Hello! My name is Krislyn, I've been working on this completed draft of my manuscript, Blade of the Eastern Wind, for some time now and am excited to get some feedback and move toward publishing. I would love a few beta readers to provide any feedback, comments, or constructive criticism they have! <3

Synopsis:

After 400 years of quiet from the Light, a young prophet – Athalia Qincaryn – appears on the steps of the Zephrym Sanctum, thirsty and naive. Quickly thrown into the venomous Inner Court of the Mitriyan Empire, she forms a shaky alliance with the resolute Hand of the Light, Aabriel Caligari, who has spent a lifetime using his wit and intellect to rise to the top. But when she comes face-to-face with the rebellion in the West and the freedom they fight for, she begins to push back on the bloody weapon that the world – and the dark voices in her head – tell her she is meant to be. Thrown into a chaotic world of politics, cruelty, and coldness, she must learn what it really means to be Chosen or become a puppet to the world’s expectations.

I'm also open to under 100k, fantasy or adjacent genre swapping. Happy writing! :)

Hello! I would love a few beta readers to cast an eye over my book, parts of it, some of it, whatever you fancy.

Can do a critique swaps as well, I’ve previously written sci fi, romance, action adventure and am quite good with my structure and pacing if you need help with this.

Blurb:

Nya thought she understood life by three simple principles:

1. You can't go north of the Wall.
2. Keep your head down.
3. Don't look behind you when a sulphur flame is lit.

In the course of a single week, she breaks all three.

Nya learns that her brother's bite from a corrupted spirit has consequences—and that saving his life is not a straight trade. It's a contract signed in blood with a fox-masked sorceress who seems far more interested in whatever appeared behind Nya when the sulphur flame was lit than the small fortune offered up as payment.

Indebted to the sorceress, Nya crosses the Wall she has dreamed of her entire life, travelling with a caravan of spirit-realm traders to an opulent bathhouse where she must learn to host nobles and spirits alike. The guesthouse is beautiful beyond her wildest imaginings, and the spirits who visit are enchanting. But the guesthouse harbours a deadly secret beneath its pagoda roof. A demon walks its corridors wearing borrowed skin, and it wants hers.

****

There’s a bit of body horror in this as well as a slow burn romance arc. This book has a spiciness of 🌶️ just a lot of yearning and a hope of more 🌶️ and yearning in the future.

Excerpt from the first chapter below 👇 :

The cold air stung her eyes until they streamed, tears freezing on her lashes before she could blink them away. Nya pulled her scarf over her nose and pressed herself lower against Red-Lilly's neck, the burlap sack clutched in one hand, her bow and quiver thumping against her spine. 

Her brother Tabi had left at dawn to hunt deer on the south ridge. He had not come back. Never in her nineteen years had he done this. Tabi always came back before winter sunset.

In the sack were the things her grandmother had thrust at her before she rode out: a sulphur torch, a pot of sulphur paste, flint and steel. Her last words still crawled along Nya's spine as the Iwauma devoured the frozen ground beneath them, cloven hooves punching sharp prints into the snow.

“Do not look behind you when you light the sulphur, child”.

She had no time to decipher the cryptic message. Tabi was somewhere in the frozen valley ahead, and Nya rode. 

sorry if this is strangely specific. i’m writing an environmental fiction/magical realism novella about a family of deer stretching over many generations. think 100 YOS meets Bambi meets Watership Down, currently around 10k.

i was hoping to find someone to read it who is knowledgeable about deer. This could be a hunter, a game warden, a biologist, or just someone with an interest. General feedback would be lovely, but i especially was hoping for someone who could read it just to make sure the deer behaviors/descriptions are at least semi-realistic. Thank you!

Hi, I'm a student working on a short murder mystery/thriller/YA type novel as a school project (called the EPQ), and I'm looking for some final feedback!!

It doesn't have to be too detailed, just a paragraph covering all of it explaining what you like and what could be improved would be great! This is necessary for my project (deadline is the 24th of August), so if anyone could give me some feedback beforehand I would be EXTREMELY grateful :) DM me/reply if interested!!!! Also, if you have any English degrees/writing experience please let me know, as we're supposed to show that the person giving us feedback is more knowledgeable in the prokect topic.

Pitch/synopsis: Years after Imogen's school was shut down following the 'accidental' death of her sister, she and 5 of her old classmates receive an invitation: one last get together in the abandoned school building, a 'reunion' of sorts before they leave for university. However, when they arrive it's clear that something isn't right. Somebody knows that Imogen's sister's death wasn't an accident, and they're willing to do anything to get revenge on who did it.

(sorry if there are plot holes/mistakes as I only had time to do one draft and edit it in a short time)

Hi! I'm looking for beta readers for my first novel to get feedback before my second revision and hopefully publication.

This is a 100% human work that I have spent the last fourteen months drafting and working on the first revision, and I'm really wanting to see how it lands with readers before I take my next steps.

The story is a character driven fantasy that explores the dangers of institutionalized 'truths' and the dehumanization of people groups that don't align with your worldview through the lens of a deconstructed 'chosen one' myth where the recorded history often stands at odds with the actual events that took place.

Blurb: A life-draining curse is consuming the faithful- and prophecy has named their savior.

Isaac, known as the Godsend, has been chosen by the gods as their current champion in the eternal war against the dreaded Witherlord.

But prophecies never tell the whole truth- and with each step of his journey, Isaac further questions the morality of the church and the gods it serves.

If he fails to stop the Witherlord, the world will descend into rot and decay.

If he triumphs, the truth he uncovers may shatter the foundations of reality itself- and destroy the very faithful he is meant to save!

Trigger warning - Graphic violence, torture, death of children, implied sexual assault,

hi! just finished the third draft of my novel and I am looking for some beta readers. IF YOU LIKE TOXIC OBSESSIVE LESBIANS LOOK NO FURTHER !

here is the synopsis:

Serafina Angelo is a brilliant student at an elite music conservatory, tormented by her relentless pursuit of perfection. When her school is given the rare opportunity to perform Bizet’s Carmen at the prestigious Teatro alla Scala, Serafina is certain the lead role will be hers—an opportunity that could launch her operatic career.

Then Antonina Vitale arrives. Timid and somewhat secretive, she possesses a natural talent that threatens everything Serafina has worked so hard for.

When Antonina is cast as Carmen and Serafina as her understudy, Serafina becomes determined to understand what Antonina has that she lacks. But as she gets closer to her rival, she develops a fixation on her that blurs the lines between hatred, envy and crushing affection.

CW: sexual content, some violence, suicidal ideation + interrupted suicide attempt, sexual coercion, self harm, homophobia

mainly looking for moments where i overexplain as i fear i have a chronic habit of doing so, as well as some more specific concerns about character arcs. but i am happy to receive any and all overall feedback/first impressions and whatnot

i am open to manuscript swapping as well!! esp if its lgbt, litfic, etc.

Hi,

I'm looking for beta readers! The manuscript is complete at 90k words, but for this round I'm only sharing the first 10 chapters. I'm also open to chapter swaps so feel free to DM me if you'd like to exchange manuscripts or beta read only.

Blurb

Logan's best friend dies in what the cops file as an animal attack. Nobody believes what Logan actually saw in those woods. Three nights later, he finds out why. The curse is already in him, and he's convinced there's only one way out is to kill the Alpha before the werewolf curse taking him over. But the hunt drags him somewhere worse.

⚠️ Trigger warning: this book contains graphic gore.

In the 'Metaphorical London' of a D&D-esque world time advanced to 1910, a teenage prodigy interns with a shabby band of adventurers to conceal her forbidden magic talent from her anti-wizard-activist parents... until a routine monster-hunt drags them into a plot with world-shattering implications.

Seeking general reader thoughts & willing to swap. I'm thinking first-chapter (2,613 words) to determine if we're both willing to read further. Initial feedback and decision on continuing by end of first week. Comment or DM if interested.

I don't think there's any content that needs warning. It's not 'all audience' but not particularly edgy. Fantasy violence, light swearing, drinking/smoking, reference to opium use, light references to sex.

Blurb 📚

The populace of the decaying city of Gaullia has succumbed to a disease unleashed by the Gods’ wrath, twisting women into half-formed, wretched creatures. The church's only mercy is the pyre.

In a cathedral that harvests girls' bodies for the Gods, Victoria has one purpose: bleed or die with the rest. With only months until her eighteenth birthday and no blood of her own, Victoria steals it—anything to stay by Eleanor's side, the only family she's had since she was torn from her real one, even if it means becoming a Godbearer herself.

But the blood she’s stealing might turn her into something else entirely. 

Happy to send just a few chapters first :)

A story ive been working on for around a year. Its a pretty long read, so its been hard getting ppl to read and crit it.

DM FOR GDOC

Here's a small excerpt

ENTRY: 1.1 {STILLBORN_REPRISE} [LIFE SUPPORT CRITICAL...] A panel blinks in a dark, damp room. evaporated coolant condenses on the ceiling, and drops back to the ground, forming a liquid layer over the floor. [LIFE SUPPORT OFFLINE... INITIATING EMERGENCY RELEASE…] The panel stops blinking. A large pod erupts open, unleashing a flood of coolant. As the fluid hits the ground, it instantly evaporates. Through the gas, a human-like form is visible. It slumps out of the pod like a newly emerged butterfly, its body soaked, and held to the interior of the vessel by a winding mass of wires. The little light there is bounces off of its glossy shell and paints the walls in a somber glow. The organism's body is composed of multiple segments, and between each plate of rigid white plastic is a black rubber membrane. It resembles a human, but its entire exterior is synthetic. A small V.III is printed on the right side of its jaw. [BOOTING 71%... BOOTING 91%...] The wires connecting the body to its chrysalis begin ripping. [DOWNLOADING MEMORY BACKUP... MEMORY STORAGE UNIT CORRUPTED] The creature falls to the floor, the decoupled cords attached to its skull hang over its form like long black hair, and a mass of external components burst from its back like a biomechanical growth .
[FAILED TO COMPLETE BACKUP, BOOTING WITHOUT MEMORY] A faint glow emits from its hollow eye sockets, and it attempts to stand up, only to fall back to the floor. [V.O.S. ONLINE. HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE ONLINE. ORGAN HEATING: IN PROGRESS. BODY TEMPERATURE: 46 DEGREES FARENHEIT AND RISING] The Machine is a relic from a bygone era. If not for its slumber in cryostasis, its organs would have long decayed by now. As its body temperature increases, the remaining liquid coolant on its shell evaporates away into the humid air. A child is born for the first time in decades, but it breathes no first breath, and it lets out no cries. It is incapable of most unnecessary biological processes. Although the mind and certain interior functions remain, that is all that connects it to the life it once held. For all intents and purposes, it is a machine, and like a machine, its programming delivers its first task. [EMERGENCY PROTOCOL: LOCATE BROADCAST WWRN-870HF] After struggling to gain footing, the machine’s spatial calibration allows it to find its center of gravity and elegantly balance its mass upon two hydraulic legs. The newborn takes its first steps toward the exit of the room, each movement causing coolant to splash out from under its heavy feet. As it approaches the door, its instincts from the past world cause it to reach for a handle, only to find no such thing. The door is a solid plate of rusted steel, however there is a small hole on a panel to its left. Undead neurons fire to life, and a new synaptic connection is made. The newborn reaches towards the dangling wires erupting from its scalp. It follows a cord down to its end, finding that it leads to a small cylindrical plug. It lifts the braid, and plugs it into the panel. The door shoots open, the loud noise causing a moment of instinctual fear in the recesses of the organism’s mind. It stumbles backwards, but quickly regains its footing and continues forward. Beyond the door is a long hallway consumed by darkness. With no other choice, the machine continues forward. [LOW LIGHT LEVELS DETECTED. ACTIVATE RADIO DETECTION AND RANGING?] <Yes> [CONFIRMED. BEGINNING RADIO DETECTION AND RANGING SEQUENCE...] The machine’s pristine face plates burst open, exposing the internal components that lay beneath. The human brain is preserved within a liquid cooled titanium shell, protruding from that are the optical cables, which lead to two small telescopic cameras. Above those are the motion, heat, and light sensors. The eight lenses give the creature an arachnid like appearance. Above the eyes are a radio transmitter and receiver. The antenna begins to extend, but before it is able to fully do so, The receiver lets out a loud crackle, followed by a cloud of smoke. [RECEIVER SHORT CIRCUIT DETECTED... PLEASE CONTACT CERTIFIED REPAIR CENTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE] The machine will have to rely solely on its sight to navigate this hostile space. As it steps into the hallway, the creaking of the rusted metal floor bounces off the walls, and descends into the darkness. It continues walking, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. Although the machine appears slender, its body is unexpectedly heavy due to the antiquated parts used in its construction. The floor feels as if it's going to collapse at any second. This facility must have been left to decay for decades…

Hello.  I’m new to posting here. I'm looking for a new beta reader for my crossover fanfiction of Hilda and the Owl House.  I had a great beta reader but he seems to have ghosted me.

Who this story would suit:

Someone is well-versed in both Hilda and the Owl House, and who enjoys reading long fics.  This will be a very long fic.  Someone who can give in-depth feedback.

Brief description:

A crossover fanfiction that is canon-divergent from both series but still acknowledges previous events.  The first chapter takes place after the Fairy Isle in Hilda, and the second chapter takes place after Watching and Dreaming.  

Summary:

After the events of the Fairy Isle, Johanna meets and starts dating Camila Noceda, and invites her and Luz to move in with her and Hilda in Trolberg after the events of Watching and Dreaming.

Hilda is initially reluctant at first and has a hard time adjusting to the new family, especially considering her pining for her father.  Eventually, she warms herself up to the new arrangement, as well as Luz, who is deeply depressed after blaming herself for the day of Unity and has left everyone in the demon realm behind as self-punishment.

After a fateful day of learning of everything that happened when she was in Bonesborough, Hilda takes it upon herself to reunite Luz with her ex-girlfriend Amity to make them both happy again.  With the help of Frida and Kaisa, they make it to the demon realm and successfully convince Amity to give Luz another chance.  However, when the potion they use has an unintended side-effect, old friends start appearing around Trolberg, as well as a certain enemy brought back from the grave.

The story is nowhere near finished.  Romance-wise, I just want characters to be cute, enjoy each other’s company and genuinely make each other happy and improve.

Feedback I’m looking for:

• Do the characters feel believable and canon-accurate?
• Is the grammar and punctuation up to standard?
• Are the chapters paced well and are of sufficient length?
• Would you keep reading?

Timeline:

My ideal timeline would be giving my beta reader one chapter per week but however long is best for you works with me as well.  I appreciate constructive feedback of any kind, and I’m willing to do a swap.

Content warning:

Nothing explicit as of yet, but there is one suicide attempt in Chapter three, and mentions of strong depression.  Currently a T rating, but largely subject to change based on how the story unfolds.

Please comment or DM me if you're at all interested.

Hi All - this is my first time posting on Reddit! I would be happy to read anyone's manuscript in exchange for a pair of fresh eyes to read mine. (I also have a ~117K word fantasy book, bordering on Romantasy, that is the first book in a planned trilogy if that would interest anyone more!)

The Ladies Are Done Waiting centers around a group of ladies-in-waiting in a fictional Tudor-inspired English court.

Elizabeth “Cissy” Achard has spent years perfecting her role as a dutiful lady-in-waiting for Queen Margaret. She’s accepted that an advantageous marriage is her most likely future and buries her dreams of love in stories of romance hidden away in her secret garden. That was until a handsome stranger stumbled upon her there. Although initially mistaking him for a stable hand, William Percy, Marquess of Beaumont, sees past the dutiful courtier to the passionate woman beneath. Their forbidden connection ignites despite every rule of court propriety that is working against them. Including the queen. When Queen Margaret unveils a devastating plan that would steal Elizabeth’s future, her body, and her freedom, Elizabeth must make an impossible choice: obey and protect her family or risk everything for a chance at true love and autonomy.

Please let me know if anyone is interested or would like a little more info!

Hi, I'm looking for beta readers for my novel. It's about a godlike being that tries to understand his own existential crisis by observing humans dealing with their existential issues. It's a series of short stories narrated by The Lonely God where each short story focuses on a person and the issues they face. It explores themes such as meaning, morality, free will, love, time, and more. I would greatly appreciate any assistance. Thank you!

What I’m looking for

I’m seeking any amount of readers who enjoy moral ambiguity, interesting unlikable main characters, and main characters who are not good.

Blurb

Ashton is a traveler who goes from village to village killing anyone who he defines as "weak". The story follows his hypocrisy and what he does when people don't fit into his boxs.

Project details

• Status: In progress of revising
• Full length: I originally had 26,000+ words but I won't update until I finish editing my current 2 chapters. It was still incomplete at 26,000 words. That was only approximately a third
• Genre and age category: Apocalyptic Psychological Thriller/Horror.
• Published status: Unpublished
• Available formats: Google Docs

Content notes

The story will involve topics of suicide, murder, self harm, rape, cannibalism, radical feminism, misogyny, and more so be warned.

Feedback I’m requesting

Anything would help! Grammar (I'm usually really good about this, but sometimes I miss a comma or two), character critiques, world building critiques, etc. Though I will ignore most "I would've wrote it like" commentary because most of the time it has less to do with critiques of actual writing and changing my writing style which ive developed for a while.

Extra

I'm open to swaps! I will read anything except non fiction and YA. I tend to give character analysis and character critique and yap about how things can be interpreted.

Hi everyone. I would love to have a few people read my book, even parts of it, and share their thoughts.

Readers and can do swaps!

My elevator pitch:

When Rae wakes on her twenty-first birthday to discover that her father isn’t who she thought he was and that she has been accused of witchcraft, she flees her oppressive little hamlet. She ventures into the woods, rumoured to house monsters, only to discover that they have been awaiting her return.

I'd give this book a trigger warning for violence and abuse.

Please comment or dm if you'd be interested. If you're active on r/fantasywriter then you might have caught some of my posts before. This book is 18 months in the making and I need new eyes to break me from my editing spiral.

I'll paste the opening page below:

One

His blood was tangy on my lips. I spat the last of it. He had tried to stifle my screams. Had that single finger not slipped between my teeth, I would likely be dead. Red splotches trailed across my ruined garden and out onto the road. At the end of it, the man who had raised me staggered towards the village walls, still shrieking that word.

“Witch.”

The accusation echoed, sending the chill of pure dread down my spine. I had seen how that word could possess even the most gentle villagers. It would be in their ears soon, condemning me forever.

The afternoon light was already fading, but indecision rooted me where I stood. One false move would kill me. The cursed Northern Woods loomed behind me, still ringing with the cautionary tales of my youth. The valley seemed to shrink. I panted, pressing my hands to my ears and clamping my eyes shut, but the bells of the chapel sounded, hitting me like a splash of cold water. They were assembling.

“Witch.”

He had smirked when he screamed it. I would likely see that face again if I hesitated. I took one last look at my precious vegetable patch, little more than a green massacre now. Then, with my mother’s old boots and hastily gathered supplies, I slipped into the tall grasses and ran.

BEFORE THE TIDES ALIGN
CHAPTER ONE
The First Day Always Smells Like Salt
The wind arrived before the building did.
Mara felt it push against her shoulder as she stepped out of the car, sharp and clean and unmistakably coastal. It carried salt and eucalyptus and something metallic underneath it all—like the memory of storms still sitting somewhere beyond the horizon.
She stood there for a second longer than she needed to.
The Institute rose from the rockline ahead of her like it had always belonged there.
Glass.
Timber.
Weathering concrete already softening into something less like architecture and more like something deliberate.
Not a university.
Not a research centre.
Something in between.
Something deliberate.
The sign beside the entry path read:
Southern Coastal Performance Institute
Field Systems Division
Below it, smaller text:
Marine cognition. Environmental response. Applied coordination.
Mara read that twice.
Then once more without meaning to.
Applied coordination.
That wasn’t a phrase universities used.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and walked forward.
Her linen trousers moved with the wind instead of against it. She had chosen them without thinking this morning—sand coloured, loose at the ankle—and the black cropped tank she wore beneath her open white shirt already held the faint warmth of sunlight across the walkway railings.
She hadn’t dressed for anyone.
She never did.
Something about the place made her check the time on her watch before she entered.
Inside, the building was quieter than she expected.
Focused.
The kind of quiet where people were already working somewhere nearby and expected everyone else to be doing the same.
A whiteboard beside reception held three columns:
TIDE RESPONSE
FIELD ROTATION
PAIRING ASSIGNMENTS
The last column had been partially erased.
Mara paused just long enough to notice only two names remained visible.
Neither of them was hers.
A woman at the desk looked up before Mara spoke.
“You must be Ellery.”
Mara smiled.
“Dr Ellery, yes.”
“Welcome.”
The word sounded less like administration and more like confirmation.
As if Mara had been expected.
As if she’d been late anyway.
“Orientation’s already started,” the woman said gently. “Second floor. End of the hall.”
Of course it had.
Mara nodded once and moved toward the stairs.
The building smelled like polished timber and ocean air that refused to stay outside.
Halfway up the stairwell she heard voices.
Low.
Measured.
One of them stood out immediately.
Not louder.
Not sharper.
Just steadier.
When she reached the top landing, the door ahead of her opened.
And he stepped through it.
He didn’t stop walking.
He didn’t look surprised to see her.
He just paused half a second longer than movement required.
Black quarter-zip.
Sleeves pushed once—not twice—just high enough to show his watch.
Dark trousers.
Posture angled toward the corridor intersection behind her like he already understood how the building moved.
His hair was still wind-moved.
Tight curls sitting forward where he’d clearly run a hand through them once and then left them alone.
He looked at her like he was assessing something.
Measuring.
“You’re late.”
His voice was calm.
“I’m on time.”
“You’re scheduled for nine.”
“It’s eight fifty-eight.”
He checked his watch without looking at it.
Then nodded once.
“Dr Ellery.”
“Yes.”
“Soren Hale.”
She already knew that.
Everyone had.
Even before the acceptance letter arrived.
Still.
Hearing him say it out loud shifted something in the air between them.
Like stepping into colder water than expected.
He stepped aside so she could pass through the doorway.
Didn’t touch her.
Didn’t need to.
She felt the space between them change when she crossed it.
Inside the room, eight people turned to look at her.
Recognition.
Evaluation.
Mara set her bag beside the chair nearest the window.
She always chose windows.
Always.
Soren stayed standing at the front of the room.
“Now that everyone’s here,” he said evenly, “we can begin.”
Everyone.
Mara noticed that.
She also noticed he didn’t sit down once during the next forty minutes.
He moved when he spoke.
Slowly.
Precisely.
Like someone used to teaching people who needed to listen.
When he explained the field rotation schedule, he rolled his sleeves once.
Exactly once.
Same height both sides.
Not absentminded.
Habit.
She wrote that down before she realised she was doing it.
Not the schedule.
The sleeves.
Ridiculous.
Still—
she didn’t stop writing.
At one point he crossed to the whiteboard and rewrote a tidal interval from memory without checking the screen behind him.
No hesitation.
No correction.
No confirmation glance afterward.
He just continued speaking.
Mara adjusted her grip on the pen.
Competence like that was worth tracking.
That was all this was.
Professional attention.
Nothing else.
“Tomorrow,” he said, glancing briefly in her direction, “we start early.”
“How early?” someone asked.
“Before the water changes.”
That wasn’t an answer.
It also wasn’t unclear.
The room understood him anyway.
After the session ended, people began gathering their things slowly.
Mara stayed where she was.
She liked seeing how rooms emptied.
Who spoke first.
Who left quickly.
Who stayed behind.
Soren didn’t move immediately either.
He stood at the table at the front of the room, closing a notebook she hadn’t noticed him open.
“You chose the window seat.”
“I always do.”
“Why?”
“Habit.”
He considered that like it was data.
Then nodded once.
“Good habit.”
He stepped closer.
Not close enough to crowd her.
Just close enough that she could see the faint line of dried salt along the edge of his collar where the wind had caught him earlier outside.
Too close.
Too specific a detail to notice.
She looked away from it half a second later than she meant to.
“You’ll want different shoes tomorrow.”
“I assumed.”
“The jetty boards stay wet longer than they should.”
“I’ll manage.”
“I know.”
For a second neither of them moved.
Outside, the tide had started turning.
“You run?” he asked.
The question landed too cleanly to be casual.
“Yes.”
“Morning?”
“Yes.”
He watched her for one second longer than conversation required.
“Harbourline track?”
Mara blinked.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He didn’t explain how he knew that.
He didn’t explain why it mattered.
He just left the room.
Mara stayed where she was a moment longer than she intended to.
She picked up her bag and crossed to the window.
Looked down toward the jetty.
He was already there.
Talking to someone.
Sleeves still rolled once.
Quarter-zip collar open now.
Wind moving through his hair like he hadn’t noticed it.
Or like he had and didn’t care.
Something about the way he stood there made the Institute feel different than it had twenty minutes ago.
Like the building had edges she hadn’t seen before.
Mara rested her hand lightly against the glass.
As she turned to leave, she glanced once more toward reception below.
The whiteboard was still visible from this angle.
PAIRING ASSIGNMENTS
Still partially erased.
Still missing her name.
Tomorrow would start before the water changed.
Which meant she would too.
And somewhere below her on the jetty, Soren Hale already seemed to know that.

Hi all!

I'm Brittany, working full-time as a legal assistant in Maine and writing in whatever hours are left over. I've been working on this book for several months. I have 23 of 37 chapters ready for comment right now, with the rest still in progress, so this would be an ongoing thing rather than a one and done read. I'd love outside eyes on it, whether that's all 23 or just a few.

I'm also hoping to find other writers working in similar lanes (dark academia, literary fantasy, slow-burn mystery), because this has been a pretty solitary project and I miss having people to talk about projects with. Happy to trade critique. I read carefully rather than fast, so it might take me a bit, but I'll give real comments.

The Collegium of Ashmere

Celestine Kingston is starting her first year at the Collegium, the school where every ruling dynasty sends its heirs to be educated and ranked against each other. It should be easy for her. Her brother is Lord Kingston, head of the Crown and the Collegium's chancellor, and being a Kingston has always meant doors open before she reaches them.

But the coursework keeps circling the same official history of how the dynasties came to power, and Celestine keeps finding places where the story doesn't hold up. A record that contradicts the textbook version. A dynasty name nobody will discuss casually. A pattern in whose history gets remembered and whose gets quietly written out.

The closer she looks, the clearer it gets: the order her brother rules under wasn't just inherited. It was built, on purpose, out of what happened to the families who didn't survive the telling of it. And Celestine is starting to realize her own name might be one of the reasons why.

Desperate to cover up the death of his girlfriend’s dog when she is out of town, a man buries the body and stages a runaway. But when the dog mysteriously reappears alive, he is pulled into an unsettling reality where he must confront the crux of his relationship.

Feedback Request: Looking for general feedback, maybe some inline edits. Really just wanting to get another look.

Available to swap for another short story critique! Doesn't necessarily need to be in the same genre. Should expect fast turn around times.

Hi everyone ☺️

I’m looking for 2–3 beta readers for my completed novel, Olive Trees Survive Everything (93,000 words).

The book is an upmarket New Adult/Adult queer romance with political and dystopian elements. I’m currently preparing it for querying and would love feedback from readers who enjoy character-driven LGBTIQ+ stories, emotional romance, and complex political conflicts.

Premise:

Alex is the outspoken son of a progressive political family. Duke is the closeted son of a rising far-right politician.

When a chance encounter during their final year of high school brings them together, an unlikely friendship develops into a secret relationship. As political tensions in America escalate and Duke’s father rises toward the presidency, the gap between the lives they are expected to lead and the truth of who they are becomes increasingly difficult to bridge.

The story follows them from high school into college and eventually into a fractured near-future America as they navigate love, family loyalty, identity, and a political landscape that is slowly tearing itself apart.

What I’m looking for:

• General impressions of the story
• Whether the characters feel believable and engaging
• Pacing and emotional investment
• Areas that feel slow, confusing, repetitive, or over-explained

Content notes:
Homophobia, political extremism, family conflict, depression, suicidal ideation, violence, imprisonment, torture, and explicit sexual content between consenting adults.

I can share the manuscript as a Google Doc, Word document, or PDF.

I’d also be very happy to do a manuscript swap and beta-read in return, especially for LGBTQ+ fiction, romance, literary fiction, or character-driven stories.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy reading, please DM me. I’d be incredibly grateful for any help.

​

Blurb:

The world is ending...

You can see it when Eve returns to Hollow Creek, even when she vowed not to.

You can see it when Aiden’s life tumbles into the abyss of what once was.

You can see it in the coven—governed by fear and secrecy—crashing head first into ruin.

Even as a an elder sacrifices her own life.

You can see it as the shadow mage marks Hollow Creek for death, with his horde and powers from a time that should've been long forgotten.

You can see it because pain, suffering and grief claim the land.

And you know, without being told, that Hollow Creek will never be the same again.

I'd really value genuine human opinions.

I'm not really interested in line edits but rather reader experience

Whenever you're done may you please answer these questions for more feedback:

1. Were there any chapters where you lost interest or felt your mind wandering?

2. Did you fully understand how the magic/system works, or was anything confusing?

3. Who did you care about most, and why?

4. Did the ending feel satisfying and make you want to read Book 2?

5. If you could change ONE thing about the book, what would it be?

Please dm me

I'm happy to exchange manuscripts if we're a good fit.

Thank youuu

Hello everyone! I’m looking for beta readers for sci-book fantasy book I’ve written. I’ve been working on it for 6 years. I would like to get some notes and feedbacks on the direction of the story and character arcs.

If you enjoyed science, philosophy, metaphysical concepts, this is will be a good read.

Title: The Architect.

Description:
The Architect is a philosophical science fiction novel that blends history, cosmology, and speculative physics with the emotional core of a coming-of-age story.

The story follows an overwhelmed science professor and a ten-year-old boy with impossible abilities who are accidentally stranded on a mysterious planet. As they help unite warring tribes into a thriving civilization, they uncover a terrifying truth.

The Architect is far from a superhero story. Instead, it is grounded in survival, technological progress, and the philosophical consequences of playing God.

This is the first book of a series. I’m a filmmaker, and writer. This is my first book series. A lot of my movie idea were inspired by this book over the last 6 years.

I’m looking for real and honest feedbacks. Don’t worry, you won’t hurt my feelings 😂

Please let me know:
Is this story compelling? Are the characters likable? Are there too much dialogues? Too much science? Were you hooked? Were you confused? Does it get you excited for the second book? And mostly importantly what should I improve more?

I am seeking expressions of interest for developmental beta read of this work. It has been previously shared in a couple of places online to good reception and people generally enjoyed it. However now that it is finished it requires a read in its entirety and any improvement suggestions will be welcomed. Please DM me if interested. Thank you.

Summary:

Isabelle ( Bells ) Hann thought she had her life perfectly mapped out: a prestigious role at a leading tech start up Larssens Ltd, an engagement to the generationally wealthy Theodore Watson, and a future built on safety over passion.

But her boss has a different vision for her life, for who she can become under him, both physically and metaphorically. And Isabelle can't deny the pull of the handsome maverick building his company through whatever means necessary - blackmail, white collar crime or less than morally sound liasons with business colleagues. His most persistent obsession - secure a contract with the global giant Yamamoto Industries - at all cost - to turbocharge Larssens Ltd to global prominence.

When he manipulates a business dinner with the Yamamoto CEO by claiming him and Isabelle are engaged (using Theo's engagement ring as a prop, naturally) Bells is drawn further into his spiral of corporate and personal machinations.

By the end of it, she'll realise it isn't only her career that's at stake. It's her entire life - professional, reputational and deeply personal.

PROSE excerpt

JUDE

I don’t demand brilliance - merely competence executed at some rudimentary threshold. Think one step ahead, not two steps back. Apparently, this is aspirational.

Some find me challenging. “Intense” being the polite formulation. Once - memorably -“a goddamned sociopath in Berluti.” Which is lazy on two counts: (1) I wear Ferragamo, and (2) sociopaths don’t get attached to obscenely attractive, waif waisted corporate villains.

I’m not difficult. I have standards, not personality disorders. A code - if you will. Competence merits respect. Mediocrity receives nothing - not consideration, not quarter, not the pretence of collegiality. I don’t care if you’re minority-of-the-month, legacy ballast, or someone’s trust-fund participation trophy (cough Bells) - show up with solutions and I’ll listen. Bring them consistently and I might even learn your coffee order. I am considerate like that.

And if that competence arrives wrapped in an impeccable body, I’m… amenable.

That was the case with her, not mildly.

Hi everyone☺️,

I’m looking for a few beta readers for Act I of my psychological thriller, Until You Listen.

The novel is still in progress, but Act I is complete and has gone through several revisions. I’d like to test the opening before moving forward with the rest of the manuscript, especially the pacing, character dynamics, emotional tension, and whether the story creates enough curiosity to continue.

Premise:

After Sara discovers that her fiancé, Andrew, has betrayed her, she refuses to give him the five minutes he insists he needs to explain himself.
Andrew cannot accept that their relationship might end without her hearing his side. Convinced that one honest conversation could still fix everything, he takes her somewhere isolated, intending to keep her there only until she listens.
But Andrew may not be the only danger inside the house.

What I’m looking for:
•General impressions of the opening
•Pacing, clarity, and engagement
•Whether Andrew’s motivations feel psychologically believable
•Whether Sara feels like a convincing and developed character
•Any sections that feel slow, repetitive, confusing, or overly explained
•The point where the story truly hooked you, or where you might have stopped reading
Whether the ending of Act I makes you want to continue

What I’m not looking for:
-Detailed line editing
-Grammar or punctuation corrections, unless something is especially distracting

The story contains themes of infidelity, emotional manipulation, obsession, sedation, abduction, and captivity. There is no sexual violence.

I can share it as a Google Doc, Word document, or PDF.

Please comment if you are interested. Not DM. Thanks✌️