I hate marketing and my last few posts promoting my book have been very tongue-in-cheek. This time, I'm going to actually present my book's core principles and explain what I think makes it interesting. And it's still going to be dripping with sarcasm because taking myself seriously causes me physical harm.
The Hook
Severed Legacy is darkly comical, increasingly grim fantasy about a cowardly chef who's been classified as a Villain by the world's magic system. After accidentally killing the Hero prophesized to save the world, he winds up taking on that mission himself. He has absolutely no idea what he's doing, but the ghost of the dead Hero is still around to offer (questionable) advice.
Core Inspiration
Heavily inspired by the Buddhist philosophy of Samsara (Asmaras, the name of the world, is a literal anagram of it), Severed Legacy is about cycles and suffering. It's about the recurring patterns of ignorance and self-delusion that trap people and prevent them from finding peace. It's an exploration of the relationship between intent and consequence.
To be clear, I'm not claiming some profound understanding of Buddhism. I'm simply interested in the ways people perpetuate their own suffering through ignorance, attachment, and repeated mistakes.
Themes
Memory: What do we carry from the past? In Severed Legacy, memories are a tangible force that shape everything. Magic draws upon memory to control and guide it. Memories of the dead can be called upon and shaped into knowledge and power. A group of Immortals works to preserve, not only their own memories, but the histories of the world. Shifters can touch the minds of others and relive their memories alongside them.
But what about the things we forget? What about the things we can't–or refuse to–understand? If we're shaped by our memories, and memories are imperfect interpretations of the past, then what are we?
Identity: Who others expect us to be, who we want to be, and who we actually are–these are three questions the story continually explores. More importantly, it examines what happens when these expectations clash. Are people capable of change, or are they doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again?
Labels take center stage in Severed Legacy, with a magical force called the Measure bestowing Roles upon some, identifying them as Hero or Villain. The labels are internal, visible only to the individual, but society and culture have grown up around the belief that these categories have significance and meaning. If someone classified as a Villain grows up to do evil, was it predetermined by the Measure, or did a lifetime of being treated as evil make them that way?
Responsibility: If we are shaped by a past we cannot change, how much responsibility do we bear for the people we become? How do we judge the actions of someone seeking to do good when their every action leads to disaster? What if they're right about the problem but catastrophically wrong about the solution?
"Do the ends justify the means?" is a familiar question, but who has the authority pass that judgement? Can we trust ourselves to do it?
Psychological Themes / Content Warning
Severed Legacy is about trauma, guilt, obsession, and abuse. Characters hate themselves and others. They hurt themselves and others. Love is weaponized and used to exert control. Violence, blood, and death flow freely as the story progresses. Some depictions of wounds and injuries drifts into body horror.
There is a single scene, relatively early on, with a non-graphic sexual encounter involving ethically ambiguous consent and power dynamics. The chapter includes a content warning for this as well.
It's also funny!
I'm not going to pretend that this story doesn't have some fucked up themes and imagery, but I try never to let it wallow in misery for long. At the same time, I try to keep the humor grounded. People aren't just quipping constantly to undercut tension. The humor is character driven, often arriving as an unintended consequence of someone's actions.
The premise is generic...
There's a chosen-one Hero, a sinister criminal overlord, a yandere / manic pixie dream girl love interest, and a magical system that identifies Heroes and Villains.
These are familiar fantasy ingredients. Familiar labels. And labels are never wrong, are they?
Oh god, that sounds like a litRPG? / Oh yay, that sounds like a litRPG!
The Measure provides a litRPG-adjacent magic system that functions, in many ways, like a stat screen. There are stats, skills, and supernatural progression, but optimized builds aren't a component of the story. The numbers exist but are rarely exposed to the reader. What's important is what the system does to those living beneath it–and what happens when they start understanding it.
You see, what I've done is positioned myself perfectly to ensure I make nobody happy. People who hate litRPGs won't want to touch this with a ten-foot pole, and those who love them will feel like I don't go into the numerical depth they prefer.
The Story ends on November 23, 2026!
Severed Legacy is being published on Royal Road and has garnered an audience of 189 followers. With 14 votes it is currently sitting at an overall rating of 4.89 out of 5 stars. Just over 241k words have been published so far, with the final count coming in at around 275k.
I've finished the book and scheduled the final chapter. Chapters will continue to come out M-W-F until the last chapter releases on November 23, 2026.
I remembered the link this time!