[In Progress] [52k] [Adult Queer Romantasy] The Song Without a Choir

Hi! I’m currently drafting my first adult M/M romantasy and looking for 2–4 alpha readers willing to read the manuscript as it currently stands. 18+ readers only, please.

**The Song Without a Choir** Cassiel Voss was once a celebrated magical prodigy. Now stripped of his magic and exiled, he’s spent years avoiding the kingdom that discarded him.

Then a chance encounter in the wilderness puts him in the path of Prince Regulus, heir to the kingdom Cassiel wants nothing to do with. What begins as an unwanted rescue soon draws Cassiel into the prince’s orbit, and toward a journey that forces him back into a world he’d rather leave behind.

**About the book** Adult M/M slow-burn romantasy Single POV Fantasy adventure and mystery Magic centered around music Queer-normative setting Adventuring-party dynamics Character-driven, with banter and a developing romance alongside the larger fantasy plot

**Heat level:** Slow burn with a planned open-door sex scene later in the novel. The manuscript hasn’t reached that scene yet, and the final level of explicitness is still being determined.

**Content notes:** Fantasy violence and injury, blood, depiction of a dead/mutilated animal, trauma, past suicidal ideation, and religious/institutional abuse.

**Current status** The manuscript currently stands at 52k words across 32 chapters, and I’m actively drafting the remainder. I’m expecting the completed novel to land around 90–100k words.

I’m specifically looking for readers who are comfortable reading an unfinished manuscript. You absolutely don’t have to finish if the book loses you. I only ask that, if you decide to stop, you let me know where you stopped and what made you put it down. That feedback is genuinely useful to me.

**What I’m looking for** I’m primarily interested in your natural experience as a reader rather than line edits or an editorial report. Things that would be especially helpful include:

Where you were especially engaged or where your attention dipped Character and relationship reactions Anything you found confusing Predictions or questions you had while reading Places you felt tempted to skim or stop Anything you particularly loved or disliked

I’m deliberately keeping the questions fairly open-ended because I don’t want to influence anyone’s first read.

**Timeline & feedback** I’m flexible. I’d rather you read at your normal pace than rush through it.

Feedback can be as involved or casual as you’d like: comments while reading, reactions after individual chapters, or a set of thoughts afterward are all useful to me.

The manuscript will be shared privately via Google Docs.

**Critique swap** I’m also open to swapping with another fantasy, romantasy, or queer SFF writer, including another WIP. I’m happy to exchange samples first to make sure we’re a good fit before either of us commits to a longer read.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, feel free to comment or DM me!