Topic: Elusive Paradise

Hail and well met everyone,
Name is Marius, from Sheffield United Kingdom. I am certain most writers are paranoid about sharing their work on the internet, either because it's not ready and they don't want to feel ashamed because it's not up to the standard they want it to be, or because they are afraid of plagiarism. Well, I decided to come over here and share my new up and coming novel series set in a grim-dark universe akin to Warhammer.
Last year I finalized a shapeshifter novel set in the Fantasy Kingdom Kaskilia, loosely based Sabaa Tahir's Ember in the Ashes and Blood Queen by Victoria Aveyard. However, my co-author and I haven't yet managed to land an agent although we are sending as many queries as possible. We are still trying however and we will not give up, but in the interim, I wanted to write something new.

Elusive Paradise is what I might describe as "What happened if Joan of Arc met the Black Prince." It's a Low Fantasy setting, as such limited magic save for a form of reincarnation, and entirely focused on the human element of strife, suffering and hard-won triumphs. So if you like Game of Thrones and Berserk this is your cup of tea.
I don't pull any punches, my characters are the products of a hard life and harsh world, and I want to treat each of them, including the liars, cutthroats, and thieves with respect.

I will appreciate any constructive feedback, even harsh ones since I have thought skin. Will later be doing the rounds and bookmark a few WIP novels in the boards to see what catches my eye.

Best regards, Marius.

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2 Reply by Dirk B. (edited by Dirk B. 2020-01-17 16:15:31)

Re: Elusive Paradise

Welcome, Marius. You're on the right site and in one of the most active forums. Although it is technically possible to have work plagiarized, I haven't heard of it happening on this site. A copyright notice automatically appears in each chapter you post. Be sure not to post to the internet, then your work will only be visible on the site.

If you check out the posts in this forum, you'll see brainstorming threads for fantasy, science fiction, a supernatural thriller (mine), and heaven knows what else. We gathered here long ago because other forums aren't as active.

I look forward to reading your work. Please check out the content summary of my book, Saving Connor, to see if it's something you might be interested in. Just click on my username and it will take you to my profile page, where you'll find my book.

Dirk

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Re: Elusive Paradise

Just checked out your posting. I strongly recommend that you post for points if you want the most number of reviewers.  Some of us have enough points to last until the next age of Middle Earth, but many need to earn points to publish their own work.

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Re: Elusive Paradise

shapeshifter, you say. Ear perks up.

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5 Reply by Markus Vastag (edited by Markus Vastag 2020-01-18 01:16:16)

Re: Elusive Paradise

Thank you for the kind welcome Dirk I will do my best to make some time and inspect some of your work, and I highly appreciate your feedback.

Kdot I would be interested to post my Shapeshifter book here, but I am not certain how many people might even pick up on it to be fair. I cannot afford to invest too much time to gather points, I can't pay for premium service yet, and I would need some good friends to help me navigate the website in order to make the most of my time spent here. If you are interested to do this for me I might post the manuscript for the main boards. But that remains to be seen.

If people are in fact interested in the Kaskilia novel, "Children of Maya," here is a little blurb...
"In the land of Kaskilia, enslaved prey changelings whisper in the dark tunnels of Marburg Mine, where a rabbit slave named Maria spreads plans for rebellion. To truly overthrow the murderous cult of Khaytan and the zealous king who spreads their elitist teachings like a virus, Maria must rally the wolf king’s own son to remember the true faith and usurp the throne.

Prince Reginald grows more revolted by his father’s tyranny each day, but he dare not voice his thoughts. When Maria’s failed uprising calls him to Marburg, he spares her life in a visceral act of defiance that launches a revolution. Brought together by the Mother of Changelings, the goddess Maya herself, Maria and Reginald must somehow reconcile their differing visions of an ideal Kaskilia, and their growing, forbidden attraction for one another … all while evading the bloodthirsty Absolvers of Khaytan’s Covenant. In a culture where she is seen as little more than food, Maria must find a way to lead her people to freedom without losing her humanity and growing as animalistic as her enemies."

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Re: Elusive Paradise

Also, don't forget to respond to reviews. Helps your readers know if their time is well-spent giving reviews. You can respond to individual comments by clicking on them, and there is a general reply textbox under the review. Be sure to read in x-line mode (a tab at the top), which shows all the comments at once, otherwise you'll click yourself to death.

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Re: Elusive Paradise

The Kaskilia novel sounds really good, IMO.

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Re: Elusive Paradise

Dirk B. wrote:

The Kaskilia novel sounds really good, IMO.

Why thank you very much for that Dirk, I would like to share it with the world but I invested close to 9000 USD and for me this was a fortune. I feel like I would be slapping myself in the face by sharing it for free, but then again it might help to have some feedback in case there are flaws and errors that I missed.
Kdot, you might like this one if you enjoy shapeshifter novels wink

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Re: Elusive Paradise

You can subscribe month-by-month if you like.

I took a look at your chapter and have some thoughts.  I'll try to do a review today or tomorrow, maybe one of each kind, for different issues.  I'm not hurting for points but if I were I'd look for stories that would earn them on reviews.

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10 Reply by nevermore (edited by nevermore 2020-01-19 11:05:36)

Re: Elusive Paradise

Markus Vastag wrote:

I am certain most writers are paranoid about sharing their work on the internet ... because they are afraid of plagiarism.

This is humorous.  We should all be so lucky as to write well enough that anyone would want to steal it.  Until then, that should be the goal to which we should all aspire.

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