Starbound Ascendent

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The Nymphryn (flying cat) must level up to save all of existence. In the process it must visit strange new worlds with strange new creatures on the way to achieving missions, all while solving puzzles and acquiring fun jewelry and weapons. Star Trek meets Legend of Zelda (and eventually Quantum Leap) for cats. A mostly cozy adventure.

Current Schedule: Updated 3 days a week

Planet List: Dusthaven, Verdalis, Morrath, Solvaris, Fae Land

Soft Spoilers below

Dusthaven: fantasy, desert planet

Verdalis: fantasy + puzzles, green planet

Morrath: fantasy, soft sci-fi, psychological thriller, water planet

Solvaris: soft sci-fi, Dyson/Alderson ring(ish).

Fae Land (you are here): fantasy

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Altair Polaris

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.0/ 5.0
Followers: 311
Views: 27,080

Chapters(48 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(6)

Ellen TaylorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This was fun. I really enjoyed this one.
I'm going to dive into the sections, starting with the easiest ones. Grammar is always going to be a five stars from me unless I see something glaringly obvious that pulls me out of the story. The grammar was great, and I didn't notice anything, honestly. Well done.
The style is beautiful. Easy five stars from me. The writing of this story is so beautiful, almost poetic when it's talking about the cosmos. The writing and the word choice were all superb. When talking about stars and space and cosmos, the author captured it really well with their words, and it was a delight to read.
The story was fun. It was a nice change of pace to see a cat being the lead. It had a very solid story with puzzles and mysteries and it was fun to be along for the journey. The world itself has a lot of potential, and I feel like we're getting a touch of it here with more to reveal later.
The character, too, was great. As said before, I enjoyed seeing a non-human character and experience that for a bit. The cat was fun to watch and to see get stronger.
Overall, a lovely story. Give it a read!
Perry OkeefeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story showcases a masterful command of language, weaving together evocative imagery and cosmic grandeur to create a deeply immersive setting. The descriptions of the universe and the nymphryn are strikingly vivid, painting a picture of celestial beauty that captivates the imagination. The prose reads like poetry, with phrases such as "woven with threads of starlight and shadow" and "fur as soft as the mist of a distant nebula" standing out as particularly exquisite.
The style remains a standout, with vivid, lyrical prose that paints a universe teeming with wonder and mystery. The juxtaposition of ethereal imagery and the nymphryn’s dry, humorous commentary adds a unique charm to the narrative. Descriptions such as the "Obsidian Fields where shadows dance and stars hesitate to shine" immerse the reader in an otherworldly setting while maintaining a sense of foreboding.
From a grammatical standpoint, the text is polished and error-free, with smooth transitions that maintain the narrative's flow. The introduction of the system interface adds a playful contrast to the otherwise ethereal tone, injecting a sense of modern gamified progression.
The nymphryn itself is a compelling character, blending feline grace with cosmic mystique. However, it feels more like an observer than a participant in its own story at times. I would love to see more introspection or active decision-making to make me feel more sense of connection to it.
ProviderRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Cool imaginative story featuring a planethopping cat, so lots to like already and little to dislike.
The story starts out well right out of the gate, with a large scope and lofty goals. As the story progresses, new worlds and creatures are encountered, each presenting a different challenge to overcome, which helps keep the story fresh and interesting. The locales are described in vivid details and the native creatures have distinct personalities and attributes that makes each chapter and location visited interesting and memorable.
The style and grammar are excellent, making it easy to read. There's no spelling or obvious grammatical errors and the sentences flow well. I didn't find anything that was jarring, although I am not a native English speaker.
The star cat itself is a little campy and full of himself, with some quippy commentary here and there that is often humourous. The dialogue generally flows well and the pacing is good, if a little on the fast side, but still in the range that is typical for fics on Royal Road.
Overall, a good read that is recommended if you like cats with an attitude issue or celestial beings getting hairy with all kinds of metaphysical problems.
R. C. VettaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
An absolutely wild overpowered ride!
So many of the stories on this site are about a cool guy or pretty girl main character who gains power and executes all the other troupes of fantasy.
This story is an out of the box take on the LitRpg fantasy genre.
I really liked how amorphous the whole thing is in the beginning. It made me feel the cosmic scale of everything and on what kind of scale the story was going to take place within.
Style- The style feels very cultivated to me in that each aspect of the story is distinct. The narrator has a different feel to the main character and they have a different feel from the antagonists. Very often an author's style can make their story feel homogenous. I really like how the author makes everything feel distinct.
Grammar- Minor formatting suggests were all I can think of.
Story- I am absolutely fascinated about this story about an all powerful yet growing cosmic winged cat. Traditional methods of making connection and interpersonal relationships are not an option in this one and I am looking forward to seeing how the author expands the story.
Character- At first the main character as a cat feels like a novelty, but as the story progresses I found it an awesome change of pace from the norm. I get vibes from the main character that reminds me of all the sassy cats from popular fictions like binx and salem.
Overall the story is a great read especially if you are looking for something different from the common hero story. Highly recommended!
longwindedone1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This review comes after reading the first eight chapters of Starbound Ascendent. I apologize for any spoilers.
Story
This story begins with the awakening of the nymphryn. It is a guardian of cosmic order that is trying to unlock lost powers and memories. It confronts enemies along the way, like wraiths and the Ashwarden, all while trying to reclaim its role in the universe. The MC is like if a tressym from D&D is crossed with the Silver Surfer. The story combines RPG elements with traditional fantasy and is feels episodic in nature.
Style
The tone is that of humor mixed with grand cosmic grandeur (word point for me). It's lighthearted in its first person POV. We follow the nymphryn’s thoughts and actions closely. The dialogue is good. This is story represents the fantastical side of fantasy.
Grammar
I'm not one to comment too harshly on this category since I consume things using the audio features of the RR app. But everything sounded good with me and seemed to flow smoothly.
Characters
The nymphryn’s personality carries the story. It has cosmic wisdom and some feline quirks. The Ashwarden started as a bad guy, but then turned into an ally. They are a dragon like creature. There are some shadow leapers and tetraguards (insect creatures) that test the MC's combat abilities. Lastly, there are some locals in Dusthaven that are lizard creatures who seem to view the MC as a savior.
I think my favorite part of this story, like any story, is the humorous internal monologue of the MC. Come for the funny, stay for the wonder! 5/5
Jonathan BRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I like your story quite a lot, your opening chapter was especially cool and helped to draw me in. I'll include some of my thoughts below.
Style: Your descriptions are very colorful and detailed. Again, your opening chapter really was excellent and made your story stand out to me.
Grammar: No issues as far as I can tell.
Story: I'm intrigued by the mystery you've created and all the different worlds you'll be taking us through.
Character: I like the Nymphryn as a character and am interested to see it unlock it's memories, but it did get a bit too quippy for my taste. For this supposed millennia old being made of stars and cosmos, it sometimes reminded me more of a marvel hero with the one-liners.
I'm interested to learn more about the backstory of the Nymphryn. The final member of an ancient race is a concept that I always find interesting.
Very cool descriptors for the Shadow Lepers. Their eyes are like voids within voids.
You stated the shadow lepers were hungry. What would a star creature eat?
It's fascinating thinking about how enormous the nymphryn must be if it's able to just casually walk across star systems. I might bring that up when it goes to different planets, is there a size difference between when the cats in space versus planetbound? You mention in a later chapter that it now has a corporeal body, but I would explain that sooner.
I've warmed up a lot to the star cats personality. He's a little full of himself. I especially liked when he was on the desert planet and was hoping he'd be regarded as a deity.
On Dusthaven you have the Nymphryn crack a joke about the Dune movies and I'm conflicted on whether I liked that or not. On one hand I thought it was funny, but would this celestial cat that travels the cosmos know enough about Earth culture to make that sort of observation? You could even have the cat wonder how it knows this information, possibly hinting or foreshadowing that it's familiar with the planet Earth.
I like the different alien types you'v