Title:  From Dust, Light. (WIP)

Genre: Political Fantasy, Grimdark, dystopian Sci-Fi

Word Count: 7290 (so far)

Blurb:

A shadow haunts Brighthill, the city of glowing stone. The Emperor and his only heir have been dead for twenty years. The Empress leaves her chambers once a year to give a public address, just enough to keep the illusion of stability.

Brighthill runs on brightstone, the luminous mineral that lights streets and powers machines. The Wolfguard Inquisition, ruling the city in all but name, controls the supply, enforcing the Codex and crushing dissent. The Codex forbids refining brightstone, but the Inquisition breaks it in secret. In the lower city, the revolutionary Hunter Union gathers whispers, allies, and knives. The people are beginning to see what they've been denied.

Amid the turmoil, three lives collide. Dana Goler, a captain of the city guard who hides her ambition under perfect paperwork, sees a path to something greater than the rotting chain of command. Anna has killed for the Hunters for years, but the cause is starting to ask for things she can't justify. Gregor Solari, a disgraced army engineer who deserted and disappeared, is dragged back into the city to finish an invention that could change the course of the conflict.

The old world is ending. The new one will be built by those willing to pay the price.

Content Warnings: Graphic violence, Death, Gore, Alcoholism

What I'm Looking For:

• Worldbuilding — Do you understand the world, the factions, and the technology?
• Plot — Does the plot so far make sense to you? Did the threads connect in your mind?
• Characters — Do the different voices work?
• Engagement — Did you want to keep reading? What do you think will happen next?
• Language — Did the dialogue, descriptions, etc., feel natural to you?

I am NOT looking for: Line edits or grammar corrections (Will do later)

Timeline: Flexible

Swap Availability: Open to swap with other in progress to exchange works as we go. Especially Sci-Fi and Fantasy with a realistic edge.

About Me: I've been working on my first novel for over a year, purely because I've been thinking about it for too long. I am most interested in knowing if what I have is working, so I guess I'm looking for something in between Alpha and Beta. I have more material but it's not ready, so I am open to long-term deals to swap alpha/beta reading feedback.

The current content and word count are the first 5 chapters.

Preferred Method: Google Docs with comments, or PDF

Interested? Comment below or send me a DM with a bit about yourself and what draws you to the premise. I will send a link in your preferred format to your DMs.

Thanks in advance!