Side Quests & Scones

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Sidequests & Sconesis a series of queer stories and adventures set in an alternate version of the Netherlands, where supernatural beings are real—but they don’t drive the story.

This is about the ones usually stuck in the background. The soft disasters, the anxious romantics, the ones who deserve a little sunlight (since they don’t have to share it with the vampires anyway).

So there is that. And tea. So much tea.

Book 1:When Max Met Sophie

(Genre: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Psychological)

Max is just trying to stay upright and make sense of everything when Sophie crashes into their life. Something real begins to stir somewhere between playlists, scones, and emotional damage in a cute cardigan.

This isn’t about saving the world.It’s about surviving it—and maybe falling in love along the way.

Funny, tender, a little messy, a little queer, and very, very nerdy.

Book 2:How to Defeat a Dragon with a Glue Gun and Two Pounds of Glitter

(Genre: Adventure, Urban Fantasy, Romance)

The coven thought they were playing a game.It turns out they accidentally summoned a dragon. A very real, very furious dragon.

Now stuck in a chaotic quest involving questionable magic, even more questionable fashion choices, and the occasional need to outmaneuver destiny itself, Sophie, Max, Neen, and Juno must band together to save their City—and possibly the world—from a mythical mess of their own making.

Armed with little more than a wildly inappropriate amount of sass, the coven dives headfirst into a whirlwind of dragons, drag queens, dark bargains, dance-offs, and accidental heroics... and boyfriends?

Secrets are uncovered. Bonds are tested, and love blooms in the most unexpected places.

This isn’t about saving the world the right way.It’s about surviving ittheirway—with sarcasm, stubbornness, a metric ton of glitter, and K-pop.

Welcome back toSidequests & Scones—where magic is real, friendship is messy, and the glitter is non-negotiable.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: Ancienthipster

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.9/ 5.0
Followers: 36
Views: 11,629

Chapters(50 total)

What readers say about Side Quests & Scones

“OVERALL Side Quests & Scones is a story that knows what it is and what it's trying to do. When you read it, you can immediately get a sense for the type and style of this piece, it's so vibrantly written. I read historical fiction and dark/epic fantasy, and…”
nickdavisRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Overall: this is a story I needed and didn’t even know that I did. It’s a tea drinking, muffin eating, quirky and awkward tale that captures the heart and imagination and definitely the feels. style: the author’s style is off the charts with the perfect wor…”
Cynthia DawnRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(8)

nickdavisRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
OVERALL
Side Quests & Scones is a story that knows what it is and what it's trying to do. When you read it, you can immediately get a sense for the type and style of this piece, it's so vibrantly written. I read historical fiction and dark/epic fantasy, and while this is a pretty grounded romance (by that, I mean realistic, for the characters and story are slightly weird in a sincere, nerdy, endearing way) outside my typical reading, I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I think that speaks volumes to the charm of this work. 5/5
STYLE
Oh boy, does this have style. Expect poetic flourish that feels confidently vulnerable, occasionally silly, and with a vibe that swallows you up. Ancienthipster knows what they're doing here. The voice is consistent and well-tuned to this story, while containing enough variance between Max and Sophie's POVs to make each feel distinctly personal and well-characterized. A slight warning, however, is that this story may fit only a particular kind of audience as its style is unique and potent, though that's not a mark against the story itself. This is quite easily a 5/5 for me.
STORY
The story primarily follows Max, a new resident of Haarlem, Netherlands, and their acclimation to their new living situation, new beginning, and, from the get-go, their relationship with Sophie. The story revolves around their interactions and the tension therein. Pacing is strong and the conflict is present, though it's hard not to be optimistic about these two characters' future together, great as they are together, which is a compliment to the author. My only critique would be a desire to see a more centered secondary external conflict running alongside, but then again, I am not a romance reader, so my preferences may diverge from the norm in this instance. 4.5/5
GRAMMAR
Grammar is a non-issue for the most part, which is how you want it to be. This story is quite flowy and non-traditional in its prose's structuring, IMO. So, there are some choices that I might have
Cynthia DawnRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall: this is a story I needed and didn’t even know that I did. It’s a tea drinking, muffin eating, quirky and awkward tale that captures the heart and imagination and definitely the feels.
style: the author’s style is off the charts with the perfect words and delightfully descriptive phrases. The whole story is a masterpiece of words and imagery. This is someone who loves words and knows how to play with them.
story: a delightful tale of two people meeting and falling in love in a quiet, raw, and awkward way. The realness is heart wrenchingly wonderful and I can help but want to read more.
character: the author has truly gone to epic lengths to deliver strong, unique and glorious characters. Max is heartbreakingly full of trauma and Sophia is a glitter girl full of fun, weirdness and color. And man, I just love Lief, the ancient vampire who skulks, reflects, is ever ready with a helpful/not helpful comment for Max, and always has a cup of tea he never drinks. It is a perfect cast of characters that draws me further into the story.
grammar: looks clean and crisp. I didn’t really see any issues as I read.
ImmortalBardRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The style of this story is stunning—equal parts sharp and poetic. It captures big feelings like grief, fear, and hope without ever spelling them out. The writing flows with real rhythm: fragments, metaphors, and pauses that hit just right. It’s clever without being showy and emotional without slipping into melodrama. Jokes and nerdy bits land alongside gut-punch honesty, and somehow it all fits. The balance between softness and tension is handled with real care.
Style
God, I wish people talked like this in real life. They don’t—and that makes me a little sad. The main problem, of course, is that for conversations like these to happen, you’d need two people on exactly the same wavelength, who instinctively understand each other’s references, rhythm, and emotional beats. That’s rare. Maybe that’s why reading these interactions feels so special.
There’s a lyrical quality to the prose—almost poetic in places. Descriptions have this dreamlike resonance, like small, reflective verses embedded in the narrative. Even the pauses and silences are loaded with meaning. The text messages, and really most of the dialogue between Max and Sophie, feel incredibly natural and nostalgic. Reading them is like watching a moment you didn’t know you were missing. The tone is a mix of gentle absurdity, emotional precision, and affectionate sarcasm—all threaded together in a way that feels both intimate and crafted.
Story
Max and Sophie meet in a café and bond over a muffin and trauma. What follows is not just a meet-cute, but an exploration of identity, softness, and trust.
As a straight male reader with only marginal connection to the queer scene or the online fiction space, I’ll admit I likely missed some context or community nuance. I can’t speak to how this fits into, subverts, or engages with any of those genre tropes or expectations.
What I can say, however, is that I really enjoyed watching Max and Sophie get to know each other. Their emotional language, the vulnerability wrapped in
NotPhoebeeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The thing that stands out the most in this cozy love story is the style. The author has an amazing imagination and weaves witty similes and metaphors so beautiful I wished I'd thought of them myself into every chapter. This story is told with care and such strong attention to detail that it makes you feel as if you really are present in the story along with the characters.
And speaking of the characters, they are very well-written. The two love interests, Max and Sophie, are incredibly relatable and fleshed out. It is evident that Max has struggled with romantic relationships in their past. Watching how Max deals with this past trauma and their new crush is captivating and makes for a great story. Sophie's character greatly contrasts with Max's, as she is very bubbly and confident. But despite their apparent differences, these characters work very well together and as they grow individually and as a pair, you really start to root for them at every turn.
The overall story is calm and cozy and revolves almost solely around these two characters and their internal conflict. Thankfully, Max and Sophie are interesting enough to make this work, but I do think the story could benefit from a bit more external conflict while still maintaining the cozy feel that makes it so appealing.
Nothing stood out to me as incorrect or awkward as I read grammar-wise. However, I do think some parts in the earlier chapters could use touch-ups relating to formatting. But this is such a small issue and is in no way a deal-breaker.
Overall, this story is sweet, cozy, and lovable. So, brew up some tea and grab a nice warm blanket and dive into this beautifully written love story. Enjoy!
beny_vergilionRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I would say this is a very cozy tale about two people hitting it off with each other, with amazing small talks and smooth humor to back it up with decent world building that reminds us regularly that its modern fantasy in a world with mythical beings like vampires, though the story itself focuses into two normal human beings, I could stop here but that would not do the story any justice because the more I read, the more I realized it’s not sunshine and rainbows, I knew the stakes were there from the beginning, it was clear. But I did not know how high the stakes were until I reached chapter 10 and I will expand on it so spoilers alert:
On the surface it seemed like a story of two people liking each other and getting to know each other but as I read more chapters, I realized that it was so much more than that, it was a story about two people hindered by their past and the wounds they still carry from it, the story touched on self identity issues, self esteem, trust, fears, anxiety and many more psychological aspects, particularly trauma and its effects on the choices that people make, it was always inside Max and it kept hindering them throughout the chapters, it caused them doubt, hesitation and went as far as throwing them into isolation, perhaps the only reason they did not go into full shutdown is thanks to the mysterious yet caring vampire Leif jumping in from time to time with wise words or letting it be as to not cause further damage.
I was witnessing a person begin to grow into their true self and it wasn’t easy, even after the first kiss disaster, other issues came up leading up to the two month time skip, with the way things ended it felt unfair to Sophie, very unfair as she was considerate and accepting all of the time, but at the same time i wondered if there was a lesson to be learned, that if only she gave thought to her own well being and not only max, she might have not pressed the matter further near the end of chapter 10, maybe that was what both of
Night ScholarRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall
This is a beautiful story about healing, love, and finding yourself. It mixes deep emotions with funny, light moments, making it both touching and uplifting. Max and Sophie’s journey feels real and messy in the best way, pulling you in from start to finish. The mix of therapy notes, dreams, and everyday scenes makes the storytelling unique and engaging.
Style
The writing is poetic and full of feeling, with a strong voice that changes smoothly between characters. Short notes, conversations, and inner thoughts keep the story moving in an interesting way. The language is lyrical, painting clear pictures of emotions and scenes.
Story
The story moves slowly, focusing more on character growth than big dramatic events. This works well for its themes of healing and self-discovery, though some readers might want more action or faster pacing at times. The therapy notes add a cool, realistic touch, while dreams and myths bring in a bit of magic. The ending wraps things up nicely without feeling too perfect.
Grammar
The grammar is flawless, and the writing flows smoothly. The dialogue sounds natural, and even the more unusual style choices (like short, broken sentences) are done on purpose and work well.
Characters
The characters are the best part of this story. Max is easy to connect with their struggles with identity and trauma feel real and moving. Sophie is chaotic, funny, and deeply loving, making her the perfect match for Max. Their chemistry is electric, full of sweet and funny moments. Side characters like Juno and Neen add depth, and even mysterious figures like Leif feel fully developed.
This is a gorgeous, emotional story that stays with you. It’s about love in all its imperfect forms and the strength of chosen family. While it’s a bit slow in places, the amazing characters and heartfelt moments make it unforgettable. recommended if you love character-driven stories with depth, humor, and heart.
KenjyanoumiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overview
[This Advanced Review covers Part 1 (Up to Chapter 10)]
Side Quests and Scones is a richly emotional queer romantic dramedy that blends pop-culture wit with character-driven intimacy. Set in an alternate contemporary Haarlem, the story follows Max and Sophie as they navigate the slow bloom of their relationship from awkward spark to emotional vulnerability and beyond. The narrative explores identity, trauma, affection, and chosen family with levity and lyrical resonance. By Chapter 10, the story evolves from flirtatious slice-of-life into something more introspective and raw, deepening its charming veneer, only to gut-punch the reader with a sense of frustration and loss when Max hits delete.
(P.S. I should mention that this is the first strongly queer-centred story I’ve read, so I may not catch every layer or nuance.)
1. Style
The prose is playful, poetic, and filled with voice. Max and Sophie’s internal monologues are dripping with personality—layered with internet slang, whimsical metaphors, and emotionally resonant turns of phrase.
The humour is contemporary and relatable, often irreverent but never shallow. The voice-to-text jokes, queer-coded banter, and nerd references create a sense of authentic digital-age storytelling.
I have to admit that at times, the style can be overwhelming. The density of figurative language and pop-culture allusions takes getting used to, but I know that this story is targetted at an audience that is familiar with this.
Score: 4.5/5
2. Story
The story offers a strong emotional arc, especially from Chapters 6 to 10. It transitions from flirtation to vulnerability to tension with careful nuance.
Key scenes—such as the first kiss, Sophie changing 3 times, and the emotional crash in Chapter 10—are well-structured and cathartic.
While the emotional tension is strong, the external stakes are light, and that's exactly how this story is meant to be. It's not high fantasy world-building we're talking about here. The world building i
B.M SmithRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
STYLE/STORYLINE
The tone in with the author writes is captivating, it's relatable, real and just as a reader it keeps you engaged. I also like that the author doesn't rely on cliches, they kind of just forge their own with metaphors and what not. It creates a great rhythm in reading it.
The storyline to me is like Heartstopper, but in an emotional older tone. It has everything that could be categories into a interesting movie, especially adding plot points without making it obvious e.g., the tea date, the napkin to shoulder bump without shouting that this is a plot point.
I would say that my only improvements would be that you could raise the tension by raising the steaks, like, for example, right now everything in the story is entirely emotional, which works but perhaps an obstacle or some soft action/conflict. I think it would be nice way to show some greater turmoil emotionaly.
CHARACTERS
Max is so real. Their trauma, humour and fear? Just so realistic.
Sophie is just chaotic which I love, they're a good contrast to Max and it just works with the story.
And Leif is just...Leif.
The characters are written well and they're a reminder to people you've probably met in your life, allowing the reader to relate them to people they've met, making the character's feel real.
GRAMMAR
Grammared. I have no faults here.