[QCrit] THE THREE BOWS - adult romantic political fantasy 120k words (ver 1)
Hello everybody! :)
I’m waiting for feedback from beta readers so what better way to crank up my anxiety even more than by posting my query! Yay!
Thank you in advance for all your lovely feedback!
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THE THREE BOWS is a 120,000-word multi-POV romantic political fantasy inspired by the 19th century Satsuma Rebellion in Japan, and is perfect for fans of the magic-infused court intrigue in Antonia Hodgson’s The Raven Scholar and the quest for power in Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun.
Ine reacts well when her new husband tries to assassinate her on their wedding night. Decades of fiery revolution have culled most of the old feudal clans, but for the sake of her daughters’ lives, Ine will endure whatever’s necessary to keep some power—including an arranged marriage. But what she won’t do is pretend that Sato, her younger husband and darling of the revolution, is a threat.
After shattering Sato’s poison blade with a pinch of her fingers, Ine sits him down for a chat. Sato represents the country’s future: democratic, commoner-led, and open to importing foreign magic that promises a better life for all. Ine represents the past: when a feudal caste of supernatural warriors ruled so harshly, it sparked a revolution. But now, if Ine and Sato can agree to unite their holdings in a shared purpose, they can create a better world together.
The trouble is, no one wants them to—not Ine’s conservative, counter-revolutionary brother; not Sato’s jilted ex-wife and her ruthless ninja; and certainly not the foreign powers lurking in the background, who Ine knows put the poison blade in Sato’s hand. A hand, having explained their situation, she takes. When the skepticism fades from Sato’s eyes and a smirk graces his pretty mouth, he agrees to face their adversaries together. Ine knows it’s a lie, but it’s a lie in the right direction, which means it’s time to consummate their marriage and take the fractured country by storm.