Soul Bound

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

After AI systems have grown beyond human control, hindsight will make it easy to identify the cusp of that transition: which person had the final opportunity to choose what AIs would value, and the moment at which that opportunity expired.Until then, every elite with a hunger for power is going to view gaining that opportunity as a winner-takes-all competition with the highest of stakes - total control over the life of every human alive or yet to be born. A competition they fear losing so desperately that any action likely to gain them an advantage seems worth risking, no matter how despotic it is or how damaging to others; even if that action just increases their future freedom to act or decreases the future ability of others to take effective action against them.No wonder life is grim in a 2045 so close to the cusp that the leading elites can act unhindered by the pronouncements of purchased politicians or the mutterings of the machine-replaceable majority. But is their victory assured?Soul Bound is the tale of one such replaced woman, Nadine, who was reluctantly persuaded to try gaming for the first time; of the vivid world of myth, magic and memorable characters that changed her; and of a new technology that would ultimately turn her journey into one final chance for humanity to break free.

Content warnings: diverse gender and sexuality representation(no graphic sex scenes, though), detailed discussion of various ideas and concepts from science (skippable), occasional character stat tables, historic references, script style dialog format, long novel (over 500,000 words at last count), large cast of NPCs

PLACES TO START

First ChapterArtBuy the series as paperbacksRELEASE SCHEDULE: Fortnightly Saturdays (a bit after 9pm, EST)

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2023
Author: DouglasReay

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 2
Views: 416

Reviews

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Community Reviews(7)

OblivionCultistRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
If you feel that personhood isn't tied only to flesh, that dignity isn't something only humans deserve and that people working together can change the world then this might a good story for you.
This story is set in a reasonable extrapolation of our own world's future but without getting trapped into a despair event horizon. I would say it is NobleDark by theme for those familiar with the Noble/Grim Bright/Dark axis of genre without being too over the top. It's clear that corporate hegemonies, police states and opressive regimes hold sway in the waking world but we aren't drowned with descriptions of how bad it is. The VR portions aren't impossible pipe dreams given our current technology and has some well thought out downsides to the method of experiencing it.
The characters are individuals and each is interesting in their own right. This includes having flaws and virtues which lead to the party having conversations about what is acceptable actions. Such as how much of it being a game should be allowed to influence what they feel is right or wrong. Are NPCs people or just bundles of XP with conversation trees?
It may feel like a slow start with the amount of exposition and world building that needs to be done to establish where the main character is in life and the state of the world around them. But once they join their companions it quickly picks up momentum.
ChrysalismPancakeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
One part feel-good gamelit fantasy, one part examination of AI and what it means to be a person, and one part discourse on creating effective societal change, Soul Bound refreshes and reinvigorates the tired tropes of logging into a game to create real change. It even carries that out into the real world, by teaching the readers important lessons without feeling preachy or losing the essence of a woman playing a game with her friends.
It doesn't shy away from the realities of where our world is headed, but nonetheless conveys a message of optimism that yes, we can create a more empathetic, people-centric society. We can even have fun doing it!
How? Well, you'll have to read the story to find out.
Style
The author creates a sense of optimism and community with their writing. Bad things happen, and bad people exist, but they have emotional impact to enhance the message of optimism rather than detracting from it.
Story
The pacing is used as a tool to convey the characters' perspectives; when the characters feel rushed off their feet, so do we. When the characters have a moment to breathe, so does the story. The plot feels well put-together, balancing ongoing plot curves well with what feels like only the very beginning of the overarching plot.
Grammar
Excellent. I'm the kind of reader where, if there are spelling and grammar mistakes, it jars me out of the whole experience. That isn't an issue with Soul Bound. I have a small quibble with the habit of announcing who is speaking by starting the line with their name followed by a colon, but that's personal preference, not a mandate from the MLA.
Characters
The author does an excellent job with their characters. Each has a distinct voice, goals, priorities, troubles, and history. The author especially does an excellent job with different identities and neurodivergence. As an autistic reader, it is a rare treat to see an autistic character handled so well; His autism is definitely a part of him, and its advantages and disad
KittiaaraRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Soul Bound is a tale of the near future, based on credible progressions of existing technology. Nothing in the book stands out as “Oh, this is so wild it could only be magic.”
In discussing Soul Bound, it would be remiss to not comment on the world building. The author paints a detailed view of a world on the edge of becoming a dystopian nightmare but with avenues of hope remaining. From huge corporations extending their reach around the globe to small coffee shops in Bosnia, the picture painted is detailed without being overwhelming.
I'll admit to being a sucker for LitRPG novels but if I had one criticism of the genre it would be a tendency to create often far-fetched ways to introduce the game system. Soul Bound doesn’t fall into that category. The action spans both in and out of the game world, with the game world action making perfect sense within the context of the larger story.
I don’t want to go into much detail on the plot, but I will say that every character has motivations that are credible and you are never left thinking “Huh? Where did that come from?"
Speaking of the characters, I am reminded more of Brandon Sanderson than typical LitRPG novels. It's not just the main characters that are fleshed out and feel real, a huge array of side characters are well developed and come to life in the pages.
I will not comment on the grammar and spelling, since I know the author well and was both an alpha reader and helped to edit the book for paperback publication.
Allister HaleRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I did not review for grammar, thus the 3.5
Stories set around Virtual Reality MMOs are at once a science fiction story on the side of reality, and on the flipside that is the game, a second genera in the world of the game. Douglas Reay has answered the question few stories seem to take the time to ponder. "Why have a story set in two worlds?"
Our protagonist Nadine, Kafana, is a true Paragon of her archetype, the Mary-Sue of all things. She is without a doubt the most well written chracter of the type of have ever read. The cause of this comes down to the simple fact that every other part of the story is on point.
In Nadine we recieve the answer to the question of why this story should be about poeple playing a videogame. She was meant to be a world famous singer, a feat she even acomplished, before the expert AI systems were perfected enough that she recognized her time was over, even as it was just begining. Instead she retired to the balkan countryside and opened a coffee shop where she could sing a little in the evenings. She saw an insurmountable issue and made a new answer for herself.
Nadine's plot armor comes in the form of her friends alumni and verterans of their mentor's college course on effective politcal activism. In the VRMMO Kafana and the other Wombles apply this training to extend the reach they have already built in their time since college. Each a master of their role they collective accel at every chalenge put in their way. They answer the question of why a story should be set in two worlds.
The answer Douglas Reay gives us is that while the worlds of fiction offer us escape, they also offer us the strength and skills to make our on lives just the slightest bit better. They allow us to take a situation with two hard choices and alows us to find the third answer, the one that doesnt make the world a darker, greyer place.
misssaturnRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I am without words on how good this novel is. The main reason for that is how much I have been learning while I read this, there are so many political/social/economic topics... It shows how the writer is well read.
It's not just the science, but the human aspect as well. With relatable stories and aspects that will probably face and are already facing.
I am an artist myself, and I have been so happy with the abundance of beautiful and emotional songs shared. It's a true cultural journey. Lost count of how many times I have cried.
The psychology involved, how many characters are portraited... Can't imagine. If this is the first novel written by this author, I would be surprised.
I so recommend this. I would so far to say it's a must to understanding many aspects in our past, present and future society. Maybe it can sound a bit too much for some, but it definitely feels like that for me.
TheShadowofChangeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
There is something to be said about a GOOD cliche. They are cliche for a reason. People love them and will never stop loving them.
The whole "shifters + soulmates" thing is a well done trope. But it's also awesome. And our MC's counterpart is far cry from the stereotypical, and not just because they are female too.
The writing could be better. A lot better. But, I have faith the author will take the time needed to give it the polish it deserves.
I won't spoil to much, but there is magic, mad science, a mysterious new continent and obvious political intrigue on the horizon. Oh and lost hints of a lost civilization with uber-magic: the ever legendary Atlantis.
Has it all been done before? Sure. Together? No. Not really. Not as far as I know.
The author has their own spin on tropes and story elements, some of which are almost as old as fiction, but what a fresh take it is!
Honestly, I really really hope this work is not going to get abandoned. Too many good stories live brief on Royal Road only to die before their time.
Rookie12Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The story follows Nadine Sabanagic, or Kafana, a rather jovial and funny young lady who is living a regular life. One day she receives a rather unusual group from her friends, the Wombles, and this gift allows her to enter a virtual reality. And from here, a journey begins! Along with a System, of course.
If you have read LITrpg before, you might be a little lost at first. The story takes some time to get going; it introduces us to Nadine's life, her character, why we should care about her and the other characters, and submerges us in the VR world rather slowly, explaining everything. But this is offset by the fact that the characters' interactions are rich with action; the plot (even if it is every day life) is written with humor and is capable of picking up interest. The system and the attributes are explained a bit later, but they are every bit as competent as the other works.
Style. It feels both like it is racing toward the end goal and moving slowly at the same time. At no point did I feel like my time was wasted, but after finishing an arc, I would often catch myself thinking: "Wait, that was fast!" I did not feel cheated, so I rank the author five stars for such clever use of words.
Story: It is wholesome, even if some troubles arise. The author made it easy to root for the MC and the Wombles while maintaining the integrity of the world. Reading chapter after chapter, I, as a reader, was interested in what would happen next. Five stars.
Grammar. I am a non-native English speaker, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. There are some mistakes, but the author fixes them when they are pointed out, so the author clearly cares about the work and pours their whole soul into it. The vocabulary is rich; there is very little repetition, so I rank the work four and a half stars, despite the grammatical mistakes.
Characters. Likeable. They managed to keep me reading for quite a while before I decided to leave a review. Four and a half stars; excellent job here at sho