In the deepest reaches of the Bone Pits, a canine seemingly like any other woke up in the ruined remains of a wooden box.
With knowledge it shouldn't have, fleeting memories it couldn't reach, and the icy grasp of death crawling up its spine with every labored breath, it simply wished to live another day.
Yet, in the bowels of a city built on metal corpses, nothing was ever simple.
Gangs, religious groups, loose collectives, Dungeon Barons, highborn and cultists alike all battle for supremacy in the industrial underbelly of Carmera, blind to what prowls below.
For in the writhing clouds of smog none peer into, in the murky, frothing depths of the sumps that none approach, in the deepest reaches of the Dungeon that none but the mentally deranged dare challenge, the last wolf rakes its claws through steel and howls to a distant sky.
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Are you tired of fun monster evolution stories where the monster becomes increasingly less monstrous, and eventually they're just a more spicy version of a human and it stops being a monster evolution story?
Well, i am.
So- insert thanos meme where he says "fine, i'll do it myself"
(For more insight into the author's life, added artwork, interesting tidbits or just to hear me complain, head over to RoyalRoad dot com, which is where I'm most active. )
(The art in the book cover was made by an extremely talented artist named Chloe Bt and edited by me. She allowed me permission to use one of her renders as the main ingredient to my book cover, because she's fucking awesome. https://chloebt.artstation.com/ )
- CH32 – Book 1 FinaleAug 28, 2022
- CH31 – Part 3/3Aug 28, 2022
- CH31 – Part 2/3Aug 28, 2022
- CH31 – Part 1/3Aug 28, 2022
- CH30Aug 28, 2022
- CH29Aug 28, 2022
- CH28Aug 28, 2022
- CH27Aug 28, 2022
- CH26 – Part 2/2Aug 28, 2022
- CH26 – Part 1/2Aug 28, 2022
- CH25Aug 28, 2022
- CH24Aug 28, 2022
- CH23Aug 28, 2022
- CH22Jun 8, 2022
- CH21 – Part 2/2Jun 8, 2022
- Content Warning
All Rights Reserved-
Hiatus - Updated Aug 28, 2022
Last updated 2 years ago
- 64 reading
- 14 plan to read
- 4 completed
- 6 paused
- 5 dropped
This story needs more readers, it is intelligent & thought provoking. While I didn't like some of the developments (
the introduction of deity like beings & the implication of that on the freedom of our MCs
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Simply wonderful. Well, not quite wonderful, as in heartwarming. It is the opposite entirely. A depiction of a dystopia shown through the eyes of a wolf who can't understand it. For the wolf, his instincts are what drives it forward, yet, even it has some understanding about the world around it. Plus, a system.
The LitRPG elements are not overbearing. You don't have the descriptions of the skills and then the MC mulling over them. Although, the traits are described. Everything is seen through the eyes of the MC, who is a wolf. The wolf thinks and behaves like a wolf. It doesn't get supper smart overnight.
Just a pup, the MC faces many dangers. This is not a fluffy story. The world in which the wolf lives in is a kill or be killed one, even for humans. Yet, the author approaches death with the respect it deserves.
The depiction of the near-death experiences of the MC made me feel compassion for it. Which persisted, even when the MC did something unsavory I do not feel so good about. Yet, I told myself that the MC was a wolf, and shouldn't be subjected to human morals. After all, his deed was done for self-preservation and without an ounce of cruelty.
The world is a steampunk one, from what I have read so far. Pollution seems to be the price for the progress the humans, and it is stretching it to call them such, pay. The action is done in a fantasy land of some sort, which is advanced. There are magic wielding humans, who use their gifts freely in the streets. Although, there seem to be some rules against that. Or, at least some restricted areas.
Animals like the MC are called Awakened. So, the story has the potential to show us another intelligent animal like the wolf. Perhaps, even pit the wolf against the other animal with a system? Considering the tone of the story is quite dark, I do believe it will fit in with the general narrative of the story.
The world-building is top-notch, the grammar is good, so is the style. The book is engaging, and the chapters are done in an episodic fashion. As in, the chapter ends with a new evolution for the wolf. No fillers so far, which is good and just goes to show how action packed the story is.
The chapters are a bit long, for my taste, but I intend to binge the story, so that doesn't matter to me. I am in for the long haul, not short-lived gratification. If you are looking for an easy read, this one is not it. If you are looking for a high-quality novel that will play with your emotions in a good and meaningful way, then read this and get immersed in a dark, yet, diverse, world. Seen through the eyes of an animal whose heart's desire is to live another day.
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