REDCROWN [COMPLETE] – A Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Western

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Change is coming to the Circuits, and to Sally most of all. Can one woman's actions direct its course?

It has been over 200 years since the apocalypse. In order to beat back the worst of its demons, communities have banded together, forming tribes and alliances in their war for survival. Now these bands have transformed into states and are expanding outwards, looking to tame the new wilds. These expansionist states have grown closer, forming contested borders and waging wars. Civilization has returned at last.

The Grand Circuit is no such place. A harsh desert still home to the worst legacies of the end of the world, its communities are survivors still. But times are changing and large states to the south, east and west are closing in. Trade is flourishing along the circuits, enriching some along its ancient black roads while leaving other behind. But with trade comes wealth – power – and interest in the Circuits grows among these states.

None of this matters to Sally, inhabitant of one of the Villas in the mountains north of the Circuits. A junior Warden, protecting her family, her community is all that matters. But civilization waits for no one, and change is coming fast, whether she wants it to or not.

* Mix of Modern Technology and Fantasy.

* Fallout-inspired Western.

* Post-post Apocalypse?

* Updates around twice a week.

* Chapter length averaging >3000 words.

[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge April 2025]

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2025
Author: accope

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
Followers: 19
Views: 15,836

Reviews

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Community Reviews(3)

pocketbotchRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Highly, highly recommend this read. It's been one of my favorites on Royal Road since it came out.
Stellar atmosphere/worldbuilding - it's a post-apocalyptic Western setting that somehow feels like dark Mars (or an evil Grand Canyon? think red and desolate). The world is mysterious and by the end of the book, just enough is explained for things to make sense while maintaining the sense of wrongness/foreign magic that pervades the previous chapters. There are some really cool scenes in the book (the two Revelations chapters are incredible). The book is pretty tightly plotted and every piece falls into place.
This includes the reason why the MC appears to be so indestructible.
Sally is an interesting main character - very down-to-earth and blunt. There's a pretty broad array of side characters, though they tend to flit in and out aside from Lucy. Several political factions (for lack of a better term) also exist, and the inter-/intra- group conflicts are realistic and interesting due to the changing landscape of the book. There's some magic science in the book as well (which I always love), though it's not really utilized to its full potential.
The writing is acceptable but unpolished - lots of passive tense and redundancies, and it needs an editing pass - but my brain generally glossed over this while reading and I'm not going to hold this to the standard of traditional publishing. Compared to typical Royal Road fare, it's still quite good. The dialogue is a little awkward, and felt slightly YA with all the exclamation points. The plot felt a little rushed towards the end. I also wish we'd gotten a touch more of the political intrigue, given all these parties at odds with each other.
The high points of the book far outweigh these complaints, though. The relationship between Sally/Lucy was really heartwarming and it's nice to see a depiction of a kind female friendship like theirs.
The way they were behaving, sometimes I expected them to become a couple. They were so c
MasterCyclonisRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
I'll admit this is not what I was expecting so far in the story, nor is this what I usually read but I am willing to wait and see where it goes. I saw it on space battles & noticed it didn't have a review here. World building is a little slow in my opinion but it flows well throughout the story. I'm sure it'll pickup in later chapters when we learn more about our characters. Our protagonist here is a Warden(local sheriff) turned drifter but we'll see if it sticks after a fiasco. While the apocalypse hasn't really been explained on what started it, I'm leaning towards the rapture or something of a similar sort.
TheAuthor0Royal Road
★★★★ 4.0
I was immediately drawn into this book with the mix of action, intrigue, and survival. The world is hard and unyielding, and it's clear the author took great time building it. That opening fight in the gully is the perfect introduction to meet Sally and the dangerous world she inhabits—a world of killer creatures, traps, and difficult choices.
+ The world-building is terrific. Everything from the strange, poisonous rivers to the creepy creatures like skinner-wolves and Erlings feels new and well-done. I was never confused, but I was always eager to learn more.
+Sally is an excellent main character. She is intelligent, tough, and survival-capable but also has the recklessness and obstinacy that makes her believable. She managed her struggle with losing her arm and waking up months later well.
+Action sequences are fantastic. Fights are fast-paced, bloody, and frenetic, especially the last confrontation with the bloodfiend. There is a real sense of danger, and never once do you feel like Sally is being given the benefit of plot armor.
-Pacing is slow in Chapter 2. There is too great of an expanse of exposition and dialogue after the explosion of the first chapter. It’s interesting but would be better interspersed rather than given all at once.
-The supporting characters are less developed. The Grandies (the military unit) do their share but have no individuality. A bit of personality in their dialogue would make them stand out.
-I like the time skip but also find it frustrating. Six months have passed, and although I get that it's part of the mystery, I would like to have more clues as to what has happened to Sally. At the moment, it's a complete blank and makes it more difficult to remain invested in that part of the book.
A gritty survival story with fantastic world-building and action. If you enjoy gritty post-apocalyptic landscapes, tactical battles, and a protagonist who struggles mightily, this is worth checking out. There are pacing issues and some things that