Lost Souls

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

In a world where humans are the shortest-lived species compared to all the other races, they are considered to be mediocre in most every aspect of society. Magic, craftsmanship, architecture, everything that a human might accomplish in sixty working years other races have mastered and perfected twice over. As such, human labor is considered cheap and only of use if you need something serviceable and inexpensive. Society is generally organized by the other elected races of the continent, with humans generally only holding positions as local leaders or magistrates.

The story follows a young boy by the name of Samuel who lives in a small farming village. It is a simple life with simple pleasures away from the turmoil of cities. However, one day a mysterious sickness begins to take hold of the village, afflicting everyone with the deadly disease. No matter how many healers, alchemists, or priests are brought in, nothing seems to work. The village is condemned, the occupants left to die, and eventually only Samuel is left in a cold empty house with his parents having succumbed to the sickness before him. Teetering on the brink of death, he laments the passing of his parents and friends alone only for a voice to call out to him from the shadows. The voice offers him dark powers and another chance at life and happiness in exchange for service. However, does dark necessarily mean evil?

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2022
Author: SevenSins

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 1
Views: 121

Reviews

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Community Reviews(2)

1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story captured the magic of youth, effusive and curious. It took this beautifully wholesome setting, and unleashed a plague, a miserable deathly blight upon everyone in the village. Not even magic could save these once-joyful people.
I consider myself generally lacking in empathy, but this story tugged at my heartstrings in such a touching way, something I have never felt before. I was in tears, all told, and I'm still sniffling a bit.
Of course, there's still a story to be told. The main character remains alive, and he's made a contract with a mysterious being. If this really is the setup needed for the plot to coalesce, I can't help but follow along for more. This is probably the strongest start to any story I've read, bar none.
CobbaltRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a beautifully written story. The writing was especially enjoyable to read, and I don't have any criticsms at all on the story itself. However, I do feel like this was rushed. I understand that this story was planned as one book, but I felt that the scope of the story is too large for all of it to be completed within 34 chapters.
Spoilers ahead:
The initial part of the MC with his family could've been stretched some more, so that the subsequent tragedy would have a greater impact. The MC going around and helping lost souls was also a bit rushed. This is a dead god that no human has heard of; I would've liked to see more of his struggles as he tries to revive the worship of the Lord of Twilight all the while evading the Order's eyes. I also would've liked to see more of him creating a decent army to fight back. But all of this is not a criticism of the storyline itself, but how that storyline was compressed into one book. I would enjoy very much reading a longer version of this.