Ilhen's Seventh Deathtrap

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Nico and Leonardo are renowned adventurers who specialize inRare & Esoteric Artifact Recovery. With their guild on the brink of bankruptcy, they embark on a quest to locate Ilhen's Seventh — a legendary deathtrap supposedly brimming with occult treasures.

But complications abound. Rival adventurers are also on the hunt, and Nico suspects they're being followed by the Empress' shadowy spy ring, the Choir of Shadows.

And worse, Ilhen's Seventh is not what it seems. As they race to solve a trail of cryptic clues, they are drawn unknowingly into a sinister conspiracy...

For fans of THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA — or fans of attunement spires, bewitched libraries, magic academies, mad dukes, art heists, clever disguises, mystical swords, eldritch monsters, vengeful gods, & much more!

Progressionis a subplot but not the main storyline

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2023
Author: ninjacat007

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 74
Views: 31,579

Chapters(33 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(6)

Aest BelequaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
For Nico, one of the main characters of Ilhen's Seventh Deathtrap, Deathtraps are all three. I read Ilhen’s Seventh Deathtrap twice tonight. I came hoping for a guilds-based adventure, and I hit "follow" for the tight storyline and great worldbuilding. I’m a sucker for tightly-planned fantasy, and anyone interested in a well-oiled machine of a tale a la K.J. Parker’s Engineer Trilogy should keep an eye on this one!
Style Review: The world of Ilhe’s Seventh Deathtrap feels incredibly deep, and the worldbuilding happens very naturally, coming up as the story’s situation needs it. Details like the types of food a culture eats offer flavor (pun intended) to the world without being obtrusive. The writing stays consistent, with a 3rds person perspective that allows both main characters time in the spotlight. Small time-skips are handled with clearly defined breaks that make narrative sense.
Story Review: Ilhen’s Seventh Deathtrap features a tight, well thought-out storyline that’s stuck to throughout the beginning of the novel. There are few points in the first seven chapters where the characters are wasting their time on anything irrelevant to the main plot, and when they are, it’s for a good reason. Everything moves Nico and Leonardo forward on their quest.
Grammar Review: I vaguely remember finding one grammar error in my first read-through, but I couldn’t find it on my second. Well done!
Character Review: Nico and Leonardo are both well-thought out characters, although I find myself investing more in Leonardo. The two seem to act a little bit as counters for each other, with very different ways of doing things and friendly conflicts between them. The supporting cast is large, but each has their own personality, desires, and weaknesses based around more than a trope or cliche.
This is a story to keep an eye on for sure, and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a good fantasy adventure!
DischtopiaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ilhen's Seventh Deathtrap follows a group of three adventurers as they contend with all manner of puzzles and perils in an effort to save their guild from the brink of insolvency.
Style: Ihlen's Seventh Deathtrap is intricate and well-written. Its world is richly detailed, and every obstacle the characters come across is surmounted with a creative and satisfying solution. The author's writing evokes a vibe of refinement and flair, a stark contrast to the meat-and-potatoes approach taken by many tales of swords and sorcery.
Story: The story is engaging, and filled with convincing descriptions of the hierarchies and prominent organizations that shape the world the characters live in. Ihlen's Sevent Deathtrap is at its best when its the main cast is backed against the wall; the first 3 chapters showcase this, and serve as an excellent sampler of the story's best qualities.
Grammar: Excellent. The story contains a great deal of exotic vocabulary used to its fullest potential. I will say, though, that chapter 4 seemed a little less polished than the preceding chapters. Nothing glaring, though--overall, the writing quality is a cut above, verging on what I would expect from a published work
Characters: I like the main cast quite a bit. Nico is a kind of intellectual jack-of-all-trades; quiet, measured, and probably the only reason any of them manage to stay alive. Gianna is bright, competent and fearless, though she has not been detailed too much in the early chapters I read.
Leo drives me crazy. Kind of a sword-loving meathead... Hates books, tosses them away one minute... Then in the next he's reading one. Loves fighting and adventuring, hates reading, yet he wants to be the head intelligence officer of his guild? Dream big my guy. The contradictions are fine, though, ultimately. People can be a paradox. They can be a mess. Much as Leo may frustrate me, others may find him fun and relatable.
Really enjoyed my time with this story. There is a kind of clockwork appeal to
Jack0fheartRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ilhen's Seventh Deathtrap’ is a gripping and thrilling story that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. The story begins with a group of adventurers led by Niccolò di Manarola on a mission to steal the Jayce Scepter from a powerful and cunning vampire named Gasper Martín. Along the way, they face numerous obstacles and dangers, including the Duke's guards and the Empress' secret spy ring, making for an exciting and action-packed adventure.
Overall score 5/5: This book is a fast-paced and exciting adventure story that is sure to keep you engaged from beginning to end. The book is well-written and highly entertaining, with a great mix of action, suspense, and humor that will keep readers hooked.
Style score 5/5: The writing style is highly engaging and immersive, making it easy for readers to get lost in the story. The author has a great sense of pacing and knows how to keep the tension high throughout the book, while also injecting plenty of humor and wit to keep things entertaining.
Story score 5/5: The story is highly engaging and full of surprises. From the very beginning, the book sets a thrilling tone that carries through to the end. The characters are well-developed and likable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
Grammar score 5/5: The book is well-written, with no major grammatical errors or typos.
Character score 5/5: The characters are well-developed and highly entertaining. Each of the characters has their own unique personality and backstory, which adds depth and dimension to the story. The interactions between the characters are highly engaging, and the banter and humor between them is a real highlight of the book.
In summary, Ilhen's Seventh Deathtrap is an excellent adventure story that is well worth a read. The book is highly engaging and well-written, with great characters and a plot that is full of surprises. I highly recommend this story to fans of action and fantasy genres! ♥
JonasDSMRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I read this quite some years ago, and this story is still quite vivid in my memory. I love it!
It follows more of a traditional editorial style, which is rare on this site, filled with light-speed web fiction, and it's definitely one of the hidden gems of Royal Roads.
KrakensilverRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is one of the best in the genre of "modern sword and sorcery". That's a little weird to state outright, but there are a lack of tightly plotted stories that fit the mold. Most things on Royal Road are 1000 page epics filled with numbers and systems, or cultivators and wuxia-inspired meandering plots. Even in published sci-fi/fantasy there tends to be trilogies (or more) that are long and complex, and riff off of Tolkien. This story is reminiscent of classic sword and sorcery but made for a modern audience- think Conan the Barbarian, Swords and Deviltry, and Royal Roads own Trials of the Lion.
The big things I loved about this tale are it's tight plot, the colorful and meaningful cast of characters, and the worldbuilding that we only see hints of. There is definitely room for sequels, and room for other adventures with different characters in the greater world. I also appreciate the small number of characters (I don't think there's more than 30 named). The number seems small when it's written out but the quality of each individual stands out- nobody feels like a generic tavern keeper or guard, if they're named, they have some depth, even if it's just an innkeeper who's actually a mage. These details, plus the well thought out world give a sense of verisimilitude that can be lacking in the giant 1000+ page litRPGs that just have numbers go up. If your a fan of classic fantasy, I 100% recommend this and I personally hope to see gsequels set in the same world.
superlloydRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I dunno about the lies of lock lamora, but if you read any sword and sorcery book by Fritz Leiber (you know, about Lankhmar, Fafrd and the Grey Mouser) you'll be right at home!
Expert thieves doing impossible mission with the slimmest margin of wit and prowess, in a world filled with merciless greedy and decadent nobles. As well as ancient and mysterious magic lost to men, legendary treasure that might not quite exist, and crushing debts that make you desperate for the next big thing...
Oh and let's not forget the writing style, which just perfectly achieve its desired purpose!
EDIT and now that I have finished the whole story I can officially say this my first and only story with a 6 stars out of 5 rating!
And also the ending demands a sequel! But I am glad it has an ending, those other endless story here often tire me in the end.