Unreliable Narrator's Bias

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Alira Vane lies about everything. Her name(s). Her (in)ability to swim. Whether her shaman grandma predicted that not-so-graceful faceplant. She lies because Monday sucks, coffee is life, and why the hell not? It's amostlyharmless quirk until a Goddess decides her ‘talent’ is the solution to a doomed novel’s bad ending. Abducted and cast as its Unreliable Narrator, Alira is armed with future knowledge and plot-twisting lies. Her plan? Die and go home. It’s simple enough until the novel’s evil overlord binds her to his half-immortal life, deciding she’ll stay in House Ravon as his adopted daughter for reasons as inscrutableas his own villainous past. Now trapped in a grim academy arc racing toward a fiery climax with cosmic horrors and fanatic cultists out to corrupt souls, Alira must find the key to the Alchemic Bind before she’s forced to watch a world she’s growing to care about burn to ash. In a story where the narrative is both her weapon and her guillotine, will she break out, or will it break her first? Mislead Death. Deceive Fate. Gaslight the Narrative itself. Copyright © AbsentSomewhere, 2025-2026. All rights reserved. Unreliable Narrator's Bias is only posted on Royal Road, Scribblehub, and my Patreon. Any publication elsewhere is stolen and violates my copyright.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: AbsentSomewhere

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 451
Views: 65,316

Chapters(64 total)

What readers say about Unreliable Narrator's Bias

“This is a genuinely neat take on isekai that hooked me fast. Unreliable Narrator’s Bias leans hard into the idea that lies don’t just mislead people — they actively shape reality, and the story has a lot of fun exploring that concept in a literal, plot-driv…”
CruisusRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“I will admit I have a thing for isekai stories, but this one does something fun I haven't seen before, which is the MC's being able to reshape reality by lying, which i just find to be an interesting(and well done in the story) concept. Theres also a whole…”
GreenfelineRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(2)

CruisusRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a genuinely neat take on isekai that hooked me fast. Unreliable Narrator’s Bias leans hard into the idea that lies don’t just mislead people — they actively shape reality, and the story has a lot of fun exploring that concept in a literal, plot-driving way.
On paper, it’s an isekai/portal fantasy, but the twist is excellent: the protagonist isn’t trying to win, dominate, or min-max the system — she’s actively trying to fail the story so badly that she gets sent home. Watching her attempt to derail the narrative instead of following it is both entertaining and refreshingly different from the genre norm.
The liar angle is handled well so far, and the writing feels confident enough that the deception feels intentional rather than confusing. It’s the kind of story where you’re constantly wondering what’s true, what’s manipulation, and what consequences are quietly stacking up in the background — which makes it hard to put down.
The world itself feels alive. You get a strong sense that things are happening beyond the protagonist’s immediate view, which adds weight to the court intrigue elements early on. Even better, the story doesn’t get stuck there — there’s still plenty of action and conflict to keep the pacing steady and engaging.
One of the biggest strengths is how the story uses lies almost as a craft — it nearly reads like a guide on how to lie convincingly. I also really enjoy the central tension of the MC planning to fail, only to struggle as she starts seeing the other characters as real people instead of disposable story pieces. My one hope going forward is that the story eventually grows beyond suicide being framed as the primary failure condition, which feels like a natural opportunity for character development rather than a flaw.
If you’re looking for an isekai with actual thought behind it, this is an easy recommendation. Expect action, intrigue, and an anti-villain protagonist who actively fights the narrative itself — and may lose control of the
GreenfelineRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I will admit I have a thing for isekai stories, but this one does something fun I haven't seen before, which is the MC's being able to reshape reality by lying, which i just find to be an interesting(and well done in the story) concept.
Theres also a whole meta thing going on behind the story which the MC is able to get glimpses now and then of that also find quite fascinating!