Of ink and Hope

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Life is never kind, nor is it cruel. Uncaring and cold? Sure, but life goes on, it always does, with or without you.

Between being caught in a political coup in the Blood Demon cult and being subjected to a holy purge started to avenge the crime of another.

Lu Huan and Iulia meet one another in the cruel world that is the Murim.But through empathy, patience, and accountability, the two of them bond over their shared pain and suffering. But as they pull each other up from their misery, they come to realize the reason they've suffered to begin with.

And so they rise, with a now steadier control and better awareness of their emotions.

If the world needs changes, they might as well do it themselves.

This is a story about healing, and moving on from past trauma and suffering. Going from surviving to living and even thriving. To grow and help make the world a better place.

This is my first big project, where I am learning as I go. See this as more of a first draft than anything else.

You can expect the following:

-Lesbian romance starting strong but going into a more slower pace afterwards-Emotion based ancient magic and classical cultivation with a new twist-Protagonist strong from the start becoming stronger-Protagonist who is a fem-presenting trans non-binary-Intense emotional drama-Various PoV changes to flesh out characters and the world around them-Bad coping mechanism (which will be slowly taken apart and changed for healthier ones)-Character growth through healing, understanding and empathy-Depiction of cruelty and child abuse (the chapters in question will be ear-marked in the top notes)

On a break to prep volume two and my other story! Book one will be rewritten.

[Winner of the October 2024 writathon]Chapters will be between around 3k to 4k words, and updates will be on wednesday and sunday.Uploads available on Royalroad and Scribblehub.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Louigoas

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 15
Views: 9,275

Reviews

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Community Reviews(5)

Simple1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Obviously English is not the authors first language but that should not deter you from the story. I think with time the grammar will get better for sure as long as they keep chugging along.
You can tell they are learning as they proceed with the story and the grammar is getting a lot better.
I'm currently on chapter 10 and it still holds my attention which is saying a lot since most novels in this category I kind of just tune out after like two or three chapters.
The story is standard xianxia but with a Bloody twist.... I like the world building so far and will be excited on how they develop the character as well as fleshing out more of her ability's. I appreciate the little details the author has put into the interactions between the characters.
Help a small writer out folks by at least giving this work a chance I think they deserves more views and comments if possible.
Finally I am optimistic for the growth of this work and wish the author to keep on their grind. This is a new work so I want to encourage not discourage. This sounds like pandering for sure but hey we all could do with some pandering every now and again.
ZacheasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The Ink of hope in an amazing story about magic, relationships, growth and healing. The story starts with good action and tension. There are very realistic and relatable tragic circumstances that really draw you into the story and help you feel for the characters. The characters here are very well written, their thoughts, emotions and words are natural, distinctive and consistent with their characters. The author masterfully describes in poetic terms the thoughts and feeling of the characters. They are truly multidimensional.
The world building is very rich and interesting. There is an interesting history to this story that is well flushed out but is not dropped in a huge exposition dump. The story is always moving forward and progressing well to stay engaging. The world building is mixed in seamlessly.
The magic system in this story is also a very interesting and unique take on magic. It is also interesting how different cultures in the story view magic differently.
This story includes both stakes and tensions from a higher-level threat but also interpersonal tensions and emotional interactions.
Also, despite the serious tones and dealing with trauma and romance, the story is also consistently funny at the right moments to make a well-rounded story.
I'm diffidently going to read the rest of this story. You should give it a try.
Eternal WinterRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall
Of Ink and Hope is a very good name for what this story entails as it encapsulates the best parts of this work. The 'Ink' refers to the magic of the setting, which is represented through two independent systems. This story details the first meeting of these systems and the resulting fusion thereof. Whereas 'Hope' is about the two main leads' journey their unique traumas and the resulting growth they find together. However, it is held back somewhat by inconsistent grammar and special syntax. Fortunately, the author is working on both and I expect a rapid improvement in the future.
Style
The author's style is quite distinctive and this is in part tied to the grammar section. Louigoas has a lot of things going on in his text. He must represent dialogue, thoughts, telepathy, spells, and quotes. The way he has chosen to do this is non-standard and takes a bit of getting used to. Once you have, then it reads just like any other text.
With that caveat aside, I can say that the style is good. It is clear, there are barely any exposition dumps, and there is a minimum of 'telling'. Louigoas makes a clear effort to create interesting descriptions and dialogue. Much like the grammar, this is constantly improving throughout the chapters as Louigoas finds his style.
Story
In my personal opinion, this story is mainly two things. The first is a magic exploration. The author has created two highly detailed magic systems that logically interact with one another. This is no mean feat. I find one, the ink magic, to be highly creative and interesting.
The second thing it is about is romance. It is pretty evident from about chapter 3 that the two leads will end up together. The rest is just details. It just helps that the 'details' are also pretty good. A combination of a classic cultivation revenge tale and a self-discovery journey through loss.
Grammar
I'll preface by saying that I expect this one to improve pretty much right after this comment. The book is still perfectly read
HoratioBlanchetteRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
This story gives you quite a bit to chew on. It is a slow building and interpersonally complex narrative of both individuals but also how they fit into a larger story all together. Though the first chapter starts off with quite the bang, it quickly turns into a slower burn narrative of reunions and characters recovering. It gives just enough to keep you engaged and curious about where the narrative is going to go next.
The style is pretty unique. The world was created by the author, and you can tell that it is lush and well thought out. The various magic/energy classes and how they interest with the manipulation of the world is a fascinating new take. There are also hints at cults, clans, and other widespread world building influences. In the first few chapters it can be easy to get lose and a bit overwhelmed, as a lot of the world had yet to be explained, but as you progress more and more is clarified.
The story currently is focusing more on past events that have led to the current set of circumstances. Other than the first chapter this can lead to a lot of conversations and reflections without much moving forward. However, these feel purposeful, like it is setting up a foundation before adding more on top.
The grammar and sentence structure can be difficult to follow in the first few chapters but there is a steep improvement from chapter 4 onwards. There have been a lot of correction suggestions, and the author has already acknowledged that some things will be rewritten/improved.
The characters are so far my favorite part of this story. The main two (Iulia and Lu Huan) are sweet together and contrast against one another nicely. We quickly see their back stories/childhoods, and their own individual motivations. Not only that but the author expands on this giving further insight and backstories into extended family members. It all weaves together in a nicely fitting tapestry where everyone’s lives seem to have touched each other in a real way.
A highly recommended r
WhethervainRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
I found the start of the story to be unique and engaging. The viewpoints change in a natural way to give you both sides of an unexpected meeting between strangers from different worlds. English is not the authors first language and I am impressed with the result, still there are many moments where grammar errors and issues with sentence structure may pull a reader away from the greater story.
Style: The author clearly understands the cultivation genre well and many of the phrases are classics that you will find in Wuxia/Xianxia stories. There are a number of unique nuances that the author uses, like the way internal monologue is displayed, that I think work well once you understand them.
Grammar: There are grammar mistakes throughout the first few chapters that seem to get better as the story progresses. Still they are enough to pull you out of the flow of the tale.
Story: The story is fascinating, original, and action-packed. The broad strokes are truly unique and I am interested to see where it goes from here.
Character: The main characters have unique personalities and clash in natural ways. Even the side characters have their own flavor that makes each interaction especially unique.