Liars Called

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Faerie-tale creatures return, kidnapping humans from their homes and putting them back in a world gone mad. They’re given “gifts”. Some become giants, others knights, and stealthy killers. They fight each other and magical beasts for resources and power.

Lance is one of those taken his home in the middle of the night. Mysteries are dangled in front of him like a lure. Everything has a price and anything can be bought. He struggles to retain his humanity, survive, and unravel the secrets of his fantasy ravaged hometown.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2019
Author: FrustratedEgo

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
Followers: 300
Views: 91,010

Reviews

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Community Reviews(9)

Aki1redRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Surprisingly really good I highly recommend it
NewbageRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Three dimensional characters with realistic motivations and reactions. Believable dialogue. Sympathetic and likeable protagonist. Interesting plot. Excellent mastery of grammar and prose. No contrived "system" shoehorned in as a creative crutch. No overused tropes present. This I'd professional grade work, that is a few cuts above what you'd ordinarily expect to find on Royal Road.
ZarfasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
One of the most thrilling stories on this site. A dark fantasy at it's peak of potential. Reminds me of the good old fairy tales, the real kind. With changlings and dangers at the crossroads, but rewards as well... if only you know the rules and resist temptation. One hell of a story
NicbrightsideRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
But at least it didn't go LitRPG thank god.
This review is having read Book 1, Rule 22 and contains spoilers.
Style:
A first person, journal-esque type story with various future interjections from the main character himself. Some people may find this approach annoying. Some people may say first person story telling is for the unintuitive or inexperienced. I'd agree that a poorly done first person perspective is due to that, but I do not find the choice to be any detractor from the author's ability to paint a picture, namely because you are technically reading a book within a book.
Grammar:
Mistakes are few and far between, in the chapters I have read I probably encountered or at least noticed less than half a dozen, and even those were minor at best.
Story:
I feel I understand what the author was going for. Paint us a near psychedelic explanation for a post apocolyptia with monsters and magic. So many authors (especially on this fucking site) go the same route and just cop out with a 'Ding dong this is your new world announcement system, you now all have RPG stats and the orcs will be entering your room to invade your anus in five minutes, good luck'. Here is an author who bothered to, maybe not fully explain, but at least show why and give the reader the chance to fathom the true explanation behind it.
I'd say there are two main parts to this story so far; The psychedelic abduction series of chapters and everything that follows after. Could the abduction chapters be better conveyed? Well maybe, then again perhaps if a clearer picture was obtained of the whole ordeal we'd lose some of the mesmerising, dream-like effect the author might have been going for.
After the main characters return to 'reality' is when we get into the fairly well known ground, as in 'new stuff added to existing world, bake until it vaguely resembles a dream you might have after playing every RPG made in the last ten years in one week with no sleep'. But as I very well stated at the top, Thank
KarthoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
To begin, I will explain the title of this review. You might go; "Who is FrustratedEgo," "Why do I care," "What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?" I can't answer all these questions, not yet, but I'll be sure to try my best.
FrustratedEgo
This is a man who I am constantly suprised to see on Royal Road. He writes with aplomb, humor, and an established sense of personal style. It seems he is in an odd superposition of being a veteran writer and simultaneously discovering the joy of storytelling anew. He has written at least four other works, and time and time again I settle down with a smile and anticipation as I spot his newest fiction rising on trending. He helps combat the reputation this site has for shoddy grammer and slapdash plot design.
Enough with my admiration for this author however, this review is about Liars Called.
Style: 4 / 5
I'm being cautious with this rating not because the style is inconsistent, but because Liars Called has a very distinct style that might not be for everyone. FrustratedEgo has developed this hazy, murky atmosphere that invades all aspects of this story, and this uncertainty can be, dare I say it, frustrating for someone who likes a clean cut clinical retelling. Liars Called is not that, not by any means. A persistent feature of the fiction are interjections, reminding me vaguely of Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. The story is presented as a diary, with quick quips, reflections, and explanations written by an older, and presumably wiser protagonist. The approach is unique on the platform, and the style itself is integral to Liars Called.
Story: 4 / 5
Much like the Style, I hesitate to go any higher because of the niche nature of Liars Called. It follows our protagonist as he staggers through his life after a mysterious and abrupt change in reality as we know it, with little clear direction of narrative arc, and in doing so maintains its consistency and dedication to being entirely character driven. The pl
AzgulRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Enjoyed it so far as of chapter ten , dark and a bit trippy it is well written and worth reading for the mini-orcs alone
Bored monsterRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Very few authors can write good quality works involving smart lying and often philosophical characters. This is one of them. The world seems to revolve around secrets, making them a source of transaction and currency. The official currency of course is gained by monster killing, which he does easily to the many low level mobs. One thing the MC does not do fluently however is trust people. Juggling that while ensuring quality is hard but done almost flawlessly by the author.
HumanprototypeRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
As with 2 out of 4 Novels from this author I have tried... Initially I really enjoy them, but as I read minor flaws in style, pacing, and plot choices compound until I get too annoyed to continue. Also like some of this authors other stories the plot is structured as a mountain of questions and mysteries piled one on top the next with only the barest trickle of answers, if any. It reminds me of the tv series Lost, and not in a good way.
The post notes and statements are very distracting and largely irrelevant.
The MC started out quiet, introverted, and bitter, which was fine. But by chap 11 or 12 hes turned near mute and possibly autistic with no clear explanation, I would guess because of the trauma and changes hes been through. The problem is him acting like that means the story consists almost entirely of fragmentary, one-sided dialogue and endless, long-winded inner monologue.
ZerRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
I like this story for all the realistically done dark fantasy stuff, but hate it for getting more and more bland with each new power the MC gets. A focus on powergrinding just doesn't feel right for such a wonderful setting. I would have liked a focus on exploration, adventure with real danger and real consequences better. Instead when one reads the story you pretty much expect the MC to almost always succeed at everything first try, which is the case.