quote:

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We should never have angered Prince Scanlen. Winny Feral strained on his tip-toes as he stretched to adjust his position in the stocks. Splinters from the rough wood threatened to poke into his neck. They should have given me a stool to stand on.
He looked at his two friends. They hung limp in their own stocks, sporting pointed idiot hats. He felt pity for them and anger at himself.
Leos had gotten sick earlier, the smell made Winny feel nauseous. He heard a groan and twisted his head, barely avoiding the splinters, and saw Mathias. Soon the lads would wake and realize what their night at the ale house had cost them. He was keeping his own eyes closed. He could sense Bama Greta nearby and was ashamed for her to see him this way.

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There's something a little... unpleasant about this opening. It's very... I don't know. We've got [implied] blood, and vomit, and people groaning, and nauseating smells, and the spiteful 'idiot hats'. Your main character is also a little devoid of emotion, and a little disturbing for it.

On personal preference alone, I probably wouldn't read on, but that's just because I don't like unpleasant openings / stories - same reason I don't read horror. I would, however, suggest injecting a little more life into your pov character (or, at least, justifying his muted reactions somehow - is he only semi-conscious, or groggy, or feeling sorry for himself, etc?).

I'm actually a fan of a bit of realism in the stock-standard fantasy settings, so I'm not put off by the unpleasantness of the opening except for the way it sets the mood.

My worries here are about the set-up (are we going to go into an extended flashback or sequence of flashbacks?) and the inconsistent mood. As Philocinemas has identified, it's hard to pick where this story is going to go. If it's gritty "realistic" fantasy, then why have a name like Winny Feral? If you're going for a light-hearted feel, I'd probably back off from the unpleasant bits.

Regards,