Valor and Violence
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About
Valor and Violence is a series of short stories following different, yet all equally colourful, characters set in the same world.
Birth of a Legend, the first short, follows Captain Erskine Erwell, a newly promoted Captain in the Calandorian Royal Navy, charged with protecting his people from all who would do them harm. Great news for the Calandorian citizens, bad news for the Skjar reavers that ravage the shores in search of slaves. But when a small reaver fleet slips the net and escapes to the southern jungles of Marduk, Erwell must fight a war on two fronts; one against the raiders, and a far more difficult war against the hostile landscape. If he can't find allies in this strange land, he may end up being the one in need of saving.
The Calling follows Ferez Ahud, an aspiring young battlemage charged with the unsavoury job of 'terminating' a rogue member of his college. But how this nobody of a mage became a fugitive remains a mystery, and when the answer is discovered, the tables are turned and the hunter becomes the prey.
A Family Dissassemblance follows a young woman named Elizabeth. She's a simple young gal; sweet, charming, and with a heart of gold. She loves her family, she loves fun, and she loves making things and people explode!
These stories and more form a collective prequel set before the events of A Bastard's Birthright, and can be read for free on Royal Road!
Praise for this book
This story is good. Like, I mean, really good. It is one of those stories where you instantly see its quality. It does not take long to fully emerge into the story and fall in love with the characters. The writing quality is just superb. One can instantly tell that the author is professional. I only read the first story so far, though I will definitively continue reading the next ones. However, this review is based on the first story.
Style score: Like I mentioned before, this story feels professional. One can easily read the story without once getting bored. The mix between dialogue, descriptions and action is simply fantastic. It is just so easy to emerge into this story and keep reading.
Grammar score: The grammar was perfect. I did not find any mistakes.
Story score: I really liked the story for this one. We follow around marines trying to save their people who got kidnapped in a jungle. There, they meet other people who will accompany them on their mission. This is the beginning of an epic story, which will get you on the edge of your seat. The author manages to turn a “simple rescue story” into an emotional rollercoaster.
Character score: This may be my favorite aspect of this story. The characters are just perfect for this setting and this story. The way they act and how they think just feels real. All of them are likeable, though the main character and Levi stand out. I don’t want to spoil anything, but just keep in mind they are goats!
To sum up, I can say that everyone should read this story! As a writer myself, I can confidently say that this is one of the best stories you will read on royal road.
As the synopsis explains, this is not a single work, but a collection of short stories and you should stop and read them all RIGHT NOW. There is incredible storytelling, clever plot devices, and every chapter is packed with edge-of-your-seat action.
Before I jump into the nitty-gritty, I think it’s worth mentioning that despite the name, short stories are incredibly challenging to write because the author has a limited amount of words to win over the audience before wrapping everything up with a satisfying ending. JEPayne has this down to an artform.
The style is fast, gripping, and the world building is descriptive without bogging you down with detail. The action sequences alone are praise-worthy. I was fully immersed into the world by chapter one and couldn’t hit the ‘next chapter’ button faster.
Each short story so far has a clear plot and what’s even better, the storylines are night and day from each other. You’re not reading more of the same. You get new characters, different environments, conflicting motives, and it’s all done so, so well.
I was so immersed in the stories I didn’t notice any errors. There probably weren’t any either, because everything is very well polished.
The characters are the best part, which is saying something, because every part of this collection has been darn near perfect so far. Like the stories, you get a wide range of cast, each with their own unique personality and voice. My only issue is that, due to the nature of short stories, I don’t get to spend more time with them. *On this note, the author has promised to bring back the original cast for more adventures, so my issue is a matter of impatience and not oversight.
Highly recommend you give Valor and Violence a read. It lives up to its name in every way.
A marvelous collection of short stories that take you deep into a world of militant might and magic. A refreshingly different concept, that just works. Read, Favourite, and Enjoy!
Style: The story is written in an efficient and neat way. It keeps the writing crisp and clean, and very easy to dive right into. The writer really exemplifies the show not tell method of writing. When the fight scenes happen, you get the grit without the excessive gore, and it really feels like taking a smooth ride from start to finish.
Story: There are multiple short stories that are all wonderfully written. Every new scenario has its own feel while helping expand the world in the story. The tension of the scene, along with the humour provided by the characters, really shines. Each new story seems like a standalone affair, but it only adds and not diminishes the overall anthology.
Grammar: There are no complaints from me. The author has polished and edited the story beautifully. Even the most avid of grammar enthusiasts would struggle to find fault.
Character: Every character is just so well fleshed out. They all have a unique and interesting personality that meshes really well with the setting there in. The characters feel real and keep the reader immersed into scene. The author has managed to inject a certain wit that makes each person feel alive and rememberable.
Seriously read this, the author provides quality content. I can't wait to see what more there is to see.