Hi there! I’m looking for beta readers for my 110,000-word YA urban fantasy, WAKE THE SOUL. Quick teaser:
I like to pitch this book as Harry Potter rewritten in the style of an airship Battlestar Galactica. 15-year-old orphan Cas Lancaster is living with an abusive foster family in London when she’s approached on the Underground and recruited into a magic school. She’s expecting a fantasy version of Eton, but it turns out to be an island fortress where teenagers train to become magic soldiers called Nightguards, who protect people from Eaters who feast on human souls. The plot turns around the wreck of a super-powerful Galactica-style airship belonging to the Nightguard, but I think the heart of the story is Cas’ fight to hold onto her hope, loyalty, affection and wonder in the face of monsters literal and figurative.
The manuscript has been through a previous round of beta readers, some of whom described it as "cinematic", "electric" and "visceral", and I’ve since done a thorough revision, adding around 40k of new scenes. I pitched this to agents at writing conferences last year and received full requests, so I’m now looking for volunteers to do a final read in the next few weeks before I send it out. If you're interested, please hit me with your email address. Thanks in advance!
Content warnings: Sexual violence in the opening chapter. Also stabbings, shootings, missile launchers, giant airship battles, angry gods and numerous attempts to eat the protagonist’s soul. Please come eager and ready for LGBT storylines
and an emphasis on female characters.
I like to pitch this book as Harry Potter rewritten in the style of an airship Battlestar Galactica. 15-year-old orphan Cas Lancaster is living with an abusive foster family in London when she’s approached on the Underground and recruited into a magic school. She’s expecting a fantasy version of Eton, but it turns out to be an island fortress where teenagers train to become magic soldiers called Nightguards, who protect people from Eaters who feast on human souls. The plot turns around the wreck of a super-powerful Galactica-style airship belonging to the Nightguard, but I think the heart of the story is Cas’ fight to hold onto her hope, loyalty, affection and wonder in the face of monsters literal and figurative.
The manuscript has been through a previous round of beta readers, some of whom described it as "cinematic", "electric" and "visceral", and I’ve since done a thorough revision, adding around 40k of new scenes. I pitched this to agents at writing conferences last year and received full requests, so I’m now looking for volunteers to do a final read in the next few weeks before I send it out. If you're interested, please hit me with your email address. Thanks in advance!
Content warnings: Sexual violence in the opening chapter. Also stabbings, shootings, missile launchers, giant airship battles, angry gods and numerous attempts to eat the protagonist’s soul. Please come eager and ready for LGBT storylines
and an emphasis on female characters.
