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Bold Ascension
The gods favor the bold, they say, and Vahldan believed it. His boldness had led him to victory against the Spali, earned him the futhark sword, and made him the Lion Lord of the Amalus. Now he sought the power to lead his clan back to glory, and to bring those who oppressed his people to justice. He was well on his way to fulfilling the oath he'd made to his dying father. But his father had never seen the wealth of the stone cities that lined Pontea's shores... The seeress had prophesied that Vahldan was the Bringer of Urrinan, and many believed. Now he could wield the power that belief afforded him, whether he was the Bringer or not. What if he really could bring the so-called civilized world to its knees? By seizing the opportunity fate had set before him, he could lead the Gottari to heights beyond the imaging of his sires and place his descendants on the first throne of a hundred Tutona kingdoms. Though Elan often cautioned Vahldan that the gods were fickle, it seemed clear they had revealed the steps to a glorious destiny. To become the Bringer of Urrinan in truth, he had only to relentlessly pursue his bold ascension.
672 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2023
11 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Vaughn Roycroft
4 books60 followersVaughn Roycroft has aspired to write epic fantasy since his sixth grade teacher gave him a boxed set of The Lord of the Rings. He has spent many years seeking to be worthy of telling this tale. He lives with his soul mate in a cottage they designed and built themselves, near their favorite Great Lakes beach. When he’s not writing, he’s often walking the woods and beaches, trying to keep up with his energetic black lab.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 14, 2023
Thanks to Vaughn Roycroft for the opportunity to read an ARC for this highly anticipated sequel ahead of release!
Whenever I read the second book in a trilogy, I find myself doing so with "middle book syndrome" in mind. Great authors have failed to compellingly bridge the gap between a promising start in their first book and a climactic finale in the third, and plenty of beloved series stumble in the second act. So, naturally, I started Bold Ascension wondering how--and how successfully--we were going to get from The Severing Son to Destiny's Doom.
Throughout The Severing Son, there was an implication that the story's scope went far beyond the focused adventure we were reading at the moment. That was the challenge I foresaw, heading into book 2: it needed to cover a lot of ground, preferably without breaking from the tone established in the first volume. I can't help but imagine that the author had similar concerns in mind because that is exactly what Bold Ascension does.
Right off the bat, Vaughn takes a risk with a new POV from an unfamiliar culture--and it works. The new perspective immediately opens up the world to us, shows us glimpses of what lies beyond Dania. Some readers may not want to begin with a completely unfamiliar POV, but it is exactly what the narrative needs. And it helps that Malvius has the roguish appeal of a Tyrion Lannister--maybe with a dash of Han Solo. I found the POV immediately engaging, providing the perfect launching point for this stage of the story.
From there, carefully chosen timeskips pull us through the years, with any potential disjointedness smoothed over by Brin's epigraphs at the start of every chapter. Within any given scene, Bold Ascension moves at much the same pace as The Severing Son, but there may also be clues that years have passed since the last scene. The epigraphs' broad, historical lens makes these jumps seem natural, and the epigraphs were already established in the first book. Even as they facilitate a change by bridging gaps that were never there previously, they provide consistency with what came before.
That said, having good tonal consistency is not the same as being identical in tone. It does feel different from its predecessor. Where John Gwynne-style action dominated Severing Son, Bold Ascension has much more the feel of a historical epic. We get more politics and interpersonal conflict, and we get characters whose motivations are increasingly gray. It can become hard to know who to root for, but when the action ramps up for the final climactic battle, it becomes impossible not to root for whichever character we're following.
Happily, Bold Ascension also feels like a complete volume. Not a complete story, mind you--it is entirely dependent on the other books in the trilogy--but it fulfills its arc. We end on a teaser but not on a major cliffhanger. This is a full chapter in the saga of The Sundered Nation. And it is a great one.
Whenever I read the second book in a trilogy, I find myself doing so with "middle book syndrome" in mind. Great authors have failed to compellingly bridge the gap between a promising start in their first book and a climactic finale in the third, and plenty of beloved series stumble in the second act. So, naturally, I started Bold Ascension wondering how--and how successfully--we were going to get from The Severing Son to Destiny's Doom.
Throughout The Severing Son, there was an implication that the story's scope went far beyond the focused adventure we were reading at the moment. That was the challenge I foresaw, heading into book 2: it needed to cover a lot of ground, preferably without breaking from the tone established in the first volume. I can't help but imagine that the author had similar concerns in mind because that is exactly what Bold Ascension does.
Right off the bat, Vaughn takes a risk with a new POV from an unfamiliar culture--and it works. The new perspective immediately opens up the world to us, shows us glimpses of what lies beyond Dania. Some readers may not want to begin with a completely unfamiliar POV, but it is exactly what the narrative needs. And it helps that Malvius has the roguish appeal of a Tyrion Lannister--maybe with a dash of Han Solo. I found the POV immediately engaging, providing the perfect launching point for this stage of the story.
From there, carefully chosen timeskips pull us through the years, with any potential disjointedness smoothed over by Brin's epigraphs at the start of every chapter. Within any given scene, Bold Ascension moves at much the same pace as The Severing Son, but there may also be clues that years have passed since the last scene. The epigraphs' broad, historical lens makes these jumps seem natural, and the epigraphs were already established in the first book. Even as they facilitate a change by bridging gaps that were never there previously, they provide consistency with what came before.
That said, having good tonal consistency is not the same as being identical in tone. It does feel different from its predecessor. Where John Gwynne-style action dominated Severing Son, Bold Ascension has much more the feel of a historical epic. We get more politics and interpersonal conflict, and we get characters whose motivations are increasingly gray. It can become hard to know who to root for, but when the action ramps up for the final climactic battle, it becomes impossible not to root for whichever character we're following.
Happily, Bold Ascension also feels like a complete volume. Not a complete story, mind you--it is entirely dependent on the other books in the trilogy--but it fulfills its arc. We end on a teaser but not on a major cliffhanger. This is a full chapter in the saga of The Sundered Nation. And it is a great one.
December 17, 2023
This book unfortunately just did not click with me like bk 1 The Severing Son did earlier in the year. It might win the award for being a book 2 that is the most unlike its predecessor I've ever read, and therein might lie the issue for me. The Severing Son had a pair of protagonists who were easy for me to get fully behind at the center of an action-packed plot where the heroic stakes were clear. That first book covered so much narrative ground that I almost feel like it could have worked as a standalone or been split up and expanded into its own little series.
Bold Ascension picks up where that one left off, but it's doing something very different. The survival threat to their people has been dealt with, but now what? Now comes messy adulthood, mixed with world-shaking ambition. Roycroft is writing secondary world historical fantasy heavily inspired by the Germanic Goth tribes who overthrew the Roman empire, and here he imagines in the character of Vahldan what the impetus for that upheaval might have been in the form of a young charismatic tribal leader who sees the world is ripe for the conquering. For this larger scope political plot to really work for me, I think I needed to have a better feel for the world and its various factions and the stakes at play for everyone. Without that feel, I mostly was invested in the character growth and relationships, and the central pair was not as easy to root for here. Luckily some new POVs picked up some of the slack, and Roycroft excels with developing interesting and complex child characters.
Vahldan and Elan have a wonderfully touching conversation in the first half where they check in with each other before Vahldan fully decides to go down the conqueror's path, and the themes Roycroft is exploring here were very poignant around one being satisfied with a quiet contented life versus pursuing grand ambitions at the expense of personal relationships. At this branching point, however, I would've much preferred the cozy fantasy story where Vahldan eschews prophecy and ambition and settles down with the love of his life, but alas, that wouldn't provide much material for an epic historical fantasy trilogy. Roycroft succeeded in causing me pain by having his characters inflict pain on each other, and I'll always prefer a read where I'm emotionally invested and uncomfortable than one where I'm apathetic.
There's a lot of substance here in this series to sink one's teeth into, and I'm still excited to see where the tale will lead in the final volume!
Bold Ascension picks up where that one left off, but it's doing something very different. The survival threat to their people has been dealt with, but now what? Now comes messy adulthood, mixed with world-shaking ambition. Roycroft is writing secondary world historical fantasy heavily inspired by the Germanic Goth tribes who overthrew the Roman empire, and here he imagines in the character of Vahldan what the impetus for that upheaval might have been in the form of a young charismatic tribal leader who sees the world is ripe for the conquering. For this larger scope political plot to really work for me, I think I needed to have a better feel for the world and its various factions and the stakes at play for everyone. Without that feel, I mostly was invested in the character growth and relationships, and the central pair was not as easy to root for here. Luckily some new POVs picked up some of the slack, and Roycroft excels with developing interesting and complex child characters.
Vahldan and Elan have a wonderfully touching conversation in the first half where they check in with each other before Vahldan fully decides to go down the conqueror's path, and the themes Roycroft is exploring here were very poignant around one being satisfied with a quiet contented life versus pursuing grand ambitions at the expense of personal relationships. At this branching point, however, I would've much preferred the cozy fantasy story where Vahldan eschews prophecy and ambition and settles down with the love of his life, but alas, that wouldn't provide much material for an epic historical fantasy trilogy. Roycroft succeeded in causing me pain by having his characters inflict pain on each other, and I'll always prefer a read where I'm emotionally invested and uncomfortable than one where I'm apathetic.
There's a lot of substance here in this series to sink one's teeth into, and I'm still excited to see where the tale will lead in the final volume!
January 19, 2024
The gods will enacted. The leader foretold. The weight of promised prophecy begins.
Epic & wracked with emotion. Our protagonists relationship wrestles with the increasing & complex hardships of rulership. Great sequel & series!
Epic & wracked with emotion. Our protagonists relationship wrestles with the increasing & complex hardships of rulership. Great sequel & series!
November 7, 2023
This does have some spoilers even though I tried to keep them out!!!
I was sent this book by Mr. Roycroft. He is one of my favorite authors out right now and I was so excited when I saw this book in my mailbox. Reading about these characters took me back and made me feel at home with each of them. They are some of my favorite characters of any book. This book is everything and more that I wanted out of book 2. This story is so good!
I’m not the best at conveying my thoughts about a book without giving up some of the story. I won’t be the best reviewer because I leave out so much, but I try to get the point across if I loved it or not and if you should try it or not. There will be better reviews about this book as more read it, but you definitely need to start this series!
Bold Ascension picks right up where The Severing Son left off. It starts off with Malvius inside the city that Vahldan and Elan were sitting outside after defeating their enemies. Malvius was in command of his fathers trading ships. Malvius and Vahldan formed an alliance and went out on the open sea together. You get to see how smart Vahldan really is and how he makes enough profits to go back home and help his people make a change for the better.
The hardest part of this story, for me, was Vahldan and Elan growing apart and having all of the struggles that came with the prophecy. I went into this book thinking I was about to see our happy couple ruling and making babies and just being amazing together, but they really struggled. It was hard for me to see how it hurt Elan. She is one of my favorite BA female characters. Vahldan was struggling too because he knew he loved Elan, but he also believed the prophecy would put him with another.
This book was so much different than The Severing Son in my opinion. Vahldan had to take on a more diplomatic approach instead of letting the ugliness overtake him and just overpower his enemies. It was so different, but you still will love every second of it because it was so well written. I really embraced it being different.
Loved Brin. Loved all of her stories before each chapter. I won’t go in to more of her because I don’t want to ruin anything.
Vaughn, you have done it again. I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to see how this all ends! I need the next book tomorrow please.
I was sent this book by Mr. Roycroft. He is one of my favorite authors out right now and I was so excited when I saw this book in my mailbox. Reading about these characters took me back and made me feel at home with each of them. They are some of my favorite characters of any book. This book is everything and more that I wanted out of book 2. This story is so good!
I’m not the best at conveying my thoughts about a book without giving up some of the story. I won’t be the best reviewer because I leave out so much, but I try to get the point across if I loved it or not and if you should try it or not. There will be better reviews about this book as more read it, but you definitely need to start this series!
Bold Ascension picks right up where The Severing Son left off. It starts off with Malvius inside the city that Vahldan and Elan were sitting outside after defeating their enemies. Malvius was in command of his fathers trading ships. Malvius and Vahldan formed an alliance and went out on the open sea together. You get to see how smart Vahldan really is and how he makes enough profits to go back home and help his people make a change for the better.
The hardest part of this story, for me, was Vahldan and Elan growing apart and having all of the struggles that came with the prophecy. I went into this book thinking I was about to see our happy couple ruling and making babies and just being amazing together, but they really struggled. It was hard for me to see how it hurt Elan. She is one of my favorite BA female characters. Vahldan was struggling too because he knew he loved Elan, but he also believed the prophecy would put him with another.
This book was so much different than The Severing Son in my opinion. Vahldan had to take on a more diplomatic approach instead of letting the ugliness overtake him and just overpower his enemies. It was so different, but you still will love every second of it because it was so well written. I really embraced it being different.
Loved Brin. Loved all of her stories before each chapter. I won’t go in to more of her because I don’t want to ruin anything.
Vaughn, you have done it again. I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to see how this all ends! I need the next book tomorrow please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
March 10, 2024I finally finished book one The Severing Son. It took me way longer than usual to get through it, as I had quite a few issues with the pacing, plot and characters.
I will be continuing the series and reading Bold Ascension, however I will be taking some time to read some other books and series first before returning to the world of Dania...
I will be continuing the series and reading Bold Ascension, however I will be taking some time to read some other books and series first before returning to the world of Dania...
January 16, 2026
Following up on my indie book read of 2025, The Severing Son, this sequel takes place immediately after that epic conclusion, then sets us off on a multi-year journey where our protagonists go through the wringer. This is a great continuation of the saga, one that goes in a vastly different direction than book one, a direction that might be seen as bold (yeah, I made a title pun...). And the boldness does pay off, but if you loved how book one is, don't expect the same type of story here.
Vahldan and Elan remain as our two main protagonists, but since there are multiple time jumps in this story, we are finally treated to important characters who were only hinted at in book 1, namely the author of all the epithets, Brin Bright Eyes (V&E's daughter), as well as the daughter of the seeress who becomes Vahldan's wife and mother of the Bringer of Urrian. Remember, time jumps here, so it may seem weird, but it works out in the end.
I will say that while I enjoyed most of this story, it did not hit me as hard as The Severing Son and I think that's the nature of the time jumps, it doesn't allow for as much character building to naturally happen since a lot of it happens off-page. For example, in Part 1 of this book, the immediate aftermath of Vahldan/Elan's victory sees them join a merchant crew as mercenaries. Sure, they get to see the wider empire and all the injustices of slavery and other things, but from chapter to chapter, years pass and we get a bit more history as opposed to seeing the story unfold. Then before Part 1 ends, Elan gets pregnant, but that's seven years after book 1. Part 2 starts with it being eight years later, essentially they come home so Brin can be born. The first Part was a bit hard for me to grasp the characters I so loved, it wasn't until Part 2 started that I felt these characters being the ones from book 1. But then a lot of things happened, all good things, important book things, but then came another time jump, getting characters aged up appropriately for them to bear children, etc. Again, while all this works, it just didn't hit me as hard as The Severing Son, I almost felt like some of this book could have been drawn out more and split into multiple books.
Let me stress, this book is great, all of the arcs come together nicely, but this story is extremely ambitious in its scope, so that close connection you had to Vahldan and Elan in book one is not as close, but we do get a lot more connection with other characters only hinted at in book one. I think Brin Bright Eyes is a treat, she's a fun character to see grow. Same with Amaga, the future wife of Vahldan. She's born with this foreknowledge of her future bringing into the world the harbinger of their people, so she's already an old soul when we meet her at eight years old. Roycroft really creates some complex children in this tale.
Overall, this is a saga, not a short few year story, so it works, it's still epic, still great storytelling by Roycroft. Lots of action, lots of political intrigue with prophecies and the chosen one. I'm eager to see how he concludes this series.
Vahldan and Elan remain as our two main protagonists, but since there are multiple time jumps in this story, we are finally treated to important characters who were only hinted at in book 1, namely the author of all the epithets, Brin Bright Eyes (V&E's daughter), as well as the daughter of the seeress who becomes Vahldan's wife and mother of the Bringer of Urrian. Remember, time jumps here, so it may seem weird, but it works out in the end.
I will say that while I enjoyed most of this story, it did not hit me as hard as The Severing Son and I think that's the nature of the time jumps, it doesn't allow for as much character building to naturally happen since a lot of it happens off-page. For example, in Part 1 of this book, the immediate aftermath of Vahldan/Elan's victory sees them join a merchant crew as mercenaries. Sure, they get to see the wider empire and all the injustices of slavery and other things, but from chapter to chapter, years pass and we get a bit more history as opposed to seeing the story unfold. Then before Part 1 ends, Elan gets pregnant, but that's seven years after book 1. Part 2 starts with it being eight years later, essentially they come home so Brin can be born. The first Part was a bit hard for me to grasp the characters I so loved, it wasn't until Part 2 started that I felt these characters being the ones from book 1. But then a lot of things happened, all good things, important book things, but then came another time jump, getting characters aged up appropriately for them to bear children, etc. Again, while all this works, it just didn't hit me as hard as The Severing Son, I almost felt like some of this book could have been drawn out more and split into multiple books.
Let me stress, this book is great, all of the arcs come together nicely, but this story is extremely ambitious in its scope, so that close connection you had to Vahldan and Elan in book one is not as close, but we do get a lot more connection with other characters only hinted at in book one. I think Brin Bright Eyes is a treat, she's a fun character to see grow. Same with Amaga, the future wife of Vahldan. She's born with this foreknowledge of her future bringing into the world the harbinger of their people, so she's already an old soul when we meet her at eight years old. Roycroft really creates some complex children in this tale.
Overall, this is a saga, not a short few year story, so it works, it's still epic, still great storytelling by Roycroft. Lots of action, lots of political intrigue with prophecies and the chosen one. I'm eager to see how he concludes this series.
June 24, 2024
This was a tough one for me in that I had developed a good deal of respect for Vahldan’s spirit and judgment in Severing Son, and for a good deal of this work, his path is marred by impetuousness and to me, rash judgment and near megalomania. Elan’s great pain in this potential threat to their land and peoples, and their relationship is heavy with heartsickness. In my head, I said, “Vahldan, c’mon, wake up!” more than a few times.
I enjoyed being in Malvius’s canny, not fully trustworthy head; of course, there are many figures of power in the book who fall short of being trustworthy. I didn’t enjoy being in Pontea for that long period (and had some puzzlement over some time shifts), and wanted to return to Dania, like Elan, but alas. But all that worked in the service of moving the story. Speaking of moving, the early-on reunion of Elan and Icannes, however short, brought warm light to a dark period.
It was fun and exciting to see Brin move so quickly toward her own power, even in early adolescence, and her engagement with Ago was cheering, dangerous and enveloping. Lots of political maneuvering in this work, some of it treacherous, some of it measured. I continue to want to see/hear more of the Blade Wielders, and perhaps that want will be met in Book Three. Vaughn has set the stage for … I don’t know what. Disaster, triumph, heartbreak, virtue, courage, cowardice. Maybe all. We’ll see in the finale!
I enjoyed being in Malvius’s canny, not fully trustworthy head; of course, there are many figures of power in the book who fall short of being trustworthy. I didn’t enjoy being in Pontea for that long period (and had some puzzlement over some time shifts), and wanted to return to Dania, like Elan, but alas. But all that worked in the service of moving the story. Speaking of moving, the early-on reunion of Elan and Icannes, however short, brought warm light to a dark period.
It was fun and exciting to see Brin move so quickly toward her own power, even in early adolescence, and her engagement with Ago was cheering, dangerous and enveloping. Lots of political maneuvering in this work, some of it treacherous, some of it measured. I continue to want to see/hear more of the Blade Wielders, and perhaps that want will be met in Book Three. Vaughn has set the stage for … I don’t know what. Disaster, triumph, heartbreak, virtue, courage, cowardice. Maybe all. We’ll see in the finale!
May 16, 2024
I’m always intrigued by how the “messy middle” of a trilogy plays out, and BOLD ASCENSION did not disappoint. Book two expands the scope of the story, focusing on a whole range of new characters, even as Valdahn and Elan evolve and change, in both surprising and foreseeable ways. Roycroft has a knack for revealing multiple perspectives, making even the most unpleasant characters a bit sympathetic, and showing the human and emotional costs of conflict and war. As the book sails on to its conclusion, I was caught up in the momentum of fate, destiny, and the complicated choices facing the main characters, right through the epilogue that sets the stage for book three. I’m looking forward to see how the conclusion of THE SUNDERED NATION trilogy plays out!
November 15, 2025
This book was one of 5 finalists for my top Indie SFF book I read in 2025!
For the full list, please see the link below:
https://beforewegoblog.com/p-ls-top-i...
In Roycroft’s Dania, the Gottari factions, and a world inspired by the rise of the warlike, marauding Germanic tribes that helped precipitate the fall of the Roman Empire, are featured.
Roycroft could one day in the future join the Camerons, Wurts, Winters, Cornwells, Gwynnes etc. as a master of depicting ancient combat, since his battles scenes are that spectacularly composed.
This book has less bloodshed and more intrigue than it’s predecessor, “The Severing Son”, but it exceeds the wonderful first novel with its character development, depth of worldbuilding, and poignancy, as we see prophecies begin to take shape, as the so-called barbarians strike out into the ‘civilized world’ they believe is their for the taking.
For the full list, please see the link below:
https://beforewegoblog.com/p-ls-top-i...
In Roycroft’s Dania, the Gottari factions, and a world inspired by the rise of the warlike, marauding Germanic tribes that helped precipitate the fall of the Roman Empire, are featured.
Roycroft could one day in the future join the Camerons, Wurts, Winters, Cornwells, Gwynnes etc. as a master of depicting ancient combat, since his battles scenes are that spectacularly composed.
This book has less bloodshed and more intrigue than it’s predecessor, “The Severing Son”, but it exceeds the wonderful first novel with its character development, depth of worldbuilding, and poignancy, as we see prophecies begin to take shape, as the so-called barbarians strike out into the ‘civilized world’ they believe is their for the taking.
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