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MirrorGaze — Adult Fantasy Novella with Disability Rep

MirrorGaze — Adult Fantasy Novella with Disability Rep

MirrorGaze is a standalone adult fairy-tale novella, perfect for fans of Pan's Labyrinth and Spirited Away, looking for a BIPOC cast and LGBTQIA+ and disability representation.
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🗓 Estimated to ship by December 20, 2026

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This project is part of The Book Bazaar 2026, running from October 29th – November 19th, 2026. Learn more →

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Welcome to Astraverse!

MirrorGaze Special Edition

What is MirrorGaze?

"MirrorGaze tells an immersive story that feels relatable and fantastical. A story of defying the odds pitted against you with vulnerability and authenticity of voice. Absolutely 10/10 would recommend." - Stephanie Gillis, Author of SPFBO Finalist The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids

Do you love dark fairytales?
Princesses who refuse to fit the stories written for them?
Identity, transformation, and magick that comes with a cost?
Hopeful fantasy wrapped in Mesoamerican-inspired folklore?

MirrorGaze is an adult fairy tale fantasy novella about identity, perception, and finding the courage to become the person you were always meant to be.

Set in an enchanted kingdom where princesses are used as political bargaining chips and ancient magick lingers in the roots of the earth, the story follows a young princess whose life begins to unravel when she's forced to question everything she's been taught about her family, duty, and destiny. Ayun's sister Nayeli unleashes powerful magick that threatens to destroy her kingdom, and Ayun must choose whether to stay loyal to her sister or sacrifice everything to protect her kingdom.

  • Happily Ever After?: Yes!
  • Queer Representation: Yes! (Nayeli is lesbian and Jona is nonbinary)
  • BIPOC Representation: Yes! (All major characters are POC)
  • Disability Representation: Yes! (Ayun, the main character, is blind and Nayeli has PTSD)
  • Spicy Level?: Low Spice (some romance and light kissing)

This campaign is about bringing MirrorGaze to life in a beautiful special edition and standard paperback edition. This novella is a bite-sized, fast-paced ride that focuses on the bonds of sisterly love.



MirrorGaze grew from my utter frustration at the plot holes in Frozen, the bad twist villain, and the shaky worldbuilding. I decided to write something that focuses on sisterly bonds and loyalty instead! At its heart, it's about identity, disability, self-worth, and learning that real courage isn't about doing the right thing. It's about loving someone fully, even when the world makes them a monster.

NOTE: This is not an OwnVoices novel. I am not blind and not physically disabled. I am a trans, neurodivergent author with PTSD, and have done extensive research to make sure Ayun's experience as a blind protagonist is authentic.

If you love fairy tales that embrace emotional storytelling (readers of The Bear and the Nightingale, I'm looking at you!), celebrate marginalized voices, and believe that hope can exist alongside darkness...

Welcome to MirrorGaze!
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About the Book

Meet the Main Characters

One sister has lost her sight.
The other cannot control her power.
Together, they have to learn to move on from the past.

Princess Ayun has spent years longing to escape the palace that became her prison after a tragic accident stole her vision. Her older sister, Nayeli, is destined to inherit the throne, burdened by mysterious abilities that threaten to destroy everything she loves.

When an ancient darkness awakens and long-buried truths begin to unravel, the sisters are pulled into a journey across fractured realities where fear itself becomes their greatest enemy. Alongside unlikely allies, they must uncover the truth behind their family's legacy before the Devourer consumes not only Marisoria but the last glimmer of hope that the sisters hold in their hearts.

At its core, MirrorGaze is a fairy tale about sisterhood, grief, and learning that strength isn't measured by what you've lost, but by the people you're willing to fight for. It's a story where love heals more than it conquers, courage grows from vulnerability, and hope becomes the most powerful kind of magic.

✨ Character-driven epic fairy tale fantasy
✨ Sisters, family bonds, and emotional healing
✨ Ancient magic, shattered realities, and political intrigue
✨ A hopeful story about choosing light when darkness feels inevitable
✨ Suitable for adult and crossover YA fantasy readers
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What does this campaign fund?


What does this crowdfunding project help achieve?
A little bit of fairy tale magic!
✨ Bringing MirrorGaze to life as a gorgeous collector's edition and paperback
✨ Entering MirrorGaze into additional book awards and contests
✨ Funding beautiful extras, stretch goals, and exclusive rewards for backers
✨ Helping introduce this story to new readers who love heartfelt fantasy
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Meet the Characters

Ayun

Blind princess, fearless dreamer
  •  Longs to experience the world beyond palace walls
  •  Sees more through her MirrorGaze than others do with their eyes
  •  Refuses to let anyone define her future
  •  Discovers that nothing is what it seems
  •  Fighting to protect the sister she'd do anything for

Nayeli

Future queen, burdened by impossible power
  •  Destined to inherit a kingdom on the brink of collapse
  •  Wields ancient magic she barely understands
  •  Torn between duty, fear, and the people she loves
  •  Carries the weight of generations of family secrets
  •  Learning that true strength is found in compassion, not control


Idris

Prince from a rival kingdom, loyal beyond reason
  •  Raised to see Marisoria as the enemy
  •  Chooses kindness where others expect conflict
  •  Becomes Ayun's best friend and gateway to the outside world
  •  Challenges old prejudices with determination
  •  Proves that peace begins with the courage to trust
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Read a Sample

Read a Sample Online
Want a sneak peek before committing?

Click here to read a sample of MirrorGaze

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About the Rewards

  • Paperback or Hardcover
  • Book is around 47k words
  • Front page comes signed
  • Special Edition Perks: dust jacket with holo foil, cloth bookmark, sprayed edges, endpapers, and full-color illustrations
  • All backers get their name in the back of the book!
MirrorGaze - Special Edition Dust Jacket

Physical Rewards



Flexible Bookmark (Cross-Collab Exclusive): This plastic bookmark is flexible, thin, and made of plastic. Want this bookmark? Back 3 or more Book Bazaar projects to get yours!



Sticker Sheet: Holographic and comes with multiple stickers



Loose Leaf Tea: Makes around 20 cups of tea




Hardcover Book: With holographic foil, interior illustrations, and sprayed edges


Paperback Book: With gloss cover and white interior paper



Lenticular Print: Just bigger than a credit card, this piece of art changes its colors by magiccccc (and by rotating the card back and forth!) - product demo coming soon
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Stretch Goals


At $1400, all physical reward tier backers will receive an art print of Nayeli! Thank you. Your support will help me recover the cost of editing.


At $2300, all physical reward tier backers will receive an art print of Idris! Thank you. Your support will help me recover the cost of editing my next book.


At $3000, all physical reward tier backers will receive an acrylic mirror keychain featuring Nayeli! Thank you. Your support will help me produce audiobook editions of these books, which will be distributed via my Ko-Fi store with a coupon code as DRM-free.MP4 files.
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Shipping

Shipping is NOT included in the tier prices.

All digital reward tiers will be delivered via direct download.

Please fill out surveys promptly after the completion of the campaign, as rewards will not be shipped after 12 months from sending surveys.

Estimated Shipping Costs:
US - $5 - $10
Everywhere else: $18 - $30

Estimated Shipping Date: December 20th, 2026
NOTE: I'm hoping to ship these by the holidays, but given production delays, this date may not be possible. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed, though!
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About the Author and Illustrator

I’m Tycho, and I love storytelling! My goal is to write dreamy fiction for all ages that is unique, inspiring, and imaginative. I like to write about coming of age, magic, identity, relationships, and changing the world. My books are for readers ages eight to one hundred and eight (and if you’re an immortal, I won’t discriminate).

I have an MA in Publishing, an MA in Visual Development, am an EFA Certified Editor, and the owner of Liminal House Press.

No AI was used in the creation of this project. I wrote and illustrated everything entirely with my own hands.
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The Book Bazaar 2026

The Book Bazaar


Welcome to The Book Bazaar, a celebration of all things indie and small press! We're collaborating to help make each creator's dreams come true with their publishing project. The more you back, the more goodies you earn. Here's how you can earn more:

The Bookmark Bonanza: Back any 3 or more campaigns, get those campaign's bookmarks. Collect them all!


🌟 Back three (or more) projects, get even more rewards. You can never have enough bookmarks! Each The Book Bazaar 2026 project will be offering a TBB exclusive bookmark... Back any 3 campaigns, and get those campaign's bookmarks (as long as the campaigns fund). Each bookmark will be fulfilled by each campaign and will be fulfilled/shipped with your campaign's rewards.


Back any 10 projects, get the exclusive anthology!


🌟 Back ten (or more) projects, get an exclusive reward. We're offering an exclusive The Book Bazaar: Volume 2 reward to anyone who goes all out and backs ten or more projects. The Book Bazaar 2026 participants are putting together a one-of-a-kind anthology full of unique and never-before-seen stories. This anthology is available as an ebook to qualifying backers, and physical perfect-bound book for an additional fee (shipped separately from other rewards in early 2027). Claim your anthology by showing your support now!
If you believe that this project is not in compliance with BackerKit’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, you can file a report by sending a message via this link: Report this project

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