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Unfortunate
Wealth, power, and an easy life. Vaz had it all, but nothing could satisfy him. He always wanted more.
When one of his plans makes his boss finally decide he is a threat, Vaz finds himself with only two options: to roll over and die, or to roll the dice. Literally. Due to an ancient pact between his people and a god of chaos, Vaz, like all citizens of his country, has a special die that grants wishes... if you get a 20. Anything else results in a grisly death.
Vaz knew there would be a price to pay, but he didn't expect that, instead of getting his wish right away, he'd have to work for his own safety. Worse: that he'd have to work for the sake of another person.
Now a fugitive forced to prevent a young woman's death, Vaz is confronted not just by the ugliness of his world, but by his own part in it.
When one of his plans makes his boss finally decide he is a threat, Vaz finds himself with only two options: to roll over and die, or to roll the dice. Literally. Due to an ancient pact between his people and a god of chaos, Vaz, like all citizens of his country, has a special die that grants wishes... if you get a 20. Anything else results in a grisly death.
Vaz knew there would be a price to pay, but he didn't expect that, instead of getting his wish right away, he'd have to work for his own safety. Worse: that he'd have to work for the sake of another person.
Now a fugitive forced to prevent a young woman's death, Vaz is confronted not just by the ugliness of his world, but by his own part in it.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2024
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Ayrton Silva
3 books22 followersAyrton Silva is a software developer, who cracks his head writing fantasy stories whenever said head isn't being walloped by bugs (or Souls-like video games). Brazilian, when not sitting in front of his computer he can usually be found walking his dog, or riding his bicycle on some highway.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 2, 2025
This one started quite strong but, while I liked it well enough, I felt like it needed at least another round of edits. There were several instances where small inconsistencies or rough dialogues threw me. That being said, the idea for the book was pretty good, the imagery was great and I liked that the MC wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed a little too often, it was refreshing.
June 3, 2024
This can’t be happening, Vaz thought. I’m stuck with a nitpicky godling and a well-endowed singer against a team of hired killers. I’m so dead.
In many ways, that sentence sums up the interesting experience of reading Unfortunate. This is very well crafted and ambitious novella. One thing Ayrton does REALLY well is dropping the reader in a complex world and guiding them through what they need to know without huge info dumps or taking much time. Its honestly pretty impressive because there is a well-thought out magic system here with dice, but it never felt all that confusing, especially when a particular character shows up and knows all the rules.
The pacing is bonkers. I say this on every novella review but it feels especially applicable here: this book is best read in one sitting. There are some flashbacks but, for the most part, the entire story takes place in a short amount of time. I'm excited to read other reviews because the ending is...interesting. Definitely not what I expected, and I'm wondering how other people will react. Similar to Coward, I will probably be thinking about this one long after I finish reading it.
In many ways, that sentence sums up the interesting experience of reading Unfortunate. This is very well crafted and ambitious novella. One thing Ayrton does REALLY well is dropping the reader in a complex world and guiding them through what they need to know without huge info dumps or taking much time. Its honestly pretty impressive because there is a well-thought out magic system here with dice, but it never felt all that confusing, especially when a particular character shows up and knows all the rules.
The pacing is bonkers. I say this on every novella review but it feels especially applicable here: this book is best read in one sitting. There are some flashbacks but, for the most part, the entire story takes place in a short amount of time. I'm excited to read other reviews because the ending is...interesting. Definitely not what I expected, and I'm wondering how other people will react. Similar to Coward, I will probably be thinking about this one long after I finish reading it.
September 2, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
Unfortunate is a fast-paced dark urban fantasy novella, written by Ayrton Silva, which has really interesting ideas, and that manages to pack a great adventure into such a short length. A disturbing story with great ideas featuring an unlikeable main character who has space to grow, while having a thinly veiled reflection about the current economic system.
Vaz had power, wealth and a good position, but his ambition made him to be recognized as a threat by his boss. Persecuted by a hired assassin, he's forced to use the special dice that all the citizens there have due to a pact with a god of chaos: getting a 20 means getting the wish granted but with a price, and the rest of results end with a painful death. If he wants his safety, he will have to do an incredible task for him: helping another person, a young woman, to avoid her death.
If something can be inferred from the task given, is that the god has a curious sense of humour, pairing Vaz with one of the victims of his financial ideas, having to help her survive the consequences of a system that he has helped to create; don't get yourself wrong, Vaz is quite unlikeable, a person who is thirsty for escalating the social ladder at any prize. However, as long as the plot advances, we can appreciate how Vaz starts to understand how poisonous the abusive system is for the rest of people, and finally, we see him developing empathy for the rest of people.
But not only the plot is quite captivating, but I found the implementation of a magic system based on luck and coin-tosses to be quite unique; a simple choice can either give you the best outcome or create an unfortunate series of catastrophes. Worldbuilding is introduced in a smooth way, giving us the necessary information to understand the world, but keeping in mind, we are only seeing a slice of the world.
The pacing is really adequate in the format, fast but giving us some moments to breathe. My recommendation is to read it in one seat, as Unfortunate is a great and thrilling story; there's so much potential in this world, and I hope that, eventually, Ayrton returns to other places here.
Unfortunate is a fast-paced dark urban fantasy novella, written by Ayrton Silva, which has really interesting ideas, and that manages to pack a great adventure into such a short length. A disturbing story with great ideas featuring an unlikeable main character who has space to grow, while having a thinly veiled reflection about the current economic system.
Vaz had power, wealth and a good position, but his ambition made him to be recognized as a threat by his boss. Persecuted by a hired assassin, he's forced to use the special dice that all the citizens there have due to a pact with a god of chaos: getting a 20 means getting the wish granted but with a price, and the rest of results end with a painful death. If he wants his safety, he will have to do an incredible task for him: helping another person, a young woman, to avoid her death.
If something can be inferred from the task given, is that the god has a curious sense of humour, pairing Vaz with one of the victims of his financial ideas, having to help her survive the consequences of a system that he has helped to create; don't get yourself wrong, Vaz is quite unlikeable, a person who is thirsty for escalating the social ladder at any prize. However, as long as the plot advances, we can appreciate how Vaz starts to understand how poisonous the abusive system is for the rest of people, and finally, we see him developing empathy for the rest of people.
But not only the plot is quite captivating, but I found the implementation of a magic system based on luck and coin-tosses to be quite unique; a simple choice can either give you the best outcome or create an unfortunate series of catastrophes. Worldbuilding is introduced in a smooth way, giving us the necessary information to understand the world, but keeping in mind, we are only seeing a slice of the world.
The pacing is really adequate in the format, fast but giving us some moments to breathe. My recommendation is to read it in one seat, as Unfortunate is a great and thrilling story; there's so much potential in this world, and I hope that, eventually, Ayrton returns to other places here.
September 22, 2024
Unfortunate is yet another stunning read by one heck of an underrated Latin American author. Following the huge success of Coward, the author ventures into a totally unrelated Dystopian Dark Fantasy world. Instead of a mist that randomly turns humans into monsters, this book takes place in a country inhabited by a cunning god of fortune.
In exchange for the god's protection (and a chance to play a literal game of life & death), the capital of this country is covered in 24/7 perpetual nighttime because the god doesn't seem to like sunlight. I was getting really strong vibes from that great 1990's movie Dark City. There's quite a few additional similarities as the book moves on.
Our protagonist Vaz is... a despicable person. As a reasonably wealthy banker that teeters into defrauding desperate people for personal gain, it is quite memorable the author is capable of making the reader actually like the character and sort of want to root for him with the slim chance he can redeem himself.
And the beginning chapter, wow, the stakes are up the roof! While plenty of thrillers begin where an assasin is pointing a gun to the protagonist's head, Unfortunate takes advantage of this unique world setting and does something crazy: it introduces a magical dice everyone inhabiting the capital wears at all times. If the dice falls on any number other than 20, the person suffers from a gruesome instant death. Which is why everyone calls them the dice of Last Resort.
What happens when you are in a life & death situation and score a 20? Well, weird stuff happens, and Vaz starts discovering he might need to put his conman skills to good use if he ever wants to beat the casino running his city to stay alive.
While some chapters could have benefitted from additional grammatical clarity, I highly encourage readers that love thrillers involving dangerous magical contracts to give this book a read. At only 150 pages, chances are the reader is not going to want to put the book down!
4.5 stars!
In exchange for the god's protection (and a chance to play a literal game of life & death), the capital of this country is covered in 24/7 perpetual nighttime because the god doesn't seem to like sunlight. I was getting really strong vibes from that great 1990's movie Dark City. There's quite a few additional similarities as the book moves on.
Our protagonist Vaz is... a despicable person. As a reasonably wealthy banker that teeters into defrauding desperate people for personal gain, it is quite memorable the author is capable of making the reader actually like the character and sort of want to root for him with the slim chance he can redeem himself.
And the beginning chapter, wow, the stakes are up the roof! While plenty of thrillers begin where an assasin is pointing a gun to the protagonist's head, Unfortunate takes advantage of this unique world setting and does something crazy: it introduces a magical dice everyone inhabiting the capital wears at all times. If the dice falls on any number other than 20, the person suffers from a gruesome instant death. Which is why everyone calls them the dice of Last Resort.
What happens when you are in a life & death situation and score a 20? Well, weird stuff happens, and Vaz starts discovering he might need to put his conman skills to good use if he ever wants to beat the casino running his city to stay alive.
While some chapters could have benefitted from additional grammatical clarity, I highly encourage readers that love thrillers involving dangerous magical contracts to give this book a read. At only 150 pages, chances are the reader is not going to want to put the book down!
4.5 stars!
November 8, 2024
Unfortunate is a unique blend of crime fiction and dark fantasy. It feels like a noir thriller – a genre I haven’t much experience with – but the premise was so unique that I had to see where it would go.
Valar Tal is a Gotham-like city of eternal night (the god of chance has set up residence at its centre, and has somehow blocked out the daylight he so dislikes). Every human in this world has a 20-sided dice known as a “last resort". In desperate times, a person can cast their last resort, however they only have a 1-in-20 chance of being given a wish. All other rolls result in highly unusual, gruesome deaths (mauled by a streetcat, for example). I’m not the most squeamish reader, but some of these descriptions tested my limits.
The main character, Vaz is one of the “lucky” few to get a second chance at life, but his wish doesn't work the way he thought it would. He must complete a task for Chance: save a young woman from assassins while still being pursued by them himself.
This novella starts with some back and forth between past and present. At first, I had to push through the flashbacks (I wanted to know what came next!), but after a few chapters, their purpose becomes clear and they catch up to the present. The plot is a carefully-structured puzzle, and it is rewarding to watch the pieces fall into place. That is not to say that Unfortunate is predictable, because I couldn’t have guessed what would come in the last quarter.
I didn’t know how I felt about Vaz for a good chunk of this novella. His flashback chapters out him as someone who unapologetically looks after his own interests, even at the expense of others. It could be a challenge enduring the company of such a flawed character, but Silva gives Vaz just enough vulnerability to make up for it. Lessons in pain and humility are dished out to him at every turn, and when he begins to soften, the change feels earned.
As a character, Vaz reminded me of a younger Ebenezer Scrooge, only he has a god of chance rather than a trio of ghosts working on him. To be more specific, he has an otherworldly emissary of chance flapping after him as he goes on his quest.
Content Warnings:
In under 200 pages, Unfortunate packs in some thought-provoking commentaries about accountability and exploitation. There is a bit of Vaz is in all of us; how easy it is to fall in line with corrupt systems.
Valar Tal is a Gotham-like city of eternal night (the god of chance has set up residence at its centre, and has somehow blocked out the daylight he so dislikes). Every human in this world has a 20-sided dice known as a “last resort". In desperate times, a person can cast their last resort, however they only have a 1-in-20 chance of being given a wish. All other rolls result in highly unusual, gruesome deaths (mauled by a streetcat, for example). I’m not the most squeamish reader, but some of these descriptions tested my limits.
The main character, Vaz is one of the “lucky” few to get a second chance at life, but his wish doesn't work the way he thought it would. He must complete a task for Chance: save a young woman from assassins while still being pursued by them himself.
This novella starts with some back and forth between past and present. At first, I had to push through the flashbacks (I wanted to know what came next!), but after a few chapters, their purpose becomes clear and they catch up to the present. The plot is a carefully-structured puzzle, and it is rewarding to watch the pieces fall into place. That is not to say that Unfortunate is predictable, because I couldn’t have guessed what would come in the last quarter.
I didn’t know how I felt about Vaz for a good chunk of this novella. His flashback chapters out him as someone who unapologetically looks after his own interests, even at the expense of others. It could be a challenge enduring the company of such a flawed character, but Silva gives Vaz just enough vulnerability to make up for it. Lessons in pain and humility are dished out to him at every turn, and when he begins to soften, the change feels earned.
As a character, Vaz reminded me of a younger Ebenezer Scrooge, only he has a god of chance rather than a trio of ghosts working on him. To be more specific, he has an otherworldly emissary of chance flapping after him as he goes on his quest.
Content Warnings:
In under 200 pages, Unfortunate packs in some thought-provoking commentaries about accountability and exploitation. There is a bit of Vaz is in all of us; how easy it is to fall in line with corrupt systems.
April 26, 2025
Highly original and engaging
This book was so much fun! Grimdark/dark fantasy where the god of Chance reigns and bankers are the top of the pyramid. It's a break world but was written with such an engaging writing style. I could read stories about this world all day.
This book was so much fun! Grimdark/dark fantasy where the god of Chance reigns and bankers are the top of the pyramid. It's a break world but was written with such an engaging writing style. I could read stories about this world all day.
May 20, 2025
Unfortunate hits as hard as buckshot to the chest, and in only 166 pages! This urban fantasy with a magic system based around chance is as hard-hitting as it is action-packed, and it sure as hell doesn't skimp on dropping some hard truths about apathetic people.
Skeezy banker Vaz devises a new rate scam that will definitely get him some perks at work, maybe a promotion. But after coming home all giddy, a dude with a shotgun awaits him. Using his Last Resort, he takes a chance on his life with Chance, the god of this world. What unfolds after is a masterclass of cat and mouse, harsh self-discovery, and some really great banter.
Firstly, let's start with the magic system here. In this world, every person is born with a Last Resort, a twenty-sided die. And when things are at their lowest, people can cast their die and hope to turn their fortune around, but only if they roll a twenty. Anything else is gruesome death (here seen by a vicious cat and scorpions). But there is a catch, the god Chance sends an Emissary to said person and that person must perform a task/quest as part of a Compact between the god and humans. This was such an awesome magic system alone, but then Silva throws us a coin part and, again, people on their quest can flip the coin and try to guess it right, if they do, Luck helps them, if not... Seriously, this magic system packed so much fun into it, I could read so many stories with this as a basis!
Vaz is an interesting protagonist. He's not likable but he's also not unlikable, and I think that stems from the perfect encapsulation of apathy in our current world. Silva does a wonderful job of imbuing Vaz with a sense of 'I think I'm a decent person but really I'm not' and the following line sums it up succinctly:
'But if you take a good person and remove the "good" part, the result winds up being the exact opposite.'
Vaz is selfish in that he wants to make a better life for himself but at the expense of others, even without truly thinking about the consequences of his plans. His growth over this short novella was just superb (as well as hilarious when it finally smacks him in the face). And his relationship with his Emissary was phenomenal. The banter, the anger, the annoyance, everything was just great.
Syren is the other main character, and she's drawn into this plot for connections to Vaz in a fun way. Her character is also great but I won't spoil why. But as with Emissary, her interactions with Vaz are spectacularly witty and funny, while also emotional. They were a great odd couple type pairing.
The prose is great and the pace is wonderful. It's also surprisingly really funny, lots of great back and forths, as well as situational humor that isn't outlandish. I thought the few 'Before' chapters leading up to why Vaz has a shotgun guy in his bathroom were perfect and didn't overstay their welcome, in fact, they added greatly to the storyline. As mentioned, there was such great character growth in only a short page length, bravo. And the ending is the exact type of ending that would make any Sopranos fan ecstatic.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Unfortunate. I've had this book on my TBR since it came out almost a year ago now and I'm just mad I waited this long to read it. Seriously, this was such a fun story!
Skeezy banker Vaz devises a new rate scam that will definitely get him some perks at work, maybe a promotion. But after coming home all giddy, a dude with a shotgun awaits him. Using his Last Resort, he takes a chance on his life with Chance, the god of this world. What unfolds after is a masterclass of cat and mouse, harsh self-discovery, and some really great banter.
Firstly, let's start with the magic system here. In this world, every person is born with a Last Resort, a twenty-sided die. And when things are at their lowest, people can cast their die and hope to turn their fortune around, but only if they roll a twenty. Anything else is gruesome death (here seen by a vicious cat and scorpions). But there is a catch, the god Chance sends an Emissary to said person and that person must perform a task/quest as part of a Compact between the god and humans. This was such an awesome magic system alone, but then Silva throws us a coin part and, again, people on their quest can flip the coin and try to guess it right, if they do, Luck helps them, if not... Seriously, this magic system packed so much fun into it, I could read so many stories with this as a basis!
Vaz is an interesting protagonist. He's not likable but he's also not unlikable, and I think that stems from the perfect encapsulation of apathy in our current world. Silva does a wonderful job of imbuing Vaz with a sense of 'I think I'm a decent person but really I'm not' and the following line sums it up succinctly:
'But if you take a good person and remove the "good" part, the result winds up being the exact opposite.'
Vaz is selfish in that he wants to make a better life for himself but at the expense of others, even without truly thinking about the consequences of his plans. His growth over this short novella was just superb (as well as hilarious when it finally smacks him in the face). And his relationship with his Emissary was phenomenal. The banter, the anger, the annoyance, everything was just great.
Syren is the other main character, and she's drawn into this plot for connections to Vaz in a fun way. Her character is also great but I won't spoil why. But as with Emissary, her interactions with Vaz are spectacularly witty and funny, while also emotional. They were a great odd couple type pairing.
The prose is great and the pace is wonderful. It's also surprisingly really funny, lots of great back and forths, as well as situational humor that isn't outlandish. I thought the few 'Before' chapters leading up to why Vaz has a shotgun guy in his bathroom were perfect and didn't overstay their welcome, in fact, they added greatly to the storyline. As mentioned, there was such great character growth in only a short page length, bravo. And the ending is the exact type of ending that would make any Sopranos fan ecstatic.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Unfortunate. I've had this book on my TBR since it came out almost a year ago now and I'm just mad I waited this long to read it. Seriously, this was such a fun story!
February 3, 2025
This review was originally posted on SFF Insiders.
The opening paragraph of this dark urban fantasy novella grabbed my attention immediately. You meet Vaz, the main character, as he is walking into his bathroom, naked, and finds a man sitting in the bathtub with a shotgun pointed at him. I was flabbergasted! How the hell does one find themselves in this situation?!?!
From the beginning, Vaz is truly in a life-or-death situation. Knowing his incredibly low chances, Vaz decides to roll his 20-sided die in the hope a wish can put him in a better circumstance. If he doesn't roll a 20, he'll end up dead in some grisly manner anyway, so why not try with those odds? Unfortunately, Vaz’s one wish will lead him out of the frying pan into the fire.
The amount of world-building Silva creates in this short novella is astounding. His magic system is intricate, yet he seamlessly drops the reader fully into the story and makes it easily digestible without slowing the pace. It's all about chance. Coin flips and dice rolls can either bring you fortune or misfortune. This resulted in some dynamic and chaotic fight scenes, which were fun to read. You had no idea if Vaz’s action would occur like he wanted or if it would backfire.
Another important aspect of this world is the greed-fueled society Vaz lives in. He is just another cog in the capitalist machine. Through alternating flashbacks, we see that Vaz is a cutthroat and ambitious banker with everything going for him. He knows his decisions will hurt many, but he doesn't see them as human enough to care. Even worse, he blames them for their life decisions, which have led them to need money from the bank. Vaz is not an evil guy, but his callous attitude has made him someone who does more harm than good for society. With his backstory, I like how this novella demonstrates a critical moment in Vaz’s life. He goes on an unexpected, deadly journey to reflect on his values and role in society.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this dark urban fantasy novella and would recommend it. The complex magic system was seamlessly written within the story. It made the fight scenes unique and difficult to anticipate. Plus, it's shocking to know how much lore was included without feeling like an info dump. I liked this added depth since it made me understand Vaz more as a person. It also was a great commentary on how we can lose our humanity as we become more focused on money, power, and material things. However, it wasn’t entirely grim since we encounter some characters who go against society and try to help in any way they can. Lastly, I appreciated how Vaz’s character developed, and the way it left off made me think he still has a long way to go, but there’s hope.
The opening paragraph of this dark urban fantasy novella grabbed my attention immediately. You meet Vaz, the main character, as he is walking into his bathroom, naked, and finds a man sitting in the bathtub with a shotgun pointed at him. I was flabbergasted! How the hell does one find themselves in this situation?!?!
From the beginning, Vaz is truly in a life-or-death situation. Knowing his incredibly low chances, Vaz decides to roll his 20-sided die in the hope a wish can put him in a better circumstance. If he doesn't roll a 20, he'll end up dead in some grisly manner anyway, so why not try with those odds? Unfortunately, Vaz’s one wish will lead him out of the frying pan into the fire.
The amount of world-building Silva creates in this short novella is astounding. His magic system is intricate, yet he seamlessly drops the reader fully into the story and makes it easily digestible without slowing the pace. It's all about chance. Coin flips and dice rolls can either bring you fortune or misfortune. This resulted in some dynamic and chaotic fight scenes, which were fun to read. You had no idea if Vaz’s action would occur like he wanted or if it would backfire.
Another important aspect of this world is the greed-fueled society Vaz lives in. He is just another cog in the capitalist machine. Through alternating flashbacks, we see that Vaz is a cutthroat and ambitious banker with everything going for him. He knows his decisions will hurt many, but he doesn't see them as human enough to care. Even worse, he blames them for their life decisions, which have led them to need money from the bank. Vaz is not an evil guy, but his callous attitude has made him someone who does more harm than good for society. With his backstory, I like how this novella demonstrates a critical moment in Vaz’s life. He goes on an unexpected, deadly journey to reflect on his values and role in society.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this dark urban fantasy novella and would recommend it. The complex magic system was seamlessly written within the story. It made the fight scenes unique and difficult to anticipate. Plus, it's shocking to know how much lore was included without feeling like an info dump. I liked this added depth since it made me understand Vaz more as a person. It also was a great commentary on how we can lose our humanity as we become more focused on money, power, and material things. However, it wasn’t entirely grim since we encounter some characters who go against society and try to help in any way they can. Lastly, I appreciated how Vaz’s character developed, and the way it left off made me think he still has a long way to go, but there’s hope.
May 30, 2024
In Unfortunate by Ayrton Silva, a businessman named Vaz has grand plans: money, peace, and prestige. But his plans unravel - literally - when his boss hears one of his plans and gets jealous enough to set a hit on him. Using his Last Resort, a pair of lucky dice that normally kill their users in order to escape, leaves Vaz on the run with an uncanny godly companion while on a mission to save his own life by preserving another's.
I had the honor of beta reading this book in various stages of its progression, so I got to see it grow. It was an outstanding, vivid, and unique read with action, magic, and darkness only found in Dark Fantasy novels. Although longer than his original book, Coward, I would wager that this book is much better than his first.
My favorite part of Silva's work in Unfortunate is the gloomy magic system and epic world. If you love reading stories packed with lore, fantasy gods, and violence - this is the kind of book you should read! 5/5 stars.
I had the honor of beta reading this book in various stages of its progression, so I got to see it grow. It was an outstanding, vivid, and unique read with action, magic, and darkness only found in Dark Fantasy novels. Although longer than his original book, Coward, I would wager that this book is much better than his first.
My favorite part of Silva's work in Unfortunate is the gloomy magic system and epic world. If you love reading stories packed with lore, fantasy gods, and violence - this is the kind of book you should read! 5/5 stars.
July 28, 2024
Unfortunate by Ayrton Silva is an action packed novella with a unique magic system that packs a lot of story and character development into its 166 pages. I loved the premise of rolling a die as a last chance for survival and the elements of luck and chaos that were woven into the story.
Vas is a pretty unlikeable character with few redeeming features when we first meet him, he's cut throat, self involved and happy to capitalise on the misfortunes of others. When he is attacked in his own home he is forced to cast his Last Resort knowing than only rolling a 20 will save his life. When the most unlikely outcome happens he thinks his luck is in, but in order to save his life he will have to also save the life of another , and it will prove to be no easy task.
With lucky dice and coin flips galore, vengeful gods and money grabbing bankers there is a lot going on, but the author does a really good job of weaving the lore into the story telling, so that even though the reader is somewhat dropped into the story it does not take long to get a sense of what is going on. I read the book in a single sitting, and I think it probably works best that way as I could see some readers giving up on Vas before he gets to have his redemption arc. I think the ending will aggravate some readers but I likes the ambiguity and think it worked well in the context of the story as a whole.
Vas is a pretty unlikeable character with few redeeming features when we first meet him, he's cut throat, self involved and happy to capitalise on the misfortunes of others. When he is attacked in his own home he is forced to cast his Last Resort knowing than only rolling a 20 will save his life. When the most unlikely outcome happens he thinks his luck is in, but in order to save his life he will have to also save the life of another , and it will prove to be no easy task.
With lucky dice and coin flips galore, vengeful gods and money grabbing bankers there is a lot going on, but the author does a really good job of weaving the lore into the story telling, so that even though the reader is somewhat dropped into the story it does not take long to get a sense of what is going on. I read the book in a single sitting, and I think it probably works best that way as I could see some readers giving up on Vas before he gets to have his redemption arc. I think the ending will aggravate some readers but I likes the ambiguity and think it worked well in the context of the story as a whole.
August 18, 2024
Really interesting world-building with the luck-based mechanic and what that can mean for the society in the story. Also really liked that the MC is very complicated and not someone I'd want to root for and to see his development throughout the book. It's interesting to read books focusing on horrible people once in a while (as long as they aren't annoying, which Vaz really wasn't). I liked the action in the middle of the book when shit really hit the fan. Wish the book was longer just to have more of that chaos in it.
April 10, 2025
Unique
Well, this was thoroughly entertaining.
We've got a self-centred banker on the run from hitmen who turns to a last resort gifted to all people by the god Luck. Success and failure is a coinflip away.
Unfortunate by Ayrton Silva is fast paced, snarky, disastrous, and different in a way that's refreshing. 5⭐
Well, this was thoroughly entertaining.
We've got a self-centred banker on the run from hitmen who turns to a last resort gifted to all people by the god Luck. Success and failure is a coinflip away.
Unfortunate by Ayrton Silva is fast paced, snarky, disastrous, and different in a way that's refreshing. 5⭐
January 29, 2026
This is a solid 4.5 star read, hate that I can't give half stars here.
This is a very, very fast paced book that's takes you on an adventure and doesn't let up. Absolutely hooked from the first page and could hardly put the book down. There were a few oopses in the book, but nowhere near enough to take me out of reading.
This is a very, very fast paced book that's takes you on an adventure and doesn't let up. Absolutely hooked from the first page and could hardly put the book down. There were a few oopses in the book, but nowhere near enough to take me out of reading.
June 12, 2024
What a wild, intriguing, entertaining, disturbing, and fantastic story. Left me wanting more!
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June 30, 2024DNF 30%
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