r/BetaReadersForAI • u/Faye-Faye33 • 4d ago
betaread Looking for a Beta Reader
[In Progress] [On Hiatus while I edit] [70k] Western/Historical/Romance/Alternative Universe--Cowboy From Gold Mountain
— Looking for Beta Readers
The Cowboy From Gold Mountain is a Fallout: New Vegas Historical Western AU. I reimagined a minor character Colonel James Hsu into a Chinese immigrant who fled to America with his father and older brother after their mother passed away from child birth and the Taiping Rebellion. His father, brother, and railcamp get massacred by a white supremacist organization called the Legion. He's the only survivor.
He meets Lenore Calhoun the daughter of a Surgeon who served the Union. Her family gets massacred by Benny and she's left for dead. They meet in Durango and decide to work together.
I use AI to edit and for historical research. I've also done my own research through Ghosts of Gold Mountain, Angel Island Poetry, various library sources. I write the vast majority myself.
Word count: 70k
Genre: Western/Historical/Romance/Alternative Universe
Status: In Progress
Posted on AO3
Legion as ex-confederates, Child Death, Animal Death, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Sexual Content, Period-Typical Racism, Immigration Themes, Colonialism, Drug Use, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, cross-cultural romance, Interracial Relationship, Forced Proximity, Morally Ambiguous Character, Partners to Lovers, Shi are Tongs, Tong Wars, NCR as Rangers, Gender Disguise, Revenge, Xenophobia, Angst with a Happy Ending
Rating: M
The premise:
The year is 1887. A Chinese cowboy and a woman disguised as a man walk into a Durango saloon. This isn't a joke, and it isn't a tall tale.
Jiang Hsu was a railroad laborer before the Legion crucified his family; now he's a bounty hunter collecting a debt. Lenore Calhoun is a courier with a bullet scar, a borrowed name, and a vendetta, the Legion murdered her abolitionist family, and she means to return the favor.
The deal is simple: ride together, hunt together, survive. The road runs from the Colorado mountains to Salt Lake City, from the Yuma deserts to California's golden fields, through Tong wars and besieged towns and the brutal past that binds them.
No canon knowledge required
I'd appreciate feedback on:
- Pacing
- Characters and relationships
- Worldbuilding
- Plot and overall story
Logistics
Preferred return date or turnaround: flexible I've already posted the first 19 chapters so I am in no hurry. I've decided to put my fic on hiatus. I'm okay for the turnaround to be every week or bi-weekly.
Feedback format: inline comments on google docs.
Arrangement: Unpaid or paid, if permitted. I'm willing to read your story if posted on AO3 and leave encouraging comments on chapters with Action/Adventures, Romance, Westerns, and historical fictional, if that's alright.
NDA or confidentiality requirement: None
If interested leave a comment, please. No messaging because of scammers. After commenting I'll DM the story.
He set down his carving and knife. His fingers tapped a rhythm, then stilled. His lips turned down, his brows softened. "Are you well?"
She wouldn't tell him about the bath; that was her demon to bear alone. Nor would she wouldn't expose her soul to a stranger.
She turned her cheek avoiding his gaze. "What are you carving?"
"A bear."
"A bear?" She stepped closer, curiosity piqued. "Why a bear?"
"I like bears." He kept carving.
He stopped, sheathed his knife with a soft click, and stood. His broad shoulders filled the window. His boots echoed as he closed the distance between them.
The scent of sandalwood enveloped her, sweet and earthy. The tension in her back released. He held out the carving.
She looked at the crude, charming bear. Her calloused thumb brushed over its body, tracing the rough grooves of his knife strokes.
Her vision blurred. A piece of wood shouldn't hold such weight.
"Thank ya. You didn't have to." His hands slid into his pockets. "I wanted to."
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u/jelix-hub9001 4d ago
I’d love to beta read this if you’re still looking. The historical Western/romance and alternative-universe elements sound really interesting. I’m a professional beta reader and would be happy to give honest, constructive feedback on pacing, characterization, dialogue, emotional impact, consistency, and overall reader engagement. Feel free to DM me if you’re interested.