Dreaming of Ascension [Progression Fantasy + Participant in the Royal Road Writathon Challenge]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The weak are no better than livestock, human life is just another resource to be exploited, only the powerful are able to decide their own fate, and behind the faux intellectualism and pursuit of truth so symbolic of magic, the only fundamental law that governs the world is that of the jungle.

Sol was only a child when he was taken from his home, and forced to become a soldier. On the battlefield, the wails of dead men serenaded him into slumber, and he awoke to the stench of blood and filth. With the passage of time, he slowly began to feel as if he was living in a perpetual nightmare.

Only, his suffering unexpectedly came to an end, having been shown kindness by an elderly cook, and he finally escaped, free to dream once again.

Even so, he could still hear the weeping, smell the metal, see those he had lost.

And when given the opportunity to walk the path of ascension, and acquire godhood,

He took it.

But power always comes with a price.

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Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: pitte

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
Followers: 990
Views: 176,208

Reviews

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Community Reviews(9)

PathOfPenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style: Right off the bat, the author immerses us in the protagonist's life, evoking all five senses to portray his less than stellar circumstances as a soldier. This trend continues throughout the story (at least to the point I've read) as I could always picture the scene in my mind, making everything easy to follow.
Characters: The protagonist feels like a real person, his morals in the grey area you might expect from someone in his shoes. He acknowledges that his life currently revolves around killing, and he plans to take advantage of a situation (that I don't want to spoil), to earn the money to settle down and become a farmer. Right there, we have the stark contrast between the person he is - a conniving dealer of death - and who he wants to be - somebody who brings life into the world. This works in establishing his motivations and making him relatable.
Language, Grammar & Prose: The story is well-written overall. The author knows how to convey his intent with smooth prose, and the transitions between narration, dialogue and action are handled well. Admittedly, it could use another polishing pass to catch a few minor issues here and there, but they don't distract too much from the meat of the story. Also, from what I understand, the author has already begun another round of editing, marking the polished chapters accordingly, so it's probably just a matter of time until the rest are up to par.
Story: The plot is as promised - about a boy who navigates a gruesome war, trying to build a better life for himself. There are LitRPG elements such as levels and classes, though they hadn't fully unfolded by the point I've read.
Overall: This is an immersive, character-driven story with a relatable main character and epic scope. If you are a fan of medieval wars or underdog stories, this could be one for you.
aaaacccc2Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Good prose and pacing. So far no growth in strength but the plot progresses with a lot of interest and action. I think the writing is very good. Read the first chapter or two and see. I'm excited to see how the author paces it, since it looks like he will be growing much stronger
CashewRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a slow burn, which builds with each chapter. The author takes their time building the world and characters so that you can actually care about what happens to them. There are epic battles and intense action, dark moments, but there’s always a touch of hope on the horizon.
The world itself is grand and fully realized. There’s a unique power system in place which is explored more with each new chapter, and it has the promise of providing our main character with incredible abilities down the road.
Our main character, Sol, is young but competent, but he is also a bit of a tortured soul. Being a slave can do that to you. But his luck eventually turns when someone kind helps him and later when he is invited to learn about magic and how to wield it. This is where the story really kicks off!
The grammar and editing is solid. There are some paragraphs that could use one more period and one less comma but they flow well and can be incredibly descriptive. This author has a talent for writing in an easy to read literary style. It’s impressive and engrossing!
Give this one a shot! It’s going to be epic.
FormalRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I just reached the end of the fifty chapters curently up and sooo hooked!! I really love the interesting world and power progression! It feels very fresh and hard earned. I think that there could be a little bit more done with the plot point of sols friend being the daughter of who she is (no spoilers) It is a shame that this is on break but it is still definitely worth your time :)
longwindedone1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This review comes after reading the first seven chapters of Dreaming of Ascension. Apologies for any spoilers.
Story:
We follow an 11 year old Sol as he prepares for battle, serving in Baron Elef’s army. Some chapters are from other people's points of view, trying to prepare the reader for the battle to come. As the rebels prepare to face Baron Elef’s overwhelming forces, the story shifts to focus on the skilled fighters and magical beings. Despite all this, Sol hopes for a life free from war. The book cover says it all. At first I thought it looked a lot like Frodo, but then I studied the background and realized the stakes that take place in this story.
Style:
This story focuses on themes like survival and trauma. The overall tone is fairly somber and reflective (on everyone's part). You get lots of background and world building from the reflections of the characters. The point of view shifts between first person and third person, and it also shifts between Sol, Captain June, and the Lieutenant. That said, the story mostly follows Sol's thoughts and feelings. This is an interesting and a somewhat unique way to tell a story. Just from the opening chapters I felt the sheer scale of the world.
Grammar:
I listen to all of my stories on the royal road app, so I don't usually catch mistakes unless they are big. No errors that I could tell here, so kudos to the author on constructing a story that didn't take me out of the tale.
Characters:
I've already mentioned Sol, but there is also Captain June (the broken captain), the Lieutenant (a somewhat mysterious person), Commander Lein (a leader of the rebels), Baron Elef (leader of Sol's army), and Ratka and Nara (two tribesmen that fight for the rebels).
The best parts are the character studies that go on with each of the people presented in these first chapters. These characters have some history / baggage. It has changed and shaped them. Captain June is a prime example of someone who has changed and left hollow.
The litrpg
JagaaaaaanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I liked this, having read 7 chapters in, I like a story that is willing to take itself seriously with little jokes or quips (I believe comedy can be a crutch for authors who are afraid to risk making serious moments) and this story definitely takes advantage of that by delving into heavy concepts in the first few chapters which I believe are executed fairly well due to this tone.
I couldn't say I found myself particularly attached to any character that was presented, although I have not read very far, but what was there was good enough though the main character did feel silent at times, and would have liked to know more about what he thought.
The grammar is very well done, hard to find errors. The use of sound effects being presented in onomatopoeia form rather than described feels a bit juvenile but is mostly just my preference and isn't the wrong way to do it.
I did feel that referring to army ranks as "levels" was a bit meta. I understand this is a litrpg platform but in Universe, it felt a little meta and might have been better to use rank or class instead.
Overall, a very professionally written story of war that I would highly recommend if you enjoy dark subjects and harsh/unforgiving scenarios, its a slow start but definitely compelling enough to read through.
Cutie_OniRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
So overall, from what I read so far the story is quite solid! That much is clear. But onto the technicalities...
Style: The only really minor gripe I have would be that at a few chapters the POV would switch to first person suddenly, when the story does indeed also have 3rd person POVs. I'd say maybe have a special indicators for this? Like italics for first person or something. But other than that, the prose is great! Quite similar to mine in style in fact.
Story: A solid 4 stars, while so far things such as levels and such have yet to be explained, making it so that only readers who are familiar with such things would understand somewhat immediately, how this book presented itself granted it 4/5 stars as a rating. Liking it so far.
Grammar: Only managed to detect one minor mistake that I made a suggestion on, nothing severe on my end.
Character: Solid enough for me to want to read further, I really like Sol overall though as a character, he's quite interesting, especially his dynamic with Aurelia.
Overall, a good story. For those who enjoy darker settings with military themes added into it, I suggest taking a look at this and read it for yourself! (Note: It starts with the smell of stagnant piss, I am not lying.)
AustenKeatsRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
This book is characterized by distinctive and strong prose. The aura of the world flows through the words into the mind of the reader. The characters are interesting and the shifts in perspective that highlight previous POV characters from a different POV are a creative touch.
Style: The author states that the book starts slow. I believe that is accurate - however, to me, it starts fast enough to make me want to keep reading. With a few tweaks, the hook of the first chapter would be stronger, and the reader would be more likely to move on to the remainder of the narrative, which steadily picks up steam as it goes.
Grammar: I found no major concerns here.
Story: The story is very promising. The world-building revealed just enough to make me want to keep reading, without being overly description or explanatory.
Character: This category for me is the hardest to evaluate. I would say that the main concern I have is that the shifts in POV are not delineated clearly enough, so that I had quite a bit of difficulty determining which character was which, or how many characters we were dealing with overall. Also, the descriptions of the groups making up the armies were a little confusing. It may be more easily understood if the allied groups of each side are described initially, and then continue to be referenced with the same word or title. However, the characters overall were well-drawn. There was a sense of familiarity and ease in slipping into the minds of each POV character. And lastly, the character who is referred to as "him" was, by any and all accounts, literally awesome. I can't wait to see more of that character.
Overall, this is a solid foundation for what is to come. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys fantasy/military genres.
ariannabloveRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
The setting for Dreaming of Ascension was intriguing and I enjoyed the characters.
I think the prose has great potential. It was descriptive and engaging. I was easily pulled into the world and felt as though I could see the snowy plains and feel the biting cold.
One of my favorite moments was in the first chapter when Sol looks out the window: "Getting up, he distanced himself from where the scent originated from, quietly walking to the only window in the room, and brushing the curtain aside.
Although, window and curtain would be a generous description for a glassless hole in the wall covered up by a ratty square of fabric devoured by insects."
There were a few issues I found, one big issue is that there are a lot of broken paragraphs. Sentences that belong together are being separated. For example, the quote above is formatted as is written, but the two sentences should be in the same paragraph. This makes the writing feel a bit disjointed at times, but I believe this is an easy fix.
The second big issue I found is POV. The story begins in third person, then suddenly shifts to first without a clear indication of who's head we're in. I was able to pick up some clues and figure it out, but it's rather jarring and I don't think serves the story well.
I really enjoyed the characters. I began to get attached to Captain June, Rayka, Nara, and Sol. I had so many questions that I wanted to see answered. Honestly, I would read a story just about Captain June. His story in chapter 3 was interesting and I believe had more than enough content to be its own tale.
One issue I had with the characters was that everyone but Sol and Nara got killed off rather quickly. I was disappointed, the story seemed like it was setting up an interesting cast of characters on both sides of the conflict, all of whom are weary of battle and just want to go home to their families, but they can't for one reason or another.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read and I think the author has got