Tomebound, a Litrpg Tower Climbing Adventure

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Callam Quill wants nothing more than to bind a tome and gain access to magic and the written word. In Port Cardica, his home, literacy defines power and those who have it lord over those who don't. Mages climb the Seekers Tower, travel the Solstice Isles, and burn the embers of the Godwrought Lighthouse that protects the world. So when Callam sees an opportunity to try and steal a grimoire, he takes it.

Now, if only his plans would stop going awry...

[Litrpg] [ProgressionFantasy] [Gritty] [Weak to strong MC]

Readers can expect a litrpg adventure in a dark world with hidden beauty. There will be plenty of action, but also slower, slice of life moments to allow for deep world building. I love stories that explore the little things, for magic is found in those small moments that make you go "wow." As a warning, this story will be long, with a focus on exploring a grand, magical world. Stat screens will be sparse. I will post new chapters once or twice a week, unless the story is successful enough for me to write full time. My focus will be to produce highly polished work--as Sleyca says: "the burn will be slow, and, I hope, better for it."

I wrote this story because I wanted to see what would happen if I brought litrpg to traditional fantasy. I love the idea of a book that captures the magic of The Name of the Wind, or Red Rising, while showcasing the expansive world building of Defiance of the Fall, or The Wandering Inn. I also fell in love with a video game called Golden Sun as a kid, and it heavily inspired me to write this book.

One day, I hope you shelve me among the greats.

Wanna read great litrpgs? Check out theLitRPGFacebook Groups. Personally, I loveLitrpg Books, Lots of awesome stories there!

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Justinwrite2

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 4,209
Views: 749,441

Chapters(65 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

kaboomRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is shaping up quite nicely, the edits are a bit confusing but the story is better for them.
This author has will, vision and knowledge enough to go far.
Great grammar.
Decent world building.
A story with a plot.
Interesting quirks and elaborate sentences without becoming too artsy.
A main character who has a chance to fail.
Characters that are not all stereotypes.
I am a bit concerned if some of them will turn out to be terminally stupid, but hasn't happened yet.
5/5
AthyriumRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Deeply immersive world with fantastic writing!
I need to add here that I did a bit of beta reading for the author and really enjoyed it, but all opinions are purely my own.
To start with the writing style is evocative and imersive. Even by chapter two a picture has been painted of the type of world the story takes place within and you can get a feeling for the life the character has lived. The prose is very strong and the snippets of scripture are lyrical.
The story is interesting and you can already tell that important information is being teased. I'm not sure where the story will go, but it's a strong start with a clear voice.
The grammar is perfect so far. It's only chapter two, but I have seen no spelling mistakes or places where the grammar could be stronger. It's exceptionally well written for a web serial.
The character is the weakest point as of the first couple chapters, and even that is only by a slim margin. We just don't know anything about him yet. I have high hopes that will be resolved in coming chapters. So far we know he is daring, logical, and maybe just a bit superstitious, but nothing about how he views the world. That doesn't take away from the story at all, and because we were dropped right in the action, is not a problem. If the story progresses as strong as it starts, I will likely be bumping this from 4.5 to 5 stars.
So far I highly recommend!
ConserveguyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Quick Disclaimer, I did some Beta reading for this story; but all thoughts are my own. This story is so unique. Only people blessed with magic can read, What? I've never seen that before. So there's not a lot to say abou the plot because its so new, but the worldbuilding is simply gorgeous.
SakuRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
As of now, Tomebound has only released 11 chapters which is why this is an early review where the setup for the "tower climbing adventure" is still being built. These chapters already give great insights into the writing quality, world-building, characters, and more - and everything points to this being and staying a great story.
Style: Good writing style, everything is fleshed out and is fun to read. The pace is also fitting with everything taking as long as it should. This author has some experience writing for sure, that's not the writing style of a novice.
Story: Nice world-building for the little that has already happened. Relatively standard background for the MC, yet the backstory feels fine and there is some more to discover here. The characters and the world also feel alive, despite the few chapters. Lots of things are already well established and some other things are hinted at repeatedly, but there is a lot of thought involved in the history of the world and the impact of the unique premise on the society. I'm also enjoying the "rhymes" that are used throughout the story in prayers, at the beginning of the chapters so far, and the promise of riddles. The only small critique I would give on this and the character score is the predictability or the "cliches" that I can see so far. As of chapter 11, there are some future "cliche" interactions between characters that are basically set in stone already which is something I rather dislike. With the good writing quality so far though, this is just a small prediction on my part that could be completely wrong.
Characters: As already described for the story rating, the characters feel alive and have fitting personalities for their role, history, and overall place in the story. The MC is also likable so far. So nothing too much to be said here. There are the mentioned "cliches" with arrogant noble families that rule the world and hog all resources, stuck-up heirs that cause trouble for the MC due to their pride that
SomnulousRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Up to date at 15 chapters in, still interested, wanting more! 🙂
Writing is good, plot and action is fast paced, but not too fast. Character is smart but not overpowered.
Some interesting hints about the world and how it works! I don't feel like there has been much awkwardnexplainy exposition (which is good, I don't enjoy being hand fed the rules of the world).
Excited to see where it goes, frustrated to be waiting for the updates lol🤣
Good job so far author!
C. elegansRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
TL;DR:
Tomebound is an exceptionally well-written story that is comparable to many published novels. While it may utilise some well-recognised tropes from other stories in its genre, it offers a unique twist through its distinctive worldbuilding.
It is good.
Give it a try.
Main review:
Tomebound is a story with elements from what has become traditional for YA fantasy as a genre; traditionally published YA fantasy, that is. Justinwrite2 has achieved a quality seldom seen on Royal Road with impressive prose, thoughtful worldbuilding, and a well-planned plot.
Grammatical errors or typos are rarely present, and the author appears to correct them rapidly. Due to this, any such errors are almost unnoticeable. This story is comparable in quality to many novels in its genre that are traditionally published, though Tomebound is written and published in a web serial format.
Despite some general similarities to other novels, Tomebound offers a unique twist on this well-established genre. With its distinctive system of magic and a society shaped by the mysterious tower, it promises to be more than a retelling of the same story. Emulating elements of other YA fantasy novels has a cost, however, and Tomebound settles into a well-worn rut on a path crossed by many stories previously. The main character has tragically deceased parents and a similarly deceased sister, acquires an uncommon power early in the story, and occasionally portrays the world and characters through a morally monochromatic lens. Attempts to examine characters in a more varied light have occurred, so this could be a way for Callum to develop emotionally.
Using some established genre tropes is not necessarily bad, as it offers a familiar entry point for readers and, perhaps paradoxically, may offer narrative freedom for the authors. For example, a deceased family severs ties that otherwise may have limited the development of a character. Likewise, the inclusion of an organised competition between characters befo
The Omniscient CapybaraRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I was recommended this story because of a discord I'm on, which I'm very thankful for, because I feel like it has a lot of potential.
For style so far, it's doing really good. The story oozes great descriptions, and I can clearly picture what's going on in my head. The imagery is great, and you can tell the author has a good grasp on literary techniques. I also love the epigraphs at the start of each chapter, because they get you into the proper mood to read the story. I'll be rating it 5 stars.
For grammar, I haven't seen any mistakes yet, other than the occasional one that the author quickly cleans up after they notice. As this story has some of the best grammar I've seen on Royal Road, I'll be rating it 5 stars.
The story so far is phenomenal. In a world where literacy defines magic, an orphan sets out to change his fate with a heist, lest he have to go through a ceremony, where, if he fails, he'll be an indentured servant and sold to a noble family, to work away doing manual labor for the rest of the days, or worse. While the heist does go awry, it sends him in a special direction. The hints of worldbuilding we've gotten so far (the Tower, Sisters, the Prophet, the Poet, the Omen Tree, Seedlings, and the Godwrought Lighthouses) are also phenomenal, and I can't wait to see how far the author goes. 5 stars.
While there isn't much to the story so far, I think there's potential for the characters. The main character, Callam, has motivations and interests which we don't really understand yet, which I find really fun, and there are some other characters that have been introduced that will likely be delved into further.
VictorianFloristRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Tomebound is very enjoyable, I found the challenges and various hurdles that the main character has surmounted very interesting and intriguing, and a poetry/literature inspired magic system is fascinating. But I am personally concerned with the pacing, I keep finding myself doubling back, feeling like I missed a chapter where something happened that I didn't read. I understand that some sections are receiving edits, but I do believe I read at a time where everything was current. I'm still excited to keep reading, the magic system and world building is still very intriguing, and I am rating it highly for that reason, as well as this story's quality. I just can't shake the feeling I missed something during the start of Callum's ascent in the tower.
s0nicr08Royal Road
★★★★ 4.0
This story has a lot to offer and, despite some of the minor issues common with a first-time author, I found it incredibly interesting and fun to read. The magic system, politics, and world-building are particularly compelling. I also really enjoyed the main character's wit. While the battle scenes could be a bit chaotic, sometimes feeling like I jumped in halfway through and then skipped to the end, I found that even the elements that aren't yet fully strong still add great variety and hint at exciting explorations in future installments. This is a very promising beginning, and I truly appreciate the author's hard work in addressing known issues. Thank you for what we have so far; I thoroughly enjoyed it!
SoonwardsRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
I like this story. I think the premise is fun, and the worldbuilding solid. It wears it's inspirations on it's sleeve, and is not shy about it.
There are a few slight issues that I keep circling back to however. The first being pacing, the story is slightly too slow. Big moments don't feel as set up as they should, and the conclusion of an arc rarely answers any questions or hints at resolving deeper mysteries. I think part of this might be due to relatively shorter chapter lengths. If each chapter was on average 10% longer I think a lot of my problems with the pacing would go away.
Secondly, the worldbuilding. I know I said it was solid earlier, but it does have some holes. The main issue with it is that the presentation of the world can be very light on detail. I often find myself lacking the context to properly grasp the apparent stakes or danger of a situation. Spoiler warning, for example, the giant ink monster Broken. I'm told it's a beast of legend, capable of mass destruction. And yet, it didn't seem very capable or dangerous at all. Easily handled by a group of high level elders. The only reason it was even able to do any damage at all is because the elders ignored it in favor of watching over the binding of a 4 star book. But why would they do that? If they were able to so easily defeat the monster in the first place, why not just defeat it right away instead of waiting for the book binding? This isn't really explained or clarified. I am not asking for a clear explanation, but even just a few words to acknowledge it would go a long way I feel.
Anyways, that's it really. Otherwise it's a great book. Just needs some extra polish in a few places.