God of War - Karmic Cycle [AU]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

TLDR

What if instead of landing in the realms of Norse Gods, Kratos finds himself stranded within the realms of Hindu Mythology?

Summary

After his last stand atop Mount Olympus, Kratos believed his bloody saga had finally come to an end. But death has other plans. Awakening in a mysterious, ancient land alive with powerful gods and unfamiliar legends, he finds himself face-to-face with a new pantheon - one as vast and intricate as the one he once tore apart.

Without the blinders of vengeance clouding his vision, Kratos is forced to confront himself as never before. Without enemies to chase or grudges to fuel him, he must reckon with the monstrous deeds of his past and question the path that brought him here. Is there still a chance for redemption, even for someone like him?

This is a journey of self-discovery, repentance, and growth - a path that might lead Kratos to something he has never known: peace.

Author's Note

This is an AU (Alternate/Author's Universe) that picks up from where God of War 3 leaves off.

Note that the label AU is important as I take some creative liberty when painting certain elements of the Hindu Mythos. The ratio of content that is true to the source material and my interpretation is 90/10. Though I will not deviate significantly from the crux/core of the mythology, I do need some creative leeway to ensure that the "rules" of the universe are robust and free of plot-holes.

For more information on this, please read the Preface chapter.

FAQ

Q: Will Kratos be killing gods?

A: Maybe.

Q: Will "X" (god or character) make an appearance?

A: Maybe.

Q: Will "X" (event) take place?

A: Maybe.

Q: Will there be a harem?

A: No.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: Junior Sundar

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 56
Views: 15,340

What readers say about God of War - Karmic Cycle [AU]

“A good start . I'm a little bit ignorant about the mythology but the brutality and again the role of divine in it is not any less cruel but I'm hopeful for the author to not be biased and actually show the deities in their exact behavior towards humans as a…”
Clown4mvoidRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“A lot of introspection in this story so far. I don’t mind it. It’s a lot easier to have young Kratos slaughter his way through a pantheon, being a stagnant, generic, god-hating badass. The author is giving him the depth he deserves in this, and while I know…”
HeraldedRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(3)

Clown4mvoidRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A good start . I'm a little bit ignorant about the mythology but the brutality and again the role of divine in it is not any less cruel but I'm hopeful for the author to not be biased and actually show the deities in their exact behavior towards humans as a way for self-satisfaction since it would be contradicting but I see there is potential for Kratos's disciple repeating history but in a methodical way since he is learning from the best . The world building has been fine so far , but the power balance of realms seems kind meshed . The characters so far have their own good depth but there is not enough 3rd POV between MC and natives and MC has no defined way of gaining strength in the world so far and the scale of battles and their following damage seem less , forced , the particular rawness to it is lacking , whenever characters on the scale of deities clash, it has adverse effect , irreparable mostly and in the battles so far , they felt a lot more like low-leveled in scale so I hope the future disciples and their own battles are also more defined with kratos's personal teaching methods .
HeraldedRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A lot of introspection in this story so far. I don’t mind it. It’s a lot easier to have young Kratos slaughter his way through a pantheon, being a stagnant, generic, god-hating badass. The author is giving him the depth he deserves in this, and while I know nothing about Hinduism I don’t think there is too great a need of background knowledge to enjoy the story. Though I’m sure there will be some god-slaying eventually (this is Kratos after all), I’m fine with taking things slow.
TrashmanComethRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A lot more introspective than expected for a GoW fanfiction. The author is really delving deep into the thought process and motivation of characters. While this slows the pace of the story, it by no means drags the progression.
As of chapter 37 it seems that the author is trying to tread a similar character development pathway for Kratos as GoW 4 and 5. But the journey is completely different so it doesn't feel derivative or rehashed.
Style: 4.5/5
Some unique approaches to storytelling. The language is fresh and rich with description. Word choice is varied but not too complicated so as to make it a chore to read. Very rarely words are used incorrectly, but it does not detract from reading experience.
Story: 5/5
A complete AU for a GoW fanfiction. While borrowing from known mythology, it is pretty much a build up from scratch. The preface makes it clear of what the author's intention is with this AU. Highly recommend that you read it before starting.
Grammar: 4/5
Very few grammatic errors. Reads without friction.
Character: 5/5
A lot of new and unique characters that don't feel like copies. Every character has a specific way they speak and behave. And as a reader you will find that the portrayal is consistent. Furthermore the character of Kratos is well captured. He is a man of few words so a lot has to be conveyed through grunts and growls which the author does pretty well.
The power scaling is also consistent which was something I was sceptical about when I started reading this.
Conclusion:
This is a self-contained alternate sequel to the original GoW trilogy. The mythology is well described and introduced gradually for the uninitated without resorting to a lot of verbose loredumps. It is not filled with a lot of action. Characters speak a lot and think about what they are doing and why things happen, so it may not be for people looking for a "Kratos kills the Hindu Mythology" speedrun.
My only gripe is that the update frequency is irregular and sparse. Apart from