The Autumn of Yggdrasil [Dungeon Apocalypse]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

[Hiatus: being rewritten]

[rewrite will release summer 2023]

The sky sundered and the earth cried. Humanity could only look up while the heavens were changing.

Alduin, 19 years old, is suddenly thrust into an ever-intensifying battle of survival when the world gets overrun by monsters. The day humanity reached a crescendo now lay behind him as he tries to protect his loved ones from a world where even goblins are stronger than the average person.

Follow Alduin as he fights monsters with strategy, conquers dungeons, and challenges his fate in a world descending into chaos.

What you can expect: (Progression Fantasy)

1. Dungeon apocalypse[Yggdrasil]2. Cultivating in a magic system based on[Norse mythology]3. Gradual introduction to magic and dungeons(Ch.19)4. Potentially great foreshadowing for the attentive readers

The start might be a bit slow but it picks up rather quickly,this is a character driven epic/progression fantasy.

Book 1: The Realm of Midgard

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2022
Author: Thorgal

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.0/ 5.0
Followers: 272
Views: 76,327

Chapters(57 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

SwirlingSeasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Rereviewed at chapter 25. Dungeons and magic progression is gradually introduced with inspiration from history and norse mythology (Yggdrasil).
So I’m reviewing this story based on the naming decision, specifically the FMC named Veleda. Veleda is a well known germanic Prophetess (actual historical figure) where I live and it seems this is being integrated as dreams in this story. Which become clearer the further you read.
Story: bit of a slow start but it’s a nice foundation for the story to leap of off. Especially when you get to know the world before the apocalypse and when the prologue inevitably comes to fruition.
character: they are well introduced and have realistic dynamics, especially in relation to the world around them. There’s definitely more than meets the eye and a larger story is being set up.
Grammar: it’s good, no mistakes in particular catch my eye.
Style: the ever increasing tension is well executed. I particularly like the implementation of norse elements which become more prominent the further you read.
Overall: if you like a progression fantasy with high stakes and tension and plenty of mythological elements then this might be your thing. Especially the focus on Yggdrasil and the implementation of magic is interesting.
JEPayneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a gritty story, shying away from the bright, clean lines of a lot of portal style fantasy and opting instead to emphasis the confusion and horror of an apocalyptic scenario such as this. There are no mentors already versed in the system, no tutorials, just a bunch of monsters that absolutely ruin the pathetically weak humans, who are scrambling to survive and discover everything about this new and brutal world. Imagine having to feel your way blindly through cultivation and you'll know how the MC feels in this story!
Style - does tend to straddle between 3rd person limited and omniscient, but for the most part this isn't disruptive to the story. Descriptors are clear and evocative, and build the tone of the world beautifully, and the story spends a lot of time in the heads of the characters so you know are keeping up with their thoughts and feelings the whole time.
Story - one of the things I loved most about this story is how gritty it is. People die. A LOT. They're, for the most part, horribly outmatched and it shows. Themes of confusion, terror and death are rampant throughout the story. If you're a fan of grimdark, you'll be a fan of this.
Grammar - generally good, there are a few consistent technical mistakes (correct punctuation in dialogue, mostly) but unless this is a personal bug bear of yours it shouldn't be an issue as it doesn't impact the information being conveyed.
Character - fantastic character work. The cast is quite large, but every one of them feels unique and fleshed out with their own thoughts, feelings and motivations.
All in all, this story is for dungeon fans who like their stories dark, their body counts high and the deaths gruesome! There's no free lunches, the magic is devastating and scary, even to those who inadvertently wield it, and the very ground and sky feel sinister and oppressive.
PizzaPizzaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
As described in the blurb, it's a very classic 'dungeon apocalypse' story with a slow buildup that emphasizes character development. The character interactions do take a while to build up though, and the 'meat' of the story really isn't there until chapter 19.
If I had to offer any constructive criticism for the story as a whole though, it's that it really needs a punctuation and concision run. Otherwise, it's a solid start and I look forward to seeing what the author does with this nextt.
zaifyrRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Edit: author has fixed a lot of grammar issues in the early chapters
This story will really draw you in. It starts off by getting you introduced to several characters. This part starts off a little slow but sets up a really strong foundation that the story can leap off of. Once I finished the first 5 chapters, it really started to fly.
There is a lot of combat with real stakes to keep the tension high.
The story and Characters are the strongest parts of this work. So I will talk about them first.
Story: This is an apocalypse with a unique twist. It will pull you along, and it doesn't slow down once it gets going.
Characters: There is a wide range of characters that give you glimpses of what is going on from many lenses. Normally this is very hard to pull off, but this author does it very well. Each character is a case from a different template. And they all fit into the story in a useful way that advances either another character or the plot.
Grammer: Every once in a while I see an odd turn of phrase, but it didn't take me out of the story.
Style: The events are released in portions. Some things remain hidden touch too long. It goes past the building tension just a little bit. Though it does pay off.
OrlonDogmannRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
If there is something I deeply love about reading stories in this medium is watching how the authors stumble and feel up their ways through their own stories, slowly starting to get a grip on their own ideas and improving with them. This is a shining example of that, with a bit of a slow and rough start soon polishing more and more as the story itself picks up. That's how special things are born, at least in my opinion.
Style: There is no time to waste in moments of crisis and our narrator knows this, going from parragraph to parragraph with quick and snappy descriptions that marvelously land and paint our apocalyptic landscape. I am a fan of these quickly paced stories, but I am also aware they are certainly not for everyone.
Story: He grimdarkness of this landscape is impossible to escape, the end times have reached us and now it is time to either adapt or die a gruesome, painful death. These kinds of motivations are great to see what our characters are truly made of and I enjoy them very, very much!
Grammar: As a non-native english reader the grammar never really ticked me off at all, but I am aware of some issues with punctuation here and there that could be a problem for the more peckish reader.
Character: We have a wide cast of characters with their own motivations, their own ideals and their own ways to adapt to the situation they have been thrown into, and that is all I ask of a story like this. The world itself feels like a character with a whimsical and impulsive personality, sometimes throwing the worst threats it has to our heroes, and sometimes actually gifting them with the tools they need to survive.
Speaking of tools: Magic! What can be said about such a visceral system? This is the sort of power that I enjoy: the one that is used sporadically, but when it is released it shakes the ground beneath you. It's impactful, painful, scary but interesting at the same time, it simply begs to be explored and understood despite its terrifying nature. I love it.
Ellen TaylorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I read to the introduction arc of the story, (chapter 5) and enjoyed my time reading it.
The style was a third person that seemed for the most part through our main characters point of view, and yet every so often the POV would head hop and the reader would get a reaction from another character, so mostly limited, but would lean into omniscient. It didn't bother me by any means, and I feel it was handled well. There was a flashback that was also handled smoothly and I never got confused by it.
The grammar was done well for the most part. There were some things with the punctuation of the dialogue (mostly commas) that were missing. For example: "It's my fault" MC said. Instead of "It's my fault," MC said. But those are easy enough fixes.
The story was wonderful. I'm kind of a sucker for slow burn, get to know your characters real well before pushing them off into the plot, so this beginning segment was nice for me. The prologue gave me just the right amount of a hint to settle in and get to know these characters for five chapters. The world building was all there, and I was intrigued by this little town and the inhabitants that were about to be attacked.
Characters were great. At one point toward the end I was starting to get mixed up with some of the minor characters, but it only took a few more paragraphs to straighten it out. But the romance that was blooming between the two main characters was sweet. Even if it was interrupted by the apocalypse.
Overall a great read with a good, solid foundation of what these characters and story are.
Bluelightning42Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This series so far has been split into several sections/arcs and I almost want to review them all separately because they've been separated in the description.
So far in the story we have.
Chapters 1-5: Introduction arc
Chapters 6-18: Goblin arc
Chapters 19-...: Breath of Magic arc
The introduction is to show the relevant characters, the 'goblin arc' is to show a bit of the threat of the apocalypse and chapter 19 is where what I'd call the meat of the story starts.
Personally pure content wise I've liked all three sections, the first two arcs could have been a bit shorter but all the scenes presented and alot of the stuff thats happening are all fun. If you are having trouble at the start but are interested in the Yggdrasil premis you could skip to chapter 19+ to see what the "start" of everything is like.
Characters for the most part are good. They are mostly realistic and all have personalities - I will say I found it hard to keep track of a few people outside the main names but that got easier and easier to deal with the more time was spent with them. The intro section definitely helped start to build/show their personalities and the small amount of romance so far was cute. I can tell this series will be character focused and give the much needed time to everyone.
There are nearly no spelling mistakes and I like the descriptions of things but...
A mixture of Style/Prose and Grammar makes alot of the start harder to read - specifically the first two arcs. Starting from C19 it becomes much easier to read and I urge anyone who might have troubles to skip through to that point.
Tone, tense, and general style of the content changes frequently within paragraphs - it can be halting and might break flow while reading. Minor cases of purple prose crop up everywhere - impactful scenes feel well described with fun word choices and cool descriptions but alot of minor scenes also get the heavy descriptions and it ends up slowing the content down.
I'll stick around/come
Rhea BringRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Read past the sixth chapter. The first two chapters begin with the heady sensation of epic fantasy, but as always, you need a build. That is the character arc, and it slows down enough to us to the broad and engaging world but with easter eggs strewn all throughout. Keep your eyes peeled. These chapters are important.
I adore how the author weaves the story. Things that make little sense in the beginning unravel, bringing only more questions to unpeel the further in we go.
And when it begins... it begins with a bang. No spoilers, you'll know when you get there.
~ Style is on point. It's an easy read with excellent imagery. Some points were confusing on purpose, drawing us into the world with questions and avoiding pesky info-dumps. Some showing vs telling, but the author is continuously focused on improving and honing his craft, which means it only gets better the further you read. The voice shines through distinctly and creatively.
~ Story is excellent to where I currently write this review. It begins with a bang, then pulls back to introduce us to the characters before driving into the Incedent. Totally deserving of full marks here. You can tell the story is well thought through and has been meticulously crafted, as has the world. I genuinely can't wait to see where the author takes this.
~ Grammar is good. There's some typos and things out of place, but absolutely nothing that detracted from the story.
~ Characters are wonderfully crafted. The dialogue cracked me up and the relationships between the characters is like being placed in the middle of a family dinner. You can feel the relation between the characters, from the laugh out loud teasing to the underlying tension between siblings. I adored the grandfatherly doting between Edward and the MC. It shines. The MC has mysteries floating beneath the surface that makes us realize he's more than what he seems... and he shows compassion, empathy, and a deep tenacity that is endearing. All in all, a great MC to cheer
wiserthanthouRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Where other stories in these collected genres would have the action start in chapter 1 and get to fighting and number crunching by chapter 3, this story does things a little differently. It has a slow pace, a build up to the action, really letting you see how messed up this kind of scenario would be for people in the real world. The angle taken by the author really is the strongest part about this story and it got me reading more to see what would happen next.
Style: The author's style is quite good, it reads simply and easily. There are some parts where words are repeated too close together but I am very hyper aware of that kind of thing so that could very well be a me issue, haha. As mentioned before, the author does a tremendous job bringing a sense of danger and high stakes to the story, easing you in before putting the characters into real danger. Which leads me to another one of my favorite parts about this work...
Story: Goblins!! The first big threat are the punching bags of the fantasy world and, in this story at least, they are a real threat. I absolutely loved having goblins that were a danger, it makes me excited to see what the author will do with more advanced monsters, if this is what goblins are capable, would a troll just be completely unstoppable?? The story is great, full of real stakes. It does take a little while to get going, but I personally didn't mind that too much.
Grammar: This is an area where the story falters a little bit. I didn't notice any spelling errors or anything but what I did notice was that sometimes the author has a bad habit of not ending a dialogue tag with a period before it. There are many character dialogues that don't have a punctuation and it's a bit distracting. But in the grand scheme of things that's an easy fix and I'm sure the author will have it fixed up in no time!
Character: The characters are great! There is a fun little romance brewing that I really enjoyed and the towns people all have shared histories and r
Nicholas MorganRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
At the moment, there is intrigue here. The story reads like a system apocalypse, except there is no system. So currently, we have a war of the worlds scenario, where there are invaders for whom humanity is not equipped to handle. The author seems to have a plan in how the world will be revealed. The lore looks to be an important part and the ground work is being laid. It's definitely got the feeling of tension down. The writing is very good, it is good to read in the way that characters are distinct and the grammar is seamless. The dialogue is impeccable, which is pleasing. I think the story has a lot of potential, solely on the quality of the writing. Give it a chance! As I get further in, I'll update my review with something more substantial.