Mother of Exiles (Gritty Isekai Fantasy)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Do most kidnappers offer you a do-over and immortality?

Aida's just did. And she'll take it, even if said kidnapper hangs out with a gang of bone-masked killers and hates her for no reason. She's screwed up her whole life already, so what's there to lose?

Thrown into a bizarre journey through bleak, alien realms, she must survive the terrifying initiation to become an Immortal Dynast unless she wants her second chance at life go to waste. Then all she has to do is what all the Dynasts do: traffic her slaves, brutally repress her menials, and never question the Black Court looming over them all.

...She might just screw everything up again anyway, only this time on purpose.

Volume 1 is heavy on character development and worldbuilding. The tale grows more strategic, political, and violent as scale and scope expand into Volume 2. "Build it first, fight over it later."

This is "gritty" fantasy and contains mature themes that may include: sex and sexual predation, violence, profanity, racism, classism, drug use, suicide, depression, domestic violence, and/or mentally twisted/unbalanced characters.

4-5k+ words a week released in 2-3 updates. Updates Monday, Wednesday, and/or Friday

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2022
Author: Austimized

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
Followers: 337
Views: 165,092

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

saithorthepyroRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a really cool premise and a nice execution. The world-building is great and feels pretty different and interesting from what I've read so far. It follows a character that has a lot of personality and an introduction to the fantasy elements. The imagery is very powerful, the plot is intriguing, and overall I can't wait to continue my readthrough.
JEPayneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
There are a lot of stories on royal road. Some are works of passion, but maybe a little lacking in polish. Others are polished, but lacking in that 'spark' that comes from a true passion project. This story is neither. Its polished, the prose is masterful, but it also has that aforementioned spark, which comes through in the emotion and imagery of the author's writing.
Style - reminds me of a Patrick Rothfuss style of writing. It's not purple by any stretch, but it is vivid, and the writing itself is a pleasure to read beyond just being a vehicle for telling the story.
Story - a really interesting spin on the isekai formula, instead of the notorious, insatiable Truck-kun, remorselessly snuffing out life to kick start the story, we find the MC in the final throes of her life when she is offered a choice by a stranger. She doesn't know what the choice is, really, but she takes the chance anyway. It's a testament to the writers skill and the story concept that this seems like the most rational decision in the world. In fact, not only does it make sense from a rational perspective, but an emotional one too, due to the power of the writing in the early chapters. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here!
Grammar - great! A couple of very minor typos but nothing that detracts from the story or quality of prose.
Character - fantastic character work! It doesn't matter how brief a characters appearance, they all feel like fleshed out, real people. No mean feat considering a few of them are non-verbal! In particular the MC comes through very clear and strong, and it's a big part of the promise of the story to see what a 100 year old firecracker can do with a do over as an isekai protagonist!
All in all, this story will appeal to literally everyone who likes good stories. I've favourited and followed and I urge everyone to check it out!
JaysanerdRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
First off: this review was for a review swap so i was only supposed to read the first 10k chapters, but it's got me hooked and I'm definitely gonna keep reading!
the story follows an older lady who goes by Aida. Aida is scared to die, she doesn't want to die alone, without anyone remembering her.
The style is really good, the author writes in a way to koop you hooked paragraph after paragraph.I can't really describe what i'm about to say, but the way the author writes is... unique. The author really has a way with words, he/she writes beautiful sentences which are easy to understand.
The chapters also feel like they're the perfect lenght, they end right when they need to!
I'm not the right person to critique on grammar, but i didn't dee any noticeable mistakes that made me want to stop reading.
the characters are really well fleshed out and especially Aida. The characters in this story was what made me want to continue reading! I also really look forward to reading the next few chapters.
i recommend this book to everyone who's tired of the same old boring isekai's and wants to try something more unique.
B.Z. HardingRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall: This story has been really good so far. Following Aida as she stumbles through life in her nursing home and then seeing her whisked off to a mystical world is definitely very entertaining. I will say that the worldbuilding is frontloaded a bit--the author has clearly built some things out that they want to explore, but as for clueing you in, it is minimal, which is perhaps preferable to the encyclopedia entries they would end up taking regardless. It's just a bit early in my reading to tell if the worldbuilding terms may be a bit excessive; I won't hold it against the story.
Style: The author's vocabulary and general flow are honestly excellent, but I do have one qualm. I was considering taking half a star off here but decided against it because of how well-written the story is in general, it's just that descriptions can occasionally meander and sometimes the language can feel a little overwrought. The writing quality is quite good though.
Story: The story has been super engaging thus far. It'd actually be hard to make something more engaging in so little time, though I will say that the story is kinda slow and the progression elements have been very minimal in the early chapters.
Grammar: Essentially perfect. Very occasionally there are issues with comma splices etc.
Character: Some of the best character work on RR, definitely, and quite possibly some of the best character-work I have ever seen period. The characters really shine for this one.
I recommend it as long as you're good with the slow progression; I'll definitely be picking it back up when I have some more time to read.
MezzoCatorceRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I went into Mother of Exiles not knowing what to expect. The first chapter starts off in a standard fantasy fashion, a court in a strange place, with strange terminology, and strange abilities. It is at once exotic, enticing,and mysterious, in the questions it poses.
And the very next moment, we are in a retirement home, experiencing the slow and wasting existence of our protagonist in a way that is so heart-wrenchingly evocative of Aida's hopelessness, so raw, so tired that it makes me want to call my grandparents, and fear for my own mortality.
It's excellent writing, and it only gets better from there.
Review TL;DR
Story: 5/5: Fantastic, compelling action, amazing worldbuilding, excellent delivery
Style: 5/5: Evocative imagery, painfully real emotion, accessible jargon
Grammar: 4.5/5: Well Gramm'd
Character: 5/5: Deep, real characters, raw character interaction, mature and realized personalities.
Story:
5/5: Fantastic, compelling action, amazing worldbuilding, excellent delivery
The story is, in a word, fantastic. It's fantastic in that the quality is superb. The plot draws you in, the detail is in-depth without being pedantic, and the pacing is well-executed. It's also fantastic in that it evokes fantasy. In a world of endless "No, but listen, my elf forest kingdom is TOTALLY cool" and its ilk, Mother of Exiles excels with a bizarre, unique set of locales, peoples, and cultures.
As a worldbuilding exercise, it's delicious. The plot is still in its beginnings, but there are so much to explore that I can't wait to see where it goes next.
Style:
5/5: Evocative imagery, painfully real emotion, accessible jargon
The style of this story is fantastic. The prose can get a bit harried when describing environments at times, but during action, it doesn't miss a beat. It's interwoven with multiple viewpoints, both of which are unique in the perspective and voice offered.
Speaking of unique, the world of Mother of Exiles is extraordinarily so, and so thick with new terminolo
OVDCRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is kind of... odd. The author has a style of writing that I've never eally seen before in books (though some children's books have a watered-down version of this style). It's fast at some points, but slow. The main character seems realistic. Grammar was good, didn't affect my experience at all.
My main concerns are pacing and plot. At some points, it's slow, taking half a chapter to describe a birthday party. After that, things get fast, but, with the exception of the MC leaving the nursing home with the poeple, which doesn't make much sense, nothing really happens.
Overall, it's a good read, but the pacing and plot could be worked on. Well, the plot probably comes in later, but the pacing, in particular, drags the score down. So basically, one small problem, pacing, but it's good otherwise.
OsiriumWritesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Alright, to summarise it in a sentence: One rollercoaster of a ride! Read it now!
I figured I’d read a few chapters before I did a review, but I binged through all (Presses refresh a few times) 36 chapters. If you are sick of the traditional progression story, check this one out!
Story: Hand down the best part. Right from the first introductory chapter we are pulled in, only to be thrown into a retirement home before pulling us in further in a plot of slavery, growth and insane complexity.
Style: Solid. Third person, past tense. The book occasionally switches POV, but the author does a good job at clarifying it. The only nag I had here and there was that a lot of stuff in her new life gets told at once. Not a big downside, it just meant I had to reread a chapter again. (Luckily the story is awesome!)
Grammar: Only minor stuff. You can tell that the author has a decent grasp of things. Nothing else to say here. Less is more in this category.
Character: Oh boy! Strap in boys and girls. I chuckled at myself at first when I noticed the MC was going to be this dried up grape of a woman, only to have my expectations shattered in the next few chapters. You can tell that the author is great at developing side characters. Even right in the beginning, the author makes the Feral come alive through mere posture. I’m still unsure who my favourite person is, but Fallon certainly was in the top 3.
TeaganIvesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
With a concise prologue that brims with questions, the slow burn to the beginning of the Isekai begins. There is a promise that says it is a slow burn and becomes a faster paced story following that- the promise is most definitely fulfilled.
I find the choice to establish characters and tone before jumping straight into the Isekai aspect of the story a fascinating one, that works well in my opinion. I would understand if some readers might want the world-hopping portion of the tale to happen sooner, but I urge them to wait it out, as it is well worth the wait.
Grammatically and stylewise, the story is sound. The word choice helps to add a poeticism to the storytelling and I haven't found any slip ups in grammar. Changes in pov are well signposted and easy to follow- as it is a multiple POV story.
I only marked the story and character aspects down ever so slightly because of the choice to push the isekai back as far as it was. While still a choice that works, I would have preferred possibly splitting the difference between the beginning of the story and where that point is. The character portion is downturned slightly, due to just how many characters there are within the starting chapters and I, personally, had to put a little extra effort into following them all. It is by no means a large detriment, which is why the score is still as high as it is.
I may not be a Seericide, but I know this to be true- this is certainly a story you'll want to have read.
Ujwal VujjiniRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I think this is the first fantasy story I've read, that too an isekai, where the protagonist is an old African-American woman!
Story: We start with an epic prologue where chaos is ensuing in an unknown location. Until we are thrust into the narrative of Aida, as she has some misgivings about her life. She is snatched away by a mysterious being where her life takes a turn toward the deathly. The narrative flows seamlessly, and while I'm still not sure what is really happening it has me intrigued to know more.
Style: Descriptive and smooth. There's not a hiccup in the narration and the visceral quality of the prose is a standout amongst other works on this site!
Grammar: As far as I can see, flawless!
Character: We are presented with a multi-faceted cast each character having their own distinct voice. The interactions between them don't feel forced or artificial and they all have a weird sort of chemistry with each other even from the few chapters I've read. Particularly with Aida, you understand her plight, her reservations toward the way she's lived and her way of experiencing the world, all given in immaculate detail.
A very novel start to a series that will leave you asking many questions and pull you in by the sheer mystery alone!
_FlameS_Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Mother of Exiles takes a familiar genre trope and adds some really interesting twists to it that create a whole new experience for the reader. I think overall, it's an incredibly fun read that really gets you to care about the characters and rethink what you know about a proper Isekai adventure into a new multiverse.
The story itself is fascinating in that it follows the tale of an unlikely protagonist in the form of Aida, an old retiree who just wants her family to remember her. The new characters that suddenly pop into her life are clearly deep and well-thought-out additions to the story and the interactions between them and Aida really add a fun atmosphere and life to the story.
Stylistically and grammatically, the story is very well done with a solid grasp of the ebbs and flows of story-telling. The dialogue between the characters is realistic, and the descriptions are concise yet poignant. No serious grammar mistakes jumped out at me and overall it was a very fun story to read.
I highly recommend giving Mother of Exiles a shot, it's a truly fun ride with great characters and exciting action. I'm very excited to see where the author takes this story into the future.