ShardReaderAbout ShardReader
A reading site for one set of books, built so the story is the only thing asking for your attention.
ShardReader is where the Gesbiek novels are published, chapter by chapter, by their author. It is not a marketplace and not a social network with books attached. It is a shelf, a reader, and a few rooms to talk in.
Why it exists
Serial fiction is usually read in places built for something else: feeds that interrupt, pages heavy with advertising, apps that lose your place between your phone and your desk. This site was written to do a small number of things properly.
- Reading comes first. No advertising, no pop-ups between chapters, no recommendation engine steering you elsewhere.
- Your place is kept for you, down to the paragraph, on every device you sign in on.
- Chapters arrive on a schedule that is published in advance, and go out by email if you want them to.
- Nothing is hidden behind a payment that has to be. Every chapter becomes free to read on its public date. A membership only moves that date earlier for the people who want to read ahead.
The books
Gesbiek is a LitRPG and progression fantasy series: a slum, a broken interface, and a boy who learns that the system does not grade on effort. Book one is Shard Zero. Later books continue the same story in order, and each one is listed on the front page with the chapters that are out and the ones still to come.
How the site works
| Reading | Anyone can read every chapter that has gone public, with no account at all. |
|---|---|
| An account | Free. It keeps your bookmarks across devices, opens the chat rooms, and lets you follow releases by email. |
| Membership | Optional and monthly. It unlocks a set number of chapters ahead of their public date, and can be cancelled in two clicks. |
| The rooms | Chat rooms for readers, private parties of up to five people, and a suggestions board the author reads. |
Who runs it
ShardReader is written, published and run by IggyTag: one person, who writes the books, answers the email and fixes the site. A reply may take a day or two, but it will be a real one.
Getting in touch. Email contact@shardreader.com for anything at all: a problem with your account, a payment question, a typo in chapter forty, or just to say that a scene landed.
Signed-in readers can also use Profile → Reports, which keeps the whole exchange in one numbered case.
Reading the rest
The Terms of Service say what we each promise. The Privacy Policy says exactly what is stored and what is not. The Cookie Policy lists every cookie, and the Copyright and DMCA page explains what may be done with the writing, and what to do if something here is yours. The blog is where updates about the site and the series are posted.
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