Wander West, In Shadow [Slow Burn Dark Fantasy]

I almost cannot believe a story like this is on this site. It is easily better written than many of the books (hardcovers!) I used to purchase from bookstores' fantasy sections in the 1990s. I would call it epic fantasy except that it is rather more quiet than that, though it is clear that it has the potential to be more "grand". It is patiently, delicately written, but in a modern prose without being tacky and anachronistic (given that it is set in standard fantasy-medievalesque era). There is the absence of the kind of corrosive irony and excess self-referentialism that seems to dominate so many more recent works in the webnovel fantasy genre - it is almost "classic" hero fantasy. 

It feels like the story has substance. By the 10th chapter, I sense that I'm reading the first book of what ought to be a series - there is a feeling of "a world out there" to it. The author has clearly dedicated no small time to world-building; but it does not feel ingeniously artificial (ala Sanderson) so much as organic and natural (ala Rothfuss). A big plus. 

But, most importantly for me personally, it focuses on a small set of viewpoint characters for whom you can feel genuine curiosity, interest, and indeed, affection. It is, in other words, a pleasure to read. I feel happy and interested reading it. 

The only complaint I have is that the many chapters already written are not released en masse! 

The story is like "The Spook's appentice" mixed with standard travelling wizarding tales, The darkest dungeon and old german bedtime stories, with extra tolken like world buliding.

The story starts bleak and maintains a dark atomsphere that never relies on cheap gimmicks.

Instead it explores the darker parts of humanity, that we often seen in the real world and yet as often ignored. 

The fights are logical, mixed with physical and magical attacks.

The magic is decipted like old forgetton arts. Those who don't know it views it with suspection.

It's a pretty good time for horror, adventure, dark fantasy, mystery, and worldbuliding lovers alike

This author can write. You run into a lot of janky prose on this platform, but not in this piece. Every line sings. Very well done. 

The world-building is effortless and woven with character and situation so you do not ever feel overwhelmed as a reader and the story carries you right along. 

We are following the heroe before his climactic clash with the villainess, notable events, even potential dark deeds he got up to, lives he changed in passing, his trail so to speak.

I do mean follow literally, we arent reading about Mr big dick MC we are reading his brothers view, the life he lived and the hole his brother left and the search for clues. for everything amazing we hear about magic in this world, the hero does the high level shit. the brother doesnt even compare, so why do we follow him?

Well the fucker might have stumbled onto secrets that will shape the face of the planet and gotten on a first name basis with said secrets. our protag is smart, and confident in what he knows, unsure in things he doesnt a normal down to earth guy with severe ptsd. And he gets to meet everyone who will matter in this world it looks like. yeah i dont wanna be on a first name basis with a mr important fae. Also maybe vowed to create a god, or demigod unsure on specifics.,either way its bad.

he also literally set free a demon that seems just the tiniest bit of high in the demon pecking order, with fond rememberence of our little hero... On accident, without knowing, but thats life when you a normal dude contesting with ancient beings that could flatten entire landscapes.

This is the first review I've ever written on RR, I usually couldn't be bothered to leave a written review but Wander West, In Shadow knocked my socks off and absolutely deserves a review.

From the moment I started reading I was utterly captivated. This grim/dark fantasy horror novel is a masterpiece of storytelling, weaving a tapestry of intricate world-building. The characters within the novel are memorable and all have their own personalities and quirks that made them feel fleshed out and real. 

The book description says that the book is slow-paced however it felt anything but slow. From the first chapter we were introduced to some horrors that are present within the world, and with each new chapter a new question or a piece of the puzzle was revealed.

The dynamic between Elyse and Martimeos is the heart and soul of this novel. Their contrasting personalities and motivations create a compelling tension that drives the narrative forward. 

This is a truly unforgettable reading experience. I devoured every page, unable to stop until I finished the novel. This is a must-read for any fan of dark fantasy, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gripping and unforgettable story.

To those familiar with my reading list on RR (extensive to say the least) the title may seem hyperbolic, but there it is. I read the first draft and was blown away. I seriously can hardly remember more than a handful of actual published novels that got me so emotionally invested. 

I'm not much of a review writer but I really want this one to succeed and for the writer to continue the great work.

Honest to god, I was a bit depressed for a few days after I finished reading and realized there was no more. Very excited to re-read the polished version. 

I have read the rough draft for this story and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I am very much looking forward to an even more polished version. 

If you enjoy a spice of mystery and horror in your fantasy, you will enjoy this story. There will be surprising twists and turns, reveals that leave you awestruck, and dark secrets that blur the line between right and wrong.

This is my first ever proper review, since usually I am not bothered enough to give them. But for so long I was searching for a dark and grim tale such as this, and one so well written, that I felt obligated to write something.

I had the original draft saved in my follow list for ages, and never got around to starting it, until this week. I have only read the new draft so far and can without doubt state that this is one of the best stories this website has to other.

With a unique touch on all the common aspects found in such medievel-setting fantasies, from the magic to the cursed monsters; this story constantly leads you on by dropping new hints of the world and the characters. Letting one slowly piece together the puzzle themselves, only then when you think you know what to expect, the author uses their dark and twisted imagery to knock the puzzle out od your grasp.

The characters are all believable, and none are annoying, with forced traits applied to them for the sake of the plot, as many are in sotries on RR. It is nice to see a more realistic approach to the two main protagonists learning to trust each other, in their own ways and at their own pace- it really does feel natural.

The style of writing is smooth and reads well, the writing for some parts seems quite fast pased, which (in my opinion) helps add to tense or frantic moments in the plot. The unique twist on the characters dialect helps with immersion, and deepens an already rich fantasy world.

If you are looking for a dark fantasy, which spares no details for the horrors of their concocted world, and has an intensely intriguing plot, then I dearly recommend this story.

Just read it. You won't be disappointed. In my opinion, this is up there with the very best on plotgenre.com, both stylistically and content wise. Every conflict seems real and treacherous, with an undercurrent of tension running throughout the story-- just what you want in a grimdark story. However, there are still spots of warmth-- also what you want in a story like this.

First ill start with saying this book is incredible and my personal favourite (as it was even as a draft) and I recommend anyone reading this review to just stop here and read the book.

What I want to focus in this review is the incredible skill the author have in world building and evoking a sense of curiosity and mystery. Right from the start we get small details on the world around us but never the full story, always leaving the reader wanting to know more. While this is not somthing unique to the author I do think this is the best use of this aspect in writing I have seen on this site. Not only that the author also knows how to use this for the plot itself so even though its slow its never boring.

The second thing the author does incredibly well is the dynamic between our main characters, making their interaction so natural and authentic that i wont mind reading a full book of just these two talking and interacting with no plot. 

The rewrite itself fixes a lot of minor problems in the original and i liked the changes a lot. the only thing that bothers me ( and thats a personal preference so feel free to ignore it) is writing parts in "(...)" as it breaks the flow of reading in my eyes but thats just me.

And to the author, first of all thank you for picking up this story again. I look forward to continue reading the next books in this series. Keep up the great work!