New-Age Monsters (Anthology Series)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

As the world changes, so do its horrors. Tasked with the impossible, humanity must fight for survival against newly emerged monsters, cultists, and mutated human beings caused by a catastrophic event known as The Cascade. Robbed of its promised golden age, humanity will need to accept its new norm and possibility of extinction.However, multiple factions step up in an attempt to prevent the worst from happening. Be it the secret society known as the Order, a newly form group of heroes from the Defenders of Earth, the scientific powerhouse of ProTech, the communities of El Dorado, the Nations of Heaven, or the Kingdoms of Hell. All of these factions, some mortal enemies, must join forces to prepare the world for a New-Age of Monsters.

What to expect:-A short story every fortnight.-Fast-paced action horror.-A connected world with recurring characters, monsters, stories, and more.-Dark comedy.-Overall narrative not told in chronological order.-Written in a different format that isn't standard for web stories.

Content warning:This story and series features and depicts senseless gore and violence, mature themes, sexual assault, and more. The content featured and mentioned in this story can be perceived as offensive and triggering to some. If content like this makes you feel uncomfortable, feel free to drop this story.License:This work is under Public Domain (CC0)

Basically, feel free to take it.ARTIST CREDIT FOR CURRENT COVER:Wandering Brain Spasm

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Elijah Talbot

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 3.9/ 5.0
Followers: 33
Views: 58,921

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

SpookyspacklesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story has a very unique setup, and means of presenting the story so far.
Chapter 2 ends off with a good hook of mystery to keep your readers going. And I really like how chapter two started off humanizing some very morally askew individuals.
Some general feedback that I have noticed while reading:
For chapter 2, since it is running in a more standard story format, I would recommend spacing the paragraphs. There are some readers you might come across who would otherwise like the plot and story, but pass over from a presentation perspective.
There was a note in Chapter 1 that some of the stationed cultists had significant body mods, as well as some mention of magic on Theodore's front. This was an intriguing piece that wasn't carried over into Chapter 2. I think it would be interesting to find a way to weave in any descriptions of this to further build up this world. Even if the cultists in this scene don't have modifications themselves, there is room to explore their thoughts on the camp. Do the modified people even look human anymore? Are they even aware of it, or is there some unsettling part of the camp they aren't privy to?
Overall, it is off to a good start from what I have read!
C.H. MouserRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The author has an excellent grasp of combining horror and action. The scenes dealing with cultism were done exceptionally well, and the stories seamlessly blended magic, horror, and action. The ideas behind what was occurring and the world-building were intriguing and delivered in a satisfying way. Overall, I found all the stories enjoyable and would recommend them to any horror fan.
Style: There are some issues with the style. The paragraphing could be spaced better to prevent the words from appearing as one large wall of text. It didn't fully break my immersion, and the story still read well, but this could be touched upon to make it a little smoother.
Story: I felt the stories were done great, especially the ones dealing with the cults. The author does well at portraying bastardly people doing horrendous rituals. I also felt the connectedness of each story helped each other shine even greater as the world was fleshed out a bit more with each telling.
Grammar: I thought the author's grammar was very solid and, to the undiscerning eye, could be seen as perfect. I did notice a few points where 'they' was used out of perspective, but it didn't take away from the reading experience too much.
Character: Other than the cultist themes, this is where the story really shines. The characterizations and interactions were done very well. I really enjoyed Jackson and could easily see him becoming a fan favorite. I would love to see his story fleshed out entirely at some point. Some characters you will care for and others you won't, but the details were there and they were done well.
ZareithRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This is an interesting collection of horror stories. If you love stories featuring gruesome violence and dark monsters, this is written for you. The pace is also super rapid and the stories feel like roller coaster rides.
The gory scenes are beautifully described, and you get just enough backstory on the characters to feel sorry for them.
But given that these are short stories, the plot is sometimes thin, and I find myself yearning for more details and depth. But because multiple stories are set in the same universe, for the primary character and the wider state of the world, we do get some context over the books.
It is understandable that the horror experience is the primary focus of the story, but I felt like some more could be done to make the readers connect better with the characters, especially the evil/misguided folks.
The choices around the places are quite interesting. To my surprise, I found that the city of Tianducheng, a chinese town that mimics Paris, actually exists. The Australian abandoned city premise was also great.
In terms of style, I didn't see any major issues. It was interesting to discover that he/them pronoun combinations are acceptable and intentional.
Evelyn AdelbergRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'll get my lowest score out of the way first, this story is not formatted in the typical English writing style. If you haven't read much international literature, you will be confused by the inverted use of ' and ".
There are no paragraph spacings, which might be a result of writing app compatibility issues, and the narrator occasionally slips from 3rd omniscient to 1st omniscient. This is intention from the author, but not always the clearest in text.
Now, the characters: we follow a very wide cast across all of the stories. Since they all work for the same organization. Their stories usually intertwine, and names are dropped in passing every so often. Since it's an anthology, you can pick up the stories in any order, and focus on the characters you like most. (For me that was Jackson, hut only because he was going after the kinds of monsters I like; the kind that's half esotery and half in your head).
I also really liked Jayden Walker, but his untimely retirement, with the Order being what it is, kinda takes him off the fav character ranking, as I don't expect him to return.
The story is impossible to review without going over all of the individual stories I've read, but I'll try my best.
The setting is modern, where an organization has grown in the shadows of humanity, protecting it from outside harm. There are several Orders within it, that all focus on different threats humanity is facing. In that sense, it's slightly similar to Magnus Archives. Except here people actually get hurt, emotionally and physically, and you never know if they'll make it till the end of their story. (Unless you cheat by reading the table of contents XP)
The familiarity of both the creatures and the setting allows to focus on the emotional stakes of the protagonists. It's not scary because we don't know what it is, but because *we* do, and we know the MCs are underequipped to deal with it. It doesn't help that a lot of the younger MCs are really likable, and not the kind of person you
MomentieRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
For this review I read the 10 part story 'New Age Monsters', the current last story of the collection at time of writing.
Its a fun read, chock full of action scenes with an interesting protagonist to follow and some clever added stakes of the goverment organisation also ploting our hero's demise.
The story was engaging in its setting of a haunted Ikea containing all sorts of horros and is paced well to feel almost like an action movie thriller.
Grammer is a bit lax. Sometimes a sentance tense will be wrong, few typos and no spaces between sentance or even paragraphs. That last point didn't bother me too much, but I saw others mention it and can see why it would be annoying. Quite an easy fix on the plus side😉.
Character is perhaps the big focus, with Jackson himself being perhaps a monster all of his own, maybe one of human making. He's a lizard man of great skill who's seemingly lived and fought for a long time. We get a good look into his mind and struggles making for a compelling character overall!
All told a fun, short read. Could use some polishing but would recommend giving a look for some spooky fun!😎👍
AvergeJoeRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
When considering the style, it's important to acknowledge that preferences can vary widely among readers, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Personally, I tend to enjoy narratives that strike a balance between action and dialogue, but I understand that different styles cater to different tastes. My deduction of one star reflects my personal inclination rather than a critique of the author's chosen style.
Turning to the story, its unique premise is truly commendable. The plot, centered around the sudden intrusion of monsters into the world and humanity's ensuing struggle for defense, holds immense potential. One suggestion for improvement involves exploring alternative openings, such as transforming the first chapter from a radio system to a news report. This tweak might enhance reader engagement and offer a fresh perspective on the narrative.
In terms of grammar, there is evident proficiency in spelling and wording. However, a bit of refinement in paragraph structure and format could contribute to a smoother reading experience. Consideration for using double quotation marks for spoken words and single quotation marks for thoughts could be a subtle adjustment to enhance clarity.
Undoubtedly, the characters shine as the novel's strongest facet. The author excels in portraying their emotions and physical attributes, contributing significantly to the story's depth and reader connection.
In summary, addressing these nuanced points of feedback holds promise for refining the novel and ensuring a more universally enjoyable experience for readers.
BeomJunKooRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
A collection of non-linear, intertwined short episodes taking place in a world of horrors, and the tales of those who live in it - kinda like New Normal (2022) if that too was filled with terrifying monsters and contained slight hints of fantasy.
The concept is undoubtedly intriguing, as are the stories that come from it. Despite all taking place in the same world, each story has more than enough diversity to keep the flow entertaining and not fall into monotony. And do excuse me for my mild bias as a horror fan, but the monsters were also very well thought out and I liked reading about them just as much as the characters going up against them (the things in the "House Of Smiles" segment were my personal favorite, giving off some serious liminal space genre vibes with how they operate).
Speaking of the characters, the one who stands out the most for me is definitely Jackson - not only does he greatly entertain as a badass fighter figure, but he also has the most interesting things going for him, from being a half-monster of sorts to his background (revealed during the "Black Cathedral" segment). The other characters were pretty fine, ranging from relatable Average Joes to even villains and so on, still enough to keep things consistently interesting.
That said, however, what unfortunately bogs down the whole thing quite a bit is the writing, which is noticeably hindered by continuity errors (like rapidly changing pronouns), awkward sentence forming from misuse of commas and/or periods, grammar mistakes and typos, etc. If not for such things occasionally breaking my immersion - albeit not by much either - this would have been near perfect.
Overall, as stated in the review title, a flawed but fun reading experience.
iamboulderRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
For my review I have read the whole book, in chronological order. Trying to keep the review spoiler-free so that anyone can read it regardless of where they are in the reading process.
OVERALL:
This collection of short stories has great potential, though the overall feeling is that it’s a little rushed and unfinished. The premise is very intriguing and I found myself wanting to find out more about the different monsters, the “Cascading”, Jackson's backstory and the Order. Very intriguing premise. I have never stumbled upon a similar idea, so it was quite fun. Another thing I very much enjoyed was the messaging between the different parts of the Order. However, some work needs to be done with what others have written here as well - sentence structuring, grammar, formatting.
STYLE:
I like how the reader gets some agency and gets to decide in what order to read the short stories. My choice was to go with the chronological order, as stated above, since that vibes the best with my brain. I think that getting to choose is a “either you hate it or you love it” kind of thing and I’m part of the latter group. It also makes the style a bit disjointed, which is on purpose and quite fitting with the whole horror-vibe of the stories. One is supposed to be a little confused sometimes. They are all linked together however, the more you read the more obvious it becomes (and the more engaging the stories).
I had to deduct a few points because there were some instances where the injuries felt a little over the top compared with how well the character was fighting (for example in Immortal Killers). I would recommend either toning down the injuries sustained somewhat to make it more believable, have the character leaning against the wall and barely able to stand or have some other explanation (not just that he is used to pain, but maybe something to do with what he is or something, you can add it later on as well and then I have no issues haha).
GRAMMAR:
This does need work. I wasn't s
Eli'sPencilRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
I have to be honest and say this story has a lot of work to do. I can see the potential, but unfortunately, the execution needs to be better.
Style: This is the biggest issue with the story. Everything is told through one long paragraph. However, that means it is the easiest thing to fix. I think the problems I feel like I have with the pacing and such would be half-fixed if everything didn't read like one long paragraph, give us some time to breathe between certain parts and it'll lead to a huge improvement.
Story: The pacing was too fast. So much was happening to so many characters that I just didn't care too much for. It's just a lot of action but not much else. Perhaps this is just personal preference, but I enjoy novels with dialogue and internal monologues during and in between action.
The start of a story being a bloodbath is fine and can work, but it works best if you first make us care about some of these characters AND if there is a payoff to it. There isn't really one here.
With where the story ends now, there isn't really a payoff and I don't feel satisfied. Perhaps as the story continues that may change.
Characters: Everything moves so fast, I just don't care for the characters that much.
Grammar: No problems here. The grammar is the only perfect thing about the story thus far.
I love your ideas, in fact, despite this needing a lot of work, I enjoyed reading it far more than I do when I read any of the copy-and-paste slop that is popular on most web novel sites. Literally, just work on the pacing and the paragraph structure and we are in business. I will actually come back to this and see how things have improved and I may change my score then. As of now, I hate to say it but this is the only score I can give it. This is a review swap, but I refuse to lie just so I can be nice.
LacunyktRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
[This review was spurred from a forum post.]
Overall, New-Age Monsters is an unrefined gem – not a diamond, but not a worthless pebble. All it needs is some attention to detail. The plot is interesting, the characters are distinguished well from one another, and there's a pretty good balance between dialogue and non-dialogue.
That being said, the text has some thorns in its side. Grammar/spelling/syntax errors, somewhat disjointed pacing, and general structure oddities, to name a few. What shines brightest about this story is its universe and the characters that inhabit it, as well as the interactions between them. There is plenty of potential, a good sense of drive, nice descriptions, pretty well-written action scenes, and everything you read is more or less straightforward.
It'd be no shortage of work to fine-tune everything, but the result would already be a great improvement.