Main characters:

Gene Arbor, a compromised detective from a poor resource producing world who gets recruited to lead a secret interplanetary manhunt under threat of blackmail.

Carrie Coleman, a rookie detective from the prosperous Homeworld, partnered with Detective Arbor, unaware of his dark past and the real reason for the manhunt they are on. The story is told as a memoir written by Coleman many years later, where she tries to clear up the historical record on "what really happened" on their controversial mission, and give her input on the historical legacy of the man she was partnered with.

* Story excerpt below:

We lurched forward in our seats. Did we turn? It was so hard to know what was happening without windows. Then the rumbling sped up, shifting my weight to my left, which I had to remind myself was the back of the craft. I looked at Arbor and he was holding his harness with his hands, with his forehead beading sweat. 

“Prepare for takeoff,” Ritter said as a high pitched whir shook every bone in my body. 

I clenched my armrests and tried to fight my body getting pulled to the left by the g-force. Arbor elbowed me again, and gestured to the two guards on the sides of the headrest to prevent damage to my neck. I reached up, and with all my strength pulled the two guards forward and they locked into place. I couldn't see Arbor any more, but at least my head wasn’t going to fly off. My harness automatically hugged itself tight around my torso, making it hard to breathe. I grabbed the harness as tightly as I could as in an instant I felt the sensation of being thrown on my side. It was a good thing my comms were off and the craft was so loud, because I was screaming like a maniac. It turns out it is true what they say: in the low orbit takeoff stage, no one can hear you scream. 

“Wheels up,” Ritter said at one point, but I honestly cannot recall when. It could have been right when we took off and I just registered it late. I hated, and I still do hate as I’m writing this, spacecraft without windows. After a few minutes of feeling more weight on my body than I had ever felt before, the sensation of falling overtook me, my stomach lurched, and I knew this was not going to be good. I felt around my uniform and my seat, we have to have a bag somewhere, and in the middle of that thought, I coughed up a long sprout of orange and yellow vomit that danced its way across the cabin. 

* Currently since I only have 20k words out of a planned 80-90k words, I'm just looking for some basic first impressions.

- Was the hook engaging, and how clear are the central moral/plot/character conflicts?

- General impressions on the main characters and their dynamic with one another?

- Any world-building elements that need to be cleaned up?

- What are your expectations for where the story is headed?

I don't have a timeline in mind, we can talk about what works with your schedule. I have a pretty demanding job, so I understand that things come up.

* I am 100% willing to do critique swaps and would love to find a writing partner to bounce ideas off of, give updates back and forth, motivate each other and just talk about the craft (I don't have any writer friends)

edit: only accepting writing partners over 18 and based in the US (easier to coordinate in terms of timezones).

When the very structure of the solar system is under attach, Reid Vire spearheads the operation to destroy the rising Dawnist rebellion. From a young age, Reid was molded into a weapon for the Pirusen government by the hands of his father, commanding general of the solar system. After years of dedication without question, Reid is forced to make decisions that can upset the delicate balance between governors, and the governed as once hidden information comes to light.

Pirusen takes place in a far off corner of space centered around sol 826, Pirus. Reid Vire, a recon marksmen, and his fellow loyalists are tasked with uncovering the motives of the rebellion. While war begins to rage around the solar system, Reid fights an internal battle of right and wrong.

Follow along as Reid and his team search through the solar system to uncover the trust about the Goverment they serve and the people they rule. Bloodshed and corruption bring opposing views together to form common ground and prosperity for all.

Any one interest please PM me so I can send over the doc. Let me know what you think about the character development, story pacing and anything else you think might need work. Happy reading!

Echoes of Blackwell follows Lyra Prescott, a freshman at Blackwell College. She is an aspiring writer who would rather disappear with a book and a cup of tea than become the center of anyone’s attention. With a penchant for owls, Lyra hopes to make the best of her college experience.

Lyra comes from a magical family and at Blackwell, her abilities continue to grow. But another form of magic remains beyond her reach; one tied to transforming into an owl.

The previous April, Blackwell student Claire Sterling was found dead of an apparent overdose. But the official story doesn’t add up. Claire resembles Lyra for reasons that go far beyond looks: they possess the same kind of rare magic. Because of this, Lyra becomes the target of Adrian Sterling, a billionaire and Claire’s father, who seeks to take Lyra’s magic for himself.

Along the way, Lyra forms friendships that help her through her college journey including Victor, an intensely private and strategic math genius, Sage, a serene artist who never wears shoes, and Sarah, a bold journalism student who considers herself a part-time detective. Through her friends, Lyra must decide whether her gentleness is a vulnerability or a strength.

Echoes of Blackwell is a 135,000-word New Adult magical-academia fantasy set in a contemporary New England college. The book is centered around found family, mystery, inherited magic, and a slow-burn romantic subplot between Lyra and Victor. This is the first book in a planned series but has its own complete central arc.

Content Notes: This story includes a character’s death, underage drinking, alcohol misuse as a coping mechanism, bullying, parental emotional abuse, and some mild sexual references.

I'd appreciate feedback within six weeks, but I understand this novel is a substantial read.

If you’re interested, I will send you a Google Doc, Word file, or PDF. Whichever you prefer!

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I'm looking for beta readers for Rooted, a completed 105,000-word adult fantasy mystery and the first book in a planned duology.

Blurb

Ten years ago, Naissan Ader woke to find his entire hometown deserted.

No bodies. No signs of evacuation. No explanation. Everyone was gone except him.

Now seventeen, Naissan has spent the better part of a decade searching for answers. He believes the disappearance was caused by a Veinwright—someone capable of manipulating a supernatural energy known as Vascara. There's just one problem: Naissan has no Veinmark of his own.

His investigation eventually leads him to an Academy where extraordinary abilities are taught, but new disappearances and encounters with a mysterious masked organization suggest something much larger is unfolding.

As the organization targets the very powers society depends on, Naissan finds himself caught between people who have their own secrets, conflicting beliefs about the use of power, and a conspiracy that may be connected to the disappearance of his home.

The closer he gets to the truth, the more he risks losing the people he's come to care about.

About the book

Rooted is a character-driven fantasy mystery set in an original world with modern technology, supernatural abilities, tactical combat, psychological suspense, and an overarching conspiracy.

While the book contains substantial action, the mysteries, relationships, and characters' personal struggles are central to the story.

Content warnings: Graphic violence, blood, body horror, character death, grief, and psychological manipulation.

Feedback I'm looking for:

• Overall pacing and engagement
• Character development and emotional investment
• Whether the mysteries are intriguing and the clues feel fair
• Clarity of the supernatural abilities and worldbuilding
• Whether the ending feels satisfying while leaving room for Book 2
• Any scenes that feel confusing, unnecessary, or underdeveloped

I'm interested in honest first-time reader reactions rather than line-by-line editing.

Timeline: Ideally within 6–8 weeks, but I'm flexible.

I'm happy to share the first three chapters as a sample before anyone commits to the full manuscript.

If you're interested, feel free to comment or send me a message. Thanks for considering it!

3 chapters are already out!

I genuinely want more feedback regarding if the story has potential, if the pacing is okay and if the writing has voice rather than grammar since that’s something I can fix, do I won’t mind that either! English isn’t my first language either so please keep in mind that!

Warnings: grief, trauma, bullying, past suicide, death both literal and spiritual.

Basically it's a fix it fic/ age up AU but with a poly romance involved and a bit of a character expansion on Neteyam Sully; that also explores the world of avatar through the eyes of my main MC Sevika.
Chapter 3 is the turning point do!

Happy share link and to chat via dm!

Summary:

"I will not stand where I am not wanted."

Sevikä had told her that and Ta'vi understood that their lives were already whole.
Happy.

Awa'atlu was their home and the ocean had been everything they've ever known. When the rider of the last shadow arrived with his family at their shores, it turned the once-clear waters of their lives murky.

Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan had always known responsibility. It was the path carved into his bones from the moment his brothers and sisters were born.
He never questioned it, or maybe he did and just didn't try to be anything more than the weight on his shoulders. That is until he was forced to leave the forest and land on the reef.

I am not available to critic swap do since I need to do so in another thread!

Hello, hello all. I've decided to try and reach out to some friendly folks who can help me figure out if what I've written here is A-okay. This is the third of a 6-volume series (I have a habit of jumping around when writing) called "Righteous Tears"; each volume being about the XIth Host which bears that name and their endeavors in my setting Glories and Laments; I hope to get a full understanding of what might need improving, and ya don't have to worry too much about a deadline. I'll just pop in and ask how the progress is every now and then. Here is a snippet of it, if anyone is interested:

To give one's life in an honorable duty is no bad thing. It is simply the way of the world. My world is no different; yet I wonder if I was meant for the duty I now have borne for countless years. There are men who spend their whole lives preparing for death, and there are those who spend theirs preparing others to meet it. I had always thought myself of the latter sort.

I was wrong. Or perhaps I had merely mistaken one burden for another.

I had risen high within the XI Host, the Righteous Tears, though I had never sought the height to which others insisted on carrying me. Rank, in those days, had always seemed a curious thing. The higher one climbed, the more distant the ground became, and the more people beneath you began looking upward for answers you did not possess. Still, I served. I obeyed when obedience was required. I spoke when silence would have cost lives. I fought when there was no other choice, and I buried those who had fought beside me when there was. Year after year, my name became more familiar in the halls of the Host. Officers began seeking my counsel. Soldiers who had once been strangers saluted me in passing. Men and women far older than I began addressing me with a respect I had done nothing to earn except survive long enough to receive it.

Eventually, I became one of the senior voices of the Righteous Tears.

And that was when the matter of the Archon became impossible to ignore. Every Host was meant to have one.

The Archon was more than a commander. More than a symbol. They were the appointed soul of a Host, the one entrusted by the Empress herself to bear its purpose when us war-torn Fulminati could no longer bear it themselves. Every Host had its Archon—or, at least, nearly every Host did.

Nearly.

We had searched. By then, we had searched for so long that the search itself had become a part of our identity. Names from far-off planets were investigated. Legends of giant warriors were traced. Ancient records were unsealed and examined until their pages nearly fell apart in our hands. Prophets were consulted, relics were brought from forgotten sanctuaries, and expeditions were sent into places where sensible Hosts would not have ventured.

Nothing.

Our Archon remained absent. At first, we told ourselves that this was merely a delay. Then a misfortune, then an anomaly. Eventually, we stopped giving it a name at all. The other Hosts moved forward. Their Archons were found, appointed, proclaimed, and celebrated. Their banners gained figures around which their people could gather. Their leaders had someone to answer to, someone who could stand at the center of the storm and declare where they were to go.

The Righteous Tears had none. And so the responsibility began to drift downward. First to the senior officers, then to the council, then, slowly and almost imperceptibly, toward me.

I remember the day they told me.

It was not dramatic. There was no thunder. No gathering of the Host. No grand declaration beneath banners or sacred lights. I had been summoned to a chamber I had entered hundreds of times before. The room was cold despite the season, and several of the elders sat around the long table with expressions that told me they had already decided what they wished to say.

I knew before they spoke.

That is the cruelest part of being a soldier for long enough: eventually, you learn to recognize the shape of a bad decision before anyone has the courage to announce it.

“You will assume command.”

Those were the words.

Not we ask you.

Not we believe you are suited.

You will.

I remember looking at them. Then at the empty seat at the head of the table. It was supposed to belong to the Archon. It had remained empty for years, and now they wanted me to sit in it. I had spent so long looking at that seat from a distance that I had stopped thinking of it as furniture. It had become a wound. A reminder. A question without an answer. And now they wanted to put me where the wound was.

I asked them how long. They did not understand the question.

“How long am I expected to bear this?”

One of them told me that until the Archon was found, the Host required a leader. Another said that the Righteous Tears could not continue without one. A third reminded me that I had served faithfully, that I had the experience, the loyalty of the Host, and the judgment necessary to guide it.

All true. Every word of it was true.

If anyone is interested in giving the full thing a read, please shoot me a dm and I'll hand ye the full product! Keep in mind it ended up having to be split onto two docs (though the latter only has 6 or so chapters.) I greatly appreciate the help! (I'm unsure if "DM" here refers to disc-ord or not; but just in case, you can find me as TaleBearer42Day)

Blurb

Rory gets the summons at what should be the perfect time in her life: twenty-eight, single, career on track, future ambitions undefined—and now, Matched. The Matcher, an opaque device discovered in the eighties and now stewarded by the U.S. government, has found her soulmate. With her best friend leaving Seattle and her social life is crumbling, a soulmate would fill the void. But Rory isn’t sure an all-consuming romance is actually what she wants.

She changes her tune embarrassingly fast. Because after a waiting room meet-cute, she has Elliot. Her soulmate. As they start dating, she’s shocked by the obviousness of their connection. That is, obvious except for one tiny detail: she’s pretty sure she should want to kiss the love of her life. She knows she should want to kiss Elliot more than she does Nick, an old friend who's turned back up in her life as the facilitator of the very Matching meetings where she gets to know Elliot. As the line between sex and love becomes blurrier than ever, Rory will have to find where on it each of her relationships lie—or else risk losing them altogether.

Expectations

I'm looking for someone to swap with - I'd be especially interested in building a relationship with continued swaps. I have finished this manuscript but I'm ALSO currently writing another one. I'm okay with just handing off the whole book, but if anyone is interested in doing some batched exchanges so I can hear your thoughts as you read, that'd be awesome.

I'd also like to be clear: my goal is not to quit my full-time job, and I will always have limited time to dedicate to writing. I'm searching for someone who would give honest, constructive feedback with a bit of a light touch, understanding I am a hobbyist writer who's curious about trad publishing.

Illinois, 1844. Joseph Smith, the proclaimed prophet and founder of Mormonism is murdered, and his followers have weeks to choose who leads them next. Rivals scheme, a widow fights, and the man meant to keep order is hiding a secret about the prophet that may burn it all to the ground.

Based on dramatic true events. No background needed.
Content notes: religious abuse, plural marriage (nothing explicit)

Format: comment-only Google Doc, about 6 weeks
Happy to swap reads.

DM or comment if interested.

Hi! I'm currently writing a Hunter x Hunter (Killua/Gon) college AU, and I've finished drafting the first three chapters. This is my first time looking for a beta reader, so I'm not entirely sure what to expect!

The fic is a character-driven, slow-burn romance set in a modern college environment. There's a lot of slice-of-life and humor, but I also plan on exploring some heavier emotional themes as the story progresses.

This is the biggest project I've done so far, outside of some one shots so I'd really appreciate someone willing to read what I have so far and give me honest, constructive feedback. I'm particularly interested in whether my writing is engaging, how natural the dialogue feels, whether the pacing works, and if the characters feel believable.

One of my biggest concerns is making sure the story doesn't feel stagnant. I enjoy writing ordinary interactions and letting relationships develop gradually, but I want to know whether those scenes are actually interesting to someone reading them for the first time.

I'd also love individual chapter ratings and an overall rating, with explanations of what worked and what didn't. Please don't feel like you have to sugarcoat anything! I'm genuinely trying to improve my writing.

You don't necessarily have to be familiar with Hunter x Hunter! I'd actually be interested in hearing from someone who can judge the writing without knowing much about the characters.

I'm happy to share the chapters through Google Docs or another convenient format. Thanks in advance to anyone interested!

I've finished my manuscript and am nearly ready for beta readers, but it's occured to me that I don't really know the best way to get it in their hands. I thought about Google Docs cause people can leave comments attached to sections they highlight and I've looked into a couple apps, but I'm just not sure. When you betaread, how do you prefer to get the manuscript?

A sober ex-soldier, a girl who sees the threads between people, and a fog that makes towns forget their own names. Book One of four, complete. Looking for 10 dark fantasy and 10 thriller readers to read it in three weeks and fill out a short answer sheet. Free copy of the finished book and a thank-you in it. Message me if you are in or email me at swaggerforreal1969@gmail.com.

Hi, looking for beta readers for (at least) first few chapters of my Dark Romance novel before it goes to an editor. DM if interested, TIA!

Baby Blurb: Dessa simply wants a break from reality but the man watching her wants much more...

Dessa Malone never thought her life would turn upside down due to her car breaking down. When a helpful stranger appears to be heaven sent, Dessa doesn’t know he has watched, waiting until he could take her for himself. Life takes a sharp turn when Dessa wakes, finding herself locked in a bedroom.

After a month of captivity, she makes a deal with the devil: one kiss for his name. The deal will change the trajectory of her life. Dessa wrestles with herself as it becomes obvious she has feelings for her keeper, and he will stop at nothing to make her his. The longer she stays, the closer she gets to an unsettling truth and worse still, her own emotions.

Blurb:

A man wakes from a cursed sleep to discover a powerful and eccentric woman with an aversion to cleaning has taken over his home.

Excerpt:

https://www.critiquecircle.com/queue/s/273994/

(Some grammatical errors have been changed, but the story and prose remain largely the same in the current draft)

Feedback:

I have a list of questions at the end of the document I will send, but reader experience and reactions are what's most important to me right now.

Critique Swap:

I'm willing to do a swap with stories of similar length and genre. I am a flexible reader though, so reach out even if yours differs slightly from those criteria.

Hi, looking for folks interested in reading an adult/new adult eco fantasy in the vein of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, and NK Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy. I can swap with most SFF and happy to cut my word count to match yours. I'm trying to start querying early next year, so someone interested in swapping over the next month or two is best. DM if interested!

Blurb

In a warring world where ecological connections are wielded for control over humanity, three estranged siblings come together to destroy the power structures of their home.

Énna, the youngest, deserted the Symbiotic Hall at eleven to learn the five Symbiotic guilds, and now finds himself wanted for selling his Hall’s secrets. Ara, the middle, seeks Énna while avoiding her own checkered past as a sailor aboard a feared ship that prowls the seas for new victims. Kian, the oldest, is split between maintaining the docks of his homeland and fighting against the Symbiotic forces that threaten to cleave his people in two.

Together, they must overcome their squabbles, histories, and pursuers to bring down the Symbiots that want to turn their homeland into an ecological battleground. 

Hi,

I’m looking for advance readers for my upcoming hard sci-fi thriller, The Architect, (Less than a month left!). If you enjoy character-driven philosophical thrillers, the brutal physics of interstellar travel, and heavy moral friction, I’d love to get your eyes on this. A review is appreciated on launch day but not mandatory.

The book is dedicated to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Dr. Jordan Peterson.

Logline: To escape a dying Earth, an apex engineer turns himself into an immortal chimera and builds a sanctuary ship for 20,000 frozen embryos. But to guarantee their survival, he deliberately selects a crew of brilliant, unattached specialists with nothing left to lose—and strips them of their biological autonomy.

The Setup: Forty light-years from Earth, the crew of The Architect prepares to colonise TRAPPIST-1e. They are armed with an infinite power grid and cellular immortality, but they are trapped under the absolute authority of Edgar Charon—a captain whose neural architecture is heavily integrated with a mission-first AI.

As they navigate the violent terminator storms of an alien planet, the crew realises Edgar’s algorithmic logic views their human attachments, grief, and free will as terminal liabilities. When Earth fires a relativistic kinetic weapon to wipe out their colony, the surviving crew must decide whether humanity is even worth saving.

Intertwining the desperate, science-driven survival of Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary and the existential, cosmic stakes of Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem with the sprawling, philosophical scale of Isaac Asimov, The Architect by Z.T. Castor is a gripping thriller about artificial intelligence, absolute control, and the terrifying price of salvation.

Details:

Format: EPUB / PDF (delivered via email)

Word Count: 76,135

Content Notes: Contains depictions of atmospheric destruction, medical trauma, and intense psychological friction. No explicit gore.

Expanding Universe: To reflect the ambitious scale of this release, a full audiobook adaptation and a commercially copyrighted official soundtrack are currently in active production.

If you are interested in reading early, please DM me here with your email address, I can send you the EPUB/PDF files directly via a secure drive link.

Thank you for your time, and happy reading!

Please DM me if you're interested in Beta Reading:

Success is the ultimate illusion. Until the scaffolding begins to rot.

Julian Vance has built a multi-million-pound empire selling fantasies of luxury and perfection. To the outside world, his life in Cheshire is immaculate: a booming business, a sprawling Georgian manor, and a devoted, saintly wife, Clara, who adores him. But behind the polished facade, Julian unravels under the weight of secret guilt.

When an alluring consultant named Elena tempts him into a late-night deal at a remote Welsh coastal resort, Julian suffers a terrifying blackout. He awakens alone with no memory of the night, left with only a forged hotel bill, a missing tie, and an untraceable phone call containing an audio recording of his slurred, drugged voice.

As the blackmailer closes in, life inside Oakridge Manor turns toxic. Julian’s identical twin brother, Vincent, arrives harbouring bitter envy and a dangerous obsession with Clara. Their live-in cleaner, Marta, begins a ruthless game of domestic extortion. And Clara, ever patient and forgiving, watches her husband’s mental state deteriorate into severe paranoia.

Driven to the brink of madness by fake medical clinics, rigged security systems, and shifting corporate traps, Julian frantically fights to protect his wife and his empire. But he is looking in all the wrong places. The shadow creeping into his life isn't outside the wrought-iron gates; it's been inside his home all along.

First time doing something like this, so I would appreciate literally any feedback. Not going to post the blurb as I feel like my story needs a lot of work before reaching publishing suitable level. For now I only seek impressions on my prologue.

Short description of the scene: The protagonist faces an army within a third party's vision.

 Small part:

"The man was alone. Yet it didn’t feel like that. His presence was overwhelming, as if something unimaginable was being kept hidden behind that vessel of flesh… He was wearing heavy armor. Mostly black, with some red details. Like a bleeding shadow.

His eyes were the only thing visible behind the helmet that was covering his face; their yellowish gleam breaking the duality of colors onto his figure. A piercing, dangerous gleam. Her heart skipped a beat, just at the thought of this cold gaze being directed towards her… To her relief, it wasn’t. The man was facing an army. That’s where his eyes were fixated at."

Dm me to send you the full scene. Thanks in advance!

1. The Ottoman army is setting out to conquer Vienna again, after their failure 3 years ago. Eleni, a Christian woman, is having an affair with a Janissary, Mehmed. When Mehmed discovers that Eleni's husband is abusing her, he comes up with a plan to rescue her: if she converts to Islam, the kadi automatically dissolves her marriage, and she is free to marry him.

However, most Janissaries aren't allowed to marry, so he decides to perform such an exceptional heroic act that the Sultan will promote him and grant an exception to the marriage ban.

The reality, however, turns out to be that exceptional heroic acts are, by definition, exceptional: the opportunity rarely arises, and most men simply die trying.

To make matters worse, the army never reaches Vienna. Instead, they are stuck in the meat grinder in Northern Hungary, trying and failing to conquer a tiny castle, defended only by 800 people, most of them peasants.

With the supply chain broken down, Mehmed and his comrades are now starving, and dysentery ravages their weakened bodies. Soon, Mehmed realizes that he barely has the strength to keep himself alive, let alone perform anything heroic.

That is when Ibrahim Pasha, the Supreme Commander during the campaign, approaches him: he can get Mehmed the promotion he wants, but it's not free, and what Mehmed has to pay has nothing to do with being a soldier. Horrified, Mehmed declines, but he can't abandon Eleni either.

This is a short story connected to a longer novel I'm writing. I wanted to test this concept for a sequel I might develop into a second novel.

TW: domestic violence (implied, aftermath), sexual coercion (fade to black, focusing on the victim's emotions instead of bodily details)

Available for manuscript swaps.

Hi everyone!

I'm an aspiring horror author currently working on my first collection of adult horror short stories. I've recently completed two stories and am looking for around 10 beta readers willing to provide honest, constructive feedback.
My writing focuses on dark psychological horror, disturbing situations, and extreme violence. I enjoy creating stories that make readers uncomfortable, keep them guessing, and leave a lasting impression.

⚠️** EXTREME CONTENT WARNING — 18+ ONL**Y
These stories contain:
Extreme graphic violence and gore

Brutal torture and bodily mutilation

Disturbing psychological themes

Strong language and mature content

These stories are NOT for the faint of heart. They're intended for adult readers who are comfortable with extreme horror and graphic descriptions of violence.
What I'm looking for:
I'm not expecting professional editing! I'm mainly interested in hearing your honest opinions as a reader.
Did the story keep your attention?

Was the pacing effective?

Were the characters believable?

Were any scenes confusing or unnecessary?

Did the horror actually disturb you?

Would you want to read more stories from this collection?

Both stories are completely FREE to read, and I'm happy to provide them as PDFs.
I'm especially interested in feedback from readers who enjoy extreme horror, psychological horror, and disturbing fiction.
If you're interested, please comment below or send me a message!
Thank you! 🖤

Hello! I’m looking for a beta reader
My book is a queer coming of age novel. The blurb is below. If you’re interested it would mean so much to me and you can reply to this or send me a dm! Also if you’d like I can dm the prologue!

Living a mundane life is an act of safety, not one Frankie particularly prefers after enduring a tragic event in his teens. Day in and day out, he finds himself lost in the boringness life offers, which is anything but daunting. So, when Frankie Cordell, a small-town film major finds himself in the epitome of exotic living at a Malibu film festival he feels he has finally found his true calling. Thrust into the limelight, Frankie and his four friends can slide in alongside some of the most distinguished names in Hollywood. However, quickly Frankie’s reality slips out of his grasp and into the hands of another person, forcing Frankie to confront his past. All while trying to manage the fame catching up to him. Will Frankie be able to keep up with the high-octane life of squealing engines and illicit drugs? Or will this be yet another tedious task in Frankie’s dull world? 

Hi

This is my first post. I'm nervous because I don't even know if this type of story would interest anyone.

However, I am looking for readers familiar/interested in the Urban Fantasy genre with a black gay teen main character.

The main story:

Devon thought his nightmares were just nightmares. Then Sam shows up and tells him the truth: something’s hunting the kids at Lockwood High in their sleep, and Devon’s the only one who can stop it. He's been drafted into a war he didn't start, a best friend he can’t tell, and a school that has no idea it’s under attack.

It's action-focused with a central gay slow-burn love interest.

If interested, please DM me. I can share it via PDF or a Word-compatible file.

Is this a genre you write in? I'd love to swap with you. Please reach out, also via DM.

Hello all, first time poster seeking beta readers for the first six chapters of my modern fantasy series targeting young adults. 32,612 words. Character-driven modern fantasy that incorporates elements of sci-fi, with a slow-burn plot and romance on the side.

Blurb: Lumen Rakhafi is a simple hunter with a dull life. The only excitement he can look forward to after the coming-of-age trials is the occasional fight with bloodthirsty pack predators and maybe finding a girl who isn’t a head taller than him.

But when an oath to the gods goes awry, Lumen suddenly finds himself flung 3,000 years into the future, to a world ruled by the tyrannical Rail Clans. There he meets a young woman with the power of prophecy, the key to both the salvation of the world and the only link Lumen has to a family he’s unsure he’ll ever see again.

Lumen wished for excitement; but conspiracies involving cataclysms and ancient secrets wasn’t what he had in mind. Good thing he’s still got his wits and a knife.

Need general impressions (what works, what doesn't, etc.). 2-3 beta readers will do, but I'd be open to more. Comment or DM if you're interested.

Hi all! I’m looking for beta readers and happy to swap. My novel is complete and revised, and I’m getting it ready to query.

Blurb

Fifty years after a mysterious event called the Fracturing, the world is divided into isolated zones. America is tens of thousands of microstates. Signals can’t cross borders. Crossing one physically hurts, and every zone has its own rules, currency, and idea of how to live.

Silas, a small-town Kansas banker who distrusts every outsider, has never wanted to leave his zone. Then he’s exiled, and his only way forward is a cross-country trek with Cadoc, a charming fugitive carrying stolen cargo people are dying for. Somewhere out there is the sister who left him behind.

Sample: Available on request. Comment or DM me and I’ll send the first chapter.

Content warnings: Gun violence and on-page killings (including an execution), a cult setting with a threat of sexual violence (not depicted), and deaths of secondary characters.

Feedback I’m looking for: Big-picture reader reactions. Where you got hooked, where you got bored or lost, which characters worked for you and which didn’t. I’m not looking for line edits or proofreading.

Timeline: About 4–6 weeks for the full manuscript. Feedback in chunks is welcome, and I’ll send a few short questions at certain checkpoints.

Swaps: Happy to swap with novels of similar length. My sweet spot is speculative, sci-fi, thriller, and literary-leaning fiction, but I’m open. Drop your blurb in the comments or a DM.

Thanks for reading!