My partner loves a good romantasy, and she was curious to see what my contribution to the genre might look like... I was, too. Meek, Mighty, and Pious is a product of that exploration. It's a grounded, romantic fantasy that darkens just along the edges.
⭐ Follow the campaign to get the first four chapters free! ⭐
Above all, this is an exploration. My partner has been into romantic fantasy for some time now, (so think ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, A Touch of Darkness, etc) and we’ll occasionally listen to it in the car together, or during downtime at home. I’ve never been much of a narrative writer, but she was curious how I’d approach the genre. I was, too.
Meek, Mighty, and Pious is a product of that exploration. I share chapters with her as they’re written, and we get to treat them like it’s our own private book club.
It’s awesome.
Right, but what's it about? Forced to scour the wilderness for a clergy-devouring fiend, a fateful encounter with a motherly forest denizen offers them both a chance to shed the binds of their past lives... but not without a few attached strings.
What does it feel like? Play, mostly. Among dirt and soil and green and stone, travel, loss, and far from home. The darkness dances juuuuust along the edges, like tightly woven threads that filter in light while you sit among shadows. You may muse on what company is kept beside you... and when you do, it will answer. Oh will it answer. In flickers and flashes of pain and hardship. The kind you wish to set aside, but it will not set you aside.
At least, that's what it feels like to me.
🐾 Tell you what, read the first four chapters free and you let me know. 🐾 🐾 Just follow the campaign for the download link. 🐾
Mockup of the book in softcover!
Themes and Triggers
1st Person.
Magic is Mystical.
Elves, Dwarves, Lycanthropes, Hags, and so on.
Main character's gender is never revealed, nor is their "real" name.
Grounded fantasy that feels dark along the edges.
Overland travel... and inventory management.
Pregnancy/childbirth-related trauma.
Perversion of faith.
Torture.
An unusual amount of vomiting.
Forced proximity.
Moral complexity.
Spiders.
Larger spiders.
Spice level?
Once the campaign goes live, you'll have access to a (slightly more) spicy teaser, and while I think that things will be a bit more heated and explicit later in the book, each chapter I write is itself an evolution toward becoming more comfortable articulating expressions of intimacy.
Hey there, I'm Michael Henderson, better known as Wrelby most folks. I'm the solo author, designer, and jack-of-all-trades on this project, and Distal, which was my first project on Backerkit! Making amazing things to share with others is my lifeblood.
