The Raven and The Ruby, a novel coming soon

[[deleted user]]

Dean McIntosh

I am presently working in the first book of what will be my second "arc". Yes, I know how that sounds, so I will explain the very, very basics first.

I have created a fictional world to accommodate my stories. Yes, I know. Who has not done so, right? My world is called Melior, after the Latin word suggested to me to have the meaning "better" or "superior". On this world, I have a canon that is two parts old Dungeons & Dragons videogames such as Eye Of The Beholder I & II, another two parts Heinlein/Dick, and a single part Doctor Who-esque.

The two arcs I have that are set in this world can be called the Trór Gravewater arc and Ruby Amelda arc after the two characters that their first volumes are about. Or you could call them the "not Mage" and "Mage" arcs. And no, it is not a coincidence that the Magi in the latter arc often speak of "MC-1 gene" genetic mutations. Being autistic is a requirement of being a Mage on Melior, and this will not change no matter what anyone says.

What I am currently working on is the first story in what I call the "Mage" arc. The titular protagonists are Mage-candidates by the name of Linula (the Raven) and Ruby Amelda.

Why I am posting this message here is pretty complex. I have already given a crude pre-release copy of the body to one friend in order to get their opinion of the content, and I welcome anyone who wishes to come and discuss the novel with me, perhaps get a read of it in the near future. There are some particular points in the content that I know I need to hear opinions of.

Thus far, the current draft is ~45,000 words in length, and I am only just starting to reach the point of closure on one particularly unpleasant arc in the novel. The story deals with how Linula was sexually abused as a child and how it affects her in the present time. In the current version, her abuser has just been spoken to by her whilst he is sitting in a hospital bed, having suffered the kind of injuries someone like him would suffer in a prison of our real world. How he suffers those injuries is something I will leave to any takers on a beta read offer, but I do warn that some discretion is advised.

Anyway, I am still very new here and do not know how it all works, so I will leave you, fellow authors, to ask me any questions that come to mind. Thanks in advance.

[K.]

Dean,

If you don't have any takers by the end of the week, I'll message you to discuss this. I also work with... uncomfortable... subject material. Your story sounds interesting, but if you need replies sooner than next weekend, I'm a bit over booked. (thus the offer to wait.)

Welcome to the group, I'm sure one of the mods will be in sooner or later to extend theirs as well.

[[deleted user]]

Thank you, K. And for the record, no, I do not have any strict dates when I need replies sooner than. I am uncertain of the length the draft will be when I finish it, but it is presently a rush between when I can finally leave the assault-culture musings behind and when I get to 50,000 words.

I have a funny feeling I will need to do at least two rewrites to this manuscript before I feel "ready" to publish it.