Rhys Ackhurst

@rhysackhurst.bsky.social

32 Followers 100 Following

Writer of dark fantasy and open-door erotica He/They 🏳️‍⚧️ Current WIP #VeilOfStarlight a dark erotic novel in a middle-fantasy Renaissance setting where monsters and humans co-exist with LBGT+ leads and a gender-fluid MC 🔞Will occasionally be NSFW🔞

Post from "Booklist Publications" that reads: "We all love a good romantasy, but even the staunchest fans among us (and our patrons) long for modern sensibilities in our fae castles. For those yearning for green flags like explicit consent, mature grounded characters, and equal power dynamics, look no further than our latest list: bit.ly/4yxy8Yz " There's a photo beneath with a cartoon woman and man, the woman is holding her hands up with flowers floating above her palms, the man looks impressed. The text on the bottom half of the photo reads: "Ethical Romantasy: All of the swoon, none of the ick"
"I got it," Neb told him when he reached into his bag. "What? How?" He asked before he added, "No, I'm going to buy it." "How?" She asked him with a smirk. "I just can." He insisted. "Well, so can I," she pulled a small clasped purse from her pocket and handed over the substantial amount of gold for the three new compacts (two plain and one very intricately decorated with etched vines and filigree) and the two books he'd picked up. As well as a swirling pink and pale blue potion for herself. He noticed it wasn't even all of the money in her purse. "Wh-?" "Thank you," she said to the apothecary, who nodded with an appreciative frown. "Thank you," she chuckled. "This covers my lease for six months. Actually," she gestured to the talismans hanging on the wall behind her. "Feel free to pick a few of these, no charge." Neb looked to Lu. Who, still caught off-guard, looked over the wall as the apothecary stepped back for him to see. "U-uh," he cleared his throat with a slight blush. "T-two of the Theodoran amulets, pl-please." Neb bit back a smirk as he glanced nervously sidelong at her. "Anything else?" "I'd like a Theodosian amulet, please." "Ah, the twins." She chuckled again. "Like yourselves?" They looked between each other and realized what she meant. They were nearly the same height, build, and color; lilac and violet. Dressed similarly, if masculine and feminine respectively. Simple linen garb, dark blues and black. Neb laughed, Lu smiled. "Surprisingly, no." He replied. "We even have a brother born between us." "Could've fooled me," the apothecary shrugged with a warm smile as she handed them the necklaces. "Have a nice day you two."
Sid laughed, shoving Lu by his shoulders toward the opposite side of the maze. "Get outta here you little shit." "You looove me," Lu teased as Sid pushed him several steps when he leaned back hard against him, refusing to move without serious effort on his older brother's part. "Oh, just fuck off already!" Sid laughed with a final hard shove that sent Lu stumbling with a loud bout of snickering.
Snippet from Veil Of Starlight: He loved the flatbread he'd had in Calorian restaurants and bakeries in Nightfall. Having the real thing straight from Calor sounded divine. Especially since he hadn't eaten in nearly three days. The merchant opened a chest and Lu looked toward the wagon. "What was it you liked with that?" Sol asked him with a smirk. "Pickled red onions?" He asked the merchant who chuckled as he gestured to one of the other Reptiles with him who quickly searched through another chest with their tail twisting happily.
He stood a little proudly for a moment before realizing his mistake. Nit rushed him, tackling him with a wild laugh, his left arm trapped against his side as he hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from his lungs. The impact made his chest burn, head snapping back with a gasp as pain lanced through his ribs and sternum. He grit his teeth, grinning as he brought the pommel of his sword down between her shoulder blades. "You dick!" she coughed out, squeezing his torso until he could barely catch a breath. "Fuck you! Get off!" he laughed, wheezing as he twisted, trying to plant his feet in the dirt for leverage. Bringing the pommel down two more times in the same spot made her roll them both sideways. He wheezed when she renewed the grip on her forearms and squeezed him again, making most of his spine loudly pop. "Th-thanks, been b-buggin' me," he panted. "Give up?" "Ff-fuck you," he huffed, dropping his sword to shove at her face. He got his other arm free to the elbow and pushed against her arm, groaning through his teeth as he slammed his forearm against her throat. Her grip loosened with a sharp grunt and he slid from her arms, breathing hard on his hands and knees as she tried to roll to her stomach, clutching her throat with a harsh gasp. He snatched his discarded sword and got to his feet. Standing over her, he tapped her chin with the point of the wooden sword with a triumphant grin as he planted his foot on her chest and shoved her to her back. "F-fine, you win." She huffed, arms falling to the dirt. "Again," she added with bitter disappointment. He held a hand out to help her up and hauled her to her feet. She stood around six inches taller than him, outweighing him by at least eighty pounds. It had been more when they were younger when he'd learned through trial by fire how to escape her older sibling's right to torment him at any given moment.
Snippet of a character's last words during a disastrous childbirth. The name of the character giving birth is blacked-out. [Character's] breaths became weak, strained gasps, her jaw dropping as her eyes shut tight. Blood was rising in her throat, her fingers were burning lower, darkening. She choked, coughing harshly with another contraction, one that she tried to fight against that time. "I… I need a knife." Lu stated expectantly in the heavy air, the only sound being [Character's] shallow gasps and gurgling breaths. "Ti–" [Character] tried to motion to her pants, coughing wetly. Sid tilted her head back, pushing her shoulders forward to help her breathe as Lu searched her pants. He found the blackstone blade hidden inside her thigh pocket and unsheathed it. Lu adjusted [Character's] legs and told the doctor something. She nodded and produced another vial and syringe. This one she filled almost entirely. She took [Character's] arm, turning it over to feel along the inside of her elbow. [Character] looked at Lu and to the blade. As the opiate slid into her veins, she nodded, looking down at her stomach. "D… do it," she weakly rasped.
Mood board for Lu and Sorrel Top row is two men from the shoulders down playfully embracing. Beside it is a photo of an old water mill made of stone. Text reading "Lu & Sorrel" is above a photo of a man embracing another from behind with his arms over the other man's shoulders. The next row is an old stone castle, a shot of pine trees at sunset with pink and purple wispy clouds in the background. The next photo is a man and woman from the side holding hands, the woman is in a white dress and the man is in a suit. The top half of the background is of soft flowers, the bottom half of the background is a starry night sky.
Mood board with three rows. The first row in the upper left corner has a picture of the milky way with the silhouette of trees near the bottom of the photo. The middle photo is of purple fire in a small pit. The title of the series "Veil Of Starlight" is in this frame. The next photo on the top right is of a long, darkened hall with curved walls, candles or flames lit in the niches along it and paintings covering the ceiling. The middle row from left to right is a bird's eye view of a castle in the mountains, surrounded by pine trees where it sits on a small rise. Misty clouds drift over the mountains in the background. The middle photo black and white of two hands reaching for each other, palms up, their fingers very softly entwined as if mid-motion before fully holding the other. The final picture is of a rusted sword, the handle is bound in leather but the hilt and pommel are as rusted as the blade itself - which is only visible from just under the hilt. A shield is out of focus and blurry in the background. The bottom row of the mood board has a photo of a table with a small candle and a few taller candles in a candelabra. A jar filled with dark, dried herbs is covered with wax paper and wrapped closed around the mouth. A small cast-iron skillet in front of the jar is also filled with similar dried herbs. The next photo in the middle is of a skull nestled in red silk, the skull is dark gray with darker designs and filigree across it. The final two photos are stacked on top of each other on the far right, an ornate door chained shut, and the bottom of an elegant, blue dress with a wide and flowing skirt.
The main mood board for my series "A Veil of Starlight" the description of the story is: "An erotic fantasy romance in a late Renaissance setting Veil of Starlight is the story of Lu, a young man with a complicated past coming to terms with his mistakes and regrets in the midst of a civil war. Given another chance at a life with his true love, he has to face everything he ran from years ago. Told across two time frames from the present and six years prior, we follow the start and end of their romance, discover what Lu really ran from, and see their still steadfast love bloom once more. Lu has always felt trapped. By his mother - the Queen's high-consort. By his station as a sex worker, alone in a city far from his suffocating life in the capital castle. And now by his inescapable relationship with Sol, a respected military leader and his direct superior in his troop. An unexpected reunion with his sisters reins in his reckless and dangerous attitude on the battlefield, and the arrival of his former lover, Sorrel, in camp reminds him of a time where he didn't feel stuck and hopeless."
Mood board with three rows. The first row in the upper left corner has a picture of the milky way with the silhouette of trees near the bottom of the photo. The middle photo is of purple fire in a small pit. The title of the series "Veil Of Starlight" is in this frame. The next photo on the top right is of a long, darkened hall with curved walls, candles or flames lit in the niches along it and paintings covering the ceiling. The middle row from left to right is a bird's eye view of a castle in the mountains, surrounded by pine trees where it sits on a small rise. Misty clouds drift over the mountains in the background. The middle photo black and white of two hands reaching for each other, palms up, their fingers very softly entwined as if mid-motion before fully holding the other. The final picture is of a rusted sword, the handle is bound in leather but the hilt and pommel are as rusted as the blade itself - which is only visible from just under the hilt. A shield is out of focus and blurry in the background. The bottom row of the mood board has a photo of a table with a small candle and a few taller candles in a candelabra. A jar filled with dark, dried herbs is covered with wax paper and wrapped closed around the mouth. A small cast-iron skillet in front of the jar is also filled with similar dried herbs. The next photo in the middle is of a skull nestled in red silk, the skull is dark gray with darker designs and filigree across it. The final two photos are stacked on top of each other on the far right, an ornate door chained shut, and the bottom of an elegant, blue dress with a wide and flowing skirt.