Ever seen one? It is highly decorative, usually made of wood and though it is a box, no lid is visible. No latch. No seam or crease will allow you to find any reasonable way to open the box.
I wrote one.
I had to find a way to write for the generation beyond this one. I had written all the books I would put out for twelve years. The reality hit me that the readers who would most geek out about the books I am writing currently are eight and nine right now. I had to look into the future and try to guess what this new generation of readers was going to look like, what they would want to read and how their minds would work.
I let this problem eat at me for a long time and found a completely unreasonable solution. Over the last year, I have bent all my energy into building its first stage.
The Second Campaign I am calling it, for the sake of the fact that it needs a name. It is going to carry my world into the next natural evolution of my work and will, I believe, bring us to the next evolution of fantasy. (That was arrogant. Let me try to find a better way to say that.)
I think I have created something insane, something mind-blowing and game-changing. If it works, it will be amazing. But it might be trash. I need someone to tell me.
I am looking for a beta reader. This can't be a normal beta reader. This beta reader needs to be willing to read four books from four different series spanning Dark Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, and Noblebright Fantasy. They need to be able to work puzzles with timelines and characters and patiently read it all and sort through it. They need to not form an opinion before they see the entire thing spread out, then stand back and let me know if I am working on a project I should continue, or if I should walk away from this and find a new way.
This person needs to be willing to read four 400-page books. All four are from a different series. All four constructed in such a way that if you take one out, there is no point in going on.
Does this beta reader exist? Are you them?