, they have back stories that are explained through dialogue rather than the dreaded info dump! The only criticism I have is that there are quite a few introduced fairly quickly and due to the blurb I’m not sure which it is safe to get attached to!
I have followed and favourited this story as it is one to keep an eye on and I’m interested to see where the author takes it.
ammonoidsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Blackgrave is an episodic mystery set in a dense and dangerous world. The writing is reminiscent of classic fantasy: The Curse of Chalion comes to mind, as well as Wheel of Time. This is a perfect read for those who enjoy slow-burn character development, dark themes, and a mix of mystery and action.
Style
The writing is clear and is usually easy to understand. However, some sections can be very exposition-heavy, and dialogue is usually presented with lines of description alongside it (instead of the dialogue being presented with only tags to show the speaker). This can feel repetitive and makes certain scenes read 'slower'.
Story
Story is by far the strongest part of Blackgrave. Mysteries and character arcs are woven together well, with an overall arc supported by smaller mysteries in an episodic fashion. Witch Hunters have to deal with everything from family drama to dark curses... and ask for payment afterwards. Delightful!
Grammar
No noticeable problems with grammar, Blackgrave is a pleasure to read. This is definitely better-edited than many other stories on Royalroad and beyond.
Character
Blackgrave has memorable antagonists and interesting protagonists. However, some side characters (especially Juniper and Haldor) had arcs that felt rushed. This is an understandable weakness in an episodic format, the (more longstanding) recurring characters are much stronger.
antigoneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Blackgrave is an enticing dark fantasy story with common elements done in an original way, a gripping mystery, and slow world building. I was hooked from the prologue, which sets the tone for the story going forward and lets the reader know not to expect the usual formula of story telling. The author isn't just telling a story, they're inviting us into the universe through the perspectives of those that live in it, and I can't wait to read more.
The pace is good and I like the flow of information so far. Terminology gets mixed in naturally, so if you don't want to do any mental work, this story might not be for you. The author also does a good job setting the ominous tone of the story and combat is smooth.
I love a good mystery, and I think this author will deliver; I'm left wanting more at the end of each chapter. The world building comes in relevant pieces, which I prefer to an info dump.
The grammar is excellent.
There are a lot of characters and the story switches perspectives, but no surprises there since it's mentioned in the description. The characters introduced so far feel realistic in a harsh setting, all with unique personalities, and I'm interested to see how their pasts unfold as the story progresses.
d.c.brums23564Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall: If you like darker themes in your fantasy, I recommend reading this.
Style: Very witcher like in the style, though easier to follow. The way this is written also gives me the feels of Dragon Age: Origin vibes which is awesome. The grimdark fantasy is a great genre to use for this story and it does not disappoint.
Story: The story is great and well developed. The lore and the information is spread organically and feels like a real world. These characters have lived lives and are not just written out for us to read.
Grammar: The grammar is great throughout the entirety of what I read. The only issue were a couple of lowercase beginning of sentences in dialogue. Nothing major at all, and does not take the reader out of the story.
Characters: The characters are diverse and intriguing, my favorite by far are Kangee and Lord Gremmelt. Kangee is the Crow Clan witch hunter, who can see through their crow. He comes from an entirely different tribe that are really important to the first arc and left me wanting to know about their culture. Lord Gremmelt really feels like a man who puts the greater good ahead of the immediate result. His actions in the first arc show he is intelligent and sees the bigger picture. While he's taken a smaller role in the second arc I look forward to seeing what he will lead the witch hunters into. Also mysterious Bard with the dog is mysterious, possibly my third favorite character.
simplyleoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style:
The story's style is very good. It's consistent and well-paced, and the writing really elevates the grimdark atmosphere in the setting. It's very easy to follow and not difficult to read at all.
Story:
If you like stories like The Witcher and other grimdark fantasy novels, this one delivers in that aspect. You're immersed in the world from the prologue as you're exposed to witcher hunters and their adversaries who carry out twisted rituals in the dead of night. The author does a fantastic job of setting the mood and tone of the characters and keeping you locked into the story. From the prologue, you know the adventure will be a rough ride since it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
Grammar:
The grammar is well done. I have yet to see any issues that stick out and you can tell it's professionally written.
Character:
The characters are distinct and feel natural. Their interactions with each other are fluid and smooth. They all serve a purpose, and I would say that you can experience what they are going through and how they approach each situation realistically.
Overall:
From what I've read in the novel, it's a fantastic start and very enjoyable for those looking for grimdark settings. If you enjoy stories with a sense of mystery that is slowly unveiled, give this story a shot. It's carefully building the foundations to a thrilling adventure.
Red_OceanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
It is written with such competence that you have to take it more seriously than majority of RR stories. And this is my honest subjective opinion of the story.
Characters : 4/5
Some great writing in this, you could really feel their motivations for doing what they do, particularly the MC. But more than that, I really liked the prolouge and the characters in that got me immediately invested.
Alas, the character I liked the most so far got killed. I was really rooting for him to survive.
Also, a couple of times characters make some real weird choices/reaction that are a bit hard to accept.
For example, Eija's reaction to his parent's death was essentially glossed over, which irks me a bit.
Grammar. 5/5
Too competently written for something posted on RR. I did not notice any err in the grammatical front. Some words are a bit obselete, but that is probably an intended choice.
Story : 4/5
Its' about witches and werewolves mate, what else do ye need. The story is well formulated and written. You can see that Jester has a great mastery over the storytelling. However, I am afraid the pacing moved a bit fast.
Style : 4.5/5
Grimdark as it promises. It definitely delivers what it intends to. The worldbuilding is decent enough as well.
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Overall, I liked it. If you want a grimdark read that deals with witches, warewolves and witch hunters, this is it. At least give the first chapter a chance to see if the story hooks you.
JRSmithRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'm a huge fan of stories that blend Fantasy settings with Horror elements. To the point that one of my own unpublished stories is also about an order of witch hunting monster killers. So, I might be slightly biased here.
When I read the Prologue, I also felt some familiarity, but unfortunately not in a good way as I'm guilt of writing dozens of different prologues that didn't strictly add to my stories. The omniscient narrator usage feels a bit too clumsy (switching back and forth readily between two characters fairly deep internal thoughts) and I suspect it could be cut in half and still serve the same purpose.
These misgivings are rectified quite a bit in Chapter 1 where we chiefly focus on two characters (which is good) but I do wonder if Multi-POV 3rd person perspective with a slightly closer psychological distance might work better. Similarly, no matter how masterful a writer you are, trying to introduce six characters at a time is very hard work. I genuinely don't believe it is possible unless three characters happen to be triplets.
Less is probably more would be the central theme of my feedback. Have the characters split up at the beginning, introduce them three at a time. End Chapter 1 on a slightly punchier hook.
Consider how much of the Prologue is neccessary and whether it is better to keep things shorter, and vaguer, to build mystique. For me the most intriguing part is that this has happened before, this was personal, and witches are involved, and all of that is conveyed not long after they arrive at the house.
That said, I still rate the story highly because the setting is refreshing, and intriguing, and the plot itself is dark and holds my interest.
NahellionRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Style: I noticed there are a lot of short paragraphs in the action scenes and conversations. It is nice, considering it helps keep the action pace going, but I hope that in future chapters, there are times we can slow down and take in what is going on. It will help someone, especially like me, who has a hard time with rushed content.
Grammar: I didn't find any obvious issues with the grammar. So there are no issues there.
Story: I enjoy its horror fantasy aspect; honestly, it reminded me of Dark Souls/Bloodborne from all the possible monsters, witches, and werewolves. I am curious about what other lore might be hidden within the chapters.
Character: I admit I was more into the character from the Prologue than the ones introduced in the first chapter. It was hard to keep up with the many characters and why I should care about them. This is just the impression after the second chapter, so things might've changed.
Overall, I am super interested in the lore that the story has to offer. And I hope further down the chapters; I can start to bond with the characters from Chapter One and Forward (and also the character from the Prologue)
OntoSomethingGoodRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Blackgrave is a high fantasy with a complex, intriguing plot replete with grimdark elements, interesting characters and a dark foreboding world. The story opens in a bar/pub setting where the first MC is introduced, and then onwards, it takes us to introduce some villains. Then come a bunch of warriors, each of which will probably have their own arc at some point.
Style - It's a high fantasy with multiple leads. Author's choice of third person omniscient works well while detailing all characters, giving backstory while simultaneously building a world that appears quite complicated.
The pov offers enough tools to set up the stage and build an interesting background. Personally, I prefer either first person or third person deep as they give more insight into the character's inner world, but here author does a good job at bringing out the character individualities while adhering to the pov's demands.
The world is well crafted, specially the grim and dark elements that add more atmosphere to the story.
That said, the language sometimes appears choppy and forced. It hindered my immersion a bit. Maybe going over it a few times to smooth out any awkward wording will help improve the narration.
Grammar - Grammar is nearly flawless, I did notice a few spacing issues but they can be easily corrected.
Characters - Since it's a multiple lead fantasy, there are a lot of characters. Each of them is given an interesting backstory and traits. The author does a good job of giving a glimpse into their inner world. I just felt the chapter where the group of warriors was introduced became a bit heavy with exposition. It was harder to connect with any single character, as here were so many.
Plot - The plot is not simple but not over-complicated. It has the right ingredients of mystery and intrigue to keep the readers hooked. The pace is good and we are moved from one event to another with effortless ease. Where it falters a bit I feel is when the prologue focuses on one character but la
Antares905Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
So far, the story isn't long so don't expect a very detailed review from me. I will say that I'm not big on the Grimdark genre but so far I've been hooked on Blackgrave. If you're a fan of the supernatural, then give it a try. It is exactly as advertised and you won't be disappointed.
Style: The style is good and easy to understand. The pacing is consistent, and the grim and fantastical tone is set just right.
Grammar: Some paragraph spacing errors here and there, but nothing deal-breaking.
Story: The Prologue was great, but it could definitely have been better if we followed Eija some more. Just as advertised, however, the story eventually shifts to the Witch Hunters themselves as they try to figure out the ongoing mystery. I liked the worldbuilding, and we get to see the Witch Hunters in action against the things that go bump in the night, though.
Character: We know little about the Witch Hunters except who they are and what they do, but perhaps with time we'll get to know more about them.
I believe this is enough to justify my rating, but it may change as the story goes on. There's always room for improvement.