SKY PUNK - CYBERPUNK FANTASY

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

In a world where everything moves at breakneck speed, Kon Caspier, a young individual grappling with existential questions, embarks on a journey to conquer the world of SpeedGear alongside his trusted friends. As they navigate through challenges and obstacles, they may uncover hidden mysteries about the world itself.

But amidst the chaos and life's relentless pace, mastering the art of running faster becomes paramount for Kon and his companion. So, strap on your SpeedGear, tighten that AB (Ankle Breaker), embrace the rush, and redefine what it means to keep up with the speed of life.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Bookman9

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 22
Views: 19,777

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

morphiwritesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall : This author has taken a new spin on an old concept that is begging for new life. The author has clearly put a lot of time and effort into this story as shown on the illustration page before chapter 1. Hand drawn renditions of the main characters that allow for a great visualization while reading the story.
Style - Likely this authors first story as there are some pacing issues in the first few chapters that appear to get better by the most recent chapter posted. I had no issues with following the story and enjoyed the descriptions and details.
Story - This story revolves around the invention of a new technology that is used to push the inworld dynamics forward. The story is new and there is a lot of detail and worldbuilding to expand on but the author seems to be headed in that direction. I am enjoying the trickle of details that come out.
Grammar - The grammar is fine. Small mistakes but nothing that takes away from enjoyment of the story.
Character - We have not met too many characters yet but the main character is fleshed out enough to keep you intrigued and wanting to read more. Hopefully with more time the side characters will get a chance to develop lives of their own and add to the overall story.
Would recommend and will be following along to see how the story evolves.
BlareRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Too good to be true
For starter, I don't even know what an air gear is, nor I care what an air gear is. The author sent us into an intrinsic battle royale between different teams and giving many point of views between one person to another. Thankfully, after reading until the latest chapter as this review was written, I'm pleaseantly surprised. It's well-crafted with the world being grounded with high-stakes left and right. The author handles the switching pov well, and it's a good point in the grand scheme of things, and the rest of the story was interesting.
Style: Switching POV is quite smooth, too smooth. However, as any switching POV, it took a little bit of time getting used to it. Some says the action being described too detailed is a bad thing, I beg to disagree, this is a story inspired by air gear, and thus, might require some details on its description more than what an average people would like.
Story: Just as described earlier.
Grammar: I see no awkwardness, but to be honest, I dislike the censorship of swearing, just be straight with it. I think most people will tolerate some swearing left and right as long as it isn't being used too often.
Character: Those characters each have clear motivation and background history, their drive to continue on in the arena, and each had their own motivation. No good person in this story, only protagonist, just as I liked.
BrendinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
An action-packed read with expansive world-building that does not overly fixate on unnecessary details!
This story is mostly told from the perspective of Kon who seemed to have a lot going on as a kid in a slum. The author did a great job trickling in various details regarding the mysteries of the world itself making us wonder how they are going to interact with the said intrigues in the future. The pacing doesn't waste time with fillers that could otherwise take away the main progression of the story.
The writing is easy to understand, avoiding unnecessary complexity. The plot captivated me swiftly, and its moderate, not overly slow pace, kept me engaged throughout the entire chapters.
Grammar is good, no issues on this front, it’s very easy to read and lacking in errors, from what I could tell.
The characters are the strongest point of the fiction. They each have clear motivation and background history that weaves into what they have currently become. I'm looking forward to how Kon and his quirky gangs are going to make it big in the SpeedGear sports front, or even delve into a deeper part of the mysteries together. I can't wait to see how it plays out in the future.
TL:DR - Give it a go!
InyssaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This reminds me a lot of something Trigger would make, only mixed with a psychedelic cyberpunk world that is both harsh to live in and incredibly colorful, with battles and competitions being done through what is basically rocket rollerskating parkour combat, which is four words that I'm surprised weren't mixed before because they work so well together as a concept.
Worldbuilding is this story's strongest suit for sure. Not just the reveals slowly fed toward the reader -which are very intriguing on their own- but also the concept of the world itself, the mix between entertainment and misery, between fun and death, all delivered through a very anime aesthetic that a lot of people will like a lot.
I didn't notice any grammar mistakes, mostly because the prose flows very fast and frenetic, perfect for this type of cyberpunk/fantastical sport kinda story. My only nitpick with the writing style would be that sometimes inner thoughts are hard to differentiate from the narration, and sometimes the tenses switch because of that, but it didn't bother me, just something I noticed.
The characters are just as fun and bombastic as the setting, which is good because it'd be weird if they didn't fit. Although the dialogue does tend to veer toward the more anime style of soft cursing and somewhat odd turns of phrase, but hey, I don't complain about it with anime, just something to point out.
Overall, this is worth a read for sure if you like blood-pumping fun mixed with combat with the cherry on top of a world that is a treat to learn about.
SovranoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style: The Author used multiple POV throughout the story, and each of them brought about different flavor and exposure to the readers. Kon was our Mc (I'm assuming) and the plot would progress alongside his journey with his two best buds. Aika brings us the nitty gritty actions, which was dope as hell!! I mean, it was so vividly described, I can't help but get immersed and I enjoyed every last bit of it.
Grammar: Grammar is very solid. I am filled with nothing but praises over author's words choices. As a writer myself, I am learning a lot simply from mulling over some sentences was used and their tone to further fit the narrative. Bravo!
Story: Story so far are good. So many intricacies and mysteries were written simple but engaging, leaving room for readers to explore the story at their own pace.
Characters: This is the part that I like the most. The characters are so real, and fleshed out. I can tell that Kon was the quiet and observant one without the Author having to spell it out. And how Aika has this madness and confidence in the way she interacted with others and also from her inner dialogues.
All in all, a very solid read. And the title of this review is self explanatory already. I was already sold the moment I read the first chapter and realized this was a novel about an Air Gear. Then I was sold the second time when I read about the Chiba match between Aika and the Magician. The action is so good, I think the author should add more on it.
Angelica RaizeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style: The writing style is engaging and dynamic, effectively conveying the excitement and tension of the scenes. The use of descriptive language helps to paint vivid imagery, allowing readers to visualize the action-packed sequences and the futuristic setting of the story. The pacing is well-maintained, with a good balance between action scenes and moments of reflection or explanation.
Grammar: Overall, the grammar is solid with few noticeable errors. The narrative flows smoothly, and the dialogue feels natural and authentic. However, there are a few instances where punctuation could be improved for clarity, such as adding commas for better flow in longer sentences.
Characters: The characters are well-developed and distinct, each with their own personalities and motivations. Kon, Venti, and Zack have unique traits and dynamics that make them relatable and engaging. Kon's introspective thoughts and observations add depth to his character, while Venti's gruff demeanor and Zack's laid-back attitude provide interesting contrasts that made me smile multiple times. Additionally, the introduction of the magician and Aika Stormhunt adds further intrigue to the story, hinting at a larger and deeper future story beyond the protagonists' immediate surroundings.
Story: The story is interesting, with a blend of action, mystery, and character-driven moments. The introduction of the SpeedGear technology and the futuristic setting adds an intriguing backdrop to the narrative, while the hints of larger conspiracies and hidden powers deepen the intrigue.
Overall, the story showcases strong storytelling skills and has the potential to become something very creative...with well-rounded characters and immersive world-building. With some minor polish concerning the narrative structure, it could become even better. Keep up the excellent work!
Ellen TaylorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This was a fun cyber punk story. It was a nice change of pace. It was interesting, and I enjoyed the ride.
Grammar is a simple five starts. I'm not too much of a stickler for grammar, and as long as it doesn't pull me from the story, then I don't mark it down. A lot of other people were picking up on grammar mistakes before me, and the author fixed them, so by the time I got to them there weren't many left.
Style was the only one I knocked half a star on. There were times I got a bit confused with the multiple spaces, mainly why those needed to be there. I think they were for emphasis, but I kept thinking they were for flashbacks, and it took me a bit to understand. Everything else was very well marked, the POV shifts were easy to follow.
The story was excellent. The author took the time to really explain this world and the sport, how this different world lives, and it was so much fun to be immersed in such a world. The sport was cool to read about, and to see how it fit with the rest of the world.
The characters were great. It was fun to be in their heads while they were speeding through this world, and there were times I got concerned for their safety. Not just from the speed, but the dogs, too!
Overall, a great story!
DimensionalWriter27Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall - A solid start to a story. I felt that the setting was both fascinating and immersive a combination that made me invested in the story and characters. Where the tension between each high-stakes is almost palpable and it makes you always guess what solution the characters will think to escape this almost hopeless situation.
Style - I'm not one to judge someone else's style, each writer has its own, but from what I've seen...its good.Its was always clear to me who's POV was at the time thanks to the writer saying it in each chapter, so following the story wasn't a problem and to me, that's already good enough.
Grammar - From someone who's second language is english, take this with an grain of salt, but to me it was good enough to read, maybe there's a mistake here and there that I didn't see, Im honestly didn't notice any glaring mistakes.
Character - And finally...what I would consider as the heart of this story. The characters are genuine and consistent with their traits and flaws. I can see how Kon can be considered a favorite amongst readers...although my personal favorite is Zack. Don't ask me why, I just enjoy seeing characters like him doing their thing.
KladinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'd agree with one of the comments that first reading this story immediately brought me back to Air gear and the way they used their gear to traverse anything and everything. The story starts in the thick of things with a battle royale between different teams and we're going through different POVs by those watching the sports cast and those actually in the games.
What I enjoyed: The characters are well done and are distinctly different from others which is great. To me, I liked Venti's POV which made him feel like the main character most. This alludes to a story of friendship with high stakes and an opportunity to make it big which I always like. Good grammar and pacing. Once you get to chapter 9 it starts to pick up in world building and the story becomes more established as you read along.
What I think could be improved: So I think the story could definitely establish scenes better. For instance, in the beginning, I understand wanting to showcase what the story is all about with the speedgears and the tournaments that everyone loves to watch. However, there is a lack of what the place actually looks like that the participants go through. Is it a bunch of abandoned buildings in a center stage? is it a maze of rubble that they have to navigate through? The story really made me work for it in some scene.
Perhaps it is because I normally read 3rd person POVs that I'm not accustomed to it but I would suggest for the announcer to really sell the arena and the dangers the participants would go through as they run through the place. I think it makes sense especially since this is a high level sports game and it seems there are a lot of new participants which would give him good reason to set the rules out for potentially new viewers.
This could've also occurred when the teams were getting ready with the captain/vice captain explaining the layout to their plan and using that opportunity to explain their roles by and the layout of the map and how they would go about naviga
PhysicleRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Overall: 4 stars. An interesting fast-paced action-packed start that suffers a little due to the changes in past/present tense.
Style: Written in the 1st person with multiple PoV's, SKY PUNK manages to make it work by keeping the action constant and the viewpoint switch-ups relevant to the same overarching storyline. A little fast-paced for me in some places, and I had to re-read a couple of sentences because of the terminology that gets thrown around. If you've ever watched Air Gear (which I have, years ago), I suspect it makes it a bit easier to follow, though I could worry for readers who haven't.
There are also some very modern turn of phrases thrown in there that you may not know unless you frequent the internet a lot, but it honestly made me laugh (I'm mainly talking about the commentator here).
I've read up to and through chapter 5, which seems to serve as an introduction to the story and terminologies in general and I feel that they'll be fleshed out in later chapters (some are already fleshed out in the beginning).
Story: The story is gripping and I find the fast pace to fit well with the narrative. We find ourselves in the middle of a battle between two teams competing to complete a race or incapacitate the other team to win. Following Aika and her thought processes is definitely the most exciting. She's got a bunch of unruly rookies on her team that she's trying to teach, while also aiming to win the 250k prizepool so she can head back to her normal life and eat some gelato. We're teased to a magic system and the words Ascension and Affinity are mentioned - I'm anxious to see how the author is going to plot a magic system into the fast-paced cyberpunk narrative.
The action is well-written and I can imagine their battles in my mind's eye really well because of this.
Small spoiler follows.
There are also some conspiracies teased, and from what I've read so far the entire clash seems to be set up to inform Aika that something named Arcanum is actually real -