City of Exiles (A D&D Inspired Adventure)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Issei, the City of Exiles, home to all who find themselves without one. A lawless sanctuary where anyone can get a fresh start -- provided the city doesn't eat them whole first.

Blood often runs red through The City of Exiles, but when the young scion of a notorious crime syndicate is found murdered in his bed, an unlikely group of adventurers find themselves embroiled in a strange conspiracy that threatens to shake the very fabric of the world. Together, they must unravel a web of murders, lies, and strange otherworldly anomalies as the chaos of war unfolds around them.Inspired by Dungeons of Dragons and similar tabletop games, City of Exiles is an exciting fantasy romp with elements of progression, and a heavy focus on character development, relationships, and most importantly, adventure.

CHAPTERS WILL BE UPLOADED AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK (TYPICALLY ON A MON/WED/FRY SCHEDULE, THOUGH THIS MAY CHANGE)

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2023
Author: goldensquirby

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.2/ 5.0
Followers: 176
Views: 20,417

Chapters(29 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(6)

Adam SampsonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a fantastic story, criminally under appreciated. The writing style, plot, and descriptions are all great.
The characters are fully realized with intriguing flaws and believable interactions. I like the assassin's complex emotions and the wizard's ditsyness
It's a high magic world, spell slinging all over. Plenty of violence, but doesn't feel grimdark. The hook is fascinating, and I can't wait to read more. If you liked the blurb, you will love the story.
CatVIRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Strong grammar, engaging D&D adventure with well-developed characters, but too many names!
Longer version:
Grammar: The language and grammar are strong. The descriptions are vivid yet not overly complex, allowing for easy reading without constant dictionary checks.
Story and Style: This D&D-inspired adventure reads like a game brought to life on paper. The writing style is engaging, with a good balance of short and long sentences and a wide range of descriptive words that bring the world to life.
Characters: The leading characters are well-developed, each with their own goals, motivations, and distinct personalities. However, the initial introduction of multiple characters can be overwhelming and requires time to fully grasp.
All in All: "City of Exiles" is a captivating and underappreciated story about the Seekers of Truth, a group of adventurers investigating a mysterious death in the chaotic city of Issei. The book excels in world-building, character development, and pacing, providing an enjoyable reading experience for fans of D&D-inspired adventures. While the pacing becomes too quick at times and the introduction of numerous characters can be challenging, the overall quality of the story and writing make it a worthwhile read.
I would bet that this might have a good shot at getting onto RS. Don't see many unique stories like this on RR anymore.
Damien HansonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Feels like a solid Japanime / Dnd progression fantasy romp and I suspect there will be some heavier elements of progression.
The start is a solid and surprisong hook - I have to say that you don't see many start in that way. I'd love to get into more detail on it but I don't want to give any spoilers LOL
Just trust me on this.
There are a few mistakes here and there, nothing major. The characters are well represented by their own quirks and personalities.
And I'm almost afraid to say it, but it has to be said because honestly this can be so much more. The pacing is off. It feels like a well detailed outline. Events are crashing together way too quickly, and there's no time to sit down and enjoy the world in which all of this is occurring.
It's definitely a good read. And I think, given a good rework and expansion in which to better show us the world they exist in, and the mannerisms they hold, it will be a magnificent read
I have decided to follow this project and look forward to see how it develops. I think that it will grow into something beautiful.
EleshisRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
OVERALL: A fun story with strong characters hindered slightly by clunky prose.
STYLE: The writing style jumps from character to character as they go about their adventurer business but its never jarring and is clearly marked when the changes happen. The events are laid out clearly and there's a decent amount of detail to everything that happens be it attacks from phantom ferrets or the writhing agony of a blood mage's ire. I'd say the real strength in the writing comes when we get descriptions of the city and in the dialogue between the cast. There's a lot of care put into their interactions, and I feel like that really fleshes them out.
STORY: City of Exiles initially reads like a recounting of a D&D campaign, but after the first short arc in which the team frees their fourth member it really comes into its own.
GRAMMAR: This is where I think the City of Exiles falters. There's a reccuring comma splice issue where clauses are chopped up oddly and make the reader pause in the middle of the action. Other times the sentences are just just structured in funky ways and take a bit of rereading to parse. This issue is far more prevalant in the first couple of chapters and decreases in intensity around chapter eight, so I hope it all gets worked out in the future.
CHARACTER: We have a curious and jaded sorcerer, a relaxed giant archer, an energetic teifling summoner, and a skilled, sassy thief. Each one has a definite personality and quirks that bounce off each other well. One thing I immediately enjoyed was that they all have their own reasons concrete reasons for grouping together despite not being the most likely allies.
Slow_NeptuneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
City of Exiles is an engaging read that follows a group of adventures as they get wrapped up in the mystery surrounding the assassination of a leader of a crime syndicate. The characters are the strongest aspect of this story and just from the first ten chapters I already feel endeared to them. Yukiko was especially a joy to read as her enthusiasm always livened a scene.
The author is able to effectively switch between POVs to establish each character's role in solving the main mystery of the story. The world initially feels like a generic fantasy but as I got further into the story the author started fleshing out the world more. While I still don't find the world utterly unique I think this could change as the story goes on, after all the first ten chapters only take place in Issei.
I can appreciate this slow approach to world-building and I hope the world becomes more interesting as the story goes on. The magic systems in this world are fun to read in battle but the author is vague on the rules surrounding it. Usually, I prefer a more rigid magic system but the character's abilities are defined to a certain degree that I a least have an idea of how the battles could play out.
Writing-wise the author had a few creative descriptions such as how Akaja felt at the beginning of chapter seven that were fun to read. I noticed a couple of spelling mistakes but nothing major enough that it completely hindered my experience.
Overall this story has a great cast of characters that are all given depth and a compelling mystery that will pull the reader along.
drifter265Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall: I really enjoyed this story about a group of adventurers called the Seekers of Truth, trying to solve a mysterious death in the chaotic city of Issei. The world-building, interesting characters, and good pacing made it a great read.
Style: The way the author wrote the story really pulled me in. They used a mix of short and long sentences and a wide range of words to describe the world, which made it easy to picture in my mind.
Story: The story revolves around a group of adventurers, primarily Akaja, Yukiko, and Andros, who form a team called the Seekers of Truth to uncover the mysteries surrounding the death of a prominent figure named Yu. The plot is engaging, with several storylines and a rich world-building that keeps readers invested in the events that unfold.
Grammar: The grammar in the story was well-done, making it easy to read and understand. The author used punctuation and sentence structure properly, so I could follow along with what was happening.
Character: The characters are well-developed and distinctive, with their own motivations and personalities. Akaja is a resourceful and experienced adventurer, while Yukiko is enthusiastic and idealistic. Andros, a scholar, adds depth to the team with his knowledge and research skills. I felt emotionally invested in their journey and was rooting for them.