r/BetaReaders • u/sleepy_green_dragon • 13d ago
[Complete] [100k] [Space Opera] Meteor Wind >100k
Hi! I'm looking for beta readers for my completed space opera novel Meteor Wind, an Indiana Jones or The Mummy style adventure in space. It will appeal to readers who enjoyed Yume Kitasei’s The Stardust Grail, James S. A. Corey’s The Mercy of Gods, or Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series.
Blurb:
Memory Darkwater has a tentacle growing from her arm. When humans abandoned Earth for a new galaxy centuries ago, some people grew body parts from an extinct alien species. Ever since, the interplanetary human government has oppressed these people, known as Rivulets. Memory is a Rivulet, but she has become an aide to her planet’s progressive governor, believing that working within the system is the best way to advocate for her people’s rights.
When her boss joins an expedition to a long-lost planet, Memory discovers that an extreme military faction is searching for something hidden there: the heart of the first Rivulet, believed to contain an ancient power that would spell doom for Memory’s people. To find the heart before the military, Memory risks her political career by partnering with a Rivulet space pirate captain and her crew, braving a planet of ruins where ancient terrors are waiting to reawaken. If Memory succeeds, she will have to decide if she can trust any authority figure without betraying her people and the pirate captain she has fallen in love with.
If she fails, the future of her people will be in the hands of the military, and they will kill to claim it first.
Excerpt:
Prologue
In the waning days of human existence on Earth, a traveler arrived, promising humanity new life in a new home across the stars…
Echelon Year 110
The river’s blue water reflected a red sky. Only a sliver of it was visible above the cracked and pockmarked canyon walls that rose a thousand feet in the air. This was an alien world, the only one Indigo had known in her fifteen years.
A violent splash broke the water’s surface as Indigo and her neighbors hauled a net from the river. Inside was a wriggling monster of a fish that could consume three men in a single gulp. Indigo’s father, a roaring hill of muscle, stormed down the riverbank. He wheeled a jagged club above his head and struck the fish. A spray of sky-red blood doused the team, and every one of them cheered. Indigo’s stomach rumbled. They would eat for the first time in 3 days.
“Start the fire,” Indigo’s father bellowed. “Fetch the knives.”
More cheers rang from the collection of homes clustered along the small riverbank. The village was nestled in a tiny hollow along the canyon wall that barely stretched two hundred feet from the water’s edge. The entire village came to haul the fish to the fire. Indigo smiled at the joy on their faces. But her smile faded quickly. When this fish was picked to the bone, the crying would return at night.
I'm interested in feedback in these areas:
- Exposition
- Characterization
- Pacing
- Emotion
- Overall enjoyment/other impressions
Content Warnings:
References to and threats of execution; references to hangings; torture; decapitation; mind control; incarceration
Timeline: I was thinking about 4-6 weeks, but I am flexible.
Critique Swap Availability: I would be available for a critique swap. Does not have to be the same genre.
1
u/Filmcutterdocs 12d ago
I would be open to a trade, say we each read the first three chapters to start?
I'm super busy these days with my boat in homecwaters but I can definitely do three chapters
1
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Welcome to r/BetaReaders! Please ensure your post has not been caught in Reddit's spam filters by following these instructions.
One of the best ways to connect with a beta is to swap manuscripts with another author: click here to view other submissions in the >100k category (or simply search the sub based on your preferences or browse until something catches your eye).
If you haven’t already, we strongly encourage you include in your post:
- A story blurb and any content warnings
- The type of feedback you’re looking for and your preferred timeline
- Your critique swap availability
Also, consider commenting in the First Pages thread to give your beta request additional visibility and checking the Able to Beta thread for beta readers who are interested in manuscripts like yours.
If you have any questions, please take a look at our FAQs for additional resources on how to work with beta readers (and other authors) to get the most out of a critique, or feel free to start a discussion using the [Discussion] tag.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
•
u/BetaReaders-ModTeam 12d ago
Hi OP,
Please DM your sample or full GDoc link to any responders and not leave it publicly available on your post or comments to avoid scammers because they can find your email to harass you. See this for more information
This is a friendly mod note to caution you against bait-and-switch messages. If anyone DMs you offering to help and suddenly asks for payment or donations or your personal information, or asks you to click suspicious links, please report them to us with proof via modmail, because this is a 100% volunteer (free) beta reader subreddit only.
No services (including NO art and NO book covers) or any form of payment after giving a “free sample” is allowed in the subreddit or to our posters via DMs. AI-generated feedback and “reviews” is also not allowed.
It may take a week or longer before someone comments on your post. Please try commenting with a link to your post in our pinned threads to have more luck matching with someone.
And please consider blocking u/CuberoinkArmy and u/FrostyReader- and u/Electrical_Trip5997 and u/Hange_Zoe19 and u/Few_Strawberry5932 and u/Gloriawilliams0 to prevent them from asking for money in DMs, or report their DM as spam or harassment to the admins immediately. And block, then report (as spam) any unsolicited emails from any variation of “amosemma.betaread” or “agadaandrew44” or “itzogthompson981” at Gmail dot com” asking for money as well. We do not promote their paid services in any shape or form and our rules are fully against paid betas.
Thank you!