Warlock of Ashmedai: The City of God [Progression fantasy/LitRPG]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

“Collect souls. Grow stronger. The continent depends on it.”

Oak fears his own lust for war. Sadly for him, all of Pairi-Daeza stands upon the edge of a knife. Angels and demons weave their plots in the long shadows cast by the corpse of God, and he finds himself at the heart of the coming chaos.

An unlucky chain of events takes Oak and his dog Geezer from the far North into the City of God, where danger lurks behind every pebble and withered blade of grass. Misfortune turns into an opportunity when a friendly demon with radical ideas about monarchy takes Oak under his patronage.

Unfortunately, the joys of power are balanced with fraying sanity and the weight of responsibility.When the sins of his past rear their ugly head, Oak finds that old habits are hard to let go off and even harder to kill.

To receive boons from his patron, Ashmedai, Oak must feed freshly slain souls to the infernal engine attached to his own soul. But strength alone is just a means to an end.Oak and Geezer must rescue a prisoner, escape from the city, and take their first steps on the long path to save the continent from a dragon’s folly.

Someone has to do it, and Oak is the right broken man for the job.

Book 1 is finished, and I am currently working on book 2.

What to expect:

- LitRPG elements

- Meaningful and earned progression

- Character and plot focused story

- Found family (No harem shenanigans)

-Hellhound companion

Release schedule:daily chapters for the first 30 days. Then two chapters a week, released on Monday and Friday.

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Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: FoamKnight

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 759
Views: 169,654

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

Ace JackRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I was looking for something to read to pass the time. This book is exactly what I needed. The author’s writing style and storytelling are truly unique and draw you into this epic tale. I’m completely hooked on this book and can’t stop reading. The book is incredibly interesting, and I can’t wait to get off work so I can continue reading. 5 stars is the minimum I can give this. I highly recommend it!
AceGreenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Am I being too obvious when I compare this story to Diablo? I'm not sure, but from me it's a huge compliment. I feel like I chased the high of Diablo 2 for like a decade after I played it, and nothing ever really felt quite right.
First, just to speak to WoA: City of God's general premise: wow, this is really dense. Ornate might be the best word. I found myself rewriting this review quite a few times because there really is so much to the world that is well-done and satisfying, but a bit tangential to what I personally enjoyed the most. So, I'll speak to them cursorily.
There are lots of magic systems(theurgism, magecraft, warlock...ism?) which shape the world in more ways than just people commanding force. There's clearly a complicated political plot hanging over the story, which in fact precipitates the inciting incident which brings the main character to Ma'aseh Merkavah. And there's a pluralism of objects of worship in the world, including the demon Ashmedai who makes a contract with the mc shortly into the story. Worth noting: I am not exactly versed, but generally the spiritual cosmology of the story seems to align with esotericism in the vein of the Key of Solomon.
These are all cool. But the most scintillating part of the story, imo, is right in the title: the City of God, or Ma'aseh Merkavah.
I didn't make the Diablo comparison just because of how the story blends gothic horror and LitRPG. I think the main setting, the Doom of the Old Empire, the City of God is highly evocative of it.
I hope this isn't too niche, but it really is like Tristram meets Anor Londo. The descriptions of Ma'aseh Merkavah give the sense of a place that was very lived in—to the point that there's occasionally still the rotting remains of food—and that once upon a time it was extremely grand. The horror thus feels very intimate, without ceding the sense of faded glory, of an age long gone.
It's just an intrinsically captivating setting. You want to know what the hell happened to the
BlognaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Not much else to say. Overall I am very interested on what is going on. Although the start was good, once the dynamic between oak and his rescue began all the pieces fell in place.
I just hope this story keeps on going. I love how the story is unfolding.
D.N. NewynRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Warlock of Ashmedai promised a 'meaningful and earned progression' and a 'character and plot focused' story, and boy does it deliver. Here are my thoughts in detail:
Character: I love a complex MC, and Oak is one of them. Oak has an interesting dilemma befalling him. He seems to be somewhat of a loner, content with his simple life but also haunted by violent impulses. We see this internal conflict in the first chapter where he struggles with disturbing thoughts. Struggling as he is, you do NOT want to cross Oak. He's strong, imposing, and is pretty darn calm in uncomfortable situations, such as when he's in the forest. However, Geezer is the star of the show for me. Well, who won't root for a good boy?
Story: The initial chapters set up an intriguing premise with the appearance of the poltergeist and the impending danger that follows. And it only gets better from there. As he move towns, he's only going to be stuck weirder and weirder circumstances, raising the stakes and make me extremely curious as to what the hell is going on and how the MC is going to get out of these situations.
Style & Grammar: The author excels in enhancing the scenes with gritty descriptions. Some of them are vivid, lovely, and creative, such as 'sinking into unreality'. The grammar and mechanics of the writing are generally strong. There are a few instances of informal language, but these are just a stylistic choice to reflect the characters and setting.
Ellen TaylorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This has an intriguing beginning, and quite the world building that goes along with it! I'll explain why each of the sections has the stars it has.
Grammar is always an easy five from me. As long as there's nothing that pulls me out of the story, I give it five stars. I'm not a stickler for grammar.
Style was the only one I knocked off half a star for. I got confused a bit with what I imagine was the dream world, but only at the beginning. It was described beautifully, but that first time I was a bit confused. Once I realized what it was, I was able to understand it well enough and enjoyed the descriptions of the place. And the descriptions and word choice in this story are incredible!
Story and character I will do together. The story and the character were quite rich. The world building is vast, and I find myself intrigued by the warlock aspects of it with poltergeists and what not. Also Oak is a fascinating main character, and his dog is such a wonderful, if not lazy, companion. There is definitely more there that will be developed, and it will no doubt be marvelous.
Overall, a great read!
Orion's HeraldRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
First off, I would like to say that the author has written this story very well. Oak’s personality is believable, and his interaction with the other characters is even more so. The dialogue flows well and feels natural to read, giving you a sense that these people are real.
The description is also a treat to read. It adds meat to the story, giving it legs and allowing it to run. I like it a lot and found myself inspired by how it was done. It was another strong highlight of the writing and something I believe many people will enjoy. Another highlight of the story is Oak’s loveable companion, Geezer. He adds levity to the scenes that he’s in and is a treat to read.
That levity can feel needed, as the world seems dark at points. Death is easy, and life is cheap. With characters feeling very mortal in this fiction. I was worried about Oak myself throughout my time reading—losing only a finger might be considered lucky.
Now onto the breakdown:
Grammer: It was perfectly fine. I didn’t have any problem reading, and it flowed well throughout.
The story: It builds up slowly through each chapter, adding an extra piece to the puzzle as the story moves along. It is a world filled with lore and questions playing out right before our eyes and is fun to read.
The style: The style is simple to understand, with the prose not being hard to follow at all.
The characters: I have spoken about them previously.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read. I enjoyed my time with it and found myself being inspired as I read.
OzyenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
What I like the most about this book is well it blends realism with a world drenched in the supernatural. Angels and Demons bless champions, a whole city is a graveyard to God whos flesh is eaten by the living. Oak is a fantastic protagonist with his share of darkness, and though I usually don’t like animal companions, Geezer is pretty funny.
ReaderofReadersRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I had to make an account to write this review.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and I cannot wait to see where the author takes it.
Story: there is a grandeur to the world building that grabbed me immediately. The world clearly has a history to it and we get these little tid bits fed to us little by little so we can start to piece together the bigger picture. The plot is gripping and there is plenty of mysteries and action to keep a reader entertained.
The power system is also well thought out and I am always interested to find out what boons Oak is going to get from his patron, Ashmedai.
Grammar: five stars, easily above the average story on this site.
Style: the story has a great pace to it. Moments of gripping action are usually followed by a chance to take a breather and the story lets scenes develop on their own pace, rushing when needed and slowing down when necessary.
I love the viceral style of the fight scenes. Especially chapter 25. So good.
Character: the MC is a definite strong point and the rest of the cast does not disappoint either. Oak feels like his own person with a past that influences his every action and decision. He is also deceptively funny.
Give it a read!
metatr0nRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Excellent book that deserves more attention.
Grammar is good. Writing is tight. Story pace is excellent.
Magic system is somewhat unique.
Dialogs are well written. World building is enticing.
Overall I can't find anything to critic. READ THIS BOOK.
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toolingenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A repentant veteran, his hellhound, and an old elf warlord walk into a bar... if that bar was ground zero of the apocalypse and drawn by M.C. Escher.
style: wonderful storytelling, of high quality. Interaction between characters is brilliant. The story draws you in, and you share the fear, tension and relief of the characters.
Show don't tell is masterfully displayed in this novel! Not everything is said explicitly, but the information is there, if you just read between the lines.
Soft LitRPG elements, with a system only really there to quantify "exp" or perk points. The system resembles the Skyrim perk trees more than it does the typical system with stats, titles etc... on RR.
Story: great premise, spoonfed to the reader slowly, one bite at a time. The lore is amazing, and you really discover the secrets of the world together with Oak, the protagonist. The stakes are incredibly high, and it promises to be an incredible adventure.
grammar: few, if any errors. Incredible writing all around.
characters: all alive, all different, all have their own purpose. Even if the stakes of the story are high, you can't help but feel that the world is in the right hands. These guys are going to save the world, even if the entire world condemns them for it.
If you feel there is little character interaction, wait for chapter 19, the story really picks up from there, as the character introduced fills out the party's gaps.