Hoarfrost Heroes [Epic Fantasy]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The Age of Heroes is coming to an end, so say the bards and playwrights of Tymir. Though naysayers claim those days were already long over.

With legendary warriors growing old and grey, and venerable fighting brotherhoods collapsing, the monster ridden island is as dangerous as ever.

Under threat of civil war and goblin uprisings, will new heroes rise to protect their people, or will the warriors of Tymir fall like the elder races before them?

Book One -Complete- War for Horvorr

Ten winters ago, Gudmund of Horvorr stole his wintry lands from the goblin clans. Now the Great Chiefs, gargantuan goblin leaders, are back to repay his treachery and slaughter.

Outnumbered and surrounded, Horvorr appears fated to be conquered and consumed. Until a cruel prophet, the Salt Sage, arrives claiming that he can spare Horvorr from the cannibalistic horde.

Book Two -Ongoing- City of Stone

The ancient city of Timilir suffers threats from within and without, while the reviled Jarl Thrand hangs on against kobolds beneath the earth and a new gang of faceless killers among his streets. With miners being abducted, and citizens being replaced by bags of teeth, the struggling leader will need to rely on unlikely allies who would just as sooner kill him than save him.

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Hoarfrost Heroes is Epic Fantasy with visceral action, deep characterisation, and intricate lore, set in a nuanced world where men, and wandering gods, can be far more villainous than monsters.

Inspired by the Icelandic Sagas, Norse Mythology, and classic RPGs like Icewind Dale, the duology follows the people of Tymir as they struggle to survive on their harsh, monster infested island.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: JRSmith

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 322
Views: 63,048

What readers say about Hoarfrost Heroes [Epic Fantasy]

“This is a good Fantasy story with clearly good writing and characters who have been sufficiently planned to their perfection. You can tell that the Author crafted this and made each character unique. This has a good style and the author flows it into the d…”
BeezeRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Highly recommend! I found myself completely lost in this story from the outset. Style: The writer has a style that is evocative of emotion while still being restrained. The excellent use of simple sentences helps to dissuade any confusion that might come ou…”
C. Sebastian NuttRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

BeezeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a good Fantasy story with clearly good writing and characters who have been sufficiently planned to their perfection. You can tell that the Author crafted this and made each character unique.
This has a good style and the author flows it into the dialogue in a way that makes it seem like he is painting the scene with it. Somehow they perform a magical art which comes in to create a special piece with the way it is put together. There is not any huge Grammar Problems in my opinion.
As far as the characters go, you are given a whole slew of them, and I will admit that it may of given me some bit of confusion in a chapter as I believe there is alot covered in the beginning. Not too much of an issue but with how most of the characters are in their own way special parts to the story, you don't want to overwhelm people by giving them too much characters and less plot to work with. This is something to be mindful of.
Overall, good story on the professional level. It may feel overly casted with characters but once you dive in, you'll still be able to enjoy the story since all the characters are handled to perfection with their traits.
C. Sebastian NuttRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Highly recommend! I found myself completely lost in this story from the outset.
Style: The writer has a style that is evocative of emotion while still being restrained. The excellent use of simple sentences helps to dissuade any confusion that might come out of the setting being so removed from what is expect. I found the language to be both interesting and grounded. Excellent.
Story: The story seems as if this will be a slow burn, something that I love. From the outset, we are introduced to the importance of petty politics and fed a bit of the lore, though that aspect is not over-indulged. The pacing is relaxed and I can see a future where this goes on for a good, long while, and I do always look for that in webnovels. There are fantastical elements introduced, but so far, the story has kept to a low-magic setting, which is a bit refreshing. There is some very interesting space that the author can play around with here.
Character: The characters all seem to have fairly subdue personalities, which given the material of the story, is the correct choice. These are the kinds of characters who will grow on you as the story develops and who seem more like people you might know in your everyday life, rather than someone that can only exist inside of fiction.
People should be reading this!
DabossUnberogenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story got quickly into the action, which isn't always my cup of tea. However, there was enough context within the first chapter to get me past that. The main character is fairly unique, and well crafted, which helps with that. Mainly, the prologue was a little short.
I liked the style that the book was written in. The dialogue was well done, as well as the descriptions. I enjoyed the little lore drops at the beginning of the chapters. Overall, good job.
The grammar was on point. I don't remember seeing any major errors. there were a few minor things here and there, but nothing that harms the immersion. There was clearly a lot of effort put into this.
The story was a little basic at times, but this was balanced out in many ways by the lore drops mentioned above. However, it was fine in the end. I thought it was fairly unique and fun to read.
The characters were well made, as the story is mainly driven by them. They all act in relatable, realistic manners, and help the storyline progress. Nothing to complain about here.
In conclusion, this story is definitely one that I recommend. Quite good in all categories.
ErwynRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a grim tale, in a cold and heartless place where the men seem even worse than the goblins which stalk them. Expect dialogue and prose that reads like something out of an Old Western and plenty of intrigue as the human settlements plot and connive. The setting reminds me of the works of Jack London or Joe Abercrombie. In the icy north, even heroes may die without anyone to remember them...
Style: There's a lot of subtext in the dialogue and many things left unsaid, so the discerning reader will have to read between the lines to understand a character's true motivations. Violence is not glorified in any way, every death is gruesome and unsightly.
Story: Not at all a simple case of man vs goblin. All the factions presented have their own goals and plot and scheme for their own advancement. There are some skips in the narrative that the reader has to fill in with context clues, but aside from this the story picks up a full head of steam and goes all out from there.
Grammar: Pretty much flawless, no worries there.
Character: I actually like the goblins more, just a personal preference, but wild little gremlins running amuck in the hills always appeals to me. Sometimes I actually root for the named goblins in this series, haha. Hjorvarth is a scholar and a gentleman and is the closest thing to a true protagonist in the novel, I think.
So yes, all in all, a fun read! Do try it out guys!
KanecaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The prose in this book is a masterclass in sensory immersion and textural richness. Each scene is packed with vivid, multi-sensory descriptions that bring the world to life in a palpable way. The writing creates a dense, almost tactile experience, engaging the reader deeply with its detailed focus.
The rhythm of the prose, characterized by repeated phrases and methodical action sequences, adds a hypnotic quality. This structure provides a sense of predictability amidst the chaos, making the reading experience both engaging and intense. The heightened awareness achieved through meticulous detail can be exhilarating but also overwhelming, demanding a high level of attention from the reader.
Overall, the book's prose style is immersive and richly layered, offering a sensory experience that is as intense as it is captivating. It balances structured description with chaotic action, creating a unique and compelling narrative texture.
All I can say is I'm reading it. It's very well done. However it feels overstimulating in a way that almost hurts yet I have to keep reading. The texture of the prose is something I almost recognise but do not.
trichoplaxRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
style : this is definitely a major strength of this story. For me, the dialogues, especially, made it enjoyable. Each conversation feels real, the way the characters interact with each other is engaging and gives great insight into their personalities. What’s more, descriptions are skillfully written, the author almost paints a picture of every scene making it easy to follow along.
Story: the story provides a very good display of medieval political issues, which, while they may not be relatable, still find a way to make me care about them. Every character is woven into the plot masterfully giving making the interactions they have with each other unique while pushing the story forward.
characters: this is another very strong point of the story. While the author does introduce many characters with unfamiliar names (at least for me), even if i do not remember who’s who by name, I know simply by the way they act. The author’s ability to define character traits and personalities is incredible
grammar: i have not seen a mistake yet.
overall this is a well written fantasy story with compelling plot points, conflicts, characters and settings. I say all this without having even arrived at the good part, the bits and pieces of lore dropped have yet to come into play.
(It took me a while to figure out that the characters introduced in the beginning are, in fact, not goblins)
UgarrsvenothRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Highly recommended. This is such a great piece of work.
Style: Each chapter is split into two sections: a diary entry from a specific character, and then the main prose following the assorted cast of characters. The prose flows really well, and is easy to read, with clear distinctions when shifting between character/event perspectives.
Story: I'm very much only at the very beginning of this story, as we have yet to meet most of the characters mentioned in the synopsis. But, so far, what I have seen is excellent and I am completely enamoured with it. The world being built is interesting, and we haven't even gotten to the goblins yet. There's so much history between these characters, and the world feels alive.
Grammar: I didn't notice any problems here. There were a few comments with edit suggestions, but they seemed to have all been fixed up by the time I started reading, so the author has been doing a good job of keeping on top of that.
Character: Despite the large cast of characters, the author has done a good job at making them all unique and distinctive, whether it be through their dialogue or their differing behaviour and motivations. I'm enjoying the relationship dynamics between the siblings, but Hjorvarth is definitely my favourite so far. Despite the rough life he has been dealt with, he seems to have a fairly strict and honourable moral code that clashes with his widespread reputation.
gliglithRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is an example of a fantasy story with an author that knows exactly what kind of story it is and knows how to execute it properly. This is high fantasy on a level where you might absentmindedly wonder if you're reading a historical fiction for a bit before you remember that they're fighting goblins.
Style: Is effective at what it does without a doubt. Something to be aware going in is that, while there is a good balance of prose and dialogue, it is usually that you will either find yourself reading a dialogue-heavy section or a prose-heavy section. Now, this is very appropriate - people having conversation over drink should not read the same as a bloody battle with severed limbs, for instance, but it is something to be aware of that this fiction has peaks and valleys. This comes off as very intentionally done.
Story: Once again, this will feel almost like you are reading a historical fiction - that is not an understatement. This conflict is very fleshed out, and feels like something that you might've learned about in textbooks, save for the fact that, of course, it is in a fantasy land with goblins. Regardless, this is essentially a war novel, and it will feel like that. Very effectively done.
Grammar: Not much to say here, the author knows how to write well and demonstrates that in this work. I did not spot any issues and felt this piece was revised before publish.
Character: We get a lot from our characters here, which is great, because it helps us to feel for them as they deal with the ongoing conflict. Grettir, specifically, is a great character that really stood out to me - and of course there is the action sequence with his axe. But all the dialogue sequences really do a good job at making the people in this story feel like real people with lives outside the events of the fiction.
Overall, buckle up for something that, already, feels epic in its undertaking in the best way.
toadkillerdogRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I don't often read books anymore, now days I listen to fantasy and sci-fi on audio books. I am enjoying reading this a chapter at a time as it is released though.
The world building is well done, I am looking forward to get to know the characters more and the next chapter!
TradCathRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'd just like to preface this review by saying that finding fantasy on RR that isn't a litRPG or isekai is a refreshing thing.
I find that my favorite part of the story thus far has been the interactions between the characters. The banter between Sybille, Agnar, and Geirmund is great. The dialogue, to me, flows well.
The author's style is very solid. It goes back to having that flow in the prose, and having a wide vocabulary helps with that. It allows for me to imagine the scene easily in my head. The grammar seemed good to me.
The story is something that I think has the potential to unfold into a great epic fantasy tale. I need time to let the events settle in my mind, as the many names are quite a bit for me to take in (though nothing like my first time reading Lord of the Rings). But once I remembered who's who, it was much easier to follow.
I think the only thing that I didn't care for was the use of profanity in the story. But seeing that it is one of the warning tags, I knew about it going into it. It was certainly not over the top by any means, but that's really the only thing I can say I truly didn't like. I know it's probably not a big deal to most, but I thought I'd mention it.
Overall, I would heartily recommend this to anyone who is looking for traditional fantasy. And I think this story will continue to deliver as it unfolds.