THE THREAD THAT BINDS

The Thread That Binds is a fantasy comic about the healing power of connection, particularly in the midst of change and grief.

Amane Sol has just achieved her life’s dream—being accepted as a magical Bookbinding apprentice at the Eternal Library, which houses copies of all the world’s books—when her plans are altered by the death of her would-be mentor, Head Librarian June Suregrove. She is reassigned to a new mentor: Aeronwy Suregrove, June’s surviving spouse, who struggles to take on a new apprentice while consumed by grief. Aeronwy has spent a lifetime building the found family of librarians that Amane just joined, and it won’t be easy to help heal the wound left by June’s absence—especially when eir death may not have been an accident.

Amane is nothing if not determined, though. As she learns the art of magical bookbinding, makes friends, falls in love, and speaks with the spirits of the Library, she begins to make a new home for herself. Aeronwy’s memories unfold alongside the present, revealing the love underlying the hurt, and creating the foundation for healing. When the truth about June’s death is revealed, along with a threat to the Library itself, they must strengthen their newfound bonds and work together to protect the place and people they love the most.

A story both joyful and sad, The Thread That Binds explores the many different ways we connect with one another in body, mind, and spirit. Featuring a fully queer cast, many asexual- and aromantic-spectrum main characters, and a culture where gender isn’t even a thing (as well as cultures where it is). <3

POSTING SCHEDULE
The Thread That Binds is a fantasy epic expected to be somewhere between 700-800 pages long, in full color. It will be released chapter-by-chapter in PDF form on Patreon and Gumroad, or other platforms as the creator sees fit. Chapters will be posted approximately every 3-5 months and average 40 pages each. Print volumes will be available in future years if the grace of crowdfunding allows. Patreon Patrons will be able to read one entire chapter ahead of the public. Public chapters will be available for pay what you want, with a minimum price of $2-3 (aside from Chapter 1, which is free).

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CONTENT WARNINGS
Specific content warnings will be given at the start of each chapter. General content warnings for the comic include:

• Mention and discussion of character death (past death, not shown on-page)

• Depiction of grieving (for a spouse/parental figure/mentor)

• Emotional and spiritual abuse from friends & family

• Allusions to experience of emotional child abuse (not shown on-page or in detail)

• Discussion & depiction of anxiety & PTSD

THE THREADBOUND ORACLE

The Thread That Binds will also have a companion project called The Threadbound Oracle, a 50-card Oracle deck designed by me which Amane uses frequently throughout the course of the comic! Click here to see all the cards so far.

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CHAPTER ONE PREVIEW

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CAST

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*Age at the beginning of the comic, during present timeline
**The culture Mairead was raised in has no concept of gender, and no words for bi/pan/homo/heterosexual/romantic (Amane’s does, hence why her bio says pansexual), so Mairead’s orientation is best described simply as allosexual and alloromantic as it seems inappropriate to apply any of those words. Allo = not ace or aro.