Vials, Viscosity, and Vexing Valor

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

An alchemist, eccentric companions, and too many things going wrong. At least Thristle's good at improvising - most of the time. What to expect? Adventures Mysteries Unusual friends Creepy monsters Gradual story unfolding Slow burn Dark fantasy with pastel crayonsThe first five chapters are somewhat a compatibility test, as they'll show if this story works for you: adventure, comfortable moments, battle scenes, comedy. --------Updates on Tuesdays + additional chapter every now and then.I write this as a hobby in my free time.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: Blurple

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 5.0/ 5.0
Followers: 83
Views: 44,357

Chapters(82 total)

What readers say about Vials, Viscosity, and Vexing Valor

“I'd like to start the review by saying this story really impressed me by its quality. I mean it. The grammar and prose are immaculate, as are the dialogues and interactions. Everything is very well executed, feeling natural and organic. These first five cha…”
CardocRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“This was a pleasant read from start to finish. It started off not overbearing in the fantasy direct with pleasant mixtures of comedy, and a nicely paced introduction. All of the characters I've read so far are pleasant, except for one. The IRS, the menace,…”
Drunken Sailor822Royal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

CardocRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'd like to start the review by saying this story really impressed me by its quality. I mean it.
The grammar and prose are immaculate, as are the dialogues and interactions. Everything is very well executed, feeling natural and organic. These first five chapters had excellent pacing and cliffhangers, and chapter 3, in particular, stood out to me. I was not expecting that ending at all. The story so far is engaging, interesting, and very well written.
The style is also very good. The switch between humorous quipping and more heartfelt conversations between Thristle and Rose is very well done. This, in particular, speaks volumes about the quality of the work. Navigating these different moments and shifts within the same chapter is not easy at all. It is really hard to find authors that do this well enough, and it's something that I, personally, have had a lot of difficulty with.
The story is still in its early stages, but the small tidbits of mystery here and there (Thristle's condition, the letter, the experiments, the slimes...) allude to future developments in a very engaging way. This makes the reader think and wonder, which I am always in favor of. It also shows good writing and planning, so nice job author!
Last but not least: Fluffy, the Goose. He is funny, he is the moment, he is the main attraction.
Need I say more? Read it!
Drunken Sailor822Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This was a pleasant read from start to finish. It started off not overbearing in the fantasy direct with pleasant mixtures of comedy, and a nicely paced introduction. All of the characters I've read so far are pleasant, except for one.
The IRS, the menace, the joker, the Goose!
Outside of that, her relationship with Rose is done extremely well. The dialog is extremely well written and convincing between characters to the point of thinking that I was in the room with them. Thristle, the MC, has family history is both shrouded and revealed in such a way that keeps you wondering.
As for the action? It's engaging and the first cliffhanger had me by surprise. The first monster, without delivering any spoilers, while simple, was very intriguing too.
And as for details and the world-building descriptions? Amazing. Extremely well done. Not too long, making things boring. Not too short, leaving things vague.
Where I left off a certain female character was introduced and another slice of action which I found very enjoyable. I think anyone will enjoy this novel as it is a nice blend of slice-of-life, comedy, and action. It's more surprising that this story hasn't caught on with more people!
Kleo EriliRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
At its heart, VVVV is a wunderful story about homecoming. Blurple is showing this beautifully with Thristle's accent changing back from urbane and sophisticated to the way people speak back at home. Dont' we all know that?
Thristle is a lovable protagonist with quirks and texture you love to keep company on her journey of self-discovery back to her old home. All the characters are wonderful really, Rose and Seraphina Dustrose are very likable and I completely fell in love with the goose Fluffy.
The style reminds me of Pratchett foremost with a sprinkle of Gaiman and that's certainly not bad! It's funny and witty throughout and the writing style is downright cinematic – but don't think Lord of the Rings, more like a Ghibli movie. It's colorful, touching and with a sense of wonder. The description of the slime was extremely well done, I liked that a lot.
Even though Blurple warns English isn't their native language, there are no problems whatsoever with grammar. It's all very well edited and polished and flows very nicely.
If you like imaginative, atmospheric fantasy with quirky, funny and lovable characters, a story that's just simply a good time, then VVVV is for you!
QaosRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Vials, Viscosity, and Vexing Valor opens with a delightful mix of humor and mystery. The pacing is brisk: Chapter 1’s slapstick reunion in Thristle’s home village, complete with a rogue goose guardian, establishes a lighthearted tone that quickly gives way to genuine stakes. By Chapter 3 the novel introduces a clever puzzle (a riddle in Mother’s letter) and a tense cliffhanger when Thristle discovers hidden seeds and falls down an ancient well. The transition to Chapter 4 plunges us into an underground cavern battle with a grotesque giant slime. This blend of slice-of-life comedy (a dusty homecoming, wry banter about bread and accents) with real adventure makes the story feel original and coherent. In just ten chapters, the world is sketched richly: small-town custom, guarded alchemical secrets, and hints of war in the north are all woven seamlessly into Thristle’s quest. A new POV character (Seraphina the alchemist) emerges by Chapter 5, expanding the plot beyond the village. Overall, the narrative moves steadily through teasing puzzles and high-tension action without feeling rushed, maintaining reader interest with each chapter.
The tone is consistently playful yet grounded. Dialogue is witty and natural, Thristle’s accent slips and Rose’s dry comebacks add charm and personality. The author skillfully navigates shifts in mood (one moment we’re laughing at a goose chase, the next we’re tense in a slime’s lair) without jarring transitions. Narrative structure leans on close third-person POVs, mainly from Thristle but branching to others smoothly; even the chapter break from Thristle’s perspective to the action-packed siege in Chapter 5 felt well-handled. The tone balances comic relief and earnest emotion effectively: heartfelt threads about Thristle’s missing parents and her responsibility as a healer’s daughter are woven into the banter.
The writing is impressively polished. Spelling and sentence structure are solid, making the chapters a smooth read. Complex ideas
Quiet_CicadaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Review swap, review swap!
Okay.
So it takes a bit of time to get into this story. I needed to reread Chapter 1 multiple times to see where - and I'm abbreviating it this way - 4V is going, and the rest of the story ran like clockwork afterward.
In essence, we have a story with a certain flavor that is objectively amusing. Either you like the story's comedy, or you don't. It becomes clear what types of jokes and situations this story prefers, and it gives you quite a lot of it, in the beginning, to gauge how well you'll enjoy it. I feel my own bias kicking in, because comedy is subjective and my scale of humor shifts heavily, but the general reader has a great chance of getting a chuckle.
Style: Apart from the fact it's a nice comedy, I have no other comments on the style. It's perfect for what it sets out to do. Reading the chapters feels casual and light-hearted, with a few exceptions. It's perfectly what I expected from 4V - my abbreviation for the story's title - and the story has a pleasant air that gives it a comfortable vibe.
Story: The direction this story takes is a little vague, with only a few breadcrumbs at the beginning. However, the plot begins to really cement itself once you go through a few chapters, and I think that's to its benefit. It's refreshing to go into this, briefly blind to the stakes and feeling as relatively "unprepared" as the MC is.
Everything unfolds one by one in ways that feel fun and keep you on your toes, doing a lot that makes this story stand out more. I can't go into what this story holds, but the beginning sets everything up quite nicely, and I felt engaged with what was going to happen next.
Grammar: Honestly, grammar is tricky. Every so often, there are some bits where my eyes immediately go: "Oh! This punctuation is weird!" Or some pronouns could have been better replaced with a character's name. I especially noticed an upside-down quotation mark in Chapter 6.
Beyond this, the story's grammar is modestly great. These small p
R. C. VettaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
What an excellent piece of cleverly written comedy!
The main character is a loveable trouble maker who constantly finds herself in sticky situations. Her wits, resourcefulness, and good luck get her out of most of her trouble, coupled with her rapid fire sense of humor the chapters just fly by as you don't even notice the time go.
Everything about this story draws you in. The exposition is superb when given and never overdone. The characters are memorable and interesting. a bonus on the characters is the author withholds information. Too often in stories are characters introduced and after ten minutes the reader is "told" everything they need to know about that character. The author takes their time with this one and leaves some mystery to be revealed as the story goes on.
The grammar is good with mistakes here and there, but very minor. The author clearly puts a lot of time and effort into their editing and it shows. The author mentions they are a non-native speaker, but I would never have guessed that just by reading their story.
Very entertaining all around if you aren't reading this story yet you need to get on it now before there is a huge backlog.
Don't you want to be one of the first to help make this story as big as it will eventually be?
T. H. WattsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Really loved the opening of this story, which began in a serene setting, where the biggest problem our heroes faced was a militant goose. This cosy beginning does a great job of establishing the main characters Thristle and Rose, each of whom feel well-developed with distinct personalities.
At the end of Chapter 3, things take a dramatic turn, which I won't spoil here, and from this point on the adventure begins in earnest.
Stylewise, the story was nicely written, and the sentences had a nice flow and poetic vibe to them. The author mentions English isn't there first language, which makes the rhythm of the language even more of an achievement.
Story: The story moves at a satisfying pace, and the author creates a rich world for the characters to inhabit. Things escalate quickly when our heroes are plunged into an unexpected adventure courtesy of an ancient well.
Grammar wise, there were a few odd sentences here and there, but most are easily fixed and do not detract from what was an enjoyable read.
The characters were a highlight, and spending time with them was an absolute joy. Will definitely come back to this story in the coming days, and am looking forward to reading more!
Wizardly DudeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Although there aren't that many chapters out at the time of writing this, I am very impressed with what the author has posted so far. The humor, descriptions, and dialogue all feel very well done, and my only complaint is that there isn't more of it!
Story: The story follows a young alchemist returning home in search of something (spoilers), who immediately runs into some serious trouble. In only a few chapters the author managed to instill a sense of scale for the world, and drop hints toward what I feel like will inevitably come into play.
Style: It looks like the author is focusing mainly on the one MC, with a few different POV sections as appropriate, which I think is an excellent choice and seems be done very well. The author manages to blend comedy with more serious tones without it feeling jarring, which is an impressive feat.
Grammar: I barely noticed any grammar issues, the story is easy to read and flows well.
Characters: The highlight of the story in my opinion! The MC is written as a clumsy, silly person who tries to put on a serious front when appropriate, and I think it really works for the character and story as a whole. While I enjoyed the dialogue between the MC and her childhood friend, my absolute favorite character is already Fluffy, a rather overprotective goose that has some fantastic descriptions written about them which I would love to repeat here, but don't want to ruin the fun of stumbling across them.
All in all, this feels like a fantastic start to a story, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot! (And not just to read all about Fluffy the misunderstood goose)
ZacheasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is about an elf adventurer and her travels. The MC Thristle lives a very funny and chaotic life. every moment of her story is a comedy of errors and everything that could go wrong does. She is on a mission to find a cure, but has a not of aggressive and feathery obstacles and unexpected quest she has to complete that get in the way. One of my favorite parts is her "taming" of a massive slime that is also quite the funny character in it's own right.
Spelling and grammar: The story had no major issues with spelling or grammar.
Characters: they are all well written, they have great, natural, funny and logical interactions. the characters seems three dimensional.
World building: there seems like a pretty well thoughtout world for the story but in the first 10K words of course it isn't all flushed out.
Story: there is and interesting premise, a good hook and great cliff hangers. It has all the components of a good, engaging story.
This story overall is well written but still is in it's early stages. i very much encouraged the author to keep at it. you are doing a great job. This was a fun read.
gajamaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I absolutely love this story! The characters are so vivid, and Thristle's quirky adventures made me smile from start to finish. The mix of humor and heart was perfect, especially her hilarious run-ins with the village and that goose! I felt so connected to her, and the writing just drew me in completely.
Style, I really like the the style, and have a feeling that I read something like that style a year ago? Anyway I stubled on this story by accidend but I'm glad I did. For a bit I had a feeling you are going grimdark, but I feel It was a tease and I really do hope it will stay that way.
Story and characters, I think this is the strongest part here, it's kinda different from most things here, unless you're planning to go that way which is cool, but keeping the way you do things till now would be nice. Thistle reminds me of myself, so I really like her.
Grammar, I think it's ok? I'm not good at it, sooo I can't judge here.
I would like more updates, but it's ok? I can understand that writing in a foreign language takes more time. Like seriously, I can't even imagine how that is.
I'll might edit this review later.