Named After Death

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

A name is the most prized possession one could ever hold onto, and—after death - many souls lose it. Name discarded into the wind, soul unlabeled and unable to pass on. Thus, the unnamed amnesiacs awaken in Nihil, a dark and gray realm teetering on the edges of all afterlife, a world of spiritual nothingness on decaying land.

It is in Nihil where these souls are subjected to an intensive, therapeutic process to recover their identities. Days, weeks- months, possibly even years of existence in Nihil in order to prepare their souls to pass on. Processing them through countless means to refresh their minds, retrieve their stories, and rediscover the lives they've lived. Stuffed together in the enclosed spaces of Nihil's cities, living fake and artificial lives to pass the time until they are ready to go, and—eventually—being brought to their proper afterlife.

The Grim Reaper himself assigns one lowly mortal to one of the biggest cities in Nihil. A human girl with unique blood, a girl completely uninterested in any of these dead men's tales... a girl by the name of Yvette, who must spend and waste her time just listening to the ghosts that rely on her support and guidance.

And that's what she's doing now for whatever reason.Involuntary ghost therapy.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: Quiet_Cicada

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 5.0/ 5.0
Followers: 5
Views: 2,213

Chapters(10 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(3)

BlurpleRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The bad: I don't think that the story synopsis does the justice here. I was kind of expecting something different - worse TBH.
But this is such a fun read! It's basically "what if someone had to work a corporate job in the afterlife... but was really bad at it?" The story follows this human girl Yvette who's stuck working in a realm for ghosts who've lost their memories. Instead of doing her actual job though, she ends up giving the world's most BS tour of the place, making up absolutely wild explanations for how everything works.
The best part is watching her lies get more and more outrageous as she keeps digging herself deeper. And somehow she keeps getting away with it! And that milk source joke was... just read it yourself.
But what makes it really work is that underneath all the comedy, there's actually some heart to it. The ghosts all have these bittersweet stories about their deaths and lost memories that hit you right in the feels when you least expect it. Plus the whole setting is really creative!
If you're into stories that mix supernatural stuff with office humor, definitely give this one a shot. It's got that perfect balance of being really funny while still having enough substance to make you care about what's happening. Just don't drink anything while reading or you might spit it out laughing at some of Yvette's ridiculous explanations!
Chronicles.of.LuminaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Your story is a creative and engaging look at the afterlife and identity.
Style:
The writing is engaging and pulls the reader into the world of Nihil. Yvette’s voice is strong and relatable, mixing humour and frustration well. The surreal details add to the unique atmosphere.
There are times when the tone shifts suddenly between serious moments and humour, especially with Yvette’s sarcastic inner monologue. This can feel a bit jarring, especially when the emotional stakes are high. Finding a better balance during these moments could help the story feel more consistent.
Story:
The idea of Yvette interacting with amnesiac spirits in a limbo world is really interesting, and almost Discworld-esque.
That said, some parts of the story feel a bit meandering, especially the longer descriptions about food and sand. While they might show Yvette's boredom, they can also become repetitive. Chapter 8 was a highlight for me.
Grammar:
Good overall. Some of the internal dialogue, like “I just... I don’t know,” is a bit repetitive and could be trimmed to keep things moving faster.
Vocabulary:
The vocabulary works well.
Characters:
Yvette is a standout character with her sarcasm and relatable frustration. Her balance between professional detachment and emotional involvement is interesting. The ghosts are colourful and fun, but they sometimes feel more like comedic tools than fully realized characters. This could be intentional, but giving them a bit more depth would make their stories more meaningful.
Overall Thoughts:
You’ve created a unique concept from the contest prompt, and the characters and world-building are interesting. Chapter 8 and the ridiculous way Yvette gets there is the highlight for me. Overall, it’s quirky and creative, and I’m excited to read more of your work!
ZacheasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is about the very much alive Young girl named yvette who has been recruited by death to help lost souls trapped is a type of limb move on. Well not entirely... her real job, that she has no interest in is to document their memories of their lives and deaths. to her, a dreadfully boring task that she finds creative ways to avoid and spice up to pervent her own death from dull and nonsensical recollections fro. confused and delusional spirits. whatever her task MAY have been, the MC's hilarious way of doing it, or... avoiding it sets her off on an adventure that sows chaos in the realm between worlds. The way she bumbles through lies to gullable dead folk on the quest of avoid a task she didn't think was all that important in the first place is hilarious and silly.
This story is a fairly short self contained comedy that was worth the read.
The characters are hilarious and relatable. Not to mention well written. The comedic structure of the writing was very good.
The spelling and grammar was flawless and the author is professional quality. The way they capture sereal images in such an easy to understand way while maintaining the steady supply of humor was a master class. well done.