M
Mariana CostaContemporary Romance · Romantic Comedy
Shoestring Theory
Synopsis
Farsala is in ruins, and Cyril Laverre, once its grand-mage, has spent ten years in a seaside hut. His only company is his cat familiar, Shoestring. Guilt eats at him, because the ruin came from the reign of his own husband, King Eufrates Margrave.
When Shoestring dies, Cyril understands that he has little time left. He spends the last of his lifeblood on one spell and throws himself backward into a happier age of Farsalan history. Eufrates's older sister, Tig, is still alive, so Eufrates is not yet heir to the throne. The romance between the two men has not started either.
Cyril's plan is simple to state and hard to carry out: stop Eufrates from ever becoming king. If he manages it, he may spare the kingdom and himself the future he remembers. Along the way he deals with a formidable great-aunt and a crow familiar named Ganache.
This is a queer, time-travelling fantasy with a second-chance structure. The romance runs from friends to lovers to enemies and back to lovers, so Cyril has to decide what to do about a man he has already loved and already lost.
How it reads
Prose complexity 4/10
Genres
Characters
Cyril LaverreProtagonist
Eufrates MargraveSupporting
Places
Frequently asked questions
Is Shoestring Theory a standalone novel?
Yes — it's Mariana Costa's debut and a complete story, not part of a series.
Does the protagonist travel back in time alone?
Cyril is not the only one who retains his memories after the time spell, as his husband Eufrates is also brought back into his younger body, forcing both men to navigate their past relationship while aware of the future horrors they previously endured.
Is there a specific structural quirk to the narrative?
The story unfolds through a non-linear structure that reveals the past, present, and future timelines gradually over the first half of the book, which can create a sense of disorientation for the reader until the pieces align.