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Out of True #3
Seure the Tempered
Follow a fellowship of sapphic knights as they’re seduced by witches, queens, goddesses—and each other—in a dark, lush fantasy inspired by Arthurian legend.
Under the reign of King Theomacha the Exalted, the Land of Maidens flourishes. Her knights protect and explore the realm, seeking artifacts lost to time and fending off wicked, cunning magics.
Seure, scholar and knight, traverses the world on quests of discovery. When an invisible, eldritch library begins capturing local villagers and subjecting them to strange interrogations, Seure tracks the enchantment to its source - a woman named Ganeida, who has been bound to the library for centuries.
They make a bet with Ganeida to break the enchantment that holds her in place, but it could come at the cost of Seure's own freedom - or losing their heart in the bargain.
Seure the Tempered is a 16,000 word high heat F/NBi fantasy romance novella. This book is set in the same series as Valerin the Fair and Martis the Brazen, but may be read as a standalone or in any order.
Under the reign of King Theomacha the Exalted, the Land of Maidens flourishes. Her knights protect and explore the realm, seeking artifacts lost to time and fending off wicked, cunning magics.
Seure, scholar and knight, traverses the world on quests of discovery. When an invisible, eldritch library begins capturing local villagers and subjecting them to strange interrogations, Seure tracks the enchantment to its source - a woman named Ganeida, who has been bound to the library for centuries.
They make a bet with Ganeida to break the enchantment that holds her in place, but it could come at the cost of Seure's own freedom - or losing their heart in the bargain.
Seure the Tempered is a 16,000 word high heat F/NBi fantasy romance novella. This book is set in the same series as Valerin the Fair and Martis the Brazen, but may be read as a standalone or in any order.
ebook
First published August 1, 2023
About the author
Rien Gray
26 books157 followersRien is a queer, nonbinary author of LGBTQ+ romance, erotica, and horror. They love writing charged sex scenes, consent-informed kink, and hot criminal love interests who revel in the above.
When not writing, Rien spends their time at the gym, making tea, or angling for yet another platinum trophy in a video game.
Newsletter: Free Novella Here!
Website: riengray.com
BSky: @RienGray
When not writing, Rien spends their time at the gym, making tea, or angling for yet another platinum trophy in a video game.
Newsletter: Free Novella Here!
Website: riengray.com
BSky: @RienGray
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 1, 2026
Reread--think an ace-dom nonbinary Sherlock Holmes knight. Perfection.
August 25, 2023
This is my favourite of the series so far
April 1, 2024
queer and mysterious (with bondage)
January 17, 2024
I will never get enough of this series. NEVER!
April 3, 2026
“Water is both peril and remedy, depending on how deep you go." A smile slipped past Ganeida's grim mien. "Do you disagree?”
this series already has established gray’s lush, eloquent writing style, but this dialed it up.
while the dynamic/kinks are less to my taste, the background, magic, and history for this story were intriguing and i’m definitely invested to see where the series continues next.
this series already has established gray’s lush, eloquent writing style, but this dialed it up.
while the dynamic/kinks are less to my taste, the background, magic, and history for this story were intriguing and i’m definitely invested to see where the series continues next.
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February 28, 2026We read all books in the series and reviewed them together. Find more at Valerin the Fair and Martis the Brazen, and our full review can be read at The Smut Report.
Heat Factor: One extended explicit scene per book
Character Chemistry: Strong instant fate feel
Plot: Knight meets sorceress and reckons with their own magical legacy
Overall: These were really different from what I’ve been reading lately, which was first weird and then nice
Seure the Tempered is probably my favorite, perhaps because the conflict facing the main characters was very clearly defined. But maybe it’s because I like seeing someone even-keeled get a bit ruffled. And there’s a magic library!
Oh, and I guess it might be relevant information for some people that there seem to be no (cis) men in this world. As far as I can recall, everyone, including the secondary character peasants, are female or non-binary. (I mean, look at that cover art.) However, the only way we know this is because of the pronouns people use to describe themselves and each other—we still see a wide range of gendered presentations and vocations. But even if the knights might be somewhat masculine-coded (with swords, etc), because everyone is female, it allows the author to play, pushing these same knights out of their expected boxes of behavior. I found this to be a fun bonus.
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Heat Factor: One extended explicit scene per book
Character Chemistry: Strong instant fate feel
Plot: Knight meets sorceress and reckons with their own magical legacy
Overall: These were really different from what I’ve been reading lately, which was first weird and then nice
Seure the Tempered is probably my favorite, perhaps because the conflict facing the main characters was very clearly defined. But maybe it’s because I like seeing someone even-keeled get a bit ruffled. And there’s a magic library!
Oh, and I guess it might be relevant information for some people that there seem to be no (cis) men in this world. As far as I can recall, everyone, including the secondary character peasants, are female or non-binary. (I mean, look at that cover art.) However, the only way we know this is because of the pronouns people use to describe themselves and each other—we still see a wide range of gendered presentations and vocations. But even if the knights might be somewhat masculine-coded (with swords, etc), because everyone is female, it allows the author to play, pushing these same knights out of their expected boxes of behavior. I found this to be a fun bonus.
Blog | Bluesky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Pinterest
February 17, 2024
Seure is methodical, measured in all things. The perfect knight to investigate why people are disappearing from the countryside, apparently being abducted inside an...invisible moving castle? Which would seem impossible, but Seure is the perfect detective, ready to pursue truth and justice, no matter what form it may take. Even if that form involves, as the content notes warn us, bondage, knifeplay, temperature play, and forced orgasm. I should note that the dom-sub dynamic in this book is particularly delicious, flowing perfectly from the character and story and not in any way cheap or sensationalistic.
A marvel of a book, the perfect marriage of medieval knight tale, romance, and almost-erotica, and a series whose next installment I will await with great eagerness.
A marvel of a book, the perfect marriage of medieval knight tale, romance, and almost-erotica, and a series whose next installment I will await with great eagerness.
September 10, 2026
Ever since I read Galeas the Keen, I knew I immediately needed more of the Out of True series. I love how this story managed to be so lushly written and immersive while still being relatively short, and I love how the dynamic between Seure and Ganeida evolved, I would've read a hundred more pages of them together. I would read a hundred more pages of Seure in general, I adore their POV. I will admit, I was just a little confused about the reasoning behind Ganeida's curse, but I'm pretty sure I figured out what was going on based on the worldbuilding, context clues, and the explanation Ganeida gave. Even though the sex scene wasn't really my personal taste, I still found this story to be immensely enjoyable, this was a great read! I can't wait to check out more of the Out of True books!
April 13, 2026
This world is new to me, but I didn't have trouble getting into it. A lot of stuff that had happened before was referred to, but always in a way that suggested I was being told all I needed to know.
The style is very ornate; I think it's meant to sound like Le Morte d'Arthur or other very old books. That's a pro or a con, depending on what you're into.
It's difficult to write a whole relationship in this length, but they got it done. The POV character is a stone dom who uses bondage and pain as well as pleasure to help this trapped sorceress.
The style is very ornate; I think it's meant to sound like Le Morte d'Arthur or other very old books. That's a pro or a con, depending on what you're into.
It's difficult to write a whole relationship in this length, but they got it done. The POV character is a stone dom who uses bondage and pain as well as pleasure to help this trapped sorceress.
September 1, 2023
Loved all the representation in this work. As usual, Gray's style immediately drew me in and made me want to know more about the main characters, side characters, and world they inhabit. I really can't say enough about how much it means to read about queer characters sharing intimacy in ways that feel both relatable and novel.
June 14, 2025
4 stars. Great last installment to this novella series. Love Gray’s writing style and world building in this series so much. It’s fantastic. This tied with the second one as my favorite in the series.
December 9, 2024
Love how the knights differ from one another. And how each sorcerer carries their own weight. Yet another brisk foray into this series and I enjoyed it thoroughly
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January 22, 2025Seure from Seure the Tempered is asexual!
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
June 28, 2026
For a short novella, I feel like I learned some things, including a new set of pronouns. More spice than I was expecting from an ace book recommendation (in a good way).
September 19, 2026
Very possibly the hottest one yet
December 9, 2025
Two things to note in this superlative novella.
1. I believe Seure is meant to be autistic.
2. In one scene that has been seared into my memory, Seure must give a sorceress the most intense orgasm of her life without touching her. 'Nuff said.
1. I believe Seure is meant to be autistic.
2. In one scene that has been seared into my memory, Seure must give a sorceress the most intense orgasm of her life without touching her. 'Nuff said.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews