Of Blood and Sand

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

"No, your highness, I do not fear the gods—What the common man should fear is the wrath of beasts and other men."

Delving into the dark fantasy fictional world of Osward, we watch as former foes join arms against the threat of ancient celestial beasts in hopes of appeasing an infamous conquering empire.

In the desert lands of the Tatarians, the kingdom of Asaroth finds itself cornered with no path to salvation besides the might and resolve of its royal family, amidst a world plagued by war and famine, the three main characters are faced with the aftermath of a previous war and forced to deal with matters such as prejudice, colonialism, intergenerational resentment, betrayal and the unyielding ambition and greed for power.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: beny_vergilion

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 9
Views: 4,374

What readers say about Of Blood and Sand

“Reading Of Blood and Sand felt like being dropped into a mythic war saga halfway through history’s retelling—rich with culture, brutal in its honesty, and surprisingly emotional at the quietest moments. This isn’t just another grimdark epic trying to impres…”
AncienthipsterRoyal Road4.5 / 5
“A very interesting read for anyone looking for a more serious take on the fantasy tropes. Properly written and beneath the descriptive phrasing, nuggets of an expansive world and the promise of fantastical future events like the Eclipsers. There is consider…”
Ariel_1012Royal Road4.5 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(4)

AncienthipsterRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Reading Of Blood and Sand felt like being dropped into a mythic war saga halfway through history’s retelling—rich with culture, brutal in its honesty, and surprisingly emotional at the quietest moments. This isn’t just another grimdark epic trying to impress with blood and dragons; it’s a story that cares about its people. The stakes are big—political, spiritual, and existential—but they’re grounded in characters who bleed, grieve, and grow.
Roegan, Lotara, and Yemna are at the heart of it—three incredibly distinct leads who carry the weight of legacy, conflict, and transformation. Each chapter deepens the web of power struggles, lore, and family tension without ever losing its emotional core. And let me say: Yemna and Lotara are worth the price of admission alone.
Story – 4.5 / 5
What impressed me most was how deliberately the story is structured. You start with intense, immediate conflict, then zoom into layered political and spiritual threads that span kingdoms and generations. It’s a rare epic that allows space to breathe, balancing kinetic action with introspective moments, ritual with rebellion, myth with memory.
The only reason this doesn’t land a full five is pacing. There are places where the momentum stutters—usually during exposition or long dialogue passages. But the emotional beats always come back strong, and the climaxes (especially those mid-arc battles or showdowns) deliver.
Character – 5 / 5
This is the book’s strongest suit. I can’t stress this enough: the character work is exceptional.
Yemna’s arc, from survivalist to reluctant symbol, is one of the most compelling I’ve read in years. She’s complicated, brutal, human, and deeply layered. Lotara, meanwhile, is a queen in every sense—commanding, maternal, ruthless, and burdened by loss. Watching her navigate both grief and court intrigue was honestly thrilling.
Roegan, for all his mythic weight, is written with surprising tenderness. He’s a tragic figure, half-god and half-man, whose love for his c
Ariel_1012Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
A very interesting read for anyone looking for a more serious take on the fantasy tropes. Properly written and beneath the descriptive phrasing, nuggets of an expansive world and the promise of fantastical future events like the Eclipsers. There is considerable care in crafting the emotions and considerations of the different characters on display. A certain little pearl for fans of the Grimdark style without going completely dark.
Give it time, and it will be rewarding; there is a world to explore here. Worldbuilding FTW!
Spoiler Section.
Yuri's death was interesting, a good opening It is the standard action packed opening and the first glance into the descriptive style that drives the narrative.
King Roegan is the troubled king pushed into a corner by Imperial design. The descriptive style wrting comes alive during the fight with the celestial, you can feel the bones grace your neck and the rocks pass you by, so to speak.
Lotara is one of my favorite characters, cunning and a bit of a gambler. The knife's edge of a vixen that can slice your throat with silk. Love the way she cleaned up the rats.
Yemna felt a bit flat, maybe she will grow in the future into the regal presence that characters tend to do. But her inspiring troops' monologue was very fitting, in line with her current self.
And among all the side characters, Talim's final monologue resonated with me. I know a thing or two about manipulations and women near your father, strange how that came about. Truth is stranger than fiction.
nickdavisRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall
Reviewed at chapter 10.
Of Blood and Sand is an epic story of intrigue, battle against both powerful monsters and selfish humans, and the weight of rule. Ambitious in scope, this story's twists and turns are compelling and human, all while the reader can enjoy a world rich in lore and stark in grim beauty. Some flaws in grammatical execution can hold parts of it back, but characters' struggles and successes make it shine. Overall, I believe this story is a 4.5/5.
Style
Of Blood and Sand has a distinct strength in style: worldbuilding. Though sometimes delivered with exposition in dialogue or description, the world is rich, unique, and carries a strong identity. I can imagine certain readers being taken with the sandy, harsh world of Osward, where a certain sense of survival of the fittest clashes with humanity's more honorable elements. However, style is also about prose, which is where the story sometimes struggles due to the lengthy or confusing sentences. Typically, each paragraph is its own sentence, hundreds of words in length. There certainly is something to be said about the gritty, epic, sweeping, and flavorful writing that can emerge unhindered. Sections of dialogue are very well-written and glow with passion. While some prose choices and grammatical issues keep the Style from reaching its true potential, I still give this story a 4.5/5 here.
Story
The story is a large, ambitious one. From what I have seen so far, there are around three main POVs that alternate quite a bit to tell four different stories. While I will discuss characters later, the actual stories each POV tells is a different one, giving the reader an array of interesting arcs to follow. Politics, adventure, small-scale war, and the like can all be found here, as one might expect in a high fantasy world. Pacing is a little scattered, but it is quite good overall. This is all difficult to pull off, but I think the author manages to do so well. 5/5.
Grammar
As mentioned in the Style sec
AstrellRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Style
The author has done a great job maintaining momentum throughout the story. It’s very easy to immerse yourself in the world they’ve built — the pacing feels natural, and the flow of the scenes keeps the reader engaged. I really appreciated how the atmosphere pulls you in without feeling rushed or overly slow.
Grammar
The writing is clear and understandable, making the story accessible. You can easily follow the plot and distinguish the key points the author is making. The language use works in the story’s favor, helping the reader focus on the characters and world without getting bogged down by complicated sentence structures.
Story
This is one of the most intriguing parts for me. I love how immersive the story is — the world feels real, and you get a strong sense of the places, events, and atmosphere. Each scene adds something meaningful, and the progression feels purposeful. The balance between plot development and world-building makes it easy to stay hooked.
Characters
The characters are definitely a highlight. Each one has a distinctive voice, and you can tell who’s speaking just by their dialogue or behavior. That’s not easy to achieve, but the author manages it well. Their personalities come through clearly, making them feel alive and authentic. I especially liked how their interactions reveal small, personal details, adding depth and making them more relatable.
Suggestions for Improvement
If I were to suggest improvements, I’d focus on the early chapters. While the character focus is great, I felt that the world-building could use a bit more attention at the start. Some of the lore or setting details come in later, but adding a bit more context upfront would help ground the reader sooner and avoid moments of confusion. It’s not a major issue, but smoothing this out would make the beginning even stronger.
Overall
Overall, this is a good and promising story. It has charm, personality, and a natural intrigue that pulls the reader along. Even with some sma