Letter of The Law (Steampunk Fantasy)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Five years ago, everything good in Jonathan's life wasrippedaway, and he was dragged into the depths, for the crime of doing the right thing. After enduring unimaginable suffering, he’s back, and he won’t rest until he's balanced the scales.Letter of The Lawis a fantasy story that is both a coming-of-age tale and a revenge story told in two intertwining parts (labeled ‘Now’ and ‘Then’) that explore both who Jon is now and what led Jonathan to this dark place.

This book is complete; however, I plan to write a sequel eventually. So, while it stands as a complete story on its own, not all of the larger arcs are entirely resolved.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2022
Author: DWinchester

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 252
Views: 193,001

Chapters(102 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

BentRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Original review given after 5 chapters:
The story follows Jonathan who was subjected to something that destroyed his life 5 years ago. From the beginning, all we know is that Jonathan is now on a revenge quest. Little by little the story of what happened is told, partly in chapters set in the present and partly in chapters with flashbacks.
We are in a fantasy world with dwarves and other beings, and also gradually learn more about the world. The story is well planned with hints that it is up to the reader to piece together. It is well told, and there are few if any language errors, but sometimes I had to read a sentence or paragraph twice to understand the meaning (for example, to whom words like "he" referred). There have been a few minor spelling errors which the author has been quick to correct. After 5 chapters, as I write this, there are already quite a few names to keep track of, made difficult by the fact that very little is said about several of them, other than the name, but several of the characters will undoubtedly be important to the plot in later chapters.
It's a promising start, and I recommend the story if you like a challenge where not everything is told from the start and like a relatively slow action.
Update after Chapter 35:
The story continues to impress. It is masterfully constructed with (then) and (now) chapters intertwined together giving the reader a clearer picture as we get further into the story. The character descriptions give a good characterization so I feel I understand the characters. The language feels more fluent now than in the beginning. This together makes me upgrade to top rating: 5 stars.
BulvosRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a story that truly delievers on its promise. It has a bold storytelling style that I can see unfolding into an absolute masterpiece. This story is one that if you showed me it, I wouldn't believe it was a royal road webnovel. You can tell that there is a collosal amount of effort put into the planning and writing of this story.
Style: The style is great, immersive, and consistent. My only problem with it is the double narrative being told. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. The double narrative works for this story, my only problem with it is that this is a webnovel. As a completed novel this story would litearlly be among the greats, that I can tell, but as a webnovel I think that this is not the best style choice. This is basically picking at the tiniest things, but it is my only real criticism that I can make.
Grammer: I am never a stickler for grammer. If I can read it, understand it, and not notice anything glaringly obvious it's a 5 stars from me.
Story: This section should be written in two parts because the story is told as two stories. The closest thing I can think of that does something like this narrative style is better call saul. Both focus heavily on building the world and the rules and making it seem real. That's why when things happen, it is powerful.
Character: This is by far the strongest point of the story. It is as character driven as it gets. Each one feels real and is interesting and unique. No cardboard stereotypical characters here.
If you like fantasy, western, Better Call Saul, this story is for you. I would anxiously await this as a complete story because I can tell the way threads are spun that things are going to go crazy.
StarbugRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I found this story after reading another of the author's works called Brewing bad. I'm really glad that the author has taken the time to create so many amazing worlds which I can journey through page by page. So if you're on the fence trying to decide whether or not to take a chance on this story or any of the other ones crafted by the author I encourage you to dive right in because the water is fine and the words are even better.
danagilRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Hello!
I don't usually write reviews but for some unknown reason I was astonished to discover that this story still hasn't gotten the attention it deserves (and I by no means being dramatic).
I read a lot of stories and books, but I still found this one to be very original and interesting. Although it took me some time to get used to the jumps between the past and the present, I think it helped me gasp the world better than just focusing on one. In addition I find the differences between Jon of the different timelines intriguing.
The characters are well written, and not your usual stereotypies.
Jon is the best example of it because of his well explained motives and flaws as character. Of course you cant leave out the fact that the conversations are flowing and very believable. So if it a deal breaker for you don't worry.
For grammar all I have to say is that it so much above what I would normally except for a story without editor (and that very impressive).
I kind of new to all this review thing but all I am trying to say is that the author does a great job at keeping the story unique an worth reading to any wondering reader!
GreenKingRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I will be honest and say I binged this in 2 days. Its 5am and I couldnt go to sleep before knowing how it ended. I will say that the author did a great job and I am surprised this isnt more popular especially because this story gets dark and has quite the appeal with Dwarves and Steampunk. Definitely looking forward to more from this story and the author. I highly recommend the read and would say to give it time to get off the ground.
HenryTSRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is a love letter to those who wished we got a deeper view at dwarven societies throughout fantasy. Jon/athan is forced from his home on a path of vengeance for the unjust laws of the kingdom(s?) under the mountain.
Through his journey we are shown a functioning and industrial society, but one ironclad in rules, unthinking traditionalism, and a deep unwillingness to scrutinize their own society. This of course also bids us to take a look at our own society and what we think of as fair simply because the rules and laws say that this way is the right way to do things.
But in the end it's a very fun romp as Jonathan falls through the dwarven society like a bull through a china shop and eventually comes out of its horrific system as Jon, a more directed force of destruction and a classic example of one people's heroes being anothers terrorist.
Ryan NewmanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I mean, if you logged onto this site to read, then this is a five-star story. If we were comparing Tolstoy's works and then accidentally slipped this book in, it might be a 4...maybe.
It is a complete story in every sense of the word. It's well-rounded in any context, let alone some of the one-sided power fantasy inbred abominations that live on Royal Road like free-range cattle. The only story to mix story and violence in such a manner that they felt cohesive in serving the interest of a larger picture, not some sad author's power fantasy about killing arrogant young lord.png to cope with life.
In summary, read this book and then anything else this author makes because he raises the bar on Royal Road. My personal favorite is Death After Death, but Tenebrone is a classic, too. Read any of them because any genre Winchester writes in turns into an incredible work. Scratch that. Read ALL of them. They go hard.
(Apparently, I did not meet the advance review word minimum...God dang commies. I swear, every day, this website gets more fascistic. I hear it's something in the data supply that's making the Mods gay. Next thing you know, this site junna need you to carry a permit to commit on a story just cus of a few mass spammings)
Slender Snek1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
to start off with i'll say this is an interesting take on a flash of the past. first story i've seen that does both the present and the past and it does it well to boot.
while i'm hesitant to call this a slow burn story it certainly takes it's time to deliver each scene and each situation properly. and while it was a little jary with the mixed perspective of past and present at first i have come to really appreciate it. not only does it do a great job of showing motivation and laying out a world not seen in the future, it also gives you a break from both perspectives enough to keep you at the endge of your seat. if the present is starting to get tedious it's only a chapter or two away from a blast from the past and vice versa
One big thing i want to address is the outstanding world building i've seen here. the lore of the dwarves are stuff seen from hundreds of story all woven into one interesting package. but most interesting of all is this focus on the dwarves not just being passive jrudge holding midgets living underground. they have effectively conqoured the surface and kinda had to in order to feed a population living in such a food poor area of the world. and with brands not just being their exclusive tech to make them feel special but an actual thing they need to fight beasts of the deep and maintain their hold on the world of man is a nice take i've never thought of before
the magic system and mindset in this world of man is also for sure a facinating one. while nothing too game changing it's still a nice contrast to the dwarves way of doing things. so far i've loved the description the humans have thought up so far. like the idea of how a steam engine works. funny stuff.
this story might not be getting much attention compared to your other works but i'll dare say if given enough time and exposure it will become a beloved additon to many a readers library. it certainly desrvers to be anyway.
StainedGlassThreadsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story tells the tale of two young men. The idealistic and kind Jonathan Shaw, youngest son of the House Shaw whose greatest worry is that his father won't approve of him marrying the girl he loves, and Jon, a cold and jaded man hell-bent on a quest for vengeance.
These two men are actually the past and present selves of the protagonist. So how did such a sweet and well-loved boy become someone as hard as Jon? The story switches between 'Now' segments and 'Then' segments.
Jonathan's story in the 'Then' sections slowly fills us in about how he became the man we meet in in the first two chapters of the story, while also delivering information about the world, its laws and inhabitants, and how Jon became so concerned with the injustice of it all. Though we know Jonathan will survive it all, we know he will not come out of it the same man, and so the promise of further tragedy continues to hang over th reader's head, like the fabled sword of Damocles. This is where the true meat of the story lies, at present moment.
The 'Now' sections tease at what Jon now has planned, as he returns home with grand promises and grander ambitions, teasing at things yet to be touched upon by the 'Then' chapters. Each adds something to the story, I feel, and is necessary to both the reading experience, as well as allowing the sheer contrast between the two and their actions to properly shock and intrigue the reader. You're really, really missing out if you skip one or the other.
If only I could give worldbuilding six stars! If such a thing were applicable to any story, it would certainly be this one! If any reader loves to sink their teeth into an excellent world with creative magic differences and truely developed fantasy cultures, you'll be positively ecstatic with this one! Much of the conflict comes from the clash between human culture and dwarven culture, and the relationship that has been created between them. But dwarves here aren't just bearded humans who live underground. Ever
NectariosBWRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The Letter of the Law begins in somewhat of a puzzling fashion. We know that the protagonist, Jon, is on some sort of revenge quest. However, we do not know why, and the story is slow to reveal hints about this to us. However, the world is fascinating and the characters are well-written enough to keep the reader engaged and interested in getting more answers.
Style + Grammar
The style is good, especially when exploring the inner life of characters. The first chapter's description of Jon's thoughts and feelings was very well written and got me engaged. The grammar isn't perfect but it doesn't disrupt the story and overall is good.
The Story
While the lack of explanation of some of the MC's core motives could make the story confusing, the author gives us more than enough to latch on to. I really liked the interactions between Jon and Claire, and I also enjoyed the combat scenes, which were long and well exposited.
Character
The characters are the highlight of this story, in my opinion. They are well written, and seem complex and unique rather than bland or arbitrary. As Jon's motives are explained more, I'm sure he will only become more enjoyable as a protagonist.