Emerrane (Slow-burn Multi-POV Portal Adventure Fantasy)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Watch out, there’s a big blue griffin about.

Erin, a nineteen-year-old orphaned and paralyzed after a tragic accident three years ago, finds solace in vivid dreams that take her to a breathtaking ocean world called Emerrane, where griffins soar and merlings wage wars. When she finds herself trapped in this dream world, she struggles to accept that it's not just a figment of her imagination. Terrified of losing anything else in her increasingly small world, she narrowly avoids ruining this new life she’s been given in her efforts to hold on to the past. Letting go of her uncle Desmond and embracing her future as a griffin rider is her first big step in growing up and accepting her new reality.

Leslyn is a young man seeking a new life in the city of Nilvar. Shortly into his trip there, he is accused of stowing away on a prince's ship, mistaken for Erin's lookalike uncle, and nearly gets eaten by a giant blue griffin named Wrath who definitely holds a grudge after Leslyn accidentally helps to capture her. To achieve his goals, he must navigate his way through the citizenship politics of Nilvar and learn to cope with his (thankfully) temporary master, the reckless prince who’s always putting his own neck on the line. He never expected to become a griffin rider, and certainly didn't expect (or want) to be swept up into the business of the Queen and her doomed quest.

Appointed by a god long absent from their world, the Queen is a generational figure who appears when calamity strikes. For the last four centuries while the merlings have ruled the seas and prevented sailing to distant lands unreachable by griffin-back, the Queens have been unable to fulfill their divine mission to search out their five knights and complete the ritual that would restore Emerrane. The planet remains divided and in turmoil, its broken moon a constant visual reminder of their failure. Will Erin, Leslyn and their friends be able to help Katharesa, the Queen of their generation, to succeed and finally break the cycle of failure and destruction that has persisted for four hundred years?

***

What to expect:

Dragonriders of Pern (but with griffins) meets Final Fantasy X. There is griffin-riding and a world-spanning pilgrimage requiring “unlocking” of new and differing locations that hold more storyline and sidequesting. Low magic in the form of racial abilities such as shapeshifting, no casting spells or system. Not a litRPG by any stretch, but might have some breeding sim elements in later arcs.

[x] Slow burn with a tight-knit cast over several years[x] Baby griffins[x] Griffins everywhere in general[x] Multiple and varied cultures and locations[x] Tons of character growth/relationship/interaction[x] Consequences for actions

[_] Number go up[_] Power fantasy[_] Sexy times[_] Earth-based profanity[_] Immortality (someone important definitely dies, but it’s foreshadowed so often that they may as well have a flashing neon sign over their head)

Initial release schedule:Monday/Friday/Saturday.

Cover Art by ttazo.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2023
Author: LeonaM

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 51
Views: 40,799

Chapters(79 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(2)

BananaDragonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm glad to have the privilege of giving this its first advanced review! This story is exactly as the synomopsis describes; Erin, the MC, suffers a devestating impact that leaves her paralyzed from the waist down. She's brought into this lucid dream with her uncle with griffins and tries to survive. Now for the breakdown!
Style: I love this style!!! It's clear, simple to read, but simultaneously very beautiful with loads of imagery. It's not a story you can skim, since every sentence is absolutely loaded with incredible information, but it doesn't feel overwhelming or exhausting to read at all. The descriptions and metaphors create such fantastic imagery, and it's all enhanced by the grammar.
Grammar: Nearly perfect!! I <3 good grammar, and grammar mistakes usually make me completely lose my focus from the story, even if they're minor. The author definitely has a great grasp regarding grammatical rules and uses this to create various sentence structures. This keeps the writing feeling new and not boring. If I had one criticism, which isn't really important, sometimes the pronouns do get confusing with so many male characters, but this is rarely an issue. It doesn't detract my rating.
Story: The story is very, very interesting. It's shrouded in mystery, especially for Erin's dream, and I can't wait to learn more about the world, government, and why this is all happening. While it's still relatively early on (late enough for me to know this story is great), the story has already shown the basic worldbuilding, especially with the griffins. The scenes have been incredible, engaging, and are very strong foundations.
Character: I find the dynamic between Leslyn and Erin really fun and refreshing. The dialogue is natural, the characters have different personalities, they react realistically, and they're sarcastic and funny. I know, I know, not every character needs to be funny, but I adore stories that have fun, exciting characters that are still level-headed in times of s
BearheartRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Emerrane is a story filled with unique world building that feels fresh and self-consistent. The author compares it to Dragonriders of Pern and I'd say that the comparison is apt, but whereas the Pern books are told over multiple volumes with a variety of main characters this one will just follow the main characters (I assume) over their lives.
Emerrane is also an isekai, but is more reminiscent of something like The Neverending Story or Visions of Escaflowne where the MC is experiencing the world as an (initially) minor actor rather than being reborn as the chosen one who immediately takes their place as the central mover in world events.
Story: The story, at chapter 47, is still in its world-building phase. We haven't even gotten through the synopsis yet, but that doesn't mean that nothing has happened yet. The griffins are immediately fun, especially Wrath, who is like the big boss of your local alleycats who can also fly and tear you to pieces with her talons. Many of my favorite stories are slow-rollers that build up momentum over time, so I've just been enjoying the ride. If you're the type of reader who needs the MC to get their quest by chapter three then you may struggle.
The POV switches between Erin and Leslyn frequently, which helps to introduce things from different perspectives. Erin's POV often injects a sense of wonder into the story, and the occasional teenage meltdown, whereas Leslyn's POV contains a more mature outlook. The contrast between the two points of view keeps the reader from getting worn out by too much of a single character's emotions so I think that the multi POV is used well.
Style & Grammer: I have no complaints with the grammer, and the writing is easy to follow. I do think that there's room for the author to be more expressive with their writing style. We just saw our first glimpse at an underwater kingdom, and it was cool, but I feel that a few good turns of phrase could have made it feel more impactful and vibrant. Since the story