Portraits of the Divine

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Seventeen-year-old Joren never asked to be touched by the divine, but when a strange voice pulls him to the long-lost Supernova Portrait, his life changes forever. Now marked as an Auspex, one of the rare and dangerous few gifted with godlike powers, Joren is thrown into a world of hunters, hidden guilds, and ancient forces awakening once again. Auspex are feared, exploited, and hunted. Some change the world, others destroy it. With powers he barely understands and enemies already closing in, Joren must decide what kind of Auspex he will become… before the choice is taken from him. In a world where power is both a blessing and a curse, one boy’s journey could shift the balance of fate itself. This story is filled with absurdity and you will see it as a common theme.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Nova Portrait

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 118
Views: 34,329

What readers say about Portraits of the Divine

“This story keeps surprising me. It has that perfect blend of charm and sudden chaos—Joren accidentally yeeting a grain sack into orbit or turning a bucket spill into a mini tsunami had me wheezing. But in between the laughs, there are those soft moments too…”
Tide_08Royal Road5.0 / 5
“I've been reading this since about 4 days ago and it's AMAZING. Joren is unique as a character, being depicted as a more quiet and respectful main character that you just never see that often. His powers and how you have went about them really makes sense a…”
BecomeHimManRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

Tide_08Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story keeps surprising me. It has that perfect blend of charm and sudden chaos—Joren accidentally yeeting a grain sack into orbit or turning a bucket spill into a mini tsunami had me wheezing. But in between the laughs, there are those soft moments too—Elira’s booth full of stardust books and old remedies, the Divinity Portraits, and that mystery guy (Tsunami??) just casually slicing booth legs like it’s no big deal. The pacing is smooth, and every chapter has something memorable without feeling forced. Definitely sticking around to see where Joren’s powers take him—and if the goat ever gets a name upgrade.
BecomeHimManRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've been reading this since about 4 days ago and it's AMAZING. Joren is unique as a character, being depicted as a more quiet and respectful main character that you just never see that often. His powers and how you have went about them really makes sense and doesn't feed into that "overpowered mc" trope. Definitely one of my favorite stories of recent times.
Fine young manRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
You wrote a story that actually feels alive—that’s the first thing that hit me. You open with that shimmering poetic prologue, and it works. There’s immediate mood. It feels like a “soft-magic” world (think Ghibli or early Kingkiller), where the line between the mundane and the magical is a little blurry, and every page has a pulse. The atmosphere? You absolutely nailed it. It’s tangible. You can smell the bread, feel the dust in the sunlight, hear the lazy banter in the saloon.
But here’s the real thing:
Joren is easy to root for.
He’s not some chosen-one stereotype. He’s tired, awkward, and deeply relatable. His powers manifest in these low-key, almost accidental ways, which is honestly more interesting than another wizard doing fireballs. There’s actual tension between wanting to just exist and the pressure of having “something bigger” thrust on him.
The supporting cast—Hazel, Elira, Gus—don’t feel like afterthoughts or quest-givers. They’re people, with actual personalities, who matter to Joren’s world. Gus is a damn highlight. That big goofy craftsman with celebrity-level pottery skills? That’s memorable. And the way you introduce companions, you avoid the tired “party recruitment” tropes—feels natural, like actual friendships or alliances forming in real life.
Magic system?
You keep it light. Gravity, light, supernova portrait—there’s mystery, but it isn’t info-dumped. It grows with Joren’s understanding. That’s key to keeping readers hooked.
Pacing:
You strike a really delicate balance between slice-of-life, coming-of-age, and adventure. Early chapters are a slow burn, but it’s deliberate and cozy, not boring. When the action finally hits (Thunderclap fight), it’s EARNED and satisfying. No forced melodrama, no cheap stakes—just a regular kid making decisions in a world that’s slightly more magical than our own.
What’s especially strong:
Worldbuilding by osmosis. You never just lecture us—everything we learn is through food, chores, conversations, and local ru
TashoulisRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Easy to read, easy to understand, easy to like!
Reading those first few chapters were a breeze, an enjoyable one!
I love Joren being an actual kid in this medieval-esque fantasy world and not some edge lord or quippy anime protagonist.
The surrounding cast also feels extremely believable and fits the setting perfectly. They really are just some rustic villagers.
The village also feels alive, with its shops and taverns and festivals. It's not just some location full of NPCs whose purpose is to either antagonize or help the protagonist.
The magic here has a lot of potential. Each person having different abilities that they can use in unique and creative ways? That's always great!
Joren's magic is also a very good fit for the lead. Extremely powerful, but also dangerous and a high skill ceiling. Or at least that's how I imagine supernova based powers.
Also, very nice touch that he has to practice his abilities and he's not some demi-god or elite soldier from chapter one. I'm always there for a protagonist who starts off weak and grows in both power and character.
There's nothing one could lose by giving this story a try. So I wholeheartedly suggest you give the first chapter a try and then keep reading because it's good!
TheNewEntropyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It is very captivating, I like Joren and all of the moms. I like moms. I really appreciate the upload consistency, which is daily by the way. The chapters aren't too long or drawn out. The characters have some good depth to them and the chapters have me coming back for more.
AtomicDashRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story follows 17-year-old Joren, who lives a mundane yet fulfilling life in a medieval-esque fantasy world.
I like how Joren isn’t your typical teenage protagonist, where he’s not some edgelord nor an overly naive kid. It felt natural and real. The relationships he has with the characters felt genuine, and their dynamics with each other are fun to read.
I love how the worldbuilding has depth and detailed descriptions, allowing us to paint a vivid picture in our minds of what the world is like. It felt like we were there as spectators to his story.
The power system is really cool and unique! I can tell it’s well thought-out. Not only did every progression feel earned, but it also serves as a narrative device, symbol, or representation to the characters who wield it.
I love how the fights are written. It is straightforward but also complex in its own way. It didn’t feel boring, especially with the well-made magic system.
So far I’ve never seen a single spelling or grammar mistake. I like that the story will be told from a detached and realistic lens, allowing us to know the reality of the event.
Overall, this isn’t just some flashy power fantasy — it’s about trying to do the right thing, even when no one’s watching. It’s clever, funny, and quietly emotional in a way that sneaks up on you. If you like stories where wild powers actually mean something, give this one a read.
LightHubRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Only read the first two chapters so far, but I’m already loving the gentle mix of everyday charm and quiet mystery. The setting breathes—it’s cozy, alive, and a little magical without feeling forced. Joren is instantly likable, with a natural humor and voice that’s both funny and relatable.
I especially enjoyed the small, memorable moments: the screaming chicken scene was hilarious and felt refreshingly genuine, and the Supernova Portrait had a striking, almost dreamy quality that stuck with me after reading.
If I had one minor critique, it might be the pacing—it’s gentle and deliberate, which mostly works beautifully, but some moments felt a tiny bit slow. Still, the atmosphere and characters more than make up for it.
Very excited to see where the stars and constellations take Joren next.
Onkel SamRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I liked Joren as a character. I primarily liked the vibe of the story gave, the saloon and him drifting off to that cave, very compelling mystery so far from what ive read.Liked how he works at a saloon, a unique place for the main character to work.
InlajinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The Supernova Portrait, even after only a sneak peek into it, promises to be such an interesting take in the Progressional Fantasy setting!
Style Score: 4.5
I will say, I really did like how the author divided the chapters and signify scene breaks/time changes by a heading that told the time of day. Say for instance: "Late Evening - The Cave"
It funnily enough reminded me and felt like while I was reading when you would enter the loading zone of an area in a video game, and once it loaded, it would tell you where you were now.
I feel like the author could really use this to their advantage if they polish this up and use it more effectively.
Story Score: 4.5
The story seems to be both slow burn and kind of hops around a bit in a sense. However, I liked how the first chapter rather effectively introduced what is basically the core plot point of the story!
Character Score: 4
The characters, like Joren, Todd, Elira, & Hazel, were in my opinion the weakest part of the story I've read so far. For me, I barely could get a sense of Joren's personality. It also felt like the author didn't really give any puzzle pieces to try and piece together a backstory to keep me wanting to find out more. Same problem with the others. However, it's not a deal breaker, and I trust the author to remedy this in future chapters. If it matters, the background characters are done right in my opinion: don't really take any of the spotlight from the main cast, but are given just enough personality to make the world feel more lived in!
Grammer Score: 5
Honestly, it was very surprising to see the grammar lowkey great! I have nothing bad to say about it!
KGSovereignRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Even though I read only the 1st chapter, it shows a lot of promise. The writing is impressive right from the first scene, capturing that quiet saloon atmosphere and slowly layering in a sense of mystery and adventur. Joren, the main character, feels grounded and relatable, just a tired man doing his job and dreaming of the stars.
What really stood out to me was how smoothly the narrative shifted from slice-of-life to something almost cosmic, without feeling sudden. The pacing is relaxed, and the attention to small details makes the world feel lived-in.
Joren, the main character, immediately feels grounded and relatable. He’s not your typical grand hero—just a tired man doing his job, harboring quiet dreams of something bigger beyond the horizon. That makes him feel real, someone you can root for.
What really stood out to me was how smoothly the narrative shifts—from something that begins as slice-of-life to something with almost cosmic undertones. The transition is subtle but effective, hinting at greater things to come while maintaining a relaxed, steady pace. There’s a quiet confidence in the writing, and the attention to small, lived-in details makes the world feel authentic.
The reads very clean and professional. I’m definitely intrigued by where this is going, especially with the hint of star maps.
If you’re into slow-burn fantasy with a touch of the magic, this is absolutely worth a read. Looking forward to read more chapters!