Heaven and Hellfire 01: The Dreaming Goddess

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

"Wake up, dear. We have things to do."

The light was scarce. Dark was everywhere.

A man opened his eyes for the first time in ages and could see nothing within the bleak surroundings. And in them, he felt only utter desolation. He was lying on what felt like marble, cold to the touch, and wondered how long he had lain in near death? The question bothered him as he stepped off the marble. He set one bare foot down onto slippery flagstones.

Even as he did, he heard whispers from the edge of the darkness. There were voices from eldritch things he could not perceive. Would he know them if he looked upon them and feared them no more? Or would his terror grow, as what little more could be known of them only grew their shadow?

His sight returned to see almost nothing at all in the shadows. Yet he could see evidence of ancient Harlenorian stonework. The air here was musty and old and filled with heaviness. It made breathing difficult. The man could remember very little, only that he'd fought a dark figure with gleaming blue eyes. It had been a terrible struggle, he thought. He had not fallen there but instead lingered on for a time. The thought wasn't reassuring, and his feet stumbled as he walked. Finally, consciousness returned, and realization dawned.

"I am not dead." His voice spoke the thought, and he noticed he did not even recognize it. Had he been dead? Was that why he could not remember anything? He became aware he was holding something in a death grip and raised it.

Where was he? Did it even matter where he was or when he was? This place seemed beyond time or space, a singular moment echoing through eternity. Just as the actions of each person in the tapestries of fate reflected.

It was a long black sword, gleaming with a red light, the only reason he could see. What concerned him more was that he was shirtless. It was freezing in this place, and he shuddered. He'd have to find warmth. Then, finally, a semblance of memory returned to him. He raised the Black Sword, muttering an incantation of power under his breath. As soon as he spoke, the sword burst into a red flame, and his arms and chest felt the heat. The fire illuminated a sizeable round chamber with crimson light. The dust was swept away, and no moss could be perceived on the black flagstones, though it was wet.

Gazing over the walls and ceilings, the man observed many images painted over the walls. Armies marched across a river as great battles were waged for glory and honor. Friends bled out their life upon the fields and returned in a monstrous new form. All were in elaborate detail. There were long journeys stretching across oceans and over mountains.

Over time, he realized that he was looking at many interconnected stories. Many people were in multiple tales, but one figure was always present- a tall knight with long flaxen hair wields a black sword and holy magic to defend the innocent. That knight came to a bitter end. He faced a shadowy figure with black claws, wings like a dragon, and glowing blue eyes.

It was a pattern, and each reading built on the others so that one understood it better each time. And with understanding came terror and wonder.

He was that knight. And this was his story.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2023
Author: WilliamGabriel10

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 22
Views: 11,318

Chapters(20 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

The ChildRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I will continue this book, but for now what I think
This prologue felt like a great start with great writing and nothing needed to be fixed. It was like I was reading a book by a pro author.
I cant wait to continue this book as it is the best one ive read on royal road so far
SachinSHebbarRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall the story makes for a compelling read. The characters are interesting, the world building is rich and loved the ending of chapter 2.
Style: the first person narrative is done very well. Seeing the world and the characters through the MC's view makes the story interesting. At some places, the explanations, the places, people and history becomes a bit much and confusing, but such places are very few and doesn't hamper the story in anyway.
Story: The prologue is very well written and builds suspense and interest among the readers to see how the MC got to that place. This is a high fantasy and the story unfolds from William Gabriel's pov. I found the world interesting, and the going on a journey aspect of the story was also introduced very well. Loved the first fight in the story as well!
Grammar: Couldn't see any grammatical errors, nothing that pulled me out of the story.
Character: MC's character arc begins right from chapter 1 and that's very interesting. Each of the characters introduced are unique and their interactions are unique. I loved the faithful friend or servant Felix, and the warrior Raynold. The dynamics between William and Felix, and William and Raynold were fun to read
L.R. Monroe (Emrys)Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a well crafted, well polished story. If you enjoy well done fantasy worlds, this story is for you. The author does not overload you with information, you learn about the world as you read, with information being given out at just the right times.
Sometimes I get the feeling that this could be a DnD world, not a bad thing at all. The MC, William, is a nobles son, and he ends up going on a trip that turns into a real adventure.
The story has a surprising pull. I was sucked into it before I even realized it was happening and suddenly I was six chapters in before doing this review.
There are no grammar issues that stand out. The style is good. I like the characters a lot, especially the MC because he is very relatable and you can see his growth occurring as the story goes on.
Characters that don't stay static are always a plus to me. The dialogue is written well, and the author paints the scenes just enough for you.
The strongest part of this story is the world building, and I think people who like really polished fantasy worlds are in for a treat with this story. Give it a chance, you will not regret it.
CoffeeInMyDreamsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I haven't read the original work by William Gabriel, but I'm enjoying The Dreaming Goddess so far. The synopsis caught my attention, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story goes.
The protagonist (as of Chapter 2), William, seems believable and relatable. No issues with grammar or style —it's easy on the eyes, so I'm sure readers will feel comfortable diving in. Loving the epic feel ~an instant follow from me.
Fantasy lovers: I recommend you give it a try.
phociumRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall The Dreaming Goddess excels heavily in building the world and making chapters easily digestible despite their length and depth. While the prologue may have left me slightly confused on how it ties back into the main story, the first chapter does an amazing job of setting the world. As I continued reading I began to think back to the prologue and what related. With how dense the chapters were I also enjoyed being able to reread certain sections and glean new details.
Style: The author has an excellent style that spares no expense when it comes to detail and makes it easy to transition from scene to scene. While the chapters tend to be quite dense I think that is just a proponent of the vast world the author is trying to build. The only critique I have is that a great deal of named characters, places, and events are introduced early on in the story which can be slightly difficult to keep up with if an active effort is not made.
Story: The story centers around the MC who has all the tools but is lacking in personal grit, ambition, and duty. He is definitely quite distant in the early chapters but his personality grows with each event. I think he has a lot of room for maturity and I'm interested to see how he grows into his role and what effect he will have on the world. The plot of him leaving home reluctantly has a lot of potential to turn into a wonderful journey of adventure, struggle, and triumph!
Grammar : There is a few grammatical errors but they are so few and far between that is easy to miss them! Not much else to say here.
Character : The main character definitely feels hard to read at first, but the author does a good job of explaining the background to his behavior. I am sure that even more detail will be put to paper, especially as the main character meets certain important figures in his life. The MC's lack of confidence is something that is extremely palpable early on and it was satisfying seeing him deal with the consequences of the actions that
AurathasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Story: The story is quite interesting and the world itself is quite varied with the number and types of races portrayed. This provides a lot of potential for the future, both in terms of the scale of adventure we can look forward to and the possible antagonists. Also, the author drops multiple hints and some foreshadowing that serve to keep you effectively hooked.
Style: The style of writing is quite satisfying as it is clear and provides all of the information you need without falling into the trap of padding chapters out with extraneous filler descriptions. The writing style is also fast paced, which can be both good and bad depending on your personal taste. It was perfectly fine for me.
Character: The main character is believable and realistic in his actions, mostly due to essentially being a child thrust from a rather sheltered life into perilous situations. However, my only grip is that he can come off as a bit frustrating as he does care about his friends and family, but seems content to whine and freeze up in the early stages of the story. Considering the intro chapter, that is obviously going to change, though.
Grammar: There are grammar issues with this story, but they will not detract from your enjoyment of the story as they are pretty mild. For the most part, it is just issues with punctuation.
Little RacoonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Heaven and Hellfire starts off extremely strong, building a sympathetic main character William through his interactions with the other characters. His relationship with his mother is particularly strong, and the focus on mythical high fantasy shows a lot of promise and care the author has on the story as a whole.
Style: 4/5. The first two chapters are really long, but all of a sudden seems to shorten significantly along with using simpler language. The inconsistency of style, however, is the only thing jarring about the author's style as everything else fits well with the vibe of the story.
Story: 5/5. The gap from what seems to be familial conflict going to an Odyssey-like adventure is surprising, but welcomed. There are so many places the story can go, and I'm looking forward to the author gradually build this complicated, expansive world.
Grammar: 5/5. No issues here.
Character: 4.5/5. William is well-established as a character. His stress and low self-esteem coming from his parents shows a strong contrast with his support and mentor network that constantly tries to make him better. His background makes him seem a little weak/passive, but by chapter 5 it's gradually changing and I look forward to him taking on an even more active role in the future.
Overall, a very well-written story with a beautiful world. The author should be very proud of what they've written.
d.c.brums23564Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall: This series reminds me of Raymond E. Fiest's Magician Series. Which is a good thing in my review as it's my favorite book series. The whole gods of the world and all interacting with it's people and being real, along with a god being from another world really fits altogether. Looking forward to reading the next volumes.
Style: The writing style is very high fantasy with tones of modernity sprinkled in here and there, mostly portrayed through the character of Kiyora. The inclusion of links to music and pictures of scenes in the book or future scenes at the beginning of each chapter add an atmospheric part to each chapter that is well appreciated.
Story: The story is rich in detail and world building. I like how the gods are clearly given areas of live they govern and I especially like that one goddess who ate people (not spoiling which one) as it normally is not associated with that type of deity.
Grammar: Grammar was fine did not find many issues while reading through the story. There were some sentences I had to reread, the flow seemed a little off occasionally. Overall not a main issue at all though as that could have just been me.
Character: William and Felix feel very much as if they could have been brothers, some of their banter sounds like what siblings would go through in my opinion. Kiyora is cool, kind of like an OP isekai protagonist who can not stay in the realm they were summoned, so she has seen a lot of the world's history but still knows nothing of the world she dreams into. As William discovers more about the would and has more and more adventures I can not wait to see his growth. Outside of these three the mother, father, and guards that were with him kind of fall to the wayside as I remember the satyrs, dwarves, and the Laughing Wraith much more vividly. Do not know if that is by author choice or if that is just what i took from it.
Orby_CreatorRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
While the author's storytelling prowess is undeniable, I find the narrative occasionally weighed down by excessive detail, making it a tad heavy for my taste. Don't get me wrong there are probably lot of peoples that like such stories, but for me myself i prefer story that are lighter so i don't need to use so much imagination.As an aspiring writer myself, I must humbly admit defeat in the face of the author's extraordinary storytelling prowess.
If you are a person that like detailed world-building than there is no better story than this. But for me personally, I gravitate towards stories with a sprinkle of stats, akin to many LitRPGs, as they offer a tangible sense of achievement that resonates with me.
While the story's setting is certainly refreshing, I wouldn't go as far as to label it as entirely unique.
I'd personally prefer if the author ventured into writing LitRPG, as it would provide a more even playing field for me to fairly assess their exceptional talent as an author. However, it's important to note that my perspective may be skewed due to my strong bias towards the LitRPG genre.
Looking forward to seeing how this author grows and improves, I expect great things from them in the future.
RavensFantasyRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Style: The overall flow and style of the story is set up quite well. Dialogue flows well between characters despite a few minor mistakes here and there with quotation marks. The author uses just enough detail in most scenes that they write. Characters seem well developed. Overall, the story is written well and flows nicely between the chapters.
Grammar: I’m usually not too picky when it comes to grammar but I did notice a few errors in this story. Mainly with the use of quotations in some of the dialogue bits. The overall grammar wasn’t bad though. Just the quotation marks is what I noticed.
Characters: William seems to be overall an interesting character that seems to have a bit of baggage as he fails to live up to his parents expectations. This part of his character makes him relatable. As he sets forth on his journey, he hopes to try to meet some of those expectations, to which I am interested to see if William is successful in that or not. His friend Felix seems like an overall fun character who seems to live life more on the edge. By setting fires and picking locks, his character will make for an interesting travel companion for our main MC.
In Summary: I did spot a few minor mistakes here and there but nothing that will distract you from reading the story. Overall, the story is written well and worth a read!