The Last Man - Book one of the Leybound series

Information

Status

Ongoing

Year

2024

Author

PeterRoberts

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What readers say about The Last Man - Book one of the Leybound series

• “The best reads for me are those where you've ended up immersed in the world (quickly) without realizing it. Before the end of the first chapter, I had vivid images of the setting, and the tones of voice, demeanour and body language of the characters. The hi…”

  ActualKiwiRoyal Road5.0 / 5

• “Leybound is a fantastic novel that really defies the idea that this is the author's first novel because it is definitely of a professional quality. Following the (mis)adventures of a Sergeant in a Medieval fantasy army named Riot, the book has a strong Game…”

  CT_PhippsRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• ActualKiwiRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The best reads for me are those where you've ended up immersed in the world (quickly) without realizing it.
  Before the end of the first chapter, I had vivid images of the setting, and the tones of voice, demeanour and body language of the characters. The hierarchy and structures within the characters' relationships; some relatable, others left as a mystery to be revealed, kept me turning the pages. I'm enjoying a progressive reveal of character complexity.
  The world is a familiar enough militarised-fantasy setting, with enough hinted beyond the pages to make you want a deeper lore - which I imagine like the characters', will be rained down from the gods as required. If I didn't have to work, I probably would have just read to the end in my first sitting. Alas, I'm making my way from chapter 8 now.
  Easily readable, vivid, binge-worthy - a classic slow-burn can't put down page turner.
• CT_PhippsRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Leybound is a fantastic novel that really defies the idea that this is the author's first novel because it is definitely of a professional quality. Following the (mis)adventures of a Sergeant in a Medieval fantasy army named Riot, the book has a strong Game of Thrones/Witcher-esque feel of the dung-filled struggles of an army during the Middle Ages.
  Riot is a peasant and an ethnic minority in the world and he's someone who has to answer to the smarmy self-absorbed smug officers of his own side while dealing with the smarmy self-absorbed smug officers of the enemy. That reminds me a bit of the Sharpe novels but a much more cynical take.on the story. The conflict is against the elves but the reasons and larger scope of it are almost irrelevant to the lower ranks who just want treasure as well as to make it to the end of the conflict alive.
  This is some prime low fantasy and gritty grimdark work that is perfect for anyone looking for an antidote to your typical LitRPG power fantasy (not that there's anything wrong with that). The grammar is good, the characters memorable, and the story off to a fantastic start. Two thumbs up.
• DimensionalWriter27Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This is a review based on the first 9 chapters of the story I was given access to before release.
  Overall: It's a pretty good fantasy story with a main character that's easy to root for.
  Style: The style is easy to understand and follow, the action scenes are well-described, the story feels like it has been planned out months in advance and it shows with every chapter making the world feel more and more alive.
  Story: It has potential, I don't think I had much context on the larger narrative, with the focus mostly on the characters and their relationships, but it was engaging nonetheless, admittedly, the internal conflict between lowborn and nobles kind of reminded me of FFT, specifically, the first one, but that's probably just me.
  Character: For nine chapters I felt that it was good enough to have a good summation of who Riot is as a person with the action scenes helping flesh out his character with his unique fighting style and way of strategizing against his opponents, like his duel with Mercer and his thought process to gain the advantage and win.
  Grammar: English isn't my first language so I can't really be critical on this subject, but I will say it was readable for me and I was able to understand everything.
• Dylan KingRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Normally, with only five chapters, I'd be calling a story on Royal Road promising etc. Not so with Leybound - the author has already completed one story, and is visibly taking their writing impressively seriously, so I have none of the usual lingering fears of seeing a promising story go unfinished.
  Story
  Speaking of the story, I've named this review exemplary because this is just that. We follow Riot, a low-ranking sergeant in a fantasy war. It's grimy and gritty and grim in just the right way, with several outstanding action sequences already. The biggest compliment I can give Leybound is that it gives strong Glen Cook's 'Black Company' or Abercrombie's excellent 'First Law'.
  Characters
  So far we've only really gotten to know Riot--an older soldier, pragmatic, wise and war-weary--and he is an absolute treat to follow. As far as a supporting cast goes, Riot calls him men 'bastards to a man', and that description seems to be the most fitting way of describing them. No real names stand out yet, but we're very early doors. The nobles and higher ups are all appropriately arrogant and preening, and the author does an excellent job of getting me to hate them right of the bat.
  Grammar
  Spot on.
  Style
  Style matches is the tone of the story. The sentences are about as pragmatic as Riot, though the author has a good grasp of when they need to amp up the description for effect. Like me, they also have a bit of an over-reliance on simile, which might be something to keep an eye on for future edits.
  I'll be blunt. Leybound is excellent. If you like grim and gritty, you need to read this, and even if you don't, it is yet to cross a boundary where a regular fan of epic fantasy wouldn't also find something hugely worth their time. Read it, guys.
• KairangerRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Style: The author did an incredible job with the descriptions that immerses you into the story. From the setting of the tones for the various scenes to the action sequences, everything is well done. It helps you get a feel of what goes on in the story as well as what the various characters are feeling or going through at the moment.
  Story: The story set in a dark and gritty world with an interesting plot, a complex world filled with lore, and compelling characters with well written dynamics. It's clear that a lot of effort has been put into this.
  Character: I like how the author fleshes out every character and gives each of them unique personalities. Even the ones who only make a brief appearance don't feel like generic characters who all share the same personality. Riot is an excellent protagonist who despite his circumstances, still tries to do the right thing and does his best to look after his men.
  Grammar: There weren't any major errors that distracted me as I read through the story.
  Overall it's a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend giving it a go, especially if you're a fan of grimdark and military stories.
• LokiTheQuickRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The last man is a truly immersive experience, well told and well crafted, and will pull you in before you realize it. I used the words subtle and compelling in the title because that’s what truly stood out to me. Quick note that I was able to review the first seven chapters.
  This book is one of those classic icebergs, where you can see the top, but there’s a whole world just below the surface. The author hints and what’s to come, and what’s come before, but never dumps exposition at you. Instead, the world unfolds through the eyes of the characters, and provides interesting subjective views of the people, places, and magics that create this story,
  Like most good stories, the main character Riot is flawed, damaged, and has a lot of room to be affected by the wild circumstances he finds himself in. The story wisely takes its time establishing who the man is before it truly shakes up his life, and there’s just enough hints and teasing of the wider story to keep you turning the page.
  The best thing I think I can say it that every chapter leaves you wanting more. At first it’s answers, as the world is complex and compelling, but soon that transitions into a true desire to see where the story is taking Riot, and how he’ll handled the increasingly unfair and explosive situations he finds himself in.
  The world feels rich and real, you’ll love and hate the characters, and the mysteries and magics of the world will fascinate you. Great read!
• Pirate-CaptainRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I don't give much reviews. But damn this books beautiful. The authors writing is just hits the spot. Expecially when it comes to medieval magical war. Few can get the true grit of battle right. But laybound hits the spot. The only thing I wish about this book is that it had more chapters when I discovered it.
• RHessRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I was fortunate enough to be given access to the first nine chapters for review purposes, and I can hardly wait to read the rest!
  Style:
  Absolutely nails the grimdark tone, reminiscent of Cameron Johnston or Peter McLean. Sgt. Riot and his men have it rough; they’re dirty, poorly fed, and poorly clothed. Reading through, it’s easy to get a sense of the deprivation they live under, and the desperation they fight with. Even as you hope they win, the setting is the sort of place where you can only win the battle, not the war.
  The choice of words and phrasing adds to the tone, instead of distracting from it. The details added in help flesh out the world and give it a feel of authenticity.
  Five Stars
  Story:
  The setting feels original and interesting, I’m very much looking forward to reading the rest of the story to explore it. I loved the concept of people going to war with white powdered faces and wigs. There’s no slogging through the first couple of chapters to get to the action, interesting people were doing interesting things from the outset. I found the main character sympathetic; he’s probably the most decent man in his entire regiment, if a little rough around the edges. He’s tough enough to believably win the fights he gets into, but not possessed of powers or skills that set him so far apart from the other characters that you feel like he’ll just steamroll everyone in the book. Sometimes, he survives through sheer dumb luck. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but it makes the dangers in a story really feel dangerous, and the author did an excellent job of it. The material I was given to review ended on a cliffhanger, and I found myself wishing I had the rest of it to read; it was completely engrossing.
  Five Stars
  Grammar:
  I’m hardly an expert on grammar, but I didn’t find much to complain about. On a subsequent read-through, deliberately looking for things to take issue with, I was able to pick out a couple of things that slipped through, but there weren’t enou
• Rookie12Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The story is hilarious. Not in the silly way; the world is very gritty and can chew up a kind soul easily. No, it is hilarious in a realistic way, as the MC named Riot faces every possible trouble faced in a corrupt society, where danger lurks behind every corner and you can die from the machinations of an ally as easily as from the blade of an enemy. This is Leybound, and our protagonist is going to try his best to survive till the end.
  Style: The flow is awesome. Some chapters are shorter, some longer, but the flow is never broken in them. We are given descriptions sparingly, but the author masterfully uses extensive vocabulary to let us get into the mind of a soldier trying to keep his regiment alive. It just works, and no chapter feels like a waste or a filler.
  Story: Full of funny and not so funny moments. Funny moments come from our MC and how his actions often come to bite him in the ass. Not so funny, as Riot is a genuinely interesting character, and you want to see him survive. The worldbuilding is great; I got the general understanding of why the characters behave the way they do, what kind of society governs Riot's life, and about the currency without any infodumps, purely from the dialogue. Five starts.
  Grammar: I am not a native English speaker, so take my words with a grain of salt here. I had spotted no mistakes, the author has already fixed every occasional grammatical error pointed out by readers, and his knowledge of words is extensive. Five stars here
  Character: The meat of the story. Riot is old; he is a veteran. He knows the unspoken rules of war; he is smart enough to use an enemy offer against them; he is clever enough to punish those who wrong him without getting hanged; and he wised up enough to keep his regiment clean. You can see how his temper gets the man into trouble, and this drives the story. But at the same time, it is easy to sympathize with Riot as he tries his best to preserve his men's lives and stay human during a time when a hu
• ShirimeRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Style: The story is told in 3rd Person. I have nothing in particular to add. It's fine/well-written.
  Story: As the title suggests, this story starts you out in a gritty war setting. Please don't mistake gritty for grimdark, though. So far, I'd compare it to something like Saving Private Ryan in terms of tone. We spend time with Riot and his crew and witness how they interact with each other and the world, all in ways dictated by their individuality. As I get into below, everyone feels unique unto themselves and part of the fun of this story is just watching these people to see what they do.
  Grammar: As per usual, I didn't find anything that took me out of the story. It's professionally written.
  Character: I tend to say this a lot in my reviews because it's something I look for, but the author shows us who the character is through action and not in-universe word of mouth which I appreciate. You know exactly what kind of person Riot is by the end of the first chapter, which makes it significantly easier to follow him and root for him as the story goes on.
  Conclusion: I think you should give this story a shot. It's a well-written military fantasy that you'll struggle to put down!