Rochelle L. Wilcox’s fantasy romance debut Sacred Struggle is officially live on Amazon and available to read in Kindle Unlimited. This launch marks the beginning of the Tales of the Vanir series, a four-book romantasy saga filled with dragon riders, fated mates, forbidden love, and fierce heroines.
About the Book
When an elf must hide her identity in a land where her kind are tortured and imprisoned, the last thing she needs is an irresistible dragon rider complicating her plans. But fate has other ideas. Sifa’s carefully crafted scheme to infiltrate the cruel queen’s inner circle hits a snag when she’s forced to work with Fhord, a dragon rider who threatens to unravel both her plans and her heart. With dragons who can betray their riders at the queen’s command and secrets that could cost them everything, Sifa and Fhord must navigate a dangerous dance of attraction and survival.
An elf hiding from a malicious queen.
A rider whose dragon will be tortured if he chooses his fated mate.
What will they risk when forbidden love threatens everything else?In the land of Vanatia, Sifa’s doomed to the elven prison if she’s found. Desperate to unearth the queen’s secrets, she’s doing the city overseer’s dirty work. But when her boss sends her on a job with a dangerously handsome dragon rider—to the brutal prison she barely escaped—she must confront her past while resisting the pull of desire.
Fhord is torn between his dragon and the mate he’s forbidden to claim. If he betrays the crown by harboring an elf, his beast will suffer at the hands of the queen. Yet walking away from Sifa may cost him everything.
As their mission unravels, secrets come to light, loyalties are tested, and a growing bond threatens them both.
Grab your copy of Sacred Struggle
What Readers Can Expect
Tropes:
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Fated Mates
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Forbidden Love
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Star-crossed Lovers
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Forced Proximity
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Slow Burn Romance
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Grumpy/Sunshine
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Badass Elf FMC
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Secret Identity
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He Falls First
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Found Family
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Touch Her and Die
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Quirky Sidekicks (including a murderous troll and a grumpy cat)
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Dragon Riders with unforgettable beasts
Content Warnings:
This book contains scenes of torture (of both people and dragons), sexual assault (not between main characters), and genocide (of elves).
Early Praise from ARC Readers
Reviewers have already called Sacred Struggle a “masterpiece of a read,” praising its world-building, slow-burn romance, and unforgettable dragons. Readers highlight the chemistry between Sifa and Fhord, the rich fantasy setting, and the compelling moral choices at the heart of the story.
“If you enjoyed Tairn and Sgaeyl, you’ll love Astarot and Tindera. This is probably one of my favorite ARCs this year.”
— ARC Review
“Sifa is strong, smart, and fierce. Fhord is broody and impossible to resist. Their connection is everything. Bring on the rest of the series!”
— ARC Review
“The banter between these two characters is 🔥. I read this so fast and cannot wait for the next book to come out.”
— ARC Review
With over 250 ARC readers recruited and multiple rounds of early access, Sacred Struggle has already built a strong base of early adopters—and interest in the rest of the series is growing fast.
A Rapid Release You Don’t Want to Miss
The Tales of the Vanir series is being released on an accelerated schedule. Readers who fall in love with Book 1 won’t have to wait long to see what happens next.
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Book 2: Frenzied Fate – June 26
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Book 3: Divine Dilemma – July 31
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Book 4: Mythical Menace – September 4
Each installment expands the world of Vanatia with new pairings, high-stakes battles, and emotionally layered plots. Early reviews highlight the strength of the world-building, the complexity of the characters, and the heart-wrenching tension between duty and desire.
Behind the Scenes: ARC Strategy in Action
Literary Inspired partnered with Rochelle to support the launch of Sacred Struggle through a structured and intentional ARC campaign. Because we began working together well in advance, we had the time to run two full ARC waves leading up to release.
What We Did
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Two Rounds of ARC Signups
This allowed for staggered promotional waves and ongoing visibility over several weeks. We had more than 250 active ARC readers involved in the lead-up to release. -
Facebook Street Team: The Elite Dragon Riders
Engaged reviewers from the first round were invited to join an exclusive reader group. These readers received early access to future books, helping build momentum for the rest of the series before Book 1 even went live. -
Tiered Incentives
Swag packs, signed paperbacks, and early access content were offered to readers who submitted review and promo links. This encouraged follow-through and helped track reader engagement. -
Form-Based Tracking
We used customized forms to log reviews and social media links. While not everyone submitted their links, connecting the form to a giveaway increased the completion rate.
Campaign Reflections and Lessons Learned
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Strong hooks matter.
The signup form included this teaser:
“She’s an elf in a kingdom that tortures her kind. He’s a dragon rider bound to a cruel queen.”
This generated high interest and demonstrated the power of story-first copy in recruiting ARC readers. -
Modest returns are still meaningful.
Despite the large ARC list and NetGalley support, early Amazon and Goodreads reviews remained modest. This is common. Not all readers leave reviews immediately, and many return later—especially for serialized stories. -
Expect drop-off as a series progresses.
Fewer reviews for later books in a series isn’t unusual. Some readers binge the full series before reviewing, others may choose to review only the first. It’s not a failure—just a pattern seen across the industry.
Interested in a Managed ARC Campaign?
Running an ARC campaign takes more than enthusiasm. It takes structure, timing, and the right tools to connect your book with readers who care. If you’re looking for help with your next release, I offer end-to-end ARC management that removes the guesswork and gets results.
Learn what to expect from ARC Team services
Apply to book your own ARC campaign
