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.
Followers can read/hear a four-chapter preview here!
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.
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.
At least, that's what it feels like to me.
Mockup of the book, in paperback!
I started writing Meek, Mighty, and Pious back in 2025, and had been jamming out about one chapter every few days. So, moving at a pretty solid clip. Before being derailed (by taking corporate work back) in 2026, I had finished roughly a third of the book.
Over the past few years, the term "romantasy" (ie. romantic fantasy) has catapulted into mainstream interest... but not everyone agrees on the definition. Here's my take on it, and what you'll see in Meek, Mighty, and Pious.
If the romantic relationship is the driving force that moves the plot along... it's romantasy. If the romantic relationship isn'tthe driving force that moves the plot along... it's fantasy (with romance.)
That's... pretty much it. From here, how "spicy" a book tends to be is based on author intent, and how much explicit attention they bring to the acts in and surrounding intimacy. And just like a well-crafted, sorrowful scene can make you cry, a well-written, steamy one can get you feeling some different kind of way.
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?
This is something we'll be learning together. However, if you're accustomed to overt, explosive, graphic scenes... you're unlikely to find them here. While I'm sure it'll get more heated deeper into the book, each chapter I write is itself an evolution toward becoming more comfortable articulating expressions of intimacy.
Want to help bring Meek, Mighty, and Pious to life? Here's your ticket to doing that. Each edition comes with a digital version rendered in .pdf and .epub formats. If an audio-book happens some day, (though we'd have to do pretty well to get there,) anyone who pledges will receive it for free.
Digital-only ($8)
Digital delivery in .pdf and .epub formats.
Signed Paperback ($22)
Digital delivery in .pdf and .epub formats.
Signed paperback.
Ironward Edition ($80)
Digital delivery in .pdf and .epub formats.
Signed paperback.
Forest-mother (aka. Nayahetna) scented, soy wax candle, made by us!
Twisted, metal amulet, similar to the ward the main character pockets in Chapter 2.
Quick blurb about the Ironward Edition: If you're the kind of person who enjoys a sensory experience while reading, or knitting, or gaming, and so on. You're who this bundle is aimed at. My partner and I make candles out of our basement in Springfield, MA, selling them at renfaires and online at (https://www.questandcandle.com) I can say with certainty, that they're dope af. We focus mainly on fantasy scents, and even wrote system agnostic one-shot TTRPG adventures to go with some of them.
All that to say: We care deeply about what we make. We want you to have an experience, not just this extra 'thing' that sits on your shelf or in your house.
For the amulet, it's the same. I worked with @itsericmakes, who builds all sorts of cool stuff out in New York, to come up with something that felt rustic, wearable, and be a tangible reminder of pocketing the ward in Chapter 2. (Spoilers, that twisted iron has some implications later, too.)
Technically, this is steel, with a blackened finish that prevents rust and looks cool.
Did you need this in your life? No... probably not, but when someone asks you what that little piece of metal around you neck is about, you can say "It was to help this indie author I know fund their first novel."
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.
Both digital and physical versions of the project are expected Q3 of 2027 at the latest. Due to ongoing tariff nonsense, and unstable global economies, shipping costs will be assessed closer to release.
Regional Limitations (to Physical Copies)
We won't be able to deliver physical goods to the following countries, but digital is totally fine: Belarus, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Iran, Israel, and Afghanistan.
Meek, Mighty, and Pious is written without the use of AI, because I... you know, actually enjoy writing. Also, I don't have any plans to distribute the book via platforms laden with AI slop or AI-forward policies. Amazon, Audible, and Spotify, for example.
The book is direct-to-consumer from my personal sites (soon to be meekmightyandpious.com), with the possibility of going to Libro.fm if there's enough thirst for an audio-book.
Romance
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