u/Krum_A_At

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Today I opened my KDP dashboard and saw something I’ve been waiting a long time for:

My first sale of Blood and Silence: The Red Thread… and a sale of Book II, Broken Crowns, too.

I originally wrote Blood and Silence as one huge dark epic fantasy novel, but it became too long, so I eventually split it into two books. Since then, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time rewriting, editing, rebuilding parts of the world, changing covers, and wondering whether anyone outside my own head would ever care about Valeria and this story.

Today, someone did.

It’s only the beginning, but seeing both books there honestly meant a lot to me.

For anyone else publishing their first book and refreshing KDP way too often: keep going. Sometimes the first little number on that dashboard feels bigger than it probably should. 😂❤️

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G67GB51F?dplnkId=d7af805d-7070-41a4-b596-df4562f8093a

Hi everyone,

I’m currently writing a psychological/crime thriller called THE CALL 2:17. The novel is planned at roughly 42 chapters, and I’ve now completed and revised the first 17, so I thought this might be a good point to step outside my own head and see how the opening works for actual readers.

I’m sharing Chapter One below.

I’m not looking only for “Would you keep reading?” — although I definitely want to know that too.

I’d genuinely appreciate any kind of honest critique or analysis:

Did the opening hook you?

How did the atmosphere feel?

Did the tension build naturally?

Were there places where the pacing dragged or moved too quickly?

Did the characters feel believable?

Did the dialogue work?

Was anything confusing?

Did anything feel cliché, forced, overwritten or underwritten?

Were there details you particularly liked or disliked?

What do you think the story is promising you at this point?

And most importantly: would you want to know what happens next? Why or why not?

Please don’t worry about being overly polite. 😁 Constructive criticism is exactly what I’m looking for. If something doesn’t work, I’d much rather know now than after finishing the entire novel.

The story begins in Riverside at 2:17 A.M., with a woman inside a phone booth making a call that should not be possible.

And from there… things get considerably worse.

CHAPTER ONЕ\[CH\\\_1\](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ItOZnxqahUy-PYzx3u4IFsVd4Izaz9P/view?usp=drivesdk)

Hi everyone,

I’m currently writing a psychological/crime thriller called THE CALL 2:17. The novel is planned at roughly 42 chapters, and I’ve now completed and revised the first 17, so I thought this might be a good point to step outside my own head and see how the opening works for actual readers.

I’m sharing Chapter One below.

I’m not looking only for “Would you keep reading?” — although I definitely want to know that too.

I’d genuinely appreciate any kind of honest critique or analysis:

Did the opening hook you?

How did the atmosphere feel?

Did the tension build naturally?

Were there places where the pacing dragged or moved too quickly?

Did the characters feel believable?

Did the dialogue work?

Was anything confusing?

Did anything feel cliché, forced, overwritten or underwritten?

Were there details you particularly liked or disliked?

What do you think the story is promising you at this point?

And most importantly: would you want to know what happens next? Why or why not?

Please don’t worry about being overly polite. 😁 Constructive criticism is exactly what I’m looking for. If something doesn’t work, I’d much rather know now than after finishing the entire novel.

The story begins in Riverside at 2:17 A.M., with a woman inside a phone booth making a call that should not be possible.

And from there… things get considerably worse.

CHAPTER ONЕ[CH\_1](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ItOZnxqahUy-PYzx3u4IFsVd4Izaz9P/view?usp=drivesdk)

Hi everyone,

I’m currently writing a psychological/crime thriller called THE CALL 2:17. The novel is planned at roughly 42 chapters, and I’ve now completed and revised the first 17, so I thought this might be a good point to step outside my own head and see how the opening works for actual readers.

I’m sharing Chapter One below.

I’m not looking only for “Would you keep reading?” — although I definitely want to know that too.

I’d genuinely appreciate any kind of honest critique or analysis:

Did the opening hook you?

How did the atmosphere feel?

Did the tension build naturally?

Were there places where the pacing dragged or moved too quickly?

Did the characters feel believable?

Did the dialogue work?

Was anything confusing?

Did anything feel cliché, forced, overwritten or underwritten?

Were there details you particularly liked or disliked?

What do you think the story is promising you at this point?

And most importantly: would you want to know what happens next? Why or why not?

Please don’t worry about being overly polite. 😁 Constructive criticism is exactly what I’m looking for. If something doesn’t work, I’d much rather know now than after finishing the entire novel.

The story begins in Riverside at 2:17 A.M., with a woman inside a phone booth making a call that should not be possible.

And from there… things get considerably worse.

CHAPTER ONЕ[CH\_1](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ItOZnxqahUy-PYzx3u4IFsVd4Izaz9P/view?usp=drivesdk)

​

Hi everyone,

After years of carrying this story and its characters in my head, I finally published my dark epic fantasy novel on Amazon.

It’s called Blood and Silence: The Red Thread, the first book in the Blood and Silence series.

In Scarholm, Valeria is known as the Blood Mistress—an undefeated arena warrior who trusts only her two blades, Blood and Silence. But beyond the arena, war is drawing closer, ancient powers are awakening, and a red thread of fate is pulling together warriors, rulers, and secrets that were meant to remain buried.

It’s a story of fate, betrayal, war, and survival, with a dangerous female lead, brutal arena fights, political tension, and a dark world that unfolds piece by piece.

If this sounds like your kind of fantasy, I’d be grateful if you took a look. Honest feedback is always welcome.

— Krum A. Atanasov

​

Hi everyone,

After years of carrying this story and its characters in my head, I finally published my dark epic fantasy novel on Amazon.

It’s called Blood and Silence: The Red Thread, the first book in the Blood and Silence series.

In Scarholm, Valeria is known as the Blood Mistress—an undefeated arena warrior who trusts only her two blades, Blood and Silence. But beyond the arena, war is drawing closer, ancient powers are awakening, and a red thread of fate is pulling together warriors, rulers, and secrets that were meant to remain buried.

It’s a story of fate, betrayal, war, and survival, with a dangerous female lead, brutal arena fights, political tension, and a dark world that unfolds piece by piece.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G67GB51F

If this sounds like your kind of fantasy, I’d be grateful if you took a look. Honest feedback is always welcome.

— Krum A. Atanasov

[removed]

Hi, everyone. I’m Krum A. Atanasov, an independent Bulgarian author, and I’ve just released the fully updated English edition of my dark epic fantasy novel, Blood and Silence: The Red Thread.

Valeria is a gladiator known as the Blood Mistress. She enters the arena carrying two blades—Blood and Silence—and a past she has spent years trying to bury. But when a forbidden crimson Mark awakens beneath her skin and the sun begins to bleed, her fight for survival becomes part of a much larger conflict involving rival kingdoms, ancient powers, and a mysterious Red Thread binding several lives together.

This is an adult, character-driven fantasy with arena combat, political intrigue, morally complicated characters, war, and a dangerous female protagonist. It is the first book in a continuing series, and Book 2 is already available.

Everyone comes for glory. Only one comes for Valeria.

Available as a Kindle eBook, in Kindle Unlimited, and as a paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G67GB51F

Hi everyone,

​I’m looking for a few beta readers to give an honest critique of the opening of my dark fantasy novel, Blood and Silence.

​I want to avoid info-dumping, heavy "melancholy poetry," and slow starts that kill the pacing. Instead, I’ve kicked things off right in the middle of the road with a carriage ride, tension, and a growing mystery involving a scarred protagonist.

​What I’m looking for:

​Is the opening engaging enough to keep you turning pages?

​Does the pacing feel right, or does it drag anywhere?

​Are the characters and the tension working for you?

​What you’ll get:

​The document directly (Word/PDF).

​A short questionnaire (optional, or just leave inline comments).

​My eternal gratitude (and a spot in the acknowledgments when the book is ready).

​If you are interested, drop a comment below or send me a DM, and I’ll share the link. Thank you!