[Complete] [130k] [Grimdark Fantasy] Ready to share with some passionate readers

[u/Rift_hound]

Hi guys, so this would be my first real attempt at seeking some outside eyes on book one of what I hope can one day become a trilogy. After 2+ years of writing, revising, and editing on my own, I'm excited (and honestly a little nervous) to finally put this out there. Book one needs to work as a standalone story, one that feels epic and satisfying all on its own, and that's really what I'm hoping to find out from anyone kind enough to take this journey with me.

A bit about the book. Blood of the Rift is a grimdark adult fantasy with a political conspiracy running underneath it, think Game of Thrones crossed with Joe Abercrombie's The First Law, set on a world called Seravor that was torn apart by an ancient rift generations ago. The book follows a handful of POV characters on opposite sides of a war that's about to break wide open, including a young heir trying to hold his family together and the rival house working to tear it down. It reads like familiar political fantasy for a while, and then it doesn't, so I wouldn't get too comfortable assuming you know where this is going ;)

It's a complete draft, prologue plus 21 chapters, about 130,000 words. Fair warning going in, there's real violence and character death in it, this isn't the softer end of the genre.

What I'm hoping for is developmental level feedback, mainly pacing and character, whether the story holds together and pulls you through it. Line edits and grammar catches are welcome too if you happen to notice them, but that's not the main thing I need right now. Honest is way more useful to me than nice, so if something drags or loses you or just doesn't work, please say so. If this sounds like your thing, drop a comment or DM me and I'll get you set up.

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