Living as an Ex-Guardian

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Lord Mitten had enough.The Ancient Being had spent the last millennia as the official guardian of the continent 'Amanth', saving its inhabitants from self-destruction time and time again.

After the last catastrophe, he decided to quit his job and retire to a cozy village. Let the dwarves, dragons and humans save themselves next time. He wouldn't lift a paw to help... would he?

What to expect: A mix of slice of life and adventure as you follow Lord Mitten on his journey at a leisurely pace. No graphic violence, traumatic content, etc.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Farbmond

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 125
Views: 25,378

Chapters(29 total)

What readers say about Living as an Ex-Guardian

“Early days yet, but the author has a nice sense of balancing witty dialogue with interesting characters, and deft changes of scene. Characters are diverse but each acts in character… and with appropriate dialogue and word choice are rich in nature. The stor…”
3DDRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“If you're looking for a fun, fantasy read with a dash of humour, then this will be right up your alley. The story centres around Lord Mitten, a cat with a glorious past who's now stuck dealing with everyday village life. Imagine being a former Guardian of A…”
BardLyreRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(7)

3DDRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Early days yet, but the author has a nice sense of balancing witty dialogue with interesting characters, and deft changes of scene. Characters are diverse but each acts in character… and with appropriate dialogue and word choice are rich in nature.
The storyline is simple but complex. Simple wants and needs drive the story but lead to complex situations on a number of levels.
Excellent grammar and punctuation but that is not what you want to know… read this story if you like dry humour and quirky characters. The MC is so far likeable but he could get boring if the author doesn’t balance his quirky nature with a good storyline and other strong characters. There are hints of this but no apparent more permanent foils to his wit. Mostly non-human characters, both fabled and enhanced with some mundane, serve as a backdrop to the protagonist’s activities and the story’s world. Nice world building - not obvious - it just flows in as the story progresses.
A lot is being hinted about the MC’s history and powers but no real details are revealed in the first two chapters.
Shortish chapters but they contain enough meat and entertainment to keep most readers happy.
I will review the story again after it develops more and shows its real strengths.
BardLyreRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
If you're looking for a fun, fantasy read with a dash of humour, then this will be right up your alley. The story centres around Lord Mitten, a cat with a glorious past who's now stuck dealing with everyday village life. Imagine being a former Guardian of Amanth, only to be annoyed by missed petting sessions and meagre fish portions. Hilarious, right?
The characters are a blast. Lord Mitten is grumpy yet lovable, and his internal monologues are pure gold. Norna, the teenager with a knack for getting lost, brings youthful energy and charm. And then there's Glacial Doom, the dragon who’s as much into interior decorating as hoarding treasure. The interactions between these characters are both heartwarming and funny.
The writing style is spot-on. It’s descriptive enough to paint a vivid picture without bogging you down. The modern language mixed with an archaic setting keeps things light and engaging. Plus, the story balances humour, action, and a touch of introspection perfectly.
Overall, this is a delightful read that blends epic fantasy with everyday quirks. It's a charming mix of legendary adventures and relatable challenges. If you’re in the mood for something that’s entertaining, witty, and a bit different, give this book a shot. You won't regret it!
ElojkzRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Living as an Ex-Guardian is the story of Lord Mitten, a powerful and ancient being turned house-cat.
I really enjoyed Mitten's voice, it's witty and somewhat sarcastic, which lends a fun, satirical bend to the story. I also enjoyed the multiple POVs early on in this story. Each character is engaging and distinct in their own way. I enjoyed the differing goals of the respective dragons Cold Dawn and Glacial Doom.
The author has clearly put a lot of thought into the world and the perspectives of the anthropomorphic characters. I especially liked little details like the dragon not wanting to move off her mound of gold too quickly for fear it will create dangerous projectiles out of the gold coins and jewels.
I enjoyed the concept of a dragon having familial obligations, as well as the opportunity to be a continent's 'divine' guardian being presented as a modern career opportunity. Details like that make the story feel unique and well thought out.
If I had one criticism it would be that there's a little too much focus on descriptions of mundane surroundings for my taste, which slows some of the scenes down.
I think the story does a great job giving a new and satirical look into the perspective of powerful beings I'm looking forward to reading more and seeing where Lord Mitten's adventures take him.
RavensFantasyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style/Story: The story follows Lord Mittens and his adventures after being a Guardian. Lord Mittens appears to be a nonhuman lead so if you are looking for a story that contains nonhuman leads, this story may be for you. There is some worldbuilding present which is great! The characters are introduced well. There is enough description within the story to help craft the story in my mind.
The general prose, paragraph length, and chapter length appear good to me. The general pace of the story is a little on the slower side but it is not bad. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the story's style.
Grammar: I did notice some minor grammar issues but nothing too extreme.
Characters: The main character is that of our Lord Mittens. Lord Mittens appears to be a form of an actual cat with magical abilities of some sort. The story does well and describes how Lord Mittens behaves and moves like an actual cat. The paw licking, the constant want of food and the needs for pets fits the behaviors of a cat perrrfectly. Lord Mittens has some good senses as he is able to track and trace the human responsible for pets quite well.
Norna seems to be a likable side character as she cares for animals. She gives me druid vibes. Cold Dawn was an interesting side character as well. Wasn’t expecting a cat to befriend a dragon. The story does well in showcasing their friendship. Having a nonhuman lead was something I wasn’t expecting to read, however, I can say this story did it well. The characters are overall, enjoyable and loveable.
In Summary: Living as an Ex-Guardian has been a fun read so far! I have enjoyed Lord Mittens and his well-written character and how he interacts with the world around him. Nicely done!
TimWLong50Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a super fun book about Lord Mitten, a cat who used to protect the land of Amanth. This has a great mix of humor, fantasy, and adventure. It's a great tale, especially if you love magic. Lord Mitten is now living a quiet life in a village but soon gets pulled back into his old life as a Guardian.
Lord Mitten's character changes a lot in the story. At first, he seems like a spoiled cat enjoying an easy life. But as the story goes on, we learn about his past as a powerful Guardian and his sense of responsibility. This is an interesting mix that makes him quite the character, and his interactions with other characters, like Norna and Glacial Doom, display his struggles and growth.
The story does a great job of mixing fantasy with everyday life. The author describes the world and its magical creatures in a way that feels real and engaging. There are a few minor typos, and a few sentences run a bit long, but it's not distracting from the story. Frankly, I was only going to read five or six chapters, and I ended up reading much more.
Overall, this is a really promising fantasy story. The humor and magic are balanced with moments of character growth. Lord Mitten's journey from a lazy village cat to facing his past as a Guardian is intriguing and makes you want to read more. This story will keep you on the hook and wanting to see what happens next. This is a really fun read, and the MC would get six stars if I could give them.
matt_kleinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is a must-read if you are looking for a light-hearted escape from reality. As someone who grew up with the Warrior Cats series, I am thrilled to see a majestic superpowered cat as a protagonist.
The author certainly knows how to command their words. I fell in love with the unique style from the first second. It’s humorous and light-hearted, full of casual remarks and simple sentences, yet it paints a comprehensive fantasy world. When I dive into the sentences, I feel incredibly calm and relaxed, as if I’m listening to a bedtime story or a fairy tale. The words evoke a healing journey and bring out the inner child experience.
The world is illustrated with a serene grandiosity, and I absolutely love it. This is a world full of dragons and magical powers, but the style of presentation deviated from the typical action-adventure-fantasy playbook you see on Royalroad. Instead, you see details of the beauty of the world interwoven with the characters’ inner thoughts. The repeated use of flashbacks and the large timespan of the story also add a lot of interesting world-building.
The characters are presented well, especially the protagonist Lord Mitten. The chapters are packed with actions and inner monologues that rapidly shed light on the character. This is even more exceptional considering that the main character is a cat, and the author still managed to make me relate to him.
The only point of criticism orients around the narrative arc. While the story is filled with aesthetic world-building details and deep character development, it went for a slower approach when building the plot. Only five or six chapters in did I begin to glimpse where the central conflict was heading. The first few chapters felt like a casual wander of side-quest completion. It would be great if we get exposed to the core conflict first and read about all the beautifully-done world-building a little later.
In general, I highly recommend this book, especially if you are into breaking clic
soravolRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
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