The Abyssal World

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The Abyssal World. An unforgiving world.

Where does their food come from? What happened to the world? Does life exist outside of their toxic wasteland?

Raised on the rusted piers of the Chemical Sea, Noland has survived by scavenging. Raised under a foster father, he grew up with two other orphans, Lucky and Jade, who each have their own unique talents and focuses. Fenrik, their foster father, is sick. This prompts Noland to travel further out to try and find ancient relics in the hopes to pay for a cure.

Read now and discover what will unfold.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: Drunken Sailor822

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 62
Views: 4,474

Chapters(13 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(5)

A. StargazerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Normally I consider a prologue to be an unnecessary or unwanted appendage, but in this case it did a solid job of introducing the world and the three protagonists, albeit in infant form. Their adoption was well done and it really set the mood for the rest of the work.
From there, the story fell into a stride of a typical young adult novel set in a steampunk setting with certain brutal truths hidden beneath the surface. The world that the characters live in is terrible, polluted, and dangerous, but they're just trying to do their best to get by.
Which is what leads to the discovery of certain terrible secrets.
Overall I enjoyed reading this story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys steampunk.
Stylistically the story is, as mentioned in the title, aimed more towards the young adult crowd. It's not fancy but it reads perfectly well and the prose is enjoyable. It paints a solid picture in your head without being flowery and it doesn't meander unnecessarily too much.
Grammatically I saw very few errors in the chapters I reviewed.
The story itself has a solid premise and the author clearly has a vision for where the plot will take them.
As for the characters, the protagonists are ironically the weakest link in the chain at the moment. They're basically just a bunch of kids stumbling about in the dark, and it shows. Compared to their ill caretaker or the other jaded adults, they're not very interesting yet, but they have plenty of room to grow.
Either way I encourage the author to continue writing, as they're off to an incredible start!
LubjubRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style – Really great use of descriptions in creating such a bleak and messed up world. The sea and the mystery surrounding it is really intriguing along with the order of things in the places people are still living in. Pacing is strong and never feels like it’s doing too much or little of where it’s going.
Story – Strong dystopian tones. How do you survive in a world that’s very much on the brink. Well, it seems to be ok for those with a bit of power. But for the cast it’s do what ever it takes. The combination of the plot, characters and the world building really create an engaging story. I think there was a great start to the story introducing The Chemical Sea and transitioning that into the City and how the plot device and the matters surrounding it with the relics. Which may add was a surprising twist to the style of that. To avoid spoilers, I won’t mention the later chapters, but it was rather shocking for sure (in a good way)
Grammar – Very well written the authors gone, over and over I didn’t spot anything concerning at all.
Characters – This was a real highlight of the story. Noland has a deep grounding in the reality of the world with a hint of caring deep down. To the more impulsive, bubbly and upbeat Lucky all the way to Jade’s strong spirit, vulnerability to gross things and protective nature. Mystery surrounds the characters and the ones that start appearing along the way like Fenrik really add that perspective of how messed up the world is which you will find out when reading. They contrast against each other well and that really helps to bring life to a world that pretty wants everyone dead as soon as possible.
I’m not quite sure still what the magic is in the world, it seems a mix of traditional magics like producing flames and that sort of thing but also that it’s like a replacement for fuels like gasoline and coal too. May need to clarify this because it’s not obvious. Not that it detracts from the story, just an observation.
Overall – Get on boar
NerokazamaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Story:
The Chemical Sea opens on a striking premise: a polluted ocean of alchemy and danger, creaking machinery, and hidden agendas. The world unfolds gradually, letting readers discover its rules alongside the characters. Pacing is deliberate, building suspense without overwhelming you with lore dumps. The balance between exploration, moral dilemmas, and creeping dread keeps the plot engaging.
Style:
The narrative employs present-tense narration, which adds immediacy but didn’t fully resonate with me. I generally prefer past tense for longer fantasy or horror reads—past tense felt more comfortable and familiar. That said, the prose remains clear and purposeful, favoring momentum over flourishes. While the present tense occasionally disrupted my reading flow, I respect the choice for heightening tension.
Grammar:
The manuscript is polished, with very few punctuation slips or awkward constructions. Sentence structures vary enough to maintain interest, though a handful of lines could benefit from tighter phrasing. Overall, errors are rare, and the writing demonstrates strong command of language and narrative clarity.
Characters:
Noland stands out as an everyman hero—grounded, cautious, and relatable. His pragmatic outlook offers a refreshing counterpoint to grandiose protagonists. Lucky’s cautious optimism and Jade’s fierce protectiveness round out the trio nicely. Even secondary figures like Fenrik carry emotional weight, thanks to well-placed dialogue and subtle backstory hints. Their interactions feel genuine, with humor and conflict arising naturally.
Overall:
The Chemical Sea delivers a dark, immersive adventure with believable stakes and a distinct atmosphere. My only reservation is a slight discomfort with the present-tense narration—but that’s a personal preference rather than a flaw in execution. The story’s world-building, character dynamics, and suspenseful reveals make it a strong read for anyone drawn to grimfantasy or speculative fiction. I’m eager to se
QaosRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Story: The Chemical Sea plunges readers into a vividly imagined industrial-fantasy dystopia. The premise of a toxic orange-green ocean dividing the wealthy citadel from a ruined pier-city feels fresh and perilous. Early chapters unfold deliberately, grounding us in Noland’s scavenging routine before mysteries arise – from hints of cruel child experiments to the discovery of an alchemical relic and a "Mana Elixir" recipe. The pacing is steady; suspense builds through these discoveries, keeping tension simmering.
Style: The prose is clear and utilitarian, using present-tense narration for immediacy (though it may not suit all readers). Imagery is vivid – details like the "sea of chemicals with twisting shades of orange and green" and the smog-choked city linger in the mind. Dialogue often leavens the grim tone (Jade’s running gag of hugging-then-punching Noland is a memorable bit of dark humor). The writing favors momentum and concrete detail over flourish, keeping the story accessible.
Characters: The core cast feels like a found family. Noland is a grounded, cautious everyman; Lucky provides optimistic inventiveness; Jade brings fierce protectiveness and comic brawn; and Fenrik adds a world-weary mentor voice. Their banter and genuine care for each other (e.g. Jade fussing when Noland gets into trouble) feel authentic. Depth is starting to show – each character has clear motivations and quirks suggesting growth ahead.
Grammar and Editing: The writing is polished. I noticed almost no spelling or punctuation errors, and sentence flow is smooth. Formatting is consistent, and present-tense narration doesn’t disrupt clarity. In short, the prose is well-edited and any minor phrasing quirks are rare enough not to pull readers out of the story.
Overall, The Chemical Sea offers a compelling mix of grim steampunk adventure and character-driven intrigue. Its world-building and tone stand out, making this a promising serial. I’m eager to see where it leads.
blugailRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story really shines in world-building. The setting is unique. It’s on a Sea but it’s not pirates. It’s almost but not quite satirically dark, with human life valued about the least of anything.
The story follows three young toxic-waste scavengers: Nolan, Lucky, and Jade. And each of them is well portrayed with their own strengths, personality and world view. And the banter between them is genuinely fun.
The world itself seems to be some sort of hierarchical society built both from the top down (literally the city above) and the bottom up, as it seems the higher ups need something from the toxic waste run-off they now call the chemical sea that only the Scavengers can collect.
The stories biggest issue is with the grammar. I had to read each chapter twice to fully comprehend them. It does things like mixing past and present tense in the same sentence, and just picks some odd word choices.
That said, it is easy to see what the author is trying to do, and if you sort of proofread it as you go along you can get past it.
The story feels like the plot of an adventure role-playing game with lots of McGuffins to collect, areas to explore, and chemicals to experiment with.
It’s good, it just needs some polish.