Fearshaper [Cultivation of Fear] [Eldritch] [Slow-burn] [Stats-lite]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Book 1 is available on Amazon Kindle/Kindle Unlimited!

In a world where Fears can kill, Fearshapers rule.

Fearshapers wield the power to bring their Fears into reality – an ability possessed only by the nobility, far beyond the reach of lowborn elves.

Shiver, an orphan with a Fear of ice, has lost her memories of the past and is tormented by hallucinations of frost. Yet, she treasures the peaceful, mundane life that she lives.

Until that life is ripped away from her and she awakens as a Fearshaper.

With unlikely allies, Shiver and her companions descend through the realms of their Fear, dancing on the edge of Insanity. With every step they take, their powers grow in equal measure to the dangers that Fearshaping brings.

Together, they unravel the mysteries of Fearshaping and uncover the secrets and lies that enshroud their world.

The path to Serenity is filled with terror.

Descend,Fearshaper.

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What to expect:

- Slow-burn progression fantasy– the system is gradually revealed and tied to the mysteries of the world. Each book will explore a different stage of Fear

- Mystery and intrigue– mysteries surrounding Fearshaping, the world and its characters

- Cultivation-inspired system– characters descend through various stages of Fear, each bringing unique powers and risks

- Weak to strong main characters– all with different Fears to explore

- Dark moments, levity and light-hearted banter amidst the despair, self-discovery and character growth

- Popsicles

LitRPG disclaimer:The story is stats-lite.The system appears at the end of the first book and provides characters with limited insights into their descent (descension progress/requirements, information about resources etc). Progression is not system imposed.Unlikely to suit preferences of crunchy litrpg fans.

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Inspired by the likes of Cradle, Lord of the Mysteries and The Wandering Inn, I wanted to write a progression fantasy story featuring a unique system shrouded in mystery with a focus on meaningful character growth.

I hope you will enjoy unravelling the mysteries of Fearshaping as much as I enjoy writing it!

Release schedule: W - F - Sun (Book 1 out now!!)

Patreon access:Read 4 weeks ahead of RR

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Emberhare

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 737
Views: 62,406

Chapters(64 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(3)

Hellothere_1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
World
In the world of Fearshaper, everyone has a supernatural fear, that seems to define them. It can never be defeated, only temporarily held at bay with avoidance, or drugs, and most people eventually succumb to it. However, to a select few Fearshapers, able to project their Fear into reality, it is also a source of power.
As far as magic systems go, this is by far one of the most unique and fascinating ones I've encountered and it instantly adds a ton of flavor to the entire universe. In general the world building is pretty top notch. The world feels unique and lived in and very different from your typical fantasy RPG slop. This truly feels like a world defined and shaped by fear, yet it manages to do so without feeling like grimderp misery porn just for the sake of it. The overall vibe is pretty gothic-dark, but not without hope or levity, for which I am pretty grateful.
Characters
Shiver, the "main" protagonist is definitely one of the strong points of the story. She is a girl who absolutely refuses to be cowered by her Fear and rushes to confront it at every opportunity with an almost suicidal sarcastic determination. Like, girl you can literally go insane and die from being too afraid of the cold, yet you're sleeping in a freezing cave and binge eating popsicles, what are you even doing? I love her so much. When she isn't brooding too much (not that she doesn't have plenty of reason to do so) she makes every scene a delight by being in it.
If there's one criticism I have about her, it's that I'd love to see more of her. During the latest arcs she seems to have taken a bit of a back seat compared to the other protagonists, and especially Vale. And while it's not like I don't like them (Vale's backstory especially has been fascinating to get into during the last few chapters), they unfortunately don't bring quite the same presence to the story that Shiver does. I guess this is the curse of having one especially standout character who ends up stealing the show,
NighteyeRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Really early review that might change later.
First chapter is quite « scary » if you are not into system power fantasy, and is a bit confusing I think. However no mention of the system later on, and the following chapters are much more enjoyable to read.
I am not a native english speaker so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I found no grammar mistakes so far. The style is above RR average, but a bit rough around the edge. It’s the author’s first story so I can only expect that to improve with time.
What was shown so far of the magical system really stands out and shines. A mix of cultivation and magic with an horrifying twist that I found quite refreshing. Same thing regarding the world building and exposition that is well done overall.
Yet the rest of the initial setting was a bit boring
(an orphan which offends a sadistic young noble)
Caracter-wise I quickly found myself invested in Shiver and Vale. I did not care a bit for Blaze though. She feels more single-minded and blend than the other girls. Other side-caracters are handled quite well I think, with their own goals and personnality.
Keep up the good work author ! The story has a strong start.
ShardsOfMagicRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Note: As another review noted, the first couple chapters can be a bit confusing and full of information, especially the first scene which seems out of place, but soon everything comes together in an enjoyable relatively cohesive storyline.
Style (4):
The imagery and use of minor objects repeatedly in scenes to convey a sense of the atmosphere and what is occuring to reader in relatively few words is the one of the author's strong points.
However the lost star is because the short length of each scene not being sufficent to properly build an atmosphere and not exploring the world outside the few specific details mentioned. The reader extrapolates the missing pieces of imagery, with at times it feeling bare and scripted.
Characters (3.5):
The cast have depth and importantly varied personalities and mindsets, with a intresting main character. However, there is very little subtle, indirect characterization which I fear might impact the story in later chapters, with each person being a sterotype. As such they act unable to adapt and take on different roles (always approaching problems with their very singular mindset despite having diverse experiecnces) like carictures in play, externally different but quickly becoming predictable and simple-minded when their environment changes, controlled by their emotions and habits on a primitive level, wearing their heart on their sleeve per se for all the other characters to see.
That said the ideals of the world and histories of each character makes them intresting and still has me captivated on how the protagonist will grow, which is more than can be said of most characters with such obvious personalities, leaving the subtely for their histories rather than each individual as a person.
Story (4):
And if you read the synopsis and title, then obviously the premise is what caught your eye, like mine. Although this is Xianxia, at times it is hard to notice, being more European Medival than Eastern Medival as well as the advertised ma