To Those Who Have Lost

by Quincy Lee Clark

She could lead him to his any one heart's desire, but would she ever be able to find her own?

For as long as Moira could remember, she had always had a gift—or at least it was a gift to those other than herself. She could lead anyone to whatever it was they most love, wealth, fame, power… However, her own desire, to return to her beloved home—an impossible wish. After years of working in the circus, Moira’s gift leads her to encounter two unlikely Kieran, the almighty leader of Sin’s Forum, and Sylver, the handsome apprentice to a desert guide. Together, they embark on a voyage of discovery on which Moira soon realizes that perhaps the three lost souls are bound together by more than just circumstance. What forces could be guiding their tumultuous alliance? Could it be fate? Or could their destiny lie in the hands of another?

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Dear reader,

Thank you so much for taking a chance on my novel—your interest (sincerely) means the world to me as a debut author. That being said, I would like to give a bit of a heads-up before you delve into the story. If the following topics are at all detrimental to your mental health and wellbeing, I advise you to take a moment to reconsider taking the time to read my novel.

To Those Who Have Lost contains explicit sexual content recommended only for 18+, profanity, violence, murder, and mentions (briefly) sexual assault, slavery, and other topics which may be sensitive to some readers.

316 pages, Paperback

Published July 12, 2023

About the author

I am a recent (BSc) in Biology graduate, currently pursuing an Earth Science (BSc) degree, who decided to write a novel during COVID, in-between classes. Those who know me best say that I am sort of all over the place as an individual, so I really hope that the stories I write are at least somewhat coherent...

Nonetheless, writing has always been a passion of mine, and I am just amazed that I finally get the chance to share this piece of myself with you all. To everyone reading this, thank you so much for the continued dedication and support!

Reviews

[Sarahlee Fanjoy]

So many twists and turns ! Hard to put down book it’s one you want to rush to finish but be sad once you do. I love how the author included on how to pronounce the characters and places. Makes it so much easier I don’t want to give away spoilers but you need to read this book

[Julia]

So many twists and turns throughout this book! Can’t wait for the next one 👀

[E.B. Hauk]

The writing is solid, if somewhat anachronistic for the mood of the story, but the start is quite slow. I can't help but feel that the first three chapters could've been reduced to a single chapter with the second chapter being the introduction to Kieran.

Now let's get to the part I really didn't care for. Our main character(s). Moira, to me, feels like an open wound. She's constantly bitter, defensive, and aggressive. We hear of and see (once or twice) the rudeness of her charge, Qasir, but his moments of rudeness pale in comparison to that of our main character's. I feel like the sexist moments he has are simply to justify our main character's outright hostility toward him and pretty much everyone and everything else.

Though I understand Moira's longing to return home, she feels dingy, jaded, and barbed. I couldn't help but wonder why she's so *human* despite her origin and brief time among mortals; I would think a being like her would be more resistant to the wear and tear of time and retain a sense of wisdom or optimism, especially since she disparages all of humanity pretty much constantly.

Which makes her instant attraction to Kieran and also kind of Derrik rather unseemly. I've always disliked characters that go from rock hard to soft and cowed in the face of an attractive person. While she isn't quite *cowed* there is a drastic demeanor shift as soon as she meets this guy and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. But then again, romance isn't necessarily my thing, and I like my romances to have natural chemistry and ideally take time to form.

To me, this novel feels like the author read Stardust and thought "Now, you know what'd really improve this? Making everyone a dick."

This novel is probably better suited for people that don't mind the tropes of a female character overcoming sexism--which seems a pretty constant theme--and softening when she finds her man.

[Elle Sie]

The book cover grabbed me on this one; a solitary tree by moonlight over a barren dessert. Simple but effective. The premise was also intriguing, about Moira, a woman with a gift of being able to grant to those seeking their fortune whatever they wish. The story started with Moira leading a man called Qasir on a 4 week quest during which both parties did little else but bicker, bordering on verbal abuse of one another. Moira’s internal dialogue focused on pleading for Qasir to find his fortune so they could end their journey. This dynamic set me up to intensely dislike Moira, an interesting way to introduce a main character, making her (to me) border on being an antagonist. As the story continued, Moira’s voice continued to be a negative drain throughout: frequently used words such as ‘I glared/ I grumbled/ I forced myself to/ I snapped/ I retorted/ I scowled/ I hissed and more sarcastically, ‘whatever’ made her hard to sympathise with. She frequently seemed to say to herself that everything would be okay in the end, almost as a way of convincing herself; but not really me as the reader. However, I did like the dynamic with Kieran and Sylver on their journey, and also how Moira seemed able to help others, but not herself, and she seemed at times to despise her gift and where it had brought her. There were a few moments in the Sylver point of view chapters where I got a better impression of Moira through his eyes, such as her fae beauty in the moonlight; and these chapters are really what kept me reading as I disliked the Moira chapters because of her whining and negativity.

I had mixed feelings about this book, overall. The author is a good writer, but Moira was generally too negative and unlikeable for me to feel any real sense of endearment towards her and as the main character, the need to like her carried a lot of weight for my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

[Aditya Jha]

"To Those Who Have Lost" by Quincy Clark swept me away on an enchanting journey from the very first page. The protagonist, Moira, possesses an extraordinary gift to lead others to their heart's desires, but she herself yearns for something seemingly unattainable—the return to her cherished home. The story unfolds as Moira's path intertwines with two intriguing characters: Kieran, the formidable leader of Sin's Forum, and Sylver, a handsome apprentice to a desert guide. Together, they embark on a captivating voyage, and it becomes evident that their union is far more than mere coincidence.

As the narrative unfolds, the book explores the mystical forces that might be guiding their fateful alliance. Quincy Clark skillfully weaves a tapestry of destiny, raising questions about the roles of fate and the unknown. I found myself completely immersed in the rich world of the book, eager to uncover the secrets that bound the three lost souls together.

"To Those Who Have Lost" is a mesmerizing tale of love, destiny, and the interconnectedness of lives. The author's writing and storytelling is amazing, leaving readers spellbound and yearning for more.

[Anjali Sharma]

"To Those Who Have Lost" by Quincy Clark swept me away on an enchanting journey from the very first page. The protagonist, Moira, possesses an extraordinary gift to lead others to their heart's desires, but she herself yearns for something seemingly unattainable—the return to her cherished home. The story unfolds as Moira's path intertwines with two intriguing characters: Kieran, the formidable leader of Sin's Forum, and Sylver, a handsome apprentice to a desert guide. Together, they embark on a captivating voyage, and it becomes evident that their union is far more than mere coincidence.

As the narrative unfolds, the book explores the mystical forces that might be guiding their fateful alliance. Quincy Clark skillfully weaves a tapestry of destiny, raising questions about the roles of fate and the unknown. I found myself completely immersed in the rich world of the book, eager to uncover the secrets that bound the three lost souls together.

"To Those Who Have Lost" is a mesmerizing tale of love, destiny, and the interconnectedness of lives. The author's writing and storytelling is amazing, leaving readers spellbound and yearning for more.

[Karen]

I very much enjoyed “To Those Who Have Lost.” Although the descriptions and pacing were a little slow at times, I very much appreciated Clark’s attention to the characters. Moira was particularly interesting. Her power of leading everyone but herself to the thing they most desire out of life was unique to me, and her inner life, her thoughts about her own trajectory and the way she responds to Kieran and Sylver seemed realistic given the fictional world Clark has created. There weren’t a ton of magical beings in the story, and Clark’s first-person approach allowed what magic there was to be consistent. Even though having supernatural powers is unrelatable, Moira’s attitude toward her own makes her very relatable. All around, this book consisted of fascinating world-building and characters that I truly rooted for throughout. If you want an original take on urban fantasy, do give this book a chance.

[Ymke Steyaert]

I am currently reading this book and while I might be biased since I know Quincy personally I do have to say that Ive enjoyed the read so far. The plot twists while making it not obvious that there is going to be one really facinates me.

Everytime I think that I know where the story is heading and each time I am completely SHOCKED on how it took a different turn.

Is this book going to give me thrust issues cause of that? Probably. Am I enjoying it YES.

I also like how complicated and well backgrounded the characters are already for the time ive been reading, even tho the story didn’t develop fast in the beginning it took some wild turns to make it interesting fast.

I also like how Quincy introduces new characters and makes us see the point of vieuw of not only one but multiple characters.

I am enjoying this read and if you like a book with some darkness to it I would really recommend so far.

[Barbara J.]

I was attracted to the appealing cover and intriguing title, "For those who have lost" yet in the very beginning I not only disliked the main character Moira, but felt the story moved along painfully slow. As I continued reading, the plot developed into a quicker pace, yet my dislike for her continued, making it a bit challenging to enjoy the story.
Overall the writing is good, however could be tightened up, especially in the beginning.

[Rebecca Daylee]

I enjoyed this book. It made me laugh. I see connections to kind a what happened in our society during covid. I'm looking forward to the next book. I liked the character Moira the best because of her fiesty attitude, because you can tell she's done with the whole place. I can relate because during covid and even now I feel the same way. I'm pretty much done with the b.s. too.

[Megan Cooper]

Five stars

[Reader]

My favourite these days. I just loved it 🥰 Highly recommended to everyone.