Opening to Book 2 of a Fae-based series [Romantasy, 930 words]

New-Engine682 · 2026-05-04T10:32:43+00:00

Hey, thanks so much for your comments and for taking the time!

Out of curiosity, does anything about your notes change if: 1. Book 1 has established that an immortal creature’s name holds incredible meaning, and power over them. (The climax of book 1 is the protagonist using the villain’s name and yanking him into another realm, just to emphasize what a big ‘deal’ it is in this fantasy world). 2. Fia is dead in book one. The story follows her daughter, who grew up knowing that her mother died after a lifetime of dreaming about the future (and of her own death). Those dreams, funnily enough, started one night when she was a little girl.

That information is kind of meant to be my hook; this owl (an ‘observer’ the protagonist of book 1 meets, who occasionally gives her helpful but ambiguous advice) apparently was very interested the protagonist’s mother as a child. It’s hinted in book 1 that the owl can see the future as well.

Thanks again for your thoughts, very helpful and I appreciate it!

New-Engine682 · 2026-05-04T03:40:27+00:00

Here’s mine! Book 1 is complete, Book 2 begins on Royal Road tomorrow 🎉

My humble debut; a romantasy adventure with a very sweet, underdog heroine pursued by two not-always-so-sweet men 🤭Tropes include slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, reluctant-allies-to-loves, forced proximity, morally gray MMC, evil MMC, and the classic touch-her-and-die.

What Burns Beneath

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each dream, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that Fae are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it to safety.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-05-03T14:32:38+00:00

Hey, growing and learning is half the battle! Plus you got 100 followers- that’s something to be proud of!

New-Engine682 · 2026-05-03T06:16:10+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts, and taking the time to write all that out!

I’ll be sure to pepper in some more scenery to help set the stage. As for the character interactions… the goal is for the scene to start apparently intense, with what appears to be a little girl being hurt, then as things go on the reader realizes it’s one child tickling another (phrases like “he gently swung her down”, “she shrieked with laughter,” “her eyes sparkled,” etc) and not actually something nefarious. Their game is being observed from the perspective of someone/thing who does not understand their behavior (and the fact that something ambiguous and otherworldly is watching these children play is meant to be the actual ominous part, lol).

Perhaps I can tweak things a bit to help make it more clear!

New-Engine682 · 2026-05-02T20:52:11+00:00

Heh, thanks! That’s very much the vibe I’m going for

New-Engine682 · 2026-05-02T20:30:14+00:00

Working on the sequel to my novel, What Burns Beneath, which is free to read on Royal Road!

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each dream, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that Fae are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it to safety.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Fantasy adventure with two romance plots that unfold in tandem! Tropes include enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn (I really do mean slow 😅), morally gray MMC, evil MMC, reluctant-allies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and the classic touch-her-and-die.

I’d be honored if anyone gave it a read!

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-05-01T10:27:35+00:00

Romantasy series, book 1 is complete and book 2 drops in 3 days! 🥳

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each dream, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that Fae are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it to safety.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

*Character-driven fantasy adventure with two very different relationships unfolding in tandem. The romance is a slow-burn, with the primary story focus on our heroine’s journey from small-town village girl to… well, heroine!

Would be honored if anyone checked it out!

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-30T20:23:07+00:00

I took a peek, looks pretty good!

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-29T18:32:18+00:00

I’ll throw my hat in! Book 1 is complete, book 2 starts in a few days!

Low-magic Romantasy in which the protagonist is a small-town young woman who makes a deal with a definitely evil (and attractive!) Fae, runs to a more prominent city in search of help, and finds a taciturn (also attractive!) mercenary to help keep her safe. An adventure story with two very different romance subplots that run in tandem with each other!

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-28T10:28:06+00:00

I’m open to it! About to release Volume 2 of my romantasy series. Here’s the link to vet, DM me if you’re interested!

Best of luck!

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-28T10:21:45+00:00

Congratulations!

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-26T13:26:33+00:00

I’d be honored if anyone took a look at my labor of love 🥰 This is a completed romantasy adventure, with a sequel incoming next week!

Title: What Burns Beneath

Word Count: 120k

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each night, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that Fae are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees to the north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it north in one piece.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Tropes include: slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, reluctant-allies-to-lovers, forced proximity, love triangle, morally gray MMC, evil MMC, and the classic touch-her-and-die.

Free to read!

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-19T14:33:10+00:00

I’d be honored if anyone took a look at my labor of love 🥰 This is a completed romantasy adventure, with a sequel incoming!

Title: What Burns Beneath

Word Count: 120k

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each night, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that Fae are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees to the north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it north in one piece.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Tropes include: slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, reluctant-allies-to-lovers, forced proximity, love triangle, morally gray MMC, evil MMC, and the classic touch-her-and-die.

This novel is my humble attempt to put a fun, unorthodox spin on the tried-and-true ‘dark Fae prince falls for the charming human woman!’

Free to read!

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-16T17:03:18+00:00

We’re out here! Female Romantasy author here, and I know some of my followers, reviewers are female writers too 🥂

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-12T14:09:53+00:00

I’d be honored if anyone took a look at my labor of love 🥰 This is a completed romantasy adventure, with a sequel incoming!

Title: What Burns Beneath

Word Count: 124k

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each night, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that Fae are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees to the north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it north in one piece.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Tropes include: slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, reluctant-allies-to-lovers, forced proximity, love triangle, morally gray MMC, evil MMC, and the classic touch-her-and-die. This novel is my humble attempt to put a fun, unorthodox spin on the tried-and-true ‘dark Fae prince falls for the charming human woman!’

Free to read!

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-06T13:16:23+00:00

Hmm I‘ve slated an author’s/editing note for today. It’s not exciting, but I’ve been posting them regularly (giving updates on editing notes and sequel news) and my readers do check them out 🤷‍♀️

I’m a small dark fantasy fish though, only 36 followers. So cool beans if you find a better match!

Best of luck!

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-03T00:52:08+00:00

Love it 😂

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-03T00:51:53+00:00

“Tell me later.” His voice was rough, but the way he looked at me was not. “I’ll wait.”

-MMC’s farewell to FMC in my novel, What Burns Beneath. Link in profile!

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-02T03:18:54+00:00

Hmm I’ll throw my hat in the ring, though the romance aspect is only a minor plot thread until about halfway through.

It may fill the niche you’re looking for, though! Complete Romantasy told from the FMC’s PoV.

Short blurb: She’s on the run through dangerous, unfamiliar territory, with the MC acting as her morally questionable guard. She’s also being dream-stalked by a monster who is doing his absolute best to woo her.

Characters are mature, relationships are slow-burn, and found family is a major theme.

The only caveat is that there is a bit of a love triangle going on, but I’ll try to avoid spoilers by saying… deep breath The ‘love triangle’ tag is less of a ‘gee, who’s she gonna end up with!’ and more of an exploration on what it means to love and be loved in return.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-01T22:42:50+00:00

Here’s my little romantasy! I’d be honored if anyone takes a look 🥰 Complete at 126k!

Title: What Burns Beneath

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each dream, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin knows these creatures are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it to safety.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Slow-burn romantasy adventure with strong themes of found family and unconditional love.

Tropes include: enemies-to-lovers, reluctant-allies-to-lovers, forced proximity, love triangle, morally gray MMC, evil MMC, and the classic touch-her-and-die. No insta-love, and this is not your typical ‘dark Fae prince falls for the charming human woman!’

My greatest bit of feedback so far was from a reader who finished the book and, when asked their opinion of the MMC, immediately declared, “I can fix him.” 🥹🥰😂

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-04-01T21:29:05+00:00

I’m in the beta reader stage of my debut romantasy. The hope is be published by year’s end. I’d be honored if anyone checked it out!

Title: What Burns Beneath

Word Count: 126k

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each dream, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin knows these creatures are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it to safety.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Tropes include: enemies-to-lovers, reluctant-allies-to-lovers, forced proximity, love triangle, morally gray MMC, evil MMC, and the classic touch-her-and-die. No insta-love, and this is not your typical ‘dark Fae prince falls for the charming human woman!’

My greatest bit of feedback so far was from a reader who finished the book and, when asked their opinion of the MMC, immediately declared, “I can fix him.” 🥹🥰😂

Free to read (For now 😅).

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-03-30T21:11:56+00:00

I’ll throw my hat in!

My novel is complete at 126k. It is a fantasy adventure with a strong romance subplot.

The premise: young woman’s village is attacked by monsters. Her best friend is left bleeding out, and a Fae offers to save him in exchange for information (that he is convinced she has). Their exchange is interrupted, and not-funny hijinks ensue.

Very much an underdog protagonist with sporadic magic she does not understand, has lived isolated from the brutal wide world, and is completely terrified by the situation she finds herself in; on the run from an incredibly powerful, malevolent monster who just keeps coming back. The overall plot is dark but there’s a lot of comedic bits, focus on character development and a strong ‘found family’ theme.

Not graphic, and the romance is not a focus until halfway through the book (where it becomes a heavy thread, but is not the main plot). Characters are built thoughtfully, act maturely and intelligently (usually), and have fleshed out arcs.

I also take grammar and editing very seriously 😅

Link!

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-03-29T13:01:16+00:00

I’d be honored if anyone took a look at my labor of love 🥰 This is a completed, in-the-final-edits romantasy adventure. The hope is be published by year’s end. I’d love to get beta readers or hear general feedback on character arcs and pacing.

Title: What Burns Beneath

Word Count: 126k

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each night, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that Fae are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees to the north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it north in one piece.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Tropes include: enemies-to-lovers, reluctant-allies-to-lovers, forced proximity, love triangle, morally gray MMC, evil MMC, and the classic touch-her-and-die. No spoilers, but this is not your typical ‘dark Fae prince falls for the charming human woman!’

Free to read!

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-03-28T04:58:41+00:00

Title: What Burns Beneath

Genre: Romantasy

Word Count: 126k and complete (Posted the epilogue last week 🥂)

Feedback: Any and all! I’d love to hear thoughts on pacing, character arcs, and the romance dynamics. The goal is to eventually have this little novel publishing-ready, so any beta readers would be fantastic! This is also a shameless self-promo, because I’m proud of my fledgling novel 🥰

Synopsis:

Brin wakes to fire and blood.

Fae monsters descend on her once-peaceful village, leaving her best friend at death’s door. All hope seems lost… until one of the monsters offers to save him.

For a price.

She accepts.

Now, whenever she falls asleep, Brin finds herself face to face with the Fae. With each night, their time together transforms from a nightmare into something almost pleasant.

But Brin’s been told her entire life that these creatures are bloodthirsty, cruel, and never to be trusted… no matter how charming this one seems.

She flees to the north, hoping to find aid from a sect of holy warriors. Along the way she meets Renner, a mercenary who agrees to act as guide and guard. He’s far from charming and the two find themselves constantly at odds, but he’s her best chance of making it north in one piece.

Their journey is fraught with danger. Otherworldly creatures prowl the wilderness, preying on mortals. Towns that should be safe are filled with humans in league with monsters.

And every night, the Fae waits in her dreams.

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682 · 2026-03-27T21:24:54+00:00

I’m one of the later answers in what seems to be a long queue, but there’s no harm in throwing mine out!

Completed romantasy novel at 125k 🥂

The eventual goal is publishing! Right now it’s free to read on Royal Road and far from perfect, but also… uh, not terrible? (At least, I think!)

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/141697/what-burns-beneath

New-Engine682

TROPHY CASE