The World That Is Not

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Benjamin Umber always knew he was different from other orphans, but he hadn’t realized to what degree. Thrust into the World That Is Not as a sorcerer, he will land in the middle of a centuries-old shadow war between two powerful organizations, at the heart of which lies an enigmatic girl which may hold the key to everyone’s survival.

Will he survive in this new place of myth and magic long enough to make sense of it, or will he be eaten by its witches and trolls—literally speaking? There’s only one way to find out.

Information

Status
Cancelled
Year
2024
Author
Nemo Knox

Tags

ACTIONFANTASYADVENTUREMAGICSUPERNATURALSLICE OF LIFESCHOOL LIFESTRONG LEADMALE LEADSECRET IDENTITYPORTAL FANTASY / ISEKAILOW FANTASYMYSTERYWAR AND MILITARYGRIMDARKHIGH FANTASYMYTHOSURBAN FANTASYPROGRESSION

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.7/ 5.0
Followers
97
Views
25,615

Chapters(41 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(4)

  • LazieRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Color this crab impressed. This fiction paints the picture of a vivid world to the reader. It is a world of magic and sorcery, hidden behind the day to day of the normal world. Ben is a character thrust into that world with nary a clue of what is to come, and by just the first six chapters of this story, there will be many suprises and turns on the way.
    Ben is an orphan at an orphanage, thrust into the world of magic when he discovers that his caretakers are not who he thinks. Ben seems naturally inquisitive, so much so that he finds a message hidden in a spiderweb that starts him on his journey. Ben is an interesting character, and it will be a delight to see how he grows into this new world he has discovered.
    Stylistically, this writing reminds this crab of YA novels that are meant to introduce the young to the mysteries of the world around them through fantasy. The odd behaviors of adults are actually the doing of witches. The strange homeless man is actually a magic man in disguise, which is precisely why he is so strange. This story portrays that flight of fancy well, and the style of a YA story is top notch.
    Grammar is great. I always love people who know more about em dashes than I do, and this author knows how to em dash.
    All in all, this story is already setting up the promise of a good read as we explore the magical world through Benjain's eyes, and I for one will run through any alley of magically variable length to get there.
  • Lucian T. EinarRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    *Overall: The World That Is Not received mixed reviews, with some readers filled with hope and excitement for the future of the story, while others applauded its immersive writing style but noted pacing issues and lack of character development.
    *Style: The writing style of 'The World That Is Not' is immersive and transports readers into the author's world. The use of symbolism and metaphors adds depth to the story, making it stand out in the fantasy genre. Grammar and spelling are mostly well executed, with some minor flow issues in sentences. I love the name by the way.
    *Story: The World That Is Not follows Benjamin Umber, an orphan who discovers he is a sorcerer and is thrust into a world of myth and magic. The story sets up a mystery surrounding two powerful organizations and an enigmatic girl, promising epic adventures, magical academies, and deep lore. However, the pacing is a little slow, covering only a day in the first few chapters, and some readers may find this a little off-putting.
    *Grammar: The story maintains good grammar and structure overall, with minimal errors or typos. However, there are a few instances where sentence flow could be improved for better readability.
    *Character: The protagonist, Benjamin Umber, is described as inquisitive and engaging, with his journey into the world of magic filled with surprises and twists. Character growth and depth in the early chapters can be improved though. I'm hoping for more development as the story progresses.
  • ikdahlRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    "The metallic reverb of the port’s bells carried over Dunport-Salem", reminds me so much of the opening of Malazan Books of the Fallen! ("THE STAINS OF RUST SEEMED TO MAP BLOOD SEAS ON THE BLACK, pocked surface of Mock's Vane. "), and sets the tone for this fiction (it's interesting that another reviewer likens it to Percy Jackson, which I have not personally read, and it's fun that the author has written something that can remind of two such different works of fiction).
    The style of writing in the fiction is immersive, and it's good to see phrasings and use of words that is not cookie cutter. This is evocative, and serves to transport us into the author's world. Action is well balanced with dialogue and introspection, and rarely exposition. The character motivations and emotions come through naturally instead of in info dumps, in layers of complexity. They are real people, with interesting and dynamic interactions.
    Symbolism and metaphors adds depth and colour to a story which is like many on RS, yet at the same time not. We have the normal magic, intrigue and danger, but the world building is exquisite and is there like a companion through the story
    Grammar and spelling are typically well executed, with good structure and minimal errors or typos. A few places some sentences might gain from a review of how they flow, but that's something you see when you look hard. Overall the story is coherent with effective narratives.
  • CobaltWolfRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    I found this one on a thread talking about classic male mage MCs, and that alone caught my interest. They're a rarity on Royalroad, and even rarer is it to find one of quality. This is a very early review, which is why I am tepid to give it higher ratings. However, I've found it uncommon on this site for works to get worse over time rather than better, which is why I've got some high hopes.
    This work is written in the same vein of stories as classic YA like Percy Jackson. I personally just reread the entire Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, funnily enough. I love Riordan's work, and the influences of his writing feel far more prescient than the other YA listed whose author shall go unnamed. Benjamin, our young male mage, has been shunted head first into a world of magic, monsters, and sorcery adjacent bureaucracy (The last of which being the the greatest horror of them all). Benjamin certainly reminds me of Percy, and I'm just awaiting all of the beautiful snark and sass that comparison entails. The story is only 10,000 words in, and not too much has happened, but I can see the author starting to build the characters of the world. .The pacing so far has been delicate, the five chapters only covering the span of a single day. That pacing may change, but I'm rather happy with how it is currently. All that's been covered so far is the inciting incident, and the fact that it already has me hooked should say something about this story's quality. There's not even been a massive lore dump, yet I already feel familiar with most of the things the author is going to build on in later chapters.
    Style and grammar wise, I'm very pleased. It's not delving into prose, but it hits that YA style that I hold a great amount of nostalgia for. The descriptions are vivid and easy to understand, making the action we've seen so far extremely visceral. Most notably, word choice is very strong and far more diverse than your average web novel, which makes me hopeful.
    I think that's th