Hollow Bones

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

A goddess walks into a swamp and stubs her toe, inadvertently spawning a new species of monster.

Brittle is a kindhearted bog log beast with a knack for wandering headfirst into trouble. After rescuing a knight, he uncovers a plot to kill the very goddess who gave life to his people. Brittle sets off to warn her, hoping that by winning her favor, she will return all of the missing bog log beasts taken from the swamp. Little does Brittle know that he is about to be swept up in the age-old struggle between mankind, the gods, and the consequences of immortality.

Part I and II are complete. While there is more story to tell, I'm marking Hollow Bones complete for now. I plan to continue the series in the near future.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Author: Wandering Brain Spasm

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.9/ 5.0
Followers: 333
Views: 69,934

Reviews

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Community Reviews(7)

MonarchRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Please read the adventures of Brittle the bog log beast. Be with him on his journey as he loses the innocence of youth and takes up the responsibilities of an adult.
I really liked the writing style. Author really knows how to tug at the heartstrings, one chapter filled to the brim with humor, and the next, you feel for the wee lil' beast. Some moments here and there were definitely tear-inducing.
HaelionthyneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
You don’t need to be a knight to follow a great cause, just heart, and little Brittle Rotten Wood has a great, big stone one rattling beneath his Hollow Bones.
Dragged into an impromptu adventure by his foul-mouthed and, quite frankly, frightening neighbour, Gilly, Brittle’s innocent and carefree life changes when he ignores good sense and saves… of all things… a human.
This sets him on a perilous mission to save a goddess and hopefully uncover the mystery behind his fellow missing bog log beasts while trudging through the treacherous quagmire of an ongoing divine war and finding proper employment. For a young bog log beast, adulting isn’t easy.
Wandering Brain Spasm writes a delightful tale filled with laughter and tears. Her comedic pacing is stellar, but man, can she mercilessly punch you in the gut with the tragedy as well.
Brittle and Gilly are cute, though I wouldn’t say that to their faces (especially Gilly’s), and are written fantastically. Every character’s motive and decision are understood within the confines of their lived experiences. I had heaps of fun reading about their stories and witnessing the budding growth of their friendships and family dynamics.
Grammar and punctuation are flawless, but there are a few spelling errors that can be fixed lickity split.
Overall, Hollow Bones is a humorous tale about a tiny hero with a heart of gold set on saving the out-of-luck beings who stumble across his path, and I love it.
JEPayneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
First let me say the most important part of this review: you should stop reading this and go read the story, I guarantee you'll love it. I nearly wet myself laughing in every chapter. The characters are quirky and sweet without being overly saccharine and WBS has a way with words and tone that you won't find elsewhere on RR.
Style: WBS has a very distinctive authorial style. It's clear and effective at painting a scene, but also full of clever word play and some absolutely bangin' puns. Humour is woven intrinsically into the prose, building the tone of the story while leaving you in stitches.
Story: the fiction is definitely character driven, particularly in the early stages but the scene has been set for some fairly momentous stakes. At any rate, it's fine that it's character driven because the characters are just a pleasure to follow around, but more on that below.
Grammar: a couple of minor typos but on the whole this is much, much better than most of what you'll find on RR.
Character: OMG THE CHARACTERS! Considering the cast includes a sentient log and a non-verbal lizard, it's incredible how brilliant every character in this story is. They are, hands down, the best part of this story. They are funny, entertaining and endearing, and I could read a story about what they had for breakfast and enjoy it!
A.TanabeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I just read through everything that was available until chapter 42. I cried and laughed as I admired this story’s simplicity despite sharing complex emotions in these lovely scenes. This is definitely a book needed in elementary schools and in adult libraries.
The spelling and grammar is great (rare on RR), and the writing is great at crafting creative jokes, one too many puns while appearing simple when it it’s not that simple because of how the characters are rounded out in their growth or the varying degrees of a flat character (still the same traits but with different levels of tone and expression), and the themes conveyed within this story. The plots are layered and they share the imperfections of the human condition, and I am excited for the next adventure Brittle Rotten Wood embarks.
nightsinsatinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I’ve always been drawn to classic works, with their layers of subtext, intricate wordplay, and the richness of their language. There is something deeply rewarding in navigating those complexities. Yet what stands out to me here is how the simplicity of the language does not diminish the work, but rather elevates it. This clarity heightens the warmth of the story and allows its themes to shine through without obstruction. More importantly, it enables the emotions, the religious and hierarchical undertones, and the broader reflection on what it means to be human to come across with striking immediacy. Being human, after all, is not merely a matter of inhabiting a human body—it is the lived experience, the struggles, the aspirations, and the connections that define us.
As I continue reading, I find myself not just engaging with the text but seeing it. The narrative unfolds so vividly that it feels as though I’m watching a beautifully crafted animated series play out before my eyes—each scene rendered with care, each moment carrying weight. It’s rare to encounter a work that combines accessibility with such profound resonance, and this balance is what makes it both memorable and impactful.
In short; Kudos my friend
RandomSyllablesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Hollow Bones is a heartwarming story that takes one through the journey of an atypical protagonist: Brittle the Bog-Log Beast. A naive and childish, albeit stubborn Bog-Log Beast who is the last of his kind embarks on a journey to defend his Goddess from the encroaching Heroes of Humanity, who seek to slay the purportedly Immortal Gods. What brings this story together is the delightful dialogue and introspection, full of characters who are over-dramatic in a very charming way, and frequent parodies of common tropes in the fantasy genre.
Style: The Author keeps a consistent style that really emphasises the personalities of all of the characters involved, using phrases and words that align with the child-like mindset of the protagonist. The narrative gives a good grasp of the setting with equal parts description, action, and introspection - but all of it with an enchanting and humorous flair.
Grammar: The grammar is solid, and while a few mistakes were noted, it's easy to read and be drawn into the narrative without confusing or distracting syntax.
Story: As a contestant entry to the 2024 Royal Road Community Magazine, the theme was Immortality is a myth. As such there is a theme of mortality and exploring the nature of Gods and other mysteries surrounding them, with the secondary mystery around what became of the rest of the Bog Log Beasts, and thus Brittle's family. The story unfolds at an even pace, with few lulling 'fluff' chapters. It really picks up in intensity towards the end, but is well worth the journey as Brittle learns more about his world beyond the swamp, friendship, Gods, and even about himself. More importantly, is what others learn from him.
Character: It's the characters in "Hollow Bones" which really shine. They had me laughing and cheering for them, even when their agendas were in conflict. The interactions and dialogue had me hooked early on. And although dialogue was in my opinion the strongest part of this story, my favourite character
ParadoxcloudRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
The story follows a peculiar beast on his journey. The overarching narrative of said journey was a bit of a haze in the beginning but with the last few chapters I believe that the author has found the place they want to take the story to. That aside, the author’s style of writing is easily digestible and generally engrossing. Characterisation was also pretty good scene to scene.
There are some grammatical errors but they are few and far between.