Reviews

I have been following Ignat's Rybchinsky work for over four years now, and I can confidently say that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find deeper and more interesting works. You won't encounter an author who approaches world-building, the psychological and emotional portrait of each character, and the overall narrative with such dedication, making it equally dynamic and engaging. Works like "Spirits of Destiny" and "Captives of Destiny" keep me, as a reader and viewer, on the edge of my seat until the very end, making me empathize even with the most notorious antagonist. This author has completely transformed my perception of concepts like gray morality, plotlines, and the understanding of a hero. 

I want to specifically mention "The Utnur Tale" as the first novel Ignat started in the classical sense. In today's world, it's rare to find a fantasy book that offers a fresh perspective on such a worn genre. But that is exactly what "The Uthnur tale" does: with its pleasing prose and audacious narrative, the author immerses us in the heart of a diverse world. And although I have read hundreds of books, including those by the most iconic authors in this genre, no novel has left as strong an impression on me as Ignat's works. I can't wait for the world to see "The Uthnur tale," which I am absolutely sure will raise the bar for literary quality just as it has for me. 

As a person with a background in psychology, I plan to offer free consultations to the haters of this universe, because it's easier to go insane and stop loving life than to find the gaps in this lore. The world's history is written so deeply and in such detail that at some point, what is happening ceases to feel like classic fantasy—you surely know the laws governing various processes, why completely insane, unimaginable beings and objects have appeared, and how certain peoples have arrived at the point in history where they currently stand. This world is alive; it breathes and makes you breathe in unison with it.

Much of my experience has been shaped within the framework of tabletop role-playing games, where Rybchinsky Ignat not only utilized existing game systems to tell his story but also actively modernized and improved these systems. Eventually, he began to introduce entirely new authorial mechanics that allow stories to unfold fully, realizing their entire potential. I really appreciate how the plot of the games and their technical components are inseparably linked, forming a cohesive whole.

I want to highlight the special approach to storytelling—it unfolds through completely different tools, giving even the most discerning viewer something unique that touches their soul. Whether it's intricate and mysterious tales, the deep drama of entire peoples and regions, unusual forms of social relations in different societies, unforgettable personal stories of individuals, the grandeur and superiority of nature's power over humanity, the forms and origins of magic, or even the diversity of living (and not so living) species inhabiting continents and islands—all of this is created with special diligence and love, and it's impossible not to notice.

I also need psychological help. Because sometimes this universe is all I can think about. 

The Author's greatest strength is writing complex stories with a wide range of choices and freedom of action, which is felt more strongly by the well-written history of the world. The Author's stories allow you to play the roles of a variety of characters, from whose perspectives you can see not only local stories related to specific characters and places, but also the global plot. The world in which all stories take place does not forget the player's decisions, which results in significant immersion. However, the world does not revolve around the player - it develops independently depending on the world's internal forces, which allows all events to be unpredictable, and therefore more interesting to observe.

The world of Utnur is fully original, from the very first minutes of immersion it is able to intrigue both those familiar with the fantasy genre and people new to it. The Author takes on the task of showing the story in a new, little-described genre - an interpretation of classic fantasy in the realities of the post-apocalypse. The combination of stylistic techniques from both genres creates an interesting setting that allows you to take a fresh look at the more familiar image of fantasy and occupy your mind with completely new ideas and concepts.

Our TTRPG story began in autumn of 2019. I was the first Game Master (GM) in our group, an unexperienced and awkward one; all of us just wanted to try something new, so we played for fun without any hard preparations. However, everything changed the moment I gave this role to Ignat Rybchinsky in early 2020.

Our first adventure was an official one from Starter Set. An easy and not always exciting one. As a new GM, I took everything from the book – the characters, the story, the beasts. Ignat, on the other hand, decided to be more creative: he took an original story from the moment we left off and changed it to create something new, more deep and mysterious. Of course, looking back now, we all see his mistakes, but it doesn’t take away the experience and new ideas that he got. After that, some of our other friends decided to try being GMs, but only for one-shots. We still didn’t have anything big to play, not even mentioning problems of the game itself – the we’re playing is too simplified and illogical.

So Ignat began to write. He took the lore and history of the original setting, criticized the holes and patched them with his own stories, ideas and mechanics. His first adventure still was in official setting, but with more and more rules and new additions. He added new features to the mechanics and made our game more realistic, therefore more interesting and challenging. Ignat made the plot bigger and non-local – even the common “save the world” goal was presented in a new way. He also took our game sessions on a new level. We didn’t play just for fun anymore – we played for the experience and the story.

His second adventure, which was an introduction to our finished current one, was something completely different. Ignat created a new universe from pieces of information from everything he had seen – history, people, films, his favorite stories. He managed to write a whole world filled with creation and destruction, drama and happiness, and a huge amount of lore – everything unbelievably detailed. He has always written good plots and I still don’t understand how he does that, but the emotional aspect of his adventures and characters’ relationships inside are amazing. I’m not a fan of dark fantasy and to be honest I wasn’t always prepared for some of the events in the game, but I cannot deny Ignat’s genius of storytelling – both in writing and live role-playing. Moreover, he encourages our characters’ development and he’s always open to our wishes and ideas, both appreciating and supporting our art and headcanons.

In conclusion, I want to say a huge thanks to Ignat for being our GM for so long. Sometimes we weren’t fair enough with him while being upset with our own actions in the game, but this is exactly what makes his games so awesome – you feel everything as you were a character inside and you understand that your actions have consequences. I don’t think I’ve felt so much different emotions in my life as I do when we play. Ignat deserves the world, so I highly recommend him as a Game scenarist, especially for people who crave a new adventure filled with lore, secrets and tragedy.

Sincerely,

Alex Sapounov

Player

21.03.2022

In his book "Uthnur's tale", the Author describes a local, at first glance, not so significant story that takes place in one of the remote parts of the world. The Author faced a certain problem related to the immersion of the reader in the realities of the universe in which the story takes place - the original world is full of its own laws and events that are important for general understanding, but too extensive for a quick introduction to the reader. However, the Author managed to turn this problem into one of the best aspects of the book - complete immersion with the main character. Like the main character, the reader finds himself in a large and unknown world, the bulk of information about which can be given only by a few close people, whose stories may not be reliable. The reader himself seems to become the hero, as if by his will and desire the hero moves towards the solutions to the questions that torment him, getting into a variety of adventures on his way.