Ultimatum [Legacy Version]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The Empire is on the brink of war after centuries of tranquility as three princes, Ganymede, Mordred, and Bayamon, fight one another for the Throne of the World to determine the shape of the future.

Far over the horizon, the mysterious enigma of William arrives in the city of Mirage, only to find a conspiracy that shapes every life within the desert oasis. A conspiracy revolving around monstrous aberrations called oleum and a colleague of William's calling himself 'Lucifer', the truth of which may be more destructive than a world spanning war could ever be.

This story is what you may consider a slow burn to start. Much of the early chapters are dedicated to set up, character introductions, and the dual mysteries which are central to the story. There are, in fact, two stories being told at once in Ultimatum which may not seem connected at first glance but are none the less linked to one another. The context of one informs the context of the other. There are details within which reward theorizing and interpretation, multiple reads, and hindsight. It is not for the faint of heart or a casual, quick read. Dedication and patience are rewarded with intrigue and climactic payoffs that lead into further mystery and and wonder. Questions are left unanswered, things are dangled without much explanation. This is by design. This is also only the first of 4 books that are planned to be written for this story in particular. Do not go into Ultimatum expecting a complete story which is wrapped up on the final page. Instead, approach it with the knowledge that there is more to come.

What to expect:

- A slow burn, character driven drama in the beginning

- A mystery adventure in the A plot, a political military drama in the B plot

- Imaginative, ever expanding worldbuilding

- A romance subplot

- Explorations of familial trauma and tragedy revolving around the death of loved ones

- Tragedy as a core thematic element

- Vivid descriptions, particularly of action sequences, violence, and appearances

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Reynard_Renart

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.1/ 5.0
Followers: 28
Views: 9,909

Reviews

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Community Reviews(3)

Ayela ArcanaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ultimatum is the best kind of fiction to chew on. Nothing is spelled out. Instead, the story slowly reveals itself through layers of mystery.
Characters: We have multiple POV characters, and they are intriguing and concerning at once. It is actually quite difficult to know who should be trusted and who should not which makes the tension of the story telling palpable. William’s past is shrouded in mystery, and his new world seems designed to trip him up at every turn.
Mordred is a familiar name, so it’s no surprise that this character finds himself in situations of betrayal and intrigue. We also have Ganymeade and Gawain, so that tells you to expect a lot from this tale.
Story: There are multiple plot lines, and they are all built around mystique, magic, history, and concerning chants like “The dragon never dies,” and “For the good of us all.” All of this lends a constant feeling that I shouldn’t trust the world the characters see around them.
Style: The story telling is solid and the prose flows. Dialogue is peppered with phrases unique to the cultures which gives it the authenticity of a deeply-considered world builder.
Grammar: There are some small issues with punctuation, but I’ve left editorial suggestions, and I can see from the comments that this author is quick to make corrections, so I’m only removing half a star. Anyone who takes the time to make corrections deserves excellent marks, and there wasn’t anything that interrupted my enjoyment of this well-crafted story.
All-in-all, this is a thoroughly engaging read for lovers of epic-scope-stories layered with intrigue and mythos. Well done.
ExultantRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I am writing this review after catching up to the current chapter, #22, having read all 217,319 words over the course of about 2 weeks.
Looking at the release schedule, there is a large gap in posting time between chapter 7 and chapter 8. As of this review (2025/18/08) there is a marked difference in the quality of the writing between the early chapters and later ones. If you are reading this review, it must mean that you are at least tangentially interested in the premise based on the blurb. I *highly* recommend you give this book a shot. If you are reading this review significantly later than the point at which I have posted it, it's quite likely that a fresh editing pass has occurred and the first seven chapters have been brought up to the quality of the later ones.
Chapter 6 was where I found myself invested, primarily due to the chapter resonating with facets of my own life, but Chapter 7 is where I found myself hooked. This is a book that starts as a slow burn, building mystery, introducing the points of view that will matter, before starting to tie them in together. If you take the time to invest in the story the story will likewise invest in you.
Reynard clearly has a vision for this world and this story. I can almost see him seeing this in his mind as he translates it to the page. The characters sometimes have names familiar to fiction and mythology, and I hope to learn why he chose those particular ties as more chapters are released.
There's a deep philosophy to the cosmology he has created in this story, and I have found myself considering his characters and plot even in the hours that I do not have the chapters open in front of me. Some of the early mannerisms of the character known as William seemed out of place or even grossly exaggerated when we're introduced to him, but as we learn more about who he is, hindsight puts it all in perspective.
There is death and child loss in this work. Reynard does not glorify death and violence, and handles characters
thedyingauthorRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
First of all: Thank you for your great review! It opened my eyes and I am atm reworking the book! :) (This review is part of a review swap)
Chapters 1-8 set up an intriguing world with great potential but fail to fully realize it due to issues with pacing, dialogue, and character development. The story introduces a unique setting and a strong sense of atmosphere with its dangerous desert landscape, mysterious creatures, and political intrigue, but the narrative often meanders and struggles to maintain momentum. While there are moments of beauty in the writing, especially when describing the desert and its inhabitants, the chapters lack a compelling central conflict or a strong emotional pull. The book feels more like a world-building exercise than a character-driven story, and while that world is rich and fascinating, the emotional stakes don’t always resonate with the reader.
The author has a knack for creating a vivid setting, particularly with the desert landscapes, the creatures, and the atmosphere. The descriptions of the world are immersive and rich in detail, and the author excels at evoking a sense of place. However, the prose can be inconsistent, and at times it becomes bogged down in excessive detail or awkward phrasing. The slow pace of the narrative often causes moments to drag on, making the chapters feel longer than they should be.
The dialogue, while intended to reveal world-building and the political situation, sometimes feels unnatural and overly expository. Rather than allowing the characters to naturally engage with each other and reveal information through their actions or emotions, much of the dialogue feels like an info dump. Characters often explain things in ways that don’t ring true for how people would actually converse, which detracts from the overall believability and flow of the story.
There are also instances of repetition in the writing. While the author clearly wants to highlight key details or themes, this often leads to rehashing in