22 Comments
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Jan 2
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Tom Schecter's avatar

Appreciate you, brother. Glad you’re enjoying it so far.

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Me Write stuff's avatar

Really liked this. Great world building and I found the characters and dialogue to be gritty and real. My only cries would be: shorter chapters please and would be nice to have some female characters.

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Me Write stuff's avatar

Not cries - crits

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Tom Schecter's avatar

If you’re sticking around for the next chapter, you’ll get at least one of those points resolved…

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Mary J Hunt's avatar

I read the first chapter of The last of the Etela. I enjoyed it. It was quite action packed, so kept me on my toes. It would be great as a movie

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Tom Schecter's avatar

Thank you so much!

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Mary J Hunt's avatar

You are very welcome Tom

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Tom Schecter's avatar

Also, should go without saying but just in case… thank you so much for reading!

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Me Write stuff's avatar

Hey, I enjoyed it. Definitely more the side of Patrick Roffhuss (fantasy wise) which is a sector of fantasy that I think is really lacking.

For the record I am a very reticent fantasy reader so the fact that you got me hooked on tone is massive.

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Tom Schecter's avatar

I’ll take that 100% of the time.

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Mary J Hunt's avatar

Wow, that was intense. This is not my typical genre, but I enjoyed it. It grabbed me and took hold of me. That is what great writing does isn’t it. I could see this as a movie. (We need some new ones)

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Scott Roche - he/him's avatar

Solid beginning! I look forward to reading more.

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Tom Schecter's avatar

Appreciate you! Excited to hear what you think.

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Scott Roche - he/him's avatar

I’ll definitely comment as I read.

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MC's avatar

Really immersive, compelling stuff. Proud of you dude.

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Keith Long's avatar

Excellent— very intense and engrossing, I second the comment on the crisp dialogue, it brought me in.

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Tom Schecter's avatar

Thank you so much, man! Greatly appreciated.

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Garen Marie's avatar

A gripping first chapter. Excited to read more.

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Tom Schecter's avatar

Thanks so much!

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A. C. Sanders's avatar

Ok, this is freaking epic Tom! It’s giving Dune vibes in the best possible way, with the strong world building and conflicted characters. I am here for it!! Kareva is terrifying!

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Tom Schecter's avatar

Yeah. Poor kid has some stuff going on haha. Thank you SO MUCH. I appreciate you.

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ARC's avatar

Incredible opening chapter—rich worldbuilding, sharp political tension, and a protagonist who’s both terrifying and tragic. Kareva’s emergence as a leader is brutal and unforgettable. The final scene with Varyta’s death adds a haunting layer. Can’t wait to see where this goes. This saga feels like something special already.

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