The Lich: Or, the Confessions of a Witch-King

by Adam Vine

They called me the Coffin King. I was the hero who slew the Lich and returned the Crown of Whispers to the Empire. The man of the people who rose to become emperor, only to fall again to a conspirator's blade. The cursed one. The creature of darkness, doomed to wander these shadowed halls for years uncounted. I am the monster the stories warned you about. I am the Lich.

But you already knew all this, didn't you? Now please, come a little bit closer...

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Dark Fantasy

34 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2017

About the author

Adam Vine was born in Northern California. He has lived in five countries and visited almost forty. A narrative designer for video games by trade, he is also the author of two novels and many short stories. When he is not writing, he is traveling, reading something icky, or playing his guitar.

Reviews

[Wol · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nice little surprise this was! I picked it up from r/Fantasy when the author posted that it was free on Amazon that day. At 30 odd pages, I decided to read it for the short story square on r/Fantasy Bingo.

A very fun concept, and well written. A couple of unfortunate anachronisms in the dialogue, and a little sparse here and there, but the prose is pleasing and the ideas clever. Honestly my main complaint is that I wish it had been longer and more detailed. Genuinely worthy of a full novel if the writer set his mind to fleshing out the setting and characters.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, back to doing thought things for books.

So the author posted on /r/fantasy letting us know that his story was currently free. Sure, why not. Stylistically wise, this was pretty good. The repeating story of a Lich king, and his rise and fall. There's only so much you can do in 30 pages, but it was a little bit fun. I'll probably look into more of what the author puts out.

[cosmic_truthseeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic and macabre - a great read

"Be honest with yourself. You didn’t just come to kill the Lich. You came for a confession; to hear it all, the trail of my crimes that led me here, straight from the corpse’s mouth. So a confession you shall have."

I came upon this story entirely by chance, and upon seeing its short length dove right in.

This is a piece of fantasy fiction with a macabre twist, detailing the rise and fall of a King. To say more would spoil the story, but a lot happens within these thirty or so pages.

It's all beautifully written, with a poetic edge that makes the writing flow. A whole world is painted for the reader, and an extra layer of intimacy comes from us taking the place of the character to whom the titular Lich is speaking.

My only criticism of this piece comes from its pacing; things move fast and change fast, but that is often the nature of novelettes and novellas, and in some ways it did benefit the story. It just meant that some scenes were told to us more than they were shown.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and consumed it in a single pre-sleep sitting. This is my first encounter with Adam Vine, but I'm thinking it won't be the last. He is clearly a talented writer.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

[Netanella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written memoir of an evil king possessed by nefarious crown, and adroitly illustrating the cyclical nature of his role. Well done and entertaining, but entirely expected.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very pleasantly surprised by this story. It was fairly short, but still I became so engrossed in it that I finished the entire thing in one sitting, without being aware of time passing by. To be honest, I'm not even sure what about it was so engaging. It just... was. Recommended!

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella was a fascinating and symbolic read. He writes in such a way that captivates the reader - every word eloquently placed to invoke suspense and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed this dark fantastical story and look forward to reading more from this talented author.

[Casey Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lich is a well-told tale of heroism achieved by the underdog, son of a coffin-maker in a town of too few to be of any significance. Highlighting what can happen to the purest of intentions when seeking glory and acclaim, the story unfolds layers of heartbreak, redemption, victory, approval and worship, amongst many other desirable outcomes one might seek to accomplish after a perilous journey to defeat evil, only to find the true horrors that await after claiming the prize from conquest.

The author’s ability to weave back and forth from the narrator’s present point of view to the world-building historical recollections is achieved with great visuals and concepts, leading to a very heady reveal at the climax of the story worthy of great praise.

Highly recommend!

[Andrew F · Rating 3 out of 5]

T

The book was good and It is a quick read. It seemed a Iittle short though. It is a good book.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gripping, creepy tale of how ultimate power corrupts even the most pure of heart. You can go into a situation with the best of intentions, yet external forces will always have their influence on your mind and your decisions.

A short story that would be spoiled if I wrote too much in a single review. An enjoyable quick read.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining short work about a Lich, and his side of the story.

[fasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole thing is just meh. It was for free, that's a plus, but otherwise very predictable and far too long for the gist of the content. It's like a writing exercise, it was such a cliché I waited for the twist that never came. So as an exercise it's fine, but those you don't publish.