The Bard's Odyssey

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

In the wake of his best friend's tragic death, Simon Everland has been wandering the globe, haunted by the past. But when a plane crash abruptly halts his journey home, Simon finds himself in the afterlife. Presented with a choice for his next path, he discovers a startling revelation that will push him to embark on a dangerous adventure.

Will Simon’s wits and cunning be enough to overcome the insurmountable odds set against him to find his friend?

On Hiatus while author works on his prose and short stories. Also, he is preparing to begin his first year teaching.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2023
Author: Ryan_Hair

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 5.0/ 5.0
Followers: 30
Views: 10,055

Chapters(10 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

skittle_eaterRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It gives a little bit of Percy Jackson vibes (one of my favorite childhood books) but with more intense plot, higher stakes, and characters that are more relatable now. in general, the author is pretty good at luring in his audience. I think it's very solid start, excited for more!
FightingAggie23Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Aggies help Aggies. Ryan has done a great job with the first 3 chapters and I can't wait for more. Simon's a good character, the premise is interesting, his references are really great and his style of writing feels like an actual author. I can tell their is potential in his writing. But most of all Aggies support Aggies! We're cheering for the story to make it big.
Jess01Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This novelette portrays an ordinary man navigating life, resonating with readers. Yet, it ventures into imaginative realms, provoking contemplation at every turn. Looking for a short story that will leave you pondering life itself? Dive into this captivating tale! I'm looking forward to the next chapters that will be released soon.
DeltLion99Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I didn't know what kind of story Ryan would come up with when I first met him during our first year in college. But after reading the first three chapters I can't wait to see what else he has in store. The Bard's Odyssey is a series that starts strong and twists familiar tropes in interesting and comedic ways.
His writing style is really good and makes envisioning the scenery easy. I am able to clearly follow along and the way he sets up parapgraphs and sentences feels professional.
The story itself is a really strong start and lays foundations for the story to come. I wonder where Simon will go on his journey to find his friend. If it's anything as well set up or foreashaodwed as the first three chapters I'm sure it'll be good.
Simon's Character is really good. I instantly felt sympathetic for him and felt like a connection was forming. He felt real, I don't know how to put it in other terms. Simon feels like a real guy who is trying his best to move on and has his own problems he deals with. In the matter of three chapters it feels like Simon is already having some charcater development.
Grammar is impeccable. Nothing to critize here. My Grammarly barely went off.
Overall, Ryan is a talented writer who has a drive and passion to make something great. I want to be there to see it happen. Give The Bard's Odyssey a read, you won't regret it.
black_swanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
i am really enjoying this story so far. well thought out and easy to get engaged with the characters and concepts. doesn't feel shallow and doesn't take itself too seriously, nicely balanced with humor. blasted through the chapters pretty quick, sad when i ran out of chapters :/
very promising in general, excited for more
cola19Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I thought the character of Simon is interesting. It's a different take on the afterlife that I'm curious to see more about. The danger of the other world could be interesting and I want to know if the archangel will follow him or just be watching on the outside. Needless to say I can't wait til next week to read some more.
drewmcgunnRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
To get this out of the way, this review is part of a review swap. Having said that, this review was a fun ride.
Style: I've got to say, diving into "The Bard's Odyssey" by Ryan felt like being welcomed into a whole new realm of creative brilliance. I was charmed from the get-go, a testament to Ryan's storytelling finesse. The detailed imagery brought the Afterlife to life with such vibrancy that it felt like I was right beside Simon, sharing his experience. Maybe I’m biased, but it's pretty clear to me that Ryan's writing style is a treasure, the kind that leaves you yearning for more.
Grammar: Now, let's talk about the grammar in "The Bard's Odyssey" I was struck by how Ryan's command of language translated into such smooth-flowing sentences. It felt like floating down a river, with the dialogue serving as stepping stones, bringing the characters to life. This dedication to detail really enriched my reading experience.
Story: The story? It's like nothing I've ever encountered. It kicks off with this gray office that serves as the doorway to the Afterlife. I mean, how refreshing is that? It instantly hooked me in, eager to explore what lies beyond. As I navigated through the tale, Ryan introduced all these different Afterlife options, including what brings most of us to this tale: this thing called Isekai.
Character: Although I’m only 3 chapters in, its evident that Ryan has a knack for breathing life into characters, making them resonate with me. Simon, felt like an old friend. His reactions and curiosity mirrored my own, making me feel deeply invested in his journey.
Overall: Simply put, "The Bard's Odyssey" is an extraordinary ride that Ryan masterfully steers. He’s setting up an adventure that I’m really looking forward to taking with Simon. This is a fun and immersive read. If you're like me, you'll be left eagerly waiting for what else Ryan has up his creative sleeve.
jrocha22Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Very intriguing novel! The worldbuilding is promising, and Simon is an enjoyable and relatable main character. I feel the author does a great job of keeping his audience on their toes.
Overall the story is a conjunction of the elements of old literary works with a modern twist.
I am very curious to see what more this author has to offer.
s0m3k1dRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I don't read too often for entertainment but I enjoyed this little 3 chapter preview. It's easy reading and certainly a fun twist on the afterlife. No patting of extra details and straight to the point to keep the story moving right along yet the characters seem fleshed out enough to be convincing even though most of them you only meet for a couple lines worth of the story. Im excited to see where this goes and how it holds up as the settings and characters recieve more lines and story time. So far so good.
MekanipRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Full disclosure: This is a review swap. With that being said, I’m not in the habit of handing out free ratings, so the following is my honest impression of what the author has posted so far.
Story: This is a very original approach to the isekai/portal fantasy genre and I think it definitely has potential. The main character is killed and he has three options in the afterlife: Hell, Heaven,...or choose to live out an Isekai. It’s a quirky premise and there are elements of it, especially in the afterlife section, that remind me of Tim Burton Classics like Beetlejuice, so I am eager to see where this goes.
Grammar: There are a few typos here and there, but nothing that can’t be fixed with a spellchecker or Grammarly. For the most part, the grammar is pretty good. There are a few punctuation mistakes, commas inserted where they aren't needed, punctuation missing, etc. Nothing major.
Style: This is where the story suffers the most. The prose could use some polish. There are a lot of awkwardly constructed sentences interspersed throughout, some small repetition that could be dropped, (Ex: “What do I say? Simon didn't expect to be caught red-handed, he fumbled for the right words to say.”). While there’s nothing particularly egregious, a little bit of line editing could help tremendously. The pacing could use a little bit of work too.
Character: It’s way too early to provide commentary on the characters since I just met them, but the main character seems like a nice guy. My only criticism so far is that he seems rather nonchalant in death. But this is most likely a personal taste issue, the author seems to be going for a more lighthearted approach, so I won’t deduct anything for that.