LJ Amber with false fangs and little bat wings
@ljamberfantasy.com
2.6K followers 3.4K following 3.4K posts
Author of #1 Best Ongoing Story on Royal Road The Elf Who Would Become A Dragon is free to read rrtewwbad.ljamberfantasy.com Queer Irish author living in Scotland. I write fantasy fiction for adults using accessible language. www.ljamberfantasy.com
![Thoughhtful, Heartfelt Fantasy for the Ages
by Anaktoria 12/07/2025 02:23
5/5 Stars Overall
5 Style
5 Story
5 Grammar
5 Character
What truly sets this story apart is the sheer care and love put into it, wholly matched by the professional quality of its execution.
I always begin with prose, the most important part of any read for me. The prose in this piece is polished and lyrical, but not to excess; the story breathes through the words, not in spite of them. I am put in mind of classic fantasy authors like Le Guin and even Lewis Carroll - the author strikes a fine balance between artistry and readability.
Now, this piece is not only a (beautifully traditional) fantasy but also a tragedy. The crux of a good tragedy is the reader's ability to relate to the lead, to sympathize, and in Saphienne we find an exceedingly sympathetic heroine: a lonely bookworm who, despite her outward aloofness, is compassionate and gentle at heart. Who among us cannot remember a time in our childhood when we struggled to connect with our peers? This is at the heart of Saphienne's journey, and it persists as she grows. She is, fundamentally, credibly, someone trying to do right by a complicated, unkind world.
The worldbuilding here is as subtle and thoughtful as the prose. It serves the narrative in all the ways it needs to: we learn the inherent prejudices of elven society that contribute to the development of Saphienne's fundamental outlook, the betrayals and injustices that seed in her righteous and long-lived fury, a vivid and poignant contrast to her innate gentleness. From the opening we know already that this story ends unhappily, which only adds weight to these unfolding revelations. Recurring details like the changing of elven hair with the seasons provide colorful, immersive, and wholly genre-appropriate flourishes.
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![The Cleverest Thing I've Read on this Site
by Hiria Dunning 11/07/2025 21:06
5/5 Stars Overall
5 Style
5 Story
5 Grammar
5 Character
This novel is exactly my jam.
Style: First things first, (and I know I'm going to come off as a snob, but) this is solid, rich, well-crafted prose. I've read too many things on online platforms which are inaccessible to me because they read like they were written by children. This is the sort of writing where you know the writer is studied, confident, and thoughtful about hitting the Publish button. I appreciate not having my time wasted.
Grammar: I'm surprised this is even a category of judging on this website because let's be honest. The lay person does not know a damn thing about grammar. I've studied grammar, I have a copy of the Elements of Style by my side as I write, and my grammar isn't even that great. Anyone giving the grammar of this work less than 4 or 5 stars on this site is a clown and should not be listened to. This work is one of the only true 5 stars for grammar works on this whole damn site, PERIOD.
Character: I challenge you to find a deeper character study anywhere on this site, or in the majority of current trad pub literature. We are led right into the nitty gritty of Saphienne's inner workings along with her - AND THEN, we get heartbreaking glimpses into her shortcomings and blindspots that you just know are going to lead to tragedy down the line. It's so delicious.
Story: This story is clever, in a very real, deep way. I've never read anything quite like it, in terms of how the characters speak about scholarly or philosophical subjects, but it all still actually works as readable and engaging storytelling (I've read plenty of didactic stuff which just falls flat - this is NOT that). I certainly could never write like this, and if I were younger and more impressionable I would probably envy and try to copy L.J. Amber's style ...
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