Rise of Blaze

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Blaze Redford is a boy with extraordinary perceptiveness and abilities, which he acquired in large part through his special upbringing. He knows nothing about his mother and rarely sees his father due to his work, he lives with Benjamin his tutor/teacher/trainer in a remote area in Italy too insignificant to be marked on a map and too uninhabited to make friends but Blaze knows no different and as his father earns well he has never wanted for anything. However, one event changes everything........and 6 months later he finds himself in an elite university as the bodyguard of girl whose father controls half of London's underworld.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Phynx

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 10
Views: 6,289

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(8)

Mr.KozeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is one of those stories that can hook you very quickly, like really quickly. I'm honestly surprised this isn't doing more numbers.
PLOT
The writer does a good job of creating a plot with an immediately recognizable goal, the pacing, and the fighting choreography which are my favorite parts are done really well from the start. As far as the plot goes the story does a good job of hitting beats at the right time, through 10 chapters it feels like I'm getting something to look forward to by the end of each 1. I really intrigued with the whole trident organization that's going on as well.
Wish that there was less exposition, there's often too much telling rather than showing in the earlier parts of the story but that slows down a little later on.
As a plot in short this story has a really fast pace and great plot building.
STYLE
The style needs some work at avoiding the long paragraphs in the earlier parts. (This can be a problem for mobile readers like myself.)
Most chapters are short reads, and I'd say it's a better reading experience to read these chapters in bulk.
GRAMMAR
Not one to care too much about grammar but for the most part the grammar is acceptable enough with a few mistakes, I'd say doesn't take away from the story.
If you care about grammar then this may bother you a little however I think the grammar is fine enough to pass.
CHARACTER
I think this and the plot is what the story does best, I think if you like real thought-provoking characters then you will like the MC. The only issue I have is that often characters lack distinct voices that could make them instantly recognizable. Ali and Brian seem to be easily the most recognizable voices but other voices often feel the same.
Overall this story should be a fun read from the jump, if you like martial arts and good action and are interested in a non-fantasy story that's on this site, then I would recommend you give it a try.
Tim WoodRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Reviewed as part of a first chapter review!
This was a fun first chapter read. I enjoyed it.
Some notes.
I like the characterisation, especially the dynamic between Blaze and Benjamin. In the last bit, when Benjamin is pushing Blaze to safety, I find myself hoping nothing bad happens to Benjamin.
You've laid the seeds well for the father. I immediately want to know more about this family's whole deal.
I think building up the sparring section would benefit the piece overall. Perhaps we could have an insight into Blaze's observational skills of the environment and how he might use it/position himself.
I'll be reading more of this when time allows. Thanks for sharing it in the forum.
167fiveRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is part of the review swap.
Alr so, the story was very good. I like the plot, escpecially since royal road dont normally have these types of stories.
But there are a lot you can inprove on.
1. Grammer. The grammer needs some work, but some Grammarly can essily fix it.
2. Some of your sentences feel akward and jarring. Again, Grammarly can fix this.
3. Your cover art is a bit... yeah. If youre going to use AI, dont use ChatGPT. Intead, use sonething like leonardo Ai, its so much better. Just use GPT to generate the prompts to plug into leonardo.
Overall, this is a good story. If you can just fix these problems, this will be a great story!
lar.larRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I couldn't help but think "this feels like a movie I would sit back on a Sunday and watch with my family". We used to be huge fans of the American movie star. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme those guys. And saying this book is a like for like reflection of that genre would be a bit misleading but that is the direction it seems to be headed.
Physical training is a huge aspect of this book. Blaze trains with his mentor. Blaze uses training in a gym club to gain access to a gang. Blaze trains as part of a screening process for a job. It's a consistent beat which gives the book a strong identity.
Blaze is our classic action hero stuck in a world of gangs and crime and fight with his fists to cleanse the rot of society from within. He doesnt talk much. He is strong. He gets the job done. He's handsome. But he offers a lot more as well. Especially his ability to manipulate people and events in order to get exactly what he wants.
So far, everything that has happened seems to be building up to his encounter with a gangster's daughter at the university and I'm disappointed it hasn't been released yet because that sounds like the perfect set up for hijinks to ensue. Too bad.
The characters are great. They are realistic enough to work for the story. And since Blaze isn't flamboyant enough, its good he has memorable personalities surrounding him like AJ and Scott and even Victor. Benjamin his mentor is not present throughout the book but his influence on Blaze is felt all the same which makes him more of an impactful character than I thought he would be. Great job there.
Enough has been said about the grammar. But if it works it works. The ling paragraphs were an issue but he balances it out by dishing out his chapters in small bite sizes leaving a hook at the end of each to keep you coming back, just like an episode of TV.
If it wasn't obvious already, I'm a huge fan of this book and would ask anyone to give it a read.
realdonutfanRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
This genuinely surprised me not only with its depth, but how much it improves and proves itself as you keep reading. Rise of Blaze is a very Sleeping Dogs-esque infiltration plot that reminds me of some of the best elements of that game, in some of the best ways. There is a competency and understanding of the genre that you don't always find in crime thrillers that focus on the MC infiltrating a particular organization. Then, adding to that, it plays cleverly with the tropes to add layers.
Style - 4/5
The way the prose is written almost flows like someone actually narrating a story. It is not conventional, and it might not even be on purpose (at least in the first half), but it works very well. Personally, I understand tense rules and grammar, but I don't care about adhering to them. Intentional or not, that narrative style where it reads exactly how someone would narrate their past works very well with the style of story this is.
Further, the progression of events and scenarios is also well-paced. It flounders sometimes with some confusing continuations to plot points, but ultimately keeps you satisfied with how it plays out. Most of the plot progression feels realistic and believable in the setting, and is thought of in that same 'Sleeping Dogs' like climb-up-the-ladder way of thought. And as for the setting itself, I love the little details that genuinely make use of the fact that he is in London, like that anecdote about how tailing someone takes almost an hour because of the traffic, lol.
Story - 4.5/5
I think the plot is easily the best part of the entire experience. There is an urgency to everything that happens, and a reason for everything that goes down. The pacing never dips and you never feel like things happen out of nowhere, or have no bearing on the plot. Blaze goes through a clear progression of events and cleverly manages to get to where he currently is. This is reflected well in the entire white van sequence. Without spoilers, it plays really well w
A.X.RawlinsRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Blaze has a ton of potential, and if a slower pacing whilst staying in the hand to hand combat universe is up your alley, this one is for you!
For me, there were a few things that didn't sit super well:
there was a ton of telling over showing, I am told someone dodges left, or how someone was feeling instead of being shown through description.
The 3rd person perspective felt like a strange POV to take for this kind of content, I would have expected first person+past tense
There are scenes which are objectively very cool. Starting the book immediately in a fight is an excellent concept. That being said, the first chapter suffers from a pacing issue where staccato pacing is under-used, as the author tries to build in description whilst action is happening. The content doesn't well-match the pacing used.
that being said, there is likely an audience out there who might enjoy a slower paced narration style like this! It isn't objectively wrong, but the mismatch was palpable for me.
There is a ton of potential here, if you can get over the pacing style and enjoy third person, this is a strong candidate.
Yu_RaineRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
The intro was a spar, which honestly, was a bit jarring to start out, but the description of the fight was fun to read. It would be much easier if there was a bit of breathing room before being dropped in the middle of the fight. And just from the first three chapter, I see an interesting plot, scattered with foreshadowed details and subtle tensions in the background. Personally, I'm never one to read first pov, but in this case, it does help you relate to Blaze's character emotions and thoughts as the story progresses. It has potential, and I mean potential, as long as grammar and sentence structure are edited properly.
another_random_guyRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
I really enjoyed these opening chapters.
The story immediately draws you in with fast-paced fight scenes and a sense of tension that never lets up. The pacing is smooth, moving naturally from Blaze’s everyday life into sudden danger, making the reader feel the same confusion and urgency that he experiences.
Blaze is a relatable and engaging main character skilled, determined, and smart, yet still young and learning. His reactions to shocking discoveries, like the hidden rucksack and the USB videos, feel authentic, human, and emotionally grounded. You can really feel his fear, frustration, and determination building as the story progresses.
Benjamin is a standout side character. His calm, mysterious presence, coupled with his role as Blaze’s mentor, adds depth and stakes to the story. Chapter 2, from Benjamin’s POV, hit hard emotionally and made his eventual sacrifice resonate even more.
The writing is cinematic and immersive, particularly during fight scenes, chases, and the forest sequences. There are a few minor grammar issues and occasional long sentences, but they don’t detract from the story. Overall, the mix of action, mystery, and emotional depth makes for a very strong start. I am genuinely excited to see where Blaze’s journey and the mysteries of Trident go next.