Iron and Wood - A Tale Of Empire and Clans

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

For centuries, the Midlands had been split into fragments. A once glorious, united Empire has become a shadow of its former self. Unity has not returned, and not for the lack of trying. The greatest of these successor states were the Li Dynasty to the south, the rulers of old, and the Emerald Empire to the North, with its vibrant vitality. Unity is the end goal, and both will sacrifice anything to attain this elusive dream. For unity would surely solve the conflict that had long plagued this once prosperous continent.

The Ironwood Clan was a prime player. Some would consider them the ones holding the reigns to the horse named 'Unification'. Iron and wood were the backbones of civilization; similarly, the Ironwoods were the backbones of the Northern Empire, and by extension, the people of the Midlands. Their methods, as questionable as they might be, had strengthened the North. Yet, were they enough?

In the midst of it all, a young Ironwood who had lost his path must once again find his way. For the sake of his own wellbeing; for the sake of his clan; and for the sake of the Empire and its subjects.

However, is he willing to sacrifice for the good of all? Is he willing to condemn some for the sake of others? Is he willing to make the right, albeit harsh, decisions?

Only the heavens would know.

Disclaimer:This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Additionally, any views and beliefs expressed by the characters are not the author's own. The story is also not an endorsement of any actions taken within.

The 'profanity' and 'sexual content' warning tags are there to be safe (and to leave room for potential future changes), but for now these two things are not inside this novel.

This is my take on 'cultivation', though it might be somewhat disconnected from the general idea of the genre.

Release schedule: Two chapters a week.

The cover was created using wombo art. While I believe that creations using the app are in the public domain, if that is not the case, I will take it down.

Information

Status
Hiatus
Year
2022

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.5/ 5.0
Followers
13
Views
2,419

Chapters(10 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(1)

  • BelgianfriRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    Clearly the main backbone of the story is the worldbuilding, which is shown to us in every chapter. The mc starts from a wealthy, powerfull clan, but is too much of an idealist to fit in with his family.
    The author's style is great, perhaps a little too descriptive of the protagonist's environment, but nothing unforgivable.
    Grammar has been amazing, with me not noticing any mistakes so far.
    This premise allows for a fantastic story, that is sadly dragged down by its slow pace.
    I'm not quite sure where the author is going with their larger narrative yet, becuase the plot is given to us piece meal through conversations and short observations.
    The advantage of this type of story telling is that you can prevent yourself from falling into 'tell-writing'. The downside is that certain nuances will be lost and that telling a story in this way requires a lot of investment from the reader, which not everybody is prepared to give to a story that isn't on its way to complete yet.
    If the author continues this novel and gives it enough chapters to flesh the story out, the result will be amazing. If not, I don't think this webnovel will be able to stand on its own.
    Tip: Feel free to rub cultivation levels in the readers face every now and then. The strength of cultivation settings is that the reader gets a clear frame of reference strength-wise, adding to the world building and the structure of both combat and political power. This is just personal preference, however. I've heard from some people that they don't much like cultivation levels being used too much in a story, so it's up to the author.