Hello! I'm currently looking for beta readers for my manuscript, Sister Blades. It's a modern fantasy story, 89k words long. Here is my current query:
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At seventeen, Linda is finally an orphan. But she'll shed no tears for the man who starved her as a child and declared her a mistake. She'd celebrate with some college boys if she had the time. Unfortunately, the family legacy – and her father's enchanted blade – now fall to her: keep the Users and their nasty magic out of her city.
When Linda wields the blade, armor materializes around her and makes her insanely fast and strong. Too bad it doesn't include a manual. Cuts into her party time, but Linda has to practice before she can replace her Dad.
But as if they sensed his death, Users invade the city. Addicted to human suffering like junkies, they find the weakest, most vulnerable people and tear their lives apart – just to get more of their drug. No strangers to abuse and depression, most of Linda's friends make appetizing targets.
To fight Users, Linda needs to master her blade, and fast, or she'll die like her father. The blade's power comes at a cost: her life-force. Every second Linda wields magic steel, she ages one hundred times faster. To protect her friends from a living hell, this is the life Linda must lead. And it's gonna be short.
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It's had a few complete reads thus far. Since I just undertook quite a few changes and did a couple re-reads of it myself, I feel like it's ready for another round. At this stage, I'm looking for critique on the characters, motivations, development, and whether or not the book is close to the point where it's appropriate to start trying to get it published, though if you had comments on other things I'd still listen. I'm open to the idea of swapping for a work of similar length (or lesser, if you're fine with that). I read Sci-fi and Fantasy. YA is fine, but no romance, vampires, or magic schools. Heavy preference towards work that has been beta-read already.
Post here, or send me a pm if you're interested.
_____
At seventeen, Linda is finally an orphan. But she'll shed no tears for the man who starved her as a child and declared her a mistake. She'd celebrate with some college boys if she had the time. Unfortunately, the family legacy – and her father's enchanted blade – now fall to her: keep the Users and their nasty magic out of her city.
When Linda wields the blade, armor materializes around her and makes her insanely fast and strong. Too bad it doesn't include a manual. Cuts into her party time, but Linda has to practice before she can replace her Dad.
But as if they sensed his death, Users invade the city. Addicted to human suffering like junkies, they find the weakest, most vulnerable people and tear their lives apart – just to get more of their drug. No strangers to abuse and depression, most of Linda's friends make appetizing targets.
To fight Users, Linda needs to master her blade, and fast, or she'll die like her father. The blade's power comes at a cost: her life-force. Every second Linda wields magic steel, she ages one hundred times faster. To protect her friends from a living hell, this is the life Linda must lead. And it's gonna be short.
_____
It's had a few complete reads thus far. Since I just undertook quite a few changes and did a couple re-reads of it myself, I feel like it's ready for another round. At this stage, I'm looking for critique on the characters, motivations, development, and whether or not the book is close to the point where it's appropriate to start trying to get it published, though if you had comments on other things I'd still listen. I'm open to the idea of swapping for a work of similar length (or lesser, if you're fine with that). I read Sci-fi and Fantasy. YA is fine, but no romance, vampires, or magic schools. Heavy preference towards work that has been beta-read already.
Post here, or send me a pm if you're interested.
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