The Icon of the Sword

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Marroo Bolle isn't just a cultivator, he's the strongest cultivator of his cohort ever born.

Trained from childhood as an Adept of the Sword, he's well on his way to matching even his father's generation in power, but happiness rarely waits along the path to power, and soon Marroo must choose...

Become the monster his father always wanted him to be,

or the hero he's never known...

And time is running out.

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New chapter every Tuesday and Friday! You can read up to 12 chapters ahead on thePatreon!

OR Join theDiscordto chat about the story and get updates when a new story goes up!

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2022
Author: Emerson Fortier

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 565
Views: 221,650

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

randomranterRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's still early in the story but I've been loving it so far. it's not a villainous lead, it is grimdark and dystopian. more cyberpunk and less scifi.
This review is all over the place but the point is, I like the story, it's dark, the circumstances are grim, the main character isn't bitchy (does act like a kid but he is one.) The bit of trauma shown so far seems realistic to me. The world is cool and we will see how the powers develop soon enough.
For style, it is a bit on the verbose side. The story freqently jumps back and forth between the timelines, so until now, it is more of a prologue and we are setting up the world and the main character's motivations.
The usage of the icon gives me the feeling of cradle and I think it definitely draws its inspiration from there. The world is sci-fi or cyberpunky but we don't know much about it yet. The one thing we do know is, it's humungous, like xianxia level big.
I hope it can carry on as strong as it is going right now.
The main character so far doesn't have any agency or say in how things happen so far but it makes sense and will slowly change.
telcharRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Some might consider it hyperbole, but I mean it. It was almost like reading a new Sanderson work. The magic system while not completely original is unique. The world build is fantastic and the characters are interesting, consistent and relatable.
I will be reading this as long as the author keeps writing. Very well done!
thewitnessRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Despite containing bits and pieces from all over trope wise the specific mix of world building you have shown so far is new and interesting lot depicted. The way the main character is presented through the actions of both others and their own actions instead of us being told their thoughts is great to read and way above the normal quality for this site. Loving it so far and looking forward to where you take it
wyllowsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Its written perfectly, and realistically there are no villains at least from where I have read to the father looks like the main bad guy but he is really a broken man trying to build his son up and train him the only way he knows how, the only thing I don't like is that the story feels like a very long flash back the timeline jumps from future to the past but even that doesn't take away from how beautifully the story is written
Misha TeunisseRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I will not spoil anything in this review. Bu to have read all the advance chapters on patreon. And I must say that the worldbuidling and the powersystem are the most interesting parts by far. Right now the story is still in its infancy. But I look forward to seeing how our MC develops and what more we get to know about the world around him.
shazzanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It is just so good. Yeah it is slow burn and focuses on the mains internal conflict, but I'm loving it so far. The world building is really interesting and the character development is psychologically deep. It's a dark brutal world, but it is in no way black and white. Who's good or bad? I'm not really sure, maybe everybody. Everyone is just dealing with the world they are living in and doing what they think they have to do to survive. The main certainly doesn't want to be turned into a killer, but when his hand is forced he certainly goes full blender on the poor bastards who don't know what they are dealing with. Even the most brutal characters seems to have internal logic for their actions as opposed to just being slaughter loving psychopaths typical of cultivation novels. This should have thousands of followers. WTF
Slifer274Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A fun and gritty story. Polished, entertaining, and easily recommendable to fans of scifi-fantasy.
Sidenote: Your Prologue has the format Prologue: Title when it look like it should have the format S1E1. Is this intentional?
Style: 4.5/5 Generally strong and smooth style, though sometimes it feels like the sentences run on for too long without comma breaks—this is largely subjective, though, and it’s an easy read.
Story: 5/5 A very interesting world! It’s got cultivation in a cyberpunk dystopia, and the main plot, while still warming up, is a promising one. I’m excited to see where this goes, and the storytelling really grasps you and doesn’t let go. The MC’s life is brutal and gritty, and their progression in power through harsh tutelage is a blast to read.
Grammar: 4.5/5 Some issues with comma placement that made some dialogue a little clunkier to read, but it was mostly good.
Character: 5/5 The characters might seem over-the-top to some, but they are an absolute joy to read. The mother and father lean hard into the ‘hero’ and ‘antihero’ tropes, respectively, and Marroo is stuck in between the two of them, trying to figure out who he is. We’re following his growth in power and character, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll be like once we get to the main plot.
KileJRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The Icon of the Sword is a fascinating character study on violence. The main character's cruelly pragmatic father is forging him against his will into violence personified. At the same time, his mother struggles to act as a counterbalance. And the main character resists as well as he is able, but in evey moment of this tense tale we feel his violent passenger looming while growing in strength and deadly potential.
STYLE: It's dark and brooding and mystical. I know some readers have commented on the writer's verbosity but I didn't find it off-putting at all and many lines are delivered with a poetic flair. Perhaps a matter of taste, but you can tell the writer has spent a great deal of time honing his craft -- much the same as the characters in his story.
GRAMMAR: Not much to see here and that's always for the best. A handful of typos but nothing that draws you out of the story and certainly nothing that can't be fixed with another editing pass.
STORY: It's very early still but the writer starts delivering fantastic tension from the first scenes. The interpersonal conflicts drive the early action and the writer does a slick job of segueing from mystical cultivation training sequences to more tender, thoughtful moments. We have a great deal of mystery compelling us through the pages, but conflict is always inevitable. Plot points are revealed at a satisfying pace and the Science Fiction elements help utilize the world and culture as another mysterious and intriguing aspect of the story. Overall it feels like the writer has a plan, it's a good one, and he knows how to execute said plan.
CHARACTER: In my opinion, and early on, this is the fiction's greatest area of strength. The characters are all living, breathing entities with motivations which are understandable and believable(even if it's mind-boggling just what a monster Dad is -- he still reads as a real person). Marroo is instantly sympathetic even though we know he's destined to become a great and terrible weapo
MZeroRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is an incredible story that will captivate you from start to finish. The characters are complex and feel like real people with unique stories that shape their actions and decisions. The author has masterfully crafted these characters, making their choices understandable and authentic. Whether they make the right decision or not, you will be able to relate to them and understand their motivations.
This story will keep you hooked and invested in the characters' lives until the very end. I would also like to mention that all characters have a reason for their actions, good or bad, which will be explained as the story progresses. So, if you stick with it, you will see that it only gets better."
baxemoosRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's hard for me to do this book justice with my review skills. First off, it reads like a professionally published work. The way the author weaves scenes together with descriptive imagery is really unlike anything else I've read on this site. The worldbuilding is top notch and filled with grittiness and morally grey characters. Action is superbly written. Just really enjoyable stuff, hope it continues for a long while.