Branded

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Thrown into a world filled with magic and mayhem, Jordan Glade must rally his team to meet the perils of this new world if they have any chance of getting home in one piece. If only they hadn't brought along a barely legal gamer on their last operation. Now, it is taking every ounce of patience to adapt to a world that Jordan never even imagined could exist. All while trying to keep his youngest charge from going native!

Join Captain Glade and his team of crazed misfits as they navigate the troubled waters of defeating monsters, pursuing quests, uncovering lost empires, and discovering what it truly means to be branded by the would-be gods themselves.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2023
Author: J.G. Anders

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.4/ 5.0
Followers: 176
Views: 206,977

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(7)

Ihdob LaprokRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Author J.G. Anders has devised quite the world that will leave its mark on your heart. A brand, if you will.
Up to this point, Anders has created a world with depth and versatility, while maintaining a streamlined story that will allow for more growth and a larger cast. To where I've read, the larger cast is introduced, but is then focused onto a trio. Each character is lovable in their own way, and has some depth to them. They're not just 2D cutouts on the board of DnD, they're people with personalities and backgrounds, motivations and desires, dreams and fantasies. Between their interactions and the world around them, you'll want to continue flipping the pages!
The actual system itself feels classic, yet fresh, with a lot of elements likely inspired by many classic video games, modern games, and I'm sure, plenty of other literature! Notably, the twist we see with one character's stats/skills upon entering the mysterious realm of Veil, feels very unique to me. There also feels to be a character targeted for a lot of the tropes you may love, or hate, to see in a LitRPG. I think Anders handles it better than your average bear, using it for both progression of the story and comic relief. Don't let the blue boxes dissuade you in the middle chapters, as they're chock full of snappy comments and witty remarks, alongside the usual plethora of information!
I'm excited to see where he takes this story, and how he progresses the characters he has and introduces the rest of the cast we're waiting to see take action. If you're in the market for anything relating to LitRPG, this should be your next stop! Allow J.G. Anders to take you on a wild adventure of mysticism and magic in Branded!
D.M. Rhodes (Razzmatazz)Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Branded, by author J.G. Anders, is a portal-fantasy litRPG novel in an epic-fantasy setting, primarily starring Jordan Glade and his team of adventuring friends, plus one additional unusual member, Leonard, as they travel through a world rife with monsters, complex historical relations, and a lot of numbers-go-up. The story itself is fairly lore-heavy, with a great emphasis laid on world-building and defining the setting and its rules. We follow a variety of points of views across the cast, getting to know everybody intimately in many fashions.
The writing and grammar are both on point, the prose is fluid and flows well. I found no noticeable mistakes. The author engages actively in the comments, which is always nice. The chapters have a good length and there are a variety of subjects to cover, given the broadness of the cast. The style of the writing is very much focused on the details of the world and the interactions present within it, between both the characters, as well as between the outside forces in it.
At the end of the day, if you are looking for a fantasy story with some heft to its bones, then you should most certainly give this one a fair shot — and be sure not to ignore the system’s warnings. =)
Droy17Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's just starting but it already show promises of something great
Brianna StormCloudRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
updated: this book is awesome, I have just binge read the first book! It covers everything; adventure, levelling, character development, expansive world/culture, humour, emotional growth. I am in awe of a well thought and articulate author! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Okay so I’m not very far into the book, however I feel I need to let people know that they need to push past the first couple of chapters. Initially I found it confusing and a bit disjointed, however by the fifth chapter/post, it all makes much more sense! The book is well written with few errors, and I’m looking forward to the plot/story arc, character development and world building!
SqwakerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Not really enough content to form a conclusive opinion as of yet, but what I have read has shown as strong amount of promise to be explored.
The setting and current worldbuilding is quite interesting—the author taking a more unique approach to the portal fantasy trope—the characters feel distinct and with different personalities, and the grammar is pretty strong (aside from prologue which is written in a more distinct style). 3rd person narration in past tense.
Prologue was mostly just worldbuilding and establishing overall premise while chapter one is essentially the prelude to more high-intensity action.
wingmanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
From what I have read so far, there is a strong potential for the story to be explored further. The author has taken a unique approach to the portal fantasy trope by establishing an interesting setting and worldbuilding. The characters are well-defined and have distinct personalities, while the grammar is strong throughout the story.
The prologue mainly focuses on worldbuilding and introducing the overall premise, while chapter one serves as a prelude to the action that is yet to come. However, there is definitely room to expand on the details and make the story flow better.
In the prologue, the author could consider providing more specific details about the world they have created. This could include fleshing out the history, geography, or even the mythology of the world. Additionally, incorporating more sensory details could help to immerse the reader further and make the world feel more tangible.
As for chapter one, the author could consider building up to the action more gradually. This could involve establishing the characters and their motivations more fully, or introducing more tension into the scene before the action kicks off. This would make the eventual action more impactful and engaging for the reader.
Overall, while there is potential for the story, there is also room for improvement. By expanding on the worldbuilding and character development, and building up the tension more effectively, the author can create a story that is truly engaging and immersive.
RscottysBRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Entertaining but also frustrating at times. Both speak to the quality of the writing, because frustration with the characters simply means I was that invested in the story! Well fleshed out characters, immersive story telling, solid plot and very well done exposition. A true gem of the litrpg + isekai genre.
That said, Captain Glade as a character could do with some tweaking, but his flaws and strength shape so much of the story it would be difficult to do so. I’m not familiar with strong loss myself but have seen what deep personal loss can do to a person, and how people who can reflect on it heal holistically from it. Not sure about the effects on a career soldier, so I can’t comment owing much authority. But the paradox of being deeply reflective and also prone to avoidance is grating at best. Even if it is realistic, is it worth irritating readers so much?