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The Devotion of Delflenor
For ten anxious years, the country of Ainle has had no chevetein to keep their many lesser cheves in check and maintain peace. Anyone can become the chevetein if it is the will of the Three, as the most powerful of the gods are known. But as the years pass, fewer and fewer people go to the Seat to offer themselves as chevetein. Doubt has crept in among the population, and more than one arrogant cheve has decided that the time has come to abandon the old ways. Only the presence of Prityal of Ters, Knight of the Seat, Tyrant-slayer, the Hope of Ainle, has kept the country from falling into chaos.
Soft-spoken but fierce, noble as well as beautiful, Prityal is all that a Knight of the Seat should be. As faith dwindles, so, too, does the number of knights waiting to serve the chevetein, and with no one else available, it is Prityal who volunteers for a risky mission to an unfamiliar place. She cannot go alone. So, Delf, a lower-tier knight, accompanies her.
Plain, with an odd sense of humor, and of no fame or noted background, Delf is content to act as Prityal’s squire on this quest. Delf has loved Prityal for years with no intention of ever speaking of it. A hero and a nobody might become friends as they travel through ancient lands, facing tricky spirits and desperate farmers, finding ruins and knights of faded glory, speaking of magic and the history they share—yet even that is beyond Delf’s dreams of her future.
But a chevetein must be found, and Prityal will do it at the cost of her life, if need be, though the country—and Delf—need her. It seems the Three have plans, after all, and will use anything to see them through—including the strong, devoted heart of a hero.
f/nb queer romance
Soft-spoken but fierce, noble as well as beautiful, Prityal is all that a Knight of the Seat should be. As faith dwindles, so, too, does the number of knights waiting to serve the chevetein, and with no one else available, it is Prityal who volunteers for a risky mission to an unfamiliar place. She cannot go alone. So, Delf, a lower-tier knight, accompanies her.
Plain, with an odd sense of humor, and of no fame or noted background, Delf is content to act as Prityal’s squire on this quest. Delf has loved Prityal for years with no intention of ever speaking of it. A hero and a nobody might become friends as they travel through ancient lands, facing tricky spirits and desperate farmers, finding ruins and knights of faded glory, speaking of magic and the history they share—yet even that is beyond Delf’s dreams of her future.
But a chevetein must be found, and Prityal will do it at the cost of her life, if need be, though the country—and Delf—need her. It seems the Three have plans, after all, and will use anything to see them through—including the strong, devoted heart of a hero.
f/nb queer romance
ebook
First published March 27, 2021
About the author
R. Cooper
61 books776 followersI'm a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love. Also known as, "Ah, yes, the one with the dragons."
Find me on social media: https://linktr.ee/thercooper
Or support me on Patreon: @rcoops
Or sign up for my newsletter! It's free and it's barely one a month. :)
Or just visit my website to find everything all in one place and also a few Free Reads: https://www.riscooper.com/
Find me on social media: https://linktr.ee/thercooper
Or support me on Patreon: @rcoops
Or sign up for my newsletter! It's free and it's barely one a month. :)
Or just visit my website to find everything all in one place and also a few Free Reads: https://www.riscooper.com/
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 13, 2021
I liked the premise a lot and was curious about the characters, the fantasy, the magic, and of course the miscommunication and pining between the love interests. The MC was a bit too stubbornly clueless for my taste, I’m afraid, it made the story feel drawn out.
November 9, 2021
The Devotion of Delflenor is an adult fantasy book (short relatively to the genre's standards) and a queer romance. Unfortunately the book struggles to find a balance between both and leave readers unsatisfied with both aspects as it neither focuses on the romance or the fantasy plot.
All the worldbuilding is dumped during the first chapter so if you were only half following the book at this point you will struggle a bit to understand the rest but the worldbuilding isn't that detailed: they have 3 gods and the knights and country are without a gods-given leader. Then some dude asks for help and our protagonist decides to go with the greatest knight alive because she feels like it and also has a crush on her.
I wouldn't have minded if the book decided to focus heavily on romance. Indeed, a fantasy queernorm-world romance between a demigirl protagonist and the knight she admires is rare enough to be noted. The characters already know each others and have a past which makes some elements feel less rushed than if they barely knew each other.
But alas the book also tries to have some kind of a fantasy plot that honestly didn't feel necessary. The first two thirds of the book feel plot and direction-less of just characters talking about anything (and it features some weirdly written dialogues here and there) and then something happens and raises the stakes for absolutely no reason.
Delf was an okay protagonist but are (understable and relatable) self-deprecating tendencies ended up just being annoying especially when refusing to fight an opponent trying to kill her by saying multiple times that she's not stronger enough. I know she was supposed to be "humble" but that not humility just stupidity. All of that made the predictible ending even more frustrating.
I did appreciate the casual non-binary representation in this book.
All the worldbuilding is dumped during the first chapter so if you were only half following the book at this point you will struggle a bit to understand the rest but the worldbuilding isn't that detailed: they have 3 gods and the knights and country are without a gods-given leader. Then some dude asks for help and our protagonist decides to go with the greatest knight alive because she feels like it and also has a crush on her.
I wouldn't have minded if the book decided to focus heavily on romance. Indeed, a fantasy queernorm-world romance between a demigirl protagonist and the knight she admires is rare enough to be noted. The characters already know each others and have a past which makes some elements feel less rushed than if they barely knew each other.
But alas the book also tries to have some kind of a fantasy plot that honestly didn't feel necessary. The first two thirds of the book feel plot and direction-less of just characters talking about anything (and it features some weirdly written dialogues here and there) and then something happens and raises the stakes for absolutely no reason.
Delf was an okay protagonist but are (understable and relatable) self-deprecating tendencies ended up just being annoying especially when refusing to fight an opponent trying to kill her by saying multiple times that she's not stronger enough. I know she was supposed to be "humble" but that not humility just stupidity. All of that made the predictible ending even more frustrating.
I did appreciate the casual non-binary representation in this book.
April 3, 2021
An amazing story
This was a beautiful fantasy story that just wove me up in its spell and whisked me along with the characters.
This was a page-turner from start to finish, just beautiful. Leaving me wishing I could just stay in the world that R Cooper had created for so much longer.
This was a beautiful fantasy story that just wove me up in its spell and whisked me along with the characters.
This was a page-turner from start to finish, just beautiful. Leaving me wishing I could just stay in the world that R Cooper had created for so much longer.
November 22, 2022
Plodding, overlong feudal multi-gendered society with magic. There's a romance buried in there somewhere.
Some battle-scarred knights are recovering from the latest skirmish when they receive a request for aid. One volunteers, and another steps up to protect them on the trek. The only point to this trip is for the two knights to become closer.
One is injured, and the other assumes the role of hero, even though they have downplayed their own worth their whole lives.
Some battle-scarred knights are recovering from the latest skirmish when they receive a request for aid. One volunteers, and another steps up to protect them on the trek. The only point to this trip is for the two knights to become closer.
One is injured, and the other assumes the role of hero, even though they have downplayed their own worth their whole lives.
April 1, 2021
Falling in love as growing into self
Such a lovely tale of adventure and love! Set in an alternate universe, this is an epic tale of knights on a quest to answer a call for help. Along the way, they find out that legends are just real people struggling to do what is right and that falling in love might be a way to save everyone.
Such a lovely tale of adventure and love! Set in an alternate universe, this is an epic tale of knights on a quest to answer a call for help. Along the way, they find out that legends are just real people struggling to do what is right and that falling in love might be a way to save everyone.
March 28, 2021
OMG this was so boring. Wow. Dnf 40%
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews