The Inescapable March

by Hana Carolina

Arran, a widely feared warrior-mage who can manipulate time and space, and his best friend, Hyacinth, an almost-famous actor and talented singer adored by (too) many, find themselves trapped in a recurring nightmare ending with their deaths.

Separated amid a blood-soaked war, they keep meeting again, lost in a hazy space between winter and spring, dream and reality, friendship and love.

Praise for The Inescapable March:

“Hana Carolina’s The Inescapable March is a breathtaking tour-de-force that will sweep fans of dark queer fantasy romance off their feet.”
— Seb Doubinsky, author of The City-States Cycle

“Featuring a heart-wrenching love story between two compelling characters whose yearning for one another will keep you turning the pages, The Inescapable March asks those who’ve loved and lost a simple, terrifying How many times would you rewind the clock if it meant saving someone you love from certain death?”
— S. M. Hallow, author of How to Survive This Fairytale

“The Inescapable March left me breathless—a masterfully executed, immersive time loop that blends the horrors of war with the exquisite tension of unresolved romantic longing. Carolina does all this so easily and so joyfully that one cannot help but pause and marvel at what she has crafted. The Inescapable March is an inescapable delight.”
— Jennifer Moffatt, author of Flirty Dancing

“Hana Carolina’s evocative writing style is rich with world-building detail and intense emotion as she guides her readers through her characters’ depths of desire. You are sure to enjoy this dark fantasy horror romance.”
— Linda Gould, host of the Kaidankai Podcast of Ghost & Supernatural Stories

“Hana Carolina cements that love is a constant choice to continue moving forward, and through her gorgeous prose and time-warped events, has crafted a stellar debut”
— Lor Gislason, author of The Flesh Of The Sea

“Hana Carolina’s debut The Inescapable March is a glass tesseract of a novella, overlapping and dizzying, shot through with desperation and claustrophobia. It’s a lush, intricate story about love and its sharp edges. A story layered like the spell at its heart, where time and space are warped by the magic of a man who has finally realised he’s lost what he never had the strength to accept. A must for fans of gorgeous prose and queer mythic narratives.”
— CL Hellisen, author of Cast Long Shadows

“The Inescapable March is a dizzy troop through time. Lyrical and bittersweet, tragic and romantic in equal measure—it lingers long after you finish reading”
— Elou Carroll, author of countless short stories and EIC of Crow & Cross Keys

Genres: Fantasy

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2025

Reviews

[Sen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"And you're scared." She raised her brows at Arran. "Scared both of death and of life, scared of admitting both can be one. Perhaps there is no fight. Perhaps this trap is your home. It's almost spring now and, whether you want it or not, the flowers will bloom, the air will warm."

★★½

Basically - two guys *ahem*definitely NOT Geralt and Jaskier from The Witcher *ahem* get stuck in a time loop, manage to escape hellish cycle with the power of ✨love✨. The Inescapable March started off pretty promising. The first few pages were disorienting in the best way, and I thought this novella was going to be a lot more structurally experimental or atmospheric than it actually ended up being. The resolution in particular was a bit cheesy and left a lot to be desired.

For some reason, I just could not get the idea out of my head that this read like...Geralt/Jaskier fanfic? Am I crazy? I admit to having only peripheral knowledge of The Witcher, so I would love to see what more seasoned fans think. We have invincible grumpy warrior dude who tears shit up "Arran," and then we have charismatic and vain-ish minstrel/actor dude "Hyacinth" who loyally follows him around on adventures for reasons unspecified. Looking back, a lot of their whole history was left up in the air which didn't make any sense to me considering how central the relationship is. This novella was entertaining enough to get me to finish it in one sitting which deserves a few stars but honestly was lacking in the impact factor department. I probably will be forgetting the character's names in a few months.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine yourself in an art museum, completely transfixed by a singularly incredible painting...

Myriad details of color and texture fully capture your attention, the skills of the artist on full display. Curiosity and wonder drive you to admire the brush strokes, the blending and application of hues to create dramatic light and shadow. Your eyes notice tiny vignettes appearing throughout the tableau, miniature stories unfolding as you examine the work even closer. The canvas weaves a spell, drawing your gaze deeper and deeper, until at last, at the limit of close examination, you must step back from the edge to consider the work as a whole.

The Inescapable March is a mesmerizing tale of fantasy and romance, illuminated throughout with gorgeously vivid language and fantastical dreamscapes, all in service to a seemingly hopeless quest of two lovers seeking escape from an endless, recurring doom.

Hana Carolina's first novella drew me in immediately with its intriguing premise of Arran, a magic wielding warrior, desperately pursuing his beloved Hyacinth, a famous actor, through dreamy interludes and horrific chaos. Carolina's talents are on full display through her rich wordplay, her luscious descriptions of a looping, labyrinthine time-scape, and her skillful weaving of the feeling of futility felt by the lovers. The salvation they seek seems impossible, the sudden interludes of serenity within an inescapable field of warfare a fleeting tease for two souls longing to somehow find freedom together.

At 140 pages, The Inescapable March might seem a potentially quick read to some, but this is a tale that demands a slow savoring. This is a book that will grab your attention, drawing you in, deeper and deeper. I highly recommend that you take the time to closely examine this work of art, allowing your gaze to wander the details, and for the author to show you strokes of color you have never seen before.

[Mel Ortiz Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hana has a fantastic grasp of the written word. Her prose is both poetic and accessible. The storytelling and exposition are very unique in their delivery. It is very gratifying to see everything click into place at the end. I am so grateful to have been part of the process for developing this story 🙏 If you are a fan of: fantasy settings, queer love and yearning, you will love this book ❤️🥺

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don't know how to feel about this. my enjoyment of the plot started at page 60-ish, and at that point the book is half over. i did really enjoy the ending, i thought that was a cute way to break out of a time loop (which i actually thought was a very unique take on the trope). the beginning was incredibly confusing, which i appreciated as i started understanding the world more.

that said, the grammar in this was atrocious; repeated sentence structure, run-on sentences gallore were rampant throughout this novella. it was so distracting that it took me two to three days to get through the first 40 pages. this needed maybe another two rounds of copy edits before it was published. some of the metaphors didn't make much sense and just seemed to be there for "poetic, flowery prose" points.

not much to say otherwise. it's a short, heartwrenching little fantasy novella.